Abstract: A method and structure for a reflective optical switch. According to the structure, a chamber is housed within a solid material. A plurality of piezoelectric elements within the chamber are coupled to the solid material. A slug within the chamber is operable to be coupled to one or more of the plurality of piezoelectric elements. A liquid metal within the chamber is coupled to the slug. One or more signals of a first one or more optical waveguides coupled to the chamber are operable to be coupled to a second one or more optical waveguides coupled to the chamber. According to the method, one or more of the plurality of piezoelectric elements are actuated, with the actuation of the one or more piezoelectric elements causing the slug coupled to the one or more piezoelectric elements to move from a first number of wetting pads to a second number of wetting pads wherein the first number of wetting pads and the second number of wetting pads are wetted by the liquid metal.

Abstract: A system is described for interconnecting a first optical component and a second optical component in which the first optical component is guided passively into precise alignment with the second optical component. The system includes a base and a guide structure. The base has a first surface exposed for contact with a front surface of the first optical component and a second surface configured to contact a front surface of the second optical component, and defines a transparent optical aperture extending from the first base surface to the second base surface and aligned with respect to the optical axis. The guide structure is supported by the base in fixed registration with respect to the optical axis and is exposed for contact with an exposed peripheral surface of the first optical component at three or more spaced apart discrete locations.

Abstract: A switch device and a method of manufacture are provided that includes providing two substrates. The two substrates collectively include a fluid conductor switch device structure and a trench surrounding the fluid conductor switch device structure. An inner seal material is deposed on one of the substrates and an outer seal material is deposited in the trench. The substrates are joined to one another using the inner seal material and a peripheral hermetic seal is formed between the substrates using the outer seal material.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for signal processing in a root-mean-square (RMS) meter. In representative embodiments, the root-mean-square (RMS) meter includes an RMS converter having a converter input and a converter output. The RMS converter converts a time varying signal applied to the converter input to a signal at the converter output. The value of the signal at the converter output is indicative of the RMS value of the applied signal. The signal at the converter output comprises a non-time varying component and a time varying component as determined by a time constant of the RMS converter. The RMS meter further includes an inverting amplifier having an inverter input and an inverter output. The converter output is connected to the inverter input. In addition, the RMS meter includes a switch having first, second, and central contacts. The converter output is connected to the first contact, and the inverter output is connected to the second contact.

Abstract: A computation circuit operates in the modulation domain to generate a signal having phase modulation proportional to the ratio of the dividend (numerator) signal to the divisor (denominator) signal. The phase modulated signal may be demodulated by a phase demodulator to produce a baseband quotient signal. The divisor signal maintains inverse proportional control of the modulation gain of the modulator by varying the carrier injection level, resulting in higher bandwidth and accuracy, and lower drift and offset compared to traditional analog computation techniques. The circuit may contain all linear components, even though the division function is a non-linear function. The circuit and method operate when the input signals are analog or both are in the modulation domain.

Abstract: A system for accurately aligning a plurality of optical elements includes a wafer into which are formed a plurality of holes. The holes are formed into an array and are each designed to accept an optical element. After each optical element is located and inserted into a respective hole, the optical elements are polished to be planar with the surface of the wafer. The optical elements may include fibers and lenses. The system may also include a wafer containing optical fibers optically aligned with a wafer containing lenses. The optical fibers direct light into corresponding lenses, which collimate and launch the light into an optical switch.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ionization source having a chamber for ionizing a sample. The ionization chamber has surfaces to reduce the overall interaction with reactive samples. The inner surface walls of the ionization chamber or the ionization chamber may be formed from an inert super alloy. For instance, Inconel™ 625, Inconel™ 601 or Hastelloy®) may comprise the ionization chamber or the surface walls of the ionization chamber. The invention also includes a method for reducing the interaction of a reactive analyte with an ion source.

Abstract: A system for measuring optical characteristics of a multiport optical device uses optical heterodyne detection and known port-specific transmission delays to simultaneously monitor multiple ports of the multiport optical device with a single receiver. An embodiment of a system includes a splitter configured to split a swept optical signal into a reference signal and a test signal and a test system input, connectable to the multiport optical device, for transmitting the test signal to the multiport optical device. The test system also includes an optical combiner and a receiver. The optical combiner is connectable to the multiport optical device to receive a first portion of the test signal having a first port-specific transmission delay and to receive a second portion of the test signal having a second port-specific transmission delay.

Abstract: An image sensor system and methods of making such a system are described. The image sensor system includes a color filter array that is formed by a color filter process that incorporates a bottom antireflection coating. The bottom antireflection coating forms a protective layer that protects exposed areas of the active image sensing device structure during formation of the color filter array and, thereby, preserves the intrinsic transmission characteristics of the active image sensing device structure. The bottom antireflection coating also reduces degradation of metal structures (e.g., bonding pads) and pixel edges at the exposed surface of the active image sensing device structure. In addition, the bottom antireflection coating provides a reliable adhesive surface for the color filter array, substantially eliminating lifting of the color filter array resist structures.

Abstract: A system and method of computed tomography is disclosed. The method includes acquiring at least one projection but less than all projections to be used in reconstruction of an unknown object and processing the at least one projection for reconstruction of the unknown object. After processing each projection is discarded. Projections are acquired until all projections have been processed. An estimate of the unknown object may be generated during the processing of each of the projections.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the hermeticity of a semiconductor package is disclosed. Gas is introduced into the semiconductor package during packaging. Vacuum suction is then applied to the package. If the package has any leaks, the gas within will escape. The package is next scanned using a spectrometer. If the spectrometer does not detect any gas within the package cavity, the package is not hermetically sealed. In an alternate embodiment, the device is packaged first, and then immersed in a pressurized liquid. If the package has a leak, the pressure on the liquid will force liquid into the package cavity. The cavity of a properly sealed package will remain empty and dry. The package is scanned using a spectrometer. If the spectrometer detects liquid within the package, the package is not hermetically sealed.

Abstract: An assembly comprising a heat generating electronic device and a heat sink is provided with an intermediate gradient region between them. This intermediate region comprises a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion substantially matching the coefficient of thermal expansion of the heat generating electronic device, and a thermal conductivity greater than the thermal conductivity of the electronic device but less than the thermal conductivity of the heat sink. Provision of this intermediate layer substantially reduces stress on the electronic device caused by thermal cycling.

Abstract: An edge detector with sub-micron accuracy. The edge detector comprises two single mode optical fibers with an optical path between them. One fiber is coupled to a laser light source, and creates a light beam. The other fiber is coupled to an optical power detector. The optical power reaching the optical power detector is determined by how much of the light beam is obscured by an object. Thus the position of the edge of the object may be determined from the optical power measured by the detector. The edge of an object may be positioned automatically according to the optical power measured by the detector.

Abstract: For modeling a first device, a measured electrical behavior in at least one of time and frequency domain is received, wherein the measured electrical behavior at least substantially represents at least a portion of the electrical behavior of the first device. The first device is modeled by using a circuit with one or more circuit device, wherein each circuit device has a known model for its electrical behavior, and the circuit substantially represents the measured electrical behavior of the first device. The modeling comprises a step of approximating the measured signal response by sections of a curve.

Abstract: In a method for fast, high-accuracy autoranging measurement, a current detection resistance is shared by a current measurement apparatus and a voltage source with current limiting function, a value of current output from the voltage source via the resistance being measured by the current measurement apparatus, and the current range of the current measurement apparatus and the compliance being automatically changed in accordance with the measured current value.

Abstract: Boundary scan testing methods that detect manufacturing defects in AC-coupled differential pairs may be based on a selected signal parameter: phase or frequency. The data is encoded by the signal parameter. In one embodiment, the signal parameter is compared to reference parameter data provided by the transmitter. In a second embodiment, the reference parameter data is sent from an external source. All the components on board are synchronized with this external source. In a third embodiment, the reference parameter data is embedded in each AC signal between the transmitter and receiver. Two lines of one differential link are used to send different patterns.

Abstract: A controller is provided that is configured to receive a timing value for a static timing model and a timing value for an extracted timing model. The controller is further configured to determine whether the timing value for the extracted timing model falls within a permissible range of deviation from the timing value for the static timing model.

Abstract: The inventive mechanism monitors ATM traffic load by service type. The inventive mechanism receives each cell being transported over a backbone or link of an ATM network. The mechanism creates a table, which includes the VPI/VCI tags and the respective service type for each tag, to determine the numbers of cells being transported for each of the service types. The mechanism forms the table by monitoring connection/call setup-request cells and their associated answer cells, which identify the service type for each VPI/VCI tag. The inventive mechanism may set alarm levels to trigger based upon the pipe bandwidth usage by the different service types.

Abstract: An electrical relay using conducting liquid in the switching mechanism. Two electrical contacts are held a small distance apart. The facing surfaces of the contacts each support a droplet of a conducting liquid, such as a liquid metal. A piezoelectric actuator is energized to reduce the gap between the electrical contacts, causing the two liquid metal droplets to coalesce and form an electrical circuit. The piezoelectric actuator is then de-energized and the electrical contacts return to their starting positions. The liquid metal droplets remain coalesced because of surface tension. The electrical circuit is broken by energizing a piezoelectric actuator to increase the gap between the electrical contacts and break the surface tension bond between the liquid metal droplets. The droplets remain separated when the piezoelectric actuator is de-energized because there is insufficient liquid metal to bridge the gap between the contacts. The relay is amenable to manufacture by micro-machining techniques.

Abstract: A telephoto lens for a grating scale measurement system includes a pair of aspheric lenses that together operate at finite conjugates with minimal spherical aberrations. Identical aspheric lenses provide a subsystem with a magnification of 1×, and a magnifying system typically including one or more negative lens increases the magnification of an intensity pattern to enable accurate measurement of the phase of the intensity pattern.