Abstract:
Chemical reactions are accomplished at a surface (14) of a substrate (12) by supplying both a chemical reactant and energy by means of a cluster beam (18, 18') of a volatile material. Discrete units containing a volatile reactant are formed into clusters, ionized, accelerated to high energy, and impacted against the surface (14). The clusters disintegrate, and the reactant species reacts at the surface (14), under the influence of the energy transferred by the accelerated cluster. The clustered species may be the only reactant, as in a decomposition reaction, or additional reactants may be supplied from the surface (14) or from other external sources, as in a film deposition, etching reaction, or catalysis reaction.
Abstract:
Circular waveguide (12) in which slots are formed which are shaped and disposed such that they interrupt either the right hand or left hand circulating mode (RC and LC respectively) residing in the waveguide (12). Locating the slots in the waveguide (12) wall is accomplished in accordance with the theory that for TE modes in circular waveguide with circumferential variation of e , current flow lines (38, 40) are produced that are helical. The slots (14) are located so as to interrupt the helical currents of the desired mode. In one embodiment, an ortho-polarization mode transducer (20) and a circular polarizer (16, 18) are used to feed the slotted waveguide (12). By controlling the amplitude and phase of the energy propagating in the waveguide (12), azimuthal pattern control can be effected. By loading the waveguide with dielectric to make lambda g in the loaded waveguide equal to lambda -free space, endfire radiation can be achieved.
Abstract:
A converter hologram (23) providing radially symmetric exposure (G) of coaxially located holograms from an off-axis source (F) and displays utilizing the same.
Abstract:
A method of strengthening materials such as glass, plastic and ceramics enabling strengths to be achieved which are far in excess of what was previously known. Generally, the method comprises the placement of elongated reinforcement members (32, 34) in a molten glass substrate (30, 36, 46, 48) then cooling the substrate to the solid state. The reinforcement members may be pre-stressed in some instances and may assume a variety of arrangements within the glass substrate. The reinforcement members may be of various materials having greater tensile strength than the glass substrate. In one instance, the reinforcement members themselves may be fiber optic bundles composed of glass fibers with an outer glass cladding which melts at lower temperatures than the inner regions. The temperature is raised sufficiently to melt the cladding so as to bond together all of the bundles into an integral structure of optical quality. In another application of non-optical quality, the core may be metallic with an outer glass cladding which melts at a lower temperature than the inner regions. According to yet another embodiment, strengthened plastic members utilizing elongated reinforcing members in a plastic matrix can have an optical quality reflective surface applied by replication.
Abstract:
A variable inductor usable in a fast tuning RF network comprises a plurality of inductor switching circuits connected in series. Each inductor switching circuit includes an input terminal connected to a discrete inductor (18b) and to a PIN diode (24b), and includes an output terminal connected to switches which are in turn connected to the parallel connected discrete inductor (18b) and PIN diode (24b). The PIN diode (24b) operates in either the forward bias mode for switching out the respective discrete inductor (18b), or in the reverse bias mode for switching in the respective discrete inductor (18b). The PIN diode (24b) is forward or reverse biased by MOSFET switches (36a, 36b) (38a, 38b) one of which has a parasitic capacitor used to provide a charged rectified reverse bias voltage to the PIN diode (24b) to insure reverse bias operation during large voltage changes in the conducted RF signals. The MOSFET switches are controlled by logic signals so that rapid switching by computer or other processor control is possible. Electrical isolation of the logic control circuitry is provided by optically coupling (56, 52) (58, 54) the control signals to the MOSFET switches.
Abstract:
A movable open center mounting for the tool of an ultrasonic wire bonding machine employs ball-bearing rollers (22, 24, 30, 32) to permit limited motion of the wire bonding tip (13a) substantially constrained to a vertical line with a minimum of tip skid. The mounting structure which is all positioned on one side of the tool tip includes a frame (10) of inverted U-shape having a pair of mutually spaced ball-bearing rollers (22, 24, 30, 32) on the end of each frame leg and a transducer support (12) positioned between the frame legs and having fixed roller contacting rods (90, 92, 96, 98) extending fore-and-aft between and partly under each of the respective rollers. A pair of springs (80, 82) urges the transducer support upwardly to press the fixed rods against the roller surfaces, allowing the transducer support to effectively rock about a center of motion (120) that is well below the bonder frame and transducer support, with the rocking motion being so constrained that the bonder tip moves substantially in a straight vertical line for small displacements.
Abstract:
A solar cell (10) generates an electrical voltage with contributions from both photovoltaic and thermoelectric effects, when a high thermal gradient is impressed across a semiconductor p/n solar cell. To achieve a substantial thermoelectric voltage contribution, the front side (12) of the solar cell (10) is heated to an elevated temperature consistent with efficient operation of the photovoltaic mechanism of the solar cell, and the back side (14) of the solar cell (10) is cooled to a lower temperature. The magnitude of the thermoelectric voltage contribution is increased by reducing the coefficient of thermal conductivity of the solar cell material, by using face electrodes (24, 26) having the proper thermoelectric potentials in contact with the solar cell material, by increasing the light intensity and thence the heat input to the front side (12) of the solar cell (10) and by cooling the back side (14) of the solar cell (10). The preferred material of construction is gallium arsenide, and the solar cell can be mounted to receive concentrated sunlight on its front side and to be cooled on its back side by enhanced thermal radiation.
Abstract:
The system for sensing ions in aqueous solution such as an electroplating bath includes a light source (18) which delivers light including a selected wavelength through a series of optical fibers (20, 24, 26, 32) to probe (14). The probe is partially immersed in the solution (12) and the light is delivered through the solution in the space (94) between prisms (82, 92). The return light is conducted by optical fibers (32, 38) to detector or opto-electronic transducer (44). A portion of the original light is diverted by splitter (22) through fiber (42) to opto-electronic transducer (46) so that a comparison of the signals determines the amount of light in selected wavelength is absorbed in the solution due to ions thereon. The signal processing unit (40) is preferably enclosed in an electromagnetic protected area (16) to avoid the adverse EMI and corrosive atmosphere effects near the electroplating tank (10).
Abstract:
A method for achieving initial synchronization of the transmission and reception of a frequency hopped communication signal, which comprises the steps of transmitting a preamble defined by a sequence of synchronizing pulses on a single channel and transmitting random dummy pulses over the remaining channels to hide the preamble. The received signal is filtered to obtain the preamble which is then convolved with a stored replica of the preamble to produce a synchronizing signal that is used to synchronize frequency hopping of the receiver and transmitter in preparation for the transmission of information. The received, constituent pulses of the preamble are delayed and accumulated by a baseband correlator (18) to form a composite pulse whose magnitude is detected by a threshold detector (20). The threshold detector produces the synchronizing signal (22) when the accumulated pulse reaches a prescribed value indicating that all of the bits of the preamble have been received.
Abstract:
The four-diode bridge (14) is positioned within the cavity (10) of a Gunn diode (12) oscillator. A subharmonic signal is applied to the diode bridge and the diode bridge couples an odd harmonic of the injected signal into the cavity. The cavity is thus caused to resonate at the odd harmonic of the injected signal. The injected signal can be changed using a frequency synthesizer (26) in order to provide a microwave oscillator with multiple-channel operation. The diode bridge provides a feedback signal indicative of the phase of the cavity oscillation. The feedback signal is applied to a varactor (24) which pretunes the Gunn diode oscillator and thereby provides phase-locked control.