Patents by Inventor Terry M. Tritt

Terry M. Tritt 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).

  • Convective flow chemical vapor deposition growth of nanostructures
    Patent number: 7871668
    Abstract: The invention is directed to CVD methods and systems that can be utilized to form nanostructures. Exceptionally high product yields can be attained. In addition, the products can be formed with predetermined particle sizes and morphologies and within a very narrow particle size distribution. The systems of the invention include a CVD reactor designed to support the establishment of a convective flow field within the reactor at the expected carrier gas flow rates. In particular, the convective flow field within the reactor can include one or more flow vortices. The disclosed invention can be particularly beneficial for forming improved thermoelectric materials with high values for the figure of merit (ZT).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Clemson University Research Foundation
    Inventors: Terry M. Tritt, Bo Zhang, Jian He
  • CONVECTIVE FLOW CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION GROWTH OF NANOSTRUCTURES
    Publication number: 20090140211
    Abstract: The invention is directed to CVD methods and systems that can be utilized to form nanostructures. Exceptionally high product yields can be attained. In addition, the products can be formed with predetermined particle sizes and morphologies and within a very narrow particle size distribution. The systems of the invention include a CVD reactor designed to support the establishment of a convective flow field within the reactor at the expected carrier gas flow rates. In particular, the convective flow field within the reactor can include one or more flow vortices. The disclosed invention can be particularly beneficial for forming improved thermoelectric materials with high values for the figure of merit (ZT).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Inventors: Terry M. Tritt, Bo Zhang, Jian He
  • Thermoelectric composition
    Patent number: 6552255
    Abstract: The thermoelectric properties (resistivity, thermopower and thermal conductivity) of single crystals of the low-dimensional pentatelluride materials are disclosed. The pentatellurides are well suited for use in thermoelectric devices. In general, the pentatellurides include hafnium pentatelluride and zirconium pentatelluride, which can both be substituted with selective amounts of various metals, including titanium, selenium, and antimony.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Clemson University
    Inventors: Terry M. Tritt, Roy L. Littleton, Joseph Kolis, Christopher Feger
  • Preparation of high temperature superconducting coated wires by dipping and post annealing
    Patent number: 5104850
    Abstract: A high temperature superconducting coating of material oxide is produced by melting the metal oxide mixture, dipping a substrate, e.g. a platinum wire, in the metal oxide melt, withdrawing the substrate with a layer of metal oxide coated thereon, slowly cooling the metal oxide coating to avoid thermal shock and hot cracking, and post-annealing the metal oxide coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Virgil Provenzano, Anand K. Singh, M. A. Imam, Terry M. Tritt