Patents by Inventor Robert A. Meger
Robert A. Meger 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: 8288950Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling electron flow within a plasma to produce a controlled electron beam is provided. A plasma is formed between a cathode and an acceleration anode. A control anode is connected to the plasma and to the acceleration anode via a switch. If the switch is open, the ions from the plasma flow to the cathode and plasma electrons flow to the acceleration anode. With the acceleration anode suitably transparent and negatively biased with a DC high voltage source, the electrons flowing from the plasma are accelerated to form an electron beam. If the switch is closed, the ions still flow to the cathode but the electrons flow to the control anode rather than the acceleration anode. Consequently, the electron beam is turned off, but the plasma is unaffected. By controlling the opening and closing of the switch, a controlled pulsed electron beam can be generated.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2010Date of Patent: October 16, 2012Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Scott G. Walton, Christopher D. Cothran, Richard F. Fernsler, Robert A. Meger, William E. Amatucci
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Publication number: 20110308461Abstract: An electron beam enhanced nitriding system that passes a high-energy electron beam through nitrogen gas to form a low electron temperature plasma capable of delivering nitrogen ions and radicals to a substrate to be nitrided. The substrate can be mounted on an electrode, and the substrate can be biased and heated.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 17, 2010Publication date: December 22, 2011Inventors: Scott G. Walton, Darrin Leonhardt, Robert A. Meger, Richard Fernsler, Christopher Muratore
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Publication number: 20110080093Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling electron flow within a plasma to produce a controlled electron beam is provided. A plasma is formed between a cathode and an acceleration anode. A control anode is connected to the plasma and to the acceleration anode via a switch. If the switch is open, the ions from the plasma flow to the cathode and plasma electrons flow to the acceleration anode. With the acceleration anode suitably transparent and negatively biased with a DC high voltage source, the electrons flowing from the plasma are accelerated to form an electron beam. If the switch is closed, the ions still flow to the cathode but the electrons flow to the control anode rather than the acceleration anode. Consequently, the electron beam is turned off, but the plasma is unaffected. By controlling the opening and closing of the switch, a controlled pulsed electron beam can be generated.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2010Publication date: April 7, 2011Applicant: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Scott G. Walton, Christopher D. Cothran, Richard F. Fernsler, Robert A. Meger, William E. Amatucci
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Publication number: 20090314633Abstract: This invention provides a means to deposit thin films and coatings on a substrate using an electron beam generated plasma. The plasma can be used as an ion source in sputter applications, where the ions are used to liberate material from a target surface which can then condense on a substrate to form the film or coating. Alternatively, the plasma may be combined with existing deposition sources including those based on sputter or evaporation techniques. In either configuration, the plasma serves as a source of ion and radical species at the growing film surface in reactive deposition processes. The electron beam large area deposition system (EBELADS) is a new approach to the production of thin films or coatings up to and including several square meters.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2009Publication date: December 24, 2009Applicant: The Gov. of the USA, as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Scott G. Walton, Darrin Leonhardt, Robert A. Meger, Richard Fernsler, Christopher Muratore
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Patent number: 7510666Abstract: An ion-ion plasma source, that features a processing chamber containing a large concentration of halogen or halogen-based gases. A second chamber is coupled to the processing chamber and features an electron source which produces a high energy electron beam. The high energy electron beam is injected into the processing chamber where it is shaped and confined by a means for shaping and confining the high energy electron beam. The high energy electron beam produced in the second chamber when injected into the processing chamber ionizes the halogen gas creating a dense, ion-ion plasma in the processing chamber that is continuous in time.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2005Date of Patent: March 31, 2009Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Scott G. Walton, Robert Meger, Richard Fernsler, Darrin Leenhardt
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Publication number: 20090032143Abstract: An electron beam enhanced nitriding system that passes a high-energy electron beam through nitrogen gas to form a low electron temperature plasma capable of delivering nitrogen ions and radicals to a substrate to be nitrided. The substrate can be mounted on an electrode, and the substrate can be biased and heated.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 30, 2008Publication date: February 5, 2009Inventors: Scott G Walton, Darrin Leonhardt, Robert A. Meger, Richard F. Fernsler, Christopher Muratore
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Publication number: 20060021968Abstract: An ion-ion plasma source, that features a processing chamber containing a large concentration of halogen or halogen-based gases. A second chamber is coupled to the processing chamber and features an electron source which produces a high energy electron beam. The high energy electron beam is injected into the processing chamber where it is shaped and confined by a means for shaping and confining the high energy electron beam. The high energy electron beam produced in the second chamber when injected into the processing chamber ionizes the halogen gas creating a dense, ion-ion plasma in the processing chamber that is continuous in time.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2005Publication date: February 2, 2006Inventors: Scott Walton, Robert Meger, Richard Fernsler, Darrin Leenhardt
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Publication number: 20050281958Abstract: An electron beam enhanced nitriding system that passes a high-energy electron beam through nitrogen gas to form a low electron temperature plasma capable of delivering nitrogen ions and radicals to a substrate to be nitrided. The substrate can be mounted on an electrode, and the substrate can be biased and heated.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2004Publication date: December 22, 2005Inventors: Scott Walton, Darrin Leonhardt, Robert Meger, J. Fernsler, Christopher Muratore
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Publication number: 20050230242Abstract: A large area metallization pretreatment and surface activation system that uses an electron beam-produced plasma capable of delivering substantial ion and radical fluxes at low temperatures over large areas of an organic plastic or polymer material. The ion and radical fluxes physically and chemically alter the surface structure of the organic plastic or polymer material thereby improving the ability of a film to adhere to the material.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 14, 2004Publication date: October 20, 2005Inventors: Darrin Leonhardt, Scott Walton, Robert Meger, Christopher Muratore
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Publication number: 20050067099Abstract: An ion-ion plasma source, that features a processing chamber containing a large concentration of halogen or halogen-based gases. A second chamber is coupled to the processing chamber and features an electron source which produces a high energy electron beam. The high energy electron beam is injected into the processing chamber where it is shaped and confined by a means for shaping and confining the high energy electron beam. The high energy electron beam produced in the second chamber when injected into the processing chamber ionizes the halogen gas creating a dense, ion-ion plasma in the processing chamber that is continuous in time. A method for creating an ion-ion plasma continuous in time.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2003Publication date: March 31, 2005Inventors: Scott Walton, Robert Meger, Richard Fernsler, Darrin Leonhardt
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Publication number: 20050040037Abstract: This invention provides a means to deposit thin films and coatings on a substrate using an electron beam generated plasma. The plasma can be used as an ion source in sputter applications, where the ions are used to liberate material from a target surface which can then condense on a substrate to form the film or coating. Alternatively, the plasma may be combined with existing deposition sources including those based on sputter or evaporation techniques. In either configuration, the plasma serves as a source of ion and radical species at the growing film surface in reactive deposition processes. The electron beam large area deposition system (EBELADS) is a new approach to the production of thin films or coatings up to and including several square meters.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2003Publication date: February 24, 2005Inventors: Scott Walton, Darrin Leonhardt, Robert Meger, Richard Fernsler, Christorpher Muratore
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Patent number: 5856630Abstract: A railgun having a composite insulator of laminated materials positioned between the rails. The composite insulator is comprised of a series of conducting layers oriented with the edges toward the bore, or barrel, of the railgun and their wide edges away from the bore. The laminate is layed lengthwise along the rails and is comprised of conducting layers of a high heat conductivity metal interleaved with an insulator material. The insulator material allows the composite insulator to stand off the voltages in a plasma armature even under high radiation flux conditions. Below the conducting material's ablation threshold the amount of ablation produced by the composite insulator is reduced by the reduction of insulator surface area exposed to the radiation. This allows better control of armature growth, mass acceleration by the plasma armature, secondary formation, and other factors normally found to retard projectile acceleration.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 1994Date of Patent: January 5, 1999Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventor: Robert A. Meger
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Patent number: 5844161Abstract: A railgun having a composite insulator of laminated materials positioned between the rails. The composite insulator is comprised of a series of conducting layers oriented with the edges toward the bore, or barrel, of the railgun and their wide edges away from the bore. The laminate is layed lengthwise along the rails and is comprised of conducting layers of a high heat conductivity metal interleaved with an insulator material. The insulator material allows the composite insulator to stand off the voltages in a plasma armature even under high radiation flux conditions. Below the conducting material's ablation threshold the amount of ablation produced by the composite insulator is reduced by the reduction of insulator surface area exposed to the radiation. This allows better control of armature growth, mass acceleration by the plasma armature, secondary formation, and other factors normally found to retard projectile acceleration.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 1998Date of Patent: December 1, 1998Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventor: Robert A. Meger
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Patent number: 5182496Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming plasma sheets of preselected planar curvature, which can be used as mirrors for X-Band microwaves and above. A plasma is created using a shaped cathode. Confining magnetic fields maintains the plasma in the shape of the cathode. Additional magnetic fields can provide additional curvature to the plasma sheet.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 1992Date of Patent: January 26, 1993Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Wallace M. Manheimer, Anthony E. Robson, Robert A. Meger
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Patent number: H2209Abstract: A large area metallization pretreatment and surface activation system that uses an electron beam-produced plasma capable of delivering substantial ion and radical fluxes at low temperatures over large areas of an organic plastic or polymer material. The ion and radical fluxes physically and chemically alter the surface structure of the organic plastic or polymer material thereby improving the ability of a film to adhere to the material.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2004Date of Patent: February 5, 2008Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Darrin Leonhardt, Scott G. Walton, Robert A. Meger, Christopher Muratore
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Patent number: H2212Abstract: An ion-ion plasma source, that features a processing chamber containing a large concentration of halogen or halogen-based gases. A second chamber is coupled to the processing chamber and features an electron source which produces a high energy electron beam. The high energy electron beam is injected into the processing chamber where it is shaped and confined by a means for shaping and confining the high energy electron beam. The high energy electron beam produced in the second chamber when injected into the processing chamber ionizes the halogen gas creating a dense, ion-ion plasma in the processing chamber that is continuous in time. A method for creating an ion-ion plasma continuous in time.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2003Date of Patent: April 1, 2008Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Scott G. Walton, Robert Meger, Richard Fernsler, Darrin Leonhardt