Abstract: The self inductance associated with a capacitance A52 in a superconductor integrated circuit (FIG. 1) is reduced by adding a layer of superconductor metal (A54) overlying the capacitor, effectively producing a negative inductance to counteract the self-inductance of the capacitor leads, thereby reducing inductance of the circuit. As a result it possible to transfer a single flux quantum (“SFQ”) pulse through the capacitor. Capacitors (19 and 25 FIG. 5) of the foregoing type are incorporated in superconductor integrated circuit SFQ transmission lines (FIG. 5) to permit SQUID-to-SQUID transfer of SFQ pulses, while maintaining the circuit grounds of the respective SQUIDs in DC isolation. Bias current (10) may be supplied to multiple SQUIDs (1 & 3, 7 & 9 FIG. 5) serially, reducing the supply current required previously for operation of multiple SQUIDs.

Abstract: Reconfigurable radiant energy reflectors (3) of very low areal densities are formed of a laminate of a thin layer of a shape memory alloy (17) and a thin film or membrane material (15). The outer surface of the membrane provides the energy reflecting surface (16) and a support member (11) is attached to the laminate for application in a system. In a preferred embodiment, the shape memory alloy (17) is compositionally graded (18, 19, 29, 21) and exhibits a two-way shape memory effect and a heater (5) serves as the actuator to the reflector.

Abstract: A computerized early warning network for biological events or terrorism produces the alert that calls the health authorities to action. Data generated in the point of sale (POS1 . . . POSn, POSa & POSb) units of a retail store or pharmacy that sells prescription and non-prescription medicines contain information regarding purchases of various medicines which are available at the central server (S2) associated with the point of sale equipment. The database of purchases is periodically culled to extract information regarding the quantities of different types of medicines purchased (PROG) in the period, such as over a day, and that information is transmitted, directly or indirectly, to the servers (S3) of the public health authorities. With medicine type correlated to specific diseases, the computers of the health authorities evaluate the purchase information on a type-by-type basis and region-by-region basis to determine occurrence of a biological event in any of the regions.

Abstract: Fast switching and fast settling is achieved in a phase locked loop (“PLL”) containing a bandwidth switched active loop filter (8) by feeding the phase error signal of the phase detector (1) of the PLL to the non-inverting input of the amplifier (7) within the loop filter and having the electronic switch (17) control the loop filter bandwidth through changing the resistance (9, 11) to ground at the inverting input of the amplifier between a high and low value associated respectively with broad bandwidth and narrow bandwidth to the loop filter. Switching is possible in as little as one microsecond, and is accompanied by fast settling of the loop with minimal generation of phase/frequency perturbation. The foregoing PLL is of particular benefit in fast switching frequency synthesizers, such as used in frequency hopping frequency synthesizers of frequency and time division multiplexing systems.

Abstract: A microwave filter made of acoustically coupled, bulk wave acoustic resonators. The resonators utilize piezoelectric materials sandwiched between conducting electrodes. Layers of material that intervene between the resonators control the amount of acoustic coupling between the resonators and the amount of coupling is selected to obtain desired filter characteristics. The resonators and the intervening layers may be supported upon a substrate by means of a series of layers of material that function as an acoustic mirror or reflector.

Abstract: Reflow soldering of a variety of circuit boards (9, 11, 15) in a variety of sizes and shapes to assigned locations on the base or carrier (13) of the electronic module housing (3) is simplified by eliminating custom made metal blocks previously used to clamp the circuit boards against the carrier metal. Instead, the solder-backed circuit boards are placed in assigned positions in the module housing and the inside volume of that housing is filled (22) with particulate, such as small beads (17), covering the circuit boards, but leaving the edges of the upstanding metal shields (5 and 7) visible. A plate (21) backed foam sheet (19) is placed over the module housing (24) and clamped down (26), pressing against the beads. The clamped assembly is then heated (28) to reflow the solder, soldering the circuit boards in place.

Abstract: A tunable nitrous plate assembly for fuel injected 5.0 liter V8 engines contains a metal plate (1) that is sandwiched between the upper and lower manifold members of the engine air intake manifold. The plate contains multiple ports (17) mate with the ports in the lower manifold member and, thereby, lead to individual intake runners of the engine cylinders. Each port includes a nitrous oxide spray conduit (21) overlying a fuel spray conduit (23) with both conduits extending across the port transverse to the longitudinal plate axis. Fittings (22, 20) attached to the plate exterior couple an end of respective spray conduits for fluid communication with appropriate nitrous oxide and fuel supplies. Replaceable calibration jets (45, 46) installed in respective fittings (22, 20) in series with the supply lines are selected so that the horsepower generated by the engine cylinders is balanced.

Abstract: A method for fabricating patterned layers of a desired material in a desired, design pattern upon a substrate, which method may be used in circumstances where the removal of photo-resist material may not be used to lift-off undesired portions of the material from the substrate. The method uses copper or some other conducting material instead of the photo-resist material, Which copper or other conducting material may be removed by chemical processes to lift-off the undesired portions of material deposited upon the conducting material and substrate. The copper or other conducting material is fabricated upon the substrate so as to have a lip that overhangs and shadows the boundary of photo-resist material previously fabricated upon the substrate in the desired pattern.

Abstract: A coupled transmission line balun construction employs two pairs of planar interleaved spiral coils (3, 5 & 7, 9) formed on an electrically insulating or semi-insulating substrate (11) defining a planar structure. One coil in each pair is connected in series to define the input transmission line of the balun, with one end (8) of that transmission line being open circuit. The balun provides an ultra-wide bandwidth characteristic in the frequencies of interest for MMIC devices, is fabricated using the same techniques employed with fabrication of MMIC devices, and is of a physical size that lends itself to application within MMIC devices.

Abstract: Reduction in the base to collector capacitance of a heterojunction bipolar transistor, and, improved high frequency performance is achieved using existing materials and processes by undercutting the collector (5) under the base (7) along two parallel sides of the base mesa (7—FIG. 4), and providing a sloped collector edge (5—FIG. 6) along the remaining two parallel sides of the base. The foregoing is accomplished by selective etching and with the four sides of the mesa regions oriented as a non-rectangular parallelogram (7, 9—FIG. 4) in which one pair of sides is in parallel with one of the said [0 0 1] and [0 0 {overscore (1)}] planes of the crystalline structure and the other pair of sides in parallel with one of the [0 1 1] and [0 {overscore (1)} {overscore (1)}] planes of the crystalline structure.

Abstract: A superconductor on-chip microstrip line (2, 4) to off-chip microstrip line (7) transition of low characteristic impedance (15, 20, 22) is realized that obtains a bandwidth of 200 GHz for MCM application while employing solder bump (15, 17) technology to connect the chips (3, 5) to the off-chip microstrip and substrate (6). Circular openings (20, 22) through the respective ground plane layers (10 & 16) of the off-chip and on-chip microstrips are provided in positions respectively underlying and overlying the solder bump (15) for the signal. The openings may be sized to provide a desired ratio of inductance to capacitance, the larger the size, the greater the ratio value. This technique may be used to match characteristic impedance to give broad bandwidth low impedance interconnections needed for direct SFQ chip-to-chip communication on a passive MCM.

Abstract: Semiconductor wafer (11) are uniformly and thoroughly cleaned of particulate and organic contaminants by sweeping the wafer with a hydraulic broom that sprays cleaning solution onto the wafer. The broom contains an aspirating nozzle (3) for connection to a source of pressurized gas, such as nitrogen, and to a source of cleaning fluid, such as acetone, wherein cleaning fluid aspirated by the gas stream is expressed through the nozzle outlet to impact the surface of the wafer, dislodging particulate matter and dissolving organic contaminants. A programmed controller (9) controls movement of the hydraulic broom relative to the wafer to ensure that the entire surface is cleaned and permits a variety of sweeping patterns.

Abstract: A fuze for a submunition is miniaturized in size by forming the fuze of a micro-electromechanical systems (“MEMS”) velocity sensor (38, 32, 34 and 36), a MEMs shock detector (31), a DC power supply (30) and one of the MEMs arm-fire device (2, FIG. 1) or MEMs safe and arm device (2, FIG. 5). Multiple fuzes may be incorporated in a fuze to ensure detonation of the explosive charge, should one fuze fail. A millimeter-microwave (“MMW”) receiver-decoder may be included to permit remote detonation on command from a remote transmitter (52) and/or a microprocessor (54) may be included to time the detonation to the physical characteristics of the target.

Abstract: For qualification testing in product development, a test assembly contains a surrogate circuit board (7) and surrogate electronic modules (5) supported thereon. The terminals (5a-5j) of the modules are joined to respective bonding pads (2a-2j) on the circuit board to form bonded joints. The modules terminals and the wiring of the associated bonding pads is configured to produce at least one test series circuit (21) associated with each module that includes the bonded joints. A tester (9) supported on the circuit board monitors the test series circuit and produces a persistent indication (10) should a break or interruption occur in a bonded joint or any other portion of the test series circuit. This allows indications of transient breaks that occurred when the test assembly was being subjected to stresses, such as those induced by temperature excursions, mechanical vibration, and/or mechanical shock to be preserved and recorded at a later time.

Abstract: A rapid SFQ one-way buffer (13, 1, 4, 5, 15, 2 & 9), is combined with a Josephson transmission line (17,3, 19, 16, 21 & 4) that is lightly loaded (RL) to provide a superconductor driver capable of producing double flux quantum output pulses. Each SFQ pulse applied to the input of the one-way buffer propagates through the Josephson transmission line to generate a double flux quantum pulse at the transmission line output.

Abstract: An electronic controller, such as a programmed microcontroller (33), controls a series of pumps (P1-P6) to automatically sequence the pumping of the individual fluids required by the ELISA procedure into a cell (or cells) necessary to produce a reporter, control the positioning of the carrier of the reporter (32, 35) adjacent the reporter sensor (28), analyze the data obtained from the reporter sensor and display (36) the concentration of the bioagent determined from the analysis of the foregoing data. The foregoing elements automate the ELISA procedure. Once started, the apparatus, governed by the program, conducts the test automatically without the necessity for human intervention. In accordance with a specific aspect, the foregoing components may be housed in a single package for easy portability; may be battery powered or line powered.

Abstract: Cleaning of MBE vacuum chambers of residue containing a volatile material, such as red phosphorus, is safely achieved by wetting the residue with de-ionized water (37) and depositing the residue in a water bath, formed by the water at the bottom of the chamber, to form a slurry. The slurry is vacuumed (1 & 30) from the chamber and collected (44) within the canister (3) of the vacuum cleaner. The water precludes ignition of the red phosphorus during cleaning of the chamber and during collection within the canister of the vacuum cleaner.

Abstract: A nitrous plate (1) includes four end-fed nitrous oxide spray conduits (2, 4, 6 & 8) positioned coplanar in the plate passage (21), supported at one end by respective walls (17, 18, 92 & 20) of the plate with closed distal conduit ends positioned near the center (22) of the plate passage. Two conduits (2, 6) are coaxially aligned with their closed ends in confronting relationship across the central axis of the plate passage. The remaining conduits (4, 8) are coaxially aligned with closed ends in confronting relationship across the central axis to the passage and are oriented perpendicular to the other conduits. Four fuel spray conduits are included in a separate plane and are organized in the foregoing way. The distal ends of the spray conduits are mechanically linked together by a junction block (10).

Abstract: A nozzle (7) for a nitrous oxide system for an internal combustion engine contains outlet (9), to produce a high velocity cylindrical stream of nitrous oxide (9′) expressed in a certain direction (29) and another outlet (11), located on the same side of the nozzle, such as a slot, to produce a thin fan shaped mist of fuel (11′) expressed in a second direction (31) from another location with the directions being inclined at an acute angle (&agr;) relative to one another, preferably forty-five degrees. The spray of fuel and stream of nitrous oxide collide at a location (D1, 18) displaced from the side of the nozzle, wherein the high velocity stream of nitrous oxide further atomizes the fuel and mixes therewith as injected into the intake of the engine.

Abstract: The self inductance associated with a capacitance A52 in a superconductor integrated circuit (FIG. 1) is reduced by adding a layer of superconductor metal (A54) overlying the capacitor, effectively producing a negative inductance to counteract the self-inductance of the capacitor leads, thereby reducing inductance of the circuit. As a result it possible to transfer a single flux quantum (“SFQ”) pulse through the capacitor. Capacitors (19 and 25 FIG. 5) of the foregoing type are incorporated in superconductor integrated circuit SFQ transmission lines (FIG. 5) to permit SQUID-to-SQUID transfer of SFQ pulses, while maintaining the circuit grounds of the respective SQUIDs in DC isolation. Bias current (10) may be supplied to multiple SQUIDs (1 & 3, 7 & 9 FIG. 5) serially, reducing the supply current required previously for operation of multiple SQUIDs.