Patents by Inventor Andrew Hoff

Andrew Hoff has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9041417
    Abstract: Embodiments of the subject method and apparatus relate to a sequence of noncontact Corona-Kelvin Metrology, C-KM, that allows the determination and monitoring of interface properties in dielectric/wide band gap semiconductor structures. The technique involves the incremental application of precise and measured quantities of corona charge, QC, onto the dielectric surface followed by determination of the contact potential difference, VCPD, as the material structure response. The V-Q characteristics obtained are used to extract the surface barrier, VSB, response related to the applied corona charge. The metrology method presented determines an intersection of the VCPD-QC characteristic obtained in the dark with the VOX-QC characteristic representing the dielectric response. The specific VSB-QC dependence surrounding the reference VFB value is obtained from this method and allows the noncontact determination of the dielectric interface trap density and its spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: University of South Florida
    Inventors: Elena I. Oborina, Andrew Hoff
  • Patent number: 8803533
    Abstract: Embodiments of the subject method and apparatus relate to a sequence of noncontact Corona-Kelvin Metrology that allows the determination and monitoring of interface properties in dielectric/wide band gap semiconductor structures. The technique involves the incremental application of precise and measured quantities of corona charge, QC, onto the dielectric surface followed by determination of the contact potential difference, VCPD, as the material structure response. The V-Q characteristics obtained are used to extract the surface barrier, VSB, response related to the applied corona charge. An intersection of the VCPD-QC characteristic obtained in the dark with the VOX-QC characteristic representing the dielectric response is determined. The specific VSB-QC dependence surrounding the reference VFB value is obtained and the dielectric interface trap density and its spectrum is determined. A method and apparatus to quantify and separate trapped charge components is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: University of South Florida
    Inventors: Elena I. Oborina, Andrew Hoff
  • Publication number: 20140132286
    Abstract: Embodiments of the subject method and apparatus relate to a sequence of noncontact Corona-Kelvin Metrology, C-KM, that allows the determination and monitoring of interface properties in dielectric/wide band gap semiconductor structures. The technique involves the incremental application of precise and measured quantities of corona charge, QC, onto the dielectric surface followed by determination of the contact potential difference, VCPD, as the material structure response. The V-Q characteristics obtained are used to extract the surface barrier, VSB, response related to the applied corona charge. The metrology method presented determines an intersection of the VCPD-QC characteristic obtained in the dark with the VOX-QC characteristic representing the dielectric response. The specific VSB-QC dependence surrounding the reference VFB value is obtained from this method and allows the noncontact determination of the dielectric interface trap density and its spectrum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
    Inventors: ELENA I. OBORINA, ANDREW HOFF
  • Publication number: 20120176146
    Abstract: Embodiments of the subject method and apparatus relate to a sequence of noncontact Corona-Kelvin Metrology that allows the determination and monitoring of interface properties in dielectric/wide band gap semiconductor structures. The technique involves the incremental application of precise and measured quantities of corona charge, QC, onto the dielectric surface followed by determination of the contact potential difference, VCPD, as the material structure response. The V-Q characteristics obtained are used to extract the surface barrier, VSB, response related to the applied corona charge. An intersection of the VCPD-QC characteristic obtained in the dark with the VOX-QC characteristic representing the dielectric response is determined. The specific VSB-QC dependence surrounding the reference VFB value is obtained and the dielectric interface trap density and its spectrum is determined. A method and apparatus to quantify and separate trapped charge components is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
    Inventors: ELENA I. OBORINA, Andrew Hoff
  • Publication number: 20050054969
    Abstract: The present invention is a device for electromanipulation of chemical species in vivo relative to a target tissue including a nonconductive, conformable array base adapted to be placed coincident to the target tissue, a plurality of electrode elements projecting from the array base towards the target tissue, the electrode elements addressable individually, an electrical source coupled to the plurality of electrodes, a control means interposed between the electrical source and the plurality of electrode elements and in circuit communication therein, the control means adapted to establish an electrical potential between at least two electrodes, and a delivery means adapted to introduce chemical species to the target tissue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2003
    Publication date: March 10, 2005
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
    Inventors: Andrew Hoff, Richard Gilbert, Richard Heller, Mark Jaroszeski