Patents by Inventor Milton Feng
Milton Feng 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: 7115918Abstract: An indium phosphide based double hetero-junction bipolar transistor with an increased collector-base breakdown voltage and a reduced operational knee voltage is provided by manipulating the conductivity in the collector region. The collector is formed using layers of different conductivities, with a region of the collector relatively close to the base being unintentionally or low doped. A voltage drop across the unintentionally doped region reduces the maximum value of the electric field and the velocity of carriers injected into the collector region at the base-collector junction. The conductivity throughout the collector region may be graded such that the highest conductivity occurs near the sub-collector and lowest conductivity occurs near the base region.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2004Date of Patent: October 3, 2006Assignee: Xindium Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Shyh-Chiang Shen, David Charles Caruth, Milton Feng
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Publication number: 20060208290Abstract: A method for producing an optical output, including the following steps: providing first and second electrical signals; providing a bipolar light-emitting transistor device that includes collector, base, and emitter regions; providing a collector electrode coupled with the collector region and an emitter electrode coupled with the emitter region, and coupling electrical potentials with respect to the collector and emitter electrodes; providing an optical coupling in optical communication with the base region; providing first and second base electrodes coupled with the base region; and coupling the first and second electrical signals with the first and second base electrodes, respectively, to produce an optical output emitted from the base region and coupled into the optical coupling, the optical output being a function of the first and second electrical signals.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 6, 2005Publication date: September 21, 2006Inventors: Milton Feng, Nick Holonyak, Richard Chan
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Patent number: 7091082Abstract: A method for enhancing operation of a bipolar light-emitting transistor includes the following steps: providing a bipolar light-emitting transistor having emitter, base, and collector regions; providing electrodes for coupling electrical signals with the emitter, base, and collector regions; and adapting the base region to promote carrier transport from the emitter region toward the collector region by providing, in the base region, several spaced apart quantum size regions of different thicknesses, with the thicknesses of the quantum size regions being graded from thickest near the collector to thinnest near the emitter.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2004Date of Patent: August 15, 2006Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of IllinoisInventors: Milton Feng, Nick Holonyak, Jr.
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Publication number: 20060063340Abstract: An indium phosphide based double hetero junction bipolar transistor with an increased collector-base breakdown voltage and a reduced operational knee voltage is provided by manipulating the conductivity in the collector region. The collector is formed using layers of different conductivities, with a region of the collector relatively close to the base being unintentionally or low doped. A voltage drop across the unintentionally doped region reduces the maximum value of the electric field and the velocity of carriers injected into the collector region at the base-collector junction. The conductivity throughout the collector region may be graded such that the highest conductivity occurs near the sub-collector and lowest conductivity occurs near the base region.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2005Publication date: March 23, 2006Inventors: Shyh-Chiang Shen, David Caruth, Milton Feng
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Patent number: 6998946Abstract: A high life cycle MEMS device is provided by the invention. The inventors have recognized that the deflection beam or deflection beams of an MEMS shunt switch are a failure point in need of improvement. In an aspect of the invention, at least a portion of the signals in the grounded state of an MEMS shunt switch are bypassed to ground on a path that avoids the deflection beam(s) supporting the movable pad. In a preferred embodiment, ground posts are disposed to contact the movable pad in an actuated position and establish a signal path from a signal line to ground. The inventors have also recognized that a shape of deflection beams near their anchor point contributes to failures. In another preferred aspect of the invention, an anchoring portion of the deflection beam or deflection beams is generally coplanar with the remaining portion of the deflection beam(s).Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2002Date of Patent: February 14, 2006Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of IllinoisInventors: Milton Feng, Richard Chan
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Publication number: 20050173730Abstract: An indium phosphide based double hetero-junction bipolar transistor with an increased collector-base breakdown voltage and a reduced operational knee voltage is provided by manipulating the conductivity in the collector region. The collector is formed using layers of different conductivities, with a region of the collector relatively close to the base being unintentionally or low doped. A voltage drop across the unintentionally doped region reduces the maximum value of the electric field and the velocity of carriers injected into the collector region at the base-collector junction. The conductivity throughout the collector region may be graded such that the highest conductivity occurs near the sub-collector and lowest conductivity occurs near the base region.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 11, 2004Publication date: August 11, 2005Inventors: Shyh-Chiang Shen, David Caruth, Milton Feng
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Patent number: 6919784Abstract: A high life cycle and low voltage MEMS device. In an aspect of the invention, separate support posts are disposed to prevent a suspended switch pad from touching the actuation pad while permitting the switch pad to ground a signal line. In another aspect of the invention, cantilevered support beams are made from a thicker material than the switching pad. Increased thickness material in the cantilever tends to keep the switch flat in its resting position. Features of preferred embodiments include dimples in the switch pad to facilitate contact with a signal line and serpentine cantilevers arranged symmetrically to support the switch pad.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2002Date of Patent: July 19, 2005Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of IllinoisInventors: Milton Feng, Nick Holonyak, Jr., David Becher, Shyh-Chiang Shen, Richard Chan
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Publication number: 20050062566Abstract: A high life cycle and low voltage MEMS device. In an aspect of the invention, separate support posts are disposed to prevent a suspended switch pad from touching the actuation pad while permitting the switch pad to ground a signal line. In another aspect of the invention, cantilevered support beams are made from a thicker material than the switching pad. Increased thickness material in the cantilever tends to keep the switch flat in its resting position. Features of preferred embodiments include dimples in the switch pad to facilitate contact with a signal line and serpentine cantilevers arranged symmetrically to support the switch pad.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 14, 2004Publication date: March 24, 2005Inventors: Milton Feng, Richard Chan, Nick Holonyak, David Becher, Shyh-Chiang Shen
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Publication number: 20050054172Abstract: A method for increasing the speed of a bipolar transistor, includes the following steps: providing a bipolar transistor having emitter, base, and collector regions; providing electrodes for coupling electrical signals with the emitter, base, and collector regions; and adapting the base region to enhance stimulated emission to the detriment of spontaneous emission, so as to reduce carrier recombination lifetime in the base region.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 4, 2004Publication date: March 10, 2005Inventors: Milton Feng, Nick Holonyak
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Publication number: 20050040387Abstract: A method for enhancing operation of a bipolar light-emitting transistor includes the following steps: providing a bipolar light-emitting transistor having emitter, base, and collector regions; providing electrodes for coupling electrical signals with the emitter, base, and collector regions; and adapting the base region to promote carrier transport from the emitter region toward the collector region by providing, in the base region, several spaced apart quantum size regions of different thicknesses, with the thicknesses of the quantum size regions being graded from thickest near the collector to thinnest near the emitter.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 4, 2004Publication date: February 24, 2005Inventors: Milton Feng, Nick Holonyak
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Publication number: 20050040432Abstract: A method for producing controllable light emission from a semiconductor device includes the following steps: providing a heterojunction bipolar transistor device that includes collector, base, and emitter regions; and applying electrical signals across terminals coupled with the collector, base, and emitter regions to cause light emission by radiative recombination in the base region. In a disclosed embodiment, the step of applying electrical signals includes applying a collector-to-emitter voltage and modulating light output by applying a modulating base current.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2003Publication date: February 24, 2005Inventors: Milton Feng, Nick Holonyak, Walid Hafez
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Publication number: 20040173817Abstract: The speed at which optical networking devices operate is increased with the present invention with integrated circuits that provide both optical and electronic functions. The present invention provides highly integrated p-i-n or p-i-n-i-p photodetectors and heterojunction bipolar transistors for amplifying photodetector signals formed from a single semiconductor layer stack. The techniques are applicable for the integration of all InP-based and GaAs-based single-heterojunction bipolar transistors and double-heterojunction bipolar transistors. The photodetectors and transistors are formed from common layers, allowing them to be manufactured simultaneously during a processing of the stack. Integrating these components on a single circuit has the potential to greatly increase the speed (in excess of 40 Gb/s) and to decrease the cost of high-speed networking components through the development of compact optical circuits for optical networking.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 3, 2004Publication date: September 9, 2004Inventors: Milton Feng, Shyh-Chiang Shen
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Patent number: 6770919Abstract: An expitaxial layer structure that achieves reliable, high speed, and low noise device performance in indium phosphide (InP) based heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) for high data rate receivers and optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEIC). The layer consists of an n+ InGaAs subcollector, an n+ InP subcollector, an unintentionally doped InGaAs collector, a carbon-doped base, an n-type InP emitter, an n-type InGaAs etch-stop layer, an n-type InP emitter, and anInGaAS cap layer.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2002Date of Patent: August 3, 2004Assignee: XINDIUM Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Milton Feng, Shyh Chiang, David C. Caruth
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Publication number: 20040124436Abstract: An epitaxial layer structure that achieves reliable, high speed, and low noise device performance in indium phosphide (InP) based heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) for high data rate receivers and optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEIC). The layer consists of an n+InGaAs subcollector, an n+InP subcollector, an unintentionally doped InGaAs collector, a carbon-doped base, an n-type InP emitter, an n-type InGaAs etch-stop layer, an n-type InP emitter, and an InGaAs cap layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2002Publication date: July 1, 2004Inventors: Milton Feng, Shyh-Chiang Shen, David C. Caruth
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Patent number: 6727530Abstract: The speed at which optical networking devices operate is increased with the present invention with integrated circuits that provide both optical and electronic functions. The present invention provides highly integrated p-i-n or p-i-n-i-p photodetectors and heterojunction bipolar transistors for amplifying photodetector signals formed from a single semiconductor layer stack. The techniques are applicable for the integration of all InP-based and GaAs-based single-heterojunction bipolar transistors and double-heterojunction bipolar transistors. The photodetectors and transistors are formed from common layers, allowing them to be manufactured simultaneously during a processing of the stack. Integrating these components on a single circuit has the potential to greatly increase the speed (in excess of 40 Gb/s) and to decrease the cost of high-speed networking components through the development of compact optical circuits for optical networking.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2003Date of Patent: April 27, 2004Assignee: Xindium Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Milton Feng, Shyh-Chiang Shen
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Patent number: 6717496Abstract: The present invention is an electromagnetic energy, e.g., visible light, controlled low actuation voltage MEMS switch. Stimulation of photovoltaic diodes causes a switching that controls the flow of a signal. A metal or other suitable conductive pad moves freely up and down within brackets, without the need for deformation, in response to the diodes to either ground a signal or permit it to pass. The low activation voltage of the bracketed pad structure permits the use of a reasonable number of photovoltaic diodes to develop sufficient voltage for actuation of the switch, allowing the realization of the present electromagnetic energy, e.g., visible light, controlled MEMS switch in a minimized chip area. The photovoltaic diodes do not require an independent DC power source to operate the switch of the invention. Use of different wavelengths to excite different sets of diodes allows turning on and off of the switch of the invention.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2001Date of Patent: April 6, 2004Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of IllinoisInventors: Milton Feng, Shyh-Chiang Shen
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Publication number: 20040050675Abstract: A high life cycle MEMS device is provided by the invention. The inventors have recognized that the cantilever or cantilevers of an MEMS shunt switch are a failure point in need of improvement. In an aspect of the invention, at least a portion of the signals in the grounded state of an MEMS shunt switch are bypassed to ground on a path that avoids the cantilever(s) supporting the movable pad. In a preferred embodiment, ground posts are disposed to contact the movable pad in an actuated position and establish a signal path from a signal line to ground. The inventors have also recognized that a shape of cantilevers near their anchor point contributes to failures. In another preferred aspect of the invention, an anchoring portion of the cantilever or cantilevers is generally coplanar with the remaining portion of the cantilever(s). An additional post beneath the anchoring portion of the cantilever(s) permits cantilever(s) lacking any turns that form a weak structural point.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2002Publication date: March 18, 2004Applicant: The Board of Trustees of the University of IllinoisInventors: Milton Feng, Richard Chan
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Patent number: 6678943Abstract: A method for controlling the flow of signals by selectively switching signals to ground and allowing signals to pass through a signal line based a position of a conductive pad. The method includes the steps of forming a conductive coplanar signal line and ground planes, depositing a first release layer over the signal line and ground planes, and forming a conductive pad spanning portions of both the signal line and ground planes on the first release layer. The method also includes the steps of forming a second release layer over the conductive pad, forming two sets of holes through the first and second release layers down to the ground planes with the two sets of holes being formed around portions of the conductive path, and forming a dielectric suspension in a first set of the two sets of holes.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2000Date of Patent: January 20, 2004Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of IllinoisInventors: Milton Feng, Shyh-Chiang Shen
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Publication number: 20040008099Abstract: A high life cycle and low voltage MEMS device. In an aspect of the invention, separate support posts are disposed to prevent a suspended switch pad from touching the actuation pad while permitting the switch pad to ground a signal line. In another aspect of the invention, cantilevered support beams are made from a thicker material than the switching pad. Increased thickness material in the cantilever tends to keep the switch flat in its resting position. Features of preferred embodiments include dimples in the switch pad to facilitate contact with a signal line and serpentine cantilevers arranged symmetrically to support the switch pad.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 9, 2002Publication date: January 15, 2004Applicant: The Board of Trustees of the University of IllinoisInventors: Milton Feng, Nick Holonyak, David Becher, Shyh-Chiang Shen, Richard Chan
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Publication number: 20030090350Abstract: The present invention is an electromagnetic energy, e.g., visible light, controlled low actuation voltage MEMS switch. Stimulation of photovoltaic diodes causes a switching that controls the flow of a signal. A metal or other suitable conductive pad moves freely up and down within brackets, without the need for deformation, in response to the diodes to either ground a signal or permit it to pass. The low activation voltage of the bracketed pad structure permits the use of a reasonable number of photovoltaic diodes to develop sufficient voltage for actuation of the switch, allowing the realization of the present electromagnetic energy, e.g., visible light, controlled MEMS switch in a minimized chip area. The photovoltaic diodes do not require an independent DC power source to operate the switch of the invention. Use of different wavelengths to excite different sets of diodes allows turning on and off of the switch of the invention.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2001Publication date: May 15, 2003Applicant: The Board of Trustees of the University of IllinosInventors: Milton Feng, Shyh-Chiang Shen