Abstract: A percutaneous agent delivery or sampling device comprising a sheet having a plurality of microblades for piercing and anchoring to the skin for increasing transdermal flux of an agent and for improving the attachment of the device to the skin.

Abstract: A percutaneous agent delivery or sampling device comprising a sheet having a plurality of microblades for piercing and anchoring to the skin for increasing transdermal flux of an agent and for improving the attachment of the device to the skin.

Abstract: A percutaneous agent delivery or sampling device comprising a sheet having a plurality of microblades for piercing and anchoring to the skin for increasing transdermal flux of an agent and for improving the attachment of the device to the skin.

Abstract: A magneto optic or optical disk drive comprises a laser source for providing laser beam, and a lens or compound lens for focussing the laser onto a currently inserted recording disk with specific overcoat thickness. In one embodiment, the lens is a compound lens that can focus aberration-free spots on different types of disk media having recording layers located under overcoats of different thicknesses. When a specific disk is inserted, only one spot in focussed onto the current recording layer. Furthermore, if the disk spins rapidly, it can wobble. The lens or compound lens comprises different regions where the focal length may vary slightly and continuously or discretely. Because of this, as the disk wobbles, the lens can nonetheless continue to focus laser light onto a small spot on the recording media, providing increased depth of focus in the vicinity of the currently inserted recording media.

Abstract: A percutaneous agent delivery or sampling device comprising a sheet having a plurality of microblades for piercing the skin for increasing transdermal flux of an agent. The microblades having a relatively sharp angled leading edge which transitions to a relatively gradually angled blade edge.

Abstract: A head slider for flying above a rotating magneto-optic or optical disk and an optical mechanical assembly with a fixed height above a rotating magneto-optic or optical disk contains magnetic coils and a lens plate with a diffractive optic structure for focusing laser light into a small spot on the disk. The diffractive optic structure may be a zone plate, a phase zone plate or a blazed phase zone plate or other diffractive focusing optical element. The diffractive optic structure does not require curved transparent material such as glass or a high index of refraction. The diffractive optic structure is easily manufactured using lithographic or other techniques.

Abstract: A method for forming a novel head used in magneto-optic or optical disks comprises the steps of forming a diffractive lens on one side of a glass substrate and forming air bearing surface rails on a second side of said glass substrate. The glass substrate is then cut into separate heads. In this way, many magneto-optic or optical heads can be formed simultaneously without incurring the expense of bonding lenses onto a slider. In one embodiment, coils are deposited on the substrate to generate a magnetic field during magneto-optic write operations. In another embodiment, a glass wafer having diffractive lenses formed thereon is bonded to a silicon spacer structure.

Abstract: A method of producing a high resolution expanded analog gray scale mask is described. Using an inorganic chalcogenide glass, such as a selenium germanium, coated with a thin layer of silver, a gray scale mask may be produced with accurate control of the size, uniformity and variance of the pixels. The selenium germanium glass is composed of column structures arranged perpendicularly to the substrate giving a possible edge precision of 100 .ANG.. The column structures also prevent undercutting during the etching process, thus permitting pixels to be placed close together. Accordingly, selenium germanium may be used as a high resolution gray scale mask with an expanded analog gray scale. The gray scale mask may be used to impress information as a modulated thickness on a selenium germanium photoresist layer on an inorganic substrate. The selenium germanium photoresist layer may then transfer the gray scale to the substrate.

Abstract: A method of producing a high resolution expanded analog gray scale mask is described. Using an inorganic chalcogenide glass, such as a selenium germanium, coated with a thin layer of silver, a gray scale mask may be produced with accurate control of the size, uniformity and variance of the pixels. The selenium germanium glass is composed of column structures arranged perpendicularly to the substrate giving a possible edge precision of 100 .ANG.. The column structures also prevent undercutting during the etching process, thus permitting pixels to be placed close together. Accordingly, selenium germanium may be used as a high resolution gray scale mask with an expanded analog gray scale. The gray scale mask may be used to impress information as a modulated thickness on a selenium germanium photoresist film on an inorganic substrate. The selenium germanium photoresist film may then transfer the gray scale to the substrate.

Abstract: A microactuator and method of operation is disclosed for use in actuating valves, electrical contacts, light beams, sensors and other elements between different actuation modes. An actuator member comprised of a shape memory alloy layer is mounted on an elastic substrate, and the proximal end of the actuator member is carried by a base. The shape memory alloy material is heated through its phase change transition temperature so that it deforms by changing volume to bend the distal end of the actuator member in a first direction relative to the base. Stress forces in the substrate oppose the bending movement, and when the shape change layer is cooled below the transition temperature the stress forces move the distal in a second direction which returns the shape change layer to its low temperature shape. Electrostatic forces are selectively applied between the actuator member and base for clamping the actuator member in one of its positions.

Abstract: A miniature transducer having an ultrathin tensioned silicon diaphragm so as to be responsive to extremely small changes in pressure. A silicon wafer is masked to define diaphragm areas, and etched to form a setback or capacitor gap a predefined depth. The mask is removed, and the entire silicon wafer is etched a second time to achieve the desired diaphragm thickness. The first and second etches are carried out independently, and thus the capacitor gap and diaphragm thickness can be independently formed. Mask and metallizing steps are carried out on glass wafers, and sandwiched around the processed semiconductor wafer, whereupon a large number of the miniature transducers are fabricated simultaneously. Unique patterning, etching and metallizing steps carried out on the sandwich structure allow a number of quadrature unit cells to be formed, thereby maximizing the area of the semiconductor and glass structures.

Abstract: Folded cantilever structures and solid state force transducers using same are made by chemical etching of a semiconductive wafer. In the chemical etching process, an etch stop layer is provided on a wafer of semiconductive material. The etch stop layer is opened in a certain pre-determined pattern and etchant is introduced through the opening in the etch stop layer to produce substantial undercut etching of portions of the etch stop layer. The opening is patterned to define a support structure (frame) for the folded cantilever portion which is undercut. The etch is terminated such that one end of the undercut folded cantilever structure is supported from the frame and the other end terminates on a structure such as a mass that is supported from the frame by means of the folded cantilever structure.

Abstract: Miniature thermal fluid flow sensors of the airfoil type are made in batch form by forming the thermal fluid flow sensors on a thin sheet of material and bonding the sheet over an array of duct structures and dicing the individual sensors and duct structures apart. In one thermal flow sensor configuration, a flow heater is dispsoed inbetween first and second thermal flow sensors in heat exchanging relation therewith. A third thermal flow sensor is disposed upstream of the others out of heat exchanging relation with the heater for operation of the heater at a certain temperature above that sensed by the third sensor. In the low flow regime, flow is measured by the difference between the outputs of the first and second sensors, whereas in the high flow regime, the power required to maintain the temperature of the heater serves as a measure of the flow.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a mask (100) for use in x-ray photolithographic processes includes the step of coating a silicon wafer (10) with a layer of boron nitride (12). A masking substance (14) is used to coat one side of the boron nitride coated wafer, and the boron nitride is etched off of the other side of the wafer. The wafer (10) is then bonded to a pyrex ring (16) using a field assisted thermal bonding process. During the field assisted thermal bonding process, the silicon (11) is bonded directly to the pyrex (16). Then, a zirconium layer (24) is used to cover the mask and is selectively etched where it is desired to remove a circular portion of the silicon. Thereafter the silicon is subjected to a semianisotropic etch. The remaining structure includes a pyrex ring bonded to a silicon ring across which a layer of boron nitride is stretched. The layer of boron nitride is subjected to an annealing process and is then coated with an x-ray opaque material.

Abstract: Miniature thermal fluid flow sensors of the airfoil type are made in batch form by forming the thermal fluid flow sensors on a thin sheet of material and bonding the sheet over an array of duct structures and dicing the individual sensors and duct structures apart. In another embodiment, thin carrier sheet portions of a wafer bearing the thermal fluid flow sensors of the airfoil or grid type are supported by surrounding frame portions of the wafer. The wafer is diced to separate the individual sensing chips. The respective chips are mounted across respective fluid flow ducts. For the airfoil type sensor, portions of the frame are broken away for undisturbed flow over the thin carrier and sensor. In one thermal flow sensor configuration, a flow heater is disposed in between first and second thermal flow sensors in heat exchanging relation therewith.

Abstract: An etch stopped layer portion overlying a (100) or (110) major face of a diamond cubic semiconductor material is undercut anisotropically etched by orienting a side edge of the etch stopped layer portion which is to be undercut, at an angle to the most nearly parallel {111} trace on the (100) or (110) face. The etch time is further reduced by slotting through the etch stopped layer with slots oriented at an angle to the {111} traces on the underlying (100) or (110) face. Undercut bridge structures are formed by undercutting quadrilateral etch stopped layer portions from opposite sides of the quadrilateral or from the sides plus slots forming diagonals of {111} trace quadrilaterals having combined areas coextensive with the area to be undercut.

Abstract: Three dimensional single crystalline structures, such as folded cantilever beams supported from a frame and supporting a central structure free to move relative to the frame, are fabricated by anisotropically etching through openings in etch stop layers on opposite sides of the substrate wafer. The openings are patterned and aligned so that the etch stop layers are undercut to define etch stop portions interconnected by unetched substrate material.

Abstract: In a miniature valve, a valve seat is formed by aperturing a plate. A cantilever leaf spring is disposed overlying the apertured plate for controlling the flow of fluid therethrough. An electrostatic potential applied between the cantilever leaf spring and the valve plate pulls the leaf spring over the apertured plate for variably controlling flow through the valve in accordance with the magnitude of the applied potential. In a preferred embodiment, the cantilever leaf springs are made in batch form by etching a silicon wafer. A flow controller is provided by measuring the electrical capacitance of the valve, comparing it with a reference voltage and deriving a feedback voltage applied to the valve for controlling flow therethrough. In one embodiment, the width of the cantilever leaf spring valve member is narrowed toward its free end for finer control of flow.

Abstract: A capacitive force transducer, particularly suited for use as a microphone or as a phonograph needle pick-up cartridge, comprises a diaphragm electrode insulatively held to a lip portion of a recess in a second electrode, thereby forming a capacitive detector. The lip structure of the second electrode structure has a capacitive face region diverging from a virtual pivot region at the lip where the diaphragm is pivotably affixed to the recessed electrode. In this manner, the quiescent capacitance is defined predominantly by the capacitance near the lip, which is relatively small and defined and the change in capacitance for a given deflection of the diaphragm is relatively large, thereby improving the sensitivity of the transducer. In the case of a phonographic pick-up cartridge, the pick-up needle is coupled to the diaphragm so that vibrations induced in the needle produce corresponding vibrations of the diaphragm.

Abstract: Solid state folded leaf spring force transducers are fabricated by batch photolithographic and etching techniques from a monocrystalline material, such as silicon. The folded leaf spring structure includes elongated gaps separating adjacent leaf spring leg portions, such elongated gaps being oriented parallel to a crystallographic axis of the monocrystalline material. In a preferred embodiment the monocrystalline material is of diamond cubic type and the leaf spring gaps extend in mutually orthogonal directions parallel to the <011> and <011> crystallographic axes, respectively. In a preferred method of fabricating the spring structure, the structure is etched from a monocrystalline wafer by means of an anisotropic etchant so as to more precisely define angles and dimensions of the resultant spring structure.