Patents by Inventor Carl Towns

Carl Towns 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: 7592622
    Abstract: A polymer comprising an optionally substituted first repeat unit off formula (1): wherein F is a divalent residue; each G in each occurrence is independently a divalent residue; r is at least 1; each p is independently 0 or 1 and each corresponding q is the other of 0 or 1; and G comprises a heteroatom in the case where n is 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Mary McKiernan, Carl Towns
  • Publication number: 20090227765
    Abstract: A crosslinking monomer for making a crosslinked polymer, said monomer comprising reactive leaving groups Y and Y1 located on the same or different aryl or heteroaryl groups of the monomer and a structural unit of general formula I: where Ar represents an aryl or heteroaryl group; Ar1 and Ar2 each independently represents a substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl group and where any two of Ar, Ar1 and Ar2 may optionally be linked; Sp represents an optional spacer group; and X represents a crosslinkable group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Applicant: CAMBRIDGE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventors: Carl Towns, Ilaria Grizzi, Steve O'Connor, Annette Steudel
  • Patent number: 7534503
    Abstract: A monomer having general Formula (I) which may be substituted or unsubstituted: where E and E are the same or different and are reactive groups capable of undergoing chain extension; X is O, S, NR5, R5C—CR6 or R5?CR6; Y is O, S, NR7, R7C—CR8 or R7C?CR8; R5, R6 R7 and R8 are the same or different and each is independently H or a substituent group; and each Ar is the same or different and is independently a substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Cambridge Display Technology Limited
    Inventors: Jeremy Burroughes, Carl Towns, Thomas Pounds, Jonathan Halls
  • Publication number: 20090017191
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electroluminescent device which has an anode and a cathode and arranged between the anode and the cathode a light emissive layer, also includes an anode protection layer which protects the anode against the effects of converting a precursor polymer to a semiconductive conjugated polymer which constitutes the light emissive layer. This has been found to increase the brightness and half-life of devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Applicant: Cambridge Display Technology, Ltd.
    Inventors: Karl Pichler, Carl Towns
  • Publication number: 20080217605
    Abstract: An optionally substituted oligomer or polymer comprising a repeat unit of formula (I); wherein each Ar1 and Ar3 is the same or different and independently represents an optionally substituted aryl or heteroaryl; n is at least 1; Ar2 represents an optionally substituted aryl or heteroaryl comprising a linking ring to which the two nitrogen atoms are both directly linked; and at least one of Ar2 and either or both of Ar1 is substituted with at least one substituent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2004
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Applicant: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Paul Wallace, Carl Towns
  • Publication number: 20080176104
    Abstract: An electroluminescent device comprising:—a first electrode for injection of positive charge carriers;—a second electrode for injection of negative charge carriers; and—an electroluminescent layer located between the first and second electrodes comprising a host material and a metal complex, wherein the host material comprises a polymer having a first repeat unit of formula (I): wherein each Ar is the same or different and independently represents an optionally substituted aryl or heteroaryl and any two Ar groups may be directly linked by a single bond.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2004
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Applicants: CDT Oxford Limited, Cambridge Display Technology Limited
    Inventors: Carl Towns, Ilaria Grizzi, Stephen O'Connor, Annette Steudel, Jonathan Pillow, Michael Frampton
  • Patent number: 7368616
    Abstract: The instant invention relates to a new method for the synthesis of monomers and their use inter alia in the manufacture of semiconductive polymers. Monomers, in particular, asymmetric monomers, such as asymmetric fluorene compounds, are valuable material in the manufacture of semiconductive polymers. The know methods for producing asymmetric monomers, such as asymmetric fluorene compounds, are expensive due to the formation of by-products. The method according to the present invention avoids the formation of such by-products and is described in more detail in claims 1 to 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Paul Wallace, Carl Towns, Thomas Pounds
  • Patent number: 7351788
    Abstract: A method for making a polymer containing a first repeat unit having formula: —Ar—N(R)—Ar(N(R?)—Ar)x— which may be substituted or unsubstituted where x or 0 or 1; each Ar is the same or different and independently is a substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl group and R and R? each is hydrogen or a substituent group and a second repeat unit that is the same or different from the first repeat unit and comprises a substituted or unsubstituted, aryl or heteroaryl group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Cambridge Display Technology Limited
    Inventors: Richard O'Dell, Carl Towns
  • Patent number: 7348428
    Abstract: Monomers having the formula X1—Ar1-[triarylamine]—Ar2-X2 wherein the triarylamine unit comprises at least one nitrogen atom in the backbone of the monomer and at least three substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl groups and wherein X1 and X2 are the same or different polymerizable groups and wherein Ar1 and Ar2 are the same or different substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl groups. Polymers and copolymers comprising such monomers are also described. The polymers have particular application in organic optoelectronic devices such as organic electroluminescent devices and organic photovoltaic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Cambridge Display Technology Limited
    Inventors: Richard O'Dell, Carl Towns, Mary McKiernan
  • Publication number: 20080053520
    Abstract: A luminescent polymer comprising a triarylene repeat unit which comprises a triarylene of general formula (I) which is substituted or unsubstituted and an arylene repeat unit -[-Ar-]- that is different from the triarylene repeat unit wherein X, Y, and Z are each independently O, S, CR2, SiR2 or NR and each R is independently alkyl, aryl or H.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: CAMBRIDGE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventors: Carl TOWNS, Richard O'DELL
  • Publication number: 20070252139
    Abstract: A polymer comprising an optionally substituted first repeal unit off formula (1): wherein F is a divalent residue; each Gin each occurrence is independently a divalent residue; r is at least 1; each p is independently 0 or 1 and each corresponding q is the other of 0 or 1: and G comprises a het-eroatom in the case where n is 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Publication date: November 1, 2007
    Applicant: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Mary Mckiernan, Carl Towns
  • Publication number: 20070248839
    Abstract: A polymer containing an optionally substituted repeat unit of formula (I) wherein each R is the same or different and represents H or an electron withdrawing group, and each R1 is the same or different and represents a substituent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2004
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Inventors: Carl Towns, Chris Mak, Khai Chan, Andrew Holmes
  • Publication number: 20070034832
    Abstract: A polymer for use in an optical device comprising one or more regions, where each region comprises (i) a first structural unit having general formula I: where m=1 or 2 and which contains at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, heteroaryl, and heteroaryloxy groups, each of which may be further substituted; and (ii) a second structural unit Ar selected from the group consisting of heteroaryl, triarylamine and 2,7-fluorenyl; such that where m=1 each region comprises a unit having general formula II: wherein, the substituent has a molecular weight of less than 300.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Publication date: February 15, 2007
    Applicant: CAMBRIDGE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventors: Richard O'Dell, Carl Towns, Mary McKiernan
  • Publication number: 20070031698
    Abstract: An oligomer or polymer comprising a first repeat unit and a second repeat unit that may be the same or different, the first repeat unit having formula (I): wherein each E independently represents optionally substituted nitrogen or optionally substituted phosphorus, with the proviso that at least one E is optionally substituted phosphorus; each Ar1, Ar2 and Ar3 is the same or different and independently represents an optionally substituted aryl or heteroaryl; n is 0-3; and in the case of unsubstituted nitrogen and phosphorus, the second repeat unit is directly conjugated to the first repeat unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2004
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Applicant: COVION ORGANIC SEMICONDUCTORS GMBH
    Inventors: Carl Towns, Ian Rees, Ilaria Grizzi, Paul Wallace
  • Patent number: 7173103
    Abstract: A process for preparing high molecular weight polymers or copolymers by Suzuki coupling. The catalyst used in the process comprises a source of palladium and a source of a phosphine characterized in that at least one substituent on the phosphine is an ortho substituted aryl group. The process is suitable for the preparation of polymers for use in electronic and optoelectronic applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Cambridge Display Technology Limited
    Inventors: Carl Towns, Paul Wallace, Ian Allen, Thomas Pounds, Lorraine Murtagh
  • Patent number: 7151341
    Abstract: An electroluminescent device which has an anode (4) and a cathode (10) and arranged between the anode (4) and the cathode (10) a light emissive layer (8). Also included between the light emissive layer and the anode is a dielectric layer, a carbon or amorphous silicon layer, or a layer of conductive oxide such as tin oxide, vanadium oxide, molybdenum oxide and nickel oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2006
    Assignee: Cambridge Display Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Karl Pichler, Carl Towns
  • Patent number: 7125952
    Abstract: A polymer for use in an optical device comprising one or more regions, where each region comprises (i) a first structural unit having general formula I: where m=1 or 2 and which contains at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, heteroaryl, and heteroaryloxy groups, each of which may be further substituted; and (ii) a second structural unit Ar selected from the group consisting of heteroaryl, triarylamine and 2,7-fluorenyl; such that where m=1 each region comprises a unit having general formula II: first structural unit—Ar??(II) wherein, the substituent has a molecular weight of less than 300.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Cambridge Display Technology, Limited
    Inventors: Richard O'Dell, Carl Towns, Mary McKiernan
  • Publication number: 20060186794
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electroluminescent device which has an anode and a cathode and arranged between the anode and the cathode a light emissive layer, also includes an anode protection layer which protects the anode against the effects of converting a precursor polymer to a semiconductive conjugated polymer which constitutes the light emissive layer. This has been found to increase the brightness and half-life of devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2006
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Applicant: Cambridge Display Technology, Ltd.
    Inventors: Karl Pichler, Carl Towns
  • Patent number: 7074884
    Abstract: A process for preparing a conjugated polymer, which comprises polymerizing in a reaction mixture (a) an aromatic monomer having at least two boron derivative functional groups selected from the group consisting of boronic acid groups, boronic ester groups, and borane groups, and an aromatic monomer having at least two reactive halide functional groups, or (b) an aromatic monomer having one reactive halide functional group and one boron derivative functional group selected from the group consisting of boronic acid groups, boronic ester groups, and borane groups, an amount of a catalyst suitable for catalyzing the polymerization of the aromatic monomers, and a base in an amount sufficient to convert the boron derivative functional groups into boron anionic groups, characterized in that the reaction mixture further comprises a first solvent and a second solvent with which said first solvent is substantially immiscible and an emulsifier in an amount sufficient to form an emulsion of the reaction mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Cambridge Display Technology, Limited
    Inventors: Carl Towns, Paul Wallace
  • Publication number: 20060149016
    Abstract: The present invention relates to new semiconductive oligomers and polymers, a process for their manufacture and their use in thin film electronic and optical devices, such as organic light emitting diodes (OLED) and photovoltaic devices, eg. solar cells and photodetectors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Publication date: July 6, 2006
    Inventors: Richard O'Dell, Thomas Pounds, Paul Wallace, Carl Towns, Mary McKiernan