Abstract: A method of etching silicon with a laser at a very fast rate of the order of 45 microns/second includes the steps of providing an atmosphere of sulfur hexafluoride about the silicon and directing a continuous laser beam having a wavelength of about 0.6 or less microns at said silicon.

Abstract: A system for cooling integrated circuit chips and particularly those involving very large scale integrated circuits; the system provides for closely associating the heat-sink or heat exchange element with the integrated circuit chip by having the heat-sink, in the form of a "cooling chip", in intimate contact with the back surface of an integrated circuit chip (in a "flip chip" configuration, the front, or circuit-implemented, surface, makes contact with a ceramic carrier or module); the cooling chip is provided with a plurality of spaced parallel grooves which extend along the one side or surface opposite the surface that is in bearing contact with the integrated circuit chip, whereby liquid coolant flows through the grooves so as to remove heat from the integrated circuit chip; further included in the system is a specially configured bellows for conducting the liquid coolant from a source to the heat-sink, and for removing the liquid coolant; a coolant distribution means, in the form of at least one glass p

Abstract: A microminiature switch for digitizing different-valued external conditions, such as pressure, temperature of acceleration, is disclosed. The switch includes a silicon wafer having a deflectable, reduced-thickness membrane adapted to move from a relaxed position toward increasingly flexed or bulged positions in response to greater-value changes in such external condition. Movement of the membrane from its relaxed position to more strained positions establishes electrical contact between a common terminal and first one and then progressively more switch-state terminals in the switch, wherein the number of switch states which are closed corresponds to the external condition acting on the switch.

Abstract: Hermetically sealed electrical feedthrough conductors are formed across the periphery or boundary between a hermetically sealed region on a semiconductor substrate and a second or external region thereof by first forming a planar insulative layer on the surface of the silicon substrate along the predetermined path of the feedthrough conductor across the periphery, said insulative layer having at least one planar projection on each side thereof extending out from the path and coming to a point, and then forming thereon a planar metal feedthrough conductor layer that substantially covers the insulative layer, including corresponding metal planar projections. An insulator element sized to encapsulate the region to be sealed is then mallory bonded to the periphery, including the feedthrough conductor, so as to form a hermetic seal along the entire periphery including in the region of said feedthrough conductor.

Abstract: This invention provides a support for a tubular humidifier pad such that the pad can be replaced easily and efficiently. This is achieved by providing a support having a movable end which can be collapsed to release the pad which is carried on axial stringers attached to this end. The stingers deflect radially inwards so that the old pad can be removed over the collapsed end and a new one put in place. The procedure is then reversed to hold the pad on the support.

Abstract: This device comprises a v-shaped cavity in a planar semiconductor substrate having a substantially thin-walled v-shaped cantilever beam inset therein. The beam is movable in directions normal to and laterally of the plane of the substrate, whereby acceleration is sensed in both of these directions. A planar substrate of n-type silicon is arranged with the major face oriented in the (100) plane. A v-shaped groove is anisotropically etched in the substrate and capacitor electrode regions are diffused into the sloping walls. An epitaxial layer is grown over this substrate, and over that a layer of insulation is added. A layer of conductive material is laid down on the insulation to define an electrode. The substrate is again subjected to an anisotropic etchant for cutting the epitaxial layer from under the cantilever beam formed of the insulating layer and the conducting layer.

Abstract: An integrated semiconductor pressure transducer comprises a central conducting diaphragm located between two frusto-pyramidal recesses defined by contiguous semiconductor body members of conductivity type different from that of the diaphragm. A metal membrane with communicating apertures subtends one cavity and forms a relatively fixed plate of a capacitor, the other plate of which is formed by the diaphragm. A method of making the transducer in semiconductor process steps includes provisions for normal integrated circuit device fabrication whereby a transducer and utilization circuitry are fabricated in the same process into a single integrated semiconductor device.

Abstract: Torsional type optical ray deflection apparatus essentially comprises a pair of etched plates, one of which is single crystal semiconductor material such as silicon, and the other is a suitable insulating material such as glass. The semiconductor plate is etched to form an elongated bar of the material having a wider central portion which forms a reflecting surface armature of suitable area suspended internally of the rectangular frame formed by the remainder of the semiconductor plate. The insulating plate is etched to leave an annuloidal depression centrally of the plate. An elongated land in the center of the insulating plate underlies the reflecting surface area and the torsion bars in order to support the torsion bar-reflector structure in the direction normal to the longitudinal axis while allowing rotation about that axis.

Abstract: A method of electrochemically etching a semiconductor to a predetermined contour includes positioning at least one electrode on one side of the semiconductor and then applying a voltage to the electrodes so as to generate a varying current density vertically through the semiconductor and thereby electrochemically etch the mask-free other side of the semiconductor.

Abstract: A display device, addressing circuitry, and semiconductor control logic are all portions of an integrated structure formed by thin film technology on a single silicon wafer. The display comprises a thin film micromechanical electrostatic form of light reflective display formed by depositing thin films upon a silicon wafer and selectively etching to form metal-amorphous oxide micromechanical leaves deflected by applying potential thereto to provide electrostatic deflection. MOSFET devices are also formed upon the silicon wafer in juxtaposition with a plurality of micromechanical display elements. Addressing circuitry is connected to the MOSFET devices.