Patents Examined by James Lin
  • Patent number: 8709229
    Abstract: A method of operating a hybrid sulfur electrolyzer to generate hydrogen is provided that includes the steps of providing an anolyte with a concentration of sulfur dioxide, and applying a current. During steady state generation of hydrogen a plot of applied current density versus concentration of sulfur dioxide is below a boundary line. The boundary line may be linear and extend through the origin of the graph with a slope of 0.001 in which the current density is measured in mA/cm2 and the concentration of sulfur dioxide is measured in moles of sulfur dioxide per liter of anolyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC
    Inventors: John L. Steimke, Timothy J. Steeper, David T. Herman
  • Patent number: 8664509
    Abstract: A thermoelectric apparatus includes a first and a second assemblies, at least a first and a second heat conductors. The first assembly includes a first and a second substrates, and several first thermoelectric material sets disposed between the first and second substrates. The first substrate has at least a first through hole. The second assembly includes a third and a fourth substrates, and several second thermoelectric material sets disposed between the third and fourth substrates. The fourth substrate has at least a second through hole. Each of the first and second thermoelectric material sets has a p-type and an n-type thermoelectric element. The first and second heat conductors respectively penetrate the first and second through holes. Two ends of the first heat conductor respectively connect the second and fourth substrates, while two ends of the second heat conductor respectively connect the first and third substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chun-Kai Liu, Ming-Ji Dai, Suh-Yun Feng, Li-Ling Liao
  • Patent number: 8647706
    Abstract: The problem regarding volatileness of a solvent in an EL forming material, which occurs in adopting printing, are solved. An EL layer is formed in a pixel, portion of a light emitting device by printing. Upon formation of the EL layer, a printing chamber is pressurized to reach a pressure equal to or higher than the atmospheric pressure, and the printing chamber is filled with inert gas or set to a solvent atmosphere. Thus the difficulty in forming an EL layer by printing is eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8647707
    Abstract: A method of forming a pattern includes: providing a heating substrate that selectively controls positions where heat is generated by controlling locations where electric current flows; forming a pattern forming material on a surface of the heating substrate; aligning a patterning substrate, on which a pattern may be formed, to face a surface of the heating substrate; and selectively applying electric current to the heating substrate to transfer some of the pattern forming material onto the patterning substrate. According to the method of forming the pattern and a method of fabricating an OLED, the pattern is transferred by heating the pattern forming material formed on the heating substrate, and thus, the pattern may be formed with high accuracy without using a mask, and the pattern forming material remaining on the heating substrate may be re-used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-Seok Park, Hyun-Chul Lee
  • Patent number: 8632851
    Abstract: A method of forming an compound semiconductor thin film of chalcopyrite structure includes the steps of heating up elemental VI powder in a first chamber to produce VI vapor flux. The VI vapor flow is introduced into a second chamber and an Argon plasma is utilized to crack large molecular VI fractions to generate small VI species. The small molecule VI species are homogeneously deposited on the metallic I-III precursor layers and the precursor film is sealed into a graphite box and transferred to an annealing chamber to create an absorber layer with a large grain size and good crystalline structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Sun Harmonics Ltd
    Inventors: Yuhang Ren, Zhi Huang, Paifeng Luo, Kai Shum
  • Patent number: 8617664
    Abstract: A grip member and a method of making such a grip member including at least a polymerized region with two or more polymers. The first and second polymers cooperate to each form a portion of the top surface of the region. The region may be combined with a substrate to form a sheet. The sheet may be formed into a grip interface having any of a number of shapes including a panel shape. In the case of a panel shaped grip interface, the panel can then be attached to an underlisting sleeve to form the grip. Some versions of such a grip reduce impact shock and provide a feeling of tackiness in the manner of a spirally wrapped polyurethane-felt grip while allowing the use of multiple colors being polymerized together. The grip may be easily installed onto a golf club shaft and may further accommodate the use of polymers including various different characteristics including level of tackiness or durometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Inventor: Ben Huang
  • Patent number: 8609181
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for fabricating a light emitting device, in which brightness gradient due to potential drop of a counter electrode can be prevented from being observed and an auxiliary electrode can be formed without increasing the number of steps, even when the precision of a light emitting device is improved. It is another object of the invention to provide a light emitting device fabricated according to the method. The light emitting device has a light emitting element and an auxiliary electrode in each pixel. The light emitting element includes a first electrode, a second electrode, an electroluminescent layer provided between the first and the second electrodes. Further, the first electrode is overlapped with the electroluminescent layer and the second electrode formed over an insulating film by means of a first opening formed in the insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Ritsuko Nagao, Yasuo Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8592000
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method of forming multilayer coating film of excellent appearance by 3-coat-1-bake system, comprising successively applying onto a coating object, a water-based intermediate paint, water-based base paint and a clear paint; and then simultaneously heat-curing the resulting 3-layered coating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignees: Kansai Paint Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuichi Nakahara, Hiroshi Murata, Yuta Nodera, Junya Ogawa, Yukinori Nasu
  • Patent number: 8586149
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of increasing the surface energy of an article having a polymeric surface increasing the relative amount of nitrogen atoms or oxygen atoms within a portion of the surface to form a nitrogen or oxygen enriched surface layer. The method of the invention is advantageously applied to a vehicle body frame to facilitate adhesion of a windshield. In another embodiment of the invention a method for inhibiting sealer redeposition is provided in which a plastic component in an automobile is treated prior to being subjected to the various paint preprocessing baths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Walter Holubka, Larry P. Haack, Ann Straccia
  • Patent number: 8586129
    Abstract: A micro-extrusion printhead assembly utilized in a micro-extrusion system to form parallel extruded lines of material on a substrate includes a material feed mechanism for pushing/drawing materials out of dispensing orifices defined in the printhead assembly, a Z-axis positioning mechanism, and a base. A production method utilizes the micro-extrusion system to directly print endpoint structures at the end of each gridline, and by extruding these gridlines immediately after forming the busbars. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the micro-extrusion system is controlled to manipulate the printhead speed and/or gridline material extrusion pressure at the beginning, middle and end of each gridline printing process such that teardrop-shaped endpoint structures are formed at the ends of each gridline, whereby each endpoint structure has a substantially greater width than that of the main “central” gridline structure extending between the endpoint structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Solarworld Innovations GmbH
    Inventors: David K. Fork, Scott E. Solberg
  • Patent number: 8580333
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to improve patterning accuracy while maintaining low cost, high throughput and a high degree of freedom of an optical material in a matrix type display device and a manufacturing method thereof. In order to achieve the object, a difference in height, a desired distribution of liquid repellency and affinity to liquid, or a desired potential distribution is formed by utilizing first bus lines in a passive matrix type display device or utilizing scanning lines, signal lines, common current supply lines, pixel electrodes, an interlevel insulation film, or a light shielding layer in an active matrix type display device. A liquid optical material is selectively coated at predetermined positions by utilizing the difference in height, the desired distribution of liquid repellency and affinity to liquid, or the desired potential distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Mutsumi Kimura, Hiroshi Kiguchi
  • Patent number: 8574685
    Abstract: A thin film and a method of making a thin film. The thin film comprises a patterned substrate, a smooth film of electric field tuned quantum dots solution positioned on the patterned substrate, and a thin layer of metal positioned on the thin film. The method begins by drop-casting a quantum dots solution onto a patterned substrate to create a thin film. While the quantum dots solution is drying, a linearly increasing electric filed is applied. The thin film is then placed in a deposition chamber and a thin layer of metal is deposited onto the thin film. Also included are a method of measuring the photoinduced charge transfer (PCT) rate in a quantum dot nanocomposite film and methods of forming a Shottky barrier on a transparent ITO electrode of a quantum dot film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: University of South Florida
    Inventors: Jason Lewis, Xiaomei Jiang
  • Patent number: 8574662
    Abstract: A substrate section for a flexible display device is disclosed. The substrate section prevents adhesion loss between a reinforcing layer and a barrier layer, thereby preventing a peel-off phenomenon between an inorganic barrier layer and a reinforcing layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dong-Beom Lee
  • Patent number: 8574661
    Abstract: This invention provides a process for producing an organic EL element that, in forming, by a coating method, an organic EL element comprising a substrate bearing a plurality of organic EL elements each comprising at least a first electrode, one or more organic compound layers, a second electrode, and a sealing layer, can easily form an external connection terminal forming part for external connection terminal formation and can realize high production efficiency and stable performance quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Yousuke Takashima, Kiyokazu Tanahashi, Keiichi Aoki
  • Patent number: 8557333
    Abstract: The invention is directed to an electroluminescent display device in which a first planarization insulating film need not be used so that a manufacturing cost reduces, and a display defect caused by a cut in an organic EL layer or moisture absorption at a step portion is prevented. An R color filter layer, a G color filter layer, and a B color filter layer are so formed that end portions of the adjacent R, G, and B color filter layers overlap each other. The R color filter layer, the G color filter layer, and the B color filter layer serve as a first planarization insulating film. For planarization, the end portions of the color filter layers overlap each other. For reducing a step height of an overlapping portion, the end portions of the color filters are formed in a tapered shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuji Nishikawa, Kazuyuki Maeda
  • Patent number: 8557325
    Abstract: A full color organic light emitting display device (OLED) and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The OLED includes an element substrate and an encapsulating substrate. The element substrate includes a color filter layer or a color conversion layer, as well as an organic layer with an emission layer that emits light of a single color. The encapsulating substrate includes a color filter or a color conversion layer and a moisture absorbent, and a the color filter or color conversion layer corresponds to the emission region. Accordingly, there is no need to have a separate process for the moisture absorbent and the color filter layer or the color conversion layer may be formed without using a shadow mask, so that a high resolution OLED may be advantageously realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Joon-Young Park
  • Patent number: 8557326
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing polycarbonate solar cells. The method is designed to adapt many techniques used in the compact disc manufacturing industry to the manufacture of polycarbonate solar cells. The method comprises: creating a polycarbonate substrate for a solar cell; depositing a low resistivity cathodic contact layer on the polycarbonate substrate; depositing a photonic energy absorbing layer with a sputter chamber comprising a quaternary CIGS sputter target; using a modulated high intensity pulsed xenon flashlamp; depositing a buffer layer; depositing a highly resistive transmissive intrinsic layer; depositing a transmissive contact oxide window layer; adding anodic contacts to one of the layers; depositing an anti-reflective coating layer; and encapsulating the solar cell to provide environmental protection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Inventor: Arthur Don Harmala
  • Patent number: 8551558
    Abstract: Photovoltaic devices and techniques for enhancing efficiency thereof are provided. In one aspect, a photovoltaic device is provided. The photovoltaic device comprises a photocell having a photoactive layer and a non-photoactive layer adjacent to the photoactive layer so as to form a heterojunction between the photoactive layer and the non-photoactive layer; and a plurality of high-aspect-ratio nanostructures on one or more surfaces of the photoactive layer. The plurality of high-aspect-ratio nanostructures are configured to act as a scattering media for incident light. The plurality of high-aspect-ratio nanostructures can also be configured to create an optical resonance effect in the incident light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Supratik Guha, Oki Gunawan
  • Patent number: 8551561
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the non-electrolytic deposition of a compound, preferably an electrochromic compound, comprising the following successive steps: (a) an electroconductive layer is deposited on a non-conductive solid substrate; (b) a reducing agent or an oxidizing agent (=redox agent) is deposited on an area of said electroconductive layer, said area covering only a portion of the surface of said electroconductive layer; and (c) a solution of a precursor of the compound to be deposited is brought into contact both with the redox agent and with at least a portion of the area of said electroconductive layer not covered by the redox agent, said precursor being chosen from those having an oxidation-reduction potential higher or lower than the redox agent and forming, after an oxidation-reduction reaction, a compound insoluble in the solution of the precursor of the compound to be deposited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Essilor International (compagnie Generale d'optiqu)
    Inventors: Sandrine Duluard, Claudine Biver
  • Patent number: 8551557
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a light-emitting device including a layer containing different evaporation materials, by which a desired layer containing the different evaporation materials is formed easily using a plurality of evaporation materials. A light-emitting device is manufactured in such a manner that a plurality of layers each containing a different evaporation material from each other is stacked over a first substrate; a second substrate which has a first electrode is placed at a position facing the first substrate; the plurality of layers containing evaporation materials is heated to form a layer containing different evaporation materials is formed on the first electrode provided for the second substrate; and a second electrode is formed on the layer containing different evaporation materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisao Ikeda, Takahiro Ibe, Yosuke Sato, Kohei Yokoyama