Patents by Inventor Kent N. Maffitt

Kent N. Maffitt 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: 5774975
    Abstract: A thin film magnetic head includes a slider having a first air bearing surface and a second surface made of a layer of an insulating material. The second surface has a first aperture formed in the insulating layer to expose a portion of the slider below the second surface layer. A reading/writing transducer is provided in the slider adjacent to the air bearing surface and has a first connecting link extending within the slider so that an end of the first link is exposed within the first aperture of the second surface layer. A first bond pad extends on the second surface of the slider and within the first aperture of the second surface layer. The first bond pad is electrically connected to the exposed end of the first link of the read/write transducer within the first aperture of the second surface layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: Seagate Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kent N. Maffitt, Beat G. Keel
  • Patent number: 5610783
    Abstract: A thin film magnetic head includes a slider having a first air bearing surface and a second surface made of a layer of an insulating material. The second surface has a first aperture formed in the insulating layer to expose a portion of the slider below the second surface layer. A reading/writing transducer is provided in the slider adjacent to the air bearing surface and has a first connecting link extending within the slider so that an end of the first link is exposed within the first aperture of the second surface layer. A first bond pad extends on the second surface of the slider and within the first aperture of the second surface layer. The first bond pad is electrically connected to the exposed end of the first link of the read/write transducer within the first aperture of the second surface layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1997
    Assignee: Seagate Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kent N. Maffitt, Beat G. Keel
  • Patent number: 4470053
    Abstract: An optical recording medium containing a light-absorbing film of a refractary material selected from the group, consisting of boron, borides of carbon, silicon, hafnium, niobium, tantalum, titanium, tugsten, and zirconium, nitrides of boron, hafnium, tantalum and titanium, oxides of hafnium, cerium, magnesium and thorium, and silicides of niobium, tantalum, titanium, and tungsten less than 60 nm thick and which is sufficiently plastic to allow deformation upon localized heating by exposure to a focused laser beam, whereupon the localized heating of the light absorbing film enables information storage in the form of localized protuberances in the heated areas which can be used as a master for replication purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1983
    Date of Patent: September 4, 1984
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Kent N. Maffitt, William B. Robbins, Richard F. Willson
  • Patent number: 4430659
    Abstract: An optical recording medium containing a light-absorbing film of amorphous carbon less than 60 nm thick and which is sufficiently plastic to allow plastic information upon localized heating is provided for exposure to a focused laser beam, whereupon localized heating of the light-absorbing film enables information storage in the form of localized protuberances in the heated areas which can subsequently be optically detected and can be used as a master information record for replication purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1984
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Kent N. Maffitt, William B. Robbins, Richard F. Willson
  • Patent number: 4340276
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing a micro structure on the surface of an article. The method comprises the steps of depositing a discontinuous coating of a material exhibiting a low rate of sputter etching on a substrate exhibiting a higher rate of sputter etching and differentially sputter etching the composite surface to produce a topography of pyramid-like micropedestals random in height and separation. The articles produced by this method are characterized by both the microstructured surface and by the detectable presence of the material exhibiting the lower rate of sputter etching. The microstructured surface results in the articles having uniform antireflecting properties over a large range of angles of incident light and over an extremely broad range of wavelengths, in which the antireflecting characteristic is obtained without an attendant increase in diffuse scattering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1979
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1982
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Kent N. Maffitt, Richard F. Willson
  • Patent number: 4153654
    Abstract: An optical element of polymeric material is provided with a microstructured surface, thereby rendering the surface substantially non-reflecting while maintaining a high degree of transmissivity. The element is formed via replication from a stamper prepared from a glass original having a similar microstructured surface which is formed by etching a cleaned surface of the glass in vapors of hydrofluoric acid followed by sputter etching with inert gas ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1978
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1979
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Kent N. Maffitt, Hubert U. Brueckner, Dean R. Lowrey
  • Patent number: 4114983
    Abstract: An optical element of polymeric material is provided with a microstructured surface, thereby rendering the surface substantially non-reflecting while maintaining a high degree of transmissivity. The element is formed via replication from a stamper prepared from a glass original having a similar microstructured surface which is formed by etching a cleaned surface of the glass in vapors of hydrofluoric acid followed by sputter etching with inert gas ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1978
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Kent N. Maffitt, Hubert U. Brueckner, Dean R. Lowrey