Abstract: A conductor handling apparatus uses a rotating disk to move a single conductor to a first position on a path where a conductor identifier is located. The conductor identifier identifies the conductor by completing a circuit used to detect a signal on the conductor. A controller rotates the disk in a direction based on the identity of the conductor, and a conductor unloader moves the conductor from the rotating disk. A conductor transfer mechanism moves the conductor from the unloader to a predetermined position where the conductor is inserted into a contact of a connector.

Abstract: Timing restoration for a series of input pulses is performed optically in a transmission or switching system, using a nonlinear material with negligible walk-off that also receives an essentially orthogonally polarized series of reference pulses. In the nonlinear material, the input pulses are frequency shifted by the presence of the reference pulses. For a material with negligible walk-off, the frequency shift only occurs when the pulses partially overlap, but not when the pulses are coincident. The frequency shifted output from the nonlinear material is supplied to a dispersive delay line that translates the frequency shift into a time shift, such that the input pulses are retimed by the reference pulses. If the nonlinear material has a nonlinear index of refraction n.sub.2 >0, then the dispersive delay line must have an anomalous Group Velocity Dispersion (GVD); on the other hand, if the nonlinear material has an index of refraction n.sub.2 <0, then the dispersive delay line must have a normal GVD.

Abstract: The sensitivity and dry etching pattern control of chemically amplified resists used in the production of devices such as electronic devices is substantially enhanced while image quality is improved through use of a specific expedient. In particular, the resist material after coating on the device substrate, is treated, e.g., heated to sufficiently high temperatures, to remove a portion of the protective groups on the polymeric component of the resist. Generally, when removal up to approximately 90% of the protective groups for substituents such as t-butoxycarboxyl is effected through this procedure, sensitivities as good as 10 mJ/cm.sup.2 for an X-ray exposure (.lambda.=14.ANG.) have been achieved, and both the image quality and dry etching pattern control are improved.

Abstract: A variable optical delay line which can delay an optical signal by a selected interval of time comprises an input wavelength router connected to an output wavelength router by means of optical waveguides of different lengths. A wavelength shifter coupled to the input of the input wavelength router shifts the wavelength of the received signal to a desired wavelength. Depending on the wavelength of the signal from the wavelength shifter, the received signal is directed to a specific one of the waveguides of different lengths to provide a delay which is controllable. The output wavelength router directs the optical signals from the various waveguides of different lengths to a common output waveguide.

Abstract: Apparatus for eliminating the truncation errors associated with a multiplicative leak factor employed in a predictive coding arrangement adds a temporally varying control signal that affects the leak factor multiplication output. Specifically, in one embodiment the leak factor multiplication output is modified by arbitrarily changing, or dithering, the level of the mean signal. In another embodiment, the leak factor multiplication output is modified by effectively dithering the leak factor itself. The latter is accomplished by adding the varying control signal prior to the truncated division which occurs in the leak factor multiplication process.

Abstract: A method of forming a planarized or smoothed dielectric or other material layer upon a partially fabricated integrated circuit is disclosed. Conventional planarization techniques involve deposition of a dielectric or other material layer followed by anisotropic etchback. Unfortunately, some commercial equipment tends to etch the center of the wafer faster than the edges. The disclosed process forms a layer which is thicker in the central region than the edge region. Thus, when the disclosed process is followed by a conventional etchback, a planar dielectric or other material layer over the entire wafer is formed. Other aspects of the invention include processes and apparatus for producing smooth deposition and etching by control of the impedance of the etching and/or chemical precursor gases.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator is used to control the relative positions of a laser and optical fiber during laser welding of components to a base.

Abstract: A package that protects an optical fiber from strain or controls the strain to which the fiber is subjected for a desired effect and a method for making the package are disclosed. The package is a sleeve with an internal passage in which a portion of an optical fiber is placed. The optical fiber and the sleeve are made of materials with coefficients of thermal expansion that are the same or different.If the coefficients of thermal expansion are the same, the package protects the fiber from certain strains brought about by a change in temperature that would otherwise result if the package and the fiber were made of different materials. However, by selectively mismatching the coefficients of thermal expansion of the package and the fiber, a change in temperature can be used to bring about a desired change in the wavelength of a grating written in the fiber. The optical fiber is fixed in the sleeve by epoxy or other adhesive means at least at one point in the internal passage of the sleeve.

Abstract: A process for planarizing a bonded wafer. The wafer has a layer of exposed oxide thereon which acts as a reference for the grinding and polishing of the wafer. The resulting ground and polished wafer has a thinned, substantially planar, working layer for subsequent fabrication of transistors, etc.

Abstract: A digital block receiver system, in a cellular/wireless FM radiotelephony system, receives and heterodyne a block of cellular/wireless receive channels to a very low block IF signal by analog processing. This block IF signal is applied to a precision high speed A/D converter and converted to a digitized time series. A window function is applied to the digitized time series and a high speed FFT is applied to frequency isolate the individual channels. The active channels are digitally processed by a DSP to recover the FM channel modulation.

Abstract: Parsing of partially orderable sets of symbols is achieved by first forming a total order of the given terminal symbols. The relationships between the terminal symbols are formulated, and the given grammar is broken up into a set of production rules. Based on the production rules, a determination is made as to what kind of symbol is needed to comply with the given grammar. This determination encompasses both the type of terminal symbol that is to be found as well as the partial order relationships that such a symbol must have. The set of totally ordered symbols are searched, in order, and the first symbol that meets the specified criteria is selected. When appropriate, the symbols retrieved from the totally ordered set are reduced to non-terminal symbols, with the ultimate goal being the inclusion of all of the symbols in the totally ordered set within one reduced non-terminal symbol.

Abstract: To detect a delay fault along a signal path of interest (12) in a sequential digital circuit (10), a source flip-flop (14) and a destination flip-flop (16), proximate the beginning and end of the path, respectively, are designated in the circuit. Next, the signal path is activated to establish what logic values are necessary at the input of each of a set of combinational elements (18.sub.1 -18.sub.p) in the path to propagate a selected signal transition from the source flip-flop to the destination flip-flop. A first and second backward justification process is carried out to synthesize a first sequence to propagate a selected logic value from a primary circuit input to the source flip-flop to cause it to generate the selected signal transition to propagate to the destination flip-flop. A second backward justification process is carried out to synthesize a second vector sequence which serves to propagate the value latched in the destination flip-flop to a primary output.

Abstract: Bent sol-gel produced tubing is straightened by drawing, with tensile force and operating temperature to result in minimal plastic flow, so that size reduction is small. The method is usefully applied to reject recovery in the preparation of overclad tubes, which as encompassing closely-fitting core rods, form the composite preform from which optical fiber is drawn.

Abstract: In accordance with the principles of this invention, Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) signal streams are converted into Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) cells for switching and transmission across a telecommunications network. Each cell carries one PCM sample of up to 48 different voice connections, the voice connections selected from the PCM data streams because they have a common destination. The cells are transmitted over ATM virtual circuits, each circuit transmitting one cell every 125 .mu.s. Advantageously, ATM transmission systems interface with PCM systems without adding appreciable delay and without requiring additional buffering. Advantageously, new voice paths can be established most of the time by using available slots in the cells of existing virtual paths. This application relates to the use of the principles of this invention for implementing a large switching system or a cluster of highly interconnected smaller systems.

Abstract: Disclosed is an article that comprises a superconductor-insulator (s-i) layer structure. The superconductor material has nominal composition Ba.sub.1-x M.sub.x BiO.sub.3-y (M is K, Rb, or K and Rb, 0.35<x.ltorsim.0.5, 0<y.ltorsim.0.25). In some preferred embodiments the insulator is a Ba- and Bi containing oxide, exemplarily BaBi.sub.2 O.sub.4, Ba.sub.1-x M.sub.x BiO.sub.3 (0.ltoreq.x<0.35), or Ba.sub.1-x Bi.sub.1+x O.sub.3 (0.ltoreq.x.ltorsim.0.5). In other embodiments the insulator is an insulating oxide with the NaCl structure (e.g., Mg.sub.1-x Ca.sub.x O), an insulating perovskite (e.g., BaZrO.sub.3 ), an insulator with the K.sub.2 NiF.sub.4 structure (e.g., Ba.sub.2 PbO.sub.4), an insulating fluoride with the BaF.sub.2 structure (e.g., Ba.sub.1-x Sr.sub.x F.sub.2), or an insulating fluoride with the NaCl structure (e.g., LiF). Disclosed are also advantageous methods of making an article according to the invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for achieving bit rate distance products on the order of 200 Tbits/s-km in non-soliton optical communication using optical phase conjugation. The apparatus and method utilize phase conjugation and adjustments of in-line amplifier number, spacing, and/or output power in order to compensate for the interaction between first order dispersion and fiber nonlinearity dispersion effects in an optical fiber span. The present invention provides additional techniques for adjusting system parameters, such as dispersion-length products of first and second portions of the fiber span, in order to compensate for changes in first order dispersion resulting from non-zero second order dispersion. The method and apparatus also provide an improved multi-channel optical phase conjugation system design.

Abstract: A system for cleaning test probes attached to a probe mat fixture by propelling CO.sub.2 pellets at the test probes, by rotating the fixture so that the pellets impact different sides of the test probes, and by providing electrostatic protection for active devices mounted on the probemat fixture. The CO.sub.2 pellets are propelled so that they strike the test probes at an angle to the horizontal plane of the test probe as mounted on the probemat fixture. Electrostatic protection is provided by connecting all electrical connections to the probemat fixture to ground and by reducing electrostatic charge build up on the probemat fixture by using an ionizer to direct ions at the probemat fixture.

Abstract: A method to achieve good stepper focus and exposure over an entire wafer for a particular mask level before the start of a product run is described. This method can also be used to produce a characterization of lens field curvature (i.e., a surface of optimum focus across the lens) and to characterize lens astigmatism, defocus sensitivity, relative resolution, and other characteristics, and to check the stepper for optical column tilt. The process prevents the complexities of resist development from affecting determination of focus. The process involves forming an array of latent images in a resist and examining the scattered light from the edges of the latent images. Analysis of the scattered light quickly provides information on correct exposure and focus together with lens characteristics over the printing field.

Abstract: Disclosed is a series tuned resonant autotransformer which passes baseband video signals so that more than one non-synchronized channel can be sent over unshielded twisted pair wires sharing a common cable sheath. The transformer includes a trifilar winding configuration with a capacitor, resistor and ground connection coupled between the two secondary windings. The transformer is able to pass a DC signal as well as a balanced output signal over most of the video bandwidth.

Abstract: A system for delivering packetized data in a network comprising a plurality of packet switch communities, wherein each of the packet switch communities has a plurality of endpoints connected to a common packet switch and having a unique address, and wherein each of the endpoints has addresses unique to their respective packet switch community. The endpoints in this system add a two-part destination address to the packetized data to be sent, wherein the first field represents a packet switch community and the second represents a destination endpoint. Each packet switch community is responsive to the first field being different from its own address for delivering the packetized data to a switch. The switch is responsive to the first field for delivering the packetized data to a packet switch community identified by the first field. Finally, each endpoint in the destination packet switch community is responsive to the first and second address fields for accepting packetized data.