Abstract: An optical element (10) is mounted and aligned with minimum strain and distortion within a housing (12) to which at least three mounts (14) are attached and spaced about 120.degree. apart the periphery of the optical element. Each mount comprises a spherical disc (16) housed within an annular ring or sleeve (18), and each disc abuts and supports the optical element. Any loading exerted on the housing causes the discs to slide and/or rotate with respect to the annular disc-retaining sleeves to prevent such loadings from being transmitted to the optical element, thereby enabling the optical element to maintain a chosen, strain-free orientation.

Abstract: The specification discloses a process for forming a coherent, uniform oxide layer on the surface of a selected semiconductor material by heating a wafer of the selected semiconductor material at a predetermined elevated temperature in an atmosphere conducive to the formation of atomic oxygen for a period of time sufficient to enable the atomic oxygen to react with the surface atoms of the wafer and thus form the coherent, uniform oxide layer. The predetermined elevated temperature is sufficiently low to avoid adverse effects, such as dopant migration, on the wafer. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a coherent, uniform layer of silicon dioxide is formed on the surface of a silicon wafer by heating the wafer in a vapor mixture of iodine and water at a temperature of 750.degree. C. and one atmosphere of pressure.

Abstract: Primary mirror 12, secondary mirror 14 and tertiary mirror 16 form an anastigmatic relayed image forming optical system which is off-axis and decentered in both aperture and field angle. The secondary and tertiary mirrors are tilted and decenter relative to the optical axis of the primary mirror to enhance image quality. Additional advantages include compact packaging, easy accessibility to all components, and improved shielding of unwanted out-of-field radiation.

Abstract: The specification discloses a mobile transparent window apparatus and method for use in a photochemical vapor deposition system having a reaction chamber with a quartz window integral with the top surface thereof, which prevents undesirable deposits on the quartz window and thereby enhances the efficiency and rate of the deposition process. The apparatus comprises: (a) a film of a predetermined material that is drawn across the internal face of the quartz window within the reaction chamber, the predetermined material being characterized by being transparent to a selected wavelength of radiation, being stable at the elevated temperature required for the photochemical vapor deposition, and possessing sufficient mechanical strength to be moved across the quartz window; and (b) means for moving the film across the internal face of the quartz window.

Abstract: A Schottky-barrier gate gallium arsenide field effect structure is made using a self-aligned gate fabrication technique. The resulting device includes source and drain regions, which are parts of a conducting channel formed through ion implantation or epitaxial growth or a combination of the two. A gate is formed on the same channel by first etching a portion of the channel between the source and the drain regions to form a gate window which then receives a Schottky-barrier gate electrode.

Abstract: Orientation independent ignitron 10 has a cooled cathode 28 which carries thin mercury film 58 which is held in place by surface tension forces so that it is independent of orientation. Ignitor 48 starts conduction which continues until mercury exhaustion or shut off by an external circuit. During nonconductive portions of the duty cycle, the mercury recondenses on the cooled cathode 30.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a microwave signal is used to modulate a laser diode and the resultant modulated light output energy from the laser diode is applied through an optical fiber waveguide to the active solid state component in a microwave oscillator circuit such that the output signal from the microwave oscillator is phase locked to the modulation carried by the light energy. The invention allows optical injection phase locking to be achieved not only at the fundamental frequency of the modulating signal, but also at various harmonics thereof; and "on-off" switching of the microwave oscillator can be controlled simultaneously with phase locking.

Abstract: A CCD background subtractor having a first charge storage arrangement for detecting, during periodic sampling intervals, the peak value of an applied input signal, and a second charge storage arrangement into which charge representative of said peak value is periodically transferred and held. A third charge storage arrangement also receives the applied input signal and is controlled as a function of the charge held in the second charge storage arrangement such that the output signal from the third charge storage arrangement is representative of the difference between the applied input signal and the peak value thereof sampled during a prior sampling interval.

Abstract: The specification describes a new and improved optical coupler which comprises (1) a substrate which is adapted to receive and reflect light, having formed therein and adjacent the major (or top) surface of the substrate an optical waveguiding structure comprising three interconnected light confining and propagating sections and (2) a light-reflecting or light-transmitting means. The first section of the waveguiding structure comprises a plurality of spaced-apart optical channel waveguides, each of which extends to a first minor surface of the substrate [which is perpendicular to the major (or top) surface of the substrate]. The second section of the waveguiding structure comprises a plurality of horn-shaped, tapered wave transition sections or regions which extend integrally from the channel waveguides and which are adjacently joined to each other at common points to form a multiple side-by-side horn-like configuration.

Abstract: Electron beam lens 22 can be operated in a first mode to demagnify and focus the image of electron source 14 at image plane 32. Electron optical lens 34 and 46 further demagnify the image plate 32 through the focal point 60 on the face of target 58 to provide a scannable exposure spot. Electron optical lens 22 can be operated in the second mode which floods aperture 32 so that the image of the aperture is demagnified and focused on target 58 to provide a large exposure area.

Abstract: There is herein described a wide-band, phase scanned transmitting antenna with a greatly reduced bandwidth/scan angle limitation through the use of a time variable phase shifter coupled to the input of each phase scanned sub-array of the antenna.

Abstract: An active microwave filter for use in both bandpass and notch filter applications is herein described, the filter incorporating a distributed resonator to which is coupled an amplifier which provides a positive feedback and cancels the net dissipation in the resonator.

Abstract: A simple and compact testing device is disclosed for enabling the boresight alignment of a laser designator to be quickly and readily checked. The device includes a tubular housing having a closed end and an open end adapted to be attached to the designator. A target disk and a converging meniscus lens provided with a reflective coating on its surface facing the target disk are snugly disposed within the housing adjacent to its closed and open ends, respectively, with a tubular spacer member interposed between and abutting the target disk and the lens. A portion of the laser light emitted from the designator is directed by the lens toward the target disk such that after a predetermined number of reflections from the target disk and the coating on the lens this laser light is focused to a small area on the target disk. The target disk emits visible light which travels back into the designator to provide an indication of the location of the spot of impingement of the laser light on the target disk.

Abstract: A pulse IR reflectance plethysmograph system for heart rate measurement and display in a digital watch or as a medical instrument having a novel direct coupled pole zero cancellation circuit that compensates undesirable shaping effects on the heart blood pressure wave. The system utilizes a pulsed LED light emitting diode for transmitting light pulses and a photodiode for receiving light pulses reflecting from a finger.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided comprising non-magnetic male and female coupling sections having reciprocally mating interrupted screw portions. The male section has a permanent magnet disposed in a first cylindrical chamber in the mating end thereof. The female section has a movable magnetic plunger captively disposed in a second cylindrical chamber in the mating end thereof which is free to enter the first chamber when the male and female sections are properly aligned and the interrupted screw portions are locked. Magnetic attraction holds the plunger in the first chamber. The male and female sections are thus precluded from further rotation relative to one another. A strong external magnet is used to withdraw the plunger from the first chamber thus allowing rotation and demating of the male and female sections.

Abstract: A pulsed IR reflectance plethysmograph for heart rate measurement and display in a digital watch or as a medical instrument using, for example, a pulsed LED light emitting diode for transmitting light pulses and a photodiode for receiving light pulses reflected from a finger. The LED and photodiode are mounted in a small sensor on the watch or medical instrument. The photodiode is connected directly to a signal conditioning circuit which rapidly removes unwanted asynchronous ambient background light signals such as from sunlight, by means of a switched ambient light subtractor circuit which performs the subtraction without requiring amplification or conversion of the detector signal photocurrent to another electrical parameter. The signal current after cancellation of the ambient background signal is sampled in an integrate and hold circuit to provide a heart systolic pressure wave.

Abstract: A universal register which consists of a plurality of identical emitter coupled logic (ECL) bit slices and auxiliary ECL gates adapted for fabrication on a single large scale integration (LSI) chip. Each bit slice is comprised of a master-slave flip-flop (a master latch circuit and a slave latch circuit) and an output control network which is driven by the flip-flop. Each of the latch circuits and the output control network comprises a single stage (unit propagation delay), two decision level cascode ECL circuit. The output control network selectively supplies either the Q or the Q output signal from the flip-flop or a logic zero signal to the network's output terminal (designated P).

Abstract: One disclosed embodiment of the improved digital to analog converters in accordance with the invention comprises means for producing a first series of pulses whose average value is representative of a first group of the bits of an applied digital signal; means for producing a second series of pulses whose average value exceeds that of the first series of pulses by a preselected fixed amount; means for filtering the first and second series of pulses; and means for alternately applying the filtered first or second series of pulses to a smoothing circuit such that the percentage of the time respective ones of said filtered series of pulses are applied to the smoothing circuit is proportional to the value of the remaining bits of the applied digital signal. The output from the smoothing circuit is a direct voltage signal which is representative of the applied digital signal.

Abstract: The ion implantation system includes a separate vacuum housing 102 for the ion source and the target chamber 118. The ribbon beam ion source 10 provides a footprint 162 on the wafer wheel 126 of such shape as to permit short traverse of the wafer wheel 126 for full wafer scan.

Abstract: The nonlinearity between the gate voltage of a first field effect transistor and its source-to-drain impedance is compensated for by a feedback differential amplifier circuit using a reference field effect transistor identical to the first field effect transistor. Linear control is exercised through a potentiometer controlling the voltage on the first of two inputs to the differential amplifier. The other input of the differential amplifier senses the voltage drop across the source and drain of the reference transistor. The output of the differential amplifier is applied to the first transistor gate and as feedback to the reference transistor gate.