...that the video game, Pong, was invented by a guy who graduated at the bottom of his engineering class? Nolan Bushnell spent more time running the games at a local amusement park than he did on his studies at the University of Utah. His dreams of working for Disney's amusement empire were dashed when the company wouldn't hire him. Taking a boring job, Nolan daydreamed about electronic versions of popular games. He invented Pong, the first video game, and went on to found Atari Co.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7382004 | Semiconductor sensing device A semiconductor sensing device in which a sensing layer is exposed to a medium being tested in an area below and/or adjacent to a contact. In one embodiment, the device comprises a field effect transistor in which the sensing layer is disposed below a gate contact. ... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7358579 | Reducing the actuation voltage of microelectromechanical system switches A microelectromechanical system switch may include a relatively stiff cantilevered beam coupled, on its free end, to a more compliant or flexible extension. A contact may be positioned at the free end of the cantilevered beam. The extension reduces the actuation vol... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7352043 | Multispectral detector matrix The invention concerns a matrix structure of multispectral detectors (200) comprising: a superimposition of several layers of semiconductor material separated by layers of dielectric material transparent to a light to be det... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7262488 | Substrate with enhanced properties for planarization A method and intermediate structure for improving the thinning and planarity of a wafer back side utilizing planarization material applied to the back side prior to at least one portion of the thinning operation and which is subsequently removed concurrently with th... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7176111 | Method for depositing polycrystalline SiGe suitable for micromachining and devices obtained thereof Method and apparatus to obtain as-deposited polycrystalline and low-stress SiGe layers. These layers may be used in Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) devices or micromachined structures. Different parameters are analysed which effect the stress in a polycrysta... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7172920 | Method of manufacturing an image device An imaging device comprises a select line, a first signal line crossing the select line, and a first pixel provided at a portion corresponding to a crossing portion of the select line and the first signal line, the first pixel comprising a first buffer layer formed ... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7102185 | Lightshield architecture for interline transfer image sensors An interline transfer type image sensing device that can be operated at high speed and with low image smear is described. The device incorporates a refractory metal layer which is used for both a light shield over the vertical charge transfer region and as a wiring ... | 09/05/2006 |
| 6515285 | Method and apparatus for compensating a radiation sensor for ambient temperature variations Methods and apparatus for compensating a radiation sensor for ambient temperature variations. Ambient temperature variations may produce undesirable artifacts in electronic signals output by a radiation sensor. In some cases, such artifacts may detrimenta... | 02/04/2003 |
| 6372656 | Method of producing a radiation sensor A method of producing an infrared sensor on a semiconductor substrate involves defining at least one area on the surface of the semiconductor substrate where a recess is to be created in the semiconductor substrate, depositing a membrane on the surface, a... | 04/16/2002 |
| 6339220 | Thermal infrared detecting device A thermal infrared detecting device includes a lower layer portion having a readout circuit, and an upper layer portion having a bolometer thin film covered with an insulating protective film to perform heat/resistance conversion. The upper layer portion ... | 01/15/2002 |
| 6300378 | Tropodegradable bromine-containing halocarbon additives to decrease flammability of refrigerants foam blowing agents solvents aerosol propellants and sterilants A set of tropodegradable chemical additives to decrease the flammability of normally flammable refrigerants, foam blowing agents, cleaning solvents, aerosol propellants, and sterilants is disclosed. The additives are characterized by high efficiency and s... | 10/09/2001 |
| 6297496 | Photodetectors with passive thermal radiation control A new class of photodetectors which include means for passive shielding against undesired thermal radiation is disclosed. Such devices can substitute in applications currently requiring cooled optical sensors, such as IR detection and imaging. This descri... | 10/02/2001 |
| 6274462 | Method of fabrication of an infrared radiation detector and infrared detector device A method of fabricating an infrared detector, a method of controlling the stress in a polycrystalline SiGE layer and an infrared detector device is disclosed. The method of fabricating includes the steps of forming a sacrificial layer on a substrate; patt... | 08/14/2001 |
| 6239432 | IR radiation sensing with SIC SiC, preferably in single crystal form, is employed as an IR radiation sensor with high temperature and power capabilities. Applications include sensing the power or energy from an IR radiation source, a contactless temperature sensor for another body hea... | 05/29/2001 |
| 6229144 | Bolometric heat detector A bolometric heat detector having an active part composed of at least two coplanar electrodes (8, 10) placed in electrical contact with a first thin semiconducting layer (6), doped by a first doping agent with a first type of conductivity. There is a seco... | 05/08/2001 |
| 6201243 | Microbridge structure and method for forming the microbridge structure The microbridge structure comprises a substrate layer provided with two first electrical contacts; a microstructure including a sensing area provided with two second electrical contacts; and a micro support for suspending the microstructure over and at a ... | 03/13/2001 |
| 6194722 | Method of fabrication of an infrared radiation detector and infrared detector device A method of fabricating an infrared detector, a method of controlling the stress in a polycrystalline SiGE layer and an infrared detector device is disclosed. The method of fabricating includes the steps of forming a sacrificial layer on a substrate; patt... | 02/27/2001 |
| 6163061 | Infrared solid-state image sensor and manufacturing method thereof An infrared solid-state image sensor comprises a semiconductor substrate, a first diaphragm, supported on the semiconductor substrate via a first support portion, for supporting a hot junction of thermocouples for converting a temperature change, caused b... | 12/19/2000 |
| 6160257 | Hybridized biological microbolometer A Microbolometer constructed of Biological and Non-Biological components, ing proteins with greater sensitivity to imaging, as the infrared radiation detectors.... | 12/12/2000 |
| 6160252 | Photoconductive element and method for measuring high frequency signals A photoconductive method or apparatus for measuring high frequency signals using a relatively inexpensive photoconductive material with a relatively long duration or recombination time. The photoconductive method or apparatus utilizes a photoconductive el... | 12/12/2000 |
| 6157404 | Imaging system including an array of dual-band microbridge detectors A dual-band detector that absorbs incident radiation in a first range of wavelengths and that absorbs incident radiation in a second range of wavelengths. The dual-band detector includes a semiconductor substrate and a first microbridge detector level dis... | 12/05/2000 |
| 6114697 | Bandgap radiation detector An infrared radiation detector device has an array of detectors each of which comprises a pattern of parallel detector elements. Each detector produces a pixel signal for an image. The elements of the detector are photoconductive or photovoltaic bandgap m... | 09/05/2000 |
| 6114696 | Uncooled infrared detector An infrared radiation detector device comprises a dipole antenna mounted on a substrate and connected through blocking contacts to a bandgap detector element. The dipole antenna has a length which is approximately one half the wavelength of the incident i... | 09/05/2000 |
| 6111254 | Infrared radiation detector An infrared radiation detector is disclosed which is fabricated on a dielectric substrate. The detector utilizes photosensitive segments which are included within elongate members disposed on the surface of the substrate. The elongate members comprise pho... | 08/29/2000 |
| 6107643 | Photoconductive switch with doping adapted to the intensity distribution of an illumination source thereof A photoconductive switch, having at least a part of a first layer doped with dopants providing substantially no free charge carriers for charge transport between the electrodes at the normal operation temperature of the switch, has the nature of the dopin... | 08/22/2000 |
| 6100525 | Uncooled infrared detector An infrared radiation detector device comprises a dipole antenna mounted on a substrate and connected through blocking contacts to a bandgap detector element. The dipole antenna has a length which is approximately one half the wavelength of the incident i... | 08/08/2000 |
| 6054706 | Long wavelength infrared photodetectors The subject invention includes a far-infrared detector based on InSbBix1-x which operates 12 μm at room temperature with an energy band gap as low as 0.13 eV (9.3 μm) at 77K and 12 μm at 300K. The subject invention may be prepared by growing epitaxial ... | 04/25/2000 |
| 5923953 | Process for forming a high gain, wide bandgap gallium nitride photoconductor having particular sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation A process for forming a UV sensitive gallium nitride layer includes a step of depositing a layer of aluminum nitride on which the gallium nitride layer is deposited. Two tests, sheet resistance and photoluminescent response of the gallium nitride layer, a... | 07/13/1999 |
| 5912464 | Infrared detector and manufacturing process An infrared detector includes a sensitive part having a sensitive element and conducting elements. The sensitive element includes a layer of material in which the resistivity varies with the temperature. The conducting elements perform the functions of el... | 06/15/1999 |
| 5900631 | Highly sensitive photoconductive infrared detector A semiconductor crystal infrared detecting portion structure is provided in a photoconductive infrared detector and is provided at opposite ends with first and second electrodes so biased that the first and second electrodes have a positive potential and ... | 05/04/1999 |
| 5873901 | Treating retinal damage by implanting thin film optical detectors A method for treating retinal damage by implanting a thin film optical detector based on a dielectric capacitor. When illuminated, the dielectric capacitor generates an electrical field that replaces signals from damaged retinal photoreceptors in the eye.... | 02/23/1999 |
| 5864166 | Bistable photoconductive switches particularly suited for frequency-agile, radio-frequency sources A photoconductive switching device is disclosed that has an enhanced speed of response so that its closed (low) and open (high) resistive states are obtained in response to optical illumination in the less than nanosecond regime. The enhanced speed of res... | 01/26/1999 |
| 5844288 | Photoconductive element and method for measuring high frequency signals A photoconductive method or apparatus for measuring high frequency signals using a relatively inexpensive photoconductive material with a relatively long duration or recombination time. The photoconductive method or apparatus utilizes a photoconductive el... | 12/01/1998 |
| 5811815 | Dual-band multi-level microbridge detector A dual-band detector that absorbs incident radiation in a first range of wavelengths and that absorbs incident radiation in a second range of wavelengths. The dual-band detector includes a semiconductor substrate and a first microbridge detector level dis... | 09/22/1998 |
| 5629521 | Interferometer-based bolometer An infrared detector device is described. It is based on an infrared analog of the Fabry Perot interferometer, using one curved, fully reflecting, plate and one planar, mainly reflecting, but partially transmitting, plate. The space between these plates b... | 05/13/1997 |
| 5598014 | High gain ultraviolet photoconductor based on wide bandgap nitrides A photoconductor has an active layer of gallium nitride having approximately 1015 to 5×1015 net donor sites per cubic centimeter and is sensitive to UV radiation. This photoconductor has at least one of a sheet resistance in the app... | 01/28/1997 |
| 5584117 | Method of making an interferometer-based bolometer An infrared detector device is described. It is based on an infrared analog of the Fabry Perot interferometer, using one curved, fully reflecting, plate and one planar, mainly reflecting, but partially transmitting, plate. The space between these plates b... | 12/17/1996 |
| 5561295 | Infrared-responsive photoconductive array and method of making A photoconductive detector array which is responsive to infrared light to provide an electrical output response includes a substrate which is transparent to infrared light. A continuous layer of photoconductive material is disposed upon the substrate, and... | 10/01/1996 |
| 5497029 | Tin-indium antimonide infrared detector A compound semiconductor device suitable for an infrared ray detector comprises a substrate composed of indium antimonide (InSb), a first conductive layer deposited on the substrate and composed of tin-indium antimonide represented by the formula Snx... | 03/05/1996 |
| 5459333 | Semiconductor photodetector with potential barrier regions A semiconductor photodetector has a channel of conductive material which connects two terminal poles and is defined by potential barrier regions and by space-charge regions that can be reduced by means of incident light. The channel is comprised of a cond... | 10/17/1995 |