Patents by Inventor Richard Lee Fink

Richard Lee Fink 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: 6885022
    Abstract: A cathode includes a carbon nanotube layer, which is optimized with a low work function material, such as an alkali. The inclusion of the alkali material improves the field emission properties of the carbon nanotube layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: SI Diamond Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Zvi Yaniv, Richard Lee Fink, Igor Pavlovsky
  • Publication number: 20040245224
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for assembly of small structures is disclosed. The present invention discloses electron beams created from one or more nanotips in an array operated in a field emission mode that can be controlled to apply heat to very well defined spots. The multiple electron beams may be generated and deflected and applied to electron beam heating and welding applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2004
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Applicant: Nano-Proprietary, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Lee Fink, Zvi Yaniv, Igor Pavlovsky, Leif Thuesen
  • Patent number: 6819035
    Abstract: A carbon film having an area of insulating material surrounded by an area of conducing material, and an area of material between the area of insulating material and the area of conducting material having a graded dielectric constant which varies from high to low from the area of insulating material to the area of conducting material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: SI Diamond Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Zvi Yaniv, Richard Lee Fink, Zhidan Li Tolt
  • Publication number: 20040223381
    Abstract: A cathode includes a carbon nanotube layer, which is optimized with a low work function material, such as an alkali. The inclusion of the alkali material improves the field emission properties of the carbon nanotube layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2004
    Publication date: November 11, 2004
    Applicant: Nano-Proprietary, Inc.
    Inventors: Zvi Yaniv, Richard Lee Fink, Igor Pavlovsky
  • Patent number: 6798127
    Abstract: The present invention is directed toward cathodes and cathode materials comprising carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and particles. The present invention is also directed toward field emission devices comprising a cathode of the present invention, as well as methods for making these cathodes. In some embodiments, the cathode of the present invention is used in a field emission display. The invention also comprises a method of depositing a layer of CNTs and particles onto a substrate to form a cathode of the present invention, as well as a method of controlling the density of CNTs used in this mixed layer in an effort to optimize the field emission properties of the resulting layer for field emission display applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Nano-Proprietary, Inc.
    Inventors: Dongsheng Mao, Richard Lee Fink, Zvi Yaniv
  • Patent number: 6798131
    Abstract: A multiplexed grid structure for electron emission displays allows each of the grid portions to be independently controllable from each other so that electrons can be emitted from their respective pixel sites as each grid portion is addressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: SI Diamond Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Lee Fink, Zvi Yaniv
  • Publication number: 20040183032
    Abstract: By using a large area cathode, an electron source can be made that can irradiate a large area more uniformly and more efficiently than currently available devices. The electron emitter can be a carbon film cold cathode, a microtip or some other emitter. It can be patterned. The cathode can be assembled with electrodes for scanning the electron source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2004
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Applicant: Nano-Proprietary, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Lee Fink, Leif H. Thuesen
  • Publication number: 20040119391
    Abstract: A carbon film having an area of insulating material surrounded by an area of conducing material, and an area of material between the area of insulating material and the area of conducting material having a graded dielectric constant which varies from high to low from the area of insulating material to the area of conducting material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2003
    Publication date: June 24, 2004
    Applicant: SI Diamond Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Zvi Yaniv, Richard Lee Fink, Zhidan Li Tolt
  • Patent number: 6750461
    Abstract: By using a large area cathode, an electron source can be made that can irradiate a large area more uniformly and more efficiently than currently available devices. The electron emitter can be a carbon film cold cathode, a microtip or some other emitter. It can be patterned. The cathode can be assembled with electrodes for scanning the electron source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: SI Diamond Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Lee Fink, Leif Thuesen
  • Publication number: 20040102044
    Abstract: The present invention is directed toward methods for incorporating low work function metals and salts of such metals into carbon nanotubes for use as field emitting materials. The present invention is also directed toward field emission devices, and associated components, comprising treated carbon nanotubes that have, incorporated into them, low work function metals and/or metal salts, and methods for making same. The treatments of the carbon nanotubes with the low work function metals and/or metal salts serve to improve their field emission properties relative to untreated carbon nanotubes when employed as a cathode material in field emission devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventors: Dongsheng Mao, Zvi Yaniv, Richard Lee Fink, Igor Pavlovsky
  • Publication number: 20040070326
    Abstract: The present invention is directed toward cathodes and cathode materials comprising carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and particles. The present invention is also directed toward field emission devices comprising a cathode of the present invention, as well as methods for making these cathodes. In some embodiments, the cathode of the present invention is used in a field emission display. The invention also comprises a method of depositing a layer of CNTs and particles onto a substrate to form a cathode of the present invention, as well as a method of controlling the density of CNTs used in this mixed layer in an effort to optimize the field emission properties of the resulting layer for field emission display applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2003
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Applicant: Nano-Proprietary, Inc.
    Inventors: Dongsheng Mao, Richard Lee Fink, Zvi Yaniv
  • Publication number: 20040013597
    Abstract: The present invention is directed towards metallized carbon nanotubes, methods for making metallized carbon nanotubes using an electroless plating technique, methods for dispensing metallized carbon nanotubes onto a substrate, and methods for aligning magnetically-active metallized carbon nanotubes. The present invention is also directed towards cold cathode field emitting materials comprising metallized carbon nanotubes, and methods of using metallized carbon nanotubes as cold cathode field emitters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2003
    Publication date: January 22, 2004
    Applicant: SI Diamond Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Dongsheng Mao, Zvi Yaniv, Richard Lee Fink
  • Publication number: 20040007955
    Abstract: A field emission device includes a substrate in which a well has been formed. Carbon fibers with a high aspect ratio are deposited within the well, wherein the well is sufficiently deep so that axes of a large number of the carbon fibers are substantially coaxial with a long axis of the well. A conductive anode is positioned relative to the substrate so that an electric potential applied between the conductive anode and the substrate causes an emission of electrons from the carbon fibers towards the conductive anode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2002
    Publication date: January 15, 2004
    Inventors: Zvi Yaniv, Richard Lee Fink
  • Patent number: 6664722
    Abstract: A carbon film having an area of insulating material surrounded by an area of conducing material, and an area of material between the area of insulating material and the area of conducting material having a graded dielectric constant which varies from high to low from the area of insulating material to the area of conducting material. An emission site on the carbon film will emit electrons as a function of time, and as a function of distance across an emission site area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: SI Diamond Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Zvi Yaniv, Richard Lee Fink, Zhidan Li Tolt, Leif Thuesen
  • Patent number: 6664728
    Abstract: Field emission characteristics of carbon films are improved by changing the conditions of the growth of the films, by adding nitrogen, or substitutes to the nitrogen for hydrogen, in the carbon film growth process. Resulting field emission cathodes exhibit better field emission characteristics because of the increased concentration of nitrogen within the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Nano-Proprietary, Inc.
    Inventors: Igor Pavlovsky, Richard Lee Fink, Zvi Yaniv
  • Publication number: 20030197462
    Abstract: Field emission characteristics of carbon films are improved by changing the conditions of the growth of the films, by adding nitrogen, or substitutes to the nitrogen for hydrogen, in the carbon film growth process. Resulting field emission cathodes exhibit better field emission characteristics because of the increased concentration of nitrogen within the film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2001
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Applicant: SI Diamond Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Igor Pavlovsky, Richard Lee Fink, Zvi Yaniv
  • Patent number: 6630023
    Abstract: A film (carbon and/or diamond) for a field emitter device, which may be utilized within a computer display, is produced by a process utilizing treatment of a substrate and then depositing the film. The treatment step creates nucleation and growth sites on the substrate for the film deposition process and promotes election emission of the deposited film. With this process, a patterned emission can be achieved without post-deposition processing of the film. A field emitter device can be manufactured with such a film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: SI Diamond Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhidan Li Tolt, Zvi Yaniv, Richard Lee Fink
  • Patent number: 6580225
    Abstract: A carbon film having an area of insulating material surrounded by an area of conducing material, and an area of material between the area of insulating material and the area of conducting material having a graded dielectric constant which varies from high to low from the area of insulating material to the area of conducting material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: SI Diamond Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Zvi Yaniv, Richard Lee Fink, Zhidan Li Tolt
  • Patent number: 6580211
    Abstract: A triode structure code cathode assembly is produced by depositing a carbon emitter material onto a substrate to form a cathode structure. Then, an insulating layer is deposited onto one side of a mesh foil to form a mesh assembly. This mesh assembly is then mechanically attached to the cathode structure so that the insulating layer on the one side of the mesh assembly is contacting the cathode structure. This entire triode cathode assembly can then be used to produce a field emission display device by including an anode structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: SI Diamond Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Mohshi Yang, Leif Thuesen, Richard Lee Fink, Zvi Yaniv
  • Publication number: 20030092207
    Abstract: Particles, which may include nanoparticles, are mixed with carbon nanotubes and deposited on a substrate to form a cold cathode. The particles enhance the field emission characteristics of the carbon nanotubes. An additional activation step may be performed on the deposited carbon nanotube mixture to further enhance the emission of electrons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2002
    Publication date: May 15, 2003
    Inventors: Zvi Yaniv, Richard Lee Fink, Mohshi Yang, Dongsheng Mao