Abstract: A confinement apparatus includes a plurality of chips. Each chip of the plurality of chips are positioned at least partially on a first plane and adjacent to at least another one of the plurality of chips such that a distance between them is within 20 micrometer (?m) of each other. The plurality of chips are arranged such that at least one open area is formed on the plane and between at least two of the plurality of chips. The at least one open area extends a distance of at least 100 ?m between a smallest distance between the at least two of the plurality of chips.

Abstract: A flex ion trap interconnect for a quantum computing system is provided. The flex ion trap interconnect may be configured for operation in the temperature and pressure required by a vacuum chamber. The flex ion trap interconnect may include two or more connectors, which may be located at an end or middle of a flex ion trap interconnect and configured to connect to an ion trap of a quantum computing system to transmit electrical signals to and from the ion trap.

Abstract: A low loss silicon nitride film is formed by depositing a silicon nitride film on a substrate and annealing the silicon nitride film for at least ten hours at a temperature of at least 400° C. to cause the silicon nitride film to become a low loss silicon nitride film. The low loss silicon nitride film has an optical loss of less than 1 dB per cm at a wavelength of 488 nm.

Abstract: Methods for using ink-jet printing to deposit various layers of micro-structure devices are provided. A wide variety of micro-structures may be formed using these techniques including, for example, many forms of MEMs structures as well as other structures.

Abstract: Methods for using ink-jet printing to deposit various layers of micro-structure devices are provided. A wide variety of micro-structures may be formed using these techniques including, for example, many forms of MEMs structures as well as other structures.

Abstract: Methods of fabricating thinned comb MEMS devices are disclosed. A comb drive device in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention can include a number of interdigitated comb fingers some of which have a reduced thickness along at least a portion of their length relative to other comb fingers.

Abstract: An approach where items of different temperatures are bonded to each other such that upon cooling down they contract in size resulting in zero residual stress between the bonded items at an ambient temperature. If materials of the bonded items have different thermal expansion coefficients and the items are put together at different bonding temperatures, then they may have insignificant residual stress upon cooling down to the ambient temperature (e.g., room temperature) because the different ranges of the temperature drops compensate for the different contractions.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a MEMS device having a top cap and an upper sense plate is described. The method includes producing a device wafer including an etched substrate, etched MEMS device components, and interconnect metal, a portion of the interconnect metal being bond pads and adding a metal wraparound layer to a back side, edges, and a portion of a front side of the device wafer. The method also includes producing an upper wafer including an etched substrate and interconnect metal, bonding the device wafer and the upper wafer, and dicing the bonded upper wafer and device wafer into individual MEMS devices.

Abstract: Methods for using ink-jet printing to deposit various layers of micro-structure devices are provided. A wide variety of micro-structures may be formed using these techniques including, for example, many forms of MEMs structures as well as other structures.

Abstract: An elongated robotic member that is simple in design and structure, relatively inexpensive and consumes little power. In one illustrative embodiment, one or more linear actuators are used in conjunction with two or more plates that are fixed at spaced locations along a spine member. Fixed between each pair of plates is one or more actuators, which when activated, pull or push corresponding portions of the plates towards or away from each other. This changes the relative orientation of the plate pairs, thus providing a bending movement. The spine preferably is flexible at least in the lateral direction, and bends in response to the relative movement of the plates. A number of plate pairs may be provided to create an arbitrarily long robotic member.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a MEMS device having a top cap and an upper sense plate is described. The method includes producing a device wafer including an etched substrate, etched MEMS device components, and interconnect metal, a portion of the interconnect metal being bond pads and adding a metal wraparound layer to a back side, edges, and a portion of a front side of the device wafer. The method also includes producing an upper wafer including an etched substrate and interconnect metal, bonding the device wafer and the upper wafer, and dicing the bonded upper wafer and device wafer into individual MEMS devices.

Abstract: A microactuator device having at least a pair of polymeric sheets each having conductive and dielectric films deposited thereon, the polymeric sheets facing each other and bonded together to create at least one cell having a substantially circular shape parallel to a plane in which the polymeric sheets lie, the at least one cell having at least one egress hole to allow a fluid to pass there through when a source of electric potential is applied to the conductive films to cause a portion of the polymeric sheets in the vicinity of a perimeter of the cell to be attracted to one another and thereby cause the cell to retract or collapse upon itself.

Abstract: A method for controlling bow in wafers which utilize doped layers is described. The method includes depositing a silicon-germanium layer onto a substrate, depositing an undoped buffer layer onto the silicon-germanium layer, and depositing a silicon-boron layer onto the undoped layer.

Abstract: A microactuator device is disclosed that includes a plurality of generally parallel thin flexible sheets bonded together in a predetermined pattern to form an array of unit cells. Preferably, each of the sheets has only a single electrode layer located on one side of the sheet. Pairs of such sheets are then bonded together at spaced bonding locations with the electrode layers facing one another. Several sets of such sheet pairs can then be bonded together to form a microactuator device.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a microactuator device includes a plurality of generally parallel thin flexible sheets bonded together in a predetermined pattern to form an array of unit cells. Preferably, each of the sheets has only a single electrode layer located on one side of the sheet. Pairs of such sheets are then bonded together at spaced bonding locations with the electrode layers facing one another. Several sets of such sheet pairs can then be bonded together to form a microactuator device.

Abstract: A microactuator device is disclosed that includes a plurality of generally parallel thin flexible sheets bonded together in a predetermined pattern to form an array of unit cells. Preferably, each of the sheets has only a single electrode layer located on one side of the sheet. Pairs of such sheets are then bonded together at spaced bonding locations with the electrode layers facing one another. Several sets of such sheet pairs can then be bonded together to form a microactuator device.

Abstract: A microactuator device is disclosed that includes a plurality of generally parallel thin flexible sheets bonded together in a predetermined pattern to form an array of unit cells. Preferably, each of the sheets has only a single electrode layer located on one side of the sheet. Pairs of such sheets are then bonded together at spaced bonding locations with the electrode layers facing one another. Several sets of such sheet pairs can then be bonded together to form a microactuator device.