Patents by Inventor Urs T. Duerig
Urs T. Duerig 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: 10546708Abstract: An electromechanical switching device includes a first electrode, comprising layers of a first 2D layered material, which layers exhibit a first surface; a second electrode, comprising layers of a second 2D layered material, which layers exhibit a second surface opposite the first surface; and an actuation mechanism; wherein each of the first and second 2D layered materials has an anisotropic electrical conductivity, which is lower transversely to its layers than in-plane with the layers; the first electrode includes two distinct areas alongside the first surface, which areas differ in at least one structural, electrical and/or magnetic property; and at least one of the first and second electrodes is actuatable by the actuation mechanism, such that actuation thereof for modification of an electrical conductance transverse to each of the first surface and the second surface to enable current modulation between the first electrode and the second electrode.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2017Date of Patent: January 28, 2020Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Urs T. Duerig, Armin W. Knoll, Elad Koren, Emanuel Loertscher
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Patent number: 10302827Abstract: A method of fabrication of a micro-optics device included providing a layer of material; patterning the layer of material by one or more of: locally unzipping and desorbing molecules thereof, with a nano-scale dimensioned probe, to obtain a curved surface for the layer of material, the curved surface having a curved profile in a plane section; and completing a layer structure perpendicular to the plane section by providing one or more additional layers of material in contact with the curved surface to obtain the micro-optics device, wherein the micro-optics device has the layer structure, with a given layer thereof comprising a defect delimited by two surfaces, wherein one of the two surfaces is the curved surface.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2015Date of Patent: May 28, 2019Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Fei Ding, Urs T. Duerig, Armin W. Knoll, Rainer F. Mahrt, Thilo H. Stoeferle
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Patent number: 9977050Abstract: A method and a scanning probe microscope (SPM) for scanning a surface of a material. The method and SPM have a cantilever sensor configured to exhibit both a first spring behavior and a second, stiffer spring behavior. While operating the SPM in contact mode, the sensor is scanned on the material surface and a first spring behavior of the sensor (e.g. a fundamental mode of flexure thereof) is excited by deflection of the sensor by the material surface. Also while operating the SPM in contact mode, excitation means are used to excite a second spring behavior of the sensor at a resonance frequency thereof (e.g. one or more higher-order resonant modes) of the cantilever sensor to modulate an interaction of the sensor and the material surface and thereby reduce the wearing of the material surface.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2010Date of Patent: May 22, 2018Assignee: SWISSLITHO AGInventors: Urs T. Duerig, Bernd W. Gotsmann, Armin W. Knoll, Mark Alfred Lantz
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Publication number: 20180096812Abstract: An electromechanical switching device includes a first electrode, comprising layers of a first 2D layered material, which layers exhibit a first surface; a second electrode, comprising layers of a second 2D layered material, which layers exhibit a second surface opposite the first surface; and an actuation mechanism; wherein each of the first and second 2D layered materials has an anisotropic electrical conductivity, which is lower transversely to its layers than in-plane with the layers; the first electrode includes two distinct areas alongside the first surface, which areas differ in at least one structural, electrical and/or magnetic property; and at least one of the first and second electrodes is actuatable by the actuation mechanism, such that actuation thereof for modification of an electrical conductance transverse to each of the first surface and the second surface to enable current modulation between the first electrode and the second electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2017Publication date: April 5, 2018Inventors: Urs T. Duerig, Armin W. Knoll, Elad Koren, Emanuel Loertscher
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Patent number: 9921486Abstract: The present invention provides a method for multiscale patterning of a sample. The method includes: placing the sample in an apparatus having both thermo-optical lithography capability and thermal scanning probe lithography capability; and patterning two patterns onto the sample, respectively by: thermo-optical lithography, wherein light is emitted from a light source onto the sample to heat the latter and thereby write a first pattern that is the largest of the two patterns; and thermal scanning probe lithography, wherein the sample and a heated probe tip are brought in contact for writing a second pattern that has substantially smaller critical dimensions than the first pattern. There is also provided an apparatus for multiscale patterning of a sample.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2014Date of Patent: March 20, 2018Assignee: SWISSLITHO AGInventors: Urs T Duerig, Stefan Fringes, Felix Holzner, Armin W Knoll
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Patent number: 9896328Abstract: An electromechanical switching device includes a first electrode, comprising layers of a first 2D layered material, which layers exhibit a first surface; a second electrode, comprising layers of a second 2D layered material, which layers exhibit a second surface opposite the first surface; and an actuation mechanism; wherein each of the first and second 2D layered materials has an anisotropic electrical conductivity, which is lower transversely to its layers than in-plane with the layers; the first electrode includes two distinct areas alongside the first surface, which areas differ in at least one structural, electrical and/or magnetic property; and at least one of the first and second electrodes is actuatable by the actuation mechanism, such that actuation thereof for modification of an electrical conductance transverse to each of the first surface and the second surface to enable current modulation between the first electrode and the second electrode.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2017Date of Patent: February 20, 2018Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Urs T. Duerig, Armin W. Knoll, Elad Koren, Emanuel Loertscher
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Patent number: 9881760Abstract: An electromechanical switching device includes a first electrode, comprising layers of a first 2D layered material, which layers exhibit a first surface; a second electrode, comprising layers of a second 2D layered material, which layers exhibit a second surface opposite the first surface; and an actuation mechanism; wherein each of the first and second 2D layered materials has an anisotropic electrical conductivity, which is lower transversely to its layers than in-plane with the layers; the first electrode includes two distinct areas alongside the first surface, which areas differ in at least one structural, electrical and/or magnetic property; and at least one of the first and second electrodes is actuatable by the actuation mechanism, such that actuation thereof for modification of an electrical conductance transverse to each of the first surface and the second surface to enable current modulation between the first electrode and the second electrode.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2017Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Urs T. Duerig, Armin W. Knoll, Elad Koren, Emanuel Loertscher
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Patent number: 9869695Abstract: An atomic-force microscope system is provided including: an electrically conducting cantilever support; an electrically insulating element; and an electrically conducting cantilever anchored at a first end to the cantilever support via the insulating element, the cantilever including a probe tip at a second end opposite to the first end and the cantilever support is configured as a backside electrode of the cantilever for backside actuation thereof; a Fabry-Perot interferometer including: a resonator with a first mirror defined on the cantilever; and a second mirror defined on the cantilever support having a first side and a second side configured to allow light injection, opposite to the first side, the latter extending at least partly vis-à-vis the first mirror. The interferometer includes a light-emitting device, and a detector configured for detecting a property of the system impacted by interferences of light emitted by the light-emitting device. Methods of operations are also provided.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2016Date of Patent: January 16, 2018Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Ute Drechsler, Urs T Duerig, Armin Knoll, Thilo Stoeferle
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Patent number: 9754609Abstract: The present invention relates a method of producing a data storage medium comprising the steps of: a) coating a layer comprising a polymer material onto at least a part of a template surface thereby to obtain a modified template surface; b) clamping the modified template surface produced in step (a) with a target surface thereby to obtain an assembly; and c) introducing a liquid to an environment of the assembly obtained in step (b) thereby to transfer the layer comprising the polymer material of the modified template surface onto at least an adjacent region on the target surface.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2015Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Urs T. Duerig, Bernd W. Gotsmann, Armin W. Knoll
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Publication number: 20170217758Abstract: An electromechanical switching device includes a first electrode, comprising layers of a first 2D layered material, which layers exhibit a first surface; a second electrode, comprising layers of a second 2D layered material, which layers exhibit a second surface opposite the first surface; and an actuation mechanism; wherein each of the first and second 2D layered materials has an anisotropic electrical conductivity, which is lower transversely to its layers than in-plane with the layers; the first electrode includes two distinct areas alongside the first surface, which areas differ in at least one structural, electrical and/or magnetic property; and at least one of the first and second electrodes is actuatable by the actuation mechanism, such that actuation thereof for modification of an electrical conductance transverse to each of the first surface and the second surface to enable current modulation between the first electrode and the second electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 12, 2017Publication date: August 3, 2017Inventors: Urs T. Duerig, Armin W. Knoll, Elad Koren, Emanuel Loertscher
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Patent number: 9682855Abstract: An electromechanical switching device includes a first electrode, comprising layers of a first 2D layered material, which layers exhibit a first surface; a second electrode, comprising layers of a second 2D layered material, which layers exhibit a second surface opposite the first surface; and an actuation mechanism; wherein each of the first and second 2D layered materials has an anisotropic electrical conductivity, which is lower transversely to its layers than in-plane with the layers; the first electrode includes two distinct areas alongside the first surface, which areas differ in at least one structural, electrical and/or magnetic property; and at least one of the first and second electrodes is actuatable by the actuation mechanism, such that actuation thereof for modification of an electrical conductance transverse to each of the first surface and the second surface to enable current modulation between the first electrode and the second electrode.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2015Date of Patent: June 20, 2017Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Urs T. Duerig, Armin W. Knoll, Elad Koren, Emanuel Loertscher
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Patent number: 9676890Abstract: A local probe storage array is provided that includes a substrate, and a polymeric layer over the substrate, the polymeric layer comprising a crosslinking agent comprising at least three alkyne groups.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2015Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Urs T. Duerig, Bernd W. Gotsmann, Armin W. Knoll, David S. Pires
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Publication number: 20170162355Abstract: An electromechanical switching device includes a first electrode, comprising layers of a first 2D layered material, which layers exhibit a first surface; a second electrode, comprising layers of a second 2D layered material, which layers exhibit a second surface opposite the first surface; and an actuation mechanism; wherein each of the first and second 2D layered materials has an anisotropic electrical conductivity, which is lower transversely to its layers than in-plane with the layers; the first electrode includes two distinct areas alongside the first surface, which areas differ in at least one structural, electrical and/or magnetic property; and at least one of the first and second electrodes is actuatable by the actuation mechanism, such that actuation thereof for modification of an electrical conductance transverse to each of the first surface and the second surface to enable current modulation between the first electrode and the second electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2017Publication date: June 8, 2017Inventors: Urs T. Duerig, Armin W. Knoll, Elad Koren, Emanuel Loertscher
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Patent number: 9643839Abstract: An electromechanical switching device includes a first electrode, comprising layers of a first 2D layered material, which layers exhibit a first surface; a second electrode, comprising layers of a second 2D layered material, which layers exhibit a second surface opposite the first surface; and an actuation mechanism; wherein each of the first and second 2D layered materials has an anisotropic electrical conductivity, which is lower transversely to its layers than in-plane with the layers; the first electrode includes two distinct areas alongside the first surface, which areas differ in at least one structural, electrical and/or magnetic property; and at least one of the first and second electrodes is actuatable by the actuation mechanism, such that actuation thereof for modification of an electrical conductance transverse to each of the first surface and the second surface to enable current modulation between the first electrode and the second electrode.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2015Date of Patent: May 9, 2017Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Urs T. Duerig, Armin W. Knoll, Elad Koren, Emanuel Loertscher
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Patent number: 9611528Abstract: The present invention is notably directed to a microfluidic surface processing device including a microfluidic probe head with at least one aperture, on a face, including at least an outlet aperture; and a surface processing structure extending outward and perpendicular with respect to the face, the processing structure being further dimensioned and located with respect to the outlet aperture such that it can intercept a flowpath of liquid dispensed via the outlet aperture. The present invention is further directed to related apparatuses and methods.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2015Date of Patent: April 4, 2017Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Urs T Duerig, Robert Lovchik
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Patent number: 9611529Abstract: The present invention is notably directed to a microfluidic surface processing device including a microfluidic probe head with at least one aperture, on a face, including at least an outlet aperture; and a surface processing structure extending outward and perpendicular with respect to the face, the processing structure being further dimensioned and located with respect to the outlet aperture such that it can intercept a flowpath of liquid dispensed via the outlet aperture. The present invention is further directed to related apparatuses and methods.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2016Date of Patent: April 4, 2017Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Urs T. Duerig, Robert Lovchik
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Publication number: 20170003602Abstract: The present invention provides a method for multiscale patterning of a sample. The method includes: placing the sample in an apparatus having both thermo-optical lithography capability and thermal scanning probe lithography capability; and patterning two patterns onto the sample, respectively by: thermo-optical lithography, wherein light is emitted from a light source onto the sample to heat the latter and thereby write a first pattern that is the largest of the two patterns; and thermal scanning probe lithography, wherein the sample and a heated probe tip are brought in contact for writing a second pattern that has substantially smaller critical dimensions than the first pattern. There is also provided an apparatus for multiscale patterning of a sample.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2014Publication date: January 5, 2017Applicants: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION, SWISSLITHO AGInventors: URS T DUERIG, STEFAN FRINGES, FELIX HOLZNER, ARMIN W KNOLL
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Patent number: 9431100Abstract: A method for storing or switching. The method comprises: arranging a first layer including a first molecular network having a first 2D lattice structure and a second layer including a second molecular network having a second 2D lattice structure at a distance from each other such that the first and the second molecular network interact electronically via molecular orbital interactions, and rotating the first layer relative to the second layer by a rotation angle with a rotation device, wherein an electrical resistance between the first molecular network and the second molecular network changes as a function of the rotation angle, thereby storing information by switching the electrical resistance.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2015Date of Patent: August 30, 2016Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Urs T. Duerig, Armin W. Knoll, Elad Koren, Emanuel Loertscher
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Patent number: 9393559Abstract: A method for operating the arrangement for a laboratory room confined by a floor, a ceiling and walls connecting the floor with the ceiling, including inducing an air flow from an air inlet through a platform to an air outlet in a substantially laminar fashion. The arrangement includes a main base suspended on the floor; a tool base arranged on the main base; a platform arranged around the tool base, wherein the platform is permeable for air, and the platform is suspended at the walls; the air inlet arranged below the platform; the air outlet arranged above the tool base; and air guides for directing an air flow upwards.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2012Date of Patent: July 19, 2016Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Urs T. Duerig, Bernd W. Gotsmann, Emanuel Loertscher, Daniel Widmer
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Publication number: 20160168681Abstract: The present invention is notably directed to a microfluidic surface processing device including a microfluidic probe head with at least one aperture, on a face, including at least an outlet aperture; and a surface processing structure extending outward and perpendicular with respect to the face, the processing structure being further dimensioned and located with respect to the outlet aperture such that it can intercept a flowpath of liquid dispensed via the outlet aperture. The present invention is further directed to related apparatuses and methods.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 10, 2016Publication date: June 16, 2016Inventors: Urs T. Duerig, Robert Lovchik