Patents by Inventor Thomas P. Russell

Thomas P. Russell 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).

  • Publication number: 20150224538
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing easily a membrane (film) having a micro surface structure (porous structure, fibrous structure and the like) in nano-order. The present invention comprises a method for producing a film having a nano-structure on the surface of the film, comprising the steps of (1) coating a substrate with a solution containing a copolymer including two or more homopolymer segments and an organic solvent having boiling point of 82° C. or more and dielectric constant of 30 or less to form a membrane, (2) providing the membrane with a water vapor-containing gas having relative humidity of 50% or more to age the membrane, and (3) drying the membrane to obtain the film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Publication date: August 13, 2015
    Applicants: University of Massachusetts, Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited
    Inventors: Ryu Takeko, Thomas P. Russell
  • Patent number: 9018649
    Abstract: A nanopatterned surface is prepared by forming a block copolymer film on a miscut crystalline substrate, annealing the block copolymer film, then reconstructing the surface of the annealed block copolymer film The method creates a well-ordered array of voids in the block copolymer film that is maintained over a large area. The nanopatterned block copolymer films can be used in a variety of different applications, including the fabrication of high density data storage media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Inventors: Thomas P. Russell, Soojin Park, Ting Xu
  • Publication number: 20150102265
    Abstract: A stabilized assembly including a first liquid phase of non-spherical droplets in a second liquid phase, wherein the second liquid phase is immiscible with the first phase, and nanoparticle surfactants assembled at an interface of the non-spherical droplets and the second phase is disclosed. The nanoparticle surfactants include nanoparticles and end-functionalized polymers that can interact through ligand type interactions, and the first phase is stabilized by a disordered, jammed layer of nanoparticle surfactants. A method of preparing a stabilized assembly is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Thomas P. Russell, Mengmeng Cui, Todd Emrick
  • Publication number: 20140175579
    Abstract: A nanopatterned surface is prepared by forming a block copolymer film on a miscut crystalline substrate, annealing the block copolymer film, then reconstructing the surface of the annealed block copolymer film The method creates a well-ordered array of voids in the block copolymer film that is maintained over a large area. The nanopatterned block copolymer films can be used in a variety of different applications, including the fabrication of high density data storage media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicants: The Regents of the University of California, The University of Massachusetts
    Inventors: Thomas P. Russell, Soojin Park, Ting Xu
  • Publication number: 20140099445
    Abstract: A method is provided for producing easily a membrane (film) having a micro surface structure (porous structure, fibrous structure and the like) in nano-order. The method for producing a film having a nano-structure on the surface of the film, includes the steps of: (1) coating a substrate with a solution containing a copolymer including two or more homopolymer segments and an organic solvent having boiling point of 82° C. or more and a dielectric constant of 30 or less to form a membrane; (2) providing the membrane with a water vapor-containing gas having a relative humidity of 50% or more to age the membrane; and (3) drying the membrane to obtain the film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicants: UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Ryu TAKEKO, Thomas P. RUSSELL
  • Publication number: 20130302632
    Abstract: Nanopatterned surfaces are prepared by a method that includes forming a block copolymer film on a substrate, annealing and surface reconstructing the block copolymer film to create an array of cylindrical voids, depositing a metal on the surface-reconstructed block copolymer film, and heating the metal-coated block copolymer film to redistribute at least some of the metal into the cylindrical voids. When very thin metal layers and low heating temperatures are used, metal nanodots can be formed. When thicker metal layers and higher heating temperatures are used, the resulting metal structure includes nanoring-shaped voids. The nanopatterned surfaces can be transferred to the underlying substrates via etching, or used to prepare nanodot- or nanoring-decorated substrate surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Inventors: Thomas P. Russell, Soojin Park, Jia-Yu Wang, Bokyung Kim
  • Patent number: 8581272
    Abstract: A nanopatterned surface is prepared by forming a block copolymer film on a miscut crystalline substrate, annealing the block copolymer film, then reconstructing the surface of the annealed block copolymer film. The method creates a well-ordered array of voids in the block copolymer film that is maintained over a large area. The nanopatterned block copolymer films can be used in a variety of different applications, including the fabrication of high density data storage media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignees: The University of Massachusetts, The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Thomas P. Russell, Soojin Park, Ting Xu
  • Patent number: 8518837
    Abstract: Nanopatterned surfaces are prepared by a method that includes forming a block copolymer film on a substrate, annealing and surface reconstructing the block copolymer film to create an array of cylindrical voids, depositing a metal on the surface-reconstructed block copolymer film, and heating the metal-coated block copolymer film to redistribute at least some of the metal into the cylindrical voids. When very thin metal layers and low heating temperatures are used, metal nanodots can be formed. When thicker metal layers and higher heating temperatures are used, the resulting metal structure includes nanoring-shaped voids. The nanopatterned surfaces can be transferred to the underlying substrates via etching, or used to prepare nanodot- or nanoring-decorated substrate surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: The University of Massachusetts
    Inventors: Thomas P. Russell, Soojin Park, Jia-Yu Wang, Bokyung Kim
  • Patent number: 8361337
    Abstract: Nanopatterned substrates can be prepared by a method that includes forming a block copolymer film on a substrate, annealing the block copolymer film, surface reconstructing the annealed block copolymer film, coating an etch-resistant layer on the surface reconstructed block copolymer film, etching the resist-coated block copolymer film to create an etched article comprising a nanopatterned substrate, and separating the etch-resistant layer and the block copolymer film from the nanopatterned substrate. The method is applicable to a wide variety of substrate materials, avoids any requirement for complicated procedures to produce long-range order in the block copolymer film, and avoids any requirement for metal functionalization of the block copolymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: The University of Massachusetts
    Inventors: Soojin Park, Thomas P. Russell, Jia-Yu Wang, Bokyung Kim
  • Publication number: 20120301677
    Abstract: A block copolymer film having a line pattern with a high degree of long-range order is formed by a method that includes forming a block copolymer film on a substrate surface with parallel facets, and annealing the block copolymer film to form an annealed block copolymer film having linear microdomains parallel to the substrate surface and orthogonal to the parallel facets of the substrate. The line-patterned block copolymer films are useful for the fabrication of magnetic storage media, polarizing devices, and arrays of nanowires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventors: Thomas P. Russell, Sung Woo Hong, Doug Hyun Lee, Soojin Park, Ting Xu
  • Publication number: 20120282435
    Abstract: The invention provides for a nanostructured silicon or holey silicon (HS) that has useful thermoelectric properties. The invention also provides for a device comprising the nanostructured silicon or HS. The HS can be placed between two electrodes and used for thermoelectric power generation or thermoelectric cooling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicants: UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Peidong Yang, Jinyao Tang, Hung-Ta Wang, Thomas P. Russell, Dong-Hyun Lee
  • Publication number: 20120276346
    Abstract: Highly-ordered block copolymer films are prepared by a method that includes forming a polymeric replica of a topographically patterned crystalline surface, forming a block copolymer film on the topographically patterned surface of the polymeric replica, and annealing the block copolymer film. The resulting structures can be used in a variety of different applications, including the fabrication of high density data storage media. The ability to use flexible polymers to form the polymeric replica facilitates industrial-scale processes utilizing the highly-ordered block copolymer films.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Inventors: Thomas P. Russell, Soojin Park, Dong Hyun Lee, Ting Xu
  • Publication number: 20120211871
    Abstract: A nanopatterned surface is prepared by forming a block copolymer film on a miscut crystalline substrate, annealing the block copolymer film, then reconstructing the surface of the annealed block copolymer film The method creates a well-ordered array of voids in the block copolymer film that is maintained over a large area. The nanopatterned block copolymer films can be used in a variety of different applications, including the fabrication of high density data storage media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2012
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Inventors: Thomas P. Russell, Soojin Park, Ting Xu
  • Patent number: 8247033
    Abstract: Highly-ordered block copolymer films are prepared by a method that includes forming a polymeric replica of a topographically patterned crystalline surface, forming a block copolymer film on the topographically patterned surface of the polymeric replica, and annealing the block copolymer film. The resulting structures can be used in a variety of different applications, including the fabrication of high density data storage media. The ability to use flexible polymers to form the polymeric replica facilitates industrial-scale processes utilizing the highly-ordered block copolymer films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignees: The University of Massachusetts, The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Thomas P. Russell, Soojin Park, Dong Hyun Lee, Ting Xu
  • Patent number: 8211737
    Abstract: A nanopatterned surface is prepared by forming a block copolymer film on a miscut crystalline substrate, annealing the block copolymer film, then reconstructing the surface of the annealed block copolymer film. The method creates a well-ordered array of voids in the block copolymer film that is maintained over a large area. The nanopatterned block copolymer films can be used in a variety of different applications, including the fabrication of high density data storage media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignees: The University of Massachusetts, The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Thomas P. Russell, Soojin Park, Ting Xu
  • Patent number: 8179026
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a device comprising a pair of electrodes; and a nanotube, a nanorod and/or a nanowire; the nanotube, nanorod and/or nanowire comprising a piezoelectric and/or pyroelectric polymeric composition; the pair of electrodes being in electrical communication with opposing surfaces of the nanotube, nanorod and/or a nanowire; the pair of electrodes being perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the nanotube, nanorod and/or a nanowire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: University of Massachusetts
    Inventors: Thomas P. Russell, Jodie Lutkenhaus
  • Publication number: 20110064944
    Abstract: Ferromagnetic multi-block copolymers of the sort which can be used to provide high-density, highly ordered thin films, composites and related articles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Inventors: Gregory N. Tew, Raja Shunmugam, Zoha Al-Badri, Thomas P. Russell
  • Publication number: 20100112308
    Abstract: A nanopatterned surface is prepared by forming a block copolymer film on a miscut crystalline substrate, annealing the block copolymer film, then reconstructing the surface of the annealed block copolymer film. The method creates a well-ordered array of voids in the block copolymer film that is maintained over a large area. The nanopatterned block copolymer films can be used in a variety of different applications, including the fabrication of high density data storage media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Inventors: Thomas P. Russell, Soojin Park, Ting Xu
  • Publication number: 20100086801
    Abstract: Nanopatterned surfaces are prepared by a method that includes forming a block copolymer film on a substrate, annealing and surface reconstructing the block copolymer film to create an array of cylindrical voids, depositing a metal on the surface-reconstructed block copolymer film, and heating the metal-coated block copolymer film to redistribute at least some of the metal into the cylindrical voids. When very thin metal layers and low heating temperatures are used, metal nanodots can be formed. When thicker metal layers and higher heating temperatures are used, the resulting metal structure includes nanoring-shaped voids. The nanopatterned surfaces can be transferred to the underlying substrates via etching, or used to prepare nanodot- or nanoring-decorated substrate surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Inventors: Thomas P. Russell, Soojin Park, Jia-Yu Wang, Bokyung Kim
  • Publication number: 20100075116
    Abstract: Highly-ordered block copolymer films are prepared by a method that includes forming a polymeric replica of a topographically patterned crystalline surface, forming a block copolymer film on the topographically patterned surface of the polymeric replica, and annealing the block copolymer film. The resulting structures can be used in a variety of different applications, including the fabrication of high density data storage media. The ability to use flexible polymers to form the polymeric replica facilitates industrial-scale processes utilizing the highly-ordered block copolymer films.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Inventors: Thomas P. Russell, Soojin Park, Doug Hyun Lee, Ting Xu