Patents Assigned to Sandia
  • Patent number: 9662632
    Abstract: A method including exposing a gas mixture comprising a noble gas to a metal organic framework (MOF), including an organic electron donor and an adsorbent bed operable to adsorb a noble gas from a mixture of gases, the adsorbent bed including a metal organic framework (MOF) including an organic electron donor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Mark D. Allendorf, Jeffery A. Greathouse, Chad Staiger
  • Patent number: 9659797
    Abstract: Wafer scale oblique angle etching of a semiconductor substrate is performed in a conventional plasma etch chamber by using a fixture that supports a multiple number of separate Faraday cages. Each cage is formed to include an angled grid surface and is positioned such that it will be positioned over a separate one of the die locations on the wafer surface when the fixture is placed over the wafer. The presence of the Faraday cages influences the local electric field surrounding each wafer die, re-shaping the local field to be disposed in alignment with the angled grid surface. The re-shaped plasma causes the reactive ions to follow a linear trajectory through the plasma sheath and angled grid surface, ultimately impinging the wafer surface at an angle. The selected geometry of the Faraday cage angled grid surface thus determines the angle at with the reactive ions will impinge the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: David Bruce Burckel, Robert L. Jarecki, Jr., Patrick Sean Finnegan
  • Patent number: 9661733
    Abstract: Switching devices are provided. The switching devices include an input electrode, having a main electrode and a trigger electrode, and an output electrode. The main electrode and the trigger electrode are separated from the output electrode by a main gap and a trigger gap, respectively. During operation, the trigger electrode compresses and amplifies a trigger voltage signal causing the trigger electrode to emit a pulse of energy. This pulse of energy form plasma near the trigger electrode, either by arcing across the trigger gap, or by arcing from the trigger electrode to the main electrode. This plasma decreases the breakdown voltage of the main gap. Simultaneously, or near simultaneously, a main voltage signal propagates through the main electrode. The main voltage signal emits a main pulse of energy that arcs across the main gap while the plasma formed by the trigger pulse is still present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventor: Juan M. Elizondo-Decanini
  • Patent number: 9660026
    Abstract: There is provided an electronic device and a method for its manufacture. The device comprises an elongate silicon nanowire less than 0.5 ?m in cross-sectional dimensions and having a hexagonal cross-sectional shape due to annealing-induced energy relaxation. The method, in examples, includes thinning the nanowire through iterative oxidation and etching of the oxidized portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Murat Okandan, Bruce L. Draper, Paul J. Resnick
  • Patent number: 9656926
    Abstract: A self-consuming structure is disclosed that is formed from a self-consuming composition based on an epoxy or polyurethane having fuel and/or oxidizer molecularly dispersed and/or as particulates in the epoxy or polyurethane. The composition may be used to form self-consuming structural components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Steven G. Thoma, Mark C Grubelich, Mathias C. Celina, Mark R. Vaughn, Steven D. Knudsen
  • Patent number: 9653230
    Abstract: A push plate that includes springs in the form of cantilever flexures and an inspection window is disclosed. The push plate provides a known, uniform, down force and minimal torque to a package to be tested. The cantilevers have a known, calculable down force producing stiffness. The window provides for viewing of the package during testing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Mark R. Vaughn, Stephen Montague
  • Patent number: 9651464
    Abstract: A spring performance tester and method of testing a spring are disclosed that has improved accuracy and precision over prior art spring testers. The tester can perform static and cyclic testing. The spring tester can provide validation for product acceptance as well as test for cyclic degradation of springs, such as the change in the spring rate and fatigue failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Bradley Salzbrenner, Brad Boyce
  • Patent number: 9651648
    Abstract: Geolocation is performed by receiving, at a plurality of non-earthbound platforms each moving in a known manner within a spatial coordinate system, a radio frequency (RF) signal transmitted from a transmitter at an unknown location on earth within the spatial coordinate system. For each of the platforms, a phase change of the received frequency carrier is measured over the same duration of time. The measured phase changes are combined to determine the transmitter location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: John J. Mason, Louis Romero
  • Patent number: 9652703
    Abstract: A tamper resistant seal including a population of particles embedded in an adhesive, the population including at least one micromachine artifact of a predetermined physical shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventor: Peter B. Merkle
  • Patent number: 9654035
    Abstract: A motor control system for deployment in high temperature environments includes a controller; a first half-bridge circuit that includes a first high-side switching element and a first low-side switching element; a second half-bridge circuit that includes a second high-side switching element and a second low-side switching element; and a third half-bridge circuit that includes a third high-side switching element and a third; low-side switching element. The motor controller is arranged to apply a pulse width modulation (PWM) scheme to switch the first half-bridge circuit, second half-bridge circuit, and third half-bridge circuit to power a motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Crzegorz Cieslewski, Scott C. Lindblom, Frank J. Maldonado, Michael Nathan Eckert
  • Patent number: 9645227
    Abstract: The various technologies presented herein relate to incorporating one or more notches into a radar spectrum, whereby the notches relate to one or more frequencies for which no radar transmission is to occur. An instantaneous frequency is monitored and if the frequency is determined to be of a restricted frequency, then a radar signal can be modified. Modification can include replacing the signal with a signal having a different instantaneous amplitude, a different instantaneous phase, etc. The modification can occur in a WFS prior to a DAC, as well as prior to a sin ROM component and/or a cos ROM component. Further, the notch can be dithered to enable formation of a deep notch. The notch can also undergo signal transitioning to enable formation of a deep notch. The restricted frequencies can be stored in a LUT against which an instantaneous frequency can be compared.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Armin W. Doerry, John Andrews
  • Patent number: 9645258
    Abstract: The various technologies presented herein relate to incorporating a wavelength-shifting material in a scintillator to facilitate absorption of a first electromagnetic particle (e.g., a first photon) having a first wavelength and subsequent generation and emission of a second electromagnetic particle (e.g., a second photon) having a second wavelength. The second electromagnetic particle can be emitted isotropically, with a high probability that the direction of emission of the second electromagnetic particle is disparate to the direction of travel of the first electromagnetic particle (and according angle of incidence). Isotropic emission of the second electromagnetic particle enables the second electromagnetic particle to be retained in the scintillator owing to internal reflection. Accordingly, longer length scintillators can be constructed, and accordingly, the scintillator array has a greater area (and volume) over which to detect electromagnetic particles (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventor: David Reyna
  • Patent number: 9645228
    Abstract: The various technologies presented herein relate to generation of a desired waveform profile in the form of a spectrum of apparently random noise (e.g., white noise or colored noise), but with precise spectral characteristics. Hence, a waveform profile that could be readily determined (e.g., by a spoofing system) is effectively obscured. Obscuration is achieved by dividing the waveform into a series of chips, each with an assigned frequency, wherein the sequence of chips are subsequently randomized. Randomization can be a function of the application of a key to the chip sequence. During processing of the echo pulse, a copy of the randomized transmitted pulse is recovered or regenerated against which the received echo is correlated. Hence, with the echo energy range-compressed in this manner, it is possible to generate a radar image with precise impulse response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Armin W. Doerry, Brandeis Marquette
  • Patent number: 9646874
    Abstract: Thermally isolated devices may be formed by performing a series of etches on a silicon-based substrate. As a result of the series of etches, silicon material may be removed from underneath a region of an integrated circuit (IC). The removal of the silicon material from underneath the IC forms a gap between remaining substrate and the integrated circuit, though the integrated circuit remains connected to the substrate via a support bar arrangement that suspends the integrated circuit over the substrate. The creation of this gap functions to release the device from the substrate and create a thermally-isolated integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth Wojciechowski, Roy H. Olsson, Peggy J. Clews, Todd Bauer
  • Patent number: 9641154
    Abstract: A single crystal micromechanical resonator includes a suspended plate of lithium niobate or lithium tantalate. The suspended plate and a support structure are formed from a single crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Roy H. Olsson, Thomas A. Friedmann, Sara Jensen Homeijer, Michael Wiwi, Khalid Mikhiel Hattar, Blythe Clark, Todd Bauer, Stuart B. Van Deusen
  • Patent number: 9632261
    Abstract: An optoelectronic device package and a method for its fabrication are provided. The device package includes a lid die and an active die that is sealed or sealable to the lid die and in which one or more optical waveguides are integrally defined. The active die includes one or more active device regions, i.e. integral optoelectronic devices or etched cavities for placement of discrete optoelectronic devices. Optical waveguides terminate at active device regions so that they can be coupled to them. Slots are defined in peripheral parts of the active dies. At least some of the slots are aligned with the ends of integral optical waveguides so that optical fibers or optoelectronic devices inserted in the slots can optically couple to the waveguides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Zortman, Michael David Henry, Robert L. Jarecki, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9628339
    Abstract: Embodiments of network testbed creation and validation processes are described herein. A “network testbed” is a replicated environment used to validate a target network or an aspect of its design. Embodiments describe a network testbed that comprises virtual testbed nodes executed via a plurality of physical infrastructure nodes. The virtual testbed nodes utilize these hardware resources as a network “fabric,” thereby enabling rapid configuration and reconfiguration of the virtual testbed nodes without requiring reconfiguration of the physical infrastructure nodes. Thus, in contrast to prior art solutions which require a tester manually build an emulated environment of physically connected network devices, embodiments receive or derive a target network description and build out a replica of this description using virtual testbed nodes executed via the physical infrastructure nodes. This process allows for the creation of very large (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Tan Q. Thai, Vincent Urias, Brian P. Van Leeuwen, Kristopher K. Watts, Andrew John Sweeney
  • Patent number: 9625785
    Abstract: A photonic device is provided for impressing a modulation pattern on an optical carrier. The device includes a unit in which a photodetector and an optical microresonator are monolithically integrated. The device further includes an optical waveguide evanescently coupled to the optical microresonator and having at least an upstream portion configured to carry at least one optical carrier toward the microresonator. The optical microresonator is tunable so as to resonate with the optical carrier frequency. The optical microresonator and the photodetector are mutually coupled such that in operation, charge carriers photogenerated in the photodetector are injected into the microresonator, where the photocurrent changes the resonant conditions. In some embodiments the device is operable as an optical-to-optical frequency converter. In other embodiments the device is operable as an oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Zortman, Anthony L. Lentine
  • Patent number: 9624482
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a composition comprising a polypeptide comprising a first amino acid sequence having at least 70% identity with the amino acid sequence of Csac GH5 wherein said first amino acid sequence has a thermostable or thermophilic cellobiohydrolase (CBH) or exoglucanase activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Rajat Sapra, Joshua I. Park, Supratim Datta, Blake A. Simmons
  • Patent number: 9624793
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a cascaded recompression closed Brayton cycle (CRCBC) system and method of operation thereof, where the CRCBC system includes a compressor for compressing the system fluid, a separator for generating fluid feed streams for each of the system's turbines, and separate segments of a heater that heat the fluid feed streams to different feed temperatures for the system's turbines. Fluid exiting each turbine is used to preheat the fluid to the turbine. In an embodiment, the amount of heat extracted is determined by operational costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventor: James Jay Pasch