Patents Assigned to NCC Nano, LLC
  • Publication number: 20140145092
    Abstract: A curing apparatus for thermally processing thin films on low-temperature substrates at high speeds is disclosed. The curing apparatus includes a strobe head, a strobe control module and a conveyor control module. The strobe control module controls the power, duration and repetition rate of a set of pulses generated by a flash lamp on the strobe head. The conveyor control module along with the strobe control module provide real-time synchronization between the repetition rate of the set of pulses and the speed at which the substrate is being moved under the strobe head, according to the speed information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: NCC NANO, LLC
    Inventors: KURT A. SCHRODER, KARL M. MARTIN, DOUG K. JACKSON, STEVEN C. MCCOOL
  • Patent number: 8674618
    Abstract: A curing apparatus for thermally processing thin films on low-temperature substrates at high speeds is disclosed. The curing apparatus includes a strobe head, a strobe control module and a conveyor control module. The strobe control module controls the power, duration and repetition rate of a set of pulses generated by a flash lamp on the strobe head. The conveyor control module along with the strobe control module provide real-time synchronization between the repetition rate of the set of pulses and the speed at which the substrate is being moved under the strobe head, according to the speed information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: NCC Nano, LLC
    Inventors: Kurt A. Shroder, Karl M. Martin, Doug K. Jackson, Steven C. McCool
  • Patent number: 8557642
    Abstract: A method for thermally processing a minimally absorbing thin film in a selective manner is disclosed. Two closely spaced absorbing traces are patterned in thermal contact with the thin film. A pulsed radiant source is used to heat the two absorbing traces, and the thin film is thermally processed via conduction between the two absorbing traces. This method can be utilized to fabricate a thin film transistor (TFT) in which the thin film is a semiconductor and the absorbers are the source and the drain of the TFT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: NCC Nano, LLC
    Inventors: Kurt A. Schroder, Robert P. Wenz
  • Patent number: 8505427
    Abstract: This invention generally relates to a method and apparatus to neutralize ordnance, more specifically improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and unexploded ordnance (UXOs). The current invention provides a simple method to neutralize the ordnance by taking advantage of a new class of energetic materials that includes nano-thermites, binary thermites and additionally powdered thermites. In the invention, a projectile is loaded with the new class of energetic materials and fired into the ordnance. The impact causes the energetic materials to react in such a fashion that the explosive compound or other material within the IED or UXO is burned in a self-propagating mode without exploding. Hence, the ordnance is neutralized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: NCC Nano, LLC
    Inventors: Dennis Eugene Wilson, Kurt Anthony Schroder
  • Publication number: 20130160318
    Abstract: A curing apparatus for thermally processing thin films on low-temperature substrates at high speeds is disclosed. The curing apparatus includes a strobe head, a strobe control module and a conveyor control module. The strobe control module controls the power, duration and repetition rate of a set of pulses generated by a flash lamp on the strobe head. The conveyor control module along with the strobe control module provide real-time synchronization between the repetition rate of the set of pulses and the speed at which the substrate is being moved under the strobe head, according to the speed information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: NCC NANO, LLC
    Inventor: NCC Nano, LLC
  • Patent number: 8410712
    Abstract: A curing apparatus for thermally processing thin films on low-temperature substrates at high speeds is disclosed. The curing apparatus includes a strobe head, a strobe control module and a conveyor control module. The strobe control module controls the power, duration and repetition rate of a set of pulses generated by a flash lamp on the strobe head. The conveyor control module along with the strobe control module provide real-time synchronization between the repetition rate of the set of pulses and the speed at which the substrate is being moved under the strobe head, according to the speed information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: NCC Nano, LLC
    Inventors: Kurt A. Schroder, Karl M. Martin, Doug K. Jackson, Steven C. McCool
  • Patent number: 8361257
    Abstract: A laminated energetic device is disclosed. The laminated energetic device includes a low-gas generating energetic mixture, a core on which the low-gas generating energetic mixture is located, and a protective film for sealing the low-gas generating energetic mixture between the core and the protective film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: NCC Nano, LLC
    Inventor: Kurt A. Schroder
  • Patent number: 8172963
    Abstract: A laminated energetic device is disclosed. The laminated energetic device includes a low-gas generating energetic mixture, a first film on which the low-gas generating energetic mixture is located, and a second film for sealing the low-gas generating energetic mixture between the first and second films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: NCC Nano, LLC
    Inventor: Kurt A. Schroder
  • Publication number: 20110248026
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for thermally processing material on a low-temperature substrate using pulsed light from a flash lamp is disclosed. Material is conveyed past the flash lamp. The pulses of light are formed by Pulse Width Modulation to tailor the shape of the pulses to generate a thermal gradient in the substrate that enables the material to be heated beyond the maximum working temperature of the substrate without damage. Its shaped pulse rate is synchronized to the conveyance speed of a conveyance system. By using the information from a feedback sensor, the thermal gradient is recalculated to alter the shape of the pulses in real time for optimizing subsequent curings in real time without powering down the curing apparatus. The combined pulse shaping and synchronization allow a temperature profile to be tailored in the sample that is uniformly cured in the conveyance direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: NCC NANO, LLC
    Inventors: KURT A. SCHRODER, STEVEN C. McCOOL, DOUGLAS K. JACKSON
  • Publication number: 20110247851
    Abstract: An apparatus for curing thin films is disclosed. The apparatus includes a computer control system, a conveyance system, a flashlamp controller, and a flashlamp. The curing apparatus also includes a high average power, low-inductance cable connected between the flashlamp controller and the flashlamp. The low-inductance cable is smaller in diameter and is more flexible than the prior art and includes at least one liquid cooling line and multiple forward and return path wires interleaved in a regular hexagonal closed packed configuration such that every wire is adjacent to at least one cooling line and at least one wire of opposite polarity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: NCC NANO, LLC
    Inventors: DOUGLAS K. JACKSON, KURT A. SCHRODER, STEVEN C. McCOOL
  • Publication number: 20110038974
    Abstract: This invention relates generally to uses of novel nanomaterial composition and the systems in which they are used, and more particularly to nanomaterial compositions generally comprising carbon and a metal, which composition can be exposed to pulsed emissions to react, activate, combine, or sinter the nanomaterial composition. The nanomaterial compositions can alternatively be utilized at ambient temperature or under other means to cause such reaction, activation, combination, or sintering to occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: NCC NANO, LLC
    Inventors: Kurt A. Schroder, Steve McCool, Denny Hamill, Dennis Wilson, Wayne Furlan, Kevin Walter, Darrin Willauer, Karl Martin
  • Patent number: 7820097
    Abstract: This invention relates generally to uses of novel nanomaterial composition and the systems in which they are used, and more particularly to nanomaterial compositions generally comprising carbon and a metal, which composition can be exposed to pulsed emissions to react, activate, combine, or sinter the nanomaterial composition. The nanomaterial compositions can alternatively be utilized at ambient temperature or under other means to cause such reaction, activation, combination, or sintering to occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: NCC Nano, LLC
    Inventors: Kurt A. Schroder, Steve McCool, Denny Hamill, Dennis Wilson, Wayne Furlan, Kevin Walter, Darrin Willauer, Karl Martin