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Memtronics Corporation

David I Forehand

John Walter Orcutt

Andrew Steven Dewa

Herzel Laor

Arthur Monroe Turner

Brandon William Pillans

Michael F Chisholm

Peter D Dreiske

James A Sisco

Tsen-Hwang Lin

Philip A Congdon

A method of making thermodynamically stable, diffusion-impeded barrier layers within, for example, a photovoltaic cell with a metal-containing electrical contact using exposure to fluorine. Exposing the cadmium telluride surface to fluorine creates a Te-poor barrier layer of cadmium fluoride. Once that barrier layer is formed, the metal-containing electrical contact may be applied or formed. The barrier layer allows tunneling current to occur between the p-type layer and the metal-containing electrical contact establishing a low-resistance, highly uniform, and thermally stable electrical contact.

Improving back-contact performance of group VI containing solar cells by utilizing a nanoscale interfacial layer

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for reducing temperature dependency within Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) switches. The two typical designs for such MEMS switches are fixed-fixed and fixed-free designs. Springs are used in the fixed-fixed design to account for dimensional changes as a result of thermal expansion. The fixed-free designs utilize a tether to prevent a cantilever arm from deforming as a result of thermal expansions, as well as reducing tight controls in the manufacture of fixed-free MEMS switches. Additionally, to prevent stiction in MEMS switches, a variegated electrode design is provided to utilize internal stresses of a suspended beam to increase the restoring force while not increasing the actuation force.

Membrane switch components and designs

A micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) switch () has an electrode () covered by a dielectric layer (), and has a flexible conductive membrane () which moves between positions spaced from and engaging the dielectric layer. At least one of the membrane and dielectric layer has a textured surface () that engages the other thereof in the actuated position. The textured surface reduces the area of physical contact through which electric charge from the membrane can tunnel into and become trapped within the dielectric layer. This reduces the amount of trapped charge that could act to latch the membrane in its actuated position, which in turn effects a significant increase in the operational lifetime of the switch.

Micro-electro-mechanical switch, and methods of making and using it

A micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) switch ( ) has an electrode ( ) covered by a dielectric layer ( ), and has a flexible conductive membrane ( ) which moves between positions spaced from and engaging the dielectric layer. At least one of the membrane and dielectric layer has a textured surface ( ) that engages the other thereof in the actuated position. The textured surface reduces the area of physical contact through which electric charge from the membrane can tunnel into and become trapped within the dielectric layer. This reduces the amount of trapped charge that could act to latch the membrane in its actuated position, which in turn effects a significant increase in the operational lifetime of the switch.

An optical matrix switch station ( ) is shown mounting a plurality of optical switch units ( ), each of which includes a mirror ( ), moveable in two axes, for purpose of switching optical beams from one optical fiber to another. A mirror assembly ( ) includes a single body of silicon comprising a frame portion ( ), gimbals ( ), mirror portion ( ), and related hinges ( ). Magnets ( ) and air coils ( ) are utilized to position the central mirror surface ( ) to a selected orientation. The moveable mirror and associated magnets along with control LED's ( ) are hermetically packaged in a header ( ) and mounted with the air coils on mounting bracket ( ) to form a micromirror assembly package ( ) mounted in each optical switch unit.

Optical switching apparatus

A process for manufacturing a wafer from a layer of material such as silicon and having a multiplicity of MEMS devices such as mirrors with gimbals formed thereon is disclosed. The features of the devices on the wafer as well as the boundaries which separate individual devices are defined by lines having a constant width so as to avoid microloading effects. Waste areas of the layer of material which are greater than the constant line width are removed as breakout pieces during the release process.

Process for manufacturing a two-axis mirror

An optical matrix switch station (,) is shown mounting a plurality of optical switch units (,), each of which includes a mirror (,), moveable in two axes, for purpose of switching optical beams from one optical fiber to another. A mirror assembly (,) includes a single body of silicon comprising a frame portion (,), gimbals (,), mirror portion (,), and related hinges (,). Magnets (,) and air coils (,) are utilized to position the central mirror surface (,) to a selected orientation. The moveable mirror and associated magnets along with control LED's (,) are hermetically packaged in a header (,) and mounted with the air coils on mounting bracket (,) to form a micromirror assembly package (,) mounted in each optical switch unit.

A substantial portion of the material at the pn junction (27) of the photodiode (37, 41) having an implanted region extending to a surface thereof is selectively removed (39), leaving a very small junction region (35, 43) with the remainder of the p-type (23) and n-type (25) material of each photodiode being spaced apart or electrically isolated at what was originally the junction. In the ion implanted n-type on p-type approach, the majority of the signal is created in the implanted n-type region while the majority of the noise is generated in the p-type region. By selectively removing p-type material, n-type material or both from the pn junction of the diode or otherwise electrically isolating most of the p-type and n-type regions from each other at the pn junction and thereby minimizing the pn junction area, noise is greatly reduced without affecting the signal response of the photodiode. With this approach, the present implant technology can still be used with the achievement of high temperature operational capability above 77.degree. Kelvin and up to about 110.degree. Kelvin.

Geometric enhancement of photodiodes for low dark current operation

Method of making photodiodes for low dark current operation having

Only the areas of the CdTe/HgCdTe interface of a FPA detector circuit which is coupled by an epoxy to a silicon-based integrated circuit that require interdiffusing are heated to a sufficiently high temperature or have photons of light impinging thereon for a sufficient time to cause interdiffusion of the two layers by the travel of tellurium into the HgCdTe and the travel of mercury into the CdTe. The vast majority of the wafer is masked with an aluminum thin film to greatly reduce heat gain or photon transmission. An advantage of the process in accordance with the present invention is that only a very small fraction of the HgCdTe/epoxy/silicon-based integrated circuit wafer receives incoming energy during interdiffusion whereby problems caused by the differences in coefficient of thermal expansion between silicon and HgCdTe at the epoxy interface are minimized.

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Wylie, TX, United States of America

David I Forehand