Patents by Inventor Sandra Zheng

Sandra Zheng 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: 11947356
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to evaluating pullovers for autonomous vehicles. In one instance, a set of potential pullover locations within a predetermined distance of a destination may be identified. Whether any of the potential pullover locations of the set include one or more of a plurality of predetermined types of regions of interest where a vehicle should not park for an extended period of time may be determined. A pullover location is identified based on the determination. The identified pullover location may be compared to a pullover location identified by autonomous vehicle control software in order to evaluate the pullover location identified by the autonomous vehicle control software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Daniella Gutlansky, Mishika Vora, Tiffany Washburn, Yu Zheng, Sandra Lennie
  • Patent number: 11932529
    Abstract: In described examples, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) includes a first element and a second element. The first element is mounted on a substrate and has a first contact surface. The second element is mounted on the substrate and has a second contact surface that protrudes from the second element to form an acute contact surface. The first element and/or the second element is/are operable to move in: a first direction, such that the first contact surface comes in contact with the second contact surface; and a second direction, such that the second contact surface separates from the first contact surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Patrick Ian Oden, James Carl Baker, Sandra Zheng, William C. McDonald
  • Publication number: 20200207608
    Abstract: In described examples, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) includes a first element and a second element. The first element is mounted on a substrate and has a first contact surface. The second element is mounted on the substrate and has a second contact surface that protrudes from the second element to form an acute contact surface. The first element and/or the second element is/are operable to move in: a first direction, such that the first contact surface comes in contact with the second contact surface; and a second direction, such that the second contact surface separates from the first contact surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Patrick Ian Oden, James Carl Baker, Sandra Zheng, William C. McDonald
  • Patent number: 10589980
    Abstract: In described examples, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) includes a first element and a second element. The first element is mounted on a substrate and has a first contact surface. The second element is mounted on the substrate and has a second contact surface that protrudes from the second element to form an acute contact surface. The first element and/or the second element is/are operable to move in: a first direction, such that the first contact surface comes in contact with the second contact surface; and a second direction, such that the second contact surface separates from the first contact surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Patrick Ian Oden, James Carl Baker, Sandra Zheng, William C. McDonald
  • Publication number: 20180290880
    Abstract: In described examples, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) includes a first element and a second element. The first element is mounted on a substrate and has a first contact surface. The second element is mounted on the substrate and has a second contact surface that protrudes from the second element to form an acute contact surface. The first element and/or the second element is/are operable to move in: a first direction, such that the first contact surface comes in contact with the second contact surface; and a second direction, such that the second contact surface separates from the first contact surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: Patrick Ian Oden, James Carl Baker, Sandra Zheng, William C. McDonald
  • Patent number: 9960034
    Abstract: A method, which forms an air-bubble-free thin film with a high-viscosity fluid resin, initially dispenses the fluid resin on an outer region of a semiconductor wafer while the semiconductor wafer is spinning, and then dispenses the fluid resin onto the center of the semiconductor wafer after the semiconductor wafer has stopped spinning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Sandra Zheng, Mark James Smiley, Douglas Jay Levack, Ronald Dean Powell
  • Patent number: 9864188
    Abstract: A method of forming a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) pixel, such as a DMD type pixel, by forming a substrate having a non-planar upper surface, and depositing a photoresist spacer layer upon the substrate. The spacer layer is exposed to a grey-scale lithographic mask to shape an upper surface of the spacer layer. A control member is formed upon the planarized spacer layer, and an image member is formed over the control member. The image member is configured to be positioned as a function of the control member to form a spatial light modulator (SLM). The spacer layer is planarized by masking a selected portion of the spacer layer with a grey-scale lithographic mask to remove binge in the selected portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Patrick I. Oden, James C. Baker, Sandra Zheng, William C. McDonald, Lance W. Barron
  • Publication number: 20170084453
    Abstract: A method, which forms an air-bubble-free thin film with a high-viscosity fluid resin, initially dispenses the fluid resin on an outer region of a semiconductor wafer while the semiconductor wafer is spinning, and then dispenses the fluid resin onto the center of the semiconductor wafer after the semiconductor wafer has stopped spinning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Sandra Zheng, Mark James Smiley, Douglas Jay Levack, Ronald Dean Powell
  • Patent number: 9548199
    Abstract: A method, which forms an air-bubble-free thin film with a high-viscosity fluid resin, initially dispenses the fluid resin on an outer region of a semiconductor wafer while the semiconductor wafer is spinning, and then dispenses the fluid resin onto the center of the semiconductor wafer after the semiconductor wafer has stopped spinning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Sandra Zheng, Mark James Smiley, Douglas Jay Levack, Ronald Dean Powell
  • Patent number: 9448484
    Abstract: A method of forming a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) pixel, such as a DMD-type pixel, by depositing a photoresist spacer layer upon a substrate. The photoresist spacer layer is exposed to a grey-scale lithographic mask to shape an upper surface of the photoresist spacer layer. A control member is formed upon the shaped spacer layer, and has a sloped portion configured to maximize energy density. An image member is configured to be positioned as a function of the control member to form a spatial light modulator (SLM).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Patrick I. Oden, James C. Baker, Sandra Zheng, William C. McDonald, Lance W. Barron
  • Publication number: 20160124302
    Abstract: A method of forming a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) pixel, such as a DMD type pixel, by forming a substrate having a non-planar upper surface, and depositing a photoresist spacer layer upon the substrate. The spacer layer is exposed to a grey-scale lithographic mask to shape an upper surface of the spacer layer. A control member is formed upon the planarized spacer layer, and an image member is formed over the control member. The image member is configured to be positioned as a function of the control member to form a spatial light modulator (SLM). The spacer layer is planarized by masking a selected portion of the spacer layer with a grey-scale lithographic mask to remove binge in the selected portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Patrick I. Oden, James C. Baker, Sandra Zheng, William C. McDonald, Lance W. Barron
  • Publication number: 20160124311
    Abstract: A method of forming a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) pixel, such as a DMD-type pixel, by depositing a photoresist spacer layer upon a substrate. The photoresist spacer layer is exposed to a grey-scale lithographic mask to shape an upper surface of the photoresist spacer layer. A control member is formed upon the shaped spacer layer, and has a sloped portion configured to maximize energy density. An image member is configured to be positioned as a function of the control member to form a spatial light modulator (SLM).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Patrick I. Oden, James C. Baker, Sandra Zheng, William C. McDonald, Lance W. Barron
  • Publication number: 20160071725
    Abstract: A method, which forms an air-bubble-free thin film with a high-viscosity fluid resin, initially dispenses the fluid resin on an outer region of a semiconductor wafer while the semiconductor wafer is spinning, and then dispenses the fluid resin onto the center of the semiconductor wafer after the semiconductor wafer has stopped spinning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Sandra Zheng, Mark James Smiley, Douglas Jay Levack, Ronald Dean Powell
  • Publication number: 20070119813
    Abstract: A method of patterning a polysilicon feature includes forming a hard mask layer over a polysilicon layer, wherein the hard mask layer includes a silicon rich silicon oxynitride layer, and a silicon oxynitride layer or bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) layer overlying the silicon rich silicon oxynitride layer. The method further includes forming a photoresist layer over the hard mask layer, selectively exposing the photoresist layer with 193 nm ultraviolet radiation, and developing the exposed photoresist, thereby defining a photoresist feature. The hard mask layer is then patterned using the photoresist feature as an etch mask, and the polysilicon layer is patterned using the patterned hard mask as an etch mask.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Inventors: Francis Celii, Kenneth Hewes, Sandra Zheng
  • Patent number: 6380031
    Abstract: A method to form an embedded FLASH integrated circuit with reduced processing steps is described. In the method a partial etch is performed on the control gate region of a polycrystalline silicon film (21). A multiple etch process is then used to simultaneously form the FLASH memory cell gate stack (54), the NMOS gate structure (94) and the PMOS gate structure (96).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Freidoon Mehrad, Jie Xia, Sandra Zheng, Lancy Tsung