Patents by Inventor Victor C. Elarde

Victor C. Elarde 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: 9356162
    Abstract: The present application utilizes an oxidation process to fabricating a Group III-V compound semiconductor solar cell device. By the oxidation process, a window layer disposed on a cell unit is oxidized to enhance the efficiency of the solar cell device. The oxidized window has an increased band gap to minimize the surface recombination of electrons and holes. The oxidized window also improves transparency at the wavelengths that were absorbed in the conventional window layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: MicroLink Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Noren Pan, Christopher Youtsey, David S. McCallum, Victor C. Elarde, John M. Dallesasse
  • Patent number: 8993873
    Abstract: A solar cell structure is provided for reducing shadow losses without increasing series resistance in the solar cell device. The solar cell device may form an electrical contact to a solar cell emitter layer from the backside of the solar cell device. With this structure, the emitter contact shadow losses may be reduced significantly while simultaneously decreasing device series resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: MicroLink Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Youtsey, Francis Tuminello, Victor C. Elarde
  • Patent number: 8494025
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser that includes an active region, claddings and electrical contacts to stimulate emissions from the active region, where a coupled waveguide guides emission. The waveguide includes a broad area straight coupling region that fans out into an array of narrower Individual curved coupled waveguides at an output facet of the laser. The individual curved coupled waveguides are curved according to Lorentzian functions that define the waveguide curvature as a function of position along the device. The integral length of each individual curved coupled waveguide differs from adjacent individual curved coupled waveguides by an odd number of half-wavelengths. The coupled waveguide array shapes the optical field output of the semiconductor laser such that a large fraction of the power is emitted into a small angular distribution using interference phenomena. A laser of the invention produces high power output with a very high quality, narrow beam shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Univeristy of Illinois
    Inventors: James J. Coleman, Victor C. Elarde
  • Patent number: 8416823
    Abstract: The invention provides a quantum well active region for an optoelectronic device. The quantum well active region includes barrier layers of high bandgap material. A quantum well of low bandgap material is between the barrier layers. Three-dimensional high bandgap barriers are in the quantum well. A preferred semiconductor laser of the invention includes a quantum well active region of the invention. Cladding layers are around the quantum well active region, as well as a waveguide structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: James J. Coleman, Victor C. Elarde
  • Publication number: 20120227798
    Abstract: The present application utilizes an oxidation process to fabricating a Group III-V compound semiconductor solar cell device. By the oxidation process, a window layer disposed on a cell unit is oxidized to enhance the efficiency of the solar cell device. The oxidized window has an increased band gap to minimize the surface recombination of electrons and holes. The oxidized window also improves transparency at the wavelengths that were absorbed in the conventional window layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: MICROLINK DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Noren PAN, Christopher YOUTSEY, David S. MCCALLUM, Victor C. ELARDE, John M. DALLESASSE
  • Patent number: 8222988
    Abstract: A porous device for optical and electronic applications comprises a single crystal substrate and a porous single crystal structure epitaxially disposed on the substrate, where the porous single crystal structure includes a three-dimensional arrangement of pores. The three-dimensional arrangement may also be a periodic arrangement. A method of fabricating such a device includes forming a scaffold comprising interconnected elements on a single crystal substrate, where the interconnected elements are separated by voids. A first material is grown epitaxially on the substrate and into the voids. The scaffold is then removed to obtain a porous single crystal structure epitaxially disposed on the substrate, where the single crystal structure comprises the first material and includes pores defined by the interconnected elements of the scaffold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Paul V. Braun, James J. Coleman, Victor C. Elarde, Erik C. Nelson, Varun B. Verma
  • Publication number: 20100208761
    Abstract: The invention provides a quantum well active region for an optoelectronic device. The quantum well active region includes barrier layers of high bandgap material. A quantum well of low bandgap material is between the barrier layers. Three-dimensional high bandgap barriers are in the quantum well. A preferred semiconductor laser of the invention includes a quantum well active region of the invention. Cladding layers are around the quantum well active region, as well as a waveguide structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: The Board of Trustees of The University of Illnois
    Inventors: James J. Coleman, Victor C. Elarde
  • Publication number: 20100195683
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser that includes an active region, claddings and electrical contacts to stimulate emissions from the active region, where a coupled waveguide guides emission. The waveguide includes a broad area straight coupling region that fans out into an array of narrower Individual curved coupled waveguides at an output facet of the laser. The individual curved coupled waveguides are curved according to Lorentzian functions that define the waveguide curvature as a function of position along the device. The integral length of each individual curved coupled waveguide differs from adjacent individual curved coupled waveguides by an odd number of half- wavelengths. The coupled waveguide array shapes the optical field output of the semiconductor laser such that a large fraction of the power is emitted into a small angular distribution using interference phenomena. A laser of the invention produces high power output with a very high quality, narrow beam shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: James J. Coleman, Victor C. Elarde
  • Publication number: 20100186822
    Abstract: The present application utilizes an oxidation process to fabricating a Group III-V compound semiconductor solar cell device. By the oxidation process, a window layer disposed on a cell unit is oxidized to enhance the efficiency of the solar cell device. The oxidized window has an increased band gap to minimize the surface recombination of electrons and holes. The oxidized window also improves transparency at the wavelengths that were absorbed in the conventional window layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: MICROLINK DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Noren PAN, Christopher YOUTSEY, David S. MCCALLUM, Victor C. ELARDE, John M. DALLESASSE
  • Publication number: 20100126573
    Abstract: A solar cell structure is provided for reducing shadow losses without increasing series resistance in the solar cell device. The solar cell device may form an electrical contact to a solar cell emitter layer from the backside of the solar cell device. With this structure, the emitter contact shadow losses may be reduced significantly while simultaneously decreasing device series resistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Applicant: MICROLINK DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Christopher YOUTSEY, Francis TUMINELLO, Victor C. ELARDE
  • Publication number: 20100065889
    Abstract: A porous device for optical and electronic applications comprises a single crystal substrate and a porous single crystal structure epitaxially disposed on the substrate, where the porous single crystal structure includes a three-dimensional arrangement of pores. The three-dimensional arrangement may also be a periodic arrangement. A method of fabricating such a device includes forming a scaffold comprising interconnected elements on a single crystal substrate, where the interconnected elements are separated by voids. A first material is grown epitaxially on the substrate and into the voids. The scaffold is then removed to obtain a porous single crystal structure epitaxially disposed on the substrate, where the single crystal structure comprises the first material and includes pores defined by the interconnected elements of the scaffold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Inventors: Paul V. Braun, James J. Coleman, Victor C. Elarde, Erik C. Nelson, Varun B. Verma