Abstract: A video display system that includes a video display for displaying a raster image comprised of an array of pixels arranged in rows and columns, a video memory for storing pixel raster image data for the raster image, a bit-map memory, and a processor for rendering into the bit-map memory updated pixel raster image data for a rectangular region of pixels of the raster image that is less than the entire raster image, and for copying the updated pixel raster image data to the bit-map memory at locations that store raster image data for the rectangular region of pixels.

Abstract: An electro-optical target and test apparatus having an improved resistive heating element. The resistive heating element comprises a resistive thin film coating layer, such as an indium tin oxide resistive coating layer, a resistive thin film semiconductor coating layer, or an electrically resistive polymer layer, that is disposed on a back side of a substrate. The substrate has a target pattern disposed on its front surface that to provide an emissivity target. The resistive coating layer provides a means for heating the substrate which produces a uniform source of thermal radiation because it has no holes therein. The resistive heating element is heated to radiate at a controlled target temperature set by a temperature controller coupled thereto. The materials comprising the coating layer and substrate may be transparent to visible and near infrared radiation.

Abstract: A Clock and Bias Module (CBM 10) includes a low pass filter speed-up switch (U104, U114) to provide both a long time constant and fast settling; bootstrapped power supplies (VR101-104) to provide a wide, programmable output voltage range with overload protection; an integrating output driver (20) to provide controlled clock slew rates while maintaining a precision rail voltage; an active current steering bridge (Q5, Q6, CR1, CR2) to allow computer programmable control of slew rates; a current measurement circuit (U14, U15, U19) that enables sensing an average load current in the presence of large voltage swings; and a compact modular implementation that allows for close proximity of the circuitry to a unit under test. The CBM provides IR Detector FPA electrical stimulus in an automated testing environment. The clock generation circuitry is fully programmable for rail voltage, rising slew rate, and falling slew rate.

Abstract: A grazing incidence optic is fabricated by grinding, polishing, or both, using a tapered, barrel-shaped tool. The optic surface to be ground or polished is placed in contact with a selected portion of the grinding or polishing surface of the tool, and the tool is rotated about its longitudinal axis. The optic is subjected to a reciprocating grinding movement along the length of the barrel tool. A helical groove in the tool allows slurry to pass between the optic surface being worked and the tool surface. Air is forced between the optic surface and the tool surface to release the optic from the tool.

Abstract: A microelectronic device includes a substrate device and a dark mirror coating overlying one side of the substrate device. The dark mirror coating has a via therethrough to the substrate device. The dark mirror coating has a plurality of alternating layers of dielectrics and metals. Each metallic layer has an electrically nonconducting region adjacent to the vias, preferably formed by anodizing the metallic layers after deposition.

Abstract: A maintenance system for a machine (12) controlled by a programmable logic controller (14) having a memory (20) which stores input data received from the machine (12) and output data communicated to the machine (12). The maintenance system includes a computer (33) interfaced to the memory to be non-intrusive with respect to the programmable logic controller (14). The computer (33) is operative to monitor a state of the machine (12) over a plurality of manufacturing cycles, the state including at least a portion of the input data and the output data. The computer (33) is further operative to detect a fault condition for a component of the machine (12) based upon a state of a current manufacturing cycle and a state of a previous manufacturing cycle. A display device (32) is in communication with the computer (33) to alert an operator of the fault condition and to graphically display a location of the component within the machine (12) to facilitate a corrective measure by the operator.

Abstract: A gold-coated molybdenum article (30) is made by furnishing a substrate (32) made of pure molybdenum or an alloy of molybdenum, and preparing a slurry of gold powder, acrylic binder, and acetone liquid carrier. The slurry is applied to a portion of a surface of the substrate. The substrate with applied slurry is heated in vacuum or inert atmosphere to an elevated temperature, preferably about 2040.degree. F., and thereafter cooled to ambient temperature. The result is an article (30) having at least a portion of the substrate (32) covered with an adherent gold coating (34).

Abstract: An integrated two-color staring focal plane array is comprised of rows and columns of photodetector unit cells (10), each being capable of simultaneously integrating photocurrents resulting from the detection of two spectral bands. A readout circuit (20) in accordance with this invention performs a subtraction function, and includes a differential charge-sensing amplifier (22) in a one-per-column arrangement. The amplifier works in cooperation with circuitry (M5) located in each unit cell. The subtraction function is employed to create a separate Band1 signal from a Band2 and (Band1+Band2) signals generated by each simultaneous two-color detector (1). One significant advantage of the disclosed circuit embodiment is that it offers low spectral crosstalk between the two spectral bands.

Abstract: Apparatus (102, 202, 302) and method for tunneling rate infrared detection devices formed on a single substrate (100). A counter electrode (104, 207) having a plurality of portions extending from the substrate (100) with the counter electrode (104, 207) suspended above the substrate (100) at a distance from a tunneling electrode (116) so that a tunneling current flows through the counter electrode (104, 207) and tunneling electrode (116) in response to an applied bias voltage. The counter electrode (104, 207) and tunneling electrodes (116) form a circuit that produces an output signal. A force applied to the sensor (102, 202, 302) urges the counter electrode (104, 207, 304) to deflect relative to the tunneling electrode (116) to modulate the output signal. The output signal is a control voltage that is applied between the counter electrode (104, 207, 304) and a control electrode (114) to maintain a constant tunneling current.

Abstract: An assembly comprises a base (12,12') and a thin optical substrate (44) having a light reflective first surface (43) and an opposite back surface (45). A coupling medium (8,8) couples the back surface (45) of said optical substrate and the base to one another. At least one piezoelectric actuator (10) is interspersed within the coupling medium for controllably altering the shape of the optical substrate.

Abstract: A signal processing in the element (SPRITE) thermal imaging system (20) is provided which has automatic gain control, level control, and delining. An array of SPRITE detectors (22) generate a plurality of analog signals which are proportional to the flux of infrared light received by each of the detectors (22). A digital scan converter (137) processes the analog signals and generates a resultant digital output (188) which contains digital image data for image production. A first plurality of sample-servo control loops (278, 280, 282, 284) provides automatic gain control using the digital output (188) and a second plurality of sample-servo control loops (286, 288, 290, 292) provides automatic level control using the digital output (188). A deliner is provided for normalizing differences which result from variations between detectors (22).

Abstract: An electrically conductive substrate (20) is etched by providing an etchant solution having finely divided, electrically conductive particles (40) mixed therein. The electrically conductive particles (40) are made of a material that is cathodic to the substrate (20) and does not dissolve into the etchant solution, with a preferred such material being graphite. The substrate (20) is placed into the etchant solution having the particles (40) therein so that the particles (40) contact the substrate (20), and etched for a period of time sufficient to remove a desired amount of the substrate material. The substrate (20) may be provided with an apertured mask (24) prior to being placed into the etchant solution.

Abstract: An optical device assembly includes a planar optical filter and a planar sensor having an optically active area. The optical filter and the sensor are joined together with a gap therebetween by a standoff structure extending between the optical filter and the sensor. The standoff structure is positioned at a location outside of the optically active area of the planar sensor. The standoff structure includes a standoff element, a first bonding element between the standoff and the filter, and a second bonding element between the standoff and the sensor. The two bonding elements each preferably comprise a cold-weldable indium bump. If the standoff structure, the filter, or the sensor is made of a material to which indium does not readily cold weld, a bonding pad of a material such as titanium/nickel can be inserted to facilitate the cold welding.

Abstract: Recesses (46) are etched into the finished peripheral boundaries of a structure formed of a generally planar electronic circuit (40) on an upper surface (42) of a wafer (44). Bonding pads (48) are deposited in the recesses (46) and interconnected to the electronic circuit (40). External leads (52) are attached to the bonding pads (48), such that the external leads (52) lie below the plane of the electronic circuit (40).

Abstract: A solid state array has a plurality of radiation detector unit cells, wherein each unit cell includes a bias-selectable two color photodetector in combination with either a second bias-selectable two color detector (10, 11) or a single photodetector (10', 11'). Each unit cell is thus capable of simultaneously outputting charge carriers resulting from the absorption of electromagnetic radiation within two spectral bands that are selected from one of four spectral bands and three spectral bands.

Abstract: A responsivity calibration system for use with an array of detectors. The system includes a first mechanism for changing the orientation of the detector array from the first orientation, during an operational mode, to a second orientation, during a calibration mode, in which each detector sequentially samples the same portion of the same scene. The system adjusts the output generated by each of the detectors in the first orientation in response to an associated signal generated by that respective detector in the second orientation. In a specific implementation, a normalization factor is generated based on the output of each detector during the calibration mode. The normalization factor is stored and multiplied by the outputs of the detectors during the operational mode. Hence responsivity correction is implemented without the need for a wide area scene of extreme uniformity or an on-board target.

Abstract: A large area radiation detector (1) includes a volume of semiconductor material (24) that is responsive to ionizing radiation for generating charge carriers, a first electrode (26) coupled to one surface of the volume of semiconductor material, and a plurality of second electrodes (20, 22) coupled to a second surface of the volume of semiconductor material. Individual ones of the second electrodes are associated with an underlying region of the volume of semiconductor material for collecting charge carriers from the underlying region. The detector further includes circuitry (30, 31, 32) coupled to the plurality of second electrodes for summing charge carriers collected by the plurality of second electrodes to produce an output signal, and a mechanism for selectively decoupling individual ones of the second electrodes from the circuitry.

Abstract: In the method and apparatus of the present invention, a first optical element having a surface stressed by an optical coating is optically contacted with a second optical element. The first optical element is treated with a frequency or polarization selective coating which causes deformation of the treated surface. A pliable intermediate optical element is joined with the coated surface. The intermediate element is sufficiently pliable to substantially conform to the contour of the coated surface, providing optical contact therebetween. An opposite face of the intermediate element is polished and a second optical element is optically contacted to the intermediate element. This provides a precise and economical method for joining two optical elements, one of which is treated with an optical coating.

Abstract: A deformable substrate chuck includes a deformable mounting plate supported by a plurality of individually controllable variable-length actuators. Each actuator is controllable to vary the height of the portion of the deformable mounting plate which it supports. A chamber within the mounting plate accessible through a vacuum port can be evacuated to hold a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a flat panel display to a porous top surface of the mounting plate. An optical sensing system senses the shape of the substrate and generates control signals used to control the lengths of the variable-length actuators to control the shape of the substrate.

Abstract: An array of photodetectors is constructed of IR radiation-responsive Group II-VI alloy semiconductor material, such as HgCdTe. A novel photodetector structure utilizes internal reflections from mesa (10, 10') sidewalls and/or from reflective material (22) that is applied to the mesa sidewalls to achieve a concentration of incident infrared radiation into a significantly smaller radiation absorbing region (16). The resulting self-focusing or light piping effect enables the leakage current and other noise-generating processes to be minimized, while providing an effective large optical collection area. The fabrication of specular, flat, sloped mesa sidewalls is preferably accomplished by a reactive ion etch process. Signal crosstalk between photodetectors is reduced or eliminated since the radiation absorbing regions are fully delineated and isolated from one another by deep trenches that define the mesa sidewalls.