An integrated electronic circuit operating in conjunction with an electromagnetic transducer for sustaining a tuning fork in vibration, the fork serving as a frequency standard for a timepiece. The electronic circuit includes a super-gain transistor whose output is connected through an external power source to the drive coil of the transducer associated with the tuning fork to produce current pulses for actuating the fork. The voltage induced in the phase-sensing coil of the transducer is applied to the input of the transistor through a coupling capacitor, a resistor providing base current for the transistor, whereby regeneration occurs to sustain oscillation at a rate determined by the resonance frequency of the fork. The capacitor has a value in the picofarad range, this small value being offset by a large resistor value in excess of 100 megohms, the resultant decrease in base current being compensated for by an increase in current gain effected by the super-gain transistor. The capacitor, the resistor and the transistor are fabricated as a monolithic device, making possible a miniature timepiece construction.
A scanning microscope comprises a sample supporting member on which a sample is supported, an optical device which irradiates a light beam to the sample, and a movement mechanism which moves the optical device with respect to the sample supporting member such that the light beam scans the sample. A device photoelectrically detects light radiated out of the portion of the sample, which is exposed to the light beam, an image of the sample being thereby formed. The movement mechanism for moving the optical device or the sample supporting member is constituted of a tuning fork on which the optical device or the sample supporting member is supported, and an excitation device for applying force, the magnitude of which changes periodically, to the tuning fork, and thereby causing the tuning fork to resonate.
An electronic timepiece having an electronic circuit which comprises a monolithic integrated circuit including a multistage amplifier. The amplifier of the circuit is so designed that an amplitude control component, which has been considered indispensable in the existing art, is unnecessary in the circuit, whereby various types of electronic timepieces are obtainable in a simple and compact manner by applying the monolithic circuit to different types of oscillator means.
The combination of a transparent substrate, and a plurality of standard signal generating circuits, for developing respective oscillatory output signals at a standard frequency. The plurality of signal generating circuits are disposed on a major surface of the substrate, and each includes at least one unbroken adjusting lead, which can be broken by irradiation with laser light, to set the frequency of the oscillatory output signal.
In an integrated circuit formed in a P-type silicon crystal body having an N-type epitaxial layer grown thereon, and having at least one bipolar transistor and at least one ion implanted resistor formed therein, a MOS type capacitor is formed requiring no additional processing steps beyond those normally required to form the resistor and the transistor. The capacitor comprises a first electrode of P-type material, a thin layer of silicon oxide grown simultaneously with the oxide through which the resistor is implanted, and a metal electrode over the oxide dielectric layer. The capacitor of this invention exhibits a relatively high capacitance per unit area of integrated circuit real estate and may be manufactured using only process steps that are required to form bipolar transistors and ion implanted resistors.
