Patents by Inventor David A. Markle

David A. Markle 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).

  • Publication number: 20230296907
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an apparatus and method for fabricating optical devices. The apparatus includes a support table having process chambers and a laser used to direct a beam along a propagation path to each of the process chambers. A central mirror is centrally disposed among the process chambers and is rotatable to reflect the beam to each of the process chambers for processing. A beam splitter is disposed within each of process chambers, each beam splitter is used to receive beams from the central mirror and emits a first beam in a first direction and a second beam in a second direction. A first mirror directs the first beam to a device and a second mirror directs the second beam to the device. Each of the first and second mirror is rotatable in at least three axes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Inventors: Ulrich MUELLER, David MARKLE
  • Patent number: 11592740
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to methods and systems for manufacturing wire grid polarizers (WGP) using Markle-Dyson exposure systems and dual tone development (DTD) frequency doubling. In one embodiment, the method includes depositing a photoresist layer over an aluminum-coated display substrate, patterning the photoresist layer by dual tone development using a Markle-Dyson system to form a photoresist pattern, and transferring the photoresist pattern into the aluminum-coated display substrate to manufacture a WGP having finer pitch, for example less than or equal to about 100 nm, and increased frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jang Fung Chen, Christopher Dennis Bencher, David Markle
  • Publication number: 20220403646
    Abstract: A structural assembly, preferably for creation of a firewall, is constructed using anchors attached to at least a first structure and a concrete wall. Preferably, the concrete wall is also attached to a second structure as well. The body of the anchors is fabricated from a material that fails at a temperature in excess of 1,000° F. A fastening member, preferably a grommet assembly, is positioned in an elongate slot for connecting the first face to the first structure and for sliding engagement within the elongate slot in response to relative movement of the first structure and/or the second structure and the attached concrete wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: Frank Schwab, David A. Markle
  • Patent number: 11499306
    Abstract: The present invention provides an anchor assembly for attaching a first structure to a second structure. The anchor assembly has a body having a first face and a second face. The first face is transverse to the second face and has an elongate slot. The second face has a through hole. The body is fabricated from a material that fails at a temperature in excess of 1,000° F. A fastening member is positioned in the elongate slot for connecting the first face to the first structure and for sliding engagement with the elongate slot in response to relative movement of the first structure and the second structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Thermacrete LLC
    Inventors: Frank Schwab, David A. Markle
  • Publication number: 20220349173
    Abstract: A structural assembly using at least one anchor assembly for attaching a first structure to a second structure is described. The anchor assembly has a body having a first face and a second face. The first face is transverse to the second face and has an elongate slot. The second face has a through hole. The body is fabricated from a material that fails at a temperature in excess of 1,000° F. A fastening member is positioned in the elongate slot for connecting the first face to the first structure and for sliding engagement with the elongate slot in response to relative movement of the first structure and the second structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2022
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventors: Frank Schwab, David A. Markle
  • Publication number: 20220174246
    Abstract: Examples described herein provide a projection system, and a software application and a method related thereto. A system includes a pixelated light source and an optical relay. The pixelated light source includes an array of spatial light modulator pixels. Each spatial light modulator pixel being individually controllable to selectively project a beam of light. The optical relay includes an optically reflective surface and an actuator coupled to the optically reflective surface. The actuator is configured to move the optically reflective surface. The pixelated light source and the optical relay are configured such that one or more beams projected from the pixelated light source are reflected off of the optically reflective surface and form an image of the optical relay in a focal plane. Movement of the optically reflective surface causes the respective beams to be at varying locations in the focal plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventors: Christopher Dennis BENCHER, David MARKLE
  • Patent number: 11243480
    Abstract: A lithography system for generating grating structures is provided having a multiple column imaging system located on a bridge capable of moving in a cross-scan direction, a mask having a grating pattern with a fixed spatial frequency located in an object plane of the imaging system, a multiple line alignment mark aligned to the grating pattern and having a fixed spatial frequency, a platen configured to hold and scan a substrate, a scanning system configured to move the platen over a distance greater than a desired length of the grating pattern on the substrate, a longitudinal encoder scale attached to the platen and oriented in a scan direction and at least two encoder scales attached to the platen and arrayed in the cross-scan direction wherein the scales contain periodically spaced alignment marks having a fixed spatial frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: David Markle, Hwan J. Jeong
  • Publication number: 20210191285
    Abstract: A lithography system for generating grating structures is provided having a multiple column imaging system located on a bridge capable of moving in a cross-scan direction, a mask having a grating pattern with a fixed spatial frequency located in an object plane of the imaging system, a multiple line alignment mark aligned to the grating pattern and having a fixed spatial frequency, a platen configured to hold and scan a substrate, a scanning system configured to move the platen over a distance greater than a desired length of the grating pattern on the substrate, a longitudinal encoder scale attached to the platen and oriented in a scan direction and at least two encoder scales attached to the platen and arrayed in the cross-scan direction wherein the scales contain periodically spaced alignment marks having a fixed spatial frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: David MARKLE, Hwan J. JEONG
  • Patent number: 10983389
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for manufacturing wire grid polarizers for LCDs using interference lithography, which are also useful for generating large-area grating patterns. In one embodiment, a method includes depositing a bottom anti-reflective coating layer over an aluminum coated flat panel display substrate, depositing a photoresist layer over the bottom anti-reflective coating layer, and exposing the photoresist layer with an image from a phase grating mask. The exposure with the phase grating mask is done by imaging the ±1 diffraction orders from the phase grating mask onto the substrate using a half Dyson optical system. A plurality of half Dyson systems are generally used in parallel to pattern fine geometry lines and spaces of a wire grid polarizer for a large area substrate. Each half Dyson system includes a primary mirror, a positive lens and a reticle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: David Markle, Jang Fung Chen
  • Publication number: 20210102368
    Abstract: The present invention provides an anchor assembly for attaching a first structure to a second structure. The anchor assembly has a body having a first face and a second face. The first face is transverse to the second face and has an elongate slot. The second face has a through hole. The body is fabricated from a material that fails at a temperature in excess of 1,000° F. A fastening member is positioned in the elongate slot for connecting the first face to the first structure and for sliding engagement with the elongate slot in response to relative movement of the first structure and the second structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Inventors: Frank Schwab, David A. Markle
  • Patent number: 10705431
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods for producing images on substrates. The method includes providing a p-polarization beam to a first mirror cube having a first digital micromirror device (DMD), providing an s-polarization beam to a second mirror cube having a second DMD, and reflecting the p-polarization beam off the first DMD and reflecting the s-polarization beam off the second DMD such that the p-polarization beam and the s-polarization beam are reflected towards a light altering device configured to produce a plurality of superimposed images on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Christopher Dennis Bencher, Joseph R. Johnson, David Markle, Mehdi Vaez-Iravani
  • Publication number: 20200064616
    Abstract: A system for obtaining a 3-D, super-resolution model of an object in an image space is provided as well as novel and nonobvious components thereof. The system includes a light source that constrains uninhibited activation light to a thin slice through the object, the object having a volume that is perpendicular to an axis of a 2-D super-resolution microscope, a means for providing relative incremental movement between the object and the thin slice of constrained uninhibited activation light, and a means for taking a super resolution picture of each incremental slice resulting from the relative incremental movement between the object and the thin slice, thereby creating a set of voxels from which an accurate 3-D super-resolution model of any fluorescent object contained within the image space can be constructed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventor: David Markle
  • Publication number: 20190339622
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods for producing images on substrates. The method includes providing a p-polarization beam to a first mirror cube having a first digital micromirror device (DMD), providing an s-polarization beam to a second mirror cube having a second DMD, and reflecting the p-polarization beam off the first DMD and reflecting the s-polarization beam off the second DMD such that the p-polarization beam and the s-polarization beam are reflected towards a light altering device configured to produce a plurality of superimposed images on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventors: Christopher Dennis BENCHER, Joseph R. JOHNSON, David MARKLE, Mehdi VAEZ-IRAVANI
  • Patent number: 10409172
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to apparatuses and systems for performing photolithography processes. More particularly, compact apparatuses for projecting an image onto a substrate are provided. In one embodiment, an image projection apparatus includes a light pipe coupled to a first mounting plate, and a frustrated prism assembly, one or more digital micro-mirror devices, one or more beamsplitters, and one or more projection optics, which are coupled to a second mounting plate. The first and second mounting plates are coplanar, such that the image projection apparatus is compact and may be aligned in a system having a plurality of image projection apparatuses, each of which is easily removable and replaceable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: David Markle, Thomas Laidig, Timothy N. Thomas
  • Publication number: 20190049789
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for manufacturing wire grid polarizers for LCDs using interference lithography, which are also useful for generating large-area grating patterns. In one embodiment, a method includes depositing a bottom anti-reflective coating layer over an aluminum coated flat panel display substrate, depositing a photoresist layer over the bottom anti-reflective coating layer, and exposing the photoresist layer with an image from a phase grating mask. The exposure with the phase grating mask is done by imaging the ±1 diffraction orders from the phase grating mask onto the substrate using a half Dyson optical system. A plurality of half Dyson systems are generally used in parallel to pattern fine geometry lines and spaces of a wire grid polarizer for a large area substrate. Each half Dyson system includes a primary mirror, a positive lens and a reticle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: David MARKLE, Jang Fung CHEN
  • Patent number: 10162268
    Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein generally relate to a light pipe, or kaleido, for homogenizing light such that the light is uniform once the light exits the light pipe. By reflecting the light inside the light pipe, light uniformity is increased. In one implementation, a light pipe for an image projection apparatus is provided. The light pipe comprises an elongated rectangular body having a refractive index that provides total internal reflection within the elongated rectangular body. The elongated rectangular body has an input face for accepting light into the elongated rectangular body. The input face disposed substantially orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the elongated rectangular body. The elongated rectangular body has an output face for releasing light from the elongated rectangular body. The output face is disposed substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. The elongated rectangular body has a twist along the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: David Markle, Timothy N. Thomas
  • Publication number: 20180335694
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to methods and systems for manufacturing wire grid polarizers (WGP) using Markle-Dyson exposure systems and dual tone development (DTD) frequency doubling. In one embodiment, the method includes depositing a photoresist layer over an aluminum-coated display substrate, patterning the photoresist layer by dual tone development using a Markle-Dyson system to form a photoresist pattern, and transferring the photoresist pattern into the aluminum-coated display substrate to manufacture a WGP having finer pitch, for example less than or equal to about 100 nm, and increased frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Jang Fung CHEN, Christopher Dennis BENCHER, David MARKLE
  • Patent number: 9907152
    Abstract: An illumination system and methods for controlling the illumination system are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a plurality of illumination sources, monitoring optical output power of the plurality of illumination sources over a period of time, and controlling the plurality of illumination sources to maintain a predetermined level of optical output power. The method further includes compensating for degradations of one or more of the plurality of illumination sources to maintain the predetermined level of optical output power, predicting a lifetime of the illumination system based on the parameters of the plurality of illumination sources, and performing periodic maintenance of the plurality of illumination sources according to a quality control schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Kaskey, Thomas Laidig, David Markle, Jang Fung Chen
  • Publication number: 20180024441
    Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein generally relate to a light pipe, or kaleido, for homogenizing light such that the light is uniform once the light exits the light pipe. By reflecting the light inside the light pipe, light uniformity is increased. In one implementation, a light pipe for an image projection apparatus is provided. The light pipe comprises an elongated rectangular body having a refractive index that provides total internal reflection within the elongated rectangular body. The elongated rectangular body has an input face for accepting light into the elongated rectangular body. The input face disposed substantially orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the elongated rectangular body. The elongated rectangular body has an output face for releasing light from the elongated rectangular body. The output face is disposed substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. The elongated rectangular body has a twist along the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Inventors: David MARKLE, Timothy N. THOMAS
  • Publication number: 20180017781
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to frustrated cube assemblies having a first prism having a first surface, a second surface, and a first hypotenuse, and a second prism having a third surface, a fourth surface, and a second hypotenuse. The first and second hypotenuses face one another and are separated by an air gap. The frustrated cube assembly may include a tilted mirror adjacent the second surface. The second surface may be a reflective diffraction grating. Light is reflected to a digital micromirror device (DMD) adjacent to the frustrated cube assembly at a normal incidence angle and through an image projection system along a single optical axis. The direction of light incident on the DMD is such that light reflected from an “on” mirror is directed along the normal to the DMD surface and at 45 degrees to the hypotenuses. The input and output light beams are parallel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Inventors: David MARKLE, Thomas L. LAIDIG, Timothy N. THOMAS, Jang Fung CHEN