Silicon microcavity and microchannel plasma devices: spectroscopy and time-resolved optical experiments

Novel microcavity and microchannel plasma devices in Si have provided new and efficient sources of visible, ultraviolet (UV) and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation. The realization of this new platform for devices is implemented through VLSI and MEMS fabrication techniques. In this thesis, the basic physics of plasma discharges is presented, and the performance of Si microplasma devices with inverted pyramidal cavity and V-grooved channel configurations is described in some detail

A Multiproject Chip Approach to the Teaching of Analog MOS LSI and VLSI

Multiproject chip implementation has been used in teaching analog MOS circuit design. After having worked with computer simulation and layout aids in homework problems, students designed novel circuits including several high performance op amps, an A/D converter, a switched capacitor filter, a 1 K dynamic RAM, and a variety of less conventional MOS circuits such as a VII converter, an AC/DC converter, an AM radio receiver, a digitally-controlled analog signal processor, and on-chip circuitry for measuring transistor capacitances. These circuits were laid out as part of an NMOS multiproject chip. Several of the designs exhibit a considerable degree of innovation; fabrication pending, computer simulation shows that some may be pushing the state of the art. Several designs are of interest to digital designers; in fact, the course has provided knowledge and technique needed for detailed digital circuit design at the gate level

A Pixel Vertex Tracker for the TESLA Detector

In order to fully exploit the physics potential of a e+e- linear collider, such as TESLA, a Vertex Tracker providing high resolution track reconstruction is required. Hybrid Silicon pixel sensors are an attractive sensor technology option due to their read-out speed and radiation hardness, favoured in the high rate TESLA environment, but have been so far limited by the achievable single point space resolution. A novel layout of pixel detectors with interleaved cells to improve their spatial resolution is introduced and the results of the characterisation of a first set of test structures are discussed. In this note, a conceptual design of the TESLA Vertex Tracker, based on hybrid pixel sensors is presentedComment: 20 pages, 11 figure

Hybrid-aligned nematic liquid-crystal modulators fabricated on VLSI circuits

A new method for fabricating analog light modulators on VLSI devices is described. The process is fully compatible with devices fabricated by commercial VLSI foundries, and the assembly of the modulator structures requires a small number of simple processing steps. The modulators are capable of analog amplitude or phase modulation and can operate at video rates and at low voltages (2.2 V). The modulation mechanism and the process yielding the modulator structures are described. Experimental data are presented