Patents by Inventor Steven N. Girard

Steven N. Girard 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).

  • Thermoelectrics compositions comprising nanoscale inclusions in a chalcogenide matrix
    Patent number: 8778214
    Abstract: Composites comprising a continuous matrix formed from compounds having a rock salt structure (represented by the structure “MQ”) and inclusions comprising chalcogenide compounds having a rock salt structure (represented by the structure “AB”) are provided. Composites having the structure MQ-ABC2, where MQ represents a matrix material and ABC2 represents inclusions comprising a chalcogenide dispersed in the matrix material are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Northwestern University
    Inventors: Mercouri G. Kanatzidis, Qichun Zhang, Steven N. Girard, Kanishka Biswas
  • THERMOELECTRIC FIGURE OF MERIT ENHANCEMENT BY MODIFICATION OF THE ELECTRONIC DENSITY OF STATES
    Publication number: 20110248209
    Abstract: A thermoelectric material and a method of using a thermoelectric material is provided. The thermoelectric material can include at least one compound. For example, the at least one compound may be a Group IV-VI compound such as lead telluride. The at least one compound may further include one or more dopants such as sodium, potassium, and thallium. The method of using a thermoelectric material can include exposing at least one portion of the at least one compound to a temperature greater than about 700 K.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicants: NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: John Androulakis, Yibin Gao, Steven N. Girard, Joseph Heremans, Christopher Jaworski, Mercouri G. Kanatzidis
  • THERMOELECTRICS COMPOSITIONS COMPRISING NANOSCALE INCLUSIONS IN A CHALCOGENIDE MATRIX
    Publication number: 20110073797
    Abstract: Composites comprising a continuous matrix formed from compounds having a rock salt structure (represented by the structure “MQ”) and inclusions comprising chalcogenide compounds having a rock salt structure (represented by the structure “AB”) are provided. Composites having the structure MQ-ABC2, where MQ represents a matrix material and ABC2 represents inclusions comprising a chalcogenide dispersed in the matrix material are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventors: Mercouri G. Kanatzidis, Qichun Zhang, Steven N. Girard, Kanishka Biswas