Axsun Technologies, Inc.

Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Minh Van Le

Dale C Flanders

Michael Francis Miller

Walid A Atia

Peter S Whitney

Stanley R Shanfield

Christopher C Cook

Stavan Dholakia

Nicholas Hernandez

Jo-Ey Wong

Jacob Lauer

Shivani Sheopory

Jeffrey A Korn

Randal A Murdza

Xiaomei Wang

Steven F Nagle

Eric E Fitch

Robert L Payer

David B West

Walter R Buchwald

L James Newman, Iii

Disclosed are various embodiments for optimizing cubic utilization when loading items into a loading space. A current loading configuration of the loading space can be determined according to image data obtained by 3D sensors. Item data (e.g., volume, mass, type, dimensions, etc.) can be determined for incoming items to be loaded into the loading space. The current loading configuration and the item data can be used to determine an item sequence and optimal placement location for the next item to be loaded such that a cubic efficiency of the loading space is maximized and amount of air gaps between items is minimized. The current loading configuration can further be used to determine if a sensing system or an item loading system needs to be repositioned. Whether the next item was placed in the optimal placement can also be verified based on subsequent image data obtained by the 3D sensors.

Optimized package loading

Disclosed are various embodiments for optimizing cubic utilization when loading packages into a loading space. A current loading configuration of the loading space can be determined according to image data obtained by 3D sensors. Package data (e.g., volume, mass, type, dimensions, etc.) can be determined for incoming packages to be loaded into the package data. The current loading configuration and the package data are used to determine a package sequence and optimal placement location for the next package to be loaded such that a cubic efficiency of the loading space is maximized and amount of air gaps between packages is minimized.

A detector system for a fiber optic component is insensitive to stray light. Specifically, the invention comprises a detector chip, which converts received light into an electric signal. A baffle substrate is positioned over the detector chip. This baffle substrate has a transmission port through which an optical signal is transmitted to the detector chip. As a result, light that is not directed to be transmitted through the port is blocked by the baffle substrate. In this way, it rejects stray light that may be present in the hermetic package. A detector substrate is provided on which the detector chip is mounted. This detector substrate preferably comprises electrical traces to which the detector chip is electrically connected. The detector substrate can further comprise bond pads for wire bonding to make electrical connections to the electrical traces.

Stray light insensitive detector system and amplifier

A tunable Fabry-Perot filter includes an optical cavity bounded by a stationary reflector and a deformable or movable membrane reflector. A second electrostatic cavity outside of the optical cavity includes a pair of electrodes, one of which is mechanically coupled to the movable membrane reflector. A voltage applied to the electrodes across the electrostatic cavity causes deflection of the membrane, thereby changing the length of the optical cavity and tuning the filter. The filter with the movable membrane can be formed by micro device photolithographic and fabrication processes from a semiconductor material in an integrated device structure. The membrane can include an inner movable membrane portion connected within an outer body portion by a pattern of tethers. The tether pattern can be such that straight or radial tethers connect the inner membrane with the outer body. Alternatively, a tether pattern with tethers arranged in a substantially spiral pattern can be used.

Integrated tunable fabry-perot filter and method of making same

In a MOEMS device and corresponding fabrication process, absorbing material along the optical axis of the device is removed. The result is a suspended optical coating, such as a dielectric thin film mirror stack. Such optical coatings can have very low absorption. Thus, the invention can materially lower the net absorption in the device, and thereby improve performance, by degrading power related dependencies.

Suspended high reflectivity coating on release structure and fabrication process therefor

A process for patterning dielectric layers of the type typically found in optical coatings in the context of MEMS manufacturing is disclosed. A dielectric coating is deposited over a device layer, which has or will be released, and patterned using a mask layer. In one example, the coating is etched using the mask layer as a protection layer. In another example, a lift-off process is shown. The primary advantage of photolithographic patterning of the dielectric layers in optical MEMS devices is that higher levels of consistency can be achieved in fabrication, such as size, location, and residual material stress. Competing techniques such as shadow masking yield lower quality features and are difficult to align. Further, the minimum feature size that can be obtained with shadow masks is limited to &tilde;100 &mgr;m, depending on the coating system geometry, and they require hard contact with the surface of the wafer, which can lead to damage and/or particulate contamination.

Process for integrating dielectric optical coatings into micro-electromechanical devices

An electrostatically operated microelectromechanical system comprises a movable and a stationary structure, with a discharge system that is activated upon pull-in of the movable structure to discharge the voltage across an electrostatic cavity to thereby prevent stiction adhesion of the movable structure to the stationary structure. Specifically, a membrane release structure comprises a mirror optical element. The membrane is separated from a stationary support by an electrostatic cavity. The discharge switch comprises a membrane conductor pad on the membrane and a support conductor pad on the support that conducts a current upon activation of the discharge switch to discharge the electrostatic voltage. Preferably, these pads are metal.

System and process for actuation voltage discharge to prevent stiction attachment in MEMS device

A process for singulating MOEMS optical devices from a precursor structure, in which the precursor structure comprises device material, having movable optical structures, and handle material, through which optical ports are formed to provide for optical access to the movable optical structures. The process comprises coating a frontside and a backside of the precursor structure with protection material. The precursor structure is then attached to a substrate such as dicing tape and the precursor structure separated into individual optical devices by a process, including die sawing. Thereafter, the optical devices are removed from the tape and the protection material removed from the optical devices.

Optical membrane singulation process utilizing backside and frontside protective coating during die saw

A process for fabricating an optical membrane from polycrystalline silicon comprises first forming a sacrificial layer on a handle wafer. Concavities are etched into the sacrificial layer. Polycrystalline silicon membrane layer is then formed on the sacrificial layer. The polycrystalline membrane layer is subsequently polished to achieve the predetermined membrane thickness and surface smoothness, annealed, and then patterned. Finally, the sacrificial layer is removed to release the membrane. The concavities in the sacrificial layer yield convexities in the polysilicon layer to prevent stiction adhesion to the handle wafer. During processing, a mask used to pattern the membrane layer functions to protect an highly reflecting (HR) coating for the membrane.

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Methuen, MA, United States of America

Minh Van Le