Patents by Inventor Tobin J. Marks

Tobin J. Marks 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).

  • Dopant-Free Polymeric Hole-Transporting Materials for Perovskite Solar Cell
    Publication number: 20160343965
    Abstract: The present teachings relate to hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells including a hole-transport layer in contact with the perovskite light-absorbing layer, where the hole-transport layer (HTL) is a pristine (undoped) polymer. More specifically, the HTL comprises a copolymer including a benzo[1,2-d;4,5-d?]bistriazole-containing repeating unit and a benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b?]dithiophene-containing repeating unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventors: Tobin J. Marks, Robert P.H. Chang, Teck Lip Dexter Tam, Hsueh-Chung Liao, Antonio Facchetti
  • Cyclen Friction Modifiers for Boundary Lubrication
    Publication number: 20160333288
    Abstract: Compositions comprising one or more cyclen compounds which can be structurally modified to affect anti-friction and anti-wear functionality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2016
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventors: Tobin J. Marks, Q. Jane Wang, Yip-Wah Chung, Massimiliano Delferro, Michael Desanker, Xingliang He
  • Conjugated polymers and their use in optoelectronic devices
    Patent number: 9472764
    Abstract: The present invention relates to certain polymeric compounds and their use as organic semiconductors in organic and hybrid optical, optoelectronic, and/or electronic devices such as photovoltaic cells, light emitting diodes, light emitting transistors, and field effect transistors. The present compounds can provide improved device performance, for example, as measured by power conversion efficiency, fill factor, open circuit voltage, field-effect mobility, on/off current ratios, and/or air stability when used in photovoltaic cells or transistors. The present compounds can have good solubility in common solvents enabling device fabrication via solution processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignees: Northwestern University, Polyera Corporation
    Inventors: Tobin J. Marks, Xugang Guo, Nanjia Zhou, Robert P. H. Chang, Martin Drees, Antonio Facchetti
  • CHARGE-TRANSPORTING METAL OXIDE-POLYMER BLEND THIN FILMS
    Publication number: 20160268526
    Abstract: The present teachings relate to charge-transporting metal oxide-polymer blend thin films which can be incorporated as the semiconductor component or one of the conductor components of a thin film transistor. Generally, the present charge-transporting metal oxide-polymer blend thin film includes a semiconducting or conducting metal oxide lattice and an electrically insulating polymer dispersed within the lattice. The electrically insulating polymer is present at about 20% or less by weight of the metal oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Antonio Facchetti, Tobin J. Marks, Xinge Yu, William Christopher Sheets, Wei Huang
  • GATE-TUNABLE ATOMICALLY-THIN MEMRISTORS AND METHODS FOR PREPARING SAME AND APPLICATIONS OF SAME
    Publication number: 20160248007
    Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, the memristor includes a monolayer film formed of an atomically thin material, where the monolayer film has at least one grain boundary (GB), a first electrode and a second electrode electrically coupled with the monolayer film to define a memristor channel therebetween, such that the at least one GB is located in the memristor channel, and a gate electrode capacitively coupled with the memristor channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: Mark C. Hersam, Vinod K. Sangwan, Deep M. Jariwala, In Soo Kim, Tobin J. Marks, Lincoln J. Lauhon
  • Forming ethylene
    Patent number: 9416070
    Abstract: A method that includes forming ethylene from methane including contacting supported-palladium with hydrogen sulfide to form a palladium sulfide catalyst and contacting the palladium sulfide catalyst with methane to form ethylene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Northwestern University
    Inventors: Tobin J. Marks, Chao Xie
  • Low-temperature fabrication of nanomaterial-derived metal composite thin films
    Patent number: 9412852
    Abstract: Disclosed are new methods of fabricating nanomaterial-derived metal composite thin films via solution processes at low temperatures (<400° C.). The present thin films are useful as thin film semiconductors, thin film dielectrics, or thin film conductors, and can be implemented into semiconductor devices such as thin film transistors and thin film photovoltaic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignees: Northwestern University, Polyera Corporatoin
    Inventors: Antonio Facchetti, Tobin J. Marks, Mercouri G. Kanatzidis, Myung-Gil Kim, William Christopher Sheets, He Yan, Yu Xia
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ANTI-AMBIPOLAR HETEROJUNCTIONS FROM SOLUTION-PROCESSED SEMICONDUCTORS
    Publication number: 20160204773
    Abstract: Van der Waals heterojunctions are extended to semiconducting p-type single-walled carbon nanotube (s-SWCNT) and n-type film that can be solution-processed with high spatial uniformity at the wafer scale. The resulting large-area, low-voltage p-n heterojunctions can exhibit anti-ambipolar transfer characteristics with high on/off ratios. The charge transport can be efficiently utilized in analog circuits such as frequency doublers and keying circuits that are widely used, for example, in telecommunication and wireless data transmission technologies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Deep M. Jariwala, Vinod K. Sangwan, Weichao Xu, Hyungil Kim, Tobin J. Marks, Mark C. Hersam
  • Method for producing silyl-functionalized polyolefins and silyl-functionalized polyolefins with silyl monomer incorporation
    Patent number: 9388265
    Abstract: Methods for producing a silyl-functionalized polyolefin with silyl monomer incorporation are provided. The method includes reacting a silicon-containing olefin with an ?-olefin, in the presence of a catalytic amount of a group IV catalyst for a time sufficient to produce a silyl-functionalized polyolefin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignees: DOW CORNING CORPORATION, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Gary Thomas Burns, Francois De Buyl, Peng-Fei Fu, Tobin J. Marks, Valerie Smits
  • Organic-inorganic hybrid multilayer gate dielectrics for thin film transistors
    Patent number: 9385332
    Abstract: Disclosed are organic-inorganic hybrid self-assembled multilayers that can be used as electrically insulating (or dielectric) materials. These multilayers generally include an inorganic primer layer and one or more bilayers deposited thereon. Each bilayer includes a chromophore or “?-polarizable” layer and an inorganic capping layer composed of zirconia. Because of the regularity of the bilayer structure and the aligned orientation of the chromophore resulting from the self-assembly process, the present multilayers have applications in electronic devices such as thin film transistors, as well as in nonlinear optics and nonvolatile memories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Northwestern University
    Inventors: Tobin J. Marks, Young-geun Ha, Antonio Facchetti
  • Organic Electro-Optic Modulators with Transparent Conducting Electrodes and Related Device Structures
    Publication number: 20160170244
    Abstract: Electro-optic (EO) modulator and related device structures which can be used in conjunction with high EO materials to lower switching voltage and improve related performance parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: Seng-Tiong Ho, Fei Yi, Tobin J. Marks
  • Regioselective 1,2-Dearomatization of Functionalized Azines by Organolanthanide Catalysts
    Publication number: 20160159825
    Abstract: A 1,2-regioselective organolanthanide-catalyzed azine dearomatization process using pinacolborane is disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventors: Tobin J. Marks, Massimiliano Delferro, Alexander S. Dudnik, Victoria L. Weidner
  • Bithiophene Sulfonamide-Based Molecular and Polymeric Semiconductors
    Publication number: 20160149138
    Abstract: The present invention relates to new semiconducting compounds having at least one optionally substituted bithiophene sulfonamide moiety. The compounds disclosed herein can exhibit high carrier mobility and/or efficient light absorption/emission characteristics, and can possess certain processing advantages such as solution-processability and/or good stability at ambient conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Antonio Facchetti, Tobin J. Marks, Yu Xia, Martin Drees, Ferdinand Melkonyan, Wei Zhao
  • Semiconducting Compounds and Devices Incorporating Same
    Publication number: 20160133858
    Abstract: Disclosed are molecular and polymeric compounds having desirable properties as semiconducting materials. Such compounds can exhibit desirable electronic properties and possess processing advantages including solution-processability and/or good stability. Organic transistor and photovoltaic devices incorporating the present compounds as the active layer exhibit good device performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2016
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Inventors: Tobin J. Marks, Antonio Facchetti, Pierre-Luc Boudreault, Hiroyuki Miyauchi
  • Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Multilayer Gate Dielectrics for Thin Film Transistors
    Publication number: 20160072085
    Abstract: Disclosed are organic-inorganic hybrid self-assembled multilayers that can be used as electrically insulating (or dielectric) materials. These multilayers generally include an inorganic primer layer and one or more bilayers deposited thereon. Each bilayer includes a chromophore or “?-polarizable” layer and an inorganic capping layer composed of zirconia. Because of the regularity of the bilayer structure and the aligned orientation of the chromophore resulting from the self-assembly process, the present multilayers have applications in electronic devices such as thin film transistors, as well as in nonlinear optics and nonvolatile memories.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Tobin J. Marks, Young-geun Ha, Antonio Facchetti
  • Aluminum Metallic Nanoparticle-Polymer Nanocomposites for Energy Storage
    Publication number: 20160071627
    Abstract: A nanoparticle composition comprising a substrate comprising aluminum nanoparticles, an Al2O3 component coating said aluminum nanoparticles, and a metallocene catalyst component coupled to the Al2O3 component; and a polyolefin component coupled to said substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Tobin J. Marks, Michael T. Lanagan, Mark A. Ratner, Massimiliano Deferro, Lisa A. Fredin, Zhong Li
  • Organic-inorganic hybrid multilayer gate dielectrics for thin-film transistors
    Patent number: 9276226
    Abstract: Disclosed are organic-inorganic hybrid self-assembled multilayers that can be used as electrically insulating (or dielectric) materials. These multilayers generally include an inorganic primer layer and one or more bilayers deposited thereon. Each bilayer includes a chromophore or “?-polarizable” layer and an inorganic capping layer composed of zirconia. Because of the regularity of the bilayer structure and the aligned orientation of the chromophore resulting from the self-assembly process, the present multilayers have applications in electronic devices such as thin film transistors, as well as in nonlinear optics and nonvolatile memories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Northwestern University
    Inventors: Tobin J. Marks, Young-geun Ha, Antonio Facchetti
  • Organic electro-optic modulators with transparent conducting electrodes and related device structures
    Patent number: 9256086
    Abstract: Electro-optic (EO) modulator and related device structures which can be used in conjunction with high EO materials to lower switching voltage and improve related performance parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Northwestern University
    Inventors: Seng-Tiong Ho, Fei Yi, Tobin J. Marks
  • Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Multilayer Gate Dielectrics for Thin-Film Transistors
    Publication number: 20160035855
    Abstract: Disclosed are organic-inorganic hybrid self-assembled multilayers that can be used as electrically insulating (or dielectric) materials. These multilayers generally include an inorganic primer layer and one or more bilayers deposited thereon. Each bilayer includes a chromophore or “?-polarizable” layer and an inorganic capping layer composed of zirconia. Because of the regularity of the bilayer structure and the aligned orientation of the chromophore resulting from the self-assembly process, the present multilayers have applications in electronic devices such as thin film transistors, as well as in nonlinear optics and nonvolatile memories.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: Tobin J. Marks, Young-geun Ha, Antonio Facchetti
  • Semiconducting compounds and devices incorporating same
    Patent number: 9240556
    Abstract: Disclosed are molecular and polymeric compounds having desirable properties as semiconducting materials. Such compounds can exhibit desirable electronic properties and possess processing advantages including solution-processability and/or good stability. Organic transistor and photovoltaic devices incorporating the present compounds as the active layer exhibit good device performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Northwestern University
    Inventors: Tobin J. Marks, Antonio Facchetti, Pierre-Luc Boudreault, Hiroyuki Miyauchi