Abstract: A wafer handling technique allows for picking up a wafer from its front side. One or more vacuum ports pull the periphery of the wafer into contact with a ledge raised from a broad surface, providing a friction force that prevents lateral movement of the wafer. A port in the broad surface of the handler flows pressurized gas onto the wafer, thereby preventing contact between the handler and the interior of the wafer. The handler may be sized to be relatively thin, and to cover less than half of the surface of the wafer, thereby allowing for readily loading wafers back-to-back in a furnace boat.

Abstract: An apparatus coupled to an electroless copper plating bath for analyzing controlling, on-line, the primary constituents of the bath is described. The apparatus detects and controls not only the copper concentration of the bath by optical means, but the concentrations of hydroxyl ion, formaldehyde reducing agent and cyanide ion as well.

Abstract: An optical fiber cable includes a core (22) comprising optical fibers (24-24) in ribbon or single fiber form and a sheath system (50) which provides flexibility for ease of handling and installation, strength to resist tensile and torsional stresses and rodent and/or lightning protection. The core is enclosed by a tube (28) which is made of a plastic material, a shield system (52) and outer plastic jacket (54). The shield system provides rodent and/or lightning protection. Strength is provided by a plurality of longitudinally extending strength members (58-58) which are disposed in a single layer concentric with the core and which in a preferred embodiment are disposed adjacent to an outer surface of the shield and with substantial portions of their perpheries embedded in the plastic of the outer jacket.

Abstract: An aerial service wire (20) includes a jacket (40) having a generally rectangularly shaped cross section and comprising a polyvinyl chloride plastic material. Enclosed by the jacket are two strength members (36--36) each of which includes a plurality of filaments and each of which is impregnated with a material which is compatable with that of the jacket. The strength members are disposed along an axis (42) of the cross section which passes through a geometric center through which a longitudinal axis (50) of the jacket passes. Conductors (30--30) which are individually insulated are disposed adjacent to the longitudinal axis with each strength member being disposed between the conductors and the outer surface of the jacket.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser mount is disclosed for use in high frequency (>500 Mb/s) applications. The mount comprises a stripline transmission path and resistive element formed in series with the optical device. Since the current sources used to modulate optical devices at these bit rates have a large impedance relative to that of the optical devices, the stripline is used as an impedance controlling network to provide frequency independent coupling from the signal source to the device and the resistive element is used to compensate the variation of the impedance of the device to essentially match that of the stripline. Since the impedance of individual optical devices may vary, the resistive element is sized to provide optimum matching. Both the stripline and resistive element are integrated with the mount material to form a monolithic structure.

Abstract: A four surface point type drill has its primary clearance faces configured so that their circumferential width decreases as the longitudinal axis of the drill is approached. The trailing edge and cutting edge of the primary clearance face surfaces substantially intersect each other at a point where they both intersect the opposite ends of the chisel edge of the drill point. The chisel edge itself is totally defined by a line formed by the intersection of the two secondary clearance face surfaces of the drill point. This new improved drill point geometry permits the use of reduced primary and secondary clearance face relief angles at the drill point which improves the structural integrity of the cutting edge of the drill and hence reduces chipping at the cutting edge.

Abstract: A cable (20) which is particularly suited to the transmission of substantially error-free data at relatively high rates over relatively long distances includes at least two pairs of individually insulated conductors (42--43). Each pair of individually insulated conductors is enclosed individually in its own tubular member (51) comprising a plastic material. A metallic shield (60) encloses the tubular members, and in a preferred embodiment, a plastic jacket (80) encloses the shield. In the preferred embodiment, two pairs of voice communications conductors are disposed at opposed locations between the shield and the jacket. The thickness of the tubular member is such that each insulated conductor of each twisted pair is caused to be spaced from the shield a distance which is not less than one half the diameter of the metallic wire portion of each pair enclosed by the tubular member.

Abstract: A method of achieving radial (x,y) alignment between an active device subassembly and an optical fiber subassembly of an optical package is disclosed. The method relies on the use of mating sections with essentially identical outer diameters. The subassemblies are brought into contact and are first joined at the two points where the edges of the piece parts coincide (flush points). It has been determined that by continuing the attachment process at symmetric locations about one of the flush points, minimal disturbance of throughput efficiency will be maintained. The optical throughput is continually monitored to determined at which particular flush point the attachment process should proceed. In particular, as soon as the throughput efficiency drops below a predetermined value, the attachment process is rotated to continue at the opposite flush point.

Abstract: A high rate of exchange of information between a control station and each one of multiple associated stations in a key telephone system is economically achieved by using a multipurpose computer in each station to provide the UART function. Serial transmission of asynchronous data is full duplex for the control station and half duplex for ech associated station, with the control station polling a first station and then obtaining that station's response. While the first station is responding, the control station polls a second station and continues in this manner until all the associated stations are polled. The UART function also allows the computer to process other tasks during the same period of time that the serial transmission or reception of data is occurring.

Abstract: An extrusion apparatus for providing a plastic jacket (32) about an advang cable core (23) which has been wrapped with a laminated metallic foil (76) includes dual core tubes. An inner one (86) of the core tubes extends into an extrusion chamber and has a free end portion (89) spaced from and disposed concentrically within an end portion (94) of an outer core tube (93). The foil, which is relatively cool and which functions as a shield (26), engages an inner wall of the inner core tube. This causes an overlapped longitudinal seam (78) of the shield to be maintained during the passage of the shielded cable core through the inner core tube. As a result, molten plastic material which is to form the jacket (32) is isolated thermally from the relatively cool shield and is prevented from being cooled prematurely prior to its being tubed about the advancing cable core.

Abstract: A system for transmitting traces of an oscilloscope (16) to a remote locan. A transmitter circuit (18) digitizes and transmits the traces to the remote location. A receiver circuit (24) at the remote location receives the transmitted signals and delivers these signals to a destination oscilloscope (26). At the transmitting location, the vertical output signal of the oscilloscope is amplified and fed to an analog-to-digital converter. The digitized output signal of the converter and the oscilloscope's timebase gate signal are stored in a memory circuit and subsequently transmitted to the remote location via a first modem (20). At the remote location, the receiver circuit (24) comprises a universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART) interfacing with a second modem (22), a memory circuit for storing the transmitted signals, and associated circuitry for restoring the oscilloscope signal's amplitude.

Abstract: An alignment sleeve (66) for holding two conically shaped portions (30-30) of plugs (24-24) each of which terminates an optical fiber (25) includes two conically shaped cavities (68, 70) communicating through a common minimal diameter plane (72). After the sleeve has been molded, a tool (100) faced with an abrasive material is inserted into each cavity of the sleeve and turned rotatably while a force is applied in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tool. This causes material to be removed from the walls defining the cavities so that when the two plugs are inserted into the cavities, the axes of the fibers will be aligned coaxially and the end faces of the fibers will have a predetermined separation. The methods of this invention also may be used to adjust a length measurement of plugs. This is accomplished by inserting a plug into a conically shaped cavity of a tool.

Abstract: In order to connect two optical fibers (26--26), each of two plugs (40--40) each having a passageway (41) in which is received an optical fiber are mounted in a connector body (42). The plugs are destined to be received in a sleeve (75) of a coupler (60) such that their longitudinal axes are coaxial. Alignment of the passageways, at least radially of the longitudinal axes, is accomplished by locating for each plug the intersection of a radial line which extends through the centroid of an opening of the passageway with the periphery of the plug. Each plug is mounted in its connector body such that the intersection is aligned radially with a pin extending from the connector body. The connector bodies are inserted into opposite ends of the coupler sleeve to cause each pin of each connector body to be received in a slot in the coupler.

Abstract: In order to connect two optical fibers (26-26), each of two plugs (40-40) each having a passageway (41) in which is received an optical fiber is mounted in a connector body (42). Each optical fiber comprises a core (25) and a cladding (27). The plugs are destined to be received in a sleeve (75) of a coupler (60) such that their longitudinal axes are coaxial. Alignment of the fiber cores, at least radially of the longitudinal axes, is accomplished by locating for each plug the intersection of a radial line which extends through the centroid of the optical fiber core with the periphery of the plug. An orienting pin is mounted in each connector body in intentional radial alignment with the intersection. The connector bodies are inserted into opposite ends of the coupler sleeve to cause each pin of each connector body to be received in a slot in the coupler.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for laminating multilayer structures with nonplanar surfaces such as structures which include cavity (20) formed therein. A conformal material (32), a release material (31), and an optional template (36) are provided over the structure prior to the lamination bonding operation. The conformal and release materials then fill the cavity during the bonding operation to prevent flow of adhesive (25 and 26) from between the layers into the cavity, and the template redistributes cavity edge stresses to minimize wire bonding pad deflections. The materials can then be removed for further processing of the multilayer structure.

Abstract: A security system for cordless telephones prevents unauthorized telephone lls over telephone lines. The system includes a base unit and a cordless handset unit which must share common information for proper operation. To prevent an unauthorized user in possession of a handset unit from easily matching a security code stored in the base unit and thereby obtain dial tone therefrom, the security code in the base unit is transferred to the handset unit while the handset unit is in a mating cradle in the base unit. Transfer circuits in the base unit and the handset unit respectively transmit and receive the security code and also an operating frequency channel over a direct-current charging path provided for charging of a battery in the handset unit whenever the handset unit is returned to the cradle.

Abstract: A protector module (30) for protecting the conductors of a telephone loop cludes a pair of protector assemblies (40-40') which are supported within a common housing (32). A gas tube voltage protection subassembly (42) of each protector assembly is connected electrically to a grounding subassembly (44) for causing current associated with excessive voltage surges to be conducted to ground. A first electrode includes a portion which extends through annular dielectric and metallic members and an opening of an open-ended metallic container (93) to engage a shunting element (62) of a current protection subassembly (41). The superimposed annular members are held in engagement with the first electrode at a substantially constant pressure by axial forces applied by turned-in portions (109--109) of a side wall of the metallic container. The shunting element is supported at one end of the line pin in an initial position by a fusible material.

Abstract: Copper leads having an average grain size from 0.035 to 0.055 mm are thermocompression bonded to a metallized portion of a ceramic substrate. Surprisingly, such large grain size substantially decreases the "ceramic pullout" of the bonded leads.