Patents by Inventor P. Niel Yocom

P. Niel Yocom 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: 6169359
    Abstract: The luminance of a phosphor suitable for an alternating current thin-film electroluminescent device is substantially improved according to the present invention by including an alkali halide. The alkali halide included within the bulk of the phosphor material results in providing a significant number of trapping states which trap free electrons within the phosphor material. The addition of the trapping states (added defects) within the bulk tend to control the electrical and optical characteristics of the phosphor material. This reduces asymmetric light output characteristics of traditional phosphor material, reduces asymmetric current movement within the phosphor material, and decreases the influence of the interfaces between the phosphor material and insulating materials resulting in decreased aging and increased brightness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Planar Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Sey-Shing Sun, Paul H. Holloway, Mark Rogers Davidson, Karen Elizabeth Waldrip, John S. Lewis, III, P. Niel Yocom
  • Patent number: 6072198
    Abstract: A light emitting phosphor having improved luminance is incorporated into an ACTFEL device having front and rear electrode sets, a pair of insulators sandwiched between the front and rear electrode sets, and a thin film electroluminescent laminar stack which includes a phosphor layer having the formula M.sup.II S:D,H where M.sup.II is taken from the group calcium, strontium, barium, and magnesium, S=sulfur, D is taken from the group copper, lead, gold, silver, magnesium, antimony, bismuth and arsenic, and H is taken from the group fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine. Deep blue and green chromaticity phosphors may be obtained through selection of multiple co-dopants and adjusting their relative concentrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Inventors: Sey-Shing Sun, Jim Kane, P. Niel Yocom
  • Patent number: 6043602
    Abstract: A light emitting phosphor having improved luminance is incorporated into an ACTFEL device having front and rear electrode sets, a pair of insulators sandwiched between the front and rear electrode sets, and a thin film electroluminescent laminar stack which includes a phosphor layer having the formula M.sup.II S:D,H,F where M.sup.II is taken from the group calcium, strontium, barium, and magnesium, S=sulfur, D is taken from the group copper, lead, gold, silver, magnesium, antimony, bismuth and arsenic, H is taken from the group fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine, and F is taken from the group gallium, indium, aluminum, germanium, silicon, lanthanum, scandium, and yttrium. Deep blue and green chromaticity phosphors may be obtained through selection of multiple co-dopants and adjusting their relative concentrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Inventors: Sey-Shing Sun, Jim Kane, P. Niel Yocom
  • Patent number: 5939825
    Abstract: A light emitting phosphor having improved luminance is incorporated into an ACTFEL device having front and rear electrode sets, a pair of insulators sandwiched between the front and rear electrode sets, and a thin film electroluminescent laminar stack which includes a phosphor layer having the formula M.sup.II S:D,H,F where M.sup.II is taken from the group calcium, strontium, barium, and magnesium, S=sulfur, D is taken from the group copper, lead, gold, silver, magnesium, antimony, bismuth and arsenic, H is taken from the group fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine, and F is taken from the group gallium, indium, aluminum, germanium, silicon, lanthanum, scandium, and yttrium. Deep blue and green chromaticity phosphors may be obtained through selection of multiple co-dopants and adjusting their relative concentrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Planar Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Sey-Shing Sun, Jim Kane, P. Niel Yocom
  • Patent number: 5644327
    Abstract: An electroluminescent display formed on a ceramic substrate having a front ceramic surface and a back ceramic surface. The ceramic substrate includes a metal core that provides structural support, electrical ground, and heat dissipation. Electroluminescent cells are mounted on the front ceramic surface and driver circuits for driving the of electroluminescent cells are mounted on the back ceramic surface. The driver circuits are positioned directly behind said electroluminescent cells. Connectors extend through said ceramic substrate and the electroluminescent cells to different driver circuits. By positioning the driver circuits close to the EL cells, the drive lines from the drivers to the EL cells are short which allows for high refresh rates and low resistance losses. Each of the driver circuits can drive one electroluminescent cell or a group of electroluminescent cells. EL display cells coupled to a cermet electrode can also be driven by a field emission device or a low power electron beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Assignee: David Sarnoff Research Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Lubomyr Stephen Onyskevych, Satyam C. Cherukuri, Ashok Narayan Prabhu, P. Niel Yocom, Kenneth E. Salsman
  • Patent number: 5309070
    Abstract: An AC TFEL device includes a front electrode set deposited on a transparent substrate and a rear electrode set, the electrode sets enclosing a thin film laminate which includes a pair of insulating layers sandwiching an alkaline earth thiogallate thin film phosphor doped with a rare earth activator. The thiogallate phosphor layer is capable of producing blue light of sufficient intensity to create a full color TFEL panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Inventors: Sey-Shing Sun, Richard T. Tuenge, James Kane, Christopher N. King, P. Niel Yocom