Patents Examined by Timothy H. Meeks
  • Patent number: 10259999
    Abstract: A method is presented for storage and on-demand release of nanoparticles. Nanoparticles produced by this method can be dried and stored for an extended period of time and subsequently released on-demand in a solvent of choice to form stable suspensions without the need for additional surfactants or stabilizers and without any loss in functionality or material properties. This method can be used to store various categories of nanomaterials including metals, metal oxides, metal chalcogenides, magnetic, polymeric and semiconductor nanoparticles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: AhuraTech LLC
    Inventors: Hashem Akhavan-Tafti, Guoping Wang, Barry A. Schoenfelner
  • Patent number: 8574678
    Abstract: A method of texturing a synthetic material, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), to resemble a natural material is provided. The method can include texturing a PVC profile after extrusion in order to achieve a surface roughness of about 70 to about 300 micro inches roughness average. The method can include producing a line pattern surface roughness to make the textured PVC resemble a wood finish, particularly when the method includes applying a paint or stain to the textured PVC. The method can include producing a radial pattern surface roughness to make the textured PVC resemble a brushed metal finish. The method of the present invention can be applied to existing PVC elements, such as extruded elements, either at the manufacturing level or at the consumer level. A kit can also be provided including a texturing means, a paint or stain, and instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Dallaire Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Patrick Marceau
  • Patent number: 8227052
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for plasma-assisted chemical vapour deposition for coating or material removal on the inner wall of a hollow body (42). The method involves introducing a gas lance (44) into the hollow body (42) and forming a cavity plasma (45) to form a plasma cloud arranged at the tip of the gas lance by applying an electric radio-frequency field to an RF electrode (41).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Ralf Stein
    Inventor: Oliver Nöll
  • Patent number: 8158215
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing magnetic recording media with a high areal recording density, in which there write bleeding during magnetic recording is eliminated by reducing insofar as possible the coercive force and remanent magnetization in areas between magnetic tracks, is provided. The method of manufacture can produce magnetic recording media 10, in which a magnetic layer 3 is provided on at least one surface of a nonmagnetic substrate 1, and a magnetically separated magnetic pattern 3a is formed in this magnetic layer 3; by implanting atoms into the magnetic layer 3 with a uniform distribution in the thickness direction of the magnetic layer 3, and partially rendering nonmagnetic the magnetic layer 3, nonmagnetic portions 5 which magnetically separate the magnetic pattern 3a are formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Showa Denko K.K.
    Inventors: Masato Fukushima, Akira Sakawaki
  • Patent number: 8021713
    Abstract: A recessed field is formed surrounding resist columns that are in a pattern of bit patterned magnetic media. A filler layer is formed in the recessed field. The resist columns are removed to leave recesses in the filler layer that replicate the pattern. Bit patterned magnetic media is formed in the recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Sethuraman Jayashankar
  • Patent number: 8017177
    Abstract: A method and device for automatically marking an article are provided, by which the deterioration in the yield can be prevented from occurring and a color of a mark to be formed on the article can be easily changed. A device 1 for automatically marking an electric wire as a device for automatically marking an article marks an outer surface 3a of an electric wire 3. The device 1 includes first and second spouting means 311, 321, encoder 33 and control device 34. The first spouting means 311 spouts a specific amount of a first coloring agent toward the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3. The second spouting means 312 spouts a specific amount of a second coloring agent toward the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3. The encoder 33 detects a transfer speed of the electric wire 2 which is transferred in a direction of arrow K.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Kamata, Shigeharu Suzuki, Keigo Sugimura, Kiyoshi Yagi
  • Patent number: 8017184
    Abstract: The present invention provides metal-containing compounds that include at least one ?-diketiminate ligand, and methods of making and using the same. In certain embodiments, the metal-containing compounds include at least one ?-diketiminate ligand with at least one fluorine-containing organic group as substituent. In other certain embodiments, the metal-containing compounds include at least one ?-diketiminate ligand with at least one aliphatic group as a substituent selected to have greater degrees of freedom than the corresponding substituent in the ?-diketiminate ligands of certain metal-containing compounds known in the art. The compounds can be used to deposit metal-containing layers using vapor deposition methods. Vapor deposition systems including the compounds are also provided. Sources for ?-diketiminate ligands are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Dan Millward, Timothy A. Quick
  • Patent number: 8017183
    Abstract: An atomic-layer-deposition process for forming a patterned thin film comprising providing a substrate, applying a deposition inhibitor material to the substrate, wherein the deposition inhibitor material is an organosiloxane compound; and patterning the deposition inhibitor material either after or simultaneously with or introducing applying the deposition inhibitor material to provide selected areas of the substrate effectively not having the deposition inhibitor material. The thin film is substantially deposited only in the selected areas of the substrate not having the deposition inhibitor material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Cheng Yang, Lyn M. Irving, David H. Levy, Peter J. Cowdery-Corvan, Diane C. Freeman
  • Patent number: 8017197
    Abstract: A microwave is radiated into a processing chamber (1) from a planar antenna member of an antenna (7) through a dielectric plate (6). With this, a C5F8 gas supplied into the processing chamber (1) from a gas supply member (3) is changed (activated) into a plasma so as to form a fluorine-containing carbon film of a certain thickness on a semiconductor wafer (W). Each time a film forming process of forming a film on one wafer is carried out, a cleaning process and a pre-coating process are carried out. In the cleaning process, the inside of the processing chamber is cleaned with a plasma of an oxygen gas and a hydrogen gas. In the pre-coating process, the C5F8 gas is changed into a plasma, and a pre-coat film of fluorine-containing carbon thinner than the fluorine-containing carbon film formed in the film forming process is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yasuo Kobayashi, Kohei Kawamura
  • Patent number: 8017196
    Abstract: A pump piston and/or elements sealing the pump piston, in particular a sealing ring of elastomeric material with an additionally applied coating are/is proposed. To improve the durability characteristics, the pump piston and/or the elements sealing the pump piston have a coating which is formed at least predominantly of halogen-, silicon-, carbon-containing and/or metal-organic monomers. Furthermore, a device and a method for coating an object of elastomeric material utilizing a plasma are proposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Kurt Burger, Guenter Schneider, Ronald Neidhardt, Manfred Hauser, Klaus Burghoff, Stefan Grosse, Alexander Schattke, Sascha Henke, Christian Bayer, Oliver Schmautz
  • Patent number: 8007855
    Abstract: A method of coating an implantable medical device is disclosed, the method includes applying a composition onto the device and drying the composition at elevated temperature in an environment having increased relative humidity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Pacetti
  • Patent number: 8007865
    Abstract: One inventive aspect is related to an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method comprising: a) providing a semiconductor substrate in a reactor, b) providing a pulse of a first precursor gas into the reactor at a first temperature, c) providing a first pulse of a second precursor gas into the reactor at a second temperature, and d) providing a second pulse of the second precursor gas at a third temperature lower than the second temperature. Another inventive aspect relates to a reactor suitable to apply the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: IMEC
    Inventors: Annelies Delabie, Matty Caymax
  • Patent number: 8007856
    Abstract: A mounting assembly for a stent and a method of coating a stent using the assembly are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Syed F. A. Hossainy, Charles Snyder, Anh Tran, Arthur J. Wen
  • Patent number: 8001923
    Abstract: A droplet ejection apparatus includes a plurality of droplet ejection heads divided into three groups with each group including first to fourth heads with a second head being disposed between the third and fourth heads, and the third head being disposed between the first and second heads when viewed in a direction parallel to nozzle arrays. In each group, the nozzle array of the first head overlaps the nozzle array of the third head throughout a first sub-area, the nozzle array of the first head overlaps the nozzle array of the fourth head throughout a second sub-area, and the nozzle array of the second head overlaps the nozzle array of the fourth head throughout a third sub-area when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the nozzle arrays. The second sub-areas of the three groups partially overlap each other when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the nozzle arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tomomi Kawase
  • Patent number: 8003156
    Abstract: Various embodiments of methods and devices for coating stents are described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Jason Van Sciver
  • Patent number: 7989034
    Abstract: A method for continuous atmospheric plasma treatment of an electrically insulating workpiece. The workpiece is arranged at a distance beneath at least one high-voltage electrode which extends across a direction of movement. The electrode and the workpiece are set in motion relative to one another. The high voltage being applied to the high-voltage electrode, preferably is in the form of an AC voltage. A first space situated between the high-voltage electrode and the workpiece is filled with a first atmosphere and a second space on the side of the workpiece facing away from the high-voltage electrode is filled with a second atmosphere that is different from the first atmosphere. The second space is adjacent to a back side of the workpiece. The choice of high voltage and of the first and second atmospheres is made in such a way that a plasma discharge is ignited in the second atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Softal Corona & Plasma GmbH
    Inventors: Eckhard Prinz, Peter Palm, Frank Forster
  • Patent number: 7989021
    Abstract: A method of vaporizing material at a uniform rate for forming a layer on a substrate includes feeding a column of vaporizable material from a temperature controlled region maintained below the vaporizable material's effective vaporization temperature to a source of vaporization energy, wherein the volume of the column can vary during vaporization; and providing a source of vaporization energy delivering a constant heat flux to the surface of the column so that a uniform volume per unit time of the vaporizable material is vaporized to form the layer on the substrate, irrespective of the feeding rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Global OLED Technology LLC
    Inventors: Michael Long, Bruce E. Koppe
  • Patent number: 7989027
    Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide a metal gasket material plate with which exfoliation of the coating or blister can be prevented even if it is used in the presence of an electrolyte aqueous solution and which can be manufactured through a process without use of hexavalent chromium in consideration of the environment, etc. The present, invention relates to a metal gasket material plate comprising a metal plate 1 having a rubber layer 4 on one side or both sides thereof through an adhesive layer 3, wherein a rust-resistant pigment is added to both of said adhesive layer 3 and said rubber layer 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignees: Nippon Leakless Industry Co., Ltd., Sanshin Industries Co., Ltd., Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsunehiko Abe, Tomokazu Nakanishi, Shingo Watanabe, Yoshiharu Takada, Ichiro Goto, Shinsuke Mochizuki, Kenji Okubo, Yasuaki Nagai
  • Patent number: 7989022
    Abstract: A method of processing a substrate includes physically contacting an exposed conductive electrode of an electrostatic carrier with a conductor to electrostatically bond a substrate to the electrostatic carrier. The conductor is removed from physically contacting the exposed conductive electrode. Dielectric material is applied over the conductive electrode. The substrate is treated while it is electrostatically bonded to the electrostatic carrier. In one embodiment, a conductor is forced through dielectric material that is received over a conductive electrode of an electrostatic carrier to physically contact the conductor with the conductive electrode to electrostatically bond a substrate to the electrostatic carrier. After removing the conductor from the dielectric material, the substrate is treated while it is electrostatically bonded to the electrostatic carrier. Electrostatic carriers for retaining substrates for processing, and such assemblies, are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Dewali Ray, Warren M. Farnworth, Kyle K. Kirby
  • Patent number: 7989018
    Abstract: A method for modifying a polymeric coating on an implantable medical device, such as a stent, is disclosed. The method includes application of a fluid to a wet or dry polymeric coating with and without drugs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew F. McNiven, Thomas D. Esbeck, Ni Ding, Stephen Pacetti, Syed F. A. Hossainy