What is claimed is:
1. A circuit for preventing corruption of battery-specific data transferred from a battery-specific data element to a battery charger when a battery is electrically coupled to both the battery charger and to a load, comprising:
a. a charger connection sensor that is capable of sensing when the battery is connected to the battery charger; and
b. an interrupter circuit, responsive to the charger connection sensor, that electrically couples the battery-specific data element to a load side battery-specific data node when the charger connection sensor indicates that the battery is not connected to the battery charger and that electrically uncouples the battery-specific data element to the battery-specific data node accessible by the load when the charger connection sensor indicates that the battery is connected to the battery charger.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the battery charger comprises a pull-up resistor that electrically couples a pull-up node to a reference voltage when the battery is connected to the battery charger and wherein the charger connection sensor comprises:
a. a first resistor that electrically couples the pull-up node to a ground, so that the pull-up node has a first voltage when the first resistor is electrically coupled to the pull-up resistor and so that the pull-up node has a second voltage, different from the first voltage, when the first resistor is not electrically coupled to the pull-up resistor; and
b. a control switching element, having a gate electrically coupled to the pull-up node and a control node electrically coupled to the interrupter circuit so that the interrupter circuit electrically uncouples the battery-specific data element from the load side battery-specific data node when the pull-up node has the first voltage and so that the interrupter circuit electrically couples the battery-specific data element to the load side battery-specific data node when the pull-up node has the second voltage.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first resistor comprises a negative coefficient thermistor.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the charger connection sensor generates a charger connection sensor output that is in a first state when the battery is connected to the battery charger and that is in a second state when the battery is not connected to the battery charger.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the interrupter circuit comprises:
a. a first field effect transistor having a first gate, a first source and a first drain, a first parasitic diode existing between the first source and the first drain, the first field effect transistor being biased so that parasitic current may flow though the first parasitic diode in only a first direction, the first drain being in series with a first selected one of the load side battery-specific data node or the battery-specific data element, the first gate being electrically coupled to the charger connection sensor output and the first field effect transistor being biased so that current is allowed to flow between the first source and the first drain when the charger connection sensor output is in the second state; and
b. a second field effect transistor having a second gate, a second source and a second drain, a second parasitic diode existing between the second source and the second drain, the second field effect transistor being biased so that parasitic current may flow through the second parasitic diode in only a second direction, different from the first direction, the second drain being in series with a second selected one of the load side battery-specific data node or the battery-specific data element, the second selected one of the load side battery-specific data node or the battery-specific data element being different from the first selected one of the load side battery-specific data node or the battery-specific data element, the second gate being electrically coupled to the charger connection sensor output and the second field effect transistor being biased so that current is allowed to flow between the second source and the second drain when the charger connection sensor output is in the second state.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for manufacturing an optical device having an optical block, through which a light is transmitted, the method comprising steps of:
forming a plurality of silicon oxide members, which is disposed on a silicon substrate, wherein the silicon oxide members are arranged in parallel each other by a predetermined clearance between two adjacent silicon oxide members; and
pouring a super critical fluid into the clearance so that the clearance is filled with a product formed from a predetermined compound for forming the optical block, wherein the predetermined compound is dissolved in the super critical fluid.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein
the predetermined compound is resolved so that the product is formed.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein
the predetermined compound is chemically reacted so that the product is formed.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein
the step of forming the silicon oxide members includes a step of etching the silicon substrate by using a mask having a predetermined pattern.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein
the step of forming the silicon oxide members further includes a step of oxidizing an etched silicon substrate so that the silicon oxide members are provided.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein
in the step of forming the silicon oxide members, each clearance between the silicon oxide members has a width, which becomes narrower as it goes to a bottom of the clearance.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein
in the step of forming the silicon oxide members, each clearance between the silicon oxide members has two parts, one of which has a constant width, and the other one of which has a width that becomes wider as it goes to a top of the clearance, and
the width of the top of the clearance is largest among the width of the clearance.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein
each silicon oxide member has a thin plate shape extending in a longitudinal direction parallel to an optical axis of the optical block, and
the thin plate shape has a sidewall extending in the longitudinal direction, the sidewall providing an inner wall of the clearance.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein
the step of forming the silicon oxide members includes steps of:
forming a plurality of silicon members, which is disposed on the silicon substrate, wherein the silicon members are arranged in parallel each other by a predetermined clearance between two adjacent silicon members; and
thermally oxidizing the silicon members so that the silicon oxide members are provided, and
in the step of thermally oxidizing the silicon members, the clearance remains between two neighboring silicon members without being filled with a silicon oxide layer.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein
each silicon member has a width,
each clearance has a width, and
the width of the silicon member and the width of the clearance are determined in such a manner that the clearance remains between two neighboring silicon members in the step of thermally oxidizing the silicon members.
11. The method according to claim 1, wherein
the product formed from the compound is made of silicon oxide.
12. The method according to claim 1, wherein
the product formed from the compound has a refraction index, which is substantially equal to a refraction index of silicon oxide.
13. The method according to claim 1, wherein
the silicon substrate has a surface with a (110)-surface orientation.
14. The method according to claim 1, wherein
the step of forming the silicon oxide members includes a step of etching the silicon substrate by a reactive ion etching method so that a trench is formed as the clearance.
15. The method according to claim 1, wherein
the super critical fluid includes a main component of carbon dioxide.
16. The method according to claim 1, wherein
the optical block is a micro lens.