Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for fabricating a heat spreader system, including providing a plurality of bottom microporous wicks recessed in a bottom substrate, bonding a center substrate to the bottom substrate, and bonding a top substrate having a top chamber portion to the center substrate to establish a first vapor chamber with said plurality of bottom microporous wicks.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for fabricating a heat spreader system, including providing a plurality of bottom microporous wicks recessed in a bottom substrate, bonding a center substrate to the bottom substrate, and bonding a top substrate having a top chamber portion to the center substrate to establish a first vapor chamber with said plurality of bottom microporous wicks.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for fabricating a heat spreader system, including providing a plurality of bottom microporous wicks recessed in a bottom substrate, bonding a center substrate to the bottom substrate, and bonding a top substrate having a top chamber portion to the center substrate to establish a first vapor chamber with said plurality of bottom microporous wicks.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for fabricating a heat spreader system, including providing a plurality of bottom microporous wicks recessed in a bottom substrate, bonding a center substrate to the bottom substrate, and bonding a top substrate having a top chamber portion to the center substrate to establish a first vapor chamber with said plurality of bottom microporous wicks.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for fabricating a heat spreader system, including providing a plurality of bottom microporous wicks recessed in a bottom substrate, bonding a center substrate to the bottom substrate, and bonding a top substrate having a top chamber portion to the center substrate to establish a first vapor chamber with said plurality of bottom microporous wicks.

Abstract: A wafer-level manufacturing method produces stress compensated x-y gimbaled comb-driven MEMS mirror arrays using two SOI wafers and a single carrier wafer. MEMS structures such as comb drives, springs, and optical surfaces are formed by processing front substrate layer surfaces of the SOI wafers, bonding together the processed surfaces, and removing the unprocessed SOI layers to expose second surfaces of the front substrate layers for further wafer-level processing. The bonded SOI wafers are mounted to a surface of the carrier wafer that has been separately processed. Processing wafer surfaces may include formation of a stress compensation layer to counteract physical effects of MEMS mirrors. The method may form multi-layered conductive spring structures for the mirrors, each spring having a first conducting layer for energizing a comb drive, a second conducting layer imparting a restoring force, and an insulating layer between the first and second conducting layers.

Abstract: A vapor cell includes an interrogation cell in a substrate, the interrogation cell having an entrance window and an exit window, and a first transparent thin-film heater in thermal communication with the entrance window. The transparent thin-film heater has a first layer in communication with a first pole contact at a proximal end of the heater and a layer coupler contact at a distal end, a second layer in communication with a second pole contact at the proximal end, and the second layer electrically coupled to the layer coupler contact at the distal end. An insulating layer is sandwiched between the first and second layers. The insulating layer has an opening at the distal end to admit the layer coupler contact and to insulate the remainder of the second layer from the first layer.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for charging a compact vapor cell, including placing an alkali-filled capillary into a reservoir cell formed in a substrate, the reservoir cell in vapor communication with an interrogation cell in the substrate and bonding a transparent window to the substrate on a common face of the reservoir cell and the interrogation cell to form a compact vapor cell. Capillary action in the capillary delays migration of alkali in the alkali-filled capillary from the reservoir cell into the interrogation cell during the bonding.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for fabricating a heat spreader system, including providing a plurality of bottom microporous wicks recessed in a bottom substrate, bonding a center substrate to the bottom substrate, and bonding a top substrate having a top chamber portion to the center substrate to establish a first vapor chamber with said plurality of bottom microporous wicks.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for charging a compact vapor cell, including placing an alkali-filled capillary into a reservoir cell formed in a substrate, the reservoir cell in vapor communication with an interrogation cell in the substrate and bonding a transparent window to the substrate on a common face of the reservoir cell and the interrogation cell to form a compact vapor cell. Capillary action in the capillary delays migration of alkali in the alkali-filled capillary from the reservoir cell into the interrogation cell during the bonding.

Abstract: A wafer-level manufacturing method produces stress compensated x-y gimbaled comb-driven MEMS mirror arrays using two SOI wafers and a single carrier wafer. MEMS structures such as comb drives, springs, and optical surfaces are formed by processing front substrate layer surfaces of the SOI wafers, bonding together the processed surfaces, and removing the unprocessed SOI layers to expose second surfaces of the front substrate layers for further wafer-level processing. The bonded SOI wafers are mounted to a surface of the carrier wafer that has been separately processed. Processing wafer surfaces may include formation of a stress compensation layer to counteract physical effects of MEMS mirrors. The method may form multi-layered conductive spring structures for the mirrors, each spring having a first conducting layer for energizing a comb drive, a second conducting layer imparting a restoring force, and an insulating layer between the first and second conducting layers.

Abstract: A vapor cell includes an interrogation cell in a substrate, the interrogation cell having an entrance window and an exit window, and a first transparent thin-film heater in thermal communication with the entrance window. The transparent thin-film heater has a first layer in communication with a first pole contact at a proximal end of the heater and a layer coupler contact at a distal end, a second layer in communication with a second pole contact at the proximal end, and the second layer electrically coupled to the layer coupler contact at the distal end. An insulating layer is sandwiched between the first and second layers. The insulating layer has an opening at the distal end to admit the layer coupler contact and to insulate the remainder of the second layer from the first layer.

Abstract: A wafer-level manufacturing method produces stress compensated x-y gimbaled comb-driven MEMS mirror arrays using two SOI wafers and a single carrier wafer. MEMS structures such as comb drives, springs, and optical surfaces are formed by processing front substrate layer surfaces of the SOI wafers, bonding together the processed surfaces, and removing the unprocessed SOI layers to expose second surfaces of the front substrate layers for further wafer-level processing. The bonded SOI wafers are mounted to a surface of the carrier wafer that has been separately processed. Processing wafer surfaces may include formation of a stress compensation layer to counteract physical effects of MEMS mirrors to be formed in a subsequent step. The method may form multi-layered conductive spring structures for the mirrors, each spring having a first conducting layer for energizing a comb drive, a second conducting layer imparting a restoring force, and an insulating layer between the first and second conducting layers.

Abstract: Provided is a chip-scale atomic clock having a folded optic configuration or physics package. In particular, the physics package includes a vapor cell for containing gaseous alkali atoms and a VCSEL for generating a laser light One or more heating elements are positioned to simultaneously heat both the vapor cell and VCSEL to the required operating temperature. A micro-lens element, positioned between the VCSEL and a reflector, is used to first expand the beam of light, and then to subsequently collimate the light after it is once reflected. Collimated, reflected light passes through the vapor cell wherein the alkali atoms are excited and a percentage of the reflected light is absorbed. A detector, located opposite the reflector and micro-lens array, detects light passing through the cell. An error signal is generated and the output voltage of a local voltage oscillator is successively stabilized.

Abstract: Provided is a chip-scale atomic clock having a folded optic configuration or physics package. In particular, the physics package includes a vapor cell for containing gaseous alkali atoms and a VCSEL for generating a laser light. One or more heating elements are positioned to simultaneously heat both the vapor cell and VCSEL to the required operating temperature. A micro-lens element, positioned between the VCSEL and a reflector, is used to first expand the beam of light, and then to subsequently collimate the light after it is once reflected. Collimated, reflected light passes through the vapor cell wherein the alkali atoms are excited and a percentage of the reflected light is absorbed. A detector, located opposite the reflector and micro-lens array, detects light passing through the cell. An error signal is generated and the output voltage of a local voltage oscillator is successively stabilized.

Abstract: A wafer-level manufacturing method produces stress compensated x-y gimbaled comb-driven MEMS mirror arrays using two SOI wafers and a single carrier wafer. MEMS structures such as comb drives, springs, and optical surfaces are formed by processing front substrate layer surfaces of the SOI wafers, bonding together the processed surfaces, and removing the unprocessed SOI layers to expose second surfaces of the front substrate layers for further wafer-level processing. The bonded SOI wafers are mounted to a surface of the carrier wafer that has been separately processed. Processing wafer surfaces may include formation of a stress compensation layer to counteract physical effects of MEMS mirrors to be formed in a subsequent step. The method may form multi-layered conductive spring structures for the mirrors, each spring having a first conducting layer for energizing a comb drive, a second conducting layer imparting a restoring force, and an insulating layer between the first and second conducting layers.

Abstract: An optical cross-connect is provided. The optical cross-connect includes a glass wedge, having a front end and a back end, positioned between a first one-dimensional collimator array and a second one-dimensional collimator array, where the first collimator array includes a first V-groove array having a first set of etched grooves for placing a first group of optical fibers and the second collimator array includes a second V-groove array having a second set of etched grooves for placing a second group of optical fibers; and a MEMS substrate attached at a fixed distance to the front end of the glass wedge, where the front end is covered in a reflective coating for reflecting light from the first and second collimator arrays onto the MEMS substrate.

Abstract: A micromirror apparatus includes a device layer having a recess, a multilayer thin-film dielectric reflector coupled to and structurally supported by the device layer on the opposite side of the device layer from said recess, and a stress compensator seated in the recess, with the stress compensator operable to resist device layer bending moments resulting from intrinsic and thermal mismatch stresses between the multilayer thin-film dielectric reflector and the device layer.

Abstract: A micromirror apparatus includes a device layer having a recess, a multilayer thin-film dielectric reflector coupled to and structurally supported by the device layer on the opposite side of the device layer from said recess, and a stress compensator seated in the recess, with the stress compensator operable to resist device layer bending moments resulting from intrinsic and thermal mismatch stresses between the multilayer thin-film dielectric reflector and the device layer.

Abstract: A fluidic micromixer comprises a plurality of fluid inlets in communication with a mixing chamber, the plurality of fluid inlets being adapted to introduce into the chamber a corresponding plurality of distinct fluid streams. The mixing chamber comprises at least one surface patterned to define hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions spaced apart along a principal direction of fluid flow within the chamber from the fluid inlets to a fluid outlet, the regions being adapted to induce fluid flow in a direction transverse to the principal direction of fluid flow to mix the fluid streams. At least one of the hydrophobic regions may comprise microstructures patterned on the at least one surface. Also disclosed are a method for fabricating the micromixer, a method of mixing a plurality of fluid streams by vortex mixing or instability mixing, and a system comprising the micromixer, fluid reservoirs and a pump for generating flow of fluids from the reservoirs to the micromixer.