Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring various physiological and environmental factors, as well as systems and methods for using this information for a plurality of useful purposes, are provided. Real-time, noninvasive health and environmental monitors include a plurality of compact sensors integrated within small, low-profile devices. Physiological and environmental data is collected and wirelessly transmitted into a wireless network, where the data is stored and/or processed. This information is then used to support a variety of useful methods, such as clinical trials, marketing studies, biofeedback, entertainment, and others.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for attenuating environmental interference are described. A wearable monitoring apparatus includes a housing configured to be attached to the body of a subject and a sensor module that includes an energy emitter that directs energy at a target region of the subject, a detector that detects an energy response signal—or physiological condition—from the subject, a filter that removes time-varying environmental interference from the energy response signal, and at least one processor that controls operations of the energy emitter, detector, and filter.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring various physiological and environmental factors, as well as systems and methods for using this information for a plurality of useful purposes, are provided. Real-time, noninvasive health and environmental monitors include a plurality of compact sensors integrated within small, low-profile devices. Physiological and environmental data is collected and wirelessly transmitted into a wireless network, where the data is stored and/or processed. This information is then used to support a variety of useful methods, such as clinical trials, marketing studies, biofeedback, entertainment, and others.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring various physiological and environmental factors, as well as systems and methods for using this information for a plurality of useful purposes, are provided. Real-time, noninvasive health and environmental monitors include a plurality of compact sensors integrated within small, low-profile devices. Physiological and environmental data is collected and wirelessly transmitted into a wireless network, where the data is stored and/or processed. This information is then used to support a variety of useful methods, such as clinical trials, marketing studies, biofeedback, entertainment, and others.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring various physiological and environmental factors, as well as systems and methods for using this information for a plurality of useful purposes, are provided. Real-time, noninvasive health and environmental monitors include a plurality of compact sensors integrated within small, low-profile devices. Physiological and environmental data is collected and wirelessly transmitted into a wireless network, where the data is stored and/or processed. This information is then used to support a variety of useful methods, such as clinical trials, marketing studies, biofeedback, entertainment, and others.

Abstract: There is provided an electronic device. The electronic device includes at least one epitaxial semiconductor layer disposed on a single crystal substrate comprised of gallium nitride having a dislocation density less than about 105 per cm2. A method of forming an electronic device is also provided. The method includes providing a single crystal substrate comprised of gallium nitride having a dislocation density less than about 105 per cm2, and homoepitaxially forming at least one semiconductor layer on the substrate.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring various physiological and environmental factors, as well as systems and methods for using this information for a plurality of useful purposes, are provided. Real-time, noninvasive health and environmental monitors include a plurality of compact sensors integrated within small, low-profile devices. Physiological and environmental data is collected and wirelessly transmitted into a wireless network, where the data is stored and/or processed. This information is then used to support a variety of useful methods, such as clinical trials, marketing studies, biofeedback, entertainment, and others.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring various physiological and environmental factors, as well as systems and methods for using this information for a plurality of useful purposes, are provided. Real-time, noninvasive health and environmental monitors include a plurality of compact sensors integrated within small, low-profile devices. Physiological and environmental data is collected and wirelessly transmitted into a wireless network, where the data is stored and/or processed. This information is then used to support a variety of useful methods, such as clinical trials, marketing studies, biofeedback, entertainment, and others.

Abstract: A method for doping impurities into a device layer includes providing a carbonized dopant layer including one or more dopant impurities over a device layer and heat treating the carbonized dopant layer to thermally diffuse the dopant impurities into the device layer.

Abstract: A monitoring device configured to be attached to the ear of a person includes a base, an earbud housing extending outwardly from the base that is configured to be positioned within an ear of a subject, and a cover surrounding the earbud housing. The base includes a speaker, an optical emitter, and an optical detector. The cover includes light transmissive material that is in optical communication with the optical emitter and the optical detector and serves as a light guide to deliver light from the optical emitter into the ear canal of the subject wearing the device at one or more predetermined locations and to collect light external to the earbud housing and deliver the collected light to the optical detector.

Abstract: A monitoring apparatus includes a housing configured to be attached to an ear of a subject, and a plurality of electrodes supported by the housing. The electrodes are configured to at least partially contact a portion of the body of the subject when the housing is attached to the ear of the subject, and are configured to detect and/or measure at least one neurological and/or cardiopulmonary function of the subject. The housing may include one or more physiological sensors configured to detect and/or measure physiological information from the subject and/or one or more environmental sensors configured to detect and/or measure environmental conditions in a vicinity of the subject.

Abstract: A monitoring apparatus includes a housing that is configured to be attached to a body of a subject. The housing includes a sensor region that is configured to contact a selected area of the body of the subject when the housing is attached to the body of the subject. The sensor region is contoured to matingly engage the selected body area. The apparatus includes at least one physiological sensor that is associated with the sensor region and that detects and/or measures physiological information from the subject and/or at least one environmental sensor associated with the sensor region that is configured to detect and/or measure environmental information. The sensor region contour stabilizes the physiological and/or environmental sensor(s) relative to the selected body area such that subject motion does not impact detection and/or measurement efforts of the sensor(s).

Abstract: Monitoring apparatus and methods are provided for assessing a physiological condition of a subject. At least two types of physiological information are detected from a subject via a portable monitoring device associated with the subject, and an assessment of a physiological condition of the subject is made using the at least two types of physiological information, wherein each type of physiological information is individually insufficient to make the physiological condition assessment. Environmental information from a vicinity of a subject also may be detected, and an assessment of a physiological condition of the subject may be made using the environmental information in combination with the physiological information. Exemplary physiological information may include subject heart rate, subject activity level, subject tympanic membrane temperature, and subject breathing rate. Exemplary environmental information may include humidity level information in the vicinity of the subject.

Abstract: Multi-wavelength optical apparatus includes an optical emitter, and an energy transition layer positioned adjacent to the optical emitter. The energy transition layer generates multi-wavelength electromagnetic radiation when monochromatic light from the optical emitter passes therethrough. The energy transition layer includes a plurality of luminescent films, and each film is configured to luminesce at a respective different wavelength range when monochromatic light from the optical emitter passes therethrough. The plurality of luminescent films may be arranged in contacting face-to-face relationship or may be arranged in an array. The luminescent films may include rare-earth doped oxides, phosphors, metal-doped oxides, rare-earth doped nitrides, nanostructures, and/or nanostructured films, etc. The optical emitter may be a light emitting diode (LED), a laser diode (LD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a resonant cavity light emitting diode (RCLED), and/or an edge-emitting diode (EELED).

Abstract: A method of forming a vertical MOSFET device includes forming a trench within a drift layer substrate, the drift layer comprising a first polarity type, the trench generally defining a well region of a second polarity type opposite the first polarity type. An ohmic contact layer is formed within a bottom surface of the trench, the ohmic contact layer comprising a material of the second polarity type. A layer of the second polarity type is epitaxially grown over the drift layer, sidewall surfaces of the trench, and the ohmic contact layer. A layer of the first polarity type is epitaxially grown over the epitaxially grown layer of the second polarity type so as to refill the trench, and the epitaxially grown layers of the first and second polarity type are planarized so as to expose an upper surface of the drift layer substrate.

Abstract: A method of forming a vertical MOSFET device includes forming a trench within a drift layer substrate, the drift layer comprising a first polarity type, the trench generally defining a well region of a second polarity type opposite the first polarity type. An ohmic contact layer is formed within a bottom surface of the trench, the ohmic contact layer comprising a material of the second polarity type. A layer of the second polarity type is epitaxially grown over the drift layer, sidewall surfaces of the trench, and the ohmic contact layer. A layer of the first polarity type is epitaxially grown over the epitaxially grown layer of the second polarity type so as to refill the trench, and the epitaxially grown layers of the first and second polarity type are planarized so as to expose an upper surface of the drift layer substrate.

Abstract: A method of making a silicon carbide MOSFET is disclosed. The method includes providing a semiconductor device structure, wherein the device structure comprises a silicon carbide semiconductor device layer, an ion implanted well region of a first conductivity type formed in the semiconductor device layer, an ion implanted source region of a second conductivity type formed into the ion implanted well region; providing a mask layer over the semiconductor device layer, the mask layer exposing a portion of the ion implanted source region, then etching through the portion of the ion implanted source region to form a dimple; then implanting ions through the dimple to form a high dopant concentration first conductivity type ion implanted contact region, wherein the ion implanted contact region is deeper than the ion implanted well region; then removing the contact region mask layer and annealing implanted ions.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor structure includes forming a carbon masking layer on a semiconductor layer, forming a protective layer on the carbon masking layer. The method further includes forming an opening in the protective layer and the carbon masking layer and processing the semiconductor layer through the opening to form a first processed region in the semiconductor layer. The method further includes enlarging the opening in the carbon masking layer and performing an additional processing step on the semiconductor layer through the enlarged opening to form a second processed region in the semiconductor layer.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for qualifying and quantifying excitation-dependent physiological information extracted from wearable sensors in the midst of interference from unwanted sources are provided. An organism is interrogated with at least one excitation energy, energy response signals from two or more distinct physiological regions are sensed, and these signals are processed to generate an extracted signal. The extracted signal is compared with a physiological model to qualify and/or quantify a physiological property. Additionally, important physiological information can be qualified and quantified by comparing the excitation wavelength-dependent response, measured via wearable sensors, with a physiological model.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor structure includes forming a carbon masking layer on a semiconductor layer, forming a protective layer on the carbon masking layer. The method further includes forming an opening in the protective layer and the carbon masking layer and processing the semiconductor layer through the opening to form a first processed region in the semiconductor layer. The method further includes enlarging the opening in the carbon masking layer and performing an additional processing step on the semiconductor layer through the enlarged opening to form a second processed region in the semiconductor layer.