Abstract: A force sensor includes an elastic dielectric, a first plurality of conductive elements on one side of the dielectric and a second plurality of conductive elements on the opposite side of the dielectric. First signals are applied to one plurality of conductive elements through nonconductive coupling. Second signals representative of the forces on said elastic dielectric are generated responsive to the applied first signals coupled to the other plurality of conductive elements.

Abstract: The lifetime of minority carriers in semiconductor materials is measured by a noncontacting steady-state method adapted for monitoring of the condition of wafers during device manufacture. The method comprises coupling the sample into an LC resonant circuit which is the frequency-determining portion of a marginal-oscillator adapted to maintain either a constant amplitude RF signal, or be driven by a constant current generator, and measuring either the current required to so maintain the signal, or the difference in RF voltage, either of which is related to the sample's conductivity. Illuminating the sample with light of appropriate frequency from an intermittent source modulates the conductivity, and the difference in the steady-state values of conductivity in the illuminated and the dark condition is proportional to the minority carrier lifetime. Exemplary apparatus has a lifetime resolution of about 0.1 .mu.sec, with a measurement time of 0.4 sec, and a sampled area of about 0.3 cm.sup.2.

Abstract: The specification describes structures, and methods for making them, in which self-guarded p-n junctions or the electrical isolation between multiple devices in an integrated circuit are formed using regions of amorphous semiconductor. The structures are conveniently formed by ion damaging the semiconductor to form the amorphous region and annealing selected portions of the amorphous region by selective radiation annealing.

Abstract: The disclosed device is an electromechanical parametric amplifier. It utilizes, as the required nonlinear mixing element, the square law force of an electric field on the surface of a conductor. In an exemplary device, a wire grid (10) is placed adjacent to a conducting diaphragm (11). The diaphragm (11) is mechanically resonant at the local oscillator (LO) frequency. When a signal from the local oscillator (15) is applied to the grid (10), the diaphragm (11) experiences both the electrostatic force from the grid (10) and electrostatic force from the electric field to be measured. The amplitude of the vibration of the diaphragm (11) at the LO frequency is a measure of the electric field of interest. In an exemplary embodiment the vibration was measured by an electret microphone (12) and a lock-in amplifier (14). The measurement of electric field is important, for example, in industrial environments in which the buildup of static electricity is a problem.

Abstract: A method and a device implementing the method are disclosed for testing electrical conductor elements in the manufacture of integrated circuit devices. The method is based on determining nonlinearity of electrical resistance, a quantity which was found to be closely related to reliability of conductor elements. The method calls for applying a repetitive train of pulses to an AC-coupled linear network across whose output terminals the element being tested is placed. The resulting average current through or voltage across the element provides a measure of nonlinearity of resistance.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for determining electrical properties of dielectric and semiconducting materials and devices by admittance measurement. According to the disclosed method, a sample contained between electrodes is subjected to an essentially sinusoidal radio frequency signal. Simultaneously, the sample is subjected to a perturbation as may be produced, e.g., by thermal, optical, or electron irradiation. Admittance is determined as a current-to-voltage ratio.According to the invention, signal-to-noise ratio in the output signal is enhanced by establishing a resonant circuit formed by the sample capacitor and an appropriately selected inductor element and pulsing the perturbation synchronous to the resulting resonant oscillation.

Abstract: A method of changing the geometry of p-n or isotype junctions in semiconductor crystal material by laser or electron beam melting through a portion of the junction is described. Two adjoining regions are doped at different levels and a laser or electron beam melts through a portion of one region into the other region any desired depth. Upon cooling, the melt epitaxially recyrstallizes, producing a deformation in the otherwise planar junction that extends the more heavily doped region into the more lightly doped region. In the case of reverse-biased diodes, such as zener or avalanche diodes, this can be used to either increase the field in a portion of the depletion region, or push a portion of the junction into a more heavily doped region, or both, which reduces the breakdown voltage. Also, a method of controlling a pulsed laser or electron beam while continuously monitoring the breakdown voltage of the diode to obtain the desired breakdown voltage is described.

Abstract: The magnitude and sign of the Hall angle of the material of a wafer (13) are measured by a combined capacitive and inductive coupling technique which does not require physically contacting the wafer (13). Contacting methods in common use introduce surface damage or contamination which may reduce the yield of microelectronic circuits on semiconductor wafers and normally in addition require special sample geometries. In this technique an rf signal is applied to a pair of concentric planar electrodes (11,12) adjacent to the wafer (13), thus capacitively coupling a radial rf current into the wafer. A magnetic field applied perpendicular to the wafer produces a circular component of rf current because of the Hall effect. This circular rf current produces an axial rf magnetic field which couples to a pickup coil (15). The pickup signal is amplified and detected to produce an output signal related to the sign and magnitude of the Hall angle of the wafer material.