Patents by Inventor James E. Opfer
James E. Opfer 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: 4834855Abstract: A sputtering target has a sputtering surface with first and second regions of respective first and second materials. The first region comprises a surface of a first member of the first material, such as of a circular cobalt plate. The second region comprises a surface of a second member of the second material, such as a platinum ring. A cobalt cover ring clamps the platinum ring to the cobalt plate. By varying the relative sizes of the first and second regions, as by changing the size of the cover ring to expose more or less of the platinum ring, the concentration of the two materials in a layer deposited from the target onto substrates is varied. In addition, by imparting planetary motion to substrates during deposition and sizing and positioning the exposed portion of the platinum ring, a radial coercivity gradient is established in the layer deposited on the substrates.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 1987Date of Patent: May 30, 1989Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Darrel R. Bloomquist, Bangalore R. Natarajan, James E. Opfer
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Patent number: 4790921Abstract: An inexpensive, vertically oriented multiple substrate carrier is disclosed for high-temperature, high vacuum film deposition systems. In one embodiment, the substrates have central circular openings and the carrier includes a plurality of supports on which the substrates hang, with each support, such as a vertically oriented sheave, engaging the perimeter of a substrate opening. As the carrier is rotated, planetary motion is imparted to the substrates to facilitate simultaneous, two-sided, substantially uniform deposition of a film. In another embodiment, the substrates are circular and are each supported for planetary motion and two sided deposition in a respective circular groove which bounds an opening through the carrier.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 1986Date of Patent: December 13, 1988Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Darrel R. Bloomquist, George A. Drennan, James E. Opfer
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Patent number: 4663009Abstract: A sealed substrate processing path has plural selectably isolatable vacuum deposition chambers along the path. A transporter carries substrates along the path and an independently controllable sputter deposition is performed in each deposition chamber on substrates therein. Substrates are loaded from a load chamber to a first deposition chamber while a vacuum is maintained in the first and load chambers. Substrates are transferred from a last deposition chamber to an unload chamber while a vacuum is maintained in the last and load chambers. Substrates are placed in the load chamber while the load and first chambers are isolated and are removed from the unload chamber while the last and unload chambers are isolated. In one embodiment, substrates travel succesively from the load chamber to first through fourth deposition chambers and then to the unload chamber.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 1985Date of Patent: May 5, 1987Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: Darrel R. Bloomquist, George A. Drennan, Robert J. Lawton, James E. Opfer, Michael B. Jacobson
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Patent number: 4631202Abstract: A thin film magnetic recording disc is provided wherein the magnetic layer is an alloy of cobalt and platinum disposed on a chromium layer. A barrier layer of chromium is formed on the cobalt-platinum film and a wear layer of an oxide of cobalt is provided on the barrier layer. The platinum content in the magnetic film is varied so as to provide a magnetic film with a desired coercivity which is significantly less dependent upon film thickness. This permits the cobalt-platinum film thickness to be adjusted to meet a wide range of recording system design parameters. The coercivity of the magnetic film may be determined primarily by the amount of platinum in the alloy and the saturation magnetization-thickness product of the film is determined primarily by the film thickness.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 1986Date of Patent: December 23, 1986Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: James E. Opfer, Bangalore R. Natarajan
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Patent number: 4626336Abstract: A sputtering target has a sputtering surface with first and second regions of repsective first and second materials. The first region comprises a surface of a first member of the first material, such as of a circular cobalt plate. The second region comprises a surface of a second member of the second material, such as a platinum ring. A cobalt cover ring clamps the platinum ring to the cobalt plate. By varying the relative sizes of the first and second regions, as by changing the size of the cover ring to expose more or less of the platinum ring, the concentration of the two materials in a layer deposited from the target onto substrates is varied. In addition, by imparting planetary motion to substrates during deposition and sizing and positioning the exposed portion of the platinum ring, a radial coercivity gradient is established in the layer deposited on the substrates.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 1985Date of Patent: December 2, 1986Assignee: Hewlett Packard CompanyInventors: Darrel R. Bloomquist, Bangalore R. Natarajan, James E. Opfer
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Patent number: 4610911Abstract: A thin film magnetic recording disc is provided wherein the magnetic layer is an alloy of cobalt and platinum disposed on a chromium layer. A barrier layer of chromium is formed on the cobalt-platinum film and a wear layer of an oxide of cobalt is provided on the barrier layer. The platinum content in the magnetic film is varied so as to provide a magnetic film with a desired coercivity which is significantly less dependent upon film thickness. This permits the cobalt-platinum film thickness to be adjusted to meet a wide range of recording system design parameters. The coercivity of the magnetic film may be determined primarily by the amount of platinum in the alloy and the saturation magnetization-thickness product of the film is determined primarily by the film thickness.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 1983Date of Patent: September 9, 1986Assignee: Hewlett-Packard CompanyInventors: James E. Opfer, Bangalore R. Natarajan
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Patent number: 4221834Abstract: A relatively thin superconductive magnetic shield, as of lead, is supported from a hollow support structure, as of aluminum or fiberglass by means of a multiplicity of spots of adhesive, as of epoxy, serving to bond the superconducting shield to the support structure. The shield and support structure is then positioned within a reentrant cryostat and cooled to liquid helium temperature to render the shield superconductive. Adjacent edges of the shield material are outwardly flanged and sealed together at the flanged portions, as by welding. The spot pattern of adhesive permits the shield to flex during thermal cycling to relieve strain and prevent fracture thereof while at the same time supporting the shield in a substantially nonmicrophonic manner.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 1975Date of Patent: September 9, 1980Assignee: Develco, Inc.Inventors: James E. Opfer, John M. Pierce, Lawrence E. Valby
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Patent number: 4079730Abstract: An apparatus for measuring externally of the human body magnetic susceptibility changes within the body particularly the human heart and interpreting these changes in order to quantify the flow of blood.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 1976Date of Patent: March 21, 1978Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior UniversityInventors: John P. Wikswo, Jr., William M. Fairbank, James E. Opfer
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Patent number: 3980076Abstract: A method for measuring externally of the human body magnetic susceptibility changes within the body particularly the human heart and interpreting these changes in order to quantify the flow of blood.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 1974Date of Patent: September 14, 1976Assignee: The Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior UniversityInventors: John P. Wikswo, Jr., William M. Fairbank, James E. Opfer