Abstract: An air dehumidification system includes a modified packed column air stripper for contacting humid air with a liquid desiccant. The dehumidification system also includes a solar distiller for regenerating the liquid desiccant through evaporation of water. The liquid desiccant may be a salt solution, more specifically, an aqueous solution of calcium chloride. The dehumidification system may also include an evaporative cooler for cooling dehumidified air exiting the air stripper. Condensate from the solar distiller may be directed to the evaporative cooler.

Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly for a high-temperature proton-exchange membrane fuel cell includes a nano-engineered polymeric membrane between an anode and a cathode. The membrane is an electrical insulator, but permits that passage of protons through the membrane. The membrane has a plurality of blind pores therein, each blind pore having an electrically-conductive coating along its inner wall that is in electrical contact with the adjacent one of the anode or cathode. The electrically-conductive coating includes a catalyst, such as platinum, for promoting the liberation of a proton and an electron from a chemical molecule, such as hydrogen, and/or for promoting the combination of a proton, an electron and another molecule, such as oxygen, to form yet another molecule, such as water.

Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly for a high-temperature proton-exchange membrane fuel cell includes a nano-engineered polymeric membrane between an anode and a cathode. The membrane is an electrical insulator, but permits that passage of protons through the membrane. The membrane has a plurality of blind pores therein, each blind pore having an electrically-conductive coating along its inner wall that is in electrical contact with the adjacent one of the anode or cathode. The electrically-conductive coating includes a catalyst, such as platinum, for promoting the liberation of a proton and an electron from a chemical molecule, such as hydrogen, and/or for promoting the combination of a proton, an electron and another molecule, such as oxygen, to form yet another molecule, such as water.

Abstract: A low-contaminant dual layer apparatus adapted for use in a flat panel display device is described. The apparatus includes a dual layer electroplated structure for containing the movement of electrons. The electroplated structure resides within an active region of the flat panel display device. The electroplated structure has a cavity adapted to having sub-pixel forming material deposited within and contains substantially no organic material.

Abstract: An electroplated structure for a field emission display device and method for forming an electroplated structure for a field emission display device. In one embodiment, the present invention forms a molded structure over selected portions of a flat panel display device. Next, the present embodiment deposits an electroplating seed layer over the molded structure. After the deposition of the electroplating seed layer, the present embodiment electroplates material onto portions of the electroplating seed layer such that an electroplated structure is formed at desired regions of the flat panel display device. In such an embodiment, the present invention provides an electroplated structure which contains substantially no polyimide material. As a result, the present embodiment eliminates the cost and production of outgassed contaminants associated with prior art structures.

Abstract: A flat panel display and a method for forming a flat panel display. In one embodiment, the flat panel display includes a cathodic structure which is formed within an active area on a backplate. The cathodic structure includes a emitter electrode metal composed of strips of aluminum overlain by a layer of cladding material. The use of aluminum and cladding material to form emitter electrode metal gives emitter electrode metal segments which are highly conductive due to the high conductivity of aluminum. By using a suitable cladding material and processing steps, a bond between the aluminum and the cladding material is formed which has good electrical conductivity. In one embodiment, tantalum is used as a cladding material. Tantalum forms a bond with the overlying resistive layer which has good electrical conductivity. Thus, the resulting structure has very high electrical conductivity through the aluminum layer and high conductivity into the resistive layer.

Abstract: The intensity at which electrons emitted by a first plate structure (10) in a flat-panel display strike a second plate structure (12) for causing it to emit light is controlled so as to reduce image degradation that could otherwise arise from undesired electron-trajectory changes caused by effects such as the presence of a spacer system (14) between the plate structures. An electron-emissive region (20) in the first plate structure typically contains multiple laterally separated electron-emissive portions (201 and 202) for selectively emitting electrons. An electron-focusing system in the first plate structure has corresponding focus openings (42P1 and 42P2) through which electrons emitted by the electron-emissive portions respectively pass. Upon being struck by the so-emitted electrons, a light-emissive region (22) in the second plate structure emits light to produce at least part of a dot of the display's image.

Abstract: Integrated circuits, including field emission devices, have a resistor element of amorphous SixC1-x wherein 0<x<1, and wherein the SixC1-x incorporates at least one impurity selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogens, nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur, selenium, transition metals, boron, aluminum, phosphorus, gallium, arsenic, lithium, beryllium, sodium and magnesium.

Abstract: An electroplated structure for a field emission display device and method for forming an electroplated structure for a field emission display device. In one embodiment, the present invention forms a molded structure over selected portions of a flat panel display device. Next, the present embodiment deposits an electroplating seed layer over the molded structure. After the deposition of the electroplating seed layer, the present embodiment electroplates material onto portions of the electroplating seed layer such that an electroplated structure is formed at desired regions of the flat panel display device. In such an embodiment, the present invention provides an electroplated structure which contains substantially no polyimide material. As a result, the present embodiment eliminates the cost and production of outgassed contaminants associated with prior art structures.

Abstract: Integrated circuits, including field emission devices, have a resistor element of amorphous Si.sub.x C.sub.1-x wherein 0<x<1, and wherein the Si.sub.x C.sub.1-x incorporates at least one impurity selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogens, nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur, selenium, transition metals, boron, aluminum, phosphorus, gallium, arsenic, lithium, beryllium, sodium and magnesium.

Abstract: A method of forming solid metal vias extending between the top and bottom surfaces of a substrate with the ends of the vias being substantially coplanar with the top and bottom surfaces. The method includes the steps of forming holes through the substrate, plating the interior of the holes with excess metal to fill the holes and extend beyond the ends of the holes, heating the substrate to cause the metal to melt and consolidate to form solid vias with domed ends, and lapping the top and bottom surfaces of the substrate to remove the domes. Conductive layers may then be formed over the vias. These layers may have windows over a portion of each via to provide an escape route for expanding fluids during further processing of the substrate.