Patents by Inventor Byron Gates

Byron Gates 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).

  • Adjustable solubility in sacrificial layers for microfabrication
    Patent number: 8357616
    Abstract: The present invention provides fabrication methods using sacrificial materials comprising polymers. In some embodiments, the polymer may be treated to alter its solubility with respect to at least one solvent (e.g., aqueous solution) used in the fabrication process. The preparation of the sacrificial materials is rapid and simple, and dissolution of the sacrificial material can be carried out in mild environments. Sacrificial materials of the present invention may be useful for surface micromachining, bulk micromachining, and other microfabrication processes in which a sacrificial layer is employed for producing a selected and corresponding physical structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College
    Inventors: Vincent Linder, Declan Ryan, Byron Gates, Babak Amir-parviz, George M. Whitesides
  • Adjustable solubility in sacrificial layers for microfabrication
    Publication number: 20090236310
    Abstract: The present invention provides fabrication methods using sacrificial materials comprising polymers. In some embodiments, the polymer may be treated to alter its solubility with respect to at least one solvent (e.g., aqueous solution) used in the fabrication process. The preparation of the sacrificial materials is rapid and simple, and dissolution of the sacrificial material can be carried out in mild environments. Sacrificial materials of the present invention may be useful for surface micromachining, bulk micromachining, and other microfabrication processes in which a sacrificial layer is employed for producing a selected and corresponding physical structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2006
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Inventors: Vincent Linder, Byron Gates, Declan Ryan, Babak Amirparviz, George M. Whitesides