Abstract: A device and method of track changing an optical signal beam in response to the frequency selective phase characteristics of a resonator. The resonator is side-coupled to a single optical beam and only affects that beam's phase, without disturbing its amplitude to any significant degree. For all resonator and input beam configurations, the phase-shift at a resonant frequency is always .pi., thus the relative switching characteristics are similar regardless of the exact configuration. Track changing is accomplished through interferometry. The signal, after having interacted with the resonator, is made to interfere with a reference beam. The reference beam is created by dividing an input signal into two paths, one which interacts with the resonator, the other which serves as the reference. In an alternative embodiment, the device acts as a mode converter. The resonator converts an even system-mode to an odd system-mode (or vise versa).

Abstract: A workpiece chuck includes an upper assembly on which can be mounted a flat workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer. A lower assembly is mountable to a base that supports the chuck. A non-constraining attachment means such as vacuum, springs or resilient washers applied to the chuck holds the upper assembly to the lower assembly, the lower assembly to the base and can hold the wafer to the top surface of the upper assembly. A heater and a heat sink can be included in the bottom assembly to allow for temperature cycle testing of the wafer. By holding the chuck together by non-constraining means, the chuck layers can move continuously relative to each other under expansion forces caused by temperature effects. Mechanical stresses on the chuck and resulting deformation of the chuck and workpiece over temperature are substantially eliminated.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fuse of a semiconductor device and a method of forming a fuse of a semiconductor device. The method of the invention includes forming an underlying metal conductor on a semiconductor substrate, forming an insulating film over the underlying metal conductor, and selectively etching regions of the insulating film. One of the regions of the insulating film is etched to form a via contact region exposing the underlying metal conductor. A second region is etched to form a groove in the insulating film for the fuse metal. Metal is buried within the second etched region of the insulating film and the via contact region to respectively form a fuse metal pattern and a via contact metal layer.

Abstract: A system and method for transferring a low-temperature fluid includes a source of the low-temperature fluid coupled to a device being cooled by one or more fluid hoses or lines. The lines are surrounded by a cover which is coupled to a source of gas. The gas flows between the fluid lines and the cover such that the dew point of the atmosphere inside the cover is below the temperature of an outer surface of the hose such that condensation on the fluid lines is substantially eliminated.

Abstract: The present invention is a goods handling system incorporating a mobile unit for loading and unloading goods, preferably positioned on load carriers, to and from a ship. The unit incorporates at least one substantially horizontal transport arm with at least one transport track arranged along it and at each end of a first and a second substantially vertical lifting device with a vertically adjustable loading platform. The second lifting device is constituted by a line system arranged in the upper part of the transport arm having a free-hanging loading platform. The loading platform is provided with control means for guiding the platform into a receiving station at the end of a lifting phase to level with the transport track.

Abstract: A semiconductor read-only memory includes a main memory cell array having a plurality of first and second bit lines arranged in a hierarchical configuration. A dummy cell array generates a reference potential during a read-out operation. A decoder circuit generates a first, second, third and fourth selection signals from address signals, and a sense amplifier circuit detects data stored in a memory cell of the main memory cell array. A switching circuit connects the dummy cell to the sense amplifier circuit through the second bit line. The read-only memory according to the invention has an advantage that it is possible to accomplish an efficient read-out operation without additional dummy bit lines in an area of the memory cell array.

Abstract: An espagnolette edge bar assembly for use in a latch assembly. The espagnolette edge bar assembly includes an espagnolette edge bar lock housing mounting means (14) attached to the espagnolette edge bar, and an espagnolette rod connector associated with the lock housing mounting means. The espagnolette rod connector is arranged for displacement along the espagnolette edge bar.

Abstract: A deep sea insulated pipeline comprises an inner pipe which is encased lengthwise by an insulating core. The insulating core comprises macrospheres surrounded by syntactic foam that includes a semi-rigid resin binder and microspheres. The semi-rigid resin binder reinforces the macrospheres to provide sufficient strength to withstand the hydrostatic pressure at depths in excess of several thousand feet of water, and is yet flexible enough to accommodate bending associated with deep sea pipe laying operations. The deep sea insulated pipeline may also include a protective outer casing. The inner pipe extends through and cooperates with the outer casing to define an annulus chamber containing the insulating core. The outer casing may be a plastic pipe. In a preferred embodiment the semi-rigid resin binder includes Bisphenol-A epoxy resin, an anhydride curing agent, and a flexibilizer.

Abstract: There is provided a non-volatile memory device programming method for improving soft programming. In the programming method, a first voltage for program inhibition is applied to a bit line, and a second voltage is applied to the gate of a first select transistor, unselected word lines, and a selected word line. Then, after blocking a current path, a third voltage is applied to the word line of a first unselected memory cell and the word line of a second unselected memory cell sharing the drain and the source of a memory cell on the selected word line in order to decouple the first and second unselected memory cells from the other unselected memory cells. A fourth voltage is applied to the unselected word lines except for the first and second unselected memory cells, thereby coupling the sources or drains of the first and second unselected memory cells and disconnecting the channel of the selected memory cell from those of the other unselected memory cells.

Abstract: A nonlinear dielectric material is incorporated within a photonic crystal as a means of changing the refractive index of a defect. In this way, the resonant frequency can be easily adjusted, after fabrication, by external mechanisms (either optical or electronic). The ability to tune the frequency of a resonant mode is useful for constructing photonic integrated devices, thus the invention enables the use of a photonic-crystal microcavity for such purposes. In one embodiment there is provided a photonic crystal having a periodic dielectric structure, and a defect positioned within the structure to define a microcavity. The defect includes a nonlinear material and being adapted to have an induced variation in index of refraction so as to tune the resonant mode of the microcavity.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical switch and modulator which uses a closed loop optical resonator. The optical resonator is a dielectric cavity whose primary function is to store optical power. Various structures are possible, and a particularly advantageous one is a ring shaped cavity. The wavelength response at the output port of a ring resonator side coupled to two waveguides is determined by the details of the resonator, and the coupling between the resonator and the waveguides. By coupling to adjacent resonators, the modulator response can be improved over that of a single resonator. One such improvement is in modulator efficiency, which is defined as the ratio of the change in optical intensity at the output, to a change in absorption in the ring waveguides. Absorption is used for switching and modulation without incurring significant optical attenuation. Another improvement involves making the resonance insensitive to small deviations in wavelength or index change.

Abstract: A polyphase quadrature digital tuner system which converts input signals to baseband inphase and quadrature signal components. The system includes a signal receiver which receives the input signals having a frequency centered around a predetermined carrier frequency. A signal processor continuously samples the input signals and multiplies selected portions of the input signals by a value of 1 or -1 to produce discrete sequences of N input samples, where N is an integer. An inphase signal channel includes a first set of N filters in a first filter stage each having respective filter coefficients, the first set of filters arranged to receive the discrete sequences, and a first signal summer which sums the outputs of the first set of N filters to produce the inphase signal component.

Abstract: An absorber includes a plurality of shredded foam particles and a plurality of fiber whiskers. The fiber whiskers are interspersed among, and attach to the shredded foam particles to create a foam-fiber mixture. A curable adhesive is added to the foam-fiber mixture and the cured mixture is molded to form the radar absorber. The fiber whiskers are less than about two weight percent of the absorbers. The foam particles are preferably formed by shredding scrap foam. The particles are generally irregularly shaped and the size of the particles can be expressed as having a mean size of about 1/8" to 1" diameter, although the particles are not necessarily spherical. The fibers are about 1/8" to 3/4" in length and have a diameter of about 7.3 microns. To form the absorber, shredded foam particles are mixed with fiber whiskers, and the fiber whiskers attach themselves to the surface of the shredded foam particles.

Abstract: A method of processing semiconductor materials, including providing a monocrystalline silicon substrate having a (001) crystallographic surface orientation; off-cutting the substrate to an orientation from about 2.degree. to about 6.degree. offset towards the [110] direction; and epitaxially growing a relaxed graded layer of a crystalline GeSi on the substrate. A semiconductor structure including a monocrystalline silicon substrate having a (001) crystallographic surface orientation, the substrate being off-cut to an orientation from about 2.degree. to about 6.degree. offset towards the [110] direction; and a relaxed graded layer of a crystalline GeSi which is epitaxially grown on the substrate.

Abstract: A differential current switch including a differential switch pair of transistors having first and second complementary control inputs which receive first and second complementary signals so as to be controlled by a control signal with equal delay from a clock signal. A first set of switching transistors is coupled to provide the first complementary signal which controls the first complementary control input of the differential switch pair. A second set of switching transistors is coupled to provide the second complementary signal which controls the second complementary control input of the differential switch pair. First delay transistor pairs are coupled to the complementary outputs of the cross coupled inverter and have the characteristic that the fall times of its outputs are greater than the rise time of its outputs. Second delay transistor pairs are coupled to the first delay transistor pairs and have the characteristic that the rise times of its outputs are greater than the fall times of its outputs.

Abstract: A method and system for enhancing the function of sensory cells. The method includes locating a sensory cell area associated with the sensory cell whose function is to be enhanced, and inputting a bias signal to the sensory cell area. The system includes a signal processor for producing a bias signal and an input device for inputting the bias signal to a sensory cell area associated with a sensory cell whose function is to be enhanced. Inputting the bias signal to a sensory cell area effectively lowers the threshold of sensory cells with which the sensory cell area is associated.

Abstract: A gain stage is disclosed for use in an amplifier which provides an output signal. The gain stage includes a first transistor including a base, an emitter and a collector. The base is coupled to an input signal applied to the gain stage, and the emitter is coupled to a first source of operating potential. The gain stage also includes a second transistor including a base, an emitter and a collector. The collector of the second transistor is coupled to the collector of the first transistor for providing the output signal. The emitter of the second transistor is coupled to a second source of operating potential. The gain stage also includes a level shifter coupled to both the input signal and the base of the second transistor. The level shifter provides level shifting and produces a gain signal responsive to the input signal.

Abstract: An active inductor which consumes less direct current (DC) power and is stably biased, has a smaller number of bias pins, a higher quality factor (Q) and fewer controlling ports, than that of the prior art, is realized in metal semiconductor field effect transistor or bipolar transistor technology. The active inductor includes an inverting amplifier of a common source (common emitter) type, which inversely amplifies an input signal and outputs the amplified signal as an output signal, a non-inverting amplifier of a common gate (common base) cascode type, which non-inversely amplifies the output signal and the amplified signal as the input signal, a capacitor connected between the input signal and a reference signal, and a biasing portion for biasing the inverting amplifier and the non-inverting amplifier.

Abstract: A digital decorating system for transferring a selected image to a surface of an article includes a thermal printhead, an advancing mechanism for producing relative movement between the printhead and the surface of the article, and a force member for exerting a selected amount of pressure between the thermal line of pixels and the surface of the article. The thermal printhead includes a plurality of energizable heater elements constructed to deliver heat to a thermal line of pixels on a surface of the printhead. The digital decorating system also includes a microcontroller operatively connected to the printhead, the force member and the advancing mechanism to provide control signals selectively delivering heat to pixels of the thermal line and selectively causing the movement thereby thermally transferring, over a two dimensional array of pixels, a two dimensional image to the article surface.

Abstract: A workpiece chuck includes an upper assembly on which can be mounted a flat workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer. A lower assembly is mountable to a base that supports the chuck. A non-constraining attachment means such as vacuum, springs or resilient washers applied to the chuck holds the upper assembly to the lower assembly, the lower assembly to the base and can hold the wafer to the top surface of the upper assembly. By holding the chuck together by non-constraining means, the chuck layers can move continuously relative to each other under expansion forces caused by temperature effects, such that mechanical stresses on the chuck and resulting deformation of the chuck and workpiece over temperature are substantially eliminated. A plurality of support members including inclined surfaces provided between an upper and lower portion of the chuck maintain the top surface of the chuck and any workpiece mounted thereon at a constant height over temperature.