Patents by Inventor Frank R. Jeffrey

Frank R. Jeffrey 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: 20070204957
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a chamber having a process zone. The chamber is configured to contain a substrate, an etching substance, and an antenna. The antenna is configured to activate the etching substance. The substrate includes a material formulated to be etched by the etching substance when the etching substance is activated. The apparatus also includes a transfer mechanism. The transfer mechanism is configured to move the substrate from a first position to a second position. A first portion of the substrate is disposed within the process zone and a second portion of the substrate is disposed outside the process zone when the substrate is in its first position. The first portion of the substrate is disposed outside the process zone and the second portion of the substrate is disposed inside the process zone when the substrate is in its second position. The size and geometry of the antenna can be chosen to allow the etching of a grounded substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2006
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Inventors: Steven D. Braymen, Frank R. Jeffrey, Curtis F. Sell
  • Patent number: 6410362
    Abstract: A clear thermal emissive coating, such as clear polyimide, is deposited directly upon a thin film solar cell forming a flexible thin film solar cell. The thin film solar cell can be deposited on another thermal emissive coating used as a substrate during thin film solar cell semiconductor processing so that resulting flexible thin film solar cell can be illuminated on the top side and eject heat from both sides suitable for forming a solar cell array over a curved surface such as a power sphere nanosatellite with thermal regulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: The Aerospace Corporation
    Inventors: Edward J. Simburger, Michael J. Meshishnek, David G. Gilmore, Dennis A. Smith, Margaret H. Abraham, Frank R. Jeffrey, Paul A. Gierow
  • Patent number: 6300158
    Abstract: Multiple layers of a clear insulating material, such as clear polyimide, with horizontal metalization layers therebetween and with vertical feed through metal traces therethrough form a flexible three dimension circuit printed circuit board upon which semiconductor devices, such as thin film solar cell can be directly deposited for forming a flexible electronic module, and upon which electronic discrete component can be bonded and electrically connected. In one exemplar configuration, a flexible thin film solar cell power module has thin film solar cells deposited on one side and power converters bonded on the other for a solar array power system. The flexible printed circuit board is well suited for forming electronic systems about a curved surface such as a power sphere nanosatellite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Assignees: Iowa Thin Films, The Aerospace Corporation, SRS Technologies
    Inventors: Edward J. Simburger, James H. Matsumoto, Thomas W. Giants, Alec Garcia, III, Frank R. Jeffrey, Paul A. Gierow
  • Patent number: 5821688
    Abstract: A non-planar electronic light-emitting display has a display area divided into a matrix of pixels. Each pixel includes two primary elements, an electronic driver and a light-emitting diode based on a light-emitting polymer. The electronic driver is a thin film transistor device of amorphous silicon formed on the insulating substrate. The diode has a first electrode connected to and driven by the electronic transistor, a layer of light-emitting polymer deposited on the electrode, and an overlying electrode normally biased on. Energization of the driver biases the diode to cause the polymer to emit light. Each pixel is configured with the two-component structure described above, and row and column lines to the matrix of pixels are decoded by the drivers to cause selective illumination of the pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Iowa State University Research Foundation
    Inventors: Howard R. Shanks, Stanley G. Burns, Frank R. Jeffrey, III
  • Patent number: 5747928
    Abstract: A non-planar electronic light-emitting display has a display area divided into a matrix of pixels. Each pixel includes two primary elements, an electronic driver and a light-emitting diode based on a light-emitting polymer. The electronic driver is a thin film transistor device of amorphous silicon formed on the insulating substrate. The diode has a first electrode connected to and driven by the electronic transistor, a layer of light-emitting polymer deposited on the electrode, and an overlying electrode normally biased on. Energization of the driver biases the diode to cause the polymer to emit light. Each pixel is configured with the two-component structure described above, and row and column lines to the matrix of pixels are decoded by the drivers to cause selective illumination of the pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard R. Shanks, Stanley G. Burns, Frank R. Jeffrey, III
  • Patent number: 4940495
    Abstract: A light transmitting electrically conductive stacked film, useful as a light transmitting electrode, including a first light transmitting electrically conductive layer, having a first optical thickness, a second light transmitting layer, having a second optical thickness different from the optical thickness of the first layer, and an electrically conductive metallic layer interposed between and in initimate contact with the first and second layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1990
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Michael F. Weber, Nang T. Tran, Frank R. Jeffrey, James R. Gilbert, Frank E. Aspen
  • Patent number: 4874631
    Abstract: A system for the simultaneous deposition of different coatings onto a thin web within a large volume vacuum chamber is disclosed which chamber is provided with a plurality of deposition chambers in which the different layers are deposited onto the film as its moves from a supply roll to a finished take-up roll of coated web. The deposition chambers provided within the large vacuum chamber are provided with separate seals which minimize back diffusion of any dopant gas from adjacent deposition chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1989
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Richard L. Jacobson, Frank R. Jeffrey, Roger K. Westerberg
  • Patent number: 4841908
    Abstract: A system for the simultaneous deposition of different coatings onto a thin web within a large volume vacuum chamber is disclosed which chamber is provided with a plurality of deposition chambers in which the different layers are deposited onto the film as its moves from a supply roll to a finished take-up roll of coated web. The deposition chambers provided within the large vacuum chamber are provided with separate seals which minimize back diffusion of any dopant gas from adjacent deposition chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1989
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Richard L. Jacobson, Frank R. Jeffrey, Roger K. Westerberg
  • Patent number: 4513073
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a photoconductive element comprising a photoconductive layer and one or more blocking layers adjacent thereto and having space charge layers interposed between the photoconductive layer and the blocking layers to increase the voltage acceptance potential of the photoconductive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1985
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Frank R. Jeffrey, III, James R. Shirck
  • Patent number: 4353788
    Abstract: A process for controlling the dihydride and monohydride bond densities in hydrogenated amorphous silicon produced by reactive rf sputtering of an amorphous silicon target. There is provided a chamber with an amorphous silicon target and a substrate therein with the substrate and the target positioned such that when rf power is applied to the target the substrate is in contact with the sputtering plasma produced thereby. Hydrogen and argon are fed to the chamber and the pressure is reduced in the chamber to a value sufficient to maintain a sputtering plasma therein, and then rf power is applied to the silicon target to provide a power density in the range of from about 7 watts per square inch to about 22 watts per square inch to sputter an amorphous silicon hydride onto the substrate, the dihydride bond density decreasing with an increase in the rf power density. Substantially pure monohydride films may be produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1980
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1982
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Frank R. Jeffrey, Howard R. Shanks