Abstract: A phase shifter comprises a transmission line having a second terminated transmission line extending therefrom. A single diode is coupled across the second transmission line. The diode is switched between two operating states which changes the effective electrical length of the second transmission line and introduces a phase shift to a signal propagating in the first transmission line.

Abstract: Wafers have material removed from them in processes such as lapping or polishing without the use of hold down adhesives to secure the wafers to a wafer mounting plate. The front side of a polymeric mounting pad on a wafer mounting plate is moistened with a liquid, the wafers are rendered shedding of that liquid and substantially free of adhesion diminishing particles and powder and are mounted on the moistened mounting pad. It is critical that the wafers shed the liquid with which the pad is moistened. The wafers are pressed firmly against the mounting pad in order to assure their continued adhesion to the pad during the material removal process. The wafer mounting plate is then mounted in the lapping, polishing or other material removal machine and the wafers lapped or polished in a normal manner. After completion of the desired material removal the wafers may be removed from the mounting pad with tweezers or by floating the wafers off the mounting pad.

Abstract: The quality of the as-sawn surfaces of a wafer is improved by preventing the saw blade from striking the wafer surfaces during the blade return stroke by leaning the just-sawn wafer away from the blade and by slightly retracting the face of the ingot from the plane of the saw blade. A fluid-jet-induced deformation of the binding compound portion of the ingot is preferred as a means of leaning the wafer away from the saw blade. Using this technique a number of wafers may be successively sawn from an ingot and kept attached to the ingot by the binding compound without the surfaces of the wafers being scored during the return strokes of the blade.

Abstract: A semiconductor transistor device comprises a base region having a relatively thin portion with a thicker portion peripherally surrounding the relatively thin portion. A PN junction is between the base region and a collector region and includes at least one radius of curvature having the lowest breakdown voltage of the PN junction. An emitter region is in the thicker portion of the base region and an emitter electrode overlies the relatively thin portion.

Abstract: A semiconductor triac comprises means for switching the device from a conducting state to a blocking state. The means can be characterized as being a gate region which is substantially aligned with each of two anode regions. Each of the anode regions is adjacent a different one of two major opposing surfaces and are substantially misaligned with respect to each other.

Abstract: Semiconductor segments are embedded in a crystalline substrate. Each of the segments are insulated from each other and from the substrate so that they can be used in fabricating semiconductor devices.

Abstract: A strain detector comprises an oscillator having a surface acoustic wave delay line as its frequency control element. The delay line is constructed on a substrate, such as quartz which is disposed to distort in response to the strain to be measured. Distortion of the substrate alters the frequency control characteristics of the surface acoustic wave delay line with a consequent change in oscillator frequency. The change in frequency is proportional to the distortion of the substrate. A strain gage employs the detector output frequency as the input signal to a frequency measuring system.

Abstract: A new magnetic microwave composite, a smooth monocrystalline substituted lithium ferrite (Li.sub.1-x Na.sub.x Fe.sub.5 O.sub.8) film on a monocrystalline magnesium oxide substrate is disclosed. Lithium ferrite films may be epitaxially grown on magnesium oxide substrates with excellent lattice matching by partial substitution of sodium for the lithium to increase the lattice constant of the lithium ferrite to match that of magnesium oxide.

Abstract: An actinic radiation emissive mask for a high resolution lithography emits actinic radiation which originates within the mask. The mask patterns the actinic radiation to expose resist in accordance with a desired pattern. The actinic radiation originating in the mask may be produced by radioactivity, stimulated emission or combinations thereof.

Abstract: A composite comprising a monocrystalline substrate and one or more layers or films of monocrystalline IVA-VIA compounds and/or alloys formed thereon by a chemical vapor deposition process. The composite is formed at a preferred temperature range of approximately 450.degree.-650.degree. C. The IVA-VIA layer(s) are produced by the pyrolysis of a gas mixture containing metalorganic compounds. Where single crystal metallic oxide substrates of rhombohedral structure, such as sapphire, (.alpha.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3), or of cubic structure, such as magnesium aluminate (spinel), are used for the growth of monocrystalline lead-containing films such as Pb.sub.1-x Sn.sub.x Te, a nucleation layer of lead is preferably formed on the substrate prior to the pyrolysis of the mixed gaseous reactants.

Abstract: An intensity control system for a cathode ray tube (CRT) is disclosed. The system provides precise intensity control for a CRT whose control characteristics are only slowly varying. Precise intensity control is provided by measuring the cathode ray tube beam current. The beam current is set at a desired value without producing an image on the tube face. Thus, tube intensity can be set without fogging photoresponsive media which is in position for exposure by images on the cathode ray tube screen. The intensity may be set to a value determined by a manually adjustable intensity control. The intensity is preferably set by iterative threshold comparison of the actual beam current with the value corresponding to the setting of the intensity control. A unique threshold comparison circuit provides precise comparison between the reference level set by the intensity control and the actual beam current.

Abstract: A calibration reticle for measuring microscopes is disclosed in which a calibrated distance is established by calibration reference lines whose locations are defined by selected features of the calibration pattern. Preferably, the calibration reference lines are not physically manifest on the calibration reticle, except by the selected features which specify the locations of the calibration reference lines.

Abstract: Single crystals consisting of various compositions from the quaternary silicate system Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 --CaO--MgO--SiO.sub.2 are grown from the melt. The physical and chemical properties of the single crystal silicates, including akermanite (Ca.sub.2 MgSi.sub.2 O.sub.7), cordierite (Mg.sub.2 Al.sub.4 Si.sub.5 O.sub.18), and mullite (Al.sub.6 Si.sub.2 O.sub.13), make the silicates useful, for example, as substrates for epitaxial semiconductor films.

Abstract: A charge coupled device (CCD) built in a semiconductor island on sapphire substrate has very low gate capacitances and consequently will operate at very high speeds.

Abstract: Photoresist coated transparent structures are supported in a black body (reflectionless) holder during activating exposure of the photoresist. When the photoresist coated structure is positioned in the holder, there is no reflecting surface close enough to the photoresist coated structure for photoresist-activating radiation which has once passed through the structure to be reflected back into the photoresist with sufficient intensity to expose the photoresist.

Abstract: An integrated circuit calculator which can operate in either a twelve digit or an eight digit mode is provided. A conditional modification circuit modifies some of the memory addresses employed in the twelve digit calculator to provide the eight digit calculator with more random access memory registers than the 12 digit calculator. In the twelve digit calculator, the conditional modification circuit also controls folding of some memory registers in order to minimize the chip area required for the memory circuitry and control logic.

Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal display device employs capacitance spoiling layers to minimize unneeded capacitances created by crossovers of "X" and "Y" address lines and to accurately define desired capacitances. The spoiler layers comprise low dielectric constant layers which space electrodes from the ferroelectric at crossover points where capacitance is not needed for device operation.

Abstract: Glass-substrate thin film thermal printheads are protected from both chemical contamination and the mechanical wear by a coating comprising aluminum oxide (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3) over silicon monoxide (SiO) disposed on the printhead.

Abstract: Mode conversion of optical signals in thin film optical devices is obtained in a region of Faraday effect magnetic material waveguide by providing a periodic structure in which alternate half cycles have the magnetization parallel to the propagation direction to turn on the Faraday effect to induce mode conversion and in which the intervening half cycles have the magnetization perpendicular to the propagation direction to turn off the Faraday effect to prevent mode conversion. Stripe domains are preferably used to turn the Faraday effect off. Non-reciprocal mode conversion is obtained by optically coupling an anisotropic crystal to the waveguide to provide a quantity of mode conversion equal to that provided by the Faraday effect.

Abstract: Monolithic acoustoelectric signal storage device and means for generating a surface acoustic wave on piezoelectric material and propagating the wave into a storage region of the device. An electric field applied across a storage structure in the storage region of the device interacts with the electric field associated with the surface acoustic wave to produce a holographic replica of the wave in a spatially varying distribution of charge trapped at a solid dielectric-dielectric interface. The stored waveform may then be read out at a later time or, in nonlinear signal processing applications, the electric field of a subsequently generated surface acoustic wave may be propagated into the storage region to interact with the trapped charge to produce an output signal.