Author: claimsbot

1. A control circuit, comprising:
a variable transmittance optical filter comprising a first and a second electrode and a switching material in contact with the first and second electrodes, wherein the switching material is capable of transitioning from a light state to a dark state on exposure to ultraviolet radiation and from the dark state to the light state with application of an electric voltage across the first and second electrodes;
power control electronics comprising a switch for electrically coupling to a power source, the power control electronics electrically coupled to the first and second electrodes and operable to:
dissipate any charge on the optical filter by shorting the first and second electrodes together, thereby facilitating transition of the switching material from the light state to the dark state upon exposure of the switching material to ultraviolet radiation; and
transition the optical filter from the dark state to the light state by applying a voltage from the power source across the first and second electrodes; and

a DC-DC regulator or a DC-DC converter electrically coupled in series with the power control electronics, wherein the power control electronics receives a DC voltage from the DC-DC regulator or DC-DC converter when the power source is electrically coupled to the power control electronics and the DC-DC regulator or the DC-DC converter matches the DC voltage to a voltage required by the optical filter in order to trigger lightening.
2. The control circuit of claim 1, further comprising an AC adapter, wherein the DC-DC regulator or the DC-DC converter is electrically coupled in series between the AC adapter and the power control electronics when the power source is electrically coupled to the power control electronics.
3. The control circuit of claim 1, wherein the power control electronics further comprise a timing circuit and a first user-controlled sensor, and wherein the power control electronics use the timing circuit to apply the voltage across the first and second electrodes for a fixed period of time in response to receiving a signal from the first user-controlled sensor, the fixed period of time preset to be the amount of time required for the optical filter to transition from the dark state to the light state.
4. The control circuit of claim 1, wherein the switching material comprises part of a window of a building or vehicle or part of a lens.
5. The control circuit of claim 3, wherein the power control electronics further comprise a second user-controlled sensor and wherein the power control electronics use the timing circuit to apply, in response to receiving a signal from the second user-controlled sensor, the voltage across the first and second electrodes for a period of time longer than the fixed period of time.
6. The control circuit of claim 3, wherein the power control electronics further comprise a second user-controlled sensor and the power control electronics cease applying the voltage to the switching material in response to receiving a signal from the second user-controlled sensor while the power control electronics are applying the voltage to the first and second electrodes.
7. The control circuit of claim 6, wherein the power control electronics short the first and second electrodes together in response to receiving the signal from the second user-controlled sensor.
8. The control circuit of claim 1, wherein the power control electronics further comprise a user-controlled sensor and the power control electronics short the first and second electrodes together in response to receiving a signal from the user-controlled sensor.
9. The control circuit of claim 1, wherein the power control electronics further comprise a light sensor and the power control electronics short the first and second electrodes together upon receiving a signal from the light sensor indicating a certain level of ambient brightness around the optical filter.
10. The control circuit of claim 1, wherein the power control electronics further comprise a user-controlled sensor and a light sensor, and wherein the power control electronics maintain the voltage across the first and second electrodes in response to a first signal from the user-controlled sensor in order to maintain the optical filter in the light state when the light sensor indicates a certain level of ambient brightness around the optical filter.
11. The control circuit of claim 10, wherein the power control electronics shorts the first and the second electrodes together in response to a second signal from the user-controlled sensor that is received after the first signal.
12. The control circuit of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a multi-state control device operable to permit a user to select an intermediate transmittance for the optical filter, wherein the power control electronics applies the voltage across the first and second electrodes for a duration sufficient to achieve the intermediate state.
13. The control circuit of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a multi-state control device operable to permit a user to select an intermediate transmittance for the optical filter, wherein the power control electronics applies the voltage across the first and second electrodes to achieve the intermediate state based on feedback from one or more light sensors.
14. The control circuit of claim 1, wherein the power control electronics further comprise a voltage or a current sensor that senses when the switching material has transitioned to the light state, and wherein the power control electronics cease to apply the voltage across the first and second electrodes when the switching material has transitioned to the light 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 of making a buried plate region in a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
forming a trench in a semiconductor substrate, the trench having a trench sidewall, the sidewall including an upper portion, and a lower portion disposed below the upper portion;
forming a dopant source layer along the lower portion of the trench sidewall, the dopant source layer not being disposed along the upper portion of the trench sidewall;
forming a barrier layer along the upper portion of the trench sidewall; and
annealing the semiconductor substrate to drive a dopant from the dopant source layer into the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the lower portion of the trench sidewall.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a cap layer is formed overlying the dopant source layer prior to said annealing.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the barrier layer is formed by thermal nitridation.
4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the barrier layer has a thickness of between about 10 angstroms and angstroms.
5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the barrier layer includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of cobalt silicide, nickel silicide, tungsten silicide, titanium silicide, titanium nitride, tantalum nitride and silicon carbide.
6. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cap layer consists essentially of an undoped oxide.
7. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising removing the cap layer and the dopant source layer from the trench sidewall after the annealing, and thereafter removing oxidized material of the substrate to widen the trench in the region of the lower portion.
8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dopant source layer is formed by depositing arsenic doped glass (ASG) at a temperature of about 700\xb0 C.
9. A method of making a trench capacitor having a buried plate formed according to a method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
forming a node dielectric along the lower portion of the trench sidewall after removing the dopant source layer; and
depositing at least one of a conductive and a semiconducting material onto the node dielectric as a second plate opposing the buried plate.
10. A method of making a buried plate region in a substrate including a single-crystal semiconductor, comprising:
vertically etching the substrate to pattern a vertically elongated trench in the substrate;
forming a dopant source layer on a lower portion of a sidewall of the trench;
selectively epitaxially growing a layer consisting essentially of semiconductor material onto a portion of the single-crystal semiconductor exposed at an upper portion of the trench sidewall, the upper portion being disposed vertically above the lower portion of the trench sidewall; and
annealing to drive a dopant from the dopant source layer into the single-crystal semiconductor of the substrate adjacent to the lower portion to form a buried plate.
11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the thickness of the epitaxially grown layer is oxidized during the annealing.
12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the dopant source layer includes a doped oxide material, the method further comprising etching the oxidized portion and the doped oxide material after the annealing, the etching being performed selective to the single-crystal semiconductor included in the substrate.
13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the single-crystal semiconductor of the substrate is initially doped p-type and the dopant source layer includes an n-type dopant such that the buried plate includes the n-type dopant, the method further comprising etching the single-crystal semiconductor disposed in the buried plate selective to the p-type doped single-crystal semiconductor, such that a dimension of the trench is widened in the region of the lower portion of the trench sidewall.
14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the single-crystal semiconductor of the substrate consists essentially of silicon, the epitaxially grown layer including an etch distinguishable semiconductor alloy, and only a portion of the thickness of the epitaxially grown layer is oxidized during the annealing, such that a portion of the epitaxially grown layer remains as a mask disposed on the upper portion of the trench sidewall, the method further comprising etching the single-crystal semiconductor disposed in the buried plate selective to the material of the epitaxially grown layer to widen a dimension of the trench in the region of the lower portion of the trench sidewall.
15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the epitaxially grown layer consists essentially of at least one semiconductor alloy selected from the group consisting of SiGe and SiC.
16. A method of forming a trench capacitor in a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
patterning a trench through an opening in a pad stack by vertically etching the substrate selective to a material of the pad stack, the trench having a trench sidewall including a lower portion and an upper portion disposed above the lower portion;
forming a dopant source layer over a lower portion of the trench sidewall, such that the dopant source layer is not disposed over an upper portion of the trench sidewall;
forming a layer covering the upper portion of the trench sidewall;
annealing to drive a dopant from the dopant source layer into the single-crystal semiconductor material of the substrate adjacent to the lower portion to form a buried plate;
removing the dopant source layer;
forming a node dielectric along the lower portion of the trench sidewall; and
forming a node electrode on a side of the node dielectric opposite the buried plate to form the trench capacitor.
17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the covering layer is formed by thermal nitridation, the dopant source layer includes arsenic doped glass (ASG), and the method further comprises widening the lower portion prior to forming the node dielectric and prior to forming the node electrode.
18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the covering layer functions as a barrier to prevent diffusion of a dopant from the dopant source layer into the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the upper portion.
19. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the covering layer functions as a sacrificial layer, a portion of the thickness of which is at least partially oxidized during the annealing, the oxidized portion of the covering layer being thereafter removed during the removal of the dopant source layer.
20. A method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising widening the lower portion prior to forming the node dielectric and prior to forming the node electrode.

1. A system for imaging at least a portion of a sample, comprising:
a source arrangement generating at least one source electro-magnetic radiation forwarded to the sample and a reference; and
at least one detection arrangement including a plurality of detectors, at least one of the detectors capable of detecting a signal associated with a combination of at least one first electro-magnetic radiation received from the sample and at least one second electro-magnetic radiation received from the reference, wherein the signal is at least one of frequency components of the combination;
at least one spectral separating unit which separates spectrum of at least one of the first electro-magnetic radiation, the second electro-magnetic radiation or the combination into the at least one of the frequency components,
wherein at least one particular detector of the detectors has a particular electrical integration time, wherein the at least one particular detector receives at least a portion of the signal for a time duration which has at least one first portion with at least one first power level greater than a predetermined threshold and at least one second portion immediately preceding or following the at least one first portion, the at least one second portion having at least one second power level less than the predetermined threshold, and wherein the at least one second portion is extended for a time period which is approximately at least 10% of the particular electrical integration time; and
at least one processing arrangement which is configured to generate at least one image associated with the sample based on the detected signal which is provided for the particular electrical integration time, the at least one image including at least one portion associated with the sample below a surface thereof, and the at least one portion of the at least one image illustrates the sample at multiple depths thereof immediately below a surface location at which the forwarded radiation impacts the sample.
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the signal has frequency components of the combination.
3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the source arrangement is a pulsed broadband source.
4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the detection arrangement includes at least one charged-coupled device.
5. The system according to claim 2 1, wherein the at least one particular detector receives the at least one of the frequency components.
6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the source arrangement is a pulsed broadband source.
7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the source arrangement includes an optical gating switch.
8. The system according to claim 5, wherein a frequency of the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation varies over time.
9. The system according to claim 5, wherein the detector arrangement further includes an electrical shutter that is adapted to gate a transmission of photoelectrons associated with the combination of the first and second electro-magnetic radiation, wherein a time period for the gating to allow the transmission of the photoelectrons is less than approximately 90% of the particular electrical integration time.
10. The system according to claim 5, wherein the sample is a biological sample.
11. The system according to claim 5, wherein the detection arrangement includes at least one charged-coupled device.
12. The system according to claim 5, further comprising at least one spectral separating unit which separates spectrum of at least one of the first electro-magnetic radiation, the second electro-magnetic radiation and the combination into the at least one of the frequency components.
13. The system according to claim 6, wherein the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation generated by the pulsed source is a single pulse per the particular electrical integration time.
14. The system according to claim 6, wherein the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation generated by the source arrangement is a burst of radiation that extends for at most approximately 90% of the particular electrical integration time.
15. The system according to claim 6, wherein the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation generated by the pulsed broadband source has a spectrum with a center wavelength between approximately 700 nanometers and 2000 nanometers.
16. The system according to claim 6, wherein a duration of the burst of radiation is approximately shorter than 1 \u03bcsec.
17. The system according to claim 8, wherein a mean frequency of the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation changes substantially continuously over time at a tuning speed that is greater than 100 terahertz per millisecond.
18. The system according to claim 8, wherein the mean frequency changes repeatedly with a repetition period that is less than approximately 90% of the particular electrical integration time.
19. The system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation generated by the source arrangement has a tuning range with a center wavelength between approximately 700 nanometers and 2000 nanometers.
20. The system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation generated by the source arrangement has a timing range of approximately greater than 1% of the center wavelength.
21. The system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation generated by the source arrangement has an instantaneous line width and a tuning range, the instantaneous line width being less than approximately 10% of the tuning range.
22. The system according to claim 8, wherein the source arrangement includes a tunable laser.
23. The system according to claim 8, wherein the source arrangement includes a tunable filter.
24. The system according to claim 8, wherein the source arrangement includes a medium, and wherein the source arrangement generates the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation based on a non-linearity associated with the medium.
25. The system according to claim 8, wherein the frequency varies substantially linearly with time.
26. The system according to claim 8, wherein the frequency varies substantially sinusoidally with time.
27. The system according to claim 13, wherein the pulsed source includes at least one of a Q-switched laser, a cavity-dumped mode-lock laser, and a gain-switched laser.
28. The system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation generated by the pulsed broadband source has a pulse width approximately shorter than 1 \u03bcsec.
29. The system according to claim 14, wherein the burst of radiation includes multiple pulses.
30. The system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation generated by the pulsed broadband source has a spectrum with a spectral width of approximately greater than 1% of the center wavelength.
31. A method for imaging at least a portion of a sample, comprising:
generating at least one source electro-magnetic radiation forwarded to the sample and a reference; and
detecting at least a portion of a signal associated with a combination of at least one first electro-magnetic radiation received from the sample and at least one second electro-magnetic radiation received from the reference using at least one detector of a plurality of detectors of a detection arrangement, wherein the signal is at least one of frequency components of the combination;
separating spectrum of at least one of the first electro-magnetic radiation, the second electro-magnetic radiation or the combination into the at least one of the frequency components,
wherein at least one particular detector of the detectors has a particular electrical integration time, and wherein the at least one particular detector receives at least a portion of the signal for a time duration which has a first portion with a first power level greater than a predetermined threshold and a second portion immediately preceding or following the first portion, the second portion having a second power level less than the predetermined threshold, and extending for a time period which is approximately more than 10% of the particular electrical integration time; and
generating at least one image associated with the sample based on the detected signal which is provided for the particular electrical integration time, the at least one image including at least one portion associated with the sample below a surface thereof, and the at least one portion of the at least one image illustrates the sample at multiple depths thereof immediately below a surface location at which the forwarded radiation impacts the sample.
32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the signal has frequency components of the combination.
33. The method according to claim 31, wherein the generating step is performed by a source arrangement which is a pulsed broadband source.
34. The method according to claim 31, wherein the detection step is performed by a detection arrangement which includes at least one charged-coupled device.
35. The method according to claim 32 31, wherein the at least one particular detector receives the at least one of the frequency components.
36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the generating step is performed by a source arrangement which is a pulsed broadband source.
37. The method according to claim 35, wherein the source arrangement includes an optical gating switch.
38. The method according to claim 35, wherein a frequency of the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation varies over time.
39. The method according to claim 35, wherein the detector arrangement further includes an electrical shutter that is adapted to gate a transmission of photoelectrons associated with the combination of the first and second electro-magnetic radiation, wherein a time period for the gating to allow the transmission of the photoelectrons is less than approximately 90% of the particular electrical integration time.
40. The method according to claim 35, wherein the sample is a biological sample.
41. The method according to claim 35, wherein the detecting step is performed by a detection arrangement which includes at least one charged-coupled device.
42. The method according to claim 35, further comprising the step of separating spectrum of at least one of the first electro-magnetic radiation, the second electro-magnetic radiation and the combination into the at least one of the frequency components.
43. The method according to claim 36, wherein the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation generated by the pulsed source is a single pulse per the particular electrical integration time.
44. The method according to claim 36, wherein the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation generated by the source arrangement is a burst of radiation that extends for at most approximately 90% of the particular electrical integration time.
45. The method according to claim 36, wherein the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation generated by the pulsed broadband source has a spectrum with a center wavelength between approximately 700 nanometers and 2000 nanometers.
46. The method according to claim 36, wherein a duration of the burst of radiation is approximately shorter than 1 \u03bcsec.
47. The method according to claim 38, wherein a mean frequency of the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation changes substantially continuously over time at a tuning speed that is greater than 100 terahertz per millisecond.
48. The method according to claim 38, wherein the mean frequency changes repeatedly with a repetition period that is less than approximately 90% of the particular electrical integration time.
49. The method according to claim 38, wherein the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation generated by the source arrangement has a tuning range with a center wavelength between approximately 700 nanometers and 2000 nanometers.
50. The method according to claim 38, wherein the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation generated by the source arrangement has a timing range of approximately greater than 1% of the center wavelength.
51. The method according to claim 38, wherein the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation generated by the source arrangement has an instantaneous line width and a tuning range, the instantaneous line width being less than approximately 10% of the tuning range.
52. The method according to claim 38, wherein the source arrangement includes a tunable laser.
53. The method according to claim 38, wherein the source arrangement includes a tunable filter.
54. The method according to claim 38, wherein the source arrangement includes a medium, and wherein the source arrangement generates the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation based on a non-linearity associated with the medium.
55. The method according to claim 38, wherein the frequency varies substantially linearly with time.
56. The method according to claim 38, wherein the frequency varies substantially sinusoidally with time.
57. The method according to claim 43, wherein the pulsed source includes at least one of a Q-switched laser, a cavity-dumped mode-lock laser, and a gain-switched laser.
58. The method according to claim 43, wherein the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation generated by the pulsed broadband source has a pulse width approximately shorter than 1 \u03bcsec.
59. The method according to claim 44, wherein the burst of radiation includes multiple pulses.
60. The method according to claim 45, wherein the at least one source electro-magnetic radiation generated by the pulsed broadband source has a spectrum width a spectral width of approximately greater than 1% of the center wavelength.

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 computer assisted method to inventory batteries, comprising:
detecting battery identification information associated with one or more batteries in a battery string;
querying a user as to whether the battery string being inventoried is a first battery string at a location;
if a reply is yes, then reading and recording the battery identification information;
if the reply is no, then requesting and receiving an identity of the battery string being inventoried;
determining a voltage magnitude for each of the one or more batteries in the battery string;
aggregating the voltage magnitudes of the one or more batteries in the battery string,
if the aggregate of the voltage magnitudes of the one or more batteries does not equal a required voltage then generating a first error message;
if the aggregate of the voltage magnitudes of the one or more batteries equals the required voltage then saving the battery identification information; and
if the battery string being inventoried has previously been recorded, then generating a second error message.
2. The computer assisted method of claim 1, wherein the battery identification information data includes a model identification data, wherein further the battery voltage is a component of the model identification data.
3. The computer assisted method of claim 2, further comprising:
comparing the model identification data to a data record;
if the model identification data does not match the data record then generating a third error message;
if the model identification data matches the data record then accepting the battery identification information.
4. The computer assisted method of claim 1, wherein the first error message is an under voltage error message if the aggregate of the battery voltages in a string is less than 48 volts and an over voltage error message if the aggregate of the battery voltages in a string is more than 48 volts.
5. The computer assisted method of claim 1, wherein determining a voltage magnitude for each of the one or more batteries includes looking up the voltage magnitude in a data record.
6. The computer assisted method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of battery identification data is accomplished by a computing device equipped with one of a 2D scanner, an infrared scanning wand and a laser scanner.
7. A computer readable medium comprising processor executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:
detecting battery identification data associated with a battery in a battery string, the battery identification data comprising a model identification data;
determining a voltage magnitude for the battery as a component of the model identification data;
if there is more than one battery in the battery string, repeating the detecting and determining instructions for each battery in the battery string until all batteries in the battery string have been detected and their voltage magnitude determined;
aggregating the voltage magnitudes associated with each battery in the battery string,
if the aggregate of the voltage magnitudes does not equal a required voltage then generating a first error message;
if the aggregate of the voltage magnitudes equals the required voltage then storing the battery identification data associated with the one or more batteries in the battery string;
comparing the model identification data to a data record;
if the model identification data does not match the data record then generating a second error message; and
if the model identification data matches the data record then accepting the battery identification data.
8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the first error message is an under voltage error message if the sum of the battery voltages in a string is less than 48 volts and an over voltage error message if the sum of the battery voltages in a string is more than 48 volts.
9. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein determining the voltage magnitude for each of the one or more batteries comprises looking up the voltage magnitude in a data record.
10. The computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising instructions for:
querying a user as to whether the battery string being inventoried is a first battery string at a location;
if a user reply is yes, then readies and record the battery identification information;
if the user reply is no, then request and receiving an receive the identity of the battery string being inventoried;
if the battery string being inventoried has previously been recorded, then generating a third error message.
11. The computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising instructions for scanning the battery identification data.