Patents Examined by Xinning Niu
  • Patent number: 9769459
    Abstract: A voltage mode laser diode driver selectively turns on and off a laser diode. An output stage has an output node configured to be connected to one of the terminals of the laser diode. Depending upon implementation, an active swing controller drives the output stage in a manner that substantially prevents inductive kickback from causing the output node voltage to swinging above the voltage level at the voltage output of the power supply, or swing below ground. The output stage provides a discharge path around the laser diode to shunt current associated with the inductive kickback, and substantially eliminates ringing on the output node of the output stage while the laser diode is off. A power supply controller adjusts the voltage level of the voltage output of the power supply so that current through the laser diode when on and emitting light is substantially equal to a predetermined desired current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Barry Thompson, Stefan Wurster, Lawrence A. Prather, Dane Snow, Richard McCauley
  • Patent number: 9768382
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the field of display technology, and provides a display substrate, its manufacturing method, and a display device. Pixel partition walls of the display substrate include first pixel partition walls for defining first pixel regions and second pixel partition walls for defining second pixel regions. Each first pixel partition wall is of a height greater than each second pixel partition wall, and a plurality of adjacent second pixel regions is located at an identical first pixel region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Huifeng Wang, Ze Liu
  • Patent number: 9768581
    Abstract: As kilowatt class fiber laser and amplifier systems become more in demand, there are ongoing efforts to improve optical fiber laser and amplifier designs to maximize efficiency and further increase the capacity of these high-energy optical fiber lasers and amplifiers. The present disclosure provides a fiber laser or amplifier system configured to efficiently and conveniently generate and couple high numerical aperture and high-energy pump light into a fiber laser or amplifier system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: OFS FITEL, LLC
    Inventor: William R Holland
  • Patent number: 9762027
    Abstract: A VCSEL can include: an electro-optic modulator between a lasing active region and a light emitting surface. The electro-optic modulator can include: an electro-optically active region; a modulator mirror region over the electro-optically active region; and at least one electrical insulator region separating the modulator mirror region into at least two separate modulator mirror cavities electrically isolated from each other, wherein each separate modulator mirror cavity and a longitudinally aligned portion of the electro-optically active region form an electro-optic modulator cavity. A method of emitting light from a VCSEL can include: emitting a laser beam from the lasing active region along a longitudinal axis; and changing a refractive index of one electro-optic modulator cavity so as to steer the laser beam from the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: FINISAR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ralph Herbert Johnson
  • Patent number: 9761583
    Abstract: A method for making connection elements between two different levels of components in a 3D integrated circuit, including: forming a lateral insulating area supported on at least one given conducting area among several interconnection areas on a first level of components, the insulating area extending around a semiconducting layer on a second level in which at least one transistor can be formed; removing a first portion of the lateral insulating area so as to form at least one hole exposing said given conducting area; and depositing a conducting material in the hole so as to form a first electrical connection element between the second component and the given conducting area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Claire Fenouillet-Beranger, Bernard Previtali, Olivier Rozeau
  • Patent number: 9761685
    Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device that improves the reliability of the semiconductor device. An opening is formed in an insulating film formed over a semiconductor substrate. At that time, a mask layer for formation of the opening is formed over the insulating film. The insulating film is dry etched and then wet etched. The dry etching step is finished before the semiconductor substrate is exposed at the bottom of the opening, and the wet etching step is finished after the semiconductor substrate is exposed at the bottom of the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshikazu Hanawa
  • Patent number: 9748731
    Abstract: An optical apparatus comprises a package containing an optical device and having a front end face provided with a through window part 11 to which an optical fiber optically connected to the optical device is attached, a base having an attachment surface for attaching the package, a first extension arranged so as to project from the front end face along the attachment surface, and a package securing member having a tilted surface adapted to abut against the package so as to generate a force for pressing the package against the base. The package securing member is independent of the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations, Inc.
    Inventor: Keiji Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 9748364
    Abstract: A method for forming a three dimensional device. The method may include directing ions to an end surface of an extension region of a fin structure, the fin structure extending perpendicularly from a substrate plane and having a fin axis parallel to the substrate plane, wherein the ions have trajectories extending in a plane perpendicular to the substrate plane and parallel to the fin axis, wherein a portion of the fin structure is covered by a gate structure defining a channel region, and wherein the end surface is not covered by the gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Shiyu Sun, Naomi Yoshida, Benjamin Colombeau, Hans-Joachim L. Gossmann
  • Patent number: 9748734
    Abstract: A multi-stage laser drive circuit includes a variable common potential source, a PA light-emitting array between a storage capacitor and a current node, first and second low-side linear current sinks in electrical communication with the current node, and a second master oscillator (MO) light-emitting array in electrical communication between the current node and the first low side linear current sink. A trickle current circuit drives a low-value trickle current through the arrays, and a sense circuit senses the trickle current. Also, the headroom voltage across a pass element in the first low-side linear constant current sink is monitored and adjusted for maximum efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Robert F. Stiffler, Michael S. Lackey, Thomas H. Alford
  • Patent number: 9742148
    Abstract: A tunable laser has a solid state laser medium having an optical gain region and generates coherent radiation through a facet. A lens collects the coherent radiation and generates a collimated light beam. Components of an external cavity include a reflective surface and an optical filter, the reflective surface reflecting the collimated beam back to the lens and the laser medium, the optical filter positioned between the reflective surface and the lens and having two surfaces with a thermally tunable optical transmission band within the optical gain region of the laser medium. The optical filter (1) transmits a predominant portion of the collimated beam at a desired wavelength of operation, and (2) specularly reflects a remaining portion of the collimated beam from each surface, the collimated beam being incident on the optical filter such that the reflected collimated beams propagate at a non-zero angle with respect to the incident collimated beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Redshift Bioanalytics, Inc.
    Inventors: Eugene Yi-Shan Ma, Charles M. Marshall
  • Patent number: 9738977
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods of and systems for depositing a film. The methods may include: (a) determining process conditions, including a flow condition of a curtain gas that flows around the periphery of each station in the chamber, for performing film deposition in the chamber, (b) flowing the curtain gas to each station in the chamber during film deposition according to the process conditions determined in (a), (c) determining, during or after (b), an adjusted flow condition of the curtain gas in the chamber to improve substrate nonuniformity, and (d) flowing, after (c), the curtain gas during film deposition according to the adjusted flow condition determined in (c). The systems may include a gas delivery system, a processing chamber, and a controller having control logic for performing one or more of (a)-(d).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Ishtak Karim, Adrien LaVoie
  • Patent number: 9742151
    Abstract: A terahertz quantum cascade laser device is provided comprising a substrate having a top substrate surface, a bottom substrate surface, and an exit facet extending between the top substrate surface and the bottom substrate surface at an angle ?tap. The device comprises a waveguide structure having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front facet extending between the top surface and the bottom surface and positioned proximate to the exit facet, and a back facet extending between the top surface and the bottom surface and oppositely facing the front facet. The waveguide structure comprises a quantum cascade laser structure configured to generate light comprising light of a first frequency ?1, light of a second frequency ?2, and light of a third frequency ?THz, wherein ?THz=?1??2; an upper cladding layer; and a lower cladding layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Dan Botez, Christopher A. Sigler, Thomas L. Earles, Jeremy D. Kirch
  • Patent number: 9741618
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming openings in a substrate. The method includes forming a dummy fill material within the openings and thinning the substrate to expose the dummy fill material. The dummy fill material is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Gudrun Stranzl, Martin Zgaga, Markus Kahn, Guenter Denifl
  • Patent number: 9734929
    Abstract: Example embodiments relate to a composition for forming a solar cell electrode, and a solar cell electrode prepared using the composition. The composition for forming a solar cell electrode includes a silver (Ag) powder, a glass frit, and an organic vehicle, wherein the glass frit includes silver (Ag); tellurium (Te); and at least one selected from the group of lithium (Li), sodium (Na), and potassium (K), a molar ratio of the silver (Ag):the tellurium (Te) included in the glass frit is in a range of about 1:0.1 to about 1:50, and a molar ratio of the silver (Ag):lithium (Li), sodium (Na) or potassium (K) is in a range of about 1:0.01 to about 1:10. The solar cell electrode prepared using the composition has excellent fill factor and conversion efficiency due to minimized contact resistance (Rc) and series resistance (Rs).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sang Hee Park, Hyun Jin Koo, Dae Sub Song
  • Patent number: 9735130
    Abstract: A chip package may include: a first die; at least one second die disposed over the first die; and a lid disposed over lateral portions of the first die and at least partially surrounding the at least one second die, the lid having inclined sidewalls spaced apart from and facing the at least one second die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kuo Lung Pan, Ying-Jui Huang, Yu-Feng Chen, Chen-Shien Chen
  • Patent number: 9728936
    Abstract: A method, system and an apparatus for hybrid optical and electrical pumping of semiconductor lasers and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) improves reliability at high operating temperatures. The semiconductor laser or LED is biased via optical pumping and a relatively small electrical modulation current modulates the laser. At low modulation speeds, the modulation current is substantially lower than that required for biasing the laser or directly modulating it at high speeds. The lifetime of the laser is improved by substantially reducing the operating current, enabling laser lifetimes adequate for operation in many applications, such as deep-hole oil drilling and jet engine control, where operation is not currently possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: ZEPHYR PHOTONICS INC.
    Inventor: Duane Louderback
  • Patent number: 9728937
    Abstract: A method of controlling a wavelength tunable laser to control an oscillation wavelength based on a difference between a detection result of a wavelength by a wavelength detecting unit and a target value, the method includes: acquiring a first drive condition of the wavelength tunable laser to make the wavelength tunable laser oscillate at a first wavelength from a memory; calculating a second drive condition to drive the wavelength tunable laser at a second wavelength by referring to the first drive condition and a wavelength difference between the first wavelength and the second wavelength, the second wavelength differing from the first wavelength; and driving the wavelength tunable laser based on the second drive condition calculated at the calculating of the second drive condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC DEVICE INNOVATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Tanaka, Masao Shibata, Hiromitsu Kawamura, Mitsuyoshi Miyata
  • Patent number: 9728689
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a light emitting device includes: providing on a mounting substrate a soluble member which is soluble in a solvent and which has a lower surface, an upper surface opposite to the lower surface in a height direction, and an outer side surface provided between the lower surface and the upper surface, the lower surface contacting the mounting substrate; providing a light blocking member made of resin to cover the outer side surface of the soluble member so that an inner side wall of the light blocking member contacts the outer side surface of the soluble member; removing the soluble member using the solvent to provide a recess surrounded by the inner side wall of the light blocking member; and mounting a light emitting element in the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroto Tamaki
  • Patent number: 9722385
    Abstract: A laser chamber for a discharge excited gas laser apparatus may include: a first discharge electrode disposed in the laser chamber; a second discharge electrode disposed to face the first discharge electrode in the laser chamber; a fan configured to flow laser gas between the first discharge electrode and the second discharge electrode; a first insulating member disposed upstream and downstream of a laser gas flow from the first discharge electrode; a metallic damper member disposed upstream of the laser gas flow from the second discharge electrode; and a second insulating member disposed downstream of the laser gas flow from the second discharge electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ikeda, Kouji Kakizaki, Hiroaki Tsushima, Hisakazu Katsuumi
  • Patent number: 9722397
    Abstract: A tunable laser includes: a wavelength filter that includes a first ring resonator and a second ring resonator each of which is formed by a waveguide including a silicon waveguide core, and each of which is capable of shifting each of resonance wavelengths that exit periodically and whose intervals are different from each other; and an integrated device that is optically coupled to the wavelength filter, and in which a first semiconductor optical amplifier and a reflector are provided in sequence from a side of the wavelength filter, wherein the resonance wavelengths of the first ring resonator and the second ring resonator are overlapped with each other at one wavelength, and the resonance wavelengths are overlapped with each other also at a plurality of wavelengths other than the one wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazumasa Takabayashi, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, Manabu Matsuda