Patents by Inventor Colin McCracken
Colin McCracken 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).
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Patent number: 9085468Abstract: A niobium suboxide powder comprising niobium suboxide particles having a bulk nitrogen content of between 500 to 20,000 ppm. The nitrogen is distributed in the bulk of the powder particles. The nitrogen at least partly is present in the form of at least one of Nb2N crystals or niobium oxynitride crystals.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2012Date of Patent: July 21, 2015Assignee: H. C. STARCK GMBHInventors: Christoph Schnitter, Holger Brumm, Christine Rawohl, Colin McCracken
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Publication number: 20120244354Abstract: A niobium suboxide powder comprising niobium suboxide particles having a bulk nitrogen content of between 500 to 20,000 ppm. The nitrogen is distributed in the bulk of the powder particles. The nitrogen at least partly is present in the form of at least one of Nb2N crystals or niobium oxynitride crystals.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2012Publication date: September 27, 2012Applicant: H.C. STARCK GMBHInventors: CHRISTOPH SCHNITTER, Holger Brumm, Christine Rawohl, Colin McCracken
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Patent number: 8187567Abstract: Disclosed is a niobium suboxide powder for the manufacture of capacitors with higher break down voltages, higher temperatures of operation and elongated lifetimes. The powder is doped with nitrogen which is at least partly present in the form homogeneously distributed, x-ray detectable Nb2N-crystal domains. The niobium suboxide powder contains niobium suboxide particles having a bulk nitrogen content of between 500 to 20,000 ppm.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2006Date of Patent: May 29, 2012Assignee: H. C. Starck GmbHInventors: Christoph Schnitter, Holger Brumm, Christine Rawohl, Colin McCracken
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Patent number: 8114340Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of solid state capacitors, and in particular to capacitors that have an anode body formed of porous valve action material, such as tantalum, niobium or niobium monoxide. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of forming capacitor anode bodies from valve action material comprising the steps of: providing a capacitor grade powder of the valve action material, charging the powder into a press mold, compacting the powder in the mold so as to shape the powder into an anode body shape, stabilizing the body shape, for example by sintering of the material to form an inter-connected porous body, characterized in that the molding process involves the use of a lubricant applied locally to lubricate the interface between an outside surface of the anode body and a molding surface of the mold.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2006Date of Patent: February 14, 2012Assignee: AVX CorporationInventors: Colin McCracken, Nigel Patrick Grant
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Patent number: 8029762Abstract: Porous anode bodies suitable for use in solid state capacitors, the porous anode bodies prepared by processes which include providing a niobium suboxide powder comprising niobium suboxide particles having a bulk nitrogen content of 500 to 20,000 ppm, and agglomerating and coalescing the powder; and capacitors incorporating such anode bodies.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2006Date of Patent: October 4, 2011Assignee: H. C. Starck GmbHInventors: Christoph Schnitter, Holger Brumm, Christine Rawohl, Colin McCracken
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Patent number: 7824452Abstract: The present invention concerns the field of solid state capacitors and in particular high performance capacitors for use in modern electronic devices. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method by which powders of valve-action material may be modified to make them suitable for use in the formation of capacitor anodes for solid state electrolytic capacitors. According to the present invention there is provided a method of modifying raw valve-action material powder into capacitor grade structured powder comprising: (i) providing a raw powder to be converted; (ii) compressing a portion of the powder to form a porous solid mass of powder (iii) heating the solid mass to a pre-determined sintering temperature and maintaining the temperature for a pre-determined time period to form a sintered body, (iv) pulverising the sintered body to form a processed powder and (v) optionally grading the powder particles within pre-determined size ranges so as to collect capacitor grade powder.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2007Date of Patent: November 2, 2010Assignee: AVX LimitedInventors: Brady A. Jones, Colin McCracken, James Fife, Ian Margerison, Tomas Karnik
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Publication number: 20100067175Abstract: The present invention concerns the field of solid state capacitors and in particular high performance capacitors for use in modern electronic devices. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method by which powders of valve-action material may be modified to make them suitable for use in the formation of capacitor anodes for solid state electrolytic capacitors. According to the present invention there is provided a method of modifying raw valve-action material powder into capacitor grade structured powder comprising: (i) providing a raw powder to be converted; (ii) compressing a portion of the powder to form a porous solid mass of powder (iii) heating the solid mass to a pre-determined sintering temperature and maintaining the temperature for a pre-determined time period to form a sintered body, (iv) pulverising the sintered body to form a processed powder and (v) optionally grading the powder particles within pre-determined size ranges so as to collect capacitor grade powder.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2007Publication date: March 18, 2010Applicant: AVX LIMITEDInventors: Brady A. Jones, Colin McCracken, James Fife, Ian Margerison, Tomas Karnik
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Publication number: 20090193637Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of solid state capacitors, and in particular to capacitors that have an anode body formed of porous valve action material, such as tantalum, niobium or niobium monoxide. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of forming capacitor anode bodies from valve action material comprising the steps of: providing a capacitor grade powder of the valve action material, charging the powder into moulding means, compacting the powder in the moulding means so as to shape the powder into an anode body shape, stabilising the body shape, for example by sintering of the material to form an inter-connected porous body, characterised in that the moulding process involves the use of lubrication means which is adapted to apply lubricant locally to lubricate the interface between an outside surface of the anode body and a moulding surface of the moulding means.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 1, 2006Publication date: August 6, 2009Inventors: Colin McCracken, Nigel Patrick Grant
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Publication number: 20080310080Abstract: The present invention concerns the field of solid state capacitors and is directed more particularly to a method for manufacturing solid state electrolytic capacitors formed from porous conductive metal oxide anode bodies and having a cathode layer of conducting polymer, and capacitors thereby formed. There is disclosed a solid state capacitor comprising a porous anode body, a dielectric layer formed on surfaces of the porous anode body and a cathode layer formed on the dielectric layer, characterised by the combination of the anode body being formed from an electrically conducting ceramic material and the cathode layer being formed from an electrically conductive polymer material. The conducting ceramic material may be a metal oxide or nitride.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2006Publication date: December 18, 2008Inventors: Martin Biler, Zdenek Sita, Colin McCracken
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Publication number: 20080212263Abstract: Porous anode bodies suitable for use in solid state capacitors, the porous anode bodies prepared by processes which include providing a niobium suboxide powder comprising niobium suboxide particles having a bulk nitrogen content of 500 to 20,000 ppm, and agglomerating and coalescing the powder; and capacitors incorporating such anode bodies.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2006Publication date: September 4, 2008Applicant: H. C. Starck GmbHInventors: Christoph Schnitter, Holger Brumm, Christine Rawohl, Colin Mccracken
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Publication number: 20080199393Abstract: Disclosed is a niobium suboxide powder for the manufacture of capacitors with higher break down voltages, higher temperatures of operation and elongated lifetimes. The powder is doped with nitrogen which is at least partly present in the form homogeneously distributed, x-ray detectable Nb2N-crystal domains. The niobium suboxide powder contains niobium suboxide particles having a bulk nitrogen content of between 500 to 20,000 ppm.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2006Publication date: August 21, 2008Applicant: H.C. Starck GmbHInventors: Christoph Schnitter, Holger Brumm, Christine Rawohl, Colin McCracken