Abstract: An optical beam regenerator includes a plurality of optical fibers into which an input beam is directed. The optical fibers are positioned to rearrange portions of the input beam to generate an output beam having a uniform or other prescribed distribution of irradiance. To further smooth the irradiance distribution of the output beam, the beam can be directed through a Kohler illumination system.

Abstract: Diamondlike carbon is deposited on a deposition substrate in a deposition apparatus that can be evacuated and backfilled with a carbonaceous gas. A plasma is generated in the gas by heating a filament within the chamber to produce electrons, and positively biasing the filament with respect to the deposition chamber wall to accelerate the electrons into the carbonaceous gas. The carbonaceous gas dissociates and ionizes in the resulting plasma to produce positively charged carbon ions. A deposition substrate within the chamber is negatively biased with respect to the deposition chamber wall, accelerating the carbon ions so that they are deposited onto the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A sequential messaging method for use in a vehicle detector and classification system having a processor and that uses first and second beams to detect transitions of front and rear ends of a vehicle. The method comprises detecting the vehicle when its front end breaks the first beam, assigning a new vehicle ID number to the vehicle, and transmitting a vehicle detection report containing the vehicle ID number to the processor. The vehicle is detected when its front end passes the second beam, and a vehicle detection update report is transmitted to the processor comprising left edge position, right edge position, range to each edge, vehicle height, and vehicle speed, all of which are derived from the beams reflected from the vehicle. The vehicle is detected when its rear end passes the first beam, and a rear vehicle detection report is transmitted to the processor comprising the left edge position, right edge position, range to each edge, vehicle height, and vehicle speed.

Abstract: A glass-ceramic substrate for encapsulating an electronic component, with at least two shrinkage control layers restricting shrinkage of the substrate during a co-firing process. The shrinkage control layers are chosen so that they have substantially the same shrinkage characteristics, during co-firing, as the buried electronic component. This results in substantially no differential shrinkage between the electronic component and the substrate, along predetermined directions, during co-firing. In addition, the thermal expansion coefficients of the substrate, shrinkage control layers and electronic component are chosen so that they substantially match, such that their thermal-induced contraction during the cooling phase of the co-firing process substantially match. In the preferred embodiment, the electronic component is buried within the layers of an LTCC structure. The shrinkage control layers are preferably implemented as Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 or TiO.sub.

Abstract: Disclosed is a tuned resonant oscillating mass pump, and particularly a pump structure and assembly which can be conveniently and readily mounted inside automotive tires for the purposes of maintaining optimum tire pressure and generating of electrical power from the movement of the tuned oscillating mass in such pumps. The oscillating mass can be a pendulum or a freely moving weight or a ball rolling within an arcuate chamber.

Abstract: Methods and systems for encoding data representative of a sequence of video frames for transmission to a decoder. A motion compensated predictive coder (24) substantially losslessly compresses the data, computes a motion vector, and forms an intermediate coded representation which includes the compressed data and the motion vector. A frame detector (26), which detects frames having a prediction error which exceeds a predetermined threshold, is coupled to the motion compensated predictive coder (24). A digital storage device (22) is coupled to the motion compensated predictive coder (24) and the frame detector (26). The digital storage device (22) stores the intermediate coded representation and stores a representation of the frames having the prediction error which exceeds the predetermined threshold. A lossless decoder (29), coupled to the digital storage device (22), substantially losslessly decodes the intermediate coded representation to form a decoded representation.

Abstract: A high power, flip-chip microwave monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC) assembly (30) has a high power microwave monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC) having a surface with an active area (72) in which heat is generated. The assembly also has a host substrate (34). A thermally conductive bump (51) formed over the surface of the MMIC has a first portion (51') in close proximity to and in thermal communication with the active area (72) of the MMIC and a second portion (51") which is in close proximity to and in thermal communication with the host substrate (34). The second portion (51") of the thermal bump (51) has a greater cross-sectional area than the first portion (51'). A multi-layer, multi-exposure method of manufacturing the improved thermal bump (51) includes several steps. A plating membrane (80) is formed on a surface of the MMIC (32). A first layer of negative photoresist is applied to the surface of the plating membrane (80), and is exposed with a first masked pattern of light.

Abstract: A composite material of silicon carbide particles in an aluminum matrix is base coated with a layer of a nickel-boron alloy by an electroless process. The base-coated composite material is heat treated at a temperature of about 450.degree. C. to interdiffuse the base coating with the composite material. A nickel or gold top layer is electrolytically deposited over the base coat on the heat-treated composite material.

Abstract: A fiber-based delivery system and method for delivering pulsed high power optical radiation (14) over longer fiber lengths than prior fiber-based systems comprises a fiber bundle (10) and a beam launcher (12) that directs a high power optical beam (14) to an input end (18) of the fiber bundle (10), and distributes it over the individual fibers (22) in the bundle. The number of fibers (22) is large enough so that substantially all of the individual fibers (22) are subjected to an optical intensity level below that required to induce substantial nonlinear optical losses. In addition, the diameters of the individual fiber cores (34) are small enough so that the modal dispersion experienced by the optical beam (14) does not exceed approximately 80 ns/km. In a preferred embodiment for transmission of pulsed 1.06 micron light, the fiber bundle (10) comprises 96 individual fibers (22), with respective core (34) diameters of approximately 600 microns, that are encapsulated in a jacketed adhesive (30).

Abstract: A differential spectrometry system detects very narrow-band spectral features, while providing much higher optical transmittance and signal-to-noise ratios than prior optical-filter-based spectrometer systems. A plurality of light detectors (10a, 10b) detect light that falls within respective wide wavebands. The wide wavebands have overlapping and non-overlapping portions, one of which is the desired narrow waveband. The detector outputs are operated upon to produce an output signal (22) which includes substantially only the desired narrow waveband. In the preferred embodiment, the light detectors (10a, 10b) are implemented with a pair of optical detectors (30a, 30b) and respective optical interference filters (24a, 24b). The filters have substantially identical cut-off wavelengths (.lambda..sub.2) and cut-on wavelengths that are shifted by .DELTA..lambda. with respect to each other (.lambda..sub.1 and (.lambda..sub.1 +.DELTA..lambda.), respectively).

Abstract: The automatic gain control loop has an automatic gain control loop filter generating a multi-bit gain control word in response to the power level of the output signal of the loop. A shifter circuit shifts the input data by selected number of bits under the control of selected most significant bits of the gain control word multiplying the power of the input signal. A multiplier circuit multiplies the shifted data output from the shifter circuit by predetermined multiplication factors under the control of the remaining bits of the gain control word. The shifting and adding of the input data under the control of the gain control word maintains the power level of the output signal within a predetermined range.

Abstract: An improved system (30) for measuring surface aberrations of concave cylindrical surfaces. In the illustrative embodiment, the invention includes a transmission flat (20), an interferometer (32), and a surface to be measured (28). The transmission flat (20) is a transparent disc that is placed between the interferometer (32) and the surface (28) to be measured. An electromagnetic wave (33,34,36,37) is generated by the interferometer (32), and is directed through the transmission flat (20). The wave (41) bounces off the surface (28) to be measured and is retro-reflected off a first surface (26) of the transmission flat. The electromagnetic wave (42) returns to the opposite side of the surface (28) under test. The wave (43) then bounces off the surface (28) under test and passes through the transmission flat (20). The wave (43) interferes with light (39) that is reflected from a reference surface (26) of transmission flat (20) on a first bounce.

Abstract: A unique photoresist process is provided which achieves clean and complete lift-off of a thin film layer such as a sputtered thin film formed on a photoresist which is formed above a semiconductor substrate. The process of the present invention relies on a reentrant photoresist profile which breaks the continuity of the thin film layer. Accordingly, the process of the present invention ensures a clean lift-off. The desired photoresist profile which breaks the continuity of the thin film layer can be obtained by a typical photoresist process preceded by an oxidation process that takes place on the surface of the semiconductor substrate. The oxidation process provides a thin native oxide layer with thickness ranging from about 30 to 50 .ANG.. No extra processing steps involving dielectric film deposition and etch are required to achieve clean lift-off. Nevertheless, the process of the present invention ensures the clean lift-off of the thin film layer.

Abstract: A rotary connector comprising first and second printed wiring boards that rotate relative to each other and that are electrically interconnected using spring loaded pogo-stick type contacts. The spring-loaded contacts are used to transfer electrical signals or power to metallized rings or contacts formed on the first printed wiring board. The spring-loaded pogo-stick type contacts are very rugged and provide for a rotary connector having long life.

Abstract: Single crystal sapphire is conventionally employed for mid-wave IR windows and domes exposed to high aerodynamic heating environments. Single crystal sapphire, however, suffers a loss of compressive strength in the c-axis of 95% on heating from ambient to 800.degree. C. This loss of compressive strength on heating results in poor thermal shock resistance. Poor thermal shock resistance jeopardizes the reliability of the windows and domes. The process of the present invention strengthens sapphire and improves its resistance to thermal shock by introducing magnesium (Mg) ions into the crystal lattice of sapphire to form a solid solution. The solid solution increases the strength of the sapphire. Additionally, a larger increase in strength results from converting the Mg into second phase precipitates comprising magnesium aluminate spinel.

Abstract: A remote laser sensor incorporating a single integrated detector. The laser sensor comprises a laser for transmitting laser energy that is applied to a target, and a beamsplitter for sampling of the transmitted laser energy. A telescope is provided for collecting laser energy reflected from the target. The integrated detector comprises an integrating sphere for receiving the sampled transmitted laser energy and for receiving the laser energy reflected from the target, and a detector coupled to the integrating sphere for selectively detecting the sampled transmitted laser energy and the laser energy reflected from the target. A scatter plate may be disposed inside the integrating sphere for preventing photons from entering the detector that result directly from a first scattering event within the sphere. In operation, the laser provides a transmit beam that is directed at the target and reflected energy from the target is collected by the telescope and focused onto the detector.

Abstract: Multiple solid precursor bubblers are used to alleviate channeling effects caused by high carrying gas flow rates to provide for deposition of indium-based epitaxial materials in high-capacity MOCVD reactor systems. Precracking of precursor materials that exhibit higher dissociation temperatures using heated manifolds or heated susceptor, and rotation of individual wafers in a multi-wafer reactor chamber enhance thickness uniformity, surface morphology and electronic properties of deposited epitaxial layers.

Abstract: Operating on the principle of vector summation, a predistortion linearizer includes a signal divider on one side of a substrate plate that divides a microwave signal into a linear portion and a nonlinear portion. Signal energy on both the nonlinear and linear portions is coupled into two respective slotline transmission lines on the substrate by uniplanar Magic T hybrids. As the signals are transmitted along the slotlines, their relative amplitudes and phases are adjusted to introduce a distortion inverse to that expected in a subsequent amplification. The linear portion and nonlinear portion pass through another pair of baluns. The signals are then combined by an in-phase summation on the same side of the plate as the input signal divider.

Abstract: An infrared (IR) microlens array has a plurality of microlenses (12) aligned with respective IR detector array pixels (6) to focus incoming IR radiation onto the pixels (6) to improve the efficiency of IR detection, and a gas molecule getter grating (14) inside a vacuum-sealed Dewar assembly that houses the detector array (4) increases the surface area of the getter (15) to improve the efficiency of removing residual gas molecules from the Dewar assembly.

Abstract: A tactile feedback switch actuator for an associated force-actuated switch has a key cap linked to a collapsible dome by an optical fiber, all of which are light-transmittable. The actuator is operated by manually applying an actuating force to the key cap which exceeds the modulus of collapse of the dome. In response, the dome reversibly collapses in a tactile snapping action against the underlying light-transmittable switch panel having pressure-sensitive contacts embedded therein to change the operative state of the switch. When the actuating force is withdrawn, the collapsible dome elastically returns to its uncollapsed condition, while the switch remains in its newly-actuated operative state. The actuator and associated switch are structurally integrated and aligned so that light-emitting pixels in an underlying electroluminescent panel provide visual feedback of the operative state of the switch.