Abstract: A single crystal silicon film nanostructure capable of optical emission is aterally disposed on an insulating transparent substrate of sapphire. By laterally disposing the nanostructure, adequate support for the structure is provided, and the option of fabricating efficient electrical contact structures to the nanostructure is made possible. The method of the invention begins with the deposition of ultrathin layers of silicon on the substrate. A Solid Phase Epitaxy improvement process is then used to remove crystalline defects formed during the deposition. The silicon is then annealed and thinned using thermal oxidation steps to reduce its thickness to be on the order of five nanometers in height. The width and length of the nanostructure are defined by lithography. The nanometer dimensioned silicon is then spin-coated with a resist with width and length definition in the resist being performed by way of electron beam exposure.

Abstract: A light emitting photonic structure has a transparent substrate, such as sapphire, supporting a layer of group IV semiconductor material, such as silicon, having at least one porous region from which light is emitted as a response to an electrical or optical stimulus. Optionally, the group IV semiconductor material may be germanium, carbon, tin, silicon-germanium, silicon carbide, single crystal structures, polycrystalline structures, or amorphous structures and the transparent substrate may be glass, quartz, fused silica, diamond, ruby, yttria alumina garnet, yttria stabilized zirconium, magnesium fluoride or magnesium oxide. When the stimulus is electrical, the response is electroluminescence or cathodoluminescence and when the stimulus is optical, the response is photoluminescence.

Abstract: A method for the fabrication of active semiconductor and high-temperature superconducting device of the same substrate to form a monolithically integrated semiconductor-superconductor (MISS) structure is disclosed. A common insulating substrate, preferably sapphire or yttria-stabilized zirconia, is used for deposition of semiconductor and high-temperature superconductor substructures. Both substructures are capable of operation at a common temperature of at least 77 K. The separate semiconductor and superconductive regions may be electrically interconnected by normal metals, refractory metal silicides, or superconductors. Circuits and devices formed in the resulting MISS structures display operating characteristics which are equivalent to those of circuits and devices prepared on separate substrates.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure having improved light mitting characteristics includes the step of exposing a semiconductor substrate, such as a silicon wafer, to an unbiased etching solution comprised of an acid, water, and an oxidizing agent to form a porous region having interstitial spaces in the semiconductor structure. Next, an electrically conductive contact structure is formed in the interstitial spaces and on the semiconductor structure. The large surface area at the interface junction between the electrical contact layer and the porous region is believed to enhance the intensity of light emitted by the porous region by allowing increased electrical current flow across the interface junction.

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 video display with integrated control circuitry formed on a single dielectric substrate, includes a dielectric substrate; emitter cathodes formed on the dielectric substrate for emitting electrons; a window plate mounted a fixed distance from the substrate to define a vacuum chamber therebetween; phosphors mounted to the window plate which generate light when irradiated with the electrons; and field effect transistors mounted to the substrate which are electrically interconnected to the emitter cathodes for selectively controlling light emissions from the phosphors.

Abstract: A method is provided for improving silicide formation, and the electrical ntact provided thereby, on non-planar silicon structures. In this method, a semiconductor device structure is initially formed having non-planar surface regions. A metal layer is deposited on the non-planar surfaces. The metal deposition process step is followed by an off-axis implantation of non-dopant ions, causing a mixing of the metal and silicon atoms at the metal and non-planar silicon structure interface. The off-axes implantation also serves to disrupt the native silicon dioxide layer between the silicon and metal layers regions. Thermal processing is then used to form silicide on the non-planar surfaces of the semiconductor silicon structure.

Abstract: A method for forming a uniform cavity between electrode substrates of a dlay comprises the steps of patterning a border to define a display area between the electrode substrates, patterning electrode spacers between the electrode substrates, and wafer bonding the electrode substrates to the border and to the electrode spacers to form a uniform cavity within the display area. A cavity comprises a pair of substrates enclosing the cavity and patterned spacers wafer bonded to the substrates to form and maintain a uniform thickness of the cavity.

Abstract: A single crystal silicon film nanostructure capable of optical emission is laterally disposed on an insulating transparent substrate of sapphire. By laterally disposing the nanostructure, adequate support for the structure is provided, and the option of fabricating efficient electrical contact structures to the nanostructure is made possible. The method of the invention begins with the deposition of ultrathin layers of silicon on the substrate. A Solid Phase Epitaxy improvement process is then used to remove crystalline defects formed during the deposition. The silicon is then annealed and thinned using thermal oxidation steps to reduce its thickness to be on the order of five nanometers in height. The width and length of the nanostructure are defined by lithography. The nanometer dimensioned silicon is then spin-coated with a resist with width and length definition in the resist being performed by way of electron beam exposure.

Abstract: A light emitting photonic structure has a transparent substrate, such as sapphire, supporting a layer of group IV semiconductor material, such as silicon, having at least one porous region from which light is emitted as a response to a stimulus. An example of such a photonic structure is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/118,900. The photonic structure can be used to assess the presence of various fluids. The photonic structure is disposed to be contacted by the fluid to be sensed should it be present. The light emitting region of the photonic structure is stimulated by an appropriate source, and the light emitted by the photonic source is detected by a detector. The light emitting region of the photonic structure will emit a certain luminescence in air and should the light emitting region be contacted by other fluid or fluids, this luminescence can be affected and the corresponding change in luminescence can be detected thus the presence of these fluids can be sensed.

Abstract: A chemical sensor couples a material that changes temperature in response to a chemical condition with an oscillator. The oscillator is coupled to the material to detect the change in temperature in the material so that the frequency of the oscillator changes in correspondence with the change in temperature as an indication of the chemical condition.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to decompose nonhydrolyzable ambients such as chlorofluorocarbons and nitrogen trifluoride which enables the conventional disposal of their byproducts are disclosed. It employs photo-decomposition of the nonhydrolyzable ambient using UV light and a mediating species to allow chemical reactions to occur which form an effluent which is hydrolyzed by conventional methods. This abatement process is amenable to point-of-use decomposition systems required for modular cluster tool systems used in microelectronic device fabrication.

Abstract: A method of simultaneously improving the spectral response and dark current characteristics of an image gathering detector is disclosed. The method uses an excimer laser to redistribute and activate ion implanted dopant species in the backside of an image gathering device such as a backside-illuminated CCD. Alternately, the excimer laser is used to incorporate dopants from a gaseous ambient into the backside of the image gathering device and simultaneously redistribute and activate the dopants. The redistribution of the dopant is controlled by the laser pulses and provides for a peak dopant concentration at the back surface of the image gathering device which provides for improved spectral response and simultaneously improves dark current characteristics.

Abstract: An electromagnetic energy detector system down converts electromagnetic egy from a relatively high energy beyond the detectable range of an electromagnetic energy detector to a lower energy level within the detectable range of the electromagnetic energy detector. The detector includes a transparent substrate, a porous silicon structure formed on the substrate for down converting electromagnetic energy characterized by a first wavelength W1 to electromagnetic energy characterized by a second wavelength W2, where W2>W1; and an electromagnetic energy detector for detecting the down converted electromagnetic energy. The detector is useful in applications where the electromagnetic energy detector would ordinarily be incapable of detecting the higher level electromagnetic energy directly without going through the down conversion process effectuated by the porous silicon structure.

Abstract: A method uses an excimer laser to activate previously implanted dopant species in the backside of a backside-illuminated CCD or to incorporate dopant ions from a gaseous ambient into the backside of a backside-illuminated CCD and simultaneously activate. The controlled ion implantation of the backside and subsequent thin layer heating by the short wavelength pulsed excimer laser energy activates the dopant and provides for an improved dark current response and improved spectral response. The energy of the pulsed excimer laser is applied uniformly across a backside-illuminated CCD in a very thin layer of the semiconductor substrate (usually silicon) material that requires annealing to uniformly activate the dopant. The very thin layer of the material can be heated to exceedingly high temperatures on a nanosecond time scale while the bulk of the delicate CCD substrate remains at low temperature.

Abstract: Electroluminescent devices are formed on a transparent sapphire substrate follows. Crystalline silicon is formed on the sapphire substrate and patterned into a mesa. An electrode of, for example, titanium silicide, is formed in the silicon around the mesa, and an electrically insulating layer is formed over the electrode. The crystalline silicon is exposed on the mesa, and a porous silicon layer is formed on the crystalline silicon. An electrode made of aluminum, for example, is formed on the porous silicon layer. This electrode need not be transparent. An outer insulating layer may be formed on the aluminum electrode and additional electrodes may be formed on and through the outer insulating layer to make electrical contact with the titanium silicide and aluminum electrodes, respectively. A voltage source may be connected to the electrodes to pass a current through the porous silicon to cause light to be emitted from the porous silicon through the sapphire substrate.

Abstract: A light stop having at least one appropriately laser textured surface assures the absorption of energy including laser emissions that impinge on the at least one surface to thereby inhibit reflected energy therefrom. Optionally, an improved emitter of energy is created by at least one appropriately laser textured surface having an increased surface area of emission to increase the emissive power of the surface to thereby provide improved conductive and radiative cooling. An improved absorber and emitter is fabricated by providing front side and backside textured surfaces. All these capabilities are provided in a variety of structural configurations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to decompose nonhydrolyzable ambients such as chloluorocarbons and nitrogen trifluoride which enables the conventional disposal of their byproducts are disclosed. It employs photo-decomposition of the nonhydrolyzable ambient using UV light and a mediating species to allow chemical reactions to occur which form an effluent which is hydrolyzed by conventional methods. This abatement process is amenable to point-of-use decomposition systems required for modular cluster tool systems used in microelectronic device fabrication.

Abstract: The fabrication of bipolar junction transistors in silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) relies upon the laser-assisted dopant activation in SOS. A patterned 100% aluminum mask whose function is to reflect laser light from regions where melting of the silicon is undesirable is provided on an SOS wafer to be processed. The wafer is placed within a wafer carrier that is evacuated and backfilled with an inert atmosphere and that is provided with a window transparent to the wavelength of the laser beam to allow illumination of the masked wafer when the carrier is inserted into a laser processing system. A pulsed laser (typically an excimer laser) beam is appropriately shaped and homogenized and one or more pulses are directed onto the wafer. The laser beam pulse energy and pulse duration are set to obtain the optimal fluence impinging on the wafer in order to achieve the desired melt duration and corresponding junction depth.

Abstract: A temperature measuring device comprises a ring oscillator having a nominal oscillating frequency positioned at a location where temperature is to be measured. The ring oscillator emits electromagnetic radiation to an antenna located at a convenient distance from the ring oscillator. The antenna transforms the electromagnetic radiation into an electrical signal. A receiver receives the electrical signal and measures the frequency of the electrical signal to determine the corresponding temperature. The temperature may then be visually monitored from a display or electronically monitored by other devices.