The Texas A&M University System

Lynntech, Inc.

Woodland International Corporation

Other

Donald L Parker

Oliver J Murphy

G Duncan Hitchens

Dalibor Hodko

Eric T Clarke

David L Miller

Wilbur A Porter

Robert C Rogers

James C Fletcher

Kenneth R Hall

James C Holste

Mark H Weichold

Philip Roan

Wing K Yue

Tian M Roan

The present invention provides electronically conducting polymer films formed from photosensitive formulations of pyrrole and an electron acceptor that have been selectively exposed to UV light, laser light, or electron beams. The formulations may include photoinitiators, flexibilizers, solvents and the like. These solutions can be used in applications including printed circuit boards and through-hole plating and enable direct metallization processes on non-conducting substrates. After forming the conductive polymer patterns, a printed wiring board can be formed by sensitizing the polymer with palladium and electrolytically depositing copper.

Method of forming electronically conducting polymers on conducting and nonconducting substrates

The present invention provides electronically conducting polymer films formed from formulations of pyrrole and an electron acceptor. The formulations may include photoinitiators, flexibilizers, solvents and the like. These formulations can be used to manufacture multichip modules on typical multichip module substrates, such as alumina, fiberglass epoxy, silicon and polyimide. The formulations and methods of the invention enable the formation of passive electronic circuit elements such as resistors, capacitors and inductors in multichip modules or printed wiring boards.

Method of manufacturing passive elements using conductive polypyrrole

The present invention provides electronically conducting polymer films formed from photosensitive formulations of pyrrole and an electron acceptor that have been selectively exposed to UV light, laser light, or electron beams. The formulations may include photoinitiators, flexibilizers, solvents and the like. These formulations can be used to manufacture multichip modules on typical multichip module substrates, such as alumina, fiberglass epoxy, silicon and polyimide. The formulations and methods of the invention enable the formation of passive electronic circuit elements such as resistors, capacitors and inductors in multichip modules or printed wiring boards.

Method of using conductive polymers to manufacture printed circuit boards

A low voltage vacuum field emission device and method for manufacturing is provided. The devices are fabricated by anodizing a heavily doped silicon wafer substrate (12) in concentrated HF solution, forming extremely sharp silicon tips (18) at the silicon to porous silicon interface. The resulting porous silicon layer is then oxidized, and a metal film (22) is deposited by evaporation on the porous silicon. Silicon substrate (12) is the cathode, and metal film dots (22) are the anodes. The I-V characteristics for the field emission devices follow Fowler-Nordheim curves over three decades of current. The I-V characteristics are also utterly independent of temperature up to 250.degree. C. When the oxidized porous silicon layer (OPSL) is about 5000 .ANG., substantial current is obtained with less than 10 volts. Recent experiments leave no doubt that the charge transport is in the vacuum of the pores. A silicon wafer that contains an OPSL may prove to be a very useful material for the fabrication of low voltage, low noise field emitters for vacuum microelectronics.

Oxidized porous silicon field emission devices

A vehicle control system (12) is provided which comprises a range measurement system (14) which transmits a signal (20) to a target (22) and receives an echo signal (24) returned from the target (22). The range measurement system (14) comprises a transmitter system (26) and a receiver system (28). The receiver system (28) generates an analog signal representative of the range. The target (22) transmits the range signal to a processor (30). Processor (30) may be used to provide warning signals and to control a conventional speed control system (16) coupled to the throttle (18) of a vehicle (10).

Range measurement system

A lane sensing system (20) comprises a processor (22) operable to drive an infrared optical transmitter (24). Light is reflected by a center stripe (18) placed in the center of a highway lane. Reflected light is received in right and left receivers (26) and (28). The processor (22) uses the information to control a power steering control system (30) and a speed control system (32). Information may be encrypted into the center stripe (18) and used by processor (22) to control the speed of the vehicle (10) or to display information to an operator of the vehicle (10) through a display system (34).

Method and apparatus for lane sensing for automatic vehicle steering

The present invention relates to a method of producing micropores having diameters of less than 20 nanometers in straight sides in silicon film. The silicon film produced by this process may be attached to a substrate material and used as a filter in molecular separation processes.

Method of producing a silicon film with micropores

An areal array of tubular electron sources is disclosed for producing multiple directed electron beams. Sources (10) are located in a parallel array between a conductive back plate (12) at a closed end of the tubes and a conductive face plate (14) having holes therein aligned with the second open end of each of the electrode tubes (10). An electrical current source (30) is connected between the back plate (12) and face plate (14) to resistively heat each of the sources (10) to a temperature high enough for thermionic electron emission. Electron beams (34) are produced from within each of the tubular electrodes (10). Extraction means which may include a magnetic field from a coil (29) and an extraction lens (18) tends to withdraw the electrons from within the sources (10) in an intense, collimated beam (34). Beams (34) are accelerated toward a target (28) through a beam deflection unit (22) having holes (24) associated with each of the electron beams (34 ). Beam deflection plates (26) within each of the holes (24) deflect the electron beams (34) to impact selected points on a target (28).

Method of using an areal array of tubular electron sources

Areal array of tubular electron sources

An improved apparatus for examining the crystal lattice of a semiconductor wafer utilizing x-ray diffraction techniques. The apparatus is employed in a method which includes the step of recording the image of a wafer supported in a bent configuration conforming to a compound curve, produced through the use of a vaccum chuck provided for an x-ray camera while the entire surface thereof is illuminated simultaneously by a beam of incident x-rays which are projected from a distant point-source and satisfy conditions of the Bragg Law for all points on the surface of the wafer.

Growing community of inventors

Bryan, TX, United States of America

Donald L Parker