Patents Assigned to Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology
  • Patent number: 11181489
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods and apparatus for characterizing high aspect ratio (HAR) structures of fabricated or partially fabricated semiconductor devices. The methods involve using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to determine average parameters of an array of HAR structures. In some implementations, SAXS is used to analyze symmetry of HAR structures in a sample and may be referred to as tilted structural symmetry analysis-SAXS (TSSA-SAXS) or TSSA. Analysis of parameters such as tilt, sidewall angle, bowing, and the presence of multiple tilts in HAR structures may be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignees: Lam Research Corporation, The Government of the United States of America, represented by the Secretary of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology
    Inventors: William Dean Thompson, Regis Joseph Kline, Daniel F. Sunday, Wenli Wu, Osman Sorkhabi, Jin Zhang, Xiaoshu Chen
  • Patent number: 11069507
    Abstract: A sample carrier for in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has a dielectric substrate with a conductive layer that forms a coplanar waveguide. The coplanar waveguide has a first and second leads formed by the conductive layer. The first lead is between an adjacent pair of second leads and is spaced from the second leads by a respective gap. The coplanar waveguide is configured to transmit an electrical signal to a specimen held by the sample carrier, in particular, an electrical signal having a frequency in the radio-frequency (RF) regime (3 kHz-300 GHz), for example, up to 100 GHz. The sample carrier may be mounted to a TEM sample holder, which supports the sample carrier within a vacuum chamber of the microscope and provides electrical connection between the leads of the sample carrier and an RF source external to the vacuum chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignees: University of Maryland, College Park, Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology
    Inventors: Michael Katz, Karl Schliep, June Lau, Jason J. Gorman
  • Patent number: 11035792
    Abstract: A nanohole array (NHA)-based plasmonic sensor (e.g., gas/condensed phase sensor), their preparation, and their use to detect and analyze samples, especially mixtures of chemicals/bio-chemicals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignees: The George Washington University, GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Yangyang Zhao, Mona Zaghloul, Stephen Semancik, Kurt D. Benkstein
  • Patent number: 11018290
    Abstract: This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus for multilayer superconducting structures comprising electroplated Rhenium, where the Rhenium operates in a superconducting regime at or above 4.2 K, or above 1.8 K where specific temperatures and times of annealing have occurred. The structure can include at least a first conductive layer applied to a substrate, where the Rhenium layer is electroplated to the first layer. A third layer formed from the same or a different conductor as the first layer can be formed atop the Rhenium layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignees: The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate, The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology
    Inventors: Donald David, David Pappas, Xian Wu
  • Patent number: 10858256
    Abstract: A method of separating and extracting carbon nanotubes, the method includes introducing the carbon nanotubes into a two-phase system that includes a first component and a second component, the first component being different from the second component. The method includes introducing a chemical agent into the two-phase system, mixing the chemical agent and the carbon nanotubes in the two-phase system, removing the first component to extract a first portion of the carbon nanotubes contained in the first component after the mixing, replenishing the two-phase system with fresh first component, and extracting a second portion of the carbon nanotubes contained in the fresh first component. A bandgap of the carbon nanotubes in the first portion is different from the bandgap of the carbon nanotubes in the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignees: University of Southern California, Government of the United States of America, as Represented by the Secretary of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology
    Inventors: Hui Gui, Jason K. Streit, Angela R. Hight Walker, Chongwu Zhou, Ming Zheng
  • Patent number: 10741742
    Abstract: This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus for multilayer superconducting structures comprising electroplated Rhenium, where the Rhenium operates in a superconducting regime at or above 4.2 K, or above 1.8 K where specific temperatures and times of annealing have occurred. The structure can include at least a first conductive layer applied to a substrate, where the Rhenium layer is electroplated to the first layer. A third layer formed from the same or a different conductor as the first layer can be formed atop the Rhenium layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignees: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, A BODY CORPORATE, GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Donald David, David Pappas, Xian Wu
  • Patent number: 10599007
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present technology provide a novel architecture for optical frequency conversion in a waveguide which can be applied to any suitable nonlinear waveguide material and any wavelength. In accordance with some embodiments, phase-matched bends can be used to increase the nonlinear interaction length. For example, the device can begin with a straight waveguide section with a width designed for phase-matching. When the straight waveguide section approaches the end of the chip, a bending waveguide section allows the waveguide to meander back in the opposite direction. Various embodiments of the bend can have a wider or narrower width to eliminate phase-matching for second harmonic generation (SHG) and instead provide a 2? phase-shift between the pump and signal light. Therefore, at the end of the bend, the pump and signal light are in-phase and a phase-matched width will continue the SHG process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignees: The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate, Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology
    Inventors: Eric Stanton, Jeffrey Chiles
  • Patent number: 9046731
    Abstract: Various plasmonic structures in the form of electrochromic optical switches are described which exhibit relatively high optical switching contrast. The switches generally include a collection of nanoslits formed in a thin electrically conductive film. An electrochromic material is disposed on the conductive film and along the sidewalls of the nanoslit(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE, THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Henri J. Lezec, Erich C. Walter, Amit Agrawal, Albert Alec Talin, Ting Xu