Patents by Inventor Paul Sunal

Paul Sunal 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: 10910185
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for the fabrication of electron field emitter devices, including carbon nanotube (CNT) field emission devices. The method of the present invention involves depositing one or more electrically conductive thin-film layers onto an electrically conductive substrate and performing lithography and etching on these thin film layers to pattern them into the desired shapes. The top-most layer may be of a material type that acts as a catalyst for the growth of single- or multiple-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Subsequently, the substrate is etched to form a high-aspect ratio post or pillar structure onto which the previously patterned thin film layers are positioned. Carbon nanotubes may be grown on the catalyst material layer. The present invention also described methods by which the individual field emission devices may be singulated into individual die from a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL RESEARCH INITIATIVES
    Inventors: Mehmet Ozgur, Paul Sunal, Lance Oh, Michael Huff, Michael Pedersen
  • Publication number: 20190355538
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for the fabrication of electron field emitter devices, including carbon nanotube (CNT) field emission devices. The method of the present invention involves depositing one or more electrically conductive thin-film layers onto an electrically conductive substrate and performing lithography and etching on these thin film layers to pattern them into the desired shapes. The top-most layer may be of a material type that acts as a catalyst for the growth of single- or multiple-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Subsequently, the substrate is etched to form a high-aspect ratio post or pillar structure onto which the previously patterned thin film layers are positioned. Carbon nanotubes may be grown on the catalyst material layer. The present invention also described methods by which the individual field emission devices may be singulated into individual die from a substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Inventors: Mehmet OZGUR, Paul SUNAL, Lance OH, Michael HUFF, Michael PEDERSEN
  • Patent number: 10403463
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for the fabrication of electron field emitter devices, including carbon nanotube (CNT) field emission devices. The method of the present invention involves depositing one or more electrically conductive thin-film layers onto a electrically conductive substrate and performing lithography and etching on these thin film layers to pattern them into the desired shapes. The top-most layer may be of a material type that acts as a catalyst for the growth of single- or multiple-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Subsequently, the substrate is etched to form a high-aspect ratio post or pillar structure onto which the previously patterned thin film layers are positioned. Carbon nanotubes may be grown on the catalyst material layer. The present invention also described methods by which the individual field emission devices may be singulated into individual die from a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL RESEARCH INITIATIVES
    Inventors: Mehmet Ozgur, Paul Sunal, Lance Oh, Michael Huff, Michael Pedersen
  • Publication number: 20180197711
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for the fabrication of electron field emitter devices, including carbon nanotube (CNT) field emission devices. The method of the present invention involves depositing one or more electrically conductive thin-film layers onto a electrically conductive substrate and performing lithography and etching on these thin film layers to pattern them into the desired shapes. The top-most layer may be of a material type that acts as a catalyst for the growth of single- or multiple-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Subsequently, the substrate is etched to form a high-aspect ratio post or pillar structure onto which the previously patterned thin film layers are positioned. Carbon nanotubes may be grown on the catalyst material layer. The present invention also described methods by which the individual field emission devices may be singulated into individual die from a substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Inventors: Mehmet Ozgur, Paul Sunal, Lance Oh, Michael Huff, Michael Pedersen
  • Patent number: 9852870
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for the fabrication of electron field emitter devices, including carbon nanotube (CNT) field emission devices. The method of the present invention involves depositing one or more electrically conductive thin-film layers onto a electrically conductive substrate and performing lithography and etching on these thin film layers to pattern them into the desired shapes. The top-most layer may be of a material type that acts as a catalyst for the growth of single- or multiple-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Subsequently, the substrate is etched to form a high-aspect ratio post or pillar structure onto which the previously patterned thin film layers are positioned. Carbon nanotubes may be grown on the catalyst material layer. The present invention also described methods by which the individual field emission devices may be singulated into individual die from a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL RESEARCH INITIATIVES
    Inventors: Mehmet Ozgur, Paul Sunal, Lance Oh, Michael Huff, Michael Pedersen
  • Patent number: 9053929
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for controlling the state of stress in deposited thin films on microelectronics wafers for the integration of MEMS and NEMS devices with microelectronics. According to the method and system, various process parameters including: process pressure; substrate temperature; deposition rate; and ion-beam energies (controlled via the ion beam current, voltage, signal frequency and duty cycle) are varied using a step-by-step methodology to arrive at a pre-determined desired state of stress in thin films deposited using PVD at low temperatures and desired stress states onto wafers or substrates having microelectronics processing performed on them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Corporation For National Research Initiatives
    Inventors: Michael A. Huff, Paul Sunal
  • Patent number: 8852378
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a metallic alloy composed of Titanium and Tungsten that together form an alloy having a Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE), wherein the content of the respective constituents can be adjusted so that the alloy material can be nearly perfectly matched to that of a commonly used semiconductor and ceramic materials. Moreover, alloys of Titanium-Tungsten have excellent electrical and thermal conductivities making them ideal material choices for many electrical, photonic, thermoelectric, MMIC, NEMS, nanotechnology, power electronics, MEMS, and packaging applications. The present invention describes a method for designing the TiW alloy so as to nearly perfectly match the coefficient of thermal expansion of a large number of different types of commonly used semiconductor and ceramic materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Corporation for National Research Initiatives
    Inventors: Michael A. Huff, Paul Sunal
  • Publication number: 20120301981
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for the fabrication of electron field emitter devices, including carbon nanotube (CNT) field emission devices. The method of the present invention involves depositing one or more electrically conductive thin-film layers onto a electrically conductive substrate and performing lithography and etching on these thin film layers to pattern them into the desired shapes. The top-most layer may be of a material type that acts as a catalyst for the growth of single- or multiple-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Subsequently, the substrate is etched to form a high-aspect ratio post or pillar structure onto which the previously patterned thin film layers are positioned. Carbon nanotubes may be grown on the catalyst material layer. The present invention also described methods by which the individual field emission devices may be singulated into individual die from a substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventors: Mehmet OZGUR, Paul SUNAL, Lance OH, Michael HUFF, Michael PEDERSEN
  • Publication number: 20100108254
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a metallic alloy composed of Titanium and Tungsten that together form an alloy having a Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE), wherein the content of the respective constituents can be adjusted so that the alloy material can be nearly perfectly matched to that of a commonly used semiconductor and ceramic materials. Moreover, alloys of Titanium-Tungsten have excellent electrical and thermal conductivities making them ideal material choices for many electrical, photonic, thermoelectric, MMIC, NEMS, nanotechnology, power electronics, MEMS, and packaging applications. The present invention describes a method for designing the TiW alloy so as to nearly perfectly match the coefficient of thermal expansion of a large number of different types of commonly used semiconductor and ceramic materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicant: Corporation for National Research Initiatives
    Inventors: Michael A. Huff, Paul Sunal