Abstract: A semiconductor device for the detection of a target DNA or RNA is provided, composed of: at least one insulating or semi-insulating layer; one conducting semiconductor layer; two conducting pads on the upper layer making electrical contact with the conducting semiconductor layer, such that electrical current can flow between them at a finite distance from the surface of the device; and a layer of at least one single-stranded DNA probe directly adsorbed on the surface of the upper layer which is either a conducting semiconductor layer or an insulating or semi-insulating layer. The DNA probe may have a sequence complementary to a sequence of the target DNA or RNA, e.g.

Abstract: An electro-optical modulator device and method are provided. The device comprises a light modulator unit having a first Cathode for exposing to input light; and an electric field source configured to create an electric field affecting a change in the refractive index of the first Cathode, thereby effecting a change in the propagation of light reflected from or transmitted through the first Cathode, said light from the first Cathode enabling to affect the operation of an external light sensitive electronic device.

Abstract: An electrons' emission device is presented. The device comprises an electrodes' arrangement including at least one Cathode electrode and at least one Anode electrode, the Cathode and Anode electrodes being arranged in a spaced-apart relationship; the device being configured to expose said at least one Cathode electrode to exciting illumination to thereby cause electrons' emission from said Cathode electrode, the device being operable as a photoemission switching device.

Abstract: A display device is presented. The display device includes an electrodes' arrangement and an electrons' extractor. The electrodes' arrangement comprises a Cathode electrode layer having at least one Cathode electrode and an Anode electrode layer having at least one Anode electrode, the Cathode and Anode electrode layers being accommodated in a spaced-apart relationship with a gap between them. The Anode layer carries a luminescent screen assembly on its surface. The electrodes arrangement is operable to create a desired electrical field between the electrodes. The electrons' extractor operates to extract electrons from at least a selected region of the Cathode electrode layer by illuminating this Cathode region with exciting illumination of a predetermined wavelength range to cause the electron emission from the illuminated Cathode region.

Abstract: A semiconductor device (FIG. 1) is provided for the detection of nitric oxide (NO) molecules in gaseous mixtures, in biological fluids and in aqueous solutions. The device is a molecular controlled semiconductor resistor (MOCSER) of a multilayered GaAs structure to which top layer a layer of multifunctional NO-binding molecules are adsorbed. The sensitivity of the semiconductor device towards NO is independent of mixture composition. Nitric oxide concentrations of as low as 10 ppb NO were detected in mixtures containing various contaminants.

Abstract: An apparatus (1) for optical inspection of an article(s) is presented. The apparatus utilizes near-field illumination, and comprises a light source unit (4) generating incident light, a detector unit (14), a fiber bundle for directing (16C) the incident light onto a substantially large surface area (2A) of the article and collecting light (16B) returned from the illuminated surface area, and a control means (28). The control means comprises sensing means consisting of at least three tips for atomic force (AFM) or current tunneling (STM) measurement at sample surface, and is capable of adjusting the position of the fiber bundle relative to the surface of the article.

Abstract: A hybrid organic-inorganic semiconductor device is provided as a sensor for chemicals and light, said device being composed of: (i) at least one layer of a conducting semiconductor such as doped n-GaAs or n-(Al,Ga)As; (ii) at least one insulating layer such as of an undoped semiconductor; e.g. GaAs or (Al,Ga)As; (iii) a thin layer of multifunctional organic sensing molecules directly chemisorbed on one of its surfaces, said multifunctional organic sensing molecules having at least one functional group that binds to said surface and at least one another functional group that serves as a sensor; and (iv) two conducting pads on the top layer making electrical contact with the electrically conducting layer, so that the electrical current can flow between them at a finite distance from the surface of the device. The surface-binding functional group of the multifunctional organic sensing molecule may be one or more aliphatic or aromatic carboxyl, thiol, sulfide, hydroxamic acid or trichlorosilane groups.

Abstract: The invention provides a low-vacuum mass specrometer for use as gas analyzer, including a drift tube having a gas inlet and an ionization region at one end thereof, a power source for supplying the required high tension, a vacuum pump connectable to the drift tube to maintain a level of vacuum of up to 1 Torr, and a detector located at the other end of the drift tube, wherein the detector is a multisphere plate comprised of a multilayer arrangement of beads bonded together in a substantially close-packing order.