Patents by Inventor Joseph Darryl Michael
Joseph Darryl Michael has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9913359Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a spark gap device that includes a first electrode having a first surface and a second electrode having a second surface offset from and facing the first surface. The spark gap device also includes a cantilevered component coupled to the first electrode that is configured to generate a field emission, a corona discharge or both, to emit light toward at least the first surface such that photons are incident on the first surface and cause electron emission from the first surface. The spark gap device may not include a radioactive component.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2017Date of Patent: March 6, 2018Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Joseph Darryl Michael, Timothy John Sommerer, Karim Younsi, Mohamed Rahmane
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Publication number: 20180054045Abstract: An approach is disclosed for generating seed electrons at a spark gap in the absence of 85Kr. The present approach utilizes the photo-electric effect, using a light source with a specific nominal wave length (or range of wavelengths) at a specific level of emitted flux to generate seed electrons.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 17, 2016Publication date: February 22, 2018Inventors: Joseph Darryl Michael, Jason Fredrick Trotter, Mohamed Rahmane, Timothy John Sommerer, Karim Younsi
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Publication number: 20180054881Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a spark gap device that includes a first electrode having a first surface and a second electrode having a second surface offset from and facing the first surface. The spark gap device also includes a cantilevered component coupled to the first electrode that is configured to generate a field emission, a corona discharge or both, to emit light toward at least the first surface such that photons are incident on the first surface and cause electron emission from the first surface. The spark gap device may not include a radioactive component.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2017Publication date: February 22, 2018Inventors: Joseph Darryl Michael, Timothy John Sommerer, Karim Younsi, Mohamed Rahmane
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Publication number: 20180051633Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a spark gap device that includes a first electrode having a first surface and a second electrode having a second surface offset from and facing the first surface. The spark gap device also includes a light source configured to emit light toward at least the first surface such that photons emitted by the light source when the spark gap is operated are incident on the first surface and cause electron emission from the first surface. The light source includes a discharge probe having a third electrode sealed in a tube filled with an inert gas. The spark gap device may not include a radioactive component.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2017Publication date: February 22, 2018Inventors: Joseph Darryl Michael, Timothy John Sommerer, Karim Younsi, Mohamed Rahmane, Jason Fredrick Trotter
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Patent number: 9576868Abstract: A system includes a silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor device and a hermetically sealed packaging enclosing the SiC semiconductor device. The hermetically sealed packaging is configured to maintain a particular atmosphere near the SiC semiconductor device. Further, the particular atmosphere limits a shift in a threshold voltage of the SiC semiconductor device to less than 1 V during operation.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2012Date of Patent: February 21, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Joseph Darryl Michael, Stephen Daley Arthur
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Patent number: 9557009Abstract: A reservoir for storing and supplying a portion of a reservoir gas into a gas-filled tube is presented. The reservoir includes a first vessel having a thermally conductive surface, a meshed vessel having a lid, and placed inside the first vessel to form a cavity between the meshed vessel and the first vessel, at least one tray placed inside the meshed vessel to divide an inner space of the meshed vessel into a plurality of compartments, a sorbent material placed inside the plurality of compartments in the meshed vessel, a temperature control device positioned such that a first portion of the temperature control device is in physical contact with at least a portion of the thermally conductive surface, and a change in the temperature of the temperature control device changes the temperature of the sorbent material, wherein the reservoir gas is retained by the sorbent material at the storage temperature.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2013Date of Patent: January 31, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ernst Wolfgang Stautner, Joseph Darryl Michael
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Patent number: 9330876Abstract: A system for regulating a pressure of a filled-in gas is presented. The system includes a reservoir that stores a reservoir gas adsorbed in a sorbent material at a storage temperature, a gas-filled tube containing the filled-in gas, a controller configured to determine a pressure change required in the filled-in gas based upon signals representative of a pressure of the filled-in gas inside the gas-filled tube and a required pressure threshold, determine an updated temperature of the sorbent material based upon the pressure change required in the filled-in gas, and regulate the pressure of the filled-in gas by controlling the reservoir to change the storage temperature of the sorbent material to reach the updated temperature of the sorbent material.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2013Date of Patent: May 3, 2016Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ernst Wolfgang Stautner, Joseph Darryl Michael
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Patent number: 9257283Abstract: A semiconductor device is disclosed along with methods for manufacturing such a device. In certain embodiments, the semiconductor device includes a source electrode formed using a metal that limits a shift, such as due to bias temperature instability, in a threshold voltage of the semiconductor device during operation. In certain embodiments the semiconductor device may be based on silicon carbide.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2012Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Joseph Darryl Michael, Stephen Daley Arthur, Tammy Lynn Johnson, David Alan Lilienfeld
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Publication number: 20160020057Abstract: A cold-cathode switching device is presented. The cold-cathode switching device (100) includes a housing (110) defining a chamber (111); an ionizable gas (112) disposed in the chamber; and a plurality of electrodes (120) disposed in the chamber. The plurality of electrodes includes a cathode (124) and an anode (122) defining a discharge gap, and wherein at least one of the cathode and anode comprises a material (140) that is liquid at an operating temperature of the cathode or the anode.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2013Publication date: January 21, 2016Inventors: Timothy John SOMMERER, Joseph Darryl MICHAEL, David John SMITH, Sergey Joseph ZALUBOVSKY
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Publication number: 20150122670Abstract: A reservoir for storing and supplying a portion of a reservoir gas into a gas-filled tube is presented. The reservoir includes a first vessel having a thermally conductive surface, a meshed vessel having a lid, and placed inside the first vessel to form a cavity between the meshed vessel and the first vessel, at least one tray placed inside the meshed vessel to divide an inner space of the meshed vessel into a plurality of compartments, a sorbent material placed inside the plurality of compartments in the meshed vessel, a temperature control device positioned such that a first portion of the temperature control device is in physical contact with at least a portion of the thermally conductive surface, and a change in the temperature of the temperature control device changes the temperature of the sorbent material, wherein the reservoir gas is retained by the sorbent material at the storage temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2013Publication date: May 7, 2015Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ernst Wolfgang Stautner, Joseph Darryl Michael
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Publication number: 20150123539Abstract: A system for regulating a pressure of a filled-in gas is presented. The system includes a reservoir that stores a reservoir gas adsorbed in a sorbent material at a storage temperature, a gas-filled tube containing the filled-in gas, a controller configured to determine a pressure change required in the filled-in gas based upon signals representative of a pressure of the filled-in gas inside the gas-filled tube and a required pressure threshold, determine an updated temperature of the sorbent material based upon the pressure change required in the filled-in gas, and regulate the pressure of the filled-in gas by controlling the reservoir to change the storage temperature of the sorbent material to reach the updated temperature of the sorbent material.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2013Publication date: May 7, 2015Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ernst Wolfgang Stautner, Joseph Darryl Michael
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Publication number: 20150098259Abstract: A power converter including at least one switching device is presented. The power converter is configured to convert an input parameter to an output parameter by periodically activating and deactivating the switching device. The switching device includes: (i) a chamber including an ionizable gas; (ii) a cathode and an anode defining a discharge gap disposed in the chamber; (iii) a magnet assembly configured to generate a first magnetic field such that a plasma is maintained in the discharge gap; and (iv) an electromagnet configured to generate, in response to a deactivation signal, a second magnetic field such that at least a portion of the plasma in the discharge gap is disrupted to deactivate the switching device. A method of power conversion and a switching device are also presented.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2013Publication date: April 9, 2015Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Joseph Darryl Michael, Timothy John Sommerer
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Patent number: 8829886Abstract: An defect detection system includes an exoemission sensor having a conductive layer and an insulating layer. The exoemission sensor is mountable to a material of interest and configured to receive exoemissions from the material while in an atmosphere. The exoemission sensor outputs a signal based upon the received emissions. An analysis device is configured to receive the signal from the exoemission sensor and determine whether a defect is present in the material based upon the signal.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2011Date of Patent: September 9, 2014Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Stanton Earl Weaver, Joseph Darryl Michael
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Publication number: 20140034963Abstract: A semiconductor device is disclosed along with methods for manufacturing such a device. In certain embodiments, the semiconductor device includes a source electrode formed using a metal that limits a shift, such as due to bias temperature instability, in a threshold voltage of the semiconductor device during operation. In certain embodiments the semiconductor device may be based on silicon carbide.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2012Publication date: February 6, 2014Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Joseph Darryl Michael, Stephen Daley Arthur, Tammy Lynn Johnson, David Alan Lilienfeld
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Publication number: 20140027782Abstract: A system includes a silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor device and a hermetically sealed packaging enclosing the SiC semiconductor device. The hermetically sealed packaging is configured to maintain a particular atmosphere near the SiC semiconductor device. Further, the particular atmosphere limits a shift in a threshold voltage of the SiC semiconductor device to less than 1 V during operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 30, 2012Publication date: January 30, 2014Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Joseph Darryl Michael, Stephen Daley Arthur
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Publication number: 20130153781Abstract: An defect detection system includes an exoemission sensor having a conductive layer and an insulating layer. The exoemission sensor is mountable to a material of interest and configured to receive exoemissions from the material while in an atmosphere. The exoemission sensor outputs a signal based upon the received emissions. An analysis device is configured to receive the signal from the exoemission sensor and determine whether a defect is present in the material based upon the signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2011Publication date: June 20, 2013Inventors: Stanton Earl Weaver, Joseph Darryl Michael
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Publication number: 20130075756Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device, having a semiconductor substrate comprising silicon carbide with a gate electrode disposed on a portion of the substrate on a first surface with, a drain electrode disposed on a second surface of the substrate. There is a dielectric layer disposed on the gate electrode and a remedial layer disposed about the dielectric layer, wherein the remedial layer is configured to mitigate negative bias temperature instability maintaining a change in threshold voltage of less than about 1 volt. A source electrode is disposed on the remedial layer, wherein the source electrode is electrically coupled to a contact region of the semiconductor substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2012Publication date: March 28, 2013Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Stephen Daley Arthur, Joseph Darryl Michael, Tammy Lynn Johnson, David Alan Lilienfeld, Kevin Sean Matocha, Jody Alan Fronheiser, William Gregg Hawkins
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Publication number: 20120156827Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided. The method includes disposing a substantially amorphous cadmium tin oxide layer on a support and rapidly thermally annealing the substantially amorphous cadmium tin oxide layer by exposing a first surface of the substantially amorphous cadmium tin oxide layer to an electromagnetic radiation to form a transparent layer. A method of making a photovoltaic device is also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2010Publication date: June 21, 2012Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Joseph Darryl Michael, Bruce Edward Brackett, Kristian William Andreini, Juan Carlos Rojo, Scott Feldman-Peabody
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Publication number: 20120132268Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a transparent electrode, is presented. The transparent electrode includes a substrate and a transparent layer disposed on the substrate. The transparent layer includes (a) a first region including cadmium tin oxide; (b) a second region including tin and oxygen; and (c) a transition region including cadmium, tin, and oxygen interposed between the first region and the second region, wherein an atomic ratio of cadmium to tin in the transition region varies across a thickness of the transition region. The second region further has an electrical resistivity greater than an electrical resistivity of the first region. A photovoltaic device, a photovoltaic module, a method of making is also presented.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2010Publication date: May 31, 2012Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Juan Carlos Rojo, Bastiaan Arie Korevaar, Hongbo Cao, Jinbo Cao, Joseph Darryl Michael
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Patent number: 8058159Abstract: A method for fabricating a component is disclosed. The method includes: providing a member having an effective work function of an initial value, disposing a sacrificial layer on a surface of the member, disposing a first agent within the member to obtain a predetermined concentration of the agent at said surface of the member, annealing the member, and removing the sacrificial layer to expose said surface of the member, wherein said surface has a post-process effective work function that is different from the initial value.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2008Date of Patent: November 15, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Vance Robinson, Stanton Earl Weaver, Joseph Darryl Michael