Abstract: A gate-controlled bidirectional switching device has two main terminals on opposite major surfaces of the device. A single gate terminal located adjacent one of the main terminals on one of the major surfaces receives a signal biased with respect to said one terminal to trigger the device into conduction. The device conducts current in either direction through the main terminals, depending on the polarity of an applied bias potential across the main terminals. By controlling the resistivities or the widths of two base regions in the device with respect to each other, a trigger current for switching the device from a nonconductive state to conduct current in the one direction is adjusted with respect to that required to switch the device to conduct current in the other direction.

Abstract: The possibility of contact bounce in an electrical switch is minimized by transferring energy from an armature of the switch to a damping liquid. An arrangement for damping the armature by such a transfer is particularly suited for use with a mercury-wetted sealed contact switch. The switch includes first and second spaced terminals embedded at opposite ends of a cylindrical envelope. The armature is located in the space between the two terminals. It is hinged by a thin leaf spring at the first terminal and is normally positioned to form a gap with the second terminal. Operation of the switch to close and reopen the gap results from an application and a removal, respectively, of a magnetic field through the terminals and the armature. Mercury wets the contact points between the second terminal and the armature. The mercury is supplied from a pool located at the first terminal.

Abstract: A gas feeder pipe assembly includes a central duct capable of functioning as a gas feeder pipe and a plurality of pairs of electrical conductors in a unitary structure. The gas feeder pipe is located at the center of the structure, and the conductors surround the pipe in an oscillating lay. The pipe and the conductors are wrapped in a polyester film and enclosed in a coated aluminum sheath. A polyethylene jacket bonded to the aluminum sheath provides the outermost protection for the assembly.

Abstract: A plurality of separate metallized regions on a substrate form a bondsite for a single lead to be bonded to the substrate. The metallized regions are electrically interconnected at a point removed from the bondsite. Such multiple metallized regions offer redundant bonds for each such lead to improve the mechanical strength and to improve the reliability of the bond between the lead and the substrate.

Abstract: A circuit pattern on a circuit board has at least one contact finger termination to be coupled to a connector contact. A conductive overlay is solder-bonded to the base metal of the contact finger. The overlay is a composite structure of a number of layers. A base layer of copper faces, and is solder-bonded, to the base. A surface layer of gold provides a contact area for the connector contact. A layer of nickel between the base layer and the surface layer acts as a barrier layer to prevent copper from migrating through the surface layer to deposit as a contaminant on the surface of the contact area.

Abstract: A printed circuit board connector block is inserted partly through a cutout in a panel, and then locked to the panel in its inserted position. The depth to which the connector block is inserted through the cutout is determined by protrusions extending laterally from the block into interfering relationship with the panel. A sliding movement of the block in a direction parallel to the panel translates lugs which were previously inserted through the cutout into vertically interfering relationship with the panel to lock the connector block to the panels. A key is inserted into a gap between the connector block and the panel to eliminate the possibility of a sliding movement of the connector block in a direction opposite to that of the locking movement. The insertion of the key thereby latches the connector block in its mounted position.

Abstract: Electronic articles, such as beam-lead semiconductor chips are temporarily held on a tape to retain them in a predetermined order to facilitate handling them and bonding them to a substrate. The tape has a plurality of evenly spaced pedestals in one face thereof. The chips are mounted to the pedestals. Edge lugs extend from the other face of the tape. As the tape is wound onto a reel with chips mounted to the pedestals, the edge lugs on each portion of tape separate such portion from chips mounted on an adjacent layer of the tape. This prevents such portion of the tape, as it is wound onto the reel, from contacting and thereby damaging the chips.

Abstract: A gate-controlled bidirectional switching device has two main terminals on opposite major surfaces of the device. A single gate terminal located adjacent one of the main terminals on one of the major surfaces receives a signal biased with respect to said one terminal to trigger the device into conduction. The device conducts current in either direction through the main terminals, depending on the polarity of an applied bias potential across the main terminals. By controlling the resistivities or the widths of two base regions in the device with respect to each other, a trigger current for switching the device from a nonconductive state to conduct current in the one direction is adjusted with respect to that required to switch the device to conduct current in the other direction.

Abstract: A cylindrical surface of an article is electrolytically treated with a controlled, cross-sectional distribution of the electrolytic action. The distribution is achieved by placing the surface at a predetermined distance from a formed electrode to control the influence of the electrode on each portion of the surface along a cross section thereof. The influence on each such portion with respect to other portions of the surface is determined by the magnitude of an influence number associated with such portion in relation to the magnitude of similar influence numbers associated with the other surface portions along the cross section.

Abstract: A plurality of separate metallized regions on a substrate form a bondsite for a single lead to be bonded to the substrate. The metallized regions are electrically interconnected at a point removed from the bondsite. Such multiple metallized regions offer redundant bonds for each such lead to improve the mechanical strength and to improve the reliability of the bond between the lead and the substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus aligns small articles, such as semiconductor chips, to a reference axis and loads them on predetermined sites of a carrier, such as a tape. The loading requires precisely positioning adhesive dots and the articles at the sites of the tape. Precision within desired limits is achieved by aligning both an applicator for applying the adhesive and the articles in sequence to a common centerline. The tape is maintained in contact with two diametrically opposed locations of an index wheel located on the common centerline. The index wheel is then reciprocated along the centerline to alternately apply adhesive to one of the sites on the tape and then load the aligned article to another one of the sites. An additional article is aligned to the centerline each time loading is completed of a previously aligned article to its respective site. The aligning facility is operated by a cam which controls the vertical position of a plunger and acts as a valving means for selective vacuum and air purge applications.

Abstract: The operation of a sputtering apparatus is improved by selectively enhancing the sputtering on portions of a cathodic target located across from a peripheral area of a workholder. Such enhancement is produced by a magnetic field having flux lines extending substantially parallel to the target into a peripheral segment of a space between the target and the workholder. Relative motion between the magnetic field and the workholder uniformly distributes the effect of the increase in sputtering over the entire periphery of the workholder.

Abstract: An oriented array of small, fragile electrical devices such as beam lead transistors or integrated circuits, partially embedded in wax, are removed from the wax and transferred to a releasable mounting without disrupting the orientation of the devices. The releasable mounting comprises a plate with a layer of silicone rubber or resin which exerts a suction or vacuum holding force on the array of oriented devices.

Abstract: Methods of forming conductive paths including beam leads on a surface of a semiconductor wafer includes the deposition of conductive films of materials such as titanium and platinum on the surface as a base for a subsequent deposition of a metal, such as gold. By selectively etching the titanium and platinum films, patterns of the desired conductors are generated. An intermediate masking step shields the surface of the wafer while the beam leads are plated prior to gold plating the remaining conductors of the pattern.

Abstract: Leads are bonded to a substrate by interposing between the substrate and the leads a conductor portion having substantially the same thickness as the thickness of the leads. In the preferred embodiment, the conductor portion is an end portion of the lead which is folded back on the lead and which is brought into contact with the substrate for bonding.

Abstract: A device including a voltage indicator circuit has the capability of indicating positive, neutral and negative voltages with respect to a reference voltage. Three indicator circuits are mounted on a single substrate. Each indicator circuit energizes a respective light emitting diode to indicate whether a voltage applied to a probe is positive, neutral or negative with respect to a reference voltage. The reference voltage is applied to a ground or reference terminal on the circuit. An alternating voltage is indicated by rendering effective all three light-emitting diodes. An open circuit can be ascertained by the absence of a positive signal from all the diodes.

Abstract: An oriented array of small, fragile electrical devices such as beam lead transistors or integrated circuits, partially embedded in wax, are removed from the wax and transferred to a releasable mounting without disrupting the orientation of the devices. The releasable mounting comprises a plate with a layer of silicone rubber or resin which exerts a suction or vacuum holding force on the array of oriented devices.

Abstract: An oriented array of small, fragile electrical devices such as beam lead transistors or integrated circuits, partially embedded in wax, are removed from the wax and transferred to a releasable mounting without disrupting the orientation of the devices. The releasable mounting comprises a plate with a layer of silicone rubber or resin which exerts a suction or vacuum holding force on the array of oriented devices.

Abstract: In a thermocompressive soldering process, a conductive overlay of a material such as gold is applied to a contact finger of a circuit board.In carrying out this process, the overlay is initially carried on an adhesively coated strip such as a polyimide tape. To transfer the overlay to the contact finger, it is aligned with the contact finger and temporarily attached to the circuit board. A heat conductive resilient sheet is then interposed between the circuit board and a thermode. The thermode is adjusted to engage the contact finger with a predetermined force. The force is resiliently distributed by the interposed sheet. Heat is then applied from the thermode through the resilient sheet to liquefy a solder coating on the overlay and to bond the overlay to the contact finger upon resolidification of the solder. The applied force is sustained during the application of head and during a subsequent cooling period during which the solder resolidifies.

Abstract: A cable core advances through an extruder head and then past an ultrasonic test set. In the extruder head, an annular plastic jacket is formed about the core. The test set generates four signals which correspond in magnitude to the jacket thickness in orthogonally spaced quadrants of the jacket. The signals are then applied to apparatus for centering the core with respect to the extruder head. Additional apparatus generates control signals in response to the signals from the test set. The control signals are applied to a mechanism for adjusting the jacket thickness in diametrically opposite quadrants with respect to the thickness in the quadrants adjacent thereto to control the uniformity of the jacket thickness. The control signals are also applied to a mechanism for controlling the overall jacket thickness. The signals give priority to the function of controlling the uniformity of the jacket thickness before the overall jacket thickness is reduced to a predetermined thickness range.