Abstract: A tantalum wire is coated along part of its length with a high-surface-area electro deposit of tantalum from a molten K-salt. This process is relatively very simple and produces an openly porous tantalum sponge having exceptionally high purity for use as an anode in a tantalum capacitor.

Abstract: In one N-type epitaxial pocket of an integrated circuit there is formed a vertical NPN transistor and two other P-type regions each positioned adjacent but spaced from the P-type base region of the NPN. A metal gate over the gap between the base and one of the other P-type regions forms a high input-impedance P-MOS stage driving the NPN. A metal layer contacts both the NPN emitter and the PNP emitter formed by the third P-type region. This PNP transistor clamps the NPN collector-emitter to a safe voltage when switching an inductive load, and in a particularly efficient manner. A second P-MOS transistor is formed by extending the metal layer over the gap between the NPN-base and the third P-type region which transistor is capable of preventing leakage current out of the input P-MOS transistor in the off state form turning on the NPN transistor.

Abstract: A lot of tantalum pellets is submersed in a tank of liquid electrolyte and electrolytically formed to make anodes for use in electrolytic capacitors. During formation, periodic in situ measurements of capacitance are made to gain insight into the formation characteristics of the lot of pellets in hand. Progressively better estimates are made of how much total accumulated formation charge will be necessary to reach the desired capacitance. The method is accurate and fast.

Abstract: An activator composition paste includes a homogeneous dispersion of a palladium and commensurate amounts of silicon and of zinc. A screen printed layer of this paste is applied to a ceramic capacitor body to form electrodes, terminations or both. The body is heated to 615.degree. C. and subsequently electroless nickel plated providing excellent electrical and mechanical connection of the plated nickel to the ceramic.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a principal photo diode connected to the input of a multistage current mirror amplifier. Darlington cascode circuits are integrated into the output branches of the amplifying stages to obviate nonlinear sensitivity of those stages due to Early effect. Each of the cascode circuits have their input base tied to the top end of a diode string through which a current proportional to the photo current is flowing. Thus, there is no DC component in the two supply terminals; in a dark ambient, no supply/signal current flows; and in a light ambient, the supply/signal current is directly proportional to the light intensity.

Abstract: In order to increase the crystalline oxide content of barrier layer oxide and hence its capacitance, aluminum electrolytic capacitor foil is anodized at an average current density of at most 3 mA/cm.sup.2 of effective surface area in an aqueous electrolyte of C.sub.4 to C.sub.7 unsubstituted aliphatic dicarboxylic acid containing 0 to 0.05 wt. % of citric acid or tartaric acid and preferably at a temperature above 70.degree. C. The anodized foil is subjected to a relaxation and reanodization treatment to stabilize the foil. The anodization at low current density promotes high crystalline oxide content of the barrier layer oxide, and the relaxation and reanodization insure a stable barrier layer oxide of increased capacitance.

Abstract: In an integrated process for the anodization of aluminum foil for electrolytic capacitors including the formation of a hydrous oxide layer on the foil prior to anodization and stabilization of the foil in alkaline borax baths during anodization, the foil is electrochemically anodized in an aqueous solution of boric acid and 2 to 50 ppm phosphate having a pH of 4.0 to 6.0. The anodization is interrupted for stabilization by passing the foil through a bath containing the borax solution having a pH of 8.5 to 9.5 and a temperature above 80.degree. C. and then reanodizing the foil. The process is useful in anodizing foil to a voltage of up to 760 V.

Abstract: An aluminum electrolytic capacitor contains as electrolyte 79-95 wt. % of an azeotrope of acetic or propionic acid and triethylamine or tri-n-propylamine, 5-20 wt. % water, and up to 1 wt. % phosphoric acid.

Abstract: An electrolytic capacitor has a glass-to-metal hermetic seal which has a metal washer bonded to a compression ring of the same outer diameter but larger inner diameter than the washer. A mass of glass containing a tubular feed-through having substantially the expansion coefficient of the glass abuts the inner diameter of the ring and is bonded to the washer. The seal is attached to an open end of a capacitor housing around the bottom periphery of the washer.

Abstract: A high-temperature aluminum electrolytic capacitor contains an electrolyte of a salt of tert.butylamine and adipic acid in a 1.3 to 2.0 amine:acid molar ratio, a phosphate salt, and water dissolved in ethylene glycol to provide a capacitor capable of operating at least at 200 VDC and 130.degree. C.

Abstract: An aluminum electrolytic capacitor contains a low-resistivity electrolyte consisting essentially of 6 wt % diammonium adipate, 3 wt % ammonium formate, 16 wt % water, 0.025 to 0.3 wt % ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, 1 to 10 wt % p-nitrobenzoic acid, and the balance, ethylene glycol.

Abstract: Aluminum electrolytic capacitor foil is treated after etching but before anodizing by first contacting it with a phosphate solution and then heat treating for 30 to 90 seconds to form a thermal oxide layer of controlled thickness. On subsequent anodization, the thermal oxide layer modifies the barrier oxide layer increasing its dielectric strength and hence capacitance and also stabilizes the barrier oxide layer.

Abstract: A large number of equally spaced Hall-sensors form a column. They are mounted in a tube with a closed bottom. Each sensor is a packaged integrated circuit with a Hall-cell connected to a Schmitt Trigger circuit. An annular float being fitted slidably about the tube carries a compound magnet that generates a pattern of spaced apart magnetic field regions each capable of switching an immediately adjacent Hall-sensor. The Hall sensors are energized sequentially and one at one time. By counting the number of Hall-sensors scanned, from the beginning end of the column to the first Hall-sensor that is switched, a rough measure of the liquid level is obtained. The magnetic field regions are spaced apart by a distance that is not equal to the Hall-sensor spacing so that the pattern of Hall sensor output voltages provides a unique vernier measure of the liquid level that is appropriately added to the aforesaid rough measure.

Abstract: An AC metallized film capacitor having a plurality of electrodes separated by a dielectric spacer contains as its impregnant system an ester dielectric fluid and 2 to 10% of a N,N-substituted carbodiimide to improve capacitance retention characteristics.

Abstract: An integrated circuit photo sensor has a principal photo diode whose reverse voltage is maintained at a low and relatively invariant value by a circuit comprised of a biasing diode string in series with a small auxiliary photo diode and an emitter follower coupling the diode string bias voltage to the principal photo diode. This results in reliable starting without contributing a DC component of current in the power supply so this circuit is suitable for use in a linear two-terminal-type integrated-circuit photo sensor.

Abstract: A strong magnet is bonded to a conventional Hall element package. A bias current is introduced at one of the output terminals of the Hall element in the direction to cause a reduction in the magnet-bias-induced output voltage. This output voltage is easily reduced by this means to zero. The resulting Hall-element detector is shrouded by a large magnetic biasing field while presenting a low or zero DC output component upon which the signal voltage will be superimposed.

Abstract: A monolithic ceramic capacitor has at least two main buried electrodes extending to opposite ends of the ceramic body. Two auxiliary electrodes of smaller dimensions are buried between the two main electrodes and extend to one or both sides of the body. Conductive terminations may be applied to the surfaces of the body so that the capacity measured between the opposite body ends is close to a desired nominal value. This is accomplished by choosing or not choosing to apply termination portions for connecting each auxiliary electrode to a main electrode.

Abstract: An antivibration mounting-spacer device for an electrolytic capacitor section consists of a sheet of material that can be wrapped around the rolled section and has a plurality of fingers extending outwardly from one side of the sheet away from the section. The sheet is rectangular, and its dimensions are such that the sheet extends beyond both ends of the section and encompasses at least a major portion of the circumference of said section. When the section with the sheet wrapped around it is inserted into a capacitor can or container, the fingers bend enough to allow insertion but remain urged against the inner surface thus holding the section in place and preventing its vibration.

Abstract: A plastic bushing has an axially running rectangular tapered hole. A metal terminal strip has a central portion with barbed edges. The thickness of the strip is less than the narrow dimension of the bushing hole while the width of the central strip portion is greater than the widest dimension of the bushing hole. The strip is pressed into the hole while ultrasonic energy is applied, to embed the barbed strip edges in opposite of the bushing walls. The bushing structure includes snap-in mounting means. This two piece terminal-bushing assembly provides a strong low cost unit that is simple to mount and connect to.

Abstract: Aluminum electrolytic capacitor foil is etched in a bath containing 0.7 to 2.0 M hydrochloric acid, 0.2 to 0.5 M hydrated aluminum trichloride, and 0.02 to 0.4 M phosphate ion while subjected to the action of alternating current at 35.degree. to 55.degree. C.