Abstract: A wafer carrier that exhibits a thin, low-profile includes a bottom support plate upon which a thinned semiconductor wafer may be positioned, with a holding ring disposed to surround the periphery of the wafer and engage with the bottom support plate to hold the wafer in a fixed position between the two components. The bottom support plate is formed to include a plurality of apertures for pulling a vacuum through the carrier, as well as features that engage with the holding ring and alignment fiducials for properly registering the orientation of the wafer's surface with respect to the wafer carrier and other testing equipment using the wafer carrier.

Abstract: A wafer carrier that exhibits a thin, low-profile includes a bottom support plate upon which a thinned semiconductor wafer may be positioned, with a holding ring disposed to surround the periphery of the wafer and engage with the bottom support plate to hold the wafer in a fixed position between the two components. The bottom support plate is formed to include a plurality of apertures for pulling a vacuum through the carrier, as well as features that engage with the holding ring and alignment fiducials for properly registering the orientation of the wafer's surface with respect to the wafer carrier and other testing equipment using the wafer carrier.

Abstract: A wafer handling fixture is used to transport a finished semiconductor wafer from one post-fabrication procedure to another (e.g., testing, inspection, cleaning, dicing, or shipping) in a manner that maintains the wafer in its “flattened” form and eliminates the possibility for a wafer to later spring back into a bowed form. The wafer handling fixture includes a surface stiction film to which the wafer will naturally adhere, and uses a wafer release mechanism included in a bottom support plate to permit for the “controlled” transfer of the wafer from the handling fixture to testing/inspection equipment.

Abstract: A wafer carrier that exhibits a thin, low-profile includes a bottom support plate upon which a thinned semiconductor wafer may be positioned, with a holding ring disposed to surround the periphery of the wafer and engage with the bottom support plate to hold the wafer in a fixed position between the two components. The bottom support plate is formed to include a plurality of apertures for pulling a vacuum through the carrier, as well as features that engage with the holding ring and alignment fiducials for properly registering the orientation of the wafer's surface with respect to the wafer carrier and other testing equipment using the wafer carrier.

Abstract: A method and apparatus by which television service is provided to the home via a two-way fiber optic link. The television set transmits to the central office the channel or channels being watched. Information from all other available channels which are not being watched is constantly being buffered and up-dated at the television set location. The buffering can be performed using a bandwidth available on the optical fiber that is not being used for the one or two television channels being watched or for other uses. When a user changes channels, he is shown the buffered data for a limited time. When the buffer runs out, the home office is notified of the channel change and commences transmitting the newly selected channel in full.

Abstract: Laser wavelength stabilization is achieved by locating a low selectivity reference filter in a reference path of a laser beam. The low selectivity reference filter, with a periodicity greater than the control filter, is used together with a lookup table for the reference filter to resolve the uncertainty associated with the multivalued control filter. After the wavelength uncertainty for the control filter is resolved, the laser beam is stabilized based on the response of the control filter, as if the reference filter was not present.

Abstract: A unique method and apparatus for locking on an absolute wavelength of laser light output by a laser package by actively compensating for a change in the temperature of an etalon optical filter is disclosed. Changes in etalon response characteristics due to temperature changes are compensated for by the addition (or subtraction) of an output voltage offset to the voltage control signal sent to the Thermo-Electric Cooler (TEC) from a controller within the laser package. The voltage offset is calculated by monitoring the etalon temperature. The voltage offset value provides for active compensation of changes in the etalon temperature and effectively “readjusts” the output of the laser as if the etalon temperature itself had been readjusted.

Abstract: Multiple operational parameters for a laser device are simultaneously controlled, optimized and/or stabilized by a software-based system with nested and interactive feedback control loops. Start-up mode, channel lock mode and channel change mode operations are described. The invention may be applied to a laser device with monolithic DBR tuning and gain sections, and also to systems with separate amplifiers. An optical filter system for normalizing-out changes in output power in relation to wavelength control is also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical device, a method of manufacture thereof, and a system for manufacturing the optical device. The optical device, in an exemplary embodiment, includes an optical component and a reference mark system located on an outer surface of the optical component. The reference mark system provides information regarding a location of an optical path of the optical component.

Abstract: A laser module characterization apparatus and method, the apparatus controlled by a computer, the apparatus having a laser module, an internal etalon transducer, an external etalon, and an external etalon transducer. The laser module comprising a laser source substantially simultaneously emitting a pair of substantially identical beams of light and an internal etalon adapted to receive a first of the pair of beams of light and to permit a portion of the first beam to pass through the internal etalon. The internal etalon transducer connected to the computer and responsive to the portion of the first beam. The external etalon adapted to receive a second of the pair of beams of light and to permit a portion of the second beam to pass through the external etalon. The external etalon transducer connected to the computer and responsive to the portion of the second beam.

Abstract: A method for controlling tuning current values provided to a multichannel laser source. For each operating laser channel, a desired slope value of laser power as a function of tuning current is stored. The slope values of laser power as a function of tuning current is then measured. The tuning current is then adjusted until a slope value substantially close to said desired slope value is measured. The operating tuning current is set for the laser source that corresponds to the measured slope value.

Abstract: A unique method and apparatus for locking on an absolute wavelength of laser light output by a laser package by actively compensating for a change in the temperature of an etalon optical filter is disclosed. Changes in etalon response characteristics due to temperature changes are compensated for by the addition (or subtraction) of an output voltage offset to the voltage control signal sent to the Thermo-Electric Cooler (TEC) from a controller within the laser package. The voltage offset is calculated by monitoring the etalon temperature. The voltage offset value provides for active compensation of changes in the etalon temperature and effectively “readjusts” the output of the laser as if the etalon temperature itself had been readjusted.

Abstract: A closed-loop feedback control system with a temperature tuned, wavelength stabilized laser module. The system uses a feedback control signal dependent upon a predetermined gain to control the temperature of the laser module. The laser module has an output connected to a controller via filtering and reference circuitry. The controller inputs etalon and reference signals from the filtering and reference circuitry to monitor the optical amplitude and wavelength of the laser module output, as well as the temperature of the laser module. When the controller detects a change in a slope of the etalon signal, the controller calculates a new numeric gain based on the changed slope. The new numeric gain and temperature of the laser module is used to generate a new control signal to maintain the output of the laser module at a desired wavelength. By monitoring the slope of the etalon signals, the system is capable of performing automatic closed-loop gain adjustment.

Abstract: The output of a dedicated control laser element in a laser array, which closely tracks the output of the array, is directed to a discriminator and feedback control means through a closed loop feedback-based system to provide both wavelength stability and power control of the array without reducing the optical power output from the array. The output of a dedicated control laser element in a laser array is also directed to a discriminator and synchronous detection means and is frequency modulated with a local oscillator to reduce the electronic drift and stabilize the wavelength of the dedicated laser source.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for frequency stabilization of an optical source, using data obtained from a frequency stabilization system based on an optical frequency discriminator to stabilize the output of a laser to a particular grid channel. The data is mathematically manipulated to double the number of channels as compared to prior art methods and allows arbitrary channel spacing about the channels.

Abstract: A system for handling semiconductor and electronic elements secured to an adhesive surface is provided. According to one aspect of the invention, a vacuum is applied through holes in a loading base. Under the influence of the vacuum, the adhesive film is pulled down toward the loading base and stretched around a pick rod so that the adhesive film is peeled away from the element. Thus, adhesive contact between the film and the element is reduced and a vacuum pick or collet is able to lift the element from the adhesive film with minimal force applied to the surface of the element.