Abstract:
An ionic liquid-channel charge-coupled device that separates ions in a liquid sample according to ion mobility characteristics includes a channel having an inner wall that has a matrix liquid disposed within. An insulating material surrounds the channel, and an introduction element introduces a liquid sample into the channel. The sample is preferably a liquid solution that has at least one ionic specie present in the solution. The device further includes a gating element that establishes at least one charge packet in the channel in response to an externally applied input sisal, and a transport element that induces the charge packet to migrate through the channel. The gate element can be a plurality of spaced-apart, electrically conductive, gate structures that are alternately disposable between a high voltage state and a low voltage state. The transport element further includes an application element that applies a variable voltage to the gating element. This application of voltage induces the charge packets to form under the gate structures and, when the voltage applied to an adjacent gate has a higher potential, induces the packet to migrate through the channel in that direction.
Abstract:
A method for forming ohmic contacts on diamond substrates, where, by irradiating a diamond substrate with radiation having a wavelength in the neighborhood of 193 nm, regions of enhanced electrical conductivity may be formed without substantially heating the substrate surface. Metal films may be applied to obtain ohmic or Schottky type contacts on the irradiated sites. The invention may be used to form regions of anisotropic and isotropic enhanced conductivity. Regions of anisotropic conductivity may be employed as polarizing optical devices.
Abstract:
A new anisotropic dry etching system using a hot jet tube to heat and dissociate non-reactive source gas to form a directed flux of reactive specie or radicals for etching materials through openings in a resist or a reusable stencil of SiN.sub.x wherein x is in the range of 1.5 to 0.5. Si and GaAs may be etched using Cl.sub.2, F.sub.3, Br.sub.2 or SF.sub.6 source gasses. Pb or Hg, Cd, Te may be etched using n-butane, dimethyl ether or acetone as a source gas for CH.sub.3 radicals. The tube may be formed of tungsten or where fluorine is used as a source gas, an irridium tube is preferred. Alternatively, a tube formed of rhenium or an alloy of rhenium and tungsten is preferred for some applications.
Abstract:
An improved method and apparatus for crystallizing amorphous or polycrystalline material is disclosed. In this invention, a material which is to be crystallized is formed on a substrate and single crystalline seed material is disposed in contact and/or adjacent to or with at least a portion of the material which is to be crystallized. A layer of material which serves as a "wetting agent" is then formed over the material to be crystallized. The structure thus formed is subjected to a heat treatment which melts the material being crystallized and when the material solidifies its crystalline structure is substantially epitaxial based on the seed material. The "wetting agent" layer serves to prevent deleterious balling up of the material during crystallization.
Abstract:
Method and apparatus for modulation of both the intensity and the polarization of radiation in silicon waveguides by applying a biasing voltage to the waveguide.
Abstract:
A Silicon photodetector contains an insulating substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface. A Silicon layer is located on the top surface of the insulating substrate, where the Silicon layer contains a center region, the center region being larger in thickness than the rest of the Silicon layer. A top Silicon dioxide layer is located on a top surface of the center region. A left wing of the center region and a right wing of the center region are doped. The Silicon photodetector also has an active region located within the center region, where the active region contains a tailored crystal defect-impurity combination and Oxygen atoms.
Abstract:
The method and apparatus of the invention create a dynamic Soret effect for propelling a target chemical constituent along a pathway. A moving temperature profile impressed upon the pathway produces consecutive alternating warmer and cooler zones along the path which transport components of a mixture down the path according to their respective diffusivities. In one embodiment, the invention provides a dynamic thermophoretic concentrator for separating a target chemical constituent from a mixture of components on the basis of diffusion coefficient by using alternate forward and backward motion of a temperature profile along the pathway, thereby accumulating an ultimate concentration of the target constituent greater than its initial concentration in the mixture.
Abstract:
Improved field-emission devices are based on composing the back contact to the emitter material such that electron-injection efficiency into the emitter material is enhanced. Alteration of the emitter material structure near the contact or geometric field enhancement due to contact morphology gives rise to the improved injection efficiency. The devices are able to emit electrons at high current density and lower applied potential differences and temperatures than previously achieved. Wide-bandgap emitter materials without shallow donors benefit from this approach. The emission characteristics of diamond substitutionally doped with nitrogen, having a favorable emitter/vacuum band structure but being limited by the efficiency of electron injection into it, show especial improvement in the context of the invention. The injection-enhancing contacts can be created by combining the emitter material with an appropriate metal compound and annealing or by conventional dry anisotropic etching or ion bombardment techniques.
Abstract:
An energetic-electron emitter providing electrons having kinetic energies on the order of one thousand electron volts without acceleration through vacuum. An average electric field of 10.sup.5 V/m to 10.sup.10 V/m applied across a layer of emissive cathode material accelerates electrons inside the layer. The cathode material is a high-dielectric strength, rigid-structure, wide-bandgap semiconductors, especially type Ib diamond. A light-emitting device incorporates the energetic-electron emitter as a source of excitation to luminescence.
Abstract:
A cathode structure is formed by a process in which a carbon-containing electron-emissive cathode is subjected to electronegative atoms that include oxygen and/or fluorine. The cathode is also subjected to atoms of electropositive metal, typically after being subjected to the atoms of oxygen and/or fluorine. The combination of the electropositive metal atoms and the electronegative atoms enhances the electron emissivity by reducing the work function.