Amoco Corporation

Northern Telecom Limited

John D Ralston

Ravinder K Jain

Anthony L Moretti

Yves Tremblay

Ian S Few

Romain Maciejko

Synthetic layered structures, which may be semiconductor structures, are modified, both laterally and vertically, to provide novel electronic, optoelectronic, and optical properties. This is accomplished by selective intermixing of such layered structures through selective irradiation with laser beam or electron beam energy sources to effect interaction between neighboring regions, to a degree dependent on the energy density, while avoiding physical damage to the layered structures.

Selective intermixing of layered structures composed of thin solid films

A multilayer structure formed of two or more separate layers of different materials can be selectively intermixed so as to become compositionally transmuted, such that the distinction between the different original materials is lost, at least partially. This intermixing is accomplished by employing irradiation with a pulsed or rapidly scanned laser or electron beam. In addition,the intermixing can be accomplised by multiple pulses from the laser or electron beam so as to increase the degree of intermixing, thereby obtaining a more complete mixing.

Method for selective intermixing of layered structures composed of thin

A fiber optic star coupler particularly for use in providing optical interconnects between circuit boards has a light mixer into which input and output fibers are inserted. The mixer has rectangular cross-section passage, an interior surface of which is highly reflecting. The mixer is long enough to promote a degree of internal reflection of light from any one of the input fibers sufficient that the corresponding light intensity reaching the output fibers is substantially uniform. In an optical interconnect arrangement, interconnection between circuit boards in a rack or cabinet is achieved by mounting light emitting and light receiving units on each board and leading fibers to which the units are fixed to the fiber optic star coupler so that light from the emitter units enters one end of the light mixer and fibers leading to the receiver units enter the opposed end of the light mixer. The fiber optic star coupler is substantially cheaper and more easily manufactured than known fiber optic star couplers using a polished glass slab as a light mixer.

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Ithaca, NY, United States of America

John D Ralston