Patents by Inventor Karl Pichler

Karl Pichler 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: 7605327
    Abstract: Photovoltaic devices, such as solar cells, and methods for their manufacture are disclosed. A device may be characterized by an architecture having a nanostructured template made from an n-type first charge transfer material with template elements between about 1 nm and about 500 nm in diameter with about 1012 to 1016 elements/m2. A p-type second charge-transfer material optionally coats the walls of the template elements leaving behind additional space. A p-type third charge-transfer material fills the additional space volumetrically interdigitating with the second charge transfer material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Nanosolar, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin R. Roscheisen, Brian M. Sager, Karl Pichler
  • Publication number: 20090178702
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing optoelectronic devices is disclosed. A layered structure may be formed with a plurality of layers including a bottom electrode layer, a top electrode layer, and one or more active layers between the top and bottom electrode layers. The layered structure is divided into one or more separate device module sections by cutting through one or more of the layers of the layered structure. At least one of the layers is an unpatterned layer at the time of cutting. Each of the resulting device module sections generally includes a portion of the active layer disposed between portions of the top and bottom electrode layers. An edge of a device section may optionally be protected against undesired electrical contact between two or more of the bottom electrode, top electrode and active layer portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Inventor: Karl Pichler
  • 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
  • Patent number: 7462774
    Abstract: Photovoltaic devices, such as solar cells, and methods for their manufacture are disclosed. A device may be characterized by an architecture with an inorganic insulating nanostructured template having template elements between about 1 nm and about 500 nm in diameter with a elements density of between about 1012 elements/m2 and about 1016 elements/m2. A first charge-transfer material coats the walls of the template elements leaving behind additional space. A second charge-transfer material fills the additional space such that the first and second charge-transfer materials are volumetrically interdigitated. At least one charge transfer material has an absorbance of greater than about 103/cm. The first and second charge-transfer materials have complementary charge transfer properties with respect to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Nanosolar, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin R. Roscheisen, Brian M. Sager, Karl Pichler
  • Publication number: 20080278071
    Abstract: An organic light-emitting device, comprising: a substrate; a first conductive layer formed over the substrate; at least one layer of a light-emissive organic material formed over the first conductive layer; a barrier layer formed over the at least one organic layer which acts to protect the at least one layer of organic material; and a second conductive layer, preferably a patterned sputtered layer, formed over the barrier layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Applicant: Cambridge Display Technology Limited
    Inventor: Karl Pichler
  • Patent number: 7394093
    Abstract: An organic light-emitting device, comprising: a substrate; a first conductive layer formed over the substrate; at least one layer of a light-emissive organic material formed over the first conductive layer; a barrier layer formed over the at least one organic layer which acts to protect the at least one layer of organic material; and a second conductive layer, preferably a patterned sputtered layer, formed over the barrier layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Cambridge Display Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Karl Pichler
  • Patent number: 7365442
    Abstract: One embodiment of this invention pertains to multiple encapsulated thin-film electronic devices. These encapsulated devices include a substrate and multiple thin-film electronic devices are on this substrate. Each of the multiple thin-film electronic devices has an active area. The encapsulated devices also include an encapsulation layer that is on the substrate and this encapsulation layer has multiple holes and these multiple holes are over the active areas of the multiple thin-film electronic devices. The encapsulated devices also include multiple substantially flat encapsulation pieces that are on the encapsulation layer and these multiple substantially flat encapsulation pieces cover the multiple holes of the encapsulation layer. An absorbent material is not attached to any of the substantially flat encapsulation pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventor: Karl Pichler
  • Patent number: 7319440
    Abstract: A novel OLED light source and method for controlling said OLED light source panel are disclosed wherein said light source is constructed such that active areas are segmented and said segments are separately addressable. In one embodiment, the segments are a series of RGB lines or stripes and the control unit may separately drive each individual stripe or may drive all separate color lines or may drive separate lines within a given region on the panel. In another embodiment, the stripes of the panel are connected to control lines that are either current limited or have a fuse that serves to obviate a current runaway condition on the panel. In another embodiment, the output light chromaticity of the panel is controlled either by users or by light sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventors: Homer Antoniadis, Karl Pichler
  • Publication number: 20070085870
    Abstract: A system and method is presented for measuring the volume of an ink-jet droplet or the relative volumes of a plurality of ink-jet droplets using their electrical properties. In a preferred embodiment a single small capacitor or an array of capacitors is used to measure the dielectric properties of ink-jet droplets and the absolute drop volumes are derived. In an alternative preferred embodiment the relative differences in drop volumes are determined. A feedback circuit, such as one using lock-in technique, may be used to automatically adjust subsequent drop volumes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Applicant: OSRAM OPTO SEMICONDUCTORS GMBH
    Inventors: Matthias Stoessel, Karl Pichler
  • Publication number: 20070065962
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing optoelectronic devices is disclosed. A layered structure may be formed with a plurality of layers including a bottom electrode layer, a top electrode layer, and one or more active layers between the top and bottom electrode layers. The layered structure is divided into one or more separate device module sections by cutting through one or more of the layers of the layered structure. At least one of the layers is an unpatterned layer at the time of cutting. Each of the resulting device module sections generally includes a portion of the active layer disposed between portions of the top and bottom electrode layers. An edge of a device section may optionally be protected against undesired electrical contact between two or more of the bottom electrode, top electrode and active layer portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2006
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Applicant: Nanosolar, Inc.
    Inventor: Karl Pichler
  • 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: 7122398
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing optoelectronic devices is disclosed. A layered structure may be formed with a plurality of layers including a bottom electrode layer, a top electrode layer, and one or more active layers between the top and bottom electrode layers. The layered structure is divided into one or more separate device module sections by cutting through one or more of the layers of the layered structure. At least one of the layers is an unpatterned layer at the time of cutting. Each of the resulting device module sections generally includes a portion of the active layer disposed between portions of the top and bottom electrode layers. An edge of a device section may optionally be protected against undesired electrical contact between two or more of the bottom electrode, top electrode and active layer portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Nanosolar, Inc.
    Inventor: Karl Pichler
  • Patent number: 7121642
    Abstract: A system and method is presented for measuring the volume of an ink-jet droplet or the relative volumes of a plurality of ink-jet droplets using their electrical properties. In a preferred embodiment a single small capacitor or an array of capacitors is used to measure the dielectric properties of ink-jet droplets and the absolute drop volumes are derived. In an alternative preferred embodiment the relative differences in drop volumes are determined. A feedback circuit, such as one using lock-in technique, may be used to automatically adjust subsequent drop volumes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Stoessel, Karl Pichler
  • Patent number: 7115304
    Abstract: One or more substrates may be coiled into one or more coils in such a way that adjacent turns of the coils do not touch one another. The one or more coiled substrates are placed in a treatment chamber where substantially an entire surface of the one or more coiled substrates may be treated with a surface treatment process. One or more spacers may be placed between adjacent layers of the coiled substrate before a full turn of the substrate has been coiled around a carousel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Nanosolar, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin R. Roscheisen, Karl Pichler
  • 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: 7078726
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, a first absorbing layer is on a substrate and/or a second absorbing layer is on a heat-activated adhesive. If the IR source that supplies IR radiation is present on the substrate-side, then the absorption percentage of the substrate is less than the absorption percentage of the first absorbing layer if present and less than the absorption percentage of the second absorbing layer if present. If the IR source that supplies IR radiation is present on the “encapsulation cover”-side, then the absorption percentage of the encapsulation cover is less than the absorption percentage of the first absorbing layer if present and less than an absorption percentage of the second absorbing layer if present. The substrate and the encapsulation cover have a low thermal conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventors: Karl Pichler, Kyle D. Frischknecht
  • Publication number: 20060153985
    Abstract: One or more substrates may be coiled into one or more coils in such a way that adjacent turns of the coils do not touch one another. The one or more coiled substrates are placed in a treatment chamber where substantially an entire surface of the one or more coiled substrates may be treated with a surface treatment process. One or more spacers may be placed between adjacent layers of the coiled substrate before a full turn of the substrate has been coiled around a carousel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2006
    Publication date: July 13, 2006
    Applicant: Nanosolar, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Roscheisen, Karl Pichler
  • Publication number: 20060049396
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, a first absorbing layer is on a substrate and/or a second absorbing layer is on a heat-activated adhesive. If the IR source that supplies IR radiation is present on the substrate-side, then the absorption percentage of the substrate is less than the absorption percentage of the first absorbing layer if present and less than the absorption percentage of the second absorbing layer if present. If the IR source that supplies IR radiation is present on the “encapsulation cover”-side, then the absorption percentage of the encapsulation cover is less than the absorption percentage of the first absorbing layer if present and less than an absorption percentage of the second absorbing layer if present. The substrate and the encapsulation cover have a low thermal conductivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Publication date: March 9, 2006
    Inventors: Karl Pichler, Kyle Frischknecht
  • Patent number: 6949389
    Abstract: An embodiment of an encapsulated OLED device is described. This embodiment of the encapsulated OLED device is formed by: fabricating multiple OLED devices on a substrate; depositing at least one planarization layer on the OLED devices; hardening the at least one planarization layer in a patterned manner such that the hardened region substantially covers the OLED device; removing areas of the at least one planarization layer that are not hardened; and selectively depositing at least one barrier layer over the hardened region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventors: Karl Pichler, Kyle D. Firschknecht
  • Patent number: 6946597
    Abstract: Photovoltaic devices, such as solar cells, and methods for their manufacture are disclosed. A device may be characterized by an architecture where two more materials having different electron affinities are regularly arrayed such that their presence alternates within distances of between about 1 nm and about 100 nm. The materials are present in a matrix based on a porous template with an array of template pores. The porous template is formed by anodizing a layer of metal. A photovoltaic device may include such a porous template disposed between a base electrode and a transparent conducting electrode. A first charge-transfer material fills the template pores, A second (complementary) charge-transfer material fills additional space not occupied by the first charge-transfer material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Nanosular, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian M. Sager, Martin R. Roscheisen, Klus Petritsch, Karl Pichler, Jacqueline Fidanza, Dong Yu