Abstract: A microdischarge photodetector has a photocathode, an insulator and an anode. A cavity of limited size is disposed in the insulator and filled with gas. A voltage applied between the photocathode and the anode produces a plasma. Light incident on the photocathode having photon energies larger than about the work function produces photoelectrons are ejected from the photocathode and accelerated by the plasma electric field. The incident light is detected by detecting an increase in the plasma current or light emission from the plasma. The cavity may be flat or tapered and is designed to optimize detector performance.

Abstract: A discharge device has a diode with a depletion region, a channel extending through a surface of the diode, and a gas within the channel. The gas is excited and a discharge formed by reverse biasing the diode and establishing an electric field in the depletion region of the diode.

Abstract: A discharge device is described that contains an anode, a cathode, and an insulating layer disposed between the anode and the cathode. A cavity is extends entirely through at least one of the anode or cathode and penetrates the dielectric layer. At least one of the anode or cathode may include a screen or the dielectric layer may have a plurality of films with at least two different dielectric constants. The voltage differences between the anode and cathode in each of multiple devices electrically connected together may be limited.

Abstract: A microdischarge photodetector has a photocathode, an insulator and an anode. A cavity of limited size is disposed in the insulator and filled with gas. A voltage applied between the photocathode and the anode produces a plasma. Light incident on the photocathode having photon energies larger than about the work function produces photoelectrons are ejected from the photocathode and accelerated by the plasma electric field. The incident light is detected by detecting an increase in the plasma current or light emission from the plasma. The cavity may be flat or tapered and is designed to optimize detector performance.

Abstract: A discharge device is described that contains an anode, a cathode, and an insulating layer disposed between the anode and the cathode. A cavity is extends entirely through at least one of the anode or cathode and penetrates the dielectric layer. At least one of the anode or cathode may include a screen or the dielectric layer may have a plurality of films with at least two different dielectric constants. The voltage differences between the anode and cathode in each of multiple devices electrically connected together may be limited.

Abstract: A microdischarge device has a semiconductor layer, an intermediate layer, and a conductive layer. A tapered cavity is disposed in at least the semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A discharge device of the invention includes multiple bonded ceramic layers with electrodes formed between the layers. It can be combined with the various MCIC technologies to produce myriad useful devices. Contacts are made to the electrodes, which may be grouped in different arrangements. The electrodes contact a hole through some or all of the ceramic layers to define a discharge cavity. Different groupings of the electrodes will produce different types of discharge. Alternating the electrodes in interdigitated pairs permits an arbitrary extension of the discharge cavity length. Having consecutive anodes or cathodes permits formation of regions where electrons may cool. Another device of the invention includes a multilayer ceramic structure having a hole formed in a least one outer layer through an electrode on the outer side of the layer and in contact with an electrode between two layers. A contact is formed to the electrode between layers through any remaining layers in the multilayer ceramic structure.

Abstract: A discharge device has a diode with a depletion region, a channel extending through a surface of the diode, and a gas within the channel. The gas is excited and a discharge formed by reverse biasing the diode and establishing an electric field in the depletion region of the diode.

Abstract: A discharge device is described that contains an anode, a cathode, and an insulating layer disposed between the anode and the cathode. A cavity is extends entirely through at least one of the anode or cathode and penetrates the dielectric layer. At least one of the anode or cathode may include a screen or the dielectric layer may have a plurality of films with at least two different dielectric constants. The voltage differences between the anode and cathode in each of multiple devices electrically connected together may be limited.

Abstract: A discharge device of the invention includes multiple bonded ceramic layers with electrodes formed between the layers. It can be combined with the various MCIC technologies to produce myriad useful devices. Contacts are made to the electrodes, which may be grouped in different arrangements. The electrodes contact a hole through some or all of the ceramic layers to define a discharge cavity. Different groupings of the electrodes will produce different types of discharge. Alternating the electrodes in interdigitated pairs permits an arbitrary extension of the discharge cavity length. Having consecutive anodes or cathodes permits formation of regions where electrons may cool. Another device of the invention includes a multilayer ceramic structure having a hole formed in a least one outer layer through an electrode on the outer side of the layer and in contact with an electrode between two layers. A contact is formed to the electrode between layers through any remaining layers in the multilayer ceramic structure.

Abstract: A microdischarge device having a gas or vapor contained in a microcavity and in electrical contact with a semiconductor substrate, preferably a silicon wafer. A preferred structure includes successive cathode substrate or film, dielectric, and conductive anode layers with the anode and dielectric layers penetrated by a plurality of microcavities to allow electrical contact between the discharge medium and the substrate cathode layer. A hollow cathode structure includes a microcavity that penetrates the cathode. An optical waveguide network may be used in addition to collect and concentrate emission from groups of individual microcavities. The small aperture of the cavity area, of about 1 to 400 micrometers in diameter, enable the electrons in the discharge to be ballistic under certain conditions and permit the gas pressure to exceed one atmosphere. In addition, the small dimensions permit resonance radiation, such as the 254 nm line of atomic mercury, to be extracted efficiently from the discharge volume.

Abstract: A microdischarge lamp formed in a one piece integral substrate, preferably a silicon wafer, via micromachining techniques commonly used in integrated circuit manufacture. The lamp is formed by defining an anode separated from a semiconductor cathode, and then micromachining a hollow cavity penetrating the anode, dielectric and cathode. The hollow cathode is formed in the semiconductor and is filled with a discharge medium and sealed to complete the formation process. The lamp includes a micromachined cavity area for enclosing discharge filler, such as mercury vapor. The one piece substrate includes one or more semiconductor regions which act as electrodes for the lamp. A light transmissive cap seals the cavity area. Selection of particular aperture to length ratios for the cavity area permits the lamp to be operated either as a positive column or hollow cathode discharge. Hollow cathode discharge has been demonstrated at pressures of up to about 200 Torr.

Abstract: A microdischarge lamp formed in a one piece integral substrate, preferably a silicon wafer, via micromachining techniques commonly used in integrated circuit manufacture. The lamp includes a micromachined cavity area for enclosing discharge filler, such as mercury vapor. The one piece substrate includes one or more semiconductor regions which act as electrodes for the lamp. A light transmissive cap seals the cavity area. Selection of particular aperture to length ratios for the cavity area permits the lamp to be operated either as a positive column or hollow cathode discharge. Hollow cathode discharge has been demonstrated at pressures of up to about 200 Torr. The small aperture of the cavity area, of about 1 to 400 micrometers, enable the electrons in the discharge to be ballistic. In addition, the small dimensions permit discharges based upon resonance radiation, such as the 253 nm line of atomic mercury.

Abstract: A semiconductor processing method is provided for growing a semiconductor film from a semiconductorbearing gas on a substrate at a substrate temperature below the pyrolytic threshold of the gas. The gas is photodissociated to a collisionally stable species which migrates and travels in the gas phase the entire distance to the substrate, surving hundreds of collisions, and is pyrolyzed at the surface of the substrate and forms several monolayers of semiconductor material which is substantially more catalytically active than the substrate and which subsequently catalyzes decomposition of the gas.

Abstract: Laser systems, exhibiting energy conversion efficiencies greater than 20%, employ divalent metal halides, dissociated either electrically or optically, and pumped optically, usually by means of an arc lamp or an incoherent flashlamp. Either pulsed and continuous-wave lasing can be effected in or near the visible region.

Abstract: A simple compact optical device and method for quickly measuring the concentration of CO and CO.sub.2, bound to hemoglobin or dissolved in a person's blood using optical techniques which do not require removing a blood sample from the body. It also provides a simple fiber optic device for measuring blood-gas concentrations of critical internal points of the circulatory system such as the aorta.

Abstract: A technique for lasing a gas in a gas lasing device to obtain stimulated light emission at a desired wavelength by bottlenecking the high gain transitions in the gas so that certain low gain transitions which will yield the desired wavelength are now able to oscillate. This technique comprises the steps of optimizing the mirror transmission for the desired light frequency, and pumping the laser gas with a pulse whose width is much longer than that required to bottleneck the high gain transitions. This technique may be utilized with both molecular and atomic gases.

Abstract: An optically pumped laser which is operative by photolysis of a rare gas (RG)-halogne atom (X) compound (RGX.sub.2) which creates lasing from the RGX* molecule the RGX* molecule being diatomic. This type of laser is gaseous but a solid fuel is used to supply the gas; therefore the system is self contained.

Abstract: A high-power gas laser pumped by an intense, pulsed, space charge-and current-neutralized ion beam. A high-pressure gas in the laser cavity is ionized by an ion beam. Atomic processes occur which result in a population inversion for the excited states of the gas. Coherent radiation is then emitted by the excited gas atoms in the inverted state. The light is amplified as it traverses the gas. Multiple traversal can be obtained by using an optical cavity comprising mirrors which reflect the light into the excited gas so that the light can be further amplified with each pass through the cavity. Extraction of light energy is done by using a partially transmitting mirror as part of the optical cavity.