Patents by Inventor Timothy A. Gessert

Timothy A. Gessert 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: 7517784
    Abstract: A method for producing transparent p-type conducting oxide films without co-doping plasma enhancement or high temperature comprising: a) introducing a dialkyl metal at ambient temperature and a saturated pressure in a carrier gas into a low pressure deposition chamber, and b) introducing NO alone or with an oxidizer into the chamber under an environment sufficient to produce a metal-rich condition to enable NO decomposition and atomic nitrogen incorporation into the formed transparent metal conducting oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Alliance For Sustainable Energy, LLC
    Inventors: Xiaonan Li, Yanfa Yan, Timothy J. Coutts, Timothy A. Gessert, Clay M. Dehart
  • Publication number: 20080118777
    Abstract: A method for producing transparent p-type conducting oxide films without co-doping plasma enhancement or high temperature comprising: a) introducing a dialkyl metal at ambient temperature and a saturated pressure in a carrier gas into a low pressure deposition chamber, and b) introducing NO alone or with an oxidizer into the chamber under an environment sufficient to produce a metal-rich condition to enable NO decomposition and atomic nitrogen incorporation into the formed transparent metal conducting oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2002
    Publication date: May 22, 2008
    Applicant: MIDWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Xiaonan Li, Yanfa Yan, Timothy J. Coutts, Timothy A. Gessert, Clay M. Dehart
  • Patent number: 6458254
    Abstract: A method of making a low-resistance electrical contact between a metal and a layer of p-type CdTe surface by plasma etching and reactive ion etching comprising: a) placing a CdS/CdTe layer into a chamber and evacuating said chamber; b) backfilling the chamber with Argon or a reactive gas to a pressure sufficient for plasma ignition; and c) generating plasma ignition by energizing a cathode which is connected to a power supply to enable the plasma to interact argon ions alone or in the presence of a radio-frequency DC self-bias voltage with the p-CdTe surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Midwest Research Institute
    Inventor: Timothy A. Gessert
  • Patent number: 6281035
    Abstract: A method of making a low-resistance electrical contact between a p-CdTe layer and outer contact layers by ion beam processing comprising: a) placing a CdS/CdTe device into a chamber and evacuating the chamber; b) orienting the p-CdTe side of the CdS/CdTe layer so that it faces apparatus capable of generating Ar atoms and ions of preferred energy and directionality; c) introducing Ar and igniting the area of apparatus capable of generating Ar atoms and ions of preferred energy and directionality in a manner so that during ion exposure, the source-to-substrate distance is maintained such that it is less than the mean-free path or diffusion length of the Ar atoms and ions at the vacuum pressure; d) allowing exposure of the p-CdTe side of the device to said ion beam for a period less than about 5 minutes; and e) imparting movement to the substrate to control the real uniformity of the ion-beam exposure on the p-CdTe side of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Midwest Research Institute
    Inventor: Timothy A. Gessert
  • Publication number: 20010003677
    Abstract: A method of making a low-resistance electrical contact between a metal and a layer of p-type CdTe surface by plasma etching and reactive ion etching comprising:
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 1997
    Publication date: June 14, 2001
    Inventor: TIMOTHY A. GESSERT
  • Patent number: 5909632
    Abstract: A method of improving electrical contact to a thin film of a p-type tellurium-containing II-VI semiconductor comprising:depositing a first undoped layer of ZnTe on a thin film of p-type tellurium containing II-VI semiconductor with material properties selected to limit the formation of potential barriers at the interface between the p-CdTe and the undoped layer, to a thickness sufficient to control diffusion of the metallic-doped ZnTe into the p-type tellurim-containing II-VI semiconductor, but thin enough to minimize affects of series resistance;depositing a second heavy doped p-type ZnTe layer to the first layer using an appropriate dopant; anddepositing an appropriate metal onto the outer-most surface of the doped ZnTe layer for connecting an external electrical conductor to an ohmic contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1999
    Assignee: Midwest Research Institute
    Inventor: Timothy A. Gessert