Abstract: A “Gatling gun” via to interconnect circuitry from a first side of a substrate or printed circuit board, to a second side of the substrate or board. The present via structure comprises a center conductor via surrounded by a plurality of ground vias. The plurality of ground vias shield the center conductor via, thus providing electrical isolation for the conductor via from the rest of the circuitry. In one embodiment, the conductor via is electrically connected to a conductive pattern on the substrate by a wire bond.

Abstract: A fluid handling system, and a method of manufacture therefor, is provided having a flexible manifold including two layers of flexible material laminated together. The flexible manifold has provided therein a covered capillary, a capillary inlet hole fluidically connected to the covered capillary, and a capillary outlet hole fluidically connected to the covered capillary. A peripheral rim is attached to the flexible manifold and exerts tensile stress on the flexible manifold to provide dimensional stability to the flexible manifold.

Abstract: A universal I/O interface is presented which allows communication with a number of different instruments independent of the underlying I/O configuration. The universal I/O interface is a set of Component Object Model (COM) interfaces that are independent of the underlying I/O bus and API. In addition, the universal I/O interface allows instrument data to be parsed and instrument commands to be formatted in a programming language independent way. In the preferred embodiment, the universal I/O interface comprises an ActiveX Automation Server that abstracts the APIs for various possible underlying I/O buses and vendor software libraries into a single universal I/O interface. This allows instrument application programmers to design applications that are universally supported on any number of instrument I/O buses.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an array of biopolymers provides a shield for biochemical reactions and biochemical reactants and is particularly useful for those reactions and reactants that are susceptible to reaction with a component of the ambient environment during the fabrication of the array. The method is applicable to the conventional fabrication and synthesis methods used to fabricate a biopolymer array, such as in situ synthesis of biopolymers on an array and the attachment of pre-synthesized biopolymers on to an array. The method comprises applying a non-miscible fluid (NMF) to the array surface where the biopolymers are being synthesized or attached. The NMF is inert and insoluble with the biochemical reactants and other ancillary materials in solution used in conventional synthesis or attachment of biopolymers.

Abstract: A graphical user interface for displaying boundary scan test data, and method for producing the same, is presented. The user interface display allows a user to view boundary scan test data from a boundary scan testing device in a format well-suited for debugging. Serial data received from the testing device is organized into a parallel format to display predicted versus actual data values on a per node basis, to show how a node is passing or failing. In a preferred embodiment, the user views the frame cell number in the boundary scan chain, the device cell number within a device at that point of the chain, the device name, the pin of the device associated with the cell, the node associated with the pin, the predicted value for the cell, the actual value for the cell as if differs from the predicted value if it differs, and the cell numbers for drivers that match predicted and actual data.

Abstract: A structure and a method for providing structural stability at an interface between two poorly adhering layers in a semiconductor device involve providing anchoring channels in one of the poorly adhering layers through which the other poorly adhering layer can be anchored to a third layer. Specifically, the structure and method are applicable to a three-layer stack having a top layer of amorphous silicon, a middle layer of titanium nitride, and a bottom layer of oxide. In order to reduce susceptibility to delamination between the amorphous silicon layer and the titanium nitride layer, the anchoring channels are created in the titanium nitride layer to allow the amorphous silicon to attach to the oxide layer. Because the amorphous silicon layer and the oxide layer exhibit good adhesion between each other, delamination between the amorphous silicon layer and the titanium nitride layer is minimized.

Abstract: In the fiber and in any fiber (F), a reflecting surface (F1) is created that is generically tilted with respect to the main propagation path (T1) of the optical radiation in said fiber, so as to originate by reflection an additional propagation path (T2) that is generically deflected with respect to said main propagation path (T1). In a mounting support (2) common to the fiber (F) and the related opto-electronic component (O), a groove is made along an external face (2a) so as to accomodate the optical fiber (F) in a tight condition. The groove (3) is then covered through a laminar cover, that is transparent to the radiation and has a flat surface (4a). The fiber (F) is inserted into said groove in order that said deflected propagation path (T2) passes through said cover (4) of material transparent to the radiation, and the opto-electronic component (O) is mounted on said cover (4) in alignment with said deflected propagation path (T2).

Abstract: A method for operating a spectrum analyzer to provide a marker that follows a peak from sweep to sweep in a spectrum display. The method operates on first and second measured spectrums. The first measured spectrum includes a plot of the signal amplitude against frequency during a first time interval in which the marker has been assigned to a peak at a first frequency and first amplitude. The present invention assigns the marker to a peak in the second spectrum measured during a subsequent time interval in which the marker is to be assigned. Initially, a first frequency range is defined in the second measured spectrum centered on the first frequency. The first frequency range is searched for candidate peaks having amplitudes within a first range centered on the first amplitude. If more than one such candidate peak is found by the search, the marker is assigned to the candidate peak closest to the first frequency.

Abstract: A system and method for measuring flow rate within a fluid-bearing passageway include introducing heat fluctuations into the flow and then non-invasively monitoring the effects of the heat fluctuations propagating to or from one or more interrogation regions. In one embodiment, the non-invasive monitoring detects fluctuations in the refractive index of the flowing fluid as a result of variations in the temperature of the fluid. In another embodiment, electrical conductivity of the fluid is monitored. The heat fluctuations may be introduced using an optical heat generator, such as an infrared laser, or may be introduced using an electrical member, such as a heater coil. Determining the refractive index along the interrogation region may be achieved by monitoring characteristics on an interference pattern, but other optical arrangements may be utilized.

Abstract: The component, located inside a corresponding package, is associated with a first heat sensor, located in proximity to the component inside the package, together with a second heat sensor. A thermal conditioning element is controlled in such a way as to keep the temperature of the first sensor at a level identified by a reference signal (rifv). The second sensor is associated with the package in such a way as to generate a second temperature signal indicating the external temperature, and the aforesaid reference signal (rifv;) is modified as a function of the said second temperature signal, providing effective temperature control of the component.

Abstract: A self-aligned metal electrode sensor structure. The self-aligned metal electrode sensor structure includes a substrate which includes electronic circuitry. An interconnect structure is formed adjacent to the substrate. The interconnect structure includes conductive interconnect vias which pass through the interconnect structure. A sensor is formed adjacent to the interconnect structure. The sensor includes a pixel metallization section and a doped layer electrode. The pixel metallization section is electrically connected to the interconnect via. The pixel metallization section includes an outer surface which is substantially planar. The doped layer electrode includes an inner surface adjacent to the outer surface of the pixel metallization section. The entire inner surface of the doped layer electrode is substantially planar. A transparent conductive layer is formed adjacent to the sensor. The interconnect via and the transparent conductive layer electrically connect the electronic circuitry to the sensor.

Abstract: A signal transfer device for transferring an electrical signal from a test fixture such as a printed circuit board to a device under test. The signal transfer device is mounted beneath a probe plate and includes a spring-loaded transfer element for contacting a test pad on the test fixture. Through contact by the transfer element, an electrical signal is transferred from the test pad to a probe receptacle in the probe plate, which is wire wrapped to another probe receptacle in the probe plate for use in providing the electrical signal to the device under test.

Abstract: A multislope, continuously integrating analog-to-digital converter includes a first switch coupled to a first reference voltage, a second switch coupled to a second reference voltage, a third switch coupled to an input voltage, and an integrator operably coupled to the first, second, and third switches. The analog-to-digital converter utilizes a primary discharge current of opposite polarity to a secondary discharge current. The analog-to-digital converter has a high resolution due to a small reference voltage, and a high dynamic range due to a large reference voltage. The analog-to-digital converter can operate in either a conversion mode or a calibration mode. During the calibration mode, a calibration factor is calculated for use during the conversion mode. When applied to the conversion mode, the calibration factor corrects for errors in the conversion process.

Abstract: A filter formed of acoustic resonators, where each resonator has its own cavity and a bottom electrode that spans the entirety of the cavity, so that the bottom electrode has an unsupported interior region surrounded by supported peripheral regions. In the preferred embodiment, the cavity is formed by etching a depression into the substrate, filling the depression with a sacrificial material, depositing the piezoelectric and electrode layers that define an FBAR or SBAR, and then removing the sacrificial material from the depression. Also in the preferred embodiment, the sacrificial material is removed via release holes that are limited to the periphery of the depression. Preferably, the bottom electrode is the only electrode that spans the cavity, thereby limiting the formation of parasitic FBARs or SBARs. In one embodiment, the bottom electrode includes a serpentine edge that leaves a portion of one side of the cavity free of overlap by the bottom electrode, so that a top electrode may overlap this portion.

Abstract: Process for generating unit names from a nonorthogonal set of units. Given a vector of exponents describing a target unit in terms of SI units, and a table of user defined units which may be nonorthogonal, one or more result unit names equivalent to the target unit are generated by recursively searching the table of user defined units, reducing the magnitude of the target in each step.

Abstract: Edge mounting flexible media to a rigid PC board construction can be achieved by various methods. In any method used, there is a desire to create solderable pads on the edge of the rigid PC board. In accordance with the invention, the solderable pads are created by edge plating the PC Board or by a sliced via method. Depending on the type of flexible transmission line used, the construction will differ accordingly. For terminating flexible circuit media, the flex pads are laid out in such a way that the pads are etched in a configuration that matches up with the edge pads on the rigid PC Board. Solder past is then applied to the pads on the flex. The rigid PC Board is fixtured at a right angle to the flex and run through the reflow oven.

Abstract: A tuning method for filters having multiple coupled resonators isolates the characteristics of each resonator, enabling a specified filter response to be achieved by adjusting the resonators according to response criteria. A target frequency response is defined for the filter and a target time domain response is computed based on the target frequency response. From the time domain response, a gating function is generated for each of the resonators. A stimulus signal is provided to the filter and the response to the stimulus signal is measured. The gating functions are then applied to isolate the characteristics of each resonator. Each resonator is adjusted according to response criteria chosen to achieve a specified filter response when the response criteria are satisfied.

Abstract: An integrated circuit is provided with Fully Automated Scan Testing (FAST)-lite flip-flop. The integrated circuit has data, scan in, master-hold, clock, scan-into-master, and master to-scan-out inputs. A first transistor circuit is connected to the data, master-hold, and clock inputs and has a first transistor circuit output. A second transistor circuit is connected to the can in and scan-into-master inputs and has a second transistor circuit output. A first flip-flop is connected to the first transistor circuit and second transistor circuit outputs and has a first flip-flop output. A third transistor circuit is connected to the second transistor circuit output and the master-to-scan-out input and has a third transistor circuit output. A second flip-flop latch is connected to the third transistor circuit output has a second flip-flop output. The FAST-lite flip-flop uses the normal functionality of the first flip-flop and second flip-flop to operate either in a normal mode or a test mode for scan testing.

Abstract: A drive circuit that produces an over-voltage signal and protects circuit components from the over-voltage signal (i.e., such that circuit components operate within process specification limits). A photosensitive pixel cell can be driven by the drive circuit. Use of the drive circuit increases dynamic range of the pixel cell and reduces “ghost images.” Control logic selectively passes an over-voltage signal to individual rows of a 2-D pixel array.

Abstract: A method is provided for the separation of nucleic acid samples. The method includes: providing a test mixture of a plurality of nucleic acid samples, wherein each sample is labeled with a spectrally detectable tag; applying the test mixture to a reversed phase solid support; eluting the mixture under partially denaturing conditions; and detecting spectrally resolved signals produced by the nucleic acid samples labeled with the detectable tags.