Abstract: The present invention encompasses methods and apparati for heating a load (9) such as clothes immersed in a medium (such as water) during a heating period. A method embodiment of the present invention comprises heating the load (9) and medium within an enclosure (10) by subjecting said load (9) and medium to heated air (104) originated from a conventional energy source (1); and applying heat to said load (9) and medium within the enclosure (10) via an AC electrical field, embodied as a capacitor, originated from an RF power source (2).

Abstract: A clothes dryer apparatus (99) comprising an electrically conductive, grounded, generally cylindrical rotatable drum (13) having a hollow interior adapted to contain a load (15) of wet clothes to be dried. The drum's (13) exterior surface (27) is partially indented to form one or more integral, generally ring-shaped insulated notches (10). An electrically conductive, generally flat arcuate anode (11) is positioned within each notch (10), with no physical contact between an anode (11) and its corresponding notch (10). Each anode (11) is spatially fixed with respect to the rotatable drum (13), and is electrically isolated from conductive portions of the drum (13). A source (21) of RF power (12), operating at a single fixed frequency, is coupled to each anode (11).

Abstract: A clothes dryer apparatus (99) comprising an electrically conductive, grounded, generally cylindrical rotatable drum (13) having a hollow interior adapted to contain a load (15) of wet clothes to be dried. The drum's (13) exterior surface (27) is partially indented to form one or more integral, generally ring-shaped insulated notches (10). An electrically conductive, generally flat arcuate anode (11) is positioned within each notch (10), with no physical contact between an anode (11) and its corresponding notch (10). Each anode (11) is spatially fixed with respect to the rotatable drum (13), and is electrically isolated from conductive portions of the drum (13). A source (21) of RF power (12), operating at a single fixed frequency, is coupled to each anode (11).

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for heating an object 9 that includes an absorbed medium. A method embodiment comprises: placing the object 9 including the medium into an enclosure 16; initiating a heating process by subjecting the object 9 and medium to a capacitive AC electrical field generated by an RF power source 2 at a single low frequency; controlling the heating process by taking real time measurements; and making real time adjustments to the RF power source 2 in response to the real time measurements. The object 9 substantially absorbs the medium in a first “cool” state, and therefore has a maximum weight in the first “cool” state. The object 9 is substantially free from the medium in a second “heated” state, due to substantial release of the medium from the object 9. The released medium is evaporated during the heating process. The heating process is completed when the object 9 is substantially transitioned into the second “heated” state.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for heating an object 9 that includes an absorbed medium. A method embodiment comprises: placing the object 9 including the medium into an enclosure 16; initiating a heating process by subjecting the object 9 and medium to a capacitive AC electrical field generated by an RF power source 2 at a single low frequency; controlling the heating process by taking real time measurements; and making real time adjustments to the RF power source 2 in response to the real time measurements. The object 9 substantially absorbs the medium in a first “cool” state, and therefore has a maximum weight in the first “cool” state. The object 9 is substantially free from the medium in a second “heated” state, due to substantial release of the medium from the object 9. The released medium is evaporated during the heating process. The heating process is completed when the object 9 is substantially transitioned into the second “heated” state.

Abstract: The lateral RF MOS device having two drain drift regions and a conductive plug source connection structure is disclosed. The usage of two drain drift regions results in the increased source-drain breakdown voltage and in increased maximum drain current density. The lateral RF MOS device of the present intention can be used for high power and high frequency applications.

Abstract: The lateral RF MOS device having a conducive plug in the source region and an oxide plug in the drain region is disclosed. The oxide plug in the drain region reduces the drain-source capacitance, improves the matching ability to the outside circuitry, and results in a lateral RF MOS device having a wider BW, and an improved power efficiency than a prior art lateral RF MOS device. The oxide plug can comprise a shallow plug or a deep plug. The shallow oxide plug results in a lesser reduction in the drain-source capacitance but is relatively easy to fabricate. The deep oxide plug results in a higher reduction in the drain-source capacitance but is relatively difficult to fabricate.

Abstract: Methods of fabrication of a lateral RF MOS device having a non-diffusion connection between source and substrate are disclosed. In one embodiment, the lateral RF MOS device has an interdigitated silicided gate structure. In another embodiment, the lateral RF MOS device has a quasi-mesh silicided gate structure. Both sides of each gate are oxidized thus preventing possible shorts between source and gate regions and between drain and gate regions. The top of each gate is silicided once the protective layer of silicon nitride is removed.

Abstract: A semiconductor MOSFET device having a decreased length of the channel region is disclosed. In one embodiment of the device, each gate includes three gate subregions. An enhancement drift drain region underlies the first gate subregion, a channel region underlies the third gate subregion, and each enhancement drift drain region and each channel region are separated by an epitaxial region underlying the second gate subregion. The device of the present invention if used as an amplifier, has a more linear transfer characteristic, less cross talk and less channel interference than a conventional semiconductor MOSFET device having a conventional gate region without gate subregions.

Abstract: Methods of fabrication of a lateral RF MOS device having a non-diffusion connection between source and substrate are disclosed. In one embodiment, the lateral RF MOS device has an interdigitated silicided gate structure. In another embodiment, the lateral RF MOS device has a quasi-mesh silicided gate structure. Both sides of each gate are oxidized thus preventing possible shorts between source and gate regions and between drain and gate regions. The top of each gate is silicided once the protective layer of silicon nitride is removed.

Abstract: Methods of fabrication of a lateral RF MOS device having a non-diffusion connection between source and substrate are disclosed. In one embodiment, the lateral RF MOS device has an interdigitated silicided gate structure. In another embodiment, the lateral RF MOS device has a quasi-mesh silicided gate structure.

Abstract: A lateral RF MOS device having a combined source connection structure is disclosed. The combined source connection structure utilizes a diffusion area and a conductive plug region. In one embodiment, the diffusion source area forms a contact region connecting the top surface of the semiconductor material to a highly conductive substrate of the lateral RF MOS transistor structure. In another embodiment, the diffusion source area is located completely within the epitaxial layer of the lateral RF MOS transistor structure. The conductive plug region makes a direct physical contact between a backside of the semiconductor material and the diffusion contact area.

Abstract: A source connection structure for a lateral RF MOS device is disclosed. The connection structure utilizes a conductive plug to connect a source area and a body area of the device with a backside. The usage of a conductive plug eliminates at least one doping area used for connectivity purposes. Therefore, the density of RF MOS devices per unit area of the chip is increased.

Abstract: A quasi-mesh gate structure for the RF MOS transistor having a conductive plug source-body-backside connection is disclosed. The RF MOS transistor having the quasi-mesh gate structure utilizes significantly shorter feeding gate paths as compared to the long feeding gate paths used in the prior art RF MOS devices. The RF MOS transistor having the quasi-mesh gate structure can utilize the polysilicon gates or silicided gates. This results in simplification of the fabrication process and/or improved performance at high frequencies.