Abstract: PASS transistors are used to reduce the layout complexity of logic circuits by using PASS transistors connected to pass a first and second input function to an output node in response to selected CONTROL signals, thereby to generate a selected output function on the output node. The PASS transistor comprises a transistor capable of passing an input function in response to a CONTROL signal applied to the transistor thereby to generate an output function related to the input function. In general, the input function comprises less than all of a set of input variables and the CONTROL function comprises one or more of the remainder of the set of input variables.

Abstract: A digitizer pad has multiple contact points between facing conductive or resistive coated surfaces of spaced planar sheets (11,16). The sheets are joined by an energy-storing hinge means (13) at the periphery of the respective sheets. Pressing of a top sheet against the bottom sheet by a stylus or operator finger force makes a finite electrical point contact, or series of discrete electrical contacts as the stylus or finger is moved across the top sheet while continuing to depress the sheet, and the X-Y coordinates of the contact(s) determined and indicated on a video screen or the like. Release of the energy stored in the hinge by depression of the top sheet returns sheet (11) into separated position from sheet 13 at that point of contact.

Abstract: An MOS transistor which is suitable for use in the VHF and UHF regions is fabricated in a semiconductor substrate, with the substrate serving as the drain. A body region is formed within the substrate. A layer of insulation is formed over the surface of the device, and a via is formed in the insulation layer to expose those portions of the body region where a groove is to be cut. A groove is then formed in such a manner as to cause the insulation layer to overhang the edge of the groove. A source region is then formed in the exposed portions of the body region beneath the insulation layer. A source electrode and gate electrode are then simultaneously formed, with the overhang of the insulation layer causing the source electrode and the gate electrode to be physically and electrically separated from each other. Well known processing techniques are then used, if desired, to form a second metalization layer to serve as electrical interconnects, and to provide a scratch protection layer.

Abstract: A system for synchronizing the operation between a filling unit for filling desired contents into bottles and a capping unit for capping the thus filled bottles in a bottle handling line is provided. The present synchronized driving system includes separate driving motors for separately driving the filling and capping units. The timing of operation of each of the filling and capping units is detected and its information is supplied to a micro-computer which then, after carrying out predetermined calculations, controls the operating conditions of the driving motors to keep the filling and capping units synchronized.

Abstract: A novel switched capacitor gain stage uses a unique circuit design and clocking technique that reduces the component mismatch offset voltage and the clock-induced feedthrough offset voltage produced by the circuit. The total capacitance ratio between the input capacitors and the feedback capacitor necessary to achieve a desired total gain is also minimized.

Abstract: A pillow and bedding retainer for a made-up tip-up bed (11) includes a flexible concave panel (21) extending across a bed storage recess (14). The panel is freely mounted in a parallel spaced pair of horizontal open channels (22, 23) attached to a pivot frame (9) forming a bedding cavity (40). As bed (11) is tilted from a horizontal position (A) to a vertical position (C) through an intermediate position (B) the upper edge (24) of the head of a mattress (13) slidingly engages and presses the panel rearwardly further into the storage recess and tensions the pillow and upper bedding portions against the mattress head top surface retaining them in a diminishing volume of the cavity. The center of curvature of the panel is displaced from the pivot axis (30) of the bed and the panel has a radius of curvature greater than the radius of curvature of the bed pivot axis.

Abstract: A static RAM cell (11) is constructed utilizing low resistivity positive and negative power supply leads (13,14), thus eliminating the problem of instability of the data stored within the cell. The negative power supply lead is formed of a first layer of low resistivity polycrystalline silicon/tantalum silicide, and the positive power supply lead is formed of a second layer of polycrystalline silicon. The use of a low resistivity negative power supply lead causes the voltage drop on the negative power supply lead to be substantially reduced as compared with prior art devices, thereby providing during the read operation substantially equal voltages to the gates of the two bistable transistors of each cell, thus eliminating the problem of instability during reading.Depletion load devices (11,12) are formed utilizing the layer of polycrystalline silicon as the source, drain and channel and the layer of polycrystalline silicon/tantalum silicide as the gate.

Abstract: A carrier detection circuit includes a rectification stage, an integrator, a comparator, and a digital counter. By utilizing a digital counter, long time constants are provided without the use of external components. If desired, a mark detect circuit is used when a mark must be present to signify the presence of carrier. Hysteresis is provided by the comparator to insure that slight fluctuations in the carrier level do not affect the comparison.

Abstract: A fixed disc drive type of memory storage devices includes an annular elastomeric pad that is engaged between the actuator base plate and a bowl-shaped lower casing. The pad is concentric with the spindle axis and forms an air-tight seal at the edge of a circular opening in the lower casing that prevents dust from entering the housing. The base plate has a circular platform portion with the hub for the spindle shaft being formed at its center. The circular form of the opening and platform portion are such that any temperature differential across the lower housing induces an oil-scanning type of deformation in the base plate so that the spindle does not tilt relative to the plane of motion of the transducers.

Abstract: A mask loading apparatus and method employing a cassette (200) detachably mounted on an in-out cassette holder (212). The cassette is made of low Z-materials, and comprises a cover (211) and a bottom mask-supporting tray (202) locked by machine-operable locking members (224) to the cover. A lift cylinder (218) has a vacuum cup (216) which is raised to support and hold the underside (213) of the tray and, when the tray is unlocked from the cover, to move the vacuum cup, tray and mask downwardly and then laterally by a transport arm (203) to a fixed location under a mask holder (205, 220) in a lithographic apparatus.The lift cylinder then raises the cup, tray and mask to abut the mask holder and to transfer the mask to the mask holder. The lift cylinder and empty tray is then lowered and removed from a position blocking the mask as it is to be used in the lithography processing. A reversal of the sequence of steps is utilized to unload the mask from its use mode and return it to its cassette cover.

Abstract: A self-contained remote control unit for use on electronic equipment processing on audio output such as home entertainment equipment (i.e. a television receiver, whether black and white or color, an AM radio, an FM radio, an AM/FM radio, or an audio magnetic tape player) comprises an externally mounted remote control receiver which connects to the home entertainment equipment through the earphone connector of said equipment and thereby disables the speakers of said equipment. The remote control receiver unit includes its own speaker which replaces the disabled internal speaker of the equipment to be controlled, a programmable audio power amplifier for driving its speaker, and an on/off triac which supplies AC power to the equipment to be controlled when said equipment's AC power cable is connected to an AC receptacle on the receiver. A battery-operated, hand-held, hand-operated remote control transmitter is used to send wireless information to the remote control receiver.

Abstract: A system and procedure for organizing a digital memory by incorporating error correcting circuitry and error detecting circuitry into the memory based on the graph of an error-correcting code in tree form. The error detecting circuitry detects a variety of multiple errors in stored binary bits, and in addition detects certain failures in the memory circuitry. One embodiment coordinates a series of independent memory subarrays in an interdependent manner so that all of the bits in an arbitrarily large memory are organized so as to form several long code words in a single-error-correcting double-error-detecting code. Another embodiment organizes all of the bits in the memory so that they form a single codeword in a double-error-correcting, triple-error-detecting code derived from a projective plane. Coding efficiency is high: in the cases of a 256K memory, including the required parity check bits, only (33/32) 256K bits, approximately, must be stored.

Abstract: Calcium silicate is formed by a process wherein the viscosity of the calcium silicate produced in an autoclave is lowered by adding an acetate to the reaction constituents prior to the reaction of these constituents to form the calcium silicate crystals. In one embodiment, manganese acetate is added to comprise between approximately 1% and 3% by weight of the solids contents of the reaction constituents. The result is to lower the viscosity of the reaction product and thus to allow a higher solids content in the autoclave than heretofore commonly used. In one embodiment, water is added in-line to the reaction products as they are transferred from the autoclave to a holding vessel or from a holding vessel to a storage tank. In a further embodiment, fibrous material is added to the holding vessel prior to the transfer of the reaction product into the holding vessel, thus to reduce the amount of energy required to bring the pressure in the holding vessel up to a selected pressure beneath that of the autoclave.

Abstract: An electrostatic motor is constituted by a capacitor (10) having relatively movable electrodes (11, 12) separated by a variable gap (13). The control circuit includes a DC source (60) which is servo-controlled to current measurement means (20) and integrator means (30) for calculating the charge on the capacitor plates and for maintaining said charge constant (Q.sub.0). By applying servo control to keep the charge constant, the force on the plates is independent of the variable value of the gap (14). The charge is preferably on/off switched with a pulse width modulation ratio that is a function of the force which is to be applied.

Abstract: A semiconductor die attach adhesive is provided which is formed of a plurality of spacers formed in a suspension of silver filled glass. In one embodiment of this invention, the spacers are spheres. The spacers utilized in one embodiment of this invention have a melting temperature below the temperature at which the solvents are evaporated from the die attach adhesive. In this manner, as the solvents are driven from the silver filled glass during the die attach operation, thus causing the volume of the silver filled glass to decrease, the spacers utilized in this invention partially melt, thus decreasing their thickness. This decreased thickness of the spacers decreases the separation between the die and the substrate, thus preventing the formation of voids within the die attach adhesive. In one embodiment, the spacers are formed of a lead/tin alloy.

Abstract: A mask aligner (10) includes a ring member (11) having an aperture (13) and a series of internal pneumatic cylinders (14-17) having rolling bearing surfaces (19) at the ends of piston rod shafts (18) wherein when a mask (20) is positioned in the aperture, one bearing surface is actuated inwardly to move the mask laterally into engagement with others of said bearing surfaces to rigidly hold and coarse align the mask. Fine accurate alignment in the x, y and .phi. directions are provided by a spaced series of linear motors (40, 41, 42) and a linkage (45) extending between the motor shaft (43) and a rigid post on a fixed support arm (12), the linkage being of sufficient flexibility to bend when the linear motor moves its shaft (43) inwardly to shorten the span between the motor(s) and the rigid post, and of sufficient stiffness to act as a push rod when the linear motor moves its shaft outwardly to lengthen the span between the motor(s) and the rigid post.

Abstract: The flow meter (10), particularly useful in monitoring flow in semiconductor manufacturing operations, measures mass flow rate of fluids and is fabricated by providing spaced webs (16) deposited on a silicon substrate (11) and fluid flow grooves (13) etched across a substrate surface and extending under the spaced webs. The webs 16 include a low thermal conductivity layer deposited in spaced aligned portions of the substrate and electrically resistive pathways deposited on the layer portions (61). The webs act as temperature sensors and/or heaters. Heat is added to the flowing fluid and a differential temperature is measured on a bridge circuit as is known in the art to measure flow rate.

Abstract: A freeze protection system allows the working fluid contained in the communicating tubes of the solar collector to drain from both the input and output tubes of the collector when a first predetermined temperature of the working fluid is detected and to fill the collector via both the input and output tubes when a second predetermined temperature is detected. The invention includes valve mechanism, of the spool valve variety, that communicate the working fluid to be heated to the collector and therefrom to a storage tank, a valve actuator and a sensor.

Abstract: An operational amplifier has one noninverting input lead (116), and two inverting input leads (117a, 117b). One of these inverting input leads (117a) is utilized to compensate for the effects of the inherent offset voltage (V.sub.off) of the operational amplifier, and the second inverting input lead (117b) receives an input signal to be amplified or compared.

Abstract: A unique CVSD CODEC is provided utilizing switched capacitor technology. This CVSD CODEC includes a syllabic filter which provides one of a large number of possible step sizes, thereby allowing the CVSD CODEC to accurately track and convert a wide range of input voltages. The CVSD CODEC includes coincidence logic, which determines how accurately the input voltage is being tracked, and a syllabic filter which provides an appropriate step size based upon the output signals of the coincidence logic. Large step sizes are provided for converting input voltages having large magnitudes, and small step sizes are used to convert input voltages having small magnitudes, thereby providing the very accurate resolution of input voltages over the wide range of magnitudes, while minimizing the bit rate required.