Patents Represented by Attorney Stephen S. Strunck
  • Patent number: 5739527
    Abstract: The invention relates to a near-field optical microscope, in particular to a scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM), comprising means for determining the intensity of light emerging from the near-field at a direction differing from the direction perpendicular to the surface of the sample to be examined, preferably emerging at an angle .theta. larger than the critical angle. The invention allows an accurate control of the distance between the probing tip of the SNOM and the sample by using the measured intensity in a feedback loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bert Hecht, Harald Heinzelmann, Lukas Novotny, Wolfgang Pohl
  • Patent number: 5739425
    Abstract: A cantilever for scanning probe microscopy and other force or deflection measurements is described. The cantilever includes at least one one integrated strain sensing element within a constriction section (62) . The cantilever is improved over known cantilevers by reducing the longitudinal extension of the constriction, such that its contribution to the total deflection of the cantilever is reduced. The design of the cantilever is further improved by applying a beam (63) with an essentially triangular cross section in either a vertical or a horizontal plane or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gerd Karl Binnig, Heinrich Rohrer, Peter Vettiger
  • Patent number: 5739545
    Abstract: Organic light emitting diodes having a transparent cathode structure is disclosed. The structure consists of a low work function metal in direct contact with the electron transport layer of the OLED covered by a layer of a wide bandgap semiconductor. Calcium is the preferred metal because of its relatively high optical transmissivity for a metal and because of its proven ability to form a good electron injecting contact to organic materials. ZnSe, ZnS or an alloy of these materials are the preferred semiconductors because of their good conductivity parallel to the direction of light emission, their ability to protect the underlying low work function metal and organic films and their transparency to the emitted light. Arrays of these diodes, appropriately wired, can be used to make a self-emissive display. When fabricated on a transparent substrate, such a display is at least partially transparent making it useful for heads-up display applications in airplanes and automobiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Supratik Guha, Richard Alan Haight, Joseph M. Karasinski, Ronald R. Troutman
  • Patent number: 5736929
    Abstract: The invention relates to a special type of magnetic tag that serves both as an identifier of the article to which it is attached and as an antitheft device. Identification comes about through the use of an array of individual magnetic elements that are closely spaced, preferably along and perpendicular to an amorphous wire or strip. The wire or strip forms an integral part of the identification array and can be used as an anti-theft device to trigger an alarm when activated by an external field from a magnetic gate. The array may be personalized (coded) by leaving out elements of the array or by driving selected elements to saturation while others remain demagnetized. The elements can also be in the form of a double array to constitute `l`s and `0`s to form a code. Reading of the elements (code) is accomplished with a special reading head consisting of one or more small magnetic circuits coupled to one or more pickup loops utilizing, in some cases, the Matteucci effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alejandro Gabriel Schrott, Richard Joseph Gambino, Robert Jacob von Gutfeld
  • Patent number: 5729201
    Abstract: An inexpensive multibit magnetic tag is described which uses an array of amorphous wires in conjunction with a magnetic bias field. The tag is interrogated by the use of a ramped field or an ac field or a combination of the two. The magnetic bias is supplied either by coating each wire with a hard magnetic material which is magnetized or by using magnetized hard magnetic wires or foil strips in proximity to the amorphous wires. Each wire switches at a different value of the external interrogation field due to the difference in the magnetic bias field acting on each wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Jahnes, Richard Joseph Gambino, Milan Paunovic, Alejandro Gabriel Schrott, Robert Jacob von Gutfeld
  • Patent number: 5721457
    Abstract: In a computer apparatus including an enclosure and a direct access storage device mounted within the enclosure, a mounting apparatus for the direct access storage device including: a plurality of a relatively rigid shock isolators and at least one stress sensor mounted in series with are of said shock isolators and disposed between the enclosure and the direct access storage device. The enclosure may include a user frame and the mounting apparatus may be disposed between the direct access storage device and the frame. There may be one stress sensor for each of the shock isolators. The shock isolators may be coupled to the direct access storage device. Each stress sensor may include a piezoelectric element. Preferably the shock isolators are rigid enough so that the resonant frequency of said mounting apparatus is at least 800 Hz, but can be 800 Hz or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Muthuthamby Sri-Jayantha, Vijayeshwar Khanna, Arun Sharma, Koji Kawabata, Jagdeep Tahliani
  • Patent number: 5714838
    Abstract: In the formation of organic light emitting diodes with a transparent top electrode, it was discovered that many of the materials used for this electrode can readily diffuse at room temperature into the organic films, creating shorts and otherwise compromising the performance of the diode. A solution to this problem is disclosed which involves a method for the creation of a diffusion barrier which prevents diffusion of electrode materials into the substrate while enhancing the ability of the OLED to emit light through the top electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Alan Haight, Ronald Roy Troutman
  • Patent number: 5714791
    Abstract: This invention provides a Peltier cooling device generally useful in cooling electronic devices, especially those which are formed of high Tc superconducting materials. The Peltier device of the invention is formed on a micromachined membrane structure to assure good thermal isolation and to intimately integrate the cooling device with the electronic device it is to cool.The membrane is formed by selective, controlled etching of a bulk substrate of a material such as silicon. The Peltier device is formed by selectively implanting or depositing appropriate dopants to form n-doped and p-doped segments on the membrane with a junction between the differently doped segments at the approximate mid-point of the membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cheng-Chung John Chi, Rudolf Peter Huebener, Chang Chyi Tsuei
  • Patent number: 5713670
    Abstract: A self pressurizing journal bearing assembly includes a tubular housing having a bore defining a plain cylindrical journal bearing, and a cylindrical rotary shaft disposed coaxially therein. The shaft includes a plain cylindrical journal spaced radially inwardly of the bearing to define a journal bearing gap. A screw pump is defined in part by a portion of the shaft, and is disposed inside the housing bore in flow communication with the journal bearing for continually circulating a lubricant thereto under pressure upon rotation of the shaft for accommodating lubricant end leakage from the journal bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Michael P. Goldowsky
  • Patent number: 5708562
    Abstract: A portable PC is provided with a mechanism for elevating and lowering a pointing device in the keyboard of the PC. The elevating and lowering mechanism elevates and lowers the pointing device in response to the opening and closing of the cover of the computer to provide a proper operating height to the pointing device when the cover is open while reducing the thickness of the PC with the cover closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Agata, Masato Anzai, Tetsuo Ogawa, Shigeki Mori
  • Patent number: 5695864
    Abstract: In the present invention, electrons flow through a free or excitable magnet, or reflect from it, to make its magnetization respond. To accomplish this, the spin vectors of the flowing electrons are preferentially polarized by an auxiliary ferromagnet, whose moment orientation is fixed. The electrons flow between the fixed and free ferromagnets through a non-magnetic metallic spacer which is thick enough to make the static inter-magnetic exchange coupling negligible. While transmitting thru or reflecting from the free ferromagnet, the spins of the moving electrons interact by quantum-mechanical exchange with the local, permanently present, spontaneously-polarized electron spins of the free magnet. This interaction causes a transfer of vectorial angular momentum between the several metallic layers in the device which causes the magnetization vector of the free magnet to change its direction continually with time. Thus excited, the magnetization vector will precess about its original axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1997
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: John Casimir Slonczewski
  • Patent number: 5673846
    Abstract: A solder decal is produced by a method wherein a decal strip having a plurality of anchor holes is aligned with a mold having a plurality of cells. Liquid solder is injected into the anchor holes and mold cells, and is then allowed to cool to solidify therein. The mold may be separated from the decal strip to form the solder decal containing solder beads each having a stem mechanically joined to the strip at respective ones of the anchor holes. Various forms of the solder decal are used for transferring the solder beads to a substrate or chip, or effecting temporary connections for conducting burn-in and testing, or accommodating thermal mismatch for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Peter Alfred Gruber
  • Patent number: 5642045
    Abstract: An improved magnetic field gradiometer having major and minor correction circuits is disclosed. The major correction circuits cancel the main components of an applied magnetic field, such as the earth's uniform field, and the minor correction circuits correct for smaller, but still significant effects, such as assembly imperfections and unavoidable cross-talk between the elements of the gradiometer. Also disclosed is a method for processing the gradient data from the gradiometer to enable the positions of magnetic objects to be located in space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 24, 1997
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: George Andrew Keefe, Roger Hilsen Koch
  • Patent number: 5604832
    Abstract: A method for aligning a substantially co-linear array of lasers with a substantially co-linear array of optical fibers, comprising the steps of activating a laser in proximity to a first end of said laser array, positioning the laser array with respect to the fiber array to maximize energy coupled from the activated laser to its corresponding fiber, activating a laser in proximity to a second end of said laser array; and positioning the laser array with respect to the fiber array to maximize energy coupled from the activated laser to its corresponding fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1997
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shawn A. Hall, Ramon Lane, Han-chung Wang
  • Patent number: 5578745
    Abstract: Adjacent shaped grooves are placed in single crystal structure with great accuracy and known dimensions by a combination of anisotropic and isotropic etching to produce a scanning probe microscope calibration standard with fine V-shaped grooves forming a prismatically shaped ridge or blade between them. A probe microscope to be calibrated is used to profile the tip of the ridge in a number of places along the length of the ridge. With knowledge of the sidewall angles and tip radius of the calibration standard both the flat tip dimensions of a probe with a flared tip and the tip radius of a probe with a conical tip can be calculated from the profile they produce.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Bayer, Johann Greschner, Yves Martin, Klaus Meissner, Helga Weiss
  • Patent number: 5558957
    Abstract: A method is provided for making a flexible primary battery suitable for microelectronics applications, and more particularly, for use with self-contained self-powered portable devices (SSPD) such as RF-ID tags. The method generally employs photolithography and etching techniques to minimize the thicknesses of metal foils required in the structure of the battery, as well as packaging methods which yield a flexible and durable battery having a thickness of not more than about 0.5 millimeter, and preferably about 0.3 millimeter or less, and a relatively small size on the order of a few square centimeters in surface area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1996
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Madhav Datta, Ravindra V. Shenoy
  • Patent number: 5530263
    Abstract: There is provided by this invention logic and memory elements of atomic or near-atomic scale useful in computer central processing units. These elements consist of two quantum dots having opposite states and a third quantum dot situated between the two quantum dots and in physical contact with them. The third quantam dot is of a material which makes the opposite states of the first two quantum dots energetically favorable. In particular, there is provided by the invention a spin flip-flop suitable for use as electronic logic and memory in a quantum computer. The spin flip-flop is designed to have two highly stable states, encoded entirely in the arrangement of electronic spins in the structure. Switching between the two states is accomplished by fast electromagnetic pulsing generally and by optical pulsing in the case of the spin flip-flop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1996
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: David P. DiVincenzo
  • Patent number: 5522975
    Abstract: A fixture for supporting a workpiece in a processing cell includes a frame and cooperating workpiece holder. The frame includes a head having a hole therein which receives an integral plateau of the holder. The holder plateau includes an annular seal adjacent a perimeter thereof with a vacuum port disposed therein. The workpiece rests on the seal so that vacuum drawn in the vacuum port fixedly holds the workpiece against the plateau. Assembly of the holder plateau and workpiece thereon through the frame-head hole positions the workpiece coplanar with a front side of the frame. In exemplary embodiments, independent electrical current paths are provided to the workpiece and a surrounding auxiliary electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1996
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Panayotis C. Andricacos, Kirk G. Berridge, John O. Dukovic, Helmut R. Poweleit, Jeffrey S. Richter, Lubomyr T. Romankiw, Otto P. Schick
  • Patent number: 5523686
    Abstract: Improved probes for miniaturized scanning magnetometers (scanning microscopes), particularly those utilizing superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs), are provided by the invention. The improved probes can have sub-.mu.m.sup.2 effective pickup loop areas and enhanced shielding through the use of progressively wider double groundplane structures which result in improved probes having high spatial resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1996
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John R. Kirtley, Mark B. Ketchen
  • Patent number: 5516412
    Abstract: An electroplating cell includes a floor, ceiling, front wall, and back wall forming a box having first and second opposite open ends. A rack for supporting an article to be electroplated is removably positioned vertically to close the first open end and includes a thief laterally surrounding the article to define a cathode. An anode is positioned vertically to close the second open end, with the assembly defining a substantially closed, six-sided inner chamber for receiving an electrolyte therein for electroplating the article. The article and surrounding thief are coextensively aligned with the anode, with the floor, ceiling, front and back walls being effective for guiding electrical current flux between the cathode and the anode. In a preferred embodiment, the cell is disposed as an inner cell inside an outer cell substantially filled with the electrolyte, and a paddle is disposed inside the inner cell for agitating the electrolyte therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1996
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Panayotis C. Andricacos, Kirk G. Berridge, John O. Dukovic, Matteo Flotta, Jose Ordonez, Helmut R. Poweleit, Jeffrey S. Richter, Lubomyr T. Romankiw, Otto P. Schick, Frank Spera, Kwong-Hon Wong