Abstract: A frame structure for a T/R tile module configured to transmit and receive electromagnetic radiation over a predetermined portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is provided. The frame component comprises at least one frame component formed as a single piece from a synthetic resin dielectric material. The frame component is configured to support a plurality of electrical connectors, and has a thin film coating configured to provide a ground connection and electromagnetic shield when the frame structure is incorporated into a transmit/receive module. A portion of the frame component is configured to interface with a portion of a T/R module when the frame component is incorporated into the T/R module, and the synthetic resin dielectric material provides the frame component with a range of compressibility that enables the frame component to provide the module with an effective ground connection over that range of compressibility.

Abstract: A thin film hydrogen getter and EMI shielding are provided for protecting GaAs circuitry sealed in an hermetic package. The thin film getter comprises a multilayer metal film that is deposited by vacuum evaporation techniques onto a conductive metal, such as aluminum or copper, that serves as the EMI shielding. The conductive layer is first formed on an interior surface. The multilayer hydrogen getter film comprises (1) a titanium film and (2) a palladium film that is deposited on the titanium film. Both the titanium and the palladium are deposited during the same coating process run, thereby preventing the titanium from being oxidized. The palladium continues to prevent the titanium from being oxidized once the getter is exposed to the atmosphere. However, hydrogen is easily able to diffuse through the palladium into the titanium where it is chemically bound up, since palladium is highly permeable to hydrogen.

Abstract: A thin film hydrogen getter and EMI shielding are provided for protecting GaAs circuitry sealed in an hermetic package. The thin film getter comprises a multilayer metal film that is deposited by vacuum evaporation techniques onto a conductive metal, such as aluminum or copper, that serves as the EMI shielding. The conductive layer is first formed on an interior surface. The multilayer hydrogen getter film comprises (1) a titanium film and (2) a palladium film that is deposited on the titanium film. Both the titanium and the palladium are deposited during the same coating process run, thereby preventing the titanium from being oxidized. The palladium continues to prevent the titanium from being oxidized once the getter is exposed to the atmosphere. However, hydrogen is easily able to diffuse through the palladium into the titanium where it is chemically bound up, since palladium is highly permeable to hydrogen.

Abstract: A frame structure for a T/R tile module configured to transmit and receive electromagnetic radiation over a predetermined portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is provided. The frame component comprises at least one frame component formed as a single piece from a synthetic resin dielectric material. The frame component is configured to support a plurality of electrical connectors, and has a thin film coating configured to provide a ground connection and electromagnetic shield when the frame structure is incorporated into a transmit/receive module. A portion of the frame component is configured to interface with a portion of a T/R module when the frame component is incorporated into the T/R module, and the synthetic resin dielectric material provides the frame component with a range of compressibility that enables the frame component to provide the module with an effective ground connection over that range of compressibility.

Abstract: A thin film hydrogen getter is provided for protecting GaAs circuitry sealed in an hermetic package. The thin film getter which comprises a multilayer metal film which is deposited by vacuum evaporation techniques onto a surface of the packaging. The multilayer film comprises (1) a titanium film and (2) palladium film which is deposited onto the titanium film. Both the titanium and the palladium are deposited during the same coating process run, thereby preventing the titanium from being oxidized. The palladium continues to prevent the titanium from being oxidized once the getter is exposed to the atmosphere. However, hydrogen is easily able to diffuse through the palladium into the titanium where it is chemically bound up, since palladium is highly permeable to hydrogen. If EMI shielding is desired, a conductive metal, such as aluminum or copper, can first be formed between the packaging and the titanium layer.

Abstract: An improved ion mobility spectrometer for detecting chemical warfare agents and hazardous vapors. The ion mobility spectrometer has an improved sensor cell that includes a heated air flow assembly, an ionization assembly and a field electrode and detector assembly printed circuit assembly. The heated air flow assembly includes a cover with an air inlet, an ambient temperature sensor, a thin-film heater element, a heater frame, a heated air sensor, and a heater channel formed therein. The ionization assembly comprises a nuclear ionization source attached to a holder, a lid, and an ionization channel formed therein that is coupled to the heater channel. The field electrode and detector assembly printed circuit assembly comprises a field electrode printed circuit board, a detector electrode printed circuit board, and detector electronics. The field electrode printed circuit board has a plurality of field electrodes disposed on a bottom surface thereof.

Abstract: An improved method for soldering a thermoelectric cooler between an electronic device and a heatsink. Thermoelectric coolers are assembled by soldering parts together using a first solder. The bottom surface of the thermoelectric cooler is first soldered to the heatsink using a second solder and then the top surface is soldered to the electronic device using a third solder preferably having the same melting point as the second solder, or having approximately the same melting point as the second solder. Reverse powering of the thermoelectric cooler assists the soldering of the top surface to the electronic device by heating the top surface to a temperature sufficient to melt the third solder while cooling the bottom surface of the thermoelectric cooler to a temperature lower than the melting point of the second solder.

Abstract: A plurality of integrated circuit chips (12) are packaged in a stack of chips in which a number of individual chip layers (10,120,130,132,134) are physically and electrically interconnected to one another and are peripherally sealed to one another to form an hermetically sealed package having a number of input/output pads (137a,139a,141a,156,158,160) on the surface of the upper (132) and lower (134) layers. Each chip layer comprises a chip carrier substrate having a chip cavity (22) on a bottom side and having a plurality of electrically conductive vias (40,42,44) extending completely around the chip cavity. Each substrate is formed with a peripheral sealing strip (46,48) on its top and bottom sides and mounts on its top side a chip that has its connecting pads (14) wire bonded to exposed traces (32,34) of a pattern of traces that are formed on the top side of the substrate and on intermediate layers (16,18,20) of this multi-layer substrate.

Abstract: A circuit testing fixture is provided in which a flexible membrane (17) is provided with raised features (25) on one side arranged in the pattern of contacts (65) on a device (63) to be tested and circuit means (26) connected to a probe card (12). On the opposite side of the membrane is a support form (58), (66), (70) that is clamped in position so that it acts as a pressure pad to planar bottom edge which may provide ridges (61) in back deflect the membrane outwardly. The support form has a of the raised features (25) on the membrane (17) or recesses (68) at that location. The support form also may have a flat bottom surface (71) and may be of soft compliant material or of rigid material.

Abstract: A circuit testing fixture is provided in which a flexible membrane (17) is provided with raised features (25) on one side arranged in the pattern of contacts (65) on a device (63) to be tested and circuit means (26) connected to a probe card (12). On the opposite side of the membrane is a support form (58), (66), (70) that is clamped in position so that it acts as a pressure pad to deflect the membrane outwardly. The support form has a planar bottom edge which may provide ridges (61) in back of the raised features (25) on the membrane (17) or recesses (68) at that location. The support form also may have a flat bottom surface (71) and may be of soft compliant material or of rigid material.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for continuously forming sputter-coated glass fibers. The apparatus includes a sputter vessel into which freshly drawn fiber is passed before surface contamination can occur. The sputter vessel includes modular sputtering units which are arranged to provide sputter deposition of one or more coatings onto the fiber or capillary tube as it passes through the sputter vessel. Roughing chambers may be provided on either end of the sputter vessel and include orifices sized to allow passage of the fiber through the orifice without contact. An improved sputter coating apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: A water-cooled low pressure gas or mercury vapor lamp which utilizes a cooling system to keep the lamp cool in the area where useful radiation is emitted. This is accomplished by means of a cooling chamber directly adjacent to the gas or mercury vapor discharge chamber. A cooling fluid is injected into the cooling chamber through a cooling inlet and exits the cooling chamber through a cooling outlet after traveling the cooling chamber's entire length. The cooling fluid removes the heat generated by the radiation and allows the useful emission to be optimized.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for forming ultra-thin electrical interconnection flex cables. A thin metallic foil ribbon is first coated on one side with a vapor deposited insulating material. The uncoated side of the metallic foil ribbon is then exposed and etched into a plurality of spaced apart conducting lines. The surface of the conducting lines is then coated with a second layer of vapor deposited insulating material. The resulting flex cable is substantially thinner, more flexible and less thermally conductive than flex cables fabricated by previously known techniques.

Abstract: An apparatus for photochemical vapor deposition includes an outer reactor shell and a concentric inner shell which define a photochemical reaction zone. A radiation source is centrally located within the transparent inner shell, which isolates the radiation source from the vapor phase reactants present in the reaction zone. A rotating gas manifold is located within the reaction zone to uniformly distribute the vapor phase reactants within the reaction zone. Protective liquid is continually applied to the outer surface of the inner shell and spread into a thin film by wiper blades, to prevent deposition of reaction products onto the outer wall of the inner shell. The central location of the radiation source, along with the protective liquid film, make optimum usage of the reaction-inducing radiation generated by the radiation source. In addition, the rotating gas manifold promotes uniform deposition of layers of selected materials on substrates placed within the reaction zone.

Abstract: An apparatus for photochemical vapor deposition includes an outer reactor shell and a concentric inner shell which define a photochemical reaction zone. A radiation source is centrally located within the transparent inner shell, which isolates the radiation source from the vapor phase reactants present in the reaction zone. A rotating gas manifold is located within the reaction zone to uniformly distribute the vapor phase reactants within the reaction zone. Protective liquid is continually applied to the outer surface of the inner shell and spread into a thin film by wiper blades, to prevent deposition of reaction products onto the outer wall of the inner shell. The central location of the radiation source, along with the protective liquid film, make optimum usage of the reaction-inducing radiation generated by the radiation source. In addition, the rotating gas manifold promotes uniform deposition of layers of selected materials on substrates placed within the reaction zone.

Abstract: Integrated circuit chips are mounted in electronic assemblies with the chip terminal pads "up" or on the opposite side of the chip from the substrate of the circuit board. The lower chip surface is bonded either directly to the heat-conducting substrate or through an intermediate pedestal of a good heat-conducting volume of metal. Beam leads from the integrated circuit terminals are bonded to relatively large heat-conductive posts acting as spacers, if necessary, between the beam leads and the circuitry pattern.