Abstract: An asymmetric cladded conductor structure for a magnetic field sensitive memory cell is disclosed. One or both of the conductors that cross the memory cell can include an asymmetric cladding that covers a top surface and only a portion of the opposed side surfaces of the conductors such that the cladding on the opposed side surfaces is recessed along those opposed side surfaces in a direction away from a data layer of the memory cell. The cladding is recessed by an offset distance. The asymmetric cladding increases a reluctance of a closed magnetic path with a resulting decrease in magnetic coupling with the data layer. An aspect ratio of the memory cell can be reduced thereby increasing areal density.

Abstract: A method of fabricating high density sub-lithographic features is disclosed. The method includes the use of common microelectronic processes including sub-lithographic spacer formation and Damascene processes to form a plurality of sub-lithographic spacers on vertical side wall surfaces of features carried by a substrate. The sub-lithographic spacers have a period that is less than a minimum resolution of a lithographic system. The density of features, including the sub-lithographic spacers, within a minimum resolution of the lithographic system, can be increased by subsequent depositions of material, followed by anisotropic etching to selectively remove horizontal surfaces of the deposited material. Optionally, the spacer materials can be conformally deposited.

Abstract: An attachment mechanism for connecting a cooling device with a component to be cooled and carried by a connector is disclosed. The attachment mechanism includes a plate, a bore that connects with a portion of the cooling device, a hinge that can be removably hinged on the connector, and a latch assembly that includes tilt relief profiles that allow the latch assembly to pivot on the plate so that a latch profile on the latch assembly can be removably latched on the connector. The latch assembly further includes a spring locator and a spring that are positioned within a slot in the latch assembly and hold the spring pre-loaded in compression. When the latch assembly is tilted on the plate, the latch profile is pivoted outward to facilitate latching onto the connector. After latching onto the connector, the spring is further compressed and exerts a load between the cooling device and the component to be cooled such that contact resistance is reduced and thermal transfer is increased.

Abstract: A device for precision alignment of a write element of a tape head to a transport direction of a media that is transported across the tape head is disclosed. The tape head includes at least one alignment element that is cofabricated with the write element so that both the write element and the alignment element have a fixed orientation with respect to a magnetic axis of the tape head. The alignment element and the write element can be fabricated on the tape head using standard microelectronic photolithographic processes. Preferably, the tape head includes a plurality of alignment elements. Those alignment elements are operative to write alignment transitions onto the media. The alignment transitions can be observed to determine if they are indicative of the write element having a predetermined orientation with respect to the transport direction.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a sub-lithographic sized via is disclosed. A dual-polymer method is used to form a stacked layer of polymer materials wherein a first polymer layer has a first etch rate and a second polymer layer has a second etch rate. The first etch rate is preselected to be faster than the second etch rate when the first and second polymer layers are isotropically etched. The second polymer layer is made from a photo active material and is operative as an etch mask for the first photoresist layer. The etching is continued until the first polymer layer has a sub-lithographic feature size that is less than a lithography limit of a lithography system. A dielectric material is deposited on the etch mask and the first polymer layer. The first polymer layer is lifted-off to define a sub-lithographic sized via.

Abstract: A low heat loss and small contact area electrode structure for a phase change media memory device is described. The memory device includes a composite electrode that includes a dielectric mandrel that is connected with a substrate and having a tapered shape that terminates at a vertex. An electrically conductive material conformally covers the dielectric mandrel and terminates at a tip. A first dielectric layer covers all of the composite electrode except an exposed portion of the composite electrode that is adjacent to the tip. A phase change media is in contact with the exposed portion. The exposed portion is only a small percentage of an overall surface area of the composite electrode so that a contact footprint between the exposed portion and the phase change media is small relative to a surface area of the phase change media and Joule heat transfer from the phase change media into the composite electrode is reduced.

Abstract: A passive cooling device for removing waste heat from a component is disclosed. The passive cooling device includes a heat mass and a stem extending outward therefrom and including a plurality of fins formed in the stem. The stem includes a plurality of stem fins with stem slots therebetween. A plurality of vanes that include fins formed therein surround the stem and define a chamber. A duct connects with a top face of the vanes and an air flow source that generates an air flow through the chamber, the stem fins, the fins, and the vanes to dissipate heat from the heat mass. The air flow source can supply a positive or a negative air flow.

Abstract: A conductor structure for a magnetic memory is disclosed. The conductor structure includes one or more conductors that have a width that is less than a dimension of a memory cell in a direction the conductor crosses the memory cell. A thickness of the conductor is preselected to reduce a cross-sectional area of the conductor and increase a current density within the conductor. A magnetic field sufficient to rotate an alterable orientation of magnetization in a data layer of the memory cell can be generated by a reduced magnitude of a current flowing in the conductor due to the increased current density. Alternatively, the magnitude of the current can be reduced by increasing a thickness of the conductor to increase its area and reduce its resistance to the flow of electrons and partially cladding the conductor to reduce a total magnetic path around the conductor thereby increasing the magnetic field.

Abstract: Described is an image tracking device that includes an array of light-sensitive elements. A row and a plurality of columns define the array, and an intersection of the row with one of the columns defines a cell frame. The row and columns are arranged in non-rectilinear geometry. Each cell frame has a frame area, and one of the light-sensitive elements is disposed in each cell frame. Each light sensitive element has an active area that generates an electrical signal indicative of light from a portion of an image that is incident within the cell frame containing that element. A fill-factor is defined by the ratio of the active area in a cell frame to the frame area of that cell frame.

Abstract: An arrayed fin cooling system for removing waste heat from a component is disclosed. The arrayed fin cooling system includes plurality of discrete cooling fins that act as individual heat sinks. The cooling fins are arranged in a radial array so that the cooling fins diverge from one another to define an air path between adjacent cooling fins. Each cooling fin includes a base that is adapted to connect with a surface of the component to be cooled. Waste heat is transferred from the component to the cooling fin via the base. The cooling fins are surrounded at an outer edge by a radial shield that channels an air flow over the cooling fins to maximize the amount of air that passes over the cooling fins. The cooling fins can be manufactured at a low cost using processes such as stamping and forging.

Abstract: A magnetic memory cell having read conductor that is wholly clad with a high magnetic permeability soft magnetic material for a pinned-on-the-fly soft ferromagnetic reference layer is disclosed. The magnetic memory cell includes a ferromagnetic data layer, an intermediate layer formed on the ferromagnetic data layer, and a soft ferromagnetic reference layer formed on the intermediate layer. The soft ferromagnetic reference layer includes a read conductor and a ferromagnetic cladding that completely surrounds the read conductor to form a cladded read conductor. The soft ferromagnetic reference layer has a non-pinned orientation of magnetization. When an externally supplied read current flows through the read conductor, the read conductor generates a magnetic field that does not saturate the ferromagnetic cladding and is substantially contained within the ferromagnetic cladding and is operative to dynamically pin the orientation of magnetization in a desired direction.

Abstract: A selenidation reaction for bonding one or more active substrates to a base substrate is disclosed. A bonded-substrate is fabricated by forming a first multi-stacked layer of selenium and indium on a bonding surface of an active substrate and forming a second multi-stacked layer of selenium and indium on a mounting surface of a base substrate. The first and second multi-stacked layers are placed into contact with each other with substantially no pressure. Then the active substrate and the base substrate are bonded to each other by annealing them in an inert ambient to form an indium-selenium compound bond layer that adhesively bonds the substrates to each other. The annealing can occur at a lower temperature than prior wafer-bonding processes and the first and second multi-stacked layers can be deposited over a wide range of relatively low temperatures including room temperature.

Abstract: A system for precision self-alignment of multiple modules on an alignment substrate is disclosed. An alignment substrate includes a plurality of self-alignment features having a first profile formed in along a mounting surface thereof. A plurality of module substrates are mounted on the alignment substrate. Each module substrate includes an alignment key having a second profile formed along a base surface of the module substrate. The second profile of the alignment key complements the first profile of the self-alignment features. The module substrates are mounted on the alignment substrate by inserting their respective alignment keys into the self-alignment features so the alignment keys and the self-alignment features are connected in mating engagement with each other. As a result, the module substrates are positioned in near perfect self-alignment with each other with substantially no skew.

Abstract: A spring clip that has rocking and force profiles with attachment configurations is disclosed. The spring clip made out of spring quality material such as stainless steel and the spring clip includes special provisions for mounting a cylindrical cooling device (i.e. a heat sink). Swinging arm principles are used to form force profiles that ensure that a load center of the clip is always on a fulcrum axis thereby focusing the force of the clip on a required load axis. The spring clip can accommodate higher manufacturing deviations without sacrificing the functional requirements. Moreover, the spring clip allows the heat sink to be inserted and then rotated in order to mount the heat sink on the component to be cooled thereby ensuring easy insertion of the heat sink and easy removal of the heat sink when the component being cooled requires replacement or repair. The spring clip can be manufactured at a low cost using stamping and forming processes.

Abstract: A collapsible hub assembly is disclosed. The collapsible hub assembly includes a hub having a slot formed therein and a first contact surface, a wedge movably positioned in the slot and including a second contact surface. The wedge is movable between a locked position and a collapsed position. With the wedge in the locked position, a material pack is wound onto the collapsible hub assembly and engages the first and second contact surfaces with a first force that fixedly connects the material pack to the hub and the wedge. The material pack can be removed from the collapsible hub assembly by moving the wedge to the collapsed position so that the magnitude of the first force is reduced and the material pack is not fixedly connected to the hub. A lock can be movably positioned in the slot to hold the wedge at the locked position. The wedge can be moved to the collapsed position by removing the lock.

Abstract: A low-cost, fan assisted cooling device is disclosed. The cooling device includes a narrow bottom and broad top shape to optimize a material versus performance ratio. A plurality of vanes surround a central heat mass and an inside surface of the vanes define a chamber that surrounds the heat mass. A portion of each vane is split into a plurality of fins and both the vanes and the fins have a surface area that increase in a radially outward direction from an axis of the heat mass. The heat mass includes a boss that is surrounded by a groove. Both the boss and the grove have arcuate surface profiles. The vanes, the fins, the boss, and the groove efficiently dissipate heat when a fan or the like forces air into the chamber thereby producing air flows in three different directions. In a first direction, the air flows out of the chamber through the vanes. In a second direction, a low pressure region in the chamber induces air from outside the chamber to flow through the fins.

Abstract: A three-dimensional interconnect system is disclosed. The interconnect system electrically connects electrical devices that are disposed on different physical planes. The interconnect system includes a plurality of contiguously interconnected electrically conductive droplets such as solder ball droplets produced by a print-on-demand solder jet system. An interconnect is formed by repeatedly ejecting the conductive droplets along a predetermined path between components to be connected. Each ejected droplet is disposed adjacent to another ejected droplet to form a contiguously linked chain of droplets that bridge a physical gap between the components. A non-conductive coating can be deposited on the interconnect to protect the interconnect from damage and to encase the interconnect. The electrical resistance of the interconnect can be reduced by reflowing the droplets that form the interconnect, whereby the coating that encses the interconnect is operative to maintain the shape of the interconnect after reflow.