Tilted superlattice composition profile determined by photoluminescence and thermal disordering

The composition profile of an (AlAs)_1/2(GaAs)_1/2 tilted superlattice is characterized for the first time. The tilted superlattice sample is thermally disordered, and the energy of the direct band gap photoluminescence peak is measured as a function of increasing layer interdiffusion. The shift in the photoluminescence peak energy after completely disordering the tilted superlattice is 39 meV. A theoretical model is used to simulate the change in band gap as a function of layer interdiffusion for several composition profiles. The profile that gives the best fit to the experimental data is chosen. The tilted superlattice composition profile is found to be sinusoidal, varying from Al_0.40Ga_0.60As to Al_0.60Ga_0.40As.     

Pocket pagers in lots of one CIM

The Fusion program, a method for agile, flexible computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) at Motorola's Paging Products Group, is discussed. Fusion's CIM and automated assembly system can manufacture a wide variety of different products on the same production line. The development of the Fusion program and how it differs from its predecessor, the Bandit program, are described     

Packaging of a 128 by 128 liquid-crystal-on-silicon spatial lightmodulator using self-pulling soldering

A self-pulling soldering technology has been demonstrated for assembling liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) spatial light modulators (SLMs). Solder joints with different profiles and sizes are designed to provide vertical surface tension forces to control the gap accommodating the ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) layer in the range of a micron with sub-micron uniformity. This technology provides an automatic, batch assembly process for a LCOS SLM through one reflow process. The component designs and process optimization are described, and the first operational results are presented     

High-temperature quasi-continuous operation of optically pumpedCdZnTe/ZnTe multiple-quantum-well lasers at 620 nm

Low-lasing-threshold quasi-continuous optically pumped II-VI quantum-well lasers were operated well above room temperature at 620 nm. This result shows promise for high-repetition-rate, short-pulse generation by direct modulation of the injection current and also CW operation of future wide-gap II-VI diode lasers above room temperature     

Impurity ‘Hot Spots’ in MBE HgCdTe/CdZnTe

In this work, impurity ‘hot spot’ macro-defects—high impurity level macro-defect contaminates were examined. ‘Hot spots’ have very high localized concentrations of: K, Mg, Ni, Cr, Mn, Ca, Al, Na, Fe, and Cu. For example, these ‘hot spot’ macro-defects can have Cu concentrations >?1?×?10¹⁸ cm^?3. Focused ion beam scanning transmission electron microscopy analysis of four ‘hot spots’ was performed. The origin of ‘hot spot’ defects is unresolved—however, our analysis has shown ‘hot spots’ can arise due to molecular beam epitaxy spit defects and CdZnTe substrate defects. The estimated ‘hot spot’ density is ～?30 cm^?2. The presence of impurity ‘hot spot’ macro-defects in HgCdTe/CdZnTe is confirming evidence for the occurrence of L. Bubulac’s impurity ‘pipe’ mechanism.     

Novel frame buffer pixel circuits for liquid-crystal-on-silicon microdisplays

A 32 /spl times/ 16 liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCOS) backplane with novel frame buffer pixels is designed and fabricated using the AMI Semiconductor's 0.5-/spl mu/m double-poly triple-metal CMOS process. The three novel pixel circuits described herein increase the brightness of an XGA LCOS microdisplay by at least 36% without sacrificing image contrast ratio. The increase of brightness is attributed to maximizing overall image view time, allowing an image to be displayed at full contrast while the next image is buffered onto the backplane. The new circuits achieve this by removing charge sharing and charge inducement problems shown in previously proposed frame buffer pixel circuits. Voltages on the pixel electrodes measured through rail-to-rail operational amplifiers with negative feedback vary from 0 to 4.25 V (6-V power source). All data voltage levels remain constant over a frame time with less than 1% drop, thus ensuring maximum contrast ratio. Modeling and experimental measurement on the fabricated chip show that these pixel circuits outperform all others to date based on storage time, data storage level, and potential for highest contrast ratio with maximum brightness.     

Very high-order microring resonator filters for WDM applications

High-order microring resonators having from 1 to 11 coupled cavities are demonstrated. These filters exhibit low loss, flat tops, and out-of-band rejection ratios that can exceed 80 dB. They achieve performance that is suitable for commercial applications.     

High-power single-mode simplified antiresonant reflecting opticalwaveguide (S-ARROW) distributed feedback semiconductor lasers

Simplified antiresonant-reflective-optical-waveguide distributed-feedback semiconductor lasers based on Al-free InGaAs-InGaAsP-InGaP materials are reported for the first time. Devices with 6.5-μm-wide emitting apertures operate single-frequency (λ=0.968 μm) and single-spatial-mode to 157-mW continuous-wave output power. The full-width at half-maximum of the lateral far-field pattern is 4.5°, in excellent agreement with theory. Relative intensity noise values as low as -154 dB/Hz are measured between 500 MHz and 8 GHz     

Micropipelined asynchronous discrete cosine transform (DCT/IDCT)processor

We describe the design and implementation of an asynchronous discrete cosine transform/inverse discrete cosine transform (DCT/IDCT) processor core compliant with the CCITT recommendation H.261. First, a micropipelined implementation with level-sensitive latches is shown. This is improved by replacing the level-sensitive latches with dual-edge triggered flip-flops to save power and using completion-detection adders in the critical stage of the pipeline to exploit the data-dependent processing delay. Gate-level simulation of extracted layouts indicates that the performance of asynchronous implementations is comparable with that of a synchronous implementation based on an identical architecture. This is because part of the penalty introduced by handshaking circuitry in an asynchronous pipeline can be recovered by exploiting data-dependent processing delays with completion-detection circuitry. In pipelines with significant arithmetic processing such as the DCT/IDCT processor, this is easily accomplished. Our results are encouraging because asynchronous designs do not employ global clocking. In the near future when clock generation, clock distribution, and the power consumed in the clock circuitry become limiting factors in the design of large synchronous application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), asynchronous implementation methodology could be pursued as a real alternative     

Advanced thin-film silicon-on-sapphire technology: microwavecircuit applications

This paper reviews the prospects of thin-film silicon-on-sapphire (TFSOS) CMOS technology in microwave applications in the 1-5 GHz regime and beyond and presents the first demonstration of microwave integrated circuits based on this technology, MOSFET's optimized for microwave use, with 0.5-μm optically defined gate lengths and a T-gate structure, have f_t values of 25 GHz (14 GHz) and f_max values of 66 GHz (41 GHz) for n-channel (p-channel) devices and have noise figure values below 1 db at 2 GHz, some of the best reported performance characteristics of any silicon-based MOSFET's to date. On-chip spiral inductors exhibit quality factors above ten. Circuit performance compares favorably with that of other CMOS-based technologies and approach performance levels similar to those obtained by silicon bipolar technologies. The results demonstrate the significant potential of this technology for microwave applications