Patents by Inventor Richard D. Harlan

Richard D. Harlan 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).

  • Plasma discharge method and structure for verifying a hermetical seal
    Patent number: 7880113
    Abstract: A method and structure use characteristics of a plasma discharge for verifying a hermetic seal. The plasma discharge is created in a hermetically sealed cavity by a pair of spaced electrodes that extend from tips inside the hermetically sealed cavity to contacts outside the sealed cavity. An electrical bias is applied to the contacts that is sufficient to create a plasma discharge in a properly hermetically sealed cavity but not in an unsealed cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian E. Dewes, Denise R. Dewes, Richard D. Harlan