Abstract: Nano technologies are widely recognized as enabling enhanced and new functionality in a wide range of applications and products. Many different ways have been developed to create and apply these nanomaterials. One method for making dry nanocoatings is vapor deposition. There exists a need for a portable machine that can apply nanocoatings to a wide of range of surfaces in a wide range of locations. The present invention comprises such a portable machine that can apply nanocoatings to a wide of range of surfaces in a wide range of locations.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an electric current sinterable material containing a minority portion being significantly more electrically conductive than the primary material being sintered. This includes forming an inorganic body or sintered coating as well as an apparatus for and method of making use of such a variable composition powder. An electrical current is used to cause a combined energy and temperature profile sufficient for powder-powder sintering. This preferred method for powder-substrate bonding is referred to as flame-assisted flash sintering (FAFS).

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a variable sintered coating or a variable microstructure coating as well as an apparatus and method of making such a variable coating onto substrates. The substrate has some electrical conductivity and is used as one electrode while an ionized gas is used as the other electrode that is moved over the areas of the powder coating to be sintered. An electrical current is used to cause a plasma produced through the gas, resulting in a combined energy and temperature profile sufficient for powder-powder and powder-substrate bonding. This preferred method is referred to as “flame-assisted flash sintering” (FAFS).

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method of sintering inorganic powder coatings on substrates, and includes a flame and an electric plasma. The method is capable of being used in an open atmospheric environment. The substrate is electrically conductive and is used as one electrode while the flame is used as the other electrode that is moved over the areas of the powder coating to be sintered. An electrical current is used to cause a plasma produced through the flame, resulting in a combined energy and temperature profile sufficient for inorganic powder-powder and powder-substrate bonding. This method is referred to as “flame-assisted flash sintering” (FAFS).

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method of sintering inorganic powder coatings on substrates, and includes a flame and an electric plasma. The method is capable of being used in an open atmospheric environment. The substrate is electrically conductive and is used as one electrode while the flame is used as the other electrode that is moved over the areas of the powder coating to be sintered. An electrical current is used to cause a plasma produced through the flame, resulting in a combined energy and temperature profile sufficient for inorganic powder-powder and powder-substrate bonding. This method is referred to as flame-assisted flash sintering” (FAFS).

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method of sintering inorganic powder coatings on substrates, and includes a flame and an electric plasma. The method is capable of being used in an open atmospheric environment. The substrate is electrically conductive and is used as one electrode while the flame is used as the other electrode that is moved over the areas of the powder coating to be sintered. An electrical current is used to cause a plasma produced through the flame, resulting in a combined energy and temperature profile sufficient for inorganic powder-powder and powder-substrate bonding. This method is referred to as “flame-assisted flash sintering” (FAFS).

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method of sintering inorganic powder coatings on substrates, and includes a flame and an electric plasma. The method is capable of being used in an open atmospheric environment. The substrate is electrically conductive and is used as one electrode while the flame is used as the other electrode that is moved over the areas of the powder coating to be sintered. An electrical current is used to cause a plasma produced through the flame, resulting in a combined energy and temperature profile sufficient for inorganic powder-powder and powder-substrate bonding. This method is referred to as “flame-assisted flash sintering” (FAFS).

Abstract: Tunable radio frequency (RF) devices, such as phase shifters and filters, are formed by depositing thin film layers on a substrate and patterning the thin film layers by various lithography techniques. A thin film metal layer is patterned to form a plurality of capacitors and inductors, leaving at least two grounding regions that lie closely adjacent the capacitors and inductors. As patterned portions of the grounding regions are electrically isolated from each other. Performance of the devices are improved by electrically bridging the differential potential grounding regions.

Abstract: The process of the present invention significantly increases the durability of superhydrophobic surfaces, while retaining similar optical properties to those of the original surface. The process uses velocity and heat to take freshly formed nano- and ultrafine particles and can partially embed and chemically bond them to the substrate, creating a strongly bonded nano-to-submicron textured surface. This nanotextured surface can then be modified to have desirable surface properties; for example, it can be hydrophobic, oliophobic, or hydrophilic. The high points of the coating made with this process protect the remainder of the surface from abrasion, thus greatly increasing product life in many uses. In preferred embodiments, the process is used to coat transportation vehicle windshields.

Abstract: Nano technologies are widely recognized as enabling enhanced and new functionality in a wide range of applications and products. Many different ways have been developed to create and apply these nanomaterials. One method for making dry nanocoatings is vapor deposition. There exists a need for a portable machine that can apply nanocoatings to a wide of range of surfaces in a wide range of locations. The present invention comprises such a portable machine that can apply nanocoatings to a wide of range of surfaces in a wide range of locations.

Abstract: The invention is a tunable RF MEMS switch developed with a BST dielectric at the contact interface. BST has a very high dielectric constant (>300) making it very appealing for RF MEMS capacitive switches. The tunable dielectric constant of BST provides a possibility of making linearly tunable MEMS capacitive switches. The capacitive tunable RF MEMS switch with a BST dielectric is disclosed showing its characterization and properties up to 40 GHz.

Abstract: Hydrophobic and self-cleaning surfaces have wide applications, including glasses, camera covers, windows, solar panels and high-end finished surfaces. Many existing hydrophobic coatings either have low transmittance, making them unsuitable for high light transmission applications, or are insufficiently hydrophobic. The present invention concerns high-quality hypertransparent superhydrophobic coatings, for example SiO2-based, with double-roughness microstructure that were deposited on to, for example, glass substrates using, for example, the combustion chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) technique. Embodiments of the invention include coatings with a contact angle of higher than 165°, a rolling angle of <5°, a haze of <0.5%, and an increased transmittance by 2% higher and a reflectance of 2% lower than bare glass. The double roughness can improve wear resistance. Additionally, other surface chemistries can be applied to yield hydrophilic, oliophobic, or oliophobic surfaces.

Abstract: The present invention comprises the use of silver-containing nanomaterials that have reduced interaction with light and still mitigate the growth of microorganisms, including fungi. The nanolayer is sufficiently thin and can be non-continuous, so that it has nominal optical effects on the material it is formed on. Silver is combined with other elements to minimize its diffusion and growth into larger sized grains that then would have increased effects on optical properties. Preferably, the additional elements also have mitigation properties for microorganisms, but are not harmful to larger organisms, including humans. Embodiments of the present invention can be used on a wide range of substrates, used in applications such as food processing, food packaging, medical instruments and devices, surgical and health facility surfaces, and other surfaces where it is desirable to mitigate or control the growth of microorganisms.

Abstract: Nanoparticulates of oxygen transfer materials that are oxides of rare earth metals, combinations of rare earth metals, and combinations of transition metals and rare earth metals are used as catalysts in a variety of processes. Unexpectedly large thermal efficiencies are achieved relative to micron sized particulates. Processes that use these catalysts are exemplified in a multistage reactor. The exemplified reactor cracks C6 to C20 hydrocarbons, desulfurizes the hydrocarbon stream and reforms the hydrocarbons in the stream to produce hydrogen. In a first reactor stage the steam and hydrocarbon are passed through particulate mixed rare earth metal oxide to crack larger hydrocarbon molecules. In a second stage, the steam and hydrocarbon are passed through particulate material that desulfurizes the hydrocarbon. In a third stage, the hydrocarbon and steam are passed through a heated, mixed transition metal/rare earth metal oxide to reform the lower hydrocarbons and thereby produce hydrogen.

Abstract: A coherent material is formed on a substrate (10) by providing a precursor suspension (14) in which particulates are suspended in a carrier fluid, and directing the precursor suspension (14) at the substrate (10) from a first source (12). Generally contemporaneously with application of the deposited precursor suspension (14) to the surface, hot gases, e.g. hot gases produced by a flame (16), are directed at the substrate (10) from a remote second source (18) to fuse the particulates into the coherent material.

Abstract: Tunable capacitors (10, 20, 30, 40) have a dielectric material (16, 26, 36, 42) between electrodes, which dielectric material comprises an insulating material (17, 27, 37, 42) and electrically conductive material, (18, 28, 38, 48) e.g., conductive nanoparticulates, dispersed therein. In certain cases, enhanced tune-ability is achieved when the dielectric material comprises elongated nanoparticulates (38). Further enhanced tune-ability may be achieved by aligning elongated particulates in an electrode-to-electrode direction. Nanoparticulates may be produced by heating passivated nanoparticulates. Passivated nanoparticulates may be covalently bound within a polymeric matrix. High bias potential device structures can be formed with preferential mobilities.

Abstract: Epitaxial and reduced grain boundary materials are deposited on substrates for use in electronic and optical applications. A specific material disclosed is epitaxial barium strontium titanate (14) deposited on the C-plane of sapphire (12).

Abstract: Capacitor material for use in forming capacitors, is disclosed. More specifically, the invention is directed to capacitors formed from this material that have one or more discrete electrodes (314), each electrode (314) being exposed to at least two thicknesses of dielectric material (300). These electrodes (314) are surrounded by wider insulative material (312) such that the material can be cut, or patterned into capacitors having specific values. A single electrode can form a small value capacitor while still providing a larger conductive area for attaching the capacitor to associated circuitry. The thin dielectric (310) can be a tunable material so that the capacitance can be varied with voltage. The tunability can be increased by adding thin electrodes that interact with direct current.

Abstract: Optical waveguide composite materials and integrated optical subsystems with low loss connection to optical fibers, are disclosed. The waveguide material has a varying thickness and/or refractive index from one portion (816) to another (820) and can be varied in all three directions. Methods of producing the composite materials and waveguides are also disclosed.

Abstract: Coatings, particularly thin films, of polymeric material are produced in accordance with the invention by applying a finely divided aerosol of polymer solution to a substrate and substantially simultaneously applying an energy source to the applied solution to apply the solution. In cases where the polymer is cross-linking, the energy source assists in cross-linking of the polymer. The preferred energy source is a flame that may optionally or desirably deposit material along with the polymer spray. One particular aspect of the invention is directed to production of polyimide films. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the co-deposition process is used to provide thin polysiloxane coatings on glass and other substrates.