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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1972

Methods of measurement for semiconductor materials, process control, and devices

Activities directed toward the development of methods of measurement for semiconductor materials, process control, and devices are described. Topics investigated include: measurements of transistor delay time; application of the infrared response technique to the study of radiation-damaged, lithium-drifted silicon detectors; and identification of a condition that minimizes wire flexure and reduces the failure rate of wire bonds in transistors and integrated circuits under slow thermal cycling conditions. Supplementary data concerning staff, standards committee activities, technical services, and publications are included as appendixes.

Bullis, W. M.↗
NASA NTRS1977

The charge-flow transistor - A new MOS device

A new device, the charge-flow transistor (CFT), has been developed to achieve integrated MOS compatibility in sensor applications, such as gas, humidity, and fire detection, where one is interested in monitoring the transverse resistance of a thin film. The resistive material is incorporated into the gate structure of the CFT in such a way that there is a time delay between the application of the gate-to-source voltage and the appearance of a complete channel. This time delay depends on the resistivity of the thin film. A theory of device operation is presented, together with experimental results on the first CFT's. These results confirm the principles of operation, and demonstrate the utility of the CFT for making fully integrated sensing devices.

Senturia, S. D.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Advanced InSb monolithic Charge Coupled Infrared Imaging Devices (CCIRID)

The continued development of monolithic InSb charge coupled infrared imaging devices (CCIRIDs) is discussed. The processing sequence and structural design of 20-element linear arrays are discussed. Also, results obtained from radiometric testing of the 20-element arrays using a clamped sample-and-hold output circuit are reported. The design and layout of a next-generation CCIRID chip are discussed. The major devices on this chip are a 20 by 16 time-delay-and-integration (TDI) area array and a 100-element linear imaging array. The development of a process for incorporating an ion implanted S(+) planar channel stop into the CCIRID structure and the development of a thin film transparent photogate are also addressed. The transparent photogates will increase quantum efficiency to greater than 70% across the 2.5 to 5.4 micrometer spectral region in future front-side illuminated CCIRIDs.

Koch, T. L.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Efficient implementation of real-time programs under the VAX/VMS operating system

Techniques for writing efficient real-time programs under the VAX/VMS oprating system are presented. Basic operations are presented for executing at real-time priority and for avoiding needlless processing delays. A highly efficient technique for accessing physical devices by mapping to the input/output space and accessing the device registrs directly is described. To illustrate the application of the technique, examples are included of different uses of the technique on three devices in the Langley Avionics Integration Research Lab (AIRLAB): the KW11-K dual programmable real-time clock, the Parallel Communications Link (PCL11-B) communication system, and the Datacom Synchronization Network. Timing data are included to demonstrate the performance improvements realized with these applications of the technique.

Johnson, S. C.↗
NASA NTRS2006

The Effectiveness of TAG or Guard-Gates in SET Suppression Using Delay and Dual-Rail Configurations at 0.35 microns

Design options for decreasing the susceptibility of integrated circuits to Single Event Upset (SEU) fall into two categories: (1) increasing the critical charge to cause an upset at a particular node, and (2) employing redundancy to mask or correct errors. With decreasing device sizes on an Integrated Circuit (IC), the amount of charge required to represent a logic state has steadily reduced. Critical charge methods such as increasing drive strength or increasing the time required to change state as in capacitive or resistive hardening or delay based approaches extract a steadily increasing penalty as a percentage of device resources and performance. Dual redundancy is commonly assumed only to provide error detection with Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR) required for correction, but less well known methods employ dual redundancy to achieve full error correction by voting two inputs with a prior state to resolve ambiguity. This requires special circuits such as the Whitaker latch [1], or the guard-gate [2] which some of us have called a Transition AND Gate (TAG) [3]. A 2-input guard gate is shown in Figure 1. It is similar to a Muller Completion Element [4] and relies on capacitance at node "out" to retain the prior state when inputs disagree, while eliminating any output buffer which would be susceptible to radiation strikes. This paper experimentally compares delay based and dual rail flip-flop designs wherein both types of circuits employ guard-gates to optimize layout and performance, and draws conclusions about design criteria and suitability of each option. In both cases a design goal is protection against Single Event Transients (SET) in combinational logic as well as SEU in the storage elements. For the delay based design, it is also a goal to allow asynchronous clear or preset inputs on the storage elements, which are often not available in radiation tolerant designs.

Shuler, Robert L.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Sidelobe reduction of Barker codes, part 7.1C

Barker codes can be realized as simple digital preprocessors, or with the use of a delay line, can be realized as an analogue device. Assuming the process observed has an autocorrelation time that is long compared to the code length, a gain in signal to noise, G = N where N is the number of elements in the code, may be realized. Typically Barker codes are implemented by shifting the phase of the transmitted signal by 0 or 180 degrees according to the code pattern. A typical detection scheme is shown where the output of the radar receiver is delayed by an analogue delay line or a shift register. The signal in each element of the delay line or shift register is continuously multiplied by the code and all elements are summed. A principal disadvantage was the sidelobe response. In the case of MST or ST radar echoes where there is a dynamic range as large as 60 dB, these unwanted sidelobes cause an increase in the apparent width of atmospheric layers, or some narrow layer to appear at several altitudes. The sidelobes of a Barker code may be reduced by tapering the response of the decoder. Optimum tapers, are shown. It is found that the sidelobe response is greatly reduced with very little loss in G.

Green, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Radiation-Resistant Photon-Counting Detector Package Providing Sub-ps Stability for Laser Time Transfer in Space

We are reporting on a design, construction and performance of photon-counting detector packages based on silicon avalanche photodiodes. These photon-counting devices have been optimized for extremely high stability of their detection delay. The detectors have been designed for future applications in fundamental metrology and optical time transfer in space. The detectors have been qualified for operation in space missions. The exceptional radiation tolerance of the detection chip itself and of all critical components of a detector package has been verified in a series of experiments.

radiation hardness↗
NASA NTRS1993

Determining the 3-D structure and motion of objects using a scanning laser range sensor

In order for the EVAHR robot to autonomously track and grasp objects, its vision system must be able to determine the 3-D structure and motion of an object from a sequence of sensory images. This task is accomplished by the use of a laser radar range sensor which provides dense range maps of the scene. Unfortunately, the currently available laser radar range cameras use a sequential scanning approach which complicates image analysis. Although many algorithms have been developed for recognizing objects from range images, none are suited for use with single beam, scanning, time-of-flight sensors because all previous algorithms assume instantaneous acquisition of the entire image. This assumption is invalid since the EVAHR robot is equipped with a sequential scanning laser range sensor. If an object is moving while being imaged by the device, the apparent structure of the object can be significantly distorted due to the significant non-zero delay time between sampling each image pixel. If an estimate of the motion of the object can be determined, this distortion can be eliminated; but, this leads to the motion-structure paradox - most existing algorithms for 3-D motion estimation use the structure of objects to parameterize their motions. The goal of this research is to design a rigid-body motion recovery technique which overcomes this limitation. The method being developed is an iterative, linear, feature-based approach which uses the non-zero image acquisition time constraint to accurately recover the motion parameters from the distorted structure of the 3-D range maps. Once the motion parameters are determined, the structural distortion in the range images is corrected.

Nandhakumar, N.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Observation of millimeter-wave oscillations from resonant tunneling diodes and some theoretical considerations of ultimate frequency limits

Recent observations of oscillation frequencies up to 56 GHz in resonant tunneling structures are discussed in relation to calculations by several authors of the ultimate frequency limits of these devices. It is found that calculations relying on the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) approximation give limits well below the observed oscillation frequencies. Two other techniques for calculating the upper frequency limit were found to give more reasonable results. One method employs the solution of the time-dependent Schroedinger equation obtained by Kundrotas and Dargys (1986); the other uses the energy width of the transmission function for electrons through the double-barrier structure. This last technique is believed to be the most accurate since it is based on general results for the lifetime of any resonant state. It gives frequency limits on the order of 1 THz for two recently fabricated structures. It appears that the primary limitation of the oscillation frequency for double-barrier resonant-tunneling diodes is imposed by intrinsic device circuit parameters and by the transit time of the depletion layer rather than by time delays encountered in the double-barrier region.

Sollner, T. C. L. G.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Improvement of SLR accuracy, a possible new step

The satellite laser ranging (SLR) technology experienced a large number of technical improvements since the early 1970's, leading now to a millimetric instrumental accuracy. Presently, it appears as useless to increase these instrumental performances as long as the atmospheric propagation delay suffers its actual imprecision. It has been proposed for many years to work in multiwavelength mode, but up to now the considerable technological difficulties of subpicosecond timing have seriously delayed such an approach. Then a new possibility is proposed, using a device which is not optimized now for SLR but has already given good results in the lower troposphere for wind measurement: the association of a radar and a sodar. While waiting for the 2-lambda methodology, this one could provide an atmospheric propagation delay at the millimeter level during a few years with only little technological investment.

Kasser, Michel↗
NASA NTRS1978

Condition sensor system and method

The condition sensor system comprises a condition detector which produces a pulse when a parameter of the monitored condition exceeds a desired threshold. A resettable condition counter counts each pulse. A resettable timer is preset to produce a particular time frame. The counter produces a condition signal when the accumulated number of pulses within the time frame is equal to or greater than a preset count. Control means responsive to the incoming pulses and to the condition signal produce control signals that control utilization devices. After a suitable delay, the last detected pulse simultaneously resets the pulse counter and the timer, and prepares them for sensing another condition occurrence within the time frame. The invention has particular utility in the process of detecting rocking motions of blind people. A controlled, audible, bio-feedback signal is provided which constitutes a warning to the blind person that he is rocking.

Polhemus, J. T.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Faster simulation plots

Most simulation plots are heavily oversampled. Ignoring unnecessary data points dramatically reduces plot time with imperceptible effect on quality. The technique is suited to most plot devices. The departments laser printer's speed was tripled for large simulation plots by data thinning. This reduced printer delays without the expense of a faster laser printer. Surpisingly, it saved computer time as well. All plot data are now thinned, including PostScript and terminal plots. The problem, solution, and conclusions are described. The thinning algorithm is described and performance studies are presented. To obtain FORTRAN 77 or C source listings, mail a SASE to the author.

Fowell, Richard A.↗
NASA NTRS1965

Gapped toroid provides infinite resolution of delay-line pickup

Gapped toroid magnetically coupled to a delay line provides continuous adjustment of the time delay line signal retrieval. A rotating screw moves the toroid pickup parallel to the delay line. This device can be used in signal detection devices and instrumentation equipment.

Robinson, G. B.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Application of frequency discrimination technique to the analysis of electroencephalographic signals

A frequency discrimination technique is realized by an inexpensive frequency discriminator for direct on-line measurement of the entrainment phenomenon in EEG as entrained by the frequency of a sensory stimulus. The use of this device for detecting the presence or absence of the stimulus effect and the measurement of the time delays in the entrainment is demonstrated. The EEG signal is first filtered by a narrow-band filter with center frequency about the alpha-rhythm of the individual. It is then reasonable to consider the alpha signal as narrow-band random process with the alpha frequency f sub alpha as the mean frequency of the spectral band.

Lai, D. C.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Enhanced viscous flow drag reduction using acoustic excitation

Proper acoustic excitation of a single large-eddy break-up device can increase the resulting drag reduction and, after approximately 40 to 50 delta downstream, provide net drag reduction. Precise optimization of the input time delay, amplitude and response threshold is difficult but possible to achieve. Drag reduction is improved with optimized conditions. The possibility of optimized processing strongly suggests a mechanism which involves interaction of the acoustic waves and large eddies at the trailing edge of the large eddy break-up device. Although the mechanism for spreading of this phenomenon is unknown, it is apparent that the drag reduction effect does tend to spread spanwise as the flow convects downstream. The phenomenon is not unique to a particular blade configuration or flow velocity, although all data have been obtained at relatively low Reynolds numbers. The general repeatibility of the results for small configuration changes serves as verification of the phenomenon.

Nagel, Robert T.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Performance of a 100V Half-Bridge MOSFET Driver, Type MIC4103, Over a Wide Temperature Range

The operation of a high frequency, high voltage MOSFET (metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors) driver was investigated over a wide temperature regime that extended beyond its specified range. The Micrel MIC4103 is a 100V, non-inverting, dual driver that is designed to independently drive both high-side and low-side N-channel MOSFETs. It features fast propagation delay times and can drive 1000 pF load with 10ns rise times and 6 ns fall times [1]. The device consumes very little power, has supply under-voltage protection, and is rated for a -40 C to +125 C junction temperature range. The floating high-side driver of the chip can sustain boost voltages up to 100 V. Table I shows some of the device manufacturer s specification.

Patterson, Richard L.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Acousto-optic/CCD real-time SAR data processor

The SAR processor which uses an acousto-optic device as the input electronic-to-optical transducer and a 2-D CCD image sensor, which is operated in the time-delay-and-integrate (TDI) mode is presented. The CCD serves as the optical detector, and it simultaneously operates as an array of optically addressed correlators. The lines of the focused SAR image form continuously (at the radar PRF) at the final row of the CCD. The principles of operation of this processor, its performance characteristics, the state-of-the-art of the devices used and experimental results are outlined. The methods by which this processor can be made flexible so that it can be dynamically adapted to changing SAR geometries is discussed.

Psaltis, D.↗