Patents by Inventor Kirk D. Wallace
Kirk D. Wallace 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: 9453809Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising a metal shunt and a semiconductor material in electrical contact with the metal shunt, thereby defining a semiconductor/metal interface for passing a flow of current between the semiconductor material and the metal shunt in response to an application of an electrical bias to the apparatus, wherein the semiconductor material and the metal shunt lie in different planes that are substantially parallel planes, the semiconductor/metal interface thereby being parallel to planes in which the semiconductor material and the metal shunt lie, and wherein, when under the electrical bias, the semiconductor/metal interface is configured to exhibit a change in resistance thereof in response to a perturbation. Such an apparatus can be used as a sensor and deployed as an array of sensors.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2014Date of Patent: September 27, 2016Assignee: Washington UniversityInventors: Stuart A. Solin, Kirk D. Wallace, Samuel A. Wickline, Michael S. Hughes
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Publication number: 20150357503Abstract: The inventors disclose a new high performance optical sensor, preferably of nanoscale dimensions, that functions at room temperature based on an extraordinary optoconductance (EOC) phenomenon, and preferably an inverse EOC (I-EOC) phenomenon, in a metal-semiconductor hybrid (MSH) structure having a semiconductor/metal interface. Such a design shows efficient photon sensing not exhibited by bare semiconductors. In experimentation with an exemplary embodiment, ultrahigh spatial resolution 4-point optoconductance measurements using Helium-Neon laser radiation reveal a strikingly large optoconductance property, an observed maximum measurement of 9460% EOC, for a 250 nm device. Such an exemplary EOC device also demonstrates specific detectivity higher than 5.06×1011 cm?Hz/W for 632 nm illumination and a high dynamic response of 40 dB making such sensors technologically competitive for a wide range of practical applications.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 17, 2015Publication date: December 10, 2015Inventors: Stuart A. Solin, Samuel A. Wickline, AKM Shah Newaz, Kirk D. Wallace
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Patent number: 9111838Abstract: The inventors disclose a new high performance optical sensor, preferably of nanoscale dimensions, that functions at room temperature based on an extraordinary optoconductance (EOC) phenomenon, and preferably an inverse EOC (I-EOC) phenomenon, in a metal-semiconductor hybrid (MSH) structure having a semiconductor/metal interface. Such a design shows efficient photon sensing not exhibited by bare semiconductors. In experimentation with an exemplary embodiment, ultrahigh spatial resolution 4-point optoconductance measurements using Helium-Neon laser radiation reveal a strikingly large optoconductance property, an observed maximum measurement of 9460% EOC, for a 250 nm device. Such an exemplary EOC device also demonstrates specific detectivity higher than 5.06×1011 cm?Hz/W for 632 nm illumination and a high dynamic response of 40 dB making such sensors technologically competitive for a wide range of practical applications.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2013Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignee: Washington UniversityInventors: Stuart A. Solin, Samuel A. Wickline, AKM Shah Newaz, Kirk D. Wallace
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Publication number: 20140197855Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising a metal shunt and a semiconductor material in electrical contact with the metal shunt, thereby defining a semiconductor/metal interface for passing a flow of current between the semiconductor material and the metal shunt in response to an application of an electrical bias to the apparatus, wherein the semiconductor material and the metal shunt lie in different planes that are substantially parallel planes, the semiconductor/metal interface thereby being parallel to planes in which the semiconductor material and the metal shunt lie, and wherein, when under the electrical bias, the semiconductor/metal interface is configured to exhibit a change in resistance thereof in response to a perturbation. Such an apparatus can be used as a sensor and deployed as an array of sensors.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 23, 2014Publication date: July 17, 2014Inventors: Stuart A. Solin, Kirk D. Wallace, Samuel A. Wickline, Michael S. Hughes
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Patent number: 8637944Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising a metal shunt and a planar semiconductor material in electrical contact with the metal shunt, the metal shunt located on a surface of the semiconductor material, thereby defining a semiconductor/metal interface for passing a flow of current between the semiconductor material and the metal shunt in response to an application of an electrical bias to the apparatus, wherein a portion of that semiconductor material surface is not covered by the metal shunt, wherein the semiconductor material and the metal shunt lie in different planes that are substantially parallel planes, the semiconductor/metal interface thereby being parallel to the plane of semiconductor material, and wherein, when under the electrical bias, the semiconductor/metal interface is configured to exhibit a change in resistance thereof in response to a perturbation. Such an apparatus can be used as a sensor and deployed as an array of sensors.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2013Date of Patent: January 28, 2014Assignee: Washington UniversityInventors: Stuart A. Solin, Kirk D. Wallace, Samuel A. Wickline, Michael S. Hughes
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Publication number: 20130278806Abstract: The inventors disclose a new high performance optical sensor, preferably of nanoscale dimensions, that functions at room temperature based on an extraordinary optoconductance (EOC) phenomenon, and preferably an inverse EOC (I-EOC) phenomenon, in a metal-semiconductor hybrid (MSH) structure having a semiconductor/metal interface. Such a design shows efficient photon sensing not exhibited by bare semiconductors. In experimentation with an exemplary embodiment, ultrahigh spatial resolution 4-point optoconductance measurements using Helium-Neon laser radiation reveal a strikingly large optoconductance property, an observed maximum measurement of 9460% EOC, for a 250 nm device. Such an exemplary EOC device also demonstrates specific detectivity higher than 5.06×1011 cm?Hz/W for 632 nm illumination and a high dynamic response of 40 dB making such sensors technologically competitive for a wide range of practical applications.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2013Publication date: October 24, 2013Inventors: Stuart A. Solin, Samuel A. Wickline, AKM Shah Newaz, Kirk D. Wallace
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Publication number: 20130234740Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising a metal shunt and a planar semiconductor material in electrical contact with the metal shunt, the metal shunt located on a surface of the semiconductor material, thereby defining a semiconductor/metal interface for passing a flow of current between the semiconductor material and the metal shunt in response to an application of an electrical bias to the apparatus, wherein a portion of that semiconductor material surface is not covered by the metal shunt, wherein the semiconductor material and the metal shunt lie in different planes that are substantially parallel planes, the semiconductor/metal interface thereby being parallel to the plane of semiconductor material, and wherein, when under the electrical bias, the semiconductor/metal interface is configured to exhibit a change in resistance thereof in response to a perturbation. Such an apparatus can be used as a sensor and deployed as an array of sensors.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 6, 2013Publication date: September 12, 2013Inventors: Stuart A. Solin, Kirk D. Wallace, Samuel A. Wickline, Michael S. Hughes
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Patent number: 8497459Abstract: The inventors disclose a new high performance optical sensor, preferably of nanoscale dimensions, that functions at room temperature based on an extraordinary optoconductance (EOC) phenomenon, and preferably an inverse EOC (I-EOC) phenomenon, in a metal-semiconductor hybrid (MSH) structure having a semiconductor/metal interface. Such a design shows efficient photon sensing not exhibited by bare semiconductors. In experimentation with an exemplary embodiment, ultrahigh spatial resolution 4-point optoconductance measurements using Helium-Neon laser radiation reveal a strikingly large optoconductance property, an observed maximum measurement of 9460% EOC, for a 250 nm device. Such an exemplary EOC device also demonstrates specific detectivity higher than 5.06×1011 cm?Hz/W for 632 nm illumination and a high dynamic response of 40 dB making such sensors technologically competitive for a wide range of practical applications.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2011Date of Patent: July 30, 2013Assignee: Washington UniversityInventors: Stuart A. Solin, Samuel A. Wickline, Akm Shah Newaz, Kirk D. Wallace
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Patent number: 8436436Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus for sensing characteristics of an object. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus comprises an array, wherein the array comprises a plurality of nanoscale hybrid semiconductor/metal devices which are in proximity to an object, each hybrid semiconductor/metal device being configured to produce a voltage in response to a perturbation, wherein the produced voltage is indicative of a characteristic of the object. Any of a variety of nanoscale EXX sensors can be selected as the hybrid semiconductor/metal devices in the array. With such an array, ultra high resolution images of nanoscopic resolution can be generated of objects such as living cells, wherein the images are indicative of a variety of cell biologic processes.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2007Date of Patent: May 7, 2013Assignee: Washington UniversityInventors: Stuart A. Solin, Kirk D. Wallace, Samuel A. Wickline, Michael S. Hughes
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Publication number: 20110233382Abstract: The inventors disclose a new high performance optical sensor, preferably of nanoscale dimensions, that functions at room temperature based on an extraordinary optoconductance (EOC) phenomenon, and preferably an inverse EOC (I-EOC) phenomenon, in a metal-semiconductor hybrid (MSH) structure having a semiconductor/metal interface. Such a design shows efficient photon sensing not exhibited by bare semiconductors. In experimentation with an exemplary embodiment, ultrahigh spatial resolution 4-point optoconductance measurements using Helium-Neon laser radiation reveal a strikingly large optoconductance property, an observed maximum measurement of 9460% EOC, for a 250 nm device. Such an exemplary EOC device also demonstrates specific detectivity higher than 5.06×1011 cm?Hz/W for 632 nm illumination and a high dynamic response of 40 dB making such sensors technologically competitive for a wide range of practical applications.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 7, 2011Publication date: September 29, 2011Inventors: Stuart A. Solin, Samuel A. Wickline, AKM Shah Newaz, Kirk D. Wallace
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Publication number: 20090326337Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus for sensing characteristics of an object. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus comprises an array, wherein the array comprises a plurality of nanoscale hybrid semiconductor/metal devices which are in proximity to an object, each hybrid semiconductor/metal device being configured to produce a voltage in response to a perturbation, wherein the produced voltage is indicative of a characteristic of the object. Any of a variety of nanoscale EXX sensors can be selected as the hybrid semiconductor/metal devices in the array. With such an array, ultra high resolution images of nanoscopic resolution can be generated of objects such as living cells, wherein the images are indicative of a variety of cell biologic processes.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2007Publication date: December 31, 2009Applicant: Washington UniversityInventors: Stuart A. Solin, Kirk D. Wallace, Samuel A. Wickline, Michael S. Hughes