Abstract: A field emitter flat panel display and associated method of operation provides an electron emission path along which a beam of electrons emitted by a microelectronic field emitter travels such that the electrons impinge upon a light emitting element without passing through a mirror. The light emitting element is spaced apart from the microelectronic field emitter and includes a mirror and a luminescence layer on the mirror. The flat panel display can also include a deflector, such as a deflector electrode, which is spaced apart from both the microelectronic field emitter and the associated light emitting element and which controllably deflects the beam of electrons emitted by the microelectronic field emitter toward the luminescent layer of the associated light emitting element and along a curved electron emission path which is independent of the underlying mirror.

Abstract: A fluxless soldering method utilizing a strongly internally bonded fluorine containing gas such as hydrogen fluoride (HF). The solder surface is exposed to the gas in place of a flux treatment, resulting in a modified surface layer which allows reflow or joining for an extended period.

Abstract: An electrically and mechanically robust microelectromechanical transducer is formed of a pleated dielectric sheet having patterned electrical conductors on the opposing faces thereof. The pleats define a plurality of spaced apart walls, with each wall including an electrically conductive portion at one side thereof. Positive and negative voltages, applied to opposite faces of the pleated sheet, cause the walls to move towards one another by electrostatic attraction. The walls can also move away from one another by electrostatic repulsion upon application of appropriate voltages. The microelectromechanical transducer may be fabricated by fabricating a sheet with integral pleats or by forming a "self-pleating" flat sheet which forms pleats after conductor fabrication thereon.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical transducer including a plurality of parallel electrically conductive strips maintained in closely spaced relation by a plurality of spacers can generate useful displacements and forces. The transducer can be strengthened by arranging the conductive strips in cells surrounded by unidirectional cell stiffening members and unidirectional displacement limiting members. The unidirectional cell stiffening members may include notches. The unidirectional displacement limiting members may include unidirectional buckling straps or flexible arches. The cells of electrically conductive strips can be organized in modular or fractal arrays.

Abstract: A photoresist composition is disclosed that comprises an organic resin that is thermoset by acid catalysis and a photoactive, etch-resistant ionic modifier formed of an anion and a cation. The modifier is present in the organic resin in an amount effective to produce substantial photoreactivity and etch resistance in a mixture of the resin and the modifier. The cation will, upon exposure to electromagnetic radiation, produce a species that is weakly basic or neutral, and the anion will, upon exposure to electromagnetic radiation, produce an acid precursor that will form a relatively strong acid in an acid-base solvent system. As a result, the relatively strong acid will catalyze the organic resin upon exposure to an appropriate frequency of electromagnetic radiation and the relatively weak base or neutral species formed by the cation will not substantially neutralize the acid or interfere with the acid catalyzed reaction of the organic resin.

Abstract: The invention comprises curing polyamic acid solutions into polyimide solutions by adding a hydrophilic reagent to a polyamic acid solution. The hydrophilic reagent is selected to have little or no reactivity with amines or carboxylic acids, and is of the type that will react with water to form by-products that shift the equilibrium between polyamic acid as a reactant and polyimide and water as products toward the production of polyimide.

Abstract: Internal test sites on integrated circuit chips may be tested with minimal input/output pad or chip area overhead by providing transient interconnections to the internal test sites using an optically activated photoconductive layer which is formed over the active device layers of the integrated circuit to be tested. The photoconductive layer may be optically activated using an optical mask or hologram, to electrically access the desired internal test sites. Different test sites may be tested using different masks or holograms. The photoconductive layer is preferably hydrogenated amorphous silicon which is highly compatible with standard integrated circuit processing.

Abstract: The invention is a modified organic photoresist which is resistant to etching in oxygen-containing plasmas and therefore particularly useful for masking and etching organic polymer materials in VLSI and advanced packaging applications. The invention comprises adding a phosphorous-containing compound to a conventional photoresist. The phosphorous-containing compound is of a type and in an amount effective to substantially prevent etching of the modified photoresist in an oxygen-containing plasma without substantially adversely affecting the photosensitivity of the photoresist or the elasticity or the adhesion of the etch resistant film formed during oxygen-containing plasma exposure to an underlying material to be patterned and etched.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring multiple aspects of a patient's cardiac condition which is portable microprocessor based, and can be programmed to select (for storage in random access memory (RAM)) anomalous heartbeat waveforms while rejecting normal waveforms. In addition, the cardiac monitor gives real time warnings of erratic heartbeat waveforms and stores these waveforms for future analysis. The cardiac monitor also detects and energizes an alarm signal if a patient's heartbeat skips a predetermined number of beats.

Abstract: The invention is a modified organic photoresist which is resistant to etching in oxygen-containing plasmas and therefore particularly useful for masking and etching organic polymer materials in VLSI and advanced packaging applications. The invention comprises adding a phosphorous-containing compound to a conventional photoresist. The phosphorous-containing compound is of a type and in an amount effective to substantially prevent etching of the modified photoresist in an oxygen-containing plasma without substantially adversely affecting the photosensitivity of the photoresist or the elasticity or the adhesion of the etch resistant film formed during oxygen-containing plasma exposure to an underlying material to be patterned and etched.

Abstract: A charge transfer device (CTD)/complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process for the production of a signal processing apparatus is disclosed. The process consists of selectively combining virtual phase CCD process technology with CMOS technology to provide high density signal processing utilizing small (3 micron) geometries, sized P and N MOS (CMOS) transistors, and high valued (0.8 picofarad) poly-poly capacitors. The process is a single and efficient (14-16 photomasks) fabrication process starting with a single layer of P+ silicon as a substrate supporting an epitaxial layer of P silicon as the active area. An N well is formed in the epitaxial surface for a P-channel MOSFET, then using a patterned moat and positive and negative resists boron is ion implanted to form channel separators between N and P channel transistors, and P+ isolation regions and channel stops for the CCDs.