Abstract: An accelerometer is based upon the monolithic integration of a Fabry-Perot interferometer and a p+n silicon photosensor. Transmission of light through a Fabry-Perot interferometer cavity is exponentially sensitive to small displacements in a movable mirror due to an applied accelerating force. The photosensor converts this displacement into an electrical signal as well as provides for additional amplification. Because the interferometer and photosensor are monolithically integrated on a silicon substrate, the combination is compact and has minimal parasitic elements, thereby reducing the accelerometer's noise level and increasing its signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

Abstract: An accelerometer is based upon the monolithic integration of a Fabry-Perot interferometer and a p+n silicon photosensor. Transmission of light through a Fabry-Perot etalon is exponentially sensitive to small displacements in a movable mirror due to an applied accelerating force. The photosensor converts this displacement into an electrical signal as well as provides for additional amplification. Because the interferometer and photosensor are monolithically integrated on a silicon substrate, the combination is compact and has minimal parasitic elements, thereby reducing the accelerometer's noise level and increasing its signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

Abstract: An improvement to an optical accelerometer based upon the monolithic integration of a Fabry-Perot interferometer and a p+n silicon photosensor includes using one or more pairs of optical accelerometers wherein each pair provides for greater accelerometer sensitivity than a single independent accelerometer, and allows for a reduction in common mode noise due to amplitude and phase difference variations of the utilized light source as well as supply voltage. The differential approach of the invention provides for the biasing of the optical accelerometers such that their output signals are 180 degrees out of phase with each other.

Abstract: A gyroscope is based upon the integration of an optical resonant cavity and a photodiode to detect minute perturbations due to angular forces. A Fabry-Perot cavity is created from two parallel semitransparent mirrors used in conjunction with a monochromatic light source. One mirror is fixed while the other is allowed to rotate with respect to the first mirror. A resonant cavity is thereby formed on either side of the axis. The gap between the mirrors is set so that light transmission through the mirrors is optimized. Rotation of the mirror from this position causes the distance between the mirrors to be altered and the light transmission on either side of the rotational axis to be change. Photodiodes on these sides sense this change as a change in photo-generated current, enabling the amount of change in rotation to be calculated. The photo-currents can be differentially amplified for sensitivity.

Abstract: A method is presented for crystallizing a thin film on a substrate by generating a beam of pulsed optical energy, countouring the intensity profile of the beam, and illuminating the thin film with the beam to crystallize the thin film into a single crystal lattice structure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is presented for crystallizing a thin film on a surate by generating a beam of pulsed optical energy, countouring the intensity profile of the beam, and illuminating the thin film with the beam to crystallize the thin film into a single crystal lattice structure.

Abstract: A buried, gate insulator field effect transistor is disclosed. It comprises source, drain, substrate, gate, and a gate insulator layer separating the gate from the source, drain and substrate; and a protective silicon dioxide covering layer. Windows are excised into this covering layer to allow electrical connection to the source, substrate, drain, and gate. The substrate and gate are vertically aligned in the resulting structure. The source, drain and gate are fabricated from a doped, semiconductor of one polarity while the substrate is fabricated from doped semiconductor of the opposite polarity. The gate insulator layer is fabricated by implanting an element or elements selected from Group V, VI or VII into the semiconductor to form a semiconductor-compound insulator. Methods of fabricating this device are also disclosed. In one embodiment the device is fabricated on an insulating base layer. The gate is formed next to the base. In a second embodiment, no base is used.

Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition system utilizes a microwave carrying dielectric member and inner chamber that are both placed within a reaction chamber. The inner chamber is used as a semiconductor source material, which in one particular embodiment is reactive with atomic hydrogen to form volatile hydrides or other gaseous compounds which react to form a desired film composition. The invention is useful for, but not limited to, submicron dimension integrated circuit fabrication, in particular, low temperature, cold wall reactor environments. By constraining the semiconductor production reaction between the inner chamber source material and an integrated circuit substrate, particulate formation is minimized, thereby reducing integrated circuit particle yield losses.

Abstract: A buried, gate insulator field effect transistor is disclosed. It comprises a source, drain, substrate, gate, and a gate insulator layer separating the gate from the source, drain and substrate; and a protective silicon dioxide covering layer. Windows are excised into this covering layer to allow electrical connection to the source, substrate, drain, and gate. The substrate and gate are vertically aligned in the resulting structure. The source, drain and gate are fabricated from a doped, semiconductor of one polarity while the substrate is fabricated from doped semiconductor of the opposite polarity. The gate insulator layer is fabricated by implanting an element or elements selected from Group V, VI or VII into the semiconductor to form a semiconductor-compound insulator. Methods of fabricating this device are also disclosed. In one embodiment the device is fabricated on top of an insulating support. The gate is formed next to the base. In a second embodiment, no base is used.

Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition system utilizes a microwave carrying dielectric member and inner chamber that are both placed within a reaction chamber. The inner chamber is used as a semiconductor source material, which in one particular embodiment is reactive with atomic hydrogen to form volatile hydrides or other gaseous compounds which react to form a desired film composition. The invention is useful for, but not limited to, submicron dimension integrated circuit fabrication, in particular, low temperature, cold wall reactor environments. By constraining the semiconductor production reaction between the inner chamber source material and an integrated circuit substrate, particulate formation is minimized, thereby reducing integrated circuit particle yield losses.

Abstract: A method is provided for forming thin films, such as high temperature superconductors, on a surface of a substrate using pulsed microwaves to control substrate temperature. The method includes vaporizing a liquid source to form a series of vapor pulses, irradiating the vapor pulses and a makeup gas with pulsed microwaves, and exposing the surface of the substrate to the irradiated mixture to form a thin film on the surface. The microwaves may be pulsed to coincide with the arrival of the vapor pulses at the substrate, thus reducing the amount of material consumed and the amount of waste. Further, the plasma may be closely confined to the substrate with a dielectric waveguide to reduce the power required for irradiating the mixture and to prevent the formation of stray deposits on surfaces enclosing the substrate.

Abstract: A plasma generator utilizes a dielectric member for carrying microwave energy from a microwave source directly into the hot zone of a thermally heated semiconductor process reaction chamber. The member carries the microwave energy much like fiber optics carries light so that the microwave energy may be delivered to and emitted at a specific preselected position within the chamber. A plasma can be formed and located directly over or near substrates so that a more highly controlled deposition and/or etching process may take place.

Abstract: A system and techniques are disclosed for forming single crystal films with the use of energy sources that can create shaped hot zones. The energy may be from any source provided that it can be shaped, directed and can heat the film to become molten and recrystallized by liquid phase epitaxy. The hot zone created by the heat source is shaped such that the angle defined by the scanned hot zone's trailing liquid edge is smaller than the angle defined by the intersection of the crystal's slowest growth planes.

Abstract: A maskless technique is disclosed for shaping semiconductor materials by ming areas that are selectively etchable with respect to the rest of the structure. In one embodiment of this invention, a body of amorphous material is subjected to radiation by a focused energy beam so as to convert a predetermined region of the amorphous material into a region of crystalline material. The converted region etches at a slower rate than the non-converted amorphous material. In a second embodiment of the present invention, a method of selectively etching a metal is disclosed which includes the step of subjecting a predetermined region of the metal to be impinged upon by a shaped ion beam so as to ion implant the predetermined region. A chemical etch is applied to the metal and to the ion implanted region of the metal and the ion implanted region etches at a slower rate than the portion of the metal outside the ion implanted region.

Abstract: A process for the interdisposition of a semiconductor compound by high dose oxygen ion implantation after a high quality single crystal semiconductor film has been formed on an insulator substrate. Specifically, in one embodiment, after the formation of a single crystal silicon semiconductor film on an insulator substrate of either sapphire or spinel, oxygen ion implantation is formed to create a silicon dioxide layer at the interface between the silicon semiconductor film and the insulator substrate in order to reduce the interface states and form a diffusion barrier between the semiconductor material and the electrical insulator substrate.