Abstract: A method for forming an insulated conductor heater includes placing an insulation layer over at least part of an elongated, cylindrical inner electrical conductor, placing an elongated, cylindrical outer electrical conductor over at least part of the insulation layer to form the insulated conductor heater; and performing one or more cold working/heat treating steps on the insulated conductor heater, reducing the cross-sectional area of the insulated conductor heater by at most about 20% to a final cross-sectional area. The cold working/heat treating steps include cold working the insulated conductor heater to reduce a cross-sectional area of the insulated conductor heater; and heat treating the insulated conductor heater at a temperature of at least about 870° C. The insulation layer includes one or more blocks of insulation.

Abstract: A magnetic core is provided for an integrated circuit, the magnetic core comprising: a plurality of layers of magnetically functional material; a plurality of layers of a first insulating material; and at least one layer of an secondary insulating material; wherein layers of the first insulating material are interposed between layers of the magnetically functional material to form subsections of the magnetic core, and the at least one layer of second insulating material is interposed between adjacent subsections.

Abstract: A method of trimming a component is provided in which the component is protected from oxidation or changes in stress after trimming. As part of the method, a protective glass cover is bonded to the surface of a semiconductor substrate prior to trimming (e.g., laser trimming) of a component. This can protect the component from oxidation after trimming, which may change its value or a parameter of the component. It can also protect the component from changes in stress acting on it or on the die adjacent it during packaging, which may also change a value or parameter of the component.

Abstract: A method for accommodating thermal expansion of a heater in a formation includes flowing a heat transfer fluid through a conduit to provide heat to the formation and providing substantially constant tension to an end portion of the conduit that extends outside the formation. At least a portion of the end portion of the conduit is wound around a movable wheel used to apply tension to the conduit.

Abstract: A method for forming an insulated conductor heater includes placing an insulation layer over at least part of an elongated, cylindrical inner electrical conductor. An elongated, cylindrical outer electrical conductor is placed over at least part of the insulation layer to form the insulated conductor heater. One or more cold working/heat treating steps are performed on the insulated conductor heater. The cold working/heat treating steps include: cold working the insulated conductor heater to reduce a cross-sectional area of the insulated conductor heater by at least about 30% and heat treating the insulated conductor heater at a temperature of at least about 870° C. The cross-sectional area of the insulated conductor heater is then reduced by an amount ranging between about 5% and about 20% to a final cross-sectional area.

Abstract: An insulated electrical conductor (MI cable) may include an inner electrical conductor, an electrical insulator at least partially surrounding the electrical conductor, and an outer electrical conductor at least partially surrounding the electrical insulator. The insulated electrical conductor may have a substantially continuous length of at least about 100 m. The insulated electrical conductor may have an initial breakdown voltage, over a substantially continuous length of at least about 100 m, of at least about 60 volts per mil of the electrical insulator thickness (about 2400 volts per mm of the electrical insulator thickness) at about 1300° F. (about 700° C.) and about 60 Hz. The insulated electrical conductor may be capable of being coiled around a radius of about 100 times a diameter of the insulated electrical conductor. The outer electrical conductor may have a yield strength based on a 0.2% offset of about 100 kpsi.

Abstract: A method includes coupling a core of a heating section to a core of an overburden section of an insulated conductor. A diameter of the core of the heating section is less than a diameter of the core of the overburden section. A first insulation layer is placed over the core of the heating section such that at least part of an end portion of the core of the heating section is exposed. A second insulation layer is placed over the core of the overburden section such that the second insulation layer extends over the exposed portion of the core of the heating section. A thickness of the second insulation layer is less than a thickness of the first insulation layer and an outer diameter of the overburden section is substantially the same as an outer diameter of the heating section.

Abstract: A fiber placement system for producing small sized flat laminates having a length and width that extends in the X and Y axes, and a constant height measured in the Z-axis includes a fixed creel for delivering fiber used by the system, and a fixed bracket attached to the creel. A fiber placement head is supported by the fixed bracket and a movable table for supporting a tool is positioned under the fiber placement head. The fiber placement head is fixed in the X, Y, and Z-axis during the application of fiber to the tool.

Abstract: An insulated conductor heater may include an electrical conductor that produces heat when an electrical current is provided to the electrical conductor. An electrical insulator at least partially surrounds the electrical conductor. The electrical insulator comprises a resistivity that remains substantially constant, or increases, over time when the electrical conductor produces heat. An outer electrical conductor at least partially surrounds the electrical insulator.

Abstract: A method for forming an insulated conductor heater includes placing an insulation layer over at least part of an elongated, cylindrical inner electrical conductor, placing an elongated, cylindrical outer electrical conductor over at least part of the insulation layer to form the insulated conductor heater; and performing one or more cold working/heat treating steps on the insulated conductor heater, reducing the cross-sectional area of the insulated conductor heater by at most about 20% to a final cross-sectional area. The cold working/heat treating steps include cold working the insulated conductor heater to reduce a cross-sectional area of the insulated conductor heater; and heat treating the insulated conductor heater at a temperature of at least about 870° C. The insulation layer includes one or more blocks of insulation.

Abstract: Methods of forming a thin film are disclosed. One such method can include sputtering a target material to form a first thin film resistor and adjusting a parameter of deposition to modulate a property of a subsequently formed second thin film resistor. For instance, a substrate bias and/or a substrate temperature can be adjusted to modulate a property of the second thin film resistor. A temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and/or another property of the second thin film resistor can be modulated by adjusting the parameter of deposition. The target material sputtered onto the substrate can include, for example, a Cr alloy, a Ni alloy, SiCr, NiCr, or the like. A relationship can be established between the substrate bias and/or substrate temperature and the thin film resistor property, and the relationship can be used in selecting deposition conditions for a desired property value.

Abstract: A magnetic core is provided for an integrated circuit, the magnetic core comprising: a plurality of layers of magnetically functional material; a plurality of layers of a first insulating material; and at least one layer of an secondary insulating material; wherein layers of the first insulating material are interposed between layers of the magnetically functional material to form subsections of the magnetic core, and the at least one layer of second insulating material is interposed between adjacent subsections.

Abstract: An insulated conductor heater may include an electrical conductor that produces heat when an electrical current is provided to the electrical conductor. An electrical insulator at least partially surrounds the electrical conductor. The electrical insulator comprises a resistivity that remains substantially constant, or increases, over time when the electrical conductor produces heat. An outer electrical conductor at least partially surrounds the electrical insulator.

Abstract: A fiber placement system for producing small sized flat laminates having a length and width that extends in the X and Y axes, and a constant height measured in the Z-axis includes a fixed creel for delivering fiber used by the system, and a fixed bracket attached to the creel. A fiber placement head is supported by the fixed bracket and a movable table for supporting a tool is positioned under the fiber placement head. The fiber placement head is fixed in the X, Y, and Z-axis during the application of fiber to the tool.

Abstract: An insulated conductor heater may include an electrical conductor that produces heat when an electrical current is provided to the electrical conductor. An electrical insulator at least partially surrounds the electrical conductor. The electrical insulator comprises a resistivity that remains substantially constant, or increases, over time when the electrical conductor produces heat. An outer electrical conductor at least partially surrounds the electrical insulator.

Abstract: A method of geolocating a stationary transmitter observed by a fixed receiver device and at least two receiver devices, at least one of the receiver devices moving includes obtaining wavelength-scaled phase difference measurements between pairs of receiver devices, and 10 obtaining a result lattice of possible locations of the transmitter, one location more probable than the remainder. A method of geolocating a moving transmitter observed by a plurality of fixed or nearly fixed receiver devices, and a moving receiver device, includes obtaining wavelength-scaled phase difference measurements from the plurality of fixed or nearly fixed receiver devices to obtain a shape of the transmitter trajectory, measuring the phase difference 15 between the moving receiver device and at least one of the plurality of fixed or nearly fixed receiver devices to obtain a phase error residual, and moving an estimated starting point of the transmitter to obtain a best-fit residual.

Abstract: A method of geolocating a stationary transmitter observed by a fixed receiver device and at least two receiver devices, at least one of the receiver devices moving includes obtaining wavelength-scaled phase difference measurements between pairs of receiver devices, and obtaining a result lattice of possible locations of the transmitter, one location more probable than the remainder. A method of geolocating a moving transmitter observed by a plurality of fixed or nearly fixed receiver devices, and a moving receiver device, includes obtaining wavelength-scaled phase difference measurements from the plurality of fixed or nearly fixed receiver devices to obtain a shape of the transmitter trajectory, measuring the phase difference between the moving receiver device and at least one of the plurality of fixed or nearly fixed receiver devices to obtain a phase error residual, and moving an estimated starting point of the transmitter to obtain a best-fit residual.

Abstract: A method of geolocating a stationary transmitter observed by a fixed receiver device and at least two receiver devices, at least one of the receiver devices moving includes obtaining wavelength-scaled phase difference measurements between pairs of receiver devices, and obtaining a result lattice of possible locations of the transmitter, one location more probable than the remainder. A method of geolocating a moving transmitter observed by a plurality of fixed or nearly fixed receiver devices, and a moving receiver device, includes obtaining wavelength-scaled phase difference measurements from the plurality of fixed or nearly fixed receiver devices to obtain a shape of the transmitter trajectory, measuring the phase difference between the moving receiver device and at least one of the plurality of fixed or nearly fixed receiver devices to obtain a phase error residual, and moving an estimated starting point of the transmitter to obtain a best-fit residual.

Abstract: An insulated conductor heater may include an electrical conductor that produces heat when an electrical current is provided to the electrical conductor. An electrical insulator at least partially surrounds the electrical conductor. The electrical insulator comprises a resistivity that remains substantially constant, or increases, over time when the electrical conductor produces heat. An outer electrical conductor at least partially surrounds the electrical insulator.

Abstract: A method and system for automatically configuring software distributed through a network. A server of the software vendor gathers certain information such as the user's name during a software download or purchase process, and generates a custom webpage containing software configuration information and/or a user id. The software being distributed includes an automatic configuration program. When the software is launched, the automatic configuration program finds the custom webpage and scrapes the necessary configuration information from it. The automatic configuration program then automatically configures the downloaded software using the configuration information. The automatic configuration program may also obtain additional configuration information from the server using the id contained in the custom webpage.