Abstract: The present invention provides a novel thin film transistor device having the advantages of both conventional thin and thick film devices. The channel region of the device is elevated with respect to the source and drain regions by being made as a thin film while the source and drain regions are relatively thick. Such an arrangement provides high drive current characteristics of a thin film device, whilst mitigating the disadvantageous kink effect in the IV curve and the off-state leakage current known in conventional thin film devices. The invention also provides a fabrication method, and this method may also be employed to manufacture other novel semiconductor devices including EEPROM devices, large double layer storage capacitors and a novel conductivity modulated thin film transistor.

Abstract: Field emitter structures are described for use in arrays forming field emission displays. The field emitter structures may be either single or perferably double-gate structures. To enhance the field emission current density the emitters are formed so as to be elongate so as to form a race-track shape. The emitter layer may also be provided with sharply defined edges in order to improve electron emission.

Abstract: High-rate bit transmitted data is serial to parallel converted into low-rate bit streams in a similar fashion to multicarrier or multitone modulation. However, in contrast to the multicarrier method, each low-rate bit stream is modulated using direct-sequence spread-spectrum. By selecting the processing gain properly the total required bandwidth will be of the same order as the original high-rate data stream, thereby gaining the inherent benefit of multipath rejection without expanding the bandwidth of the original high-rate stream.

Abstract: There is described a rotary motor in which a rotor disc is driven by a plate-like driving member comprising a laminate of piezoelectric material sandwiched between outer layers of anisotropic material. When a voltage is applied to the rotor disc the driving member expands into driving contact with the rotor disc and--at the same time--owing to the anisotropy of the outer layers, twists with a torsional movement and this torsional movement imparts a rotary movement to the rotor disc.

Abstract: A receiver for down-converting a modulated carrier into its in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components for further processing is proposed. This is accomplished using a sampling method in which the signal is sampled directly using a sampling circuit which is driven by a single sampling clock frequency substantially lower than the carrier frequency while allowing the I and Q components to be precisely obtained. Each of the signal samples comprises sub-samples taken successively which represent the in-phase, quadrature, negative in-phase and negative quadrature components of the signal. The negative components permit flexible application of the invention in several modes, including differential mode for the removal of common-mode noise. The invention is useful because it provides an integrated circuit means for precisely obtaining I and Q components of a very high frequency modulated carrier.

Abstract: The invention provides a reflective liquid crystal display which consists of just an input polarizer, the liquid crystal cell and a rear reflector which can be placed inside or outside of the liquid crystal cell. There is no rear polarizer and no retardation film compensation. The invention is capable of producing a high contrast, low chromatic dispersion display. Depending on the twist angle chosen for the liquid crystal cell, the display can be used in direct view or in a projection type display. The display can also be driven in an active matrix mode or in a passive matrix multiplexed drive mode. A full numerical simulation which takes into account the liquid crystal director deformation under the application of an electric field was used to optimize such displays.

Abstract: A thin film transistor (TFT) comprises a n.sup.+ source region and a p.sup.+ drain separated by an undoped offset region, or the complementary structure with a p.sup.+ source and a n.sup.+ drain. By means of this arrangement in the offset region is conduction is by way of both electron and hole carriers and the offset region is conductivity modulated. The TFT of the present invention has lower on-resistance than a conventional thin film transistor.

Abstract: The present invention provides novel catalysts for the simultaneous removal of SO.sub.2 and NO.sub.x from flue gases. The catalysts may be supported or unsupported, pretreated or untreated, but allow the simultaneous reduction of SO.sub.2 to S and NO.sub.x to N.sub.2. Elemental sulfur is a useful byproduct of the process.

Abstract: An auto-focus laser incremental encoder for measuring linear or rotary motion or position of an object is described. An optical read head focuses three laser beams on the surface of a scaling grating. The grating is a reflection type grating where the height difference between adjacent pixels is one quarter of the wavelength of the laser light whereby the pitch of the grating can be detected by interferometric reflection. There are two sections of grating displaced with respect to each other so that a direction of movement can be readily determined. The third beam acts to provide an autofocus and is reflected from a smooth part of the grating between the two sections of reflective grating.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for the catalytic reduction of sulfur dioxide, for example in flue gas, by carbon monoxide using lanthanum oxysulfide as the active catalyst. The catalyst is prepared from lanthanum oxide by hydration and sulfidization, the latter step being carried out in the gas stream itself. This method of preparation has more general applicability and can also be used as a method for the preparation of lanthanum, yttrium, gadolinium and lutetium oxysulfides generally.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for the catalytic reduction of sulfur dioxide, for example in flue gas, by carbon monoxide using lanthanum oxysulfide as the active catalyst. The catalyst is prepared from lanthanum oxide by hydration and sulfidization, the latter step being carried out in the gas stream itself. This method of preparation has more general applicability and can also be used as a method for the preparation of lanthanum, yttrium, gadolinium and lutetium oxysulfides generally.

Abstract: A planar inverted-F antenna is described that is provided with a capacitive load that allows the dimensions of the antenna to be reduced from a conventional .lambda./4 to .lambda./8. To maintain good bandwidth and impedance matching in spite of the presence of the capacitive load, a capacitive feed is also provided.

Abstract: A laser interferometer system in particular for measuring the straightness of an object is described. This interferometer employs triangular prisms to refract the laser beams by certain angles with respect to the principal axis of the incident beam. Two configurations are described. One is for high accuracy in short range measurements, the other can handle long range measurements with high resolution that is not related to the range. For the latter the interferometer comprises a laser source, a beam splitter, a plane reflector, two first triangular prisms, a second prism, a right angle prism reflector and a detector system. The second prism and the right-angle prism reflector are integrated into one body to form a movable component and are attached to the object to be measured.

Abstract: A graphite intercalation compound is disclosed in which formic acid (HCOOH) is the intercalate. The GIC may be formed by an electrochemical process using formic acid solution as both the electrolyte and as the intercalate source. The resulting formic acid GIC may be expanded by rapid heating to produce an expanded graphite product that in turn may be mechanically processed into flexible graphite.

Abstract: A novel photoluminescent material is disclosed comprising an active layer of ZnS.sub.1-x Te.sub.x deposited directly onto a substrate by molecular beam epitaxy. The emitted light is primarily in the blue end of the spectrum. The substrate may be GaAs or more preferably Si. Depositing the material directly onto Si allows the material to be used to manufacture integrated semiconductor light emitting devices. High efficiency may be obtained at low concentrations of Te (0.01.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.07) which allow good lattice matching of the active layer to an Si substrate.

Abstract: A magnetometer or magnetic field sensor includes semiconductor material deposited laterally on an insulating substrate. The semiconductor material is alternating regions of n- and p-type silicon provided with two cathodes, an anode and a triggering node. Upon application of a triggering pulse to a switch on the sensor, a carrier domain is formed. In the presence of a magnetic field this carrier domain is deflected to one side thus causing an imbalance in the current collected at the two cathodes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of improving the efficiency of absorption into the bloodstream of drugs delivered through the pulmonary route. The drug is mixed with surfactant, preferably a surfactant naturally produced by the lung. This method is found to enhance the absorption of pharmaceutical compositions, and in particular those comprising protein, eg insulin, or peptides, eg vasopressin.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the deposition of crystalline diamond on a substrate such as a silicon wafer. A polymer (for example poly(methylmethacrylate)) is provided as a target for laser ablation using for example an ArF excimer laser or an Nd-Yag laser. The laser ablation is performed in the presence of a reactive gas such as oxygen or hydrogen. The substrate is heated to a temperature of between 450 and 700 degrees celsius.