Measuring means

Claim 2

A non-contact, non-destructive method of monitoring a functioning, operating semi-conductor junction in an electric circuit with known voltage and current values, comprising the steps of capturing the recombination infra-red electromagnetic energy emitted by said junction in an optical fiber means that is of such size that less than 100 percent of the junction being viewed is monitored to enable the detection of radiation emitted at different points along the semiconductor junction and that negligibly attenuates electromagnetic energy at the infra-red wave lengths, conducting said infra-red energy through said optical fiber means to an infra-red transducer, transducing said infra-red energy into an electrical signal, and processing said electrical signal to monitor the operating characteristic of said junction.

Claim 3

Apparatus for providing an output signal representative of the quality of a semi-conductor junction having an electrical signal across it comprising, means defining a semi-conductor junction, means for establishing a known electrical junction signal across said junction, infra-red radiation detecting means responsive to infra-red radiation emitted from said semi-conductor junction having an electrical junction signal across it for providing an output signal representative of the quality of said junction, said infra-red detecting means being responsive to an area of the junction which is less than 100 percent of the junction area being viewed to enable the detection of radiation emitted at different points along the semiconductor junction, infra-red radiant energy guiding means for coupling said radiant energy from said semi-conductor junction to said radiation detecting means, said radiant energy guiding means comprising, first optical fiber means, sleeve means for holding said first optical fiber means, second optical fiber means, sleeve means for holding said second optical fiber means, and seal means for holding said sleeve means, said sleeve means for holding said first optical fiber means being unplugable from said seal means, said first and second optical fiber means being serially aligned for conducting infra-red radiation emitted by said semi-conductor junction, and control means responsive to said output electrical signal.

Claim 4

Apparatus for providing an output signal representative of the quality of a semi-conductor junction having an electrical signal across it comprising, means defining a semi-conductor junction, means for establishing a known electrical junction signal across said junction, infra-red radiation detecting means responsive to infra-red radiation emitted from said semi-conductor junction having an electrical junction signal across it for providing an output signal representative of the quality of said junction, said infra-red detecting means being responsive to an area of the junction which is less than 100 percent of the junction area being viewed to enable the detection of radiation emitted at different points along the semiconductor junction, infra-red radiant energy guiding means for coupling said radiant energy from said semi-conductor junction to said radiation detecting means, said radiant energy guiding means comprising, first optical fiber means, sleeve means for holding said first optical fiber means, second optical fiber means, sleeve means for holding said second optical fiber means, and seal means for holding said sleeve means, said sleeve means for holding said first optical fiber means being unplugable from said seal means, said first and second optical fiber means being serially aligned for conducting infra-red radiation emitted by said semi-conductor junction, and control means responsive to said output electrical signal.

Claim 5

Apparatus for providing an output signal representative of tHe signal across the semi-conductor junction comprising, means defining a semi-conductor junction, means for establishing electrical junction signal across said junction, infra-red radiation detecting means responsive to infra-red radiation from said semi-conductor junction for providing an output electrical signal representative of said junction signal, infra-red radiation guiding means for coupling said infra-red radiant energy from said semi-conductor junction to said infra-red radiation detecting means, support means for carrying said semi-conductor junction, said support means including means for precisely relatively positioning said junction and said infra-red rediation detection means, a microscope means positioned adjacent one end of said radiant energy guiding means for observing when said junction is in alignment with said detecting means, said radiant energy guiding means comprising an optical fiber bundle including a plurality of optical fibers at least one of which is centrally disposed in said bundle for coupling radiant energy from said semi-conductor junction to said infra-red radiation detecting means, the remainder of said fibers in said bundle being positioned for observing the junction with said microscope means.

Claim 6

Apparatus for providing an output signal representative of tHe signal across the semi-conductor junction comprising, means defining a semi-conductor junction, means for establishing electrical junction signal across said junction, infra-red radiation detecting means responsive to infra-red radiation from said semi-conductor junction for providing an output electrical signal representative of said junction signal, infra-red radiation guiding means for coupling said infra-red radiant energy from said semi-conductor junction to said infra-red radiation detecting means, support means for carrying said semi-conductor junction, said support means including means for precisely relatively positioning said junction and said infra-red rediation detection means, a microscope means positioned adjacent one end of said radiant energy guiding means for observing when said junction is in alignment with said detecting means, said radiant energy guiding means comprising an optical fiber bundle including a plurality of optical fibers at least one of which is centrally disposed in said bundle for coupling radiant energy from said semi-conductor junction to said infra-red radiation detecting means, the remainder of said fibers in said bundle being positioned for observing the junction with said microscope means.

Claim 7

A non-contact, non-destructive method of monitoring a functional, operating device in accordance with claim 1, including the step of establishing a reference level in said electrical signal by modulating the infra-red energy being conducted through the optical fiber means.

Claim 8

A non-contact, non-destructive method of monitoring a functional, operating semi-conductor junction in an electric circuit in accordance with claim 1 including the steps of using said optical fiber means to properly position the same to capture the recombination infra-red electromagnetic energy emitted by said junction.

Claim 9

Apparatus for non-contact, non-destructive monitoring of a functioning, operating device that during operation emits infra-red radiation from a junction while energized by known voltage and current values, comprising optical fiber means for capturing infra-red radiation from a particular area of said junction which is less than 100 percent of the junction area being viewed to enable the detection of radiation emitted at different points along the semiconductor junction, a transducer responsive to said infra-red radiation emitted from said device for generating an output electrical signal representative of operating characteristics of said operating device, said fiber optic means conducting said captured radiation from said device to said transducer, means to process said output signal, said optical fiber means comprising at least two optical fibers serially connected to each other, the fiber closest to said transducer being larger in diameter than the fiber closest to the functional, operating device, and means serially joining said fibers to each other, said means for serially joining said fibers to each other including means permitting the fiber closest to the functional, operating device to be separated and another fiber positioned in its place.

Claim 10

Apparatus for non-contact, non-destructive monitoring of a functioning, operating device that during operation emits infra-red radiation from a junction while energized by known voltage and current values, comprising optical fiber means for capturing infra-red radiation from a particular area of said junction which is less than 100 percent of the junction area being viewed to enable the detection of radiation emitted at different points along the semiconductor junction, a transducer responsive to said infra-red radiation emitted from said device for generating an output electrical signal representative of operating characteristics of said operating device, said fiber optic means conducting said captured radiation from said device to said transducer, means to process said output signal, said optical fiber means comprising at least two optical fibers serially connected to each other, the fiber closest to said transducer being larger in diameter than the fiber closest to the functional, operating device, and means serially joining said fibers to each other, said means for serially joining said fibers to each other including means permitting the fiber closest to the functional, operating device to be separated and another fiber positioned in its place.

Claim 11

Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein said means to process said electrical signal includes a feedback network to control the functional operation of said device.