Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Arthur S Jensen

Nathan Bluzer

Keefer S Stull, Jr

Donald R Lampe

Marvin H White

Clarence O Williams

Paul R Malmberg

Maurice H Francombe

Dieter K Schroder

Shu-Yau Wu

An integrated circuit including a charge-coupled device for accumulating charge in a potential well and a pair of metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistors connected to form a differential amplifier. The gate of one transistor is coupled to the CCD potential well. The integrated circuit is provided with means for coupling the differential outputs, the drain of each transistor of the differential amplifier, to the differential inputs of an external op amp. Means are provided for coupling electrical feedback from the output of the op amp to the gate of the second transistor of the differential amplifier.

Integrated circuit for chip op/amp interface

A charge-coupled device includes an insulation layer which is interfaced with a semiconductor wafer. Gating electrodes that are responsive to clocking signals are located on the surface of the insulation layer which is oppositely disposed from the interface with the semiconductor wafer such that the electric field produced by the potential on the electrodes has a substantial lateral component in the plane of the semiconductor-insulator interface. The lateral field component induced in the semiconductor wafer reduces the transfer time of charge carriers between adjacent electrodes thereby improving the transport response of the charge carriers to the clocking signals. A method for making the sloped oxide charge-coupled device is also described in which the insulation layer grown on a semiconductor is provided with sloped areas and the electrodes are evaporated onto these sloped areas to form the device's clocking structure.

Method of making a sloped insulator charge-coupled device

An integrated circuit including a charge-coupled device for accumulating charge in a potential well and pair of metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistors connected to form a differential amplifier. The gate of one transistor is coupled to the CCD potential well. The integrated circuit is provided with means for coupling the differential outputs, the drain of each transistor of the differential amplifier, to the differential inputs of an external op amp. Means are provided for coupling electrical feedback from the output of the op amp to the gate of the second transistor of the differential amplifier.

A stabilized charge injector for charge coupled devices (CCD) includes a diffusion and two or more gate structures in a CCD channel wherein the diffusion alternately acts as a source and drain of the minority-type signal carriers. D.C. signals are applied to the gates immediately adjacent the diffusion and the next successive adjacent gate to provide a charge injection which is proportional to the difference between the signal voltage applied to the one of the two gates and a DC reference voltage applied to the other thereof. Low noise performance is achieved through utilization of a quasi-static operation in which neither of the aforementioned gates adjacent the diffusion is pulsed. Moreover, the use of a gate injector presents at the input, a true capacitance defined as a function of the gate oxide layer. Hence, the value of capacitance is constant and independent of the signal voltage applied. A stabilized charge injector structure is disclosed providing a large value of capacitance for minimizing noise in the injection operation, and wherein problems otherwise arising out of the large size of the capacitance as to adequate speed of propagation of charges from the capacitance to a CCD charge transfer structure are overcome by special gate electrode structures and pulsing techniques to provide successive pushes of the charge being injected from the gate capacitance into the receiving CCD transfer device. The stabilized charge injector may be used for either serial or parallel injection into a CCD channel and its advantages most fully being realized in the parallel input mode; operating waveforms for the charge injector to provide parallel injection into a CCD channel during each shift cycle thereof and, alternatively, to provide selectively timed parallel charge injection in successive intervals are disclosed.

Stabilized charge injector for charge coupled devices with means for

A method of forming interconnections is described wherein small gaps between contacts are bridged by electroplating metal onto both contacts to form a conductive path therebetween. Many interconnections may be made simultaneously between adjacent contacts by bridging the gap with metal by electroplating.

Method of electroplating interconnections

An electron source is disclosed for generating a flow of electrons of substantially narrow energy distribution. Such a source may be incorporated into a cathode ray tube (CRT) where the beam of narrow energy electrons is modulated, as by a grid or other target element of the CRT; the current control characteristics of the CRT are dependent upon the energy distribution of the electron beam, and as the width of this distribution in the beam or flow of electrons is decreased, the sensitivity of the CRT is increased. In accordance with the teachings of this invention, the electron beam source includes a mirror element for critically absorbing incident electrons whose energy is above a predetermined value. Electrons whose energy is below the critical predetermined value are reflected from the mirror element to form an electron flow of a substantially uniform energy level. In an illustrative embodiment of this invention, the mirror element comprises a support layer upon which there is disposed a material, such as gold black, deposited in a smoke form and having a low secondary electron emission ratio. The critical predetermined value is related to the voltage difference between the cathode element for generating the electrons and the mirror element; this voltage difference is set to determine the energy level of those electrons reflected from the mirror element. Significantly, the electron source of this invention is capable of providing either a narrow or pencil beam of electrons, or a flood beam of electrons of substantially uniform energy.

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Baltimore, MD, United States of America

Arthur S Jensen