USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

University of California

Naval Research Laboratory

Bernard F Phlips

Marc Christophersen

Michael K Yetzbacher

Francis J Kub

Karl D Hobart

Andrew J Boudreau

Eric A Wulf

Hartmut F W Sadrozinski

Vitaliy Fadeyev

W Neil Johnson

Richard Kroeger

James D Kurfess

A method of calibrating a topography metrology instrument using a calibration reference, which includes a substrate and a plurality of bi-layer stacks. Each bi-layer stack includes a plurality of bi-layer steps. At least one bi-layer step of the plurality of bi-layer steps includes two materials. The at least one bi-layer step of the plurality of bi-layer steps includes an etch stop layer and a bulk layer. The calibration reference includes a calibration reference step profile includes a plurality of predetermined bi-layer stack heights. The calibration reference step profile and the predetermined bi-layer stack heights are measured using a topography metrology instrument. The topography metrology instrument is calibrated based on the measured calibration reference step profile and the measured bi-layer stack heights.

Method of calibrating a nanometrology instrument

A device includes a surface profile optical element, including a substrate and a plurality of bi-layer stacks on the substrate. Each bi-layer stack of the plurality of bi-layer stacks includes a plurality of bi-layers. Each bi-layer of the plurality of bi-layers includes an etch-stop layer and a bulk layer. The etch stop layer includes an etch stop layer index of refraction. The bulk layer includes a bulk layer index of refraction. A ratio of the etch stop layer index of retraction and the bulk layer index of refraction is between 0.75 and 1.25.

Fabrication method for digital etching of nanometer-scale level structures

Caesium-137 irradiates electronic paper. An incoming gamma-ray from the Cs-137 interacts with a particle inside a micro-container by generating a recoil electron and/or a hole. Because the recoil electron physically leaves the particle, the particle is charged depending on the dose from the radiation source. And, the charge of the particles change, which results in a movement of the particles within the micro-container. After refreshing the electronic paper, a visible difference in the gray-scale can be seen. Thus, the visible difference in the gray-scale is an effect caused by the irradiation of the electronic paper, showing sensitivity to high energy radiation&#x2014;thus, non-optimized electronic paper is sensitive to high energy radiation and can be used as a radiation dosimeter. In addition, electronic paper can be used for sensing chemical and bio-chemical agents, as well as detecting high energy radiation.

Apparatus systems and methods of sensing chemical bio-chemical and radiological agents using electrophoretic displays

A ramped etalon cavity structure and a method of fabricating same. A bi-layer stack is deposited on a substrate. The bi-layer stack includes a plurality of bi-layers. Each bi-layer of the plurality of bi-layers includes an etch stop layer and a bulk layer. A three dimensional photoresist structure is formed by using gray-tone lithography. The three dimensional photoresist is plasma etched into the bi-layer stack, thereby generating an etched bi-layer stack. The etched bi-layer stack is chemically etched with a first chemical etchant to generate a multiple-step structure on the substrate, wherein the first chemical etchant stops at the etch stop layer.

Nanometer-scale level structures and fabrication method for digital etching of nanometer-scale level structures

Gray tone lithography is used to form curved silicon topographies for semiconductor based solid-state imaging devices. The imagers are curved to a specific curvature and shaped directly for the specific application; such as curved focal planes. The curvature of the backside is independent from the front surface, which allows thinning of the detector using standard semiconductor processing.

Methods and systems of curved radiation detector fabrication

A method of singulating semiconductor devices in the close proximity to active structures by controlling interface charge of semiconductor device sidewalls is provided that includes forming a scribe on a surface of a semiconductor devices, where the scribe is within 5 degrees of a crystal lattice direction of the semiconductor device, cleaving the semiconductor device along the scribe, where the devices are separated, using a coating process to coat the sidewalls of the cleaved semiconductor device with a passivation material, where the passivation material is disposed to provide a fixed charge density at a semiconductor interface of the sidewalls, and where the fixed charge density interacts with charge carriers in the bulk of the material.

Methods for scribing of semiconductor devices with improved sidewall passivation

Radiation detectors can be made of n-type or p-type silicon. All segmented detectors on p-type silicon and double-sided detectors on n-type silicon require an 'inter-segment isolation' to separate the n-type strips from each other; an alumina layer for isolating the strip detectors is applied, and forms negative charges at the silicon interface with appropriate densities. When alumina dielectric is deposited on silicon, the negative interface charge acts like an effective p-stop or p-spray barrier because electrons are 'pushed' away from the interface due to the negative interface charge.

Methods and systems of isolating segmented radiation detectors using alumina

A method of: directing an exposing light through an optical diffuser; directing the diffused light though a photomask having transparent areas corresponding to a gray-tone pattern; directing the masked light onto a photoresist material on a substrate; developing the photoresist to produce a three dimensional structure in the photoresist.

Gray-tone lithography using optical diffusers

A silicon-on-insulator (SOI) neutron detector comprising a silicon-on-insulator structure, wherein the silicon-on-insulator structure consists of an active semiconductor layer, a buried layer, and a handle substrate, a lateral carrier transport and collection detector structure within the active semiconductor layer of the silicon-on-insulator structure, and a neutron to high energy particle converter layer on the active semiconductor layer.

Neutron detector with gamma ray isolation

Gray-tone lithography technology is used in combination with a reactive plasma etching operation in the fabrication method and system of a thick semiconductor drift detector. The thick semiconductor drift detector is based on a trench array, where the trenches in the trench array penetrate the bulk with different depths. These trenches form an electrode. By applying different electric potentials to the trenches in the trench array, the silicon between neighboring trenches fully depletes. Furthermore, the applied potentials cause a drifting field for generated charge carriers, which are directed towards a collecting electrode.

Methods and systems of thick semiconductor drift detector fabrication

A device for determining the photon energy E and direction cone angle of incident gamma ray includes a radiation detector for receiving an incident gamma ray having an unknown photon energy E and an unknown direction and for scattering the gamma ray with two Compton scattering interactions and a subsequent scattering or absorption interaction. The detector provides three outputs, each output corresponding to one of the Compton scattering and the subsequent scattering or absorption interactions, to a processor, which is programmed to calculate the photon energy E and direction cone angle of the incident gamma ray based on these outputs. The detector configuration, for example one that includes multiple detector layers, provides an accurate determination of both the position and energy of the incident gamma ray, while the calculation of the photon energy E and direction cone angle of the incident gamma ray does not require absorption and measurement of the entire or substantially all the energy E in the detector.

Growing community of inventors

Great Falls, VA, United States of America

Bernard F Phlips