Abstract: The invention provides a flip chip mounting process in which a layer of electrically insulating adhesive paste is applied on a substrate having bond pads, covering the bond pads with the adhesive. Electrically conductive polymer bumps are formed on bond pads of a flip chip to be bonded to the substrate, and the polymer bumps are at least partially hardened. The bond pads of the flip chip are then aligned with the bond pads of the substrate, and the at least partially hardened polymer bumps are pushed through the adhesive on the substrate to contact directly and bond the polymer bumps to the bond pads of the substrate. This process results in direct electrical and mechanical bonding of the polymer bumps between the chip and substrate bond pads, even though the adhesive film was applied on the substrate in a manner that covered the substrate bond pads. The polymer bumps displace the adhesive as they are pushed through it and expand laterally on the substrate bond pads.

Abstract: Provided is the ability to produce an orthogonal-view representation of a selected feature plane of a three-dimensional object. A plurality of images of the object are acquired, each corresponding to a distinct orientation of the object about a selected object axis. In at least one acquired image, feature points are identified in the selected feature plane as-projected into that acquired image. Feature points are associated with an orthogonal-view representation of the selected feature plane, and feature points from at least one acquired image are correlated with physical orientations on the selected feature plane based on the object orientation corresponding to that acquired image. An orthogonal-view representation of the selected object feature plane can be analyzed for a specified feature configuration even when the acquired object images are perspective-view images. This can be accomplished even through only a subset of feature points may be available in any one given image of the object.

Abstract: Provided is the ability to validate detected features in acquired images to thereby enhance the integrity of any analysis carried out on the detected and validated features. A sequence of images of, e.g., an object is acquired, each image in the sequence corresponding to a distinct orientation of the object about a selected object axis. Images in the sequence are inspected for feature points of the selected feature plane, as-projected into the images, at a first feature detection location and at a second feature detection location. The second feature detection location is configured at an image position at which a feature point detected in the first feature detection location in a first inspected image is expected to appear in a second inspected image. Valid object feature points are identified as being those feature points which are detected in both the first feature detection location in a first inspected image and in the second feature detection location in a second inspected image of the image sequence.

Abstract: Provided are methods for forming a fluorocarbon polymer thin film on the surface of a structure. In one method, a monomer gas is exposed to a source of heat having a temperature sufficient to pyrolyze the monomer gas and produce a source of reactive CF.sub.2 species in the vicinity of the structure surface. The structure surface is maintained substantially at a temperature lower than that of the heat source to induce deposition and polymerization of the CF.sub.2 species on the structure surface. In another method for forming a fluorocarbon polymer thin film, the structure is exposed to a plasma environment in which a monomer gas is ionized to produce reactive CF.sub.2 species. The plasma environment is produced by application to the monomer gas of plasma excitation power characterized by an excitation duty cycle having alternating intervals in which excitation power is applied and in which no excitation power is applied to the monomer gas.

Abstract: Plasma process analysis techniques are provided. The intensity of each of a number, P, of a plurality of radiation wavelengths that are emitted from a plasma process are monitored as the process proceeds. Indications of P-dimensional correlations between the intensities of the P monitored wavelengths are produced as the process proceeds. Then the produced correlation indications are compared with a prespecified correlation indication generated based on historical conditions for the plasma process, to determine the status condition of the process as the process proceeds. With this technique, the use of a priori, expected, specific templates is not required for evaluating radiation emission data during a plasma process. Instead the techniques investigate and discover the multiple complex correlations that form between various radiation emission wavelengths during a plasma process, and do not impose an expectation for a specific correlation or trend between the various wavelengths.

Abstract: Provided are methods for forming a fluorocarbon polymer thin film on the surface of a structure. In one method, a monomer gas is exposed to a source of heat having a temperature sufficient to pyrolyze the monomer gas and produce a source of reactive CF.sub.2 species in the vicinity of the structure surface. The structure surface is maintained substantially at a temperature lower than that of the heat source to induce deposition and polymerization of the CF.sub.2 species on the structure surface. In another method for forming a fluorocarbon polymer thin film, the structure is exposed to a plasma environment in which a monomer gas is ionized to produce reactive CF.sub.2 species. The plasma environment is produced by application to the monomer gas of plasma excitation power characterized by an excitation duty cycle having alternating intervals in which excitation power is applied and in which no excitation power is applied to the monomer gas.

Abstract: A method is presented for forming a bumped substrate and for forming an electrical circuit which includes the bumped substrate. The method of forming the bumped substrate includes forming at least one electrically conductive polymer bump on each of a first set of bond pads of the substrate. At least one electrically conductive polymer bump is then formed on each of a second set of the bond pads of the substrate. The circuit is formed by selectively forming an organic protective layer around the bond pads of a second substrate by laser ablation of an organic protective coating on the second substrate. The electrically conductive polymer bumps on the first and second portions of the bond pads of the first substrate are then contacted with the bond pads of the second substrate, thereby forming the electrical circuit.

Abstract: Provided is the ability to selectively irradiate a designated irradiation target portion of a target material with a beam of electrons. Target material is moved at a substantially constant velocity in one direction along a path that is intersected by an electron beam. The electron beam is translated in a direction transverse to the direction of the target material movement to intersect the designated portion of the target. This enables the designated target portion, e.g., a target irradiation path, to be followed by the electron beam as the target material moves past the beam. Also provided is control of electron beam dose delivered to the designated irradiation target portion.

Abstract: An improved classification system for classifying characteristics of an article into classes of characteristics based on features associated with the characteristics. The system includes a first rule-based classifier that provides rules that embody requirements of selected features so as to together define selected classes. These rules are applied to measured features of an article characteristic to assign one of the selected classes to that characteristic, should the article characteristic meet the feature requirements of one of the selected classes. The system also includes a trainable classifier configured based on a training set of preclassified characteristics, with the trainable classifier connected so as to accept from the first rule-based classifier an article characteristic not classified by the rule based classifier.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a nitride layer on a growth substrate. First a pretreatment layer is formed on the growth substrate, and then the formed pretreatment layer is exposed to a gaseous environment that is thermochemically reactive with the pretreatment layer. After gaseous environment exposure of the pretreatment layer, there is carried out an epitaxial growing process to produce on the substrate a nitride layer material defined as In.sub.x Ga.sub.y Al.sub.1-x-y N, where 0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1; 0.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.1; and 0.ltoreq.x+y.ltoreq.1. For example, a pretreatment layer of ZnO can be deposited on a sapphire growth substrate and then subjected to a gaseous environment, e.g., including HCl- and/or NH.sub.3 -containing gas, that is thermochemically reactive with the ZnO. Then an epitaxial layer of GaN can be grown by a hydride vapor phase epitaxial process on the pretreated substrate.

Abstract: Composites for actuating or sensing deformation. In embodiments, the composites have a series of flexible, elongated piezoelectric fibers arranged in a parallel array with adjacent fibers separated by relatively soft polymer. The piezoelectric fibers have a common poling direction transverse to their axial extension. The composite further includes flexible conductive material along the axial extension of the fibers for imposing or detecting an electric field.

Abstract: An electroluminescent display device having a semiconductor host matrix which is characterized by a conduction band energy level, a valence band energy level, and a bandgap energy corresponding to an energy difference between a minima of the conduction band and a maxima of the valence band energy levels. Semiconductor particles are disposed in the semiconductor host matrix, and at least a portion of these semiconductor particles are characterized by a conduction band energy level that is less than that of the host matrix. These semiconductor particles are further characterized by a valence band energy level and a bandgap energy, corresponding to an energy difference between a minima of the conduction band and a maxima of the valence band energy levels of the particles, that is less than the bandgap energy of the semiconductor host matrix.

Abstract: Provided are pyrolytic chemical vapor deposition techniques for producing thin silicone-like films by way of processes that eliminate electron impact, ion bombardment, and UV irradiation events. To form a silicone film on a surface of a structure in accordance with the invention, the structure surface is exposed to a substantially electrically neutral reactive gaseous phase that includes organosilicon molecular fragments, while the structure surface is maintained substantially at a temperature lower than that of the reactive gaseous phase. An organosilicon compound is exposed to a pyrolyzing environment, where the conditions of the pyrolyzing environment are characterized as producing, in the vicinity of the structure surface, a substantially electrically neutral reactive gaseous phase that includes organosilicon molecular fragments. The structure surface is maintained substantially at a temperature lower than that of the pyrolyzing environment.

Abstract: A digital compensation filtering technique is provided that enables indirect phase locked loop modulation with a digital modulation data stream having a bandwidth that exceeds, perhaps by an order of magnitude, the bandwidth characteristic of the phase locked loop. A modulation data receiver is provided for receiving from a modulation source digital input modulation data having a bandwidth that exceeds the cutoff frequency characteristic of the phase locked loop frequency response. A digital processor is coupled to the modulation data receiver for digitally processing the input modulation data to amplify modulation data at frequencies higher than the phase locked loop cutoff frequency.

Abstract: In the invention, propagating broad band and tonal acoustic components of noise characteristic of interaction of a turbomachine blade wake, produced by a turbomachine blade as the blade rotates, with a turbomachine component downstream of the rotating blade, are reduced. This is accomplished by injection of fluid into the blade wake through a port in the rotor blade. The mass flow rate of the fluid injected into the blade wake is selected to reduce the momentum deficit of the wake to correspondingly increase the time-mean velocity of the wake and decrease the turbulent velocity fluctuations of the wake. With this fluid injection, reduction of both propagating broad band and tonal acoustic components of noise produced by interaction of the blade wake with a turbomachine component downstream of the rotating blade is achieved.

Abstract: The invention provides a scheme for combusting a hydrocarbon fuel to generate and extract enhanced translational energy. In the scheme, hydrocarbon fuel is nanopartitioned into nanometric fuel regions each having a diameter less than about 1000 angstroms; and either before or after the nanopartitioning, the fuel is introduced into a combustion chamber. In the combustion chamber, a shock wave excitation of at least about 50,000 psi and with an excitation rise time of less than about 100 nanoseconds is applied to the fuel. A fuel partitioned into such nanometric quantum confinement regions enables a quantum mechanical condition in which translational energy modes of the fuel are amplified, whereby the average energy of the translational energy mode levels is higher than it would be for a macro-sized, unpartitioned fuel. Combustion of such a nanopartitioned fuel provides enhanced translational energy extraction by way of, e.g.

Abstract: Magnetically-controlled actuator materials are provided that produce large actuation stroke, that exhibit fast actuation response time and corresponding high-frequency operation, and that enable efficient actuation energy conversion at convenient operating temperatures. The actuator materials exhibit an austenitic crystal structure above a characteristic phase transformation temperature and exhibit a martensitic twinned crystal structure below the phase transformation temperature. One actuator material provided by the invention is an alloy composition that can be defined generally as (Ni.sub.a Fe.sub.b Co.sub.c).sub.65-x-y (Mn.sub.d Fe.sub.e Co.sub.f).sub.20+x (Ga.sub.g Si.sub.h Al.sub.i).sub.15+y, where x is between about 3 atomic % and about 15 atomic % and y is between about 3 atomic % and about 12 atomic %, and where a+b+c=1, where d+e+f=1, and g+h+i=1.

Abstract: The invention provides a micro-gas turbine engine and associated microcomponentry. The engine components, including, e.g., a compressor, a diffuser having diffuser vanes, a combustion chamber, turbine guide vanes, and a turbine are each manufactured by, e.g., microfabrication techniques, of a structural material common to all of the elements, e.g., a microelectronic material such as silicon or silicon carbide. Vapor deposition techniques, as well as bulk wafer etching techniques, can be employed to produce the engine. The engine includes a rotor having a shaft with a substantially untapered compressor disk on a first end, defining a centrifugal compressor, and a substantially untapered turbine disk on the opposite end, defining a radial inflow turbine. The rotor is preferably formed of a material characterized by a strength-to-density ratio that enables a rotor speed of at least about 500,000 rotations per minute.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for vapor-depositing a polymer film having constituents that are synthesized during the deposition and that can therefore be customized by time-dependent process control during the deposition. In the vapor-deposition process, a hydrocarbon precursor is reacted with an oxygen-containing precursor in a plasma environment. The plasma reaction synthesizes O--H bonds and forms a polymer having O--H bonds, C--C bonds, and C--H.sub.x bonds. Preferably, the hydrocarbon and oxygen-containing precursors are employed in a ratio selected such that the resulting polymer film has a selected level of oxygen constituency providing a corresponding selected ratio of O--H bond concentration to C--H.sub.x bond concentration. The precursor ratio is preferably varied as a function of time during the plasma reaction to result in a corresponding distribution, e.g., a depth-dependent distribution, of O--H bonds in the film.

Abstract: A method is presented for forming a bumped substrate and for forming an electrical circuit which includes the bumped substrate. The method of forming the bumped substrate includes forming at least one electrically conductive polymer bump on each of a first set of bond pads of the substrate. At least one electrically conductive polymer bump is then formed on each of a second set of the bond pads of the substrate. The circuit is formed by selectively forming an organic protective layer around the bond pads of a second substrate by laser ablation of an organic protective coating polymer bumps on the first and second portions of the bond pads of the first substrate are then contacted with the bond pads of the second substrate, thereby forming the electrical circuit.