International Business Machines Corporation

Lawrence Jacobowitz

Casimer M DeCusatis

Daniel J Stigliani, Jr

Mario E Ecker

John Ulrich Knickerbocker

Peter Alfred Gruber

Da-Yuan Shih

Stephen L Buchwalter

Mark B Ritter

Evan G Colgan

Subhash Laxman Shinde

Timothy Matthew Trifilo

Ronald Pete Luijten

Cameron James Brooks

Harry H Bagheri

Philip George Emma

Jane M Shaw

Kenneth Scea

Einar S Mathisen

Robert G Atkins

Phillip G Emma

Lawrence D Thorp

Christoph Berger

Casimer Maurice DeCusatis

Harold H Herd

A wafer-scale apparatus and method is described for the automation of forming, aligning and attaching two-dimensional arrays of microoptic elements on semiconductor and other image display devices, backplanes, optoelectronic boards, and integrated optical systems. In an ordered fabrication sequence, a mold plate comprised of optically designed cavities is formed by reactive ion etching or alternative processes, optionally coated with a release material layer and filled with optically specified materials by an automated fluid-injection and defect-inspection subsystem. Optical alignment fiducials guide the disclosed transfer and attachment processes to achieve specified tolerances between the microoptic elements and corresponding optoelectronic devices and circuits. The present invention applies to spectral filters, waveguides, fiber-optic mode-transformers, diffraction gratings, refractive lenses, diffractive lens/Fresnel zone plates, reflectors, and to combinations of elements and devices, including microelectromechanical systems and liquid crystal device matrices for adaptive, tunable elements. Preparation of interfacial layer properties and attachment process embodiments are taught.

Injection molded microoptics

A wafer-scale apparatus and method is described for the automation of forming, aligning and attaching two-dimensional arrays of microoptic elements on semiconductor and other image display devices, backplanes, optoelectronic boards, and integrated optical systems. In an ordered fabrication sequence, a mold plate comprised of optically designed cavities is formed by reactive ion etching or alternative processes, optionally coated with a release material layer and filled with optically specified materials by an automated fluid-injection and defect-inspection subsystem. Optical alignment fiducials guide the disclosed transfer and attachment processes to achieve specified tolerances between the microoptic elements and corresponding optoelectronic devices and circuits. The present invention applies to spectral filters, waveguides, fiber-optic mode-transformers, diffraction gratings, refractive lenses, diffractive lens/Fresnel zone plates, reflectors, and to combinations of elements and devices, including microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and liquid crystal device (LCD) matrices for adaptive, tunable elements. Preparation of interfacial layer properties and attachment process embodiments are taught.

A method and system for enhanced demolding of injection molded optical devices are disclosed. In one embodiment the system includes a metal moldplate without a coat of release layer and a curing device that generates high intensity pulses of UV light. The method includes: providing a moldplate made of a predetermined moldplate material; directly injecting optical material into cavities of a moldplate without a release layer; rapidly curing the injected optical material with high intensity pulses of UV light such that a predetermined optical device is formed; and separating the thus formed optical device from the cavities of the moldplate due to a differential thermal expansion between the optical device material and the moldplate material.

Enhanced separation of injection molded microlenses for high volume manufacturing

A set of interlocking modules supports and connects a die containing lasers, a set of precision molded lenses and a set of beam switching elements. Another embodiment of the invention is a structure for mounting a logic chip and an optical chip on a chip carrier, with the optical chip being mounted on the side of the carrier facing the system board on which the carrier is mounted, so that radiation travels in a straight path from optical sources on the optical chip into optical transmission guides on the board.

Manufacturable optical connection assemblies

A method for encryption key management including accepting authenticated unencrypted data into a processor of a server computing device that is configured as a private key secure processor vault, the operation of which is isolated from other components of the server computing device thereby preventing unauthorized access to the processor and the data contents therein; encrypting the authenticated unencrypted data based on an existing private key stored in the processor thereby converting it to encrypted data; and transmitting the encrypted data out of the processor. A system and computer program product is also provided.

Method, system, and computer program product for encryption key management in a secure processor vault

A method for data security policy enforcement including inspecting incoming and outgoing data packets from a server computing device for attributes in accordance with a data security policy, processing the data packets in accordance with the security policy based on the inspected attributes, and routing the data packets in accordance with the security policy based on the inspected attributes, wherein incoming and outgoing data from the server computing device composed of the data packets is processed and routed in accordance with the security policy on a per-packet basis. A system and computer program product is also provided.

Data security policy enforcement

Methods and systems for fabrication of injection molded optical components. In one embodiment, a moldplate with cavities receives injected optical material within walls of the cavities. The cavities are designed with a geometric profile approximately corresponding to a optical profile of an optical element to be formed therein. When molten optical material is injected into the cavities of the moldplate, the injected optical material forms a meniscus due to surface tension between the optical material and the wall of the cavities. The meniscus thus provides a shape corresponding to the predetermined optical profile. The optical material is then rapidly cured with actinic radiation, and a desired optical element with high-precision dimensions is formed within the cavities of the moldplate. In some embodiments, the moldplate is spun such that the meniscus is adjusted to match the predetermined optical profile within a certain tolerance.

Spin-mounted fabrication of injection molded micro-optics

Methods and systems for fabrication of injection molded optical components are disclosed. In one embodiment, a moldplate having one or more cavities is configured to receive injected optical material within walls of the cavities. The cavities are designed with a predetermined geometric profile approximately corresponding to a predetermined optical profile of an optical element to be formed therein. When molten optical material is injected into the cavities of the moldplate, the injected optical material forms a meniscus due to surface tension between the optical material and the wall of the cavities. The meniscus thus provides a shape corresponding to the predetermined optical profile. The optical material is then rapidly cured with actinic radiation, and a desired optical element with high-precision dimensions is formed within the cavities of the moldplate. In some embodiments, the moldplate is spun around a spin axis such that the meniscus is adjusted to match the predetermined optical profile within a certain tolerance.

Disclosed are a microlens array, and a method of positioning and aligning the microlens array on another device. Generally, the microlens array comprises an array of injection molded microlens elements, and a supporting flange. Each of the microlens elements has a generally spheroid or spherical shape, and the supporting flange connects together the array of microlens elements to facilitate positioning that array of lenses on a printed circuit board, semiconductor package or wafer. This array is well suited for use with vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs); and, in particular, the preferred embodiment of the invention addresses the problem of VCSEL laser array alignment by using arrays of microlenses elements fabricated by injection molding.

Injection molded microlenses for optical interconnects

A method of and system for frequency clocking in a processor core are disclosed. In this system, at least one processor core is provided, and that at least one processor core has a clocking subsystem for generating an analog output clock signal at a variable frequency. Digital frequency control data and an analog signal are both transmitted to that at least one processor core; and that processor core uses the received analog signal and digital frequency control data to set the frequency of the output clock signal of the clocking subsystem. In a preferred implementation, multiple cores are asynchronously clocked and the core frequencies are independently set.

Method and system for analog frequency clocking in processor cores

A method and systems for a frequency locked feedback loop for wireless communications are provided. The method includes applying dither modulation from a harmonic modulator to modulated data at a transmit source, and mixing the dither modulation at a dither modulation frequency with the modulated data at a wireless carrier frequency to produce a modulated signal. The method also includes filtering and splitting the modulated signal using a bandpass filter to produce a wireless output signal and a feedback signal. The method further includes determining a frequency error in the feedback signal as a function of alignment of the wireless carrier frequency to a target frequency in a frequency response of the bandpass filter. The method additionally includes adjusting the wireless carrier frequency in response to the frequency error to establish a frequency lock between the wireless carrier frequency and the target frequency.

Frequency locked feedback loop for wireless communications

Injection molding of monolithically integrated optical components is disclosed. In one embodiment, an injection molding system includes a moldplate having an array of specially designed cavities. In at least one cavity, different types of photo-curable optical materials are injected in an ordered sequence. In a first instance, a lens material is injected into the cavity and subsequently cured to form a predetermined lens element at the base of the cavity. In a second instance, a filter material is injected into the cavity above the already formed lens element. The filter material is also cured, and an optical filter is formed stacked onto the lens element and contained within sidewall of the cavity. In this manner, a complex optical component having an optical filter automatically aligned with, and monolithically integrated into, a lens element is readily formed in a single injection molding process.

Fabrication of optical filters integrated with injection molded microlenses

A method and system for digitally controlled multi-frequency clocking are provided. The method includes receiving a system reference oscillator clock frequency at a microprocessor including multiple cores. The system reference oscillator clock frequency provides a reference frequency to a local oscillator. The local oscillator supplies a core clock frequency to at least one of the cores. The method further includes adjusting the local oscillator to output the core clock frequency at a frequency greater than the system reference oscillator clock frequency as a function of digital frequency characteristic data associated with the core or cores. The method supports extendibility to larger systems and may support enhanced power management through frequency adjustments at the core level.

Methods and systems for digitally controlled multi-frequency clocking of multi-core processors

Disclosed are a method of and system for digital frequency clocking in a processor core. At least one-processor core is provided, and that processor core has a clocking subsystem for generating an output clock signal, which may be an analog signal at a variable frequency. Digital frequency control data are transmitted or distributed to the processor core; and that one processor core receives the digital frequency control data transmitted to the core, and uses that received digital frequency control data to set the frequency of the output clock signal of the clocking subsystem of the processor core. Preferably, multiple cores are asynchronously clocked and the core frequencies are independently set, and, there is no phase relationship between the core clocks.

Growing community of inventors

Wappingers Falls, NY, United States of America

Lawrence Jacobowitz