| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20080242111 | Atomic layer deposition of strontium oxide via n-propyltetramethyl cyclopentadiendyl precursor - A method of depositing oxide materials on a substrate is provided. A deposition chamber holds the substrate, where the substrate is at a specified temperature, and the chamber has a chamber pressure and wall temperature. A precursor molecule containing a cation material atom is provided to the chamber, where the precursor has a line temperature and a source temperature. An oxidant is provided to the chamber, where the oxidant has a source flow rate. Water is provided to the chamber, where the water has a source temperature. By alternating precursor pulses, the water and the oxidant are integrated with purges of the chamber to provide low contamination levels and high growth rates of oxide material on the substrate, where the pulses and the purge have durations and flow rates. A repeatable growth cycle includes pulsing the precursor, purging the chamber, pulsing the water, pulsing the oxidant, and purging the chamber. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080311455 | Solid oxide fuel cell components tuned by atomic layer deposition - A reduced cost solid oxide fuel cell having enhanced surface exchange rates and diffusivity of oxide ions is provided. The invention cell includes a first porous electrode and a second porous electrode, where the porous electrodes have a layer of electronically conductive porous non-precious metal, and the porous non-precious metal layer is a gas diffusion layer. The porous electrodes further include at least one atomic layer of catalytic metal deposited on the non-precious metal layer, and an electrolyte layer disposed between the first porous electrode and the second porous electrode. The electrolyte layer includes a first dense ion-conductive doped oxide film layer, and a second dense ion-conductive doped oxide film layer deposited on the first doped oxide film layer, where the catalytic metal layer on the conductive porous non-metal layer enhances surface exchange rates and diffusivity of the oxide ions, thus the material costs of the fuel cell are reduced. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20090011314 | Electrode/electrolyte interfaces in solid oxide fuel cells - A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with reduced electrical resistance and greater vacancy density control is provided. The SOFC includes an interfacial layer deposited, preferably by atomic layer deposition (ALD), between an electrode layer and an electrolyte layer. The interfacial layer includes an ion-conductive material. By use of ALD, the interfacial layer can have a very small thickness and can include layered structures of alternating materials. The interfacial layer can also include doping gradient structures of doped ion-conductive materials. Ultra-thin film platinum layers for high current density and cermet layers at the electrode/electrolyte interface are also provided. | 01-08-2009 |
| 20090065048 | Hybrid Photolytic Fuel Cell - An apparatus for providing electrical energy by utilizing energy from absorbed light to dissociate water and thereby provide free electrons is disclosed. In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises a fuel cell having a photolytic front end, a proton-conducting layer, and a catalytic cathode. The photolytic front end uses energy from light to dissociate water molecules into protons and electrons, the proton-conducting layer conducts protons to the catalytic cathode and forces the electrons to travel through an external electrical circuit, and the catalytic cathode recombines the protons and electrons with oxygen to reform water molecules. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090087712 | Fabrication method of thin film solid oxide fuel cells - A silicon-based solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with high surface area density in a limited volume is provided. The structure consists of a corrugated nano-thin film electrolyte and a silicon supportive layer on a two-stage silicon wafer through-hole to maximize the electrochemically active surface area within a given volume. The silicon supportive layer is done by boron-etch stop technique with diffusion doping. The fabrication of two-stage wafer through hole combines deep reactive ionic etching (DRIE) and KOH wet etching of silicon for a wafer through hole containing two difference sizes. By these design and fabrication methods, the absolute electrochemically active area can be as high as five times of that of the projected area. | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090099551 | Sensors and control for an interventional catheter - This invention provides small position sensors for applications where localized sensing in a small volume of space is needed but where measurement of large relative displacement is also necessary. The invention enables a surgeon to accurately position the tip of a catheter during minimally invasive therapy. The current invention further improves the quality of tactile feedback to a physician during catheter-based surgeries with an axial force sensor at the tip of the catheter that allows for the transmission of force information to the physician. One embodiment of this invention is a position sensor for active interventional catheters, where the sensor may be laser-machined shape memory alloy (SMA), and the catheter actuators may be heated SMA or wire-pulleys. Providing position feedback from a catheter during minimally invasive therapy allows for closed-loop control of the catheter tip position under computer-aided guidance and enable force feedback to the physician. | 04-16-2009 |
| 20090110996 | METHOD OF PREPARING FUEL CELL COMPRISING PROTON CONDUCTING SOLID PEROVSKITE ELECTROLYTE MEMBRANE WITH IMPROVED LOW TEMPERATURE ION CONDUCTIVITY, AND MEMBRANE ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY OF FUEL CELL PREPARED BY THE METHOD - Provided are a method of preparing a fuel cell and a membrane electrode assembly prepared by the method. The method includes preparing a substrate, forming a buffer layer having a single crystalline structure on the substrate, forming a proton conducting solid perovskite electrolyte membrane on the buffer layer, forming a first electrode on one surface of the proton conducting solid perovskite electrolyte membrane, etching the substrate, and forming a second electrode on the opposite surface of the one surface of the electrolyte membrane. Thus, the method of preparing a fuel cell can improve ion conductivity of an electrolyte membrane at a low temperature and a membrane electrode assembly of a fuel cell prepared by the method can improve ion conductivity at a low temperature. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090142642 | Cathode structures for solid oxide fuel cells - Cathode structures for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells are provided. The cathode structures include thin dense mixed ionic electronic conducting (MIEC) films. MIEC materials include materials with perovskite structures, such as LSCF. The thickness of the MIEC film is determined by minimizing the sum of the electronic and ionic resistances. Specific functions for the electronic and ionic resistances in terms of device and physical parameters are also provided. Pulsed laser deposition is used for the fabrication of the MIEC film and the electrolyte layer. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090218311 | Layer-structured fuel cell catalysts and current collectors - A method of fabricating a layer-structured catalysts at the electrode/electrolyte interface of a fuel cell is provided. The method includes providing a substrate, depositing an electrolyte layer on the substrate, depositing a catalyst bonding layer to the electrolyte layer, depositing a catalyst layer to the catalyst bonding layer, and depositing a microstructure stabilizing layer to the catalyst layer, where the bonding layer improves adhesion of the catalyst onto the electrolyte. The catalyst and a current collector is a porous catalyst and a fully dense current collector, or a fully dense catalyst and a fully dense current collector structure layer. A nano-island catalyst and current collector structure layer is deposited over the catalyst and current collector or over the bonding layer, which is deposited over the electrolyte layer. The fuel cell can be hydrogen-fueled solid oxide, solid oxide with hydrocarbons, solid sensor, solid acid, polymer electrolyte or direct methanol. | 09-03-2009 |
| 20090241232 | Prototyping station for atomic force microscope-assisted deposition of nanostructures - A localized nanostructure growth apparatus that has a partitioned chamber is provided, where a first partition includes a scanning probe microscope (SPM) and a second partition includes an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber, where the first partition is hermetically isolated from the second partition, and at least one SPM probe tip of the SPM is disposed proximal to a sample in the ALD chamber. According to the invention, the hermetic isolation between the chambers prevents precursor vapor from damaging critical microscope components and ensuring that contaminants in the ALD chamber can be minimized. | 09-24-2009 |
| 20090255580 | Quantum dot solar cell with quantum dot bandgap gradients - Efficient photovoltaic devices with quantum dots are provided. Quantum dots have numerous desirable properties that can be used in solar cells, including an easily selected bandgap and Fermi level. In particular, the size and composition of a quantum dot can determine its bandgap and Fermi level. By precise deposition of quantum dots in the active layer of a solar cell, bandgap gradients can be present for efficient sunlight absorption, exciton dissociation, and charge transport. Mismatching Fermi levels are also present between adjacent quantum dots, allowing for built-in electric fields to form and aid in charge transport and the prevention of exciton recombination. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090258157 | Field-aided preferential deposition of precursors - Lateral nano-scale pattern control for atomic layer deposition can be provided by using a scanning tunneling microscope (SPM) tip to locally influence chemical reaction rates. An electric field and/or charge transfer can significantly reduce the potential energy barrier that affects reaction kinetics, and thereby significantly enhance reaction rates. By operating the ALD growth system in a regime where reaction rates without an electric field and/or charge transfer are negligible, deposition can be precisely controlled to occur only at locations defined by the SPM tip. Alternatively, the SPM tip can be used to locally inhibit ALD growth. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090281534 | SYSTEM FOR DELIVERING THERAPY - The system of the preferred embodiments includes a first rotational element, a second rotational element, and a therapeutic source coupled to the rotational elements. The system permits simultaneous attachment to and movement around a surface of tissue, preferably during an ablation procedure (either during lesion creation or between lesion creation events), or during any other suitable procedure. The therapeutic source functions to translate along the path of tissue and deliver therapy as the first and second rotational elements rotate and roll along the path of tissue. The therapeutic source preferably delivers contiguous doses of therapy along the path of tissue. The system is preferably designed for delivering therapy to tissue and, more specifically, for delivering therapy to cardiac tissue. The system, however, may be alternatively used in any suitable environment and for any suitable reason. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20100089866 | Method for producing tapered metallic nanowire tips on atomic force microscope cantilevers - A method of making nanowire probes is provided. The method includes providing a template having a nanoporous structure, providing a probe tip that is disposed on top of the template, and growing nanowires on the probe tip, where the nanowires are grown from the probe tip along the nanopores, and the nanowires conform to the shape of the nanopores. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20100112196 | Thin film MEA structures for fuel cell and method for fabrication - The current invention provides a fabrication method for large surface area, pinhole-free, ultra thin ion conducting membranes using atomic layer deposition on inexpensive sacrificial substrates to make cost effective, high performance fuel cells or electrolyzers. The resultant membrane electrode assembly (MEA) enables significant reduction in resistive losses as well as lowering of the operating temperature of the fuel cell. The invention further provides a method to deposit 3-dimensional surface conformal films that may have compositional grading for superior performance. In addition, the invention provides decoration and modification of electrode surfaces for enhanced catalytic activity and reduced polarization losses. The method of the current invention enables the MEA structure to be fabricated from the anode side up or the cathode side up, each with or without an incorporated anode current collector or cathode current collector, respectively. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100181551 | Quantum dot transistor - One or more quantum dots are used to control current flow in a transistor. Instead of being disposed in a channel between source and drain, the quantum dot (or dots) are vertically separated from the source and drain by an insulating layer. Current can tunnel between the source/drain electrodes and the quantum dot (or dots) by tunneling through the insulating layer. Quantum dot energy levels can be controlled with one or more gate electrodes capacitively coupled to some or all of the quantum dot(s). Current can flow between source and drain if a quantum dot energy level is aligned with the energy of incident tunneling electrons. Current flow between source and drain is inhibited if no quantum dot energy level is aligned with the energy of incident tunneling electrons. Here energy level alignment is understood to have a margin of about the thermal energy (e.g., 26 meV at room temperature). | 07-22-2010 |
| 20100183919 | Quantum dot ultracapacitor and electron battery - The present invention provides a solid-state energy storage device having at least one quantum confinement species (QCS), where the QCS can include a quantum dot (QD), quantum well, or nanowire. The invention further includes at least one layer of a dielectric material with at least one QCS incorporated there to, and a first conductive electrode disposed on a top surface of the at least one layer of the dielectric material, and a second conductive electrode is disposed on a bottom surface of the at least one layer of dielectric material, where the first electrode and the second electrode are disposed to transfer a charge to the at least one QCS, where when an electrical circuit is disposed to provide an electric potential across the first electrode and the second electrode, the electric potential discharges the transferred charge from the at least one QCS to the electrical circuit. | 07-22-2010 |
| 20100183948 | Closed-end nanotube arrays as an electrolyte of a solid oxide fuel cell - The present invention provides solid oxide fuel cell that includes an electrolyte membrane, a first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer, where the electrolyte membrane is disposed between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer. The electrolyte membrane includes a solid electrolyte structure having at least two solid electrolyte nanoscopic closed-end tubes, where an open-ended base of each solid electrolyte nanoscopic closed-end tube is connected by a solid electrolyte layer. | 07-22-2010 |
| 20100190323 | Modifying catalytic behavior of nanocrystals - The present invention provides a method of providing a desired catalyst electron energy level. The method includes providing a donor material quantum confinement structure (QCS) having a first Fermi level, and providing an acceptor QCS material having a second Fermi level, where the first Fermi level is higher than the second Fermi level. According to the method the acceptor is disposed proximal to the donor to alter an electronic structure of the donor and the acceptor materials to provide the desired catalyst electron energy level. | 07-29-2010 |
| 20100200537 | Nano-patterned metal electrode for solid oxide fuel cell - The current invention provides a method of fabricating nano-pore structured dense Pt electrodes using particle masking and LB deposition methods. The pore size and TPB density are easily tunable by changing initial size of the masking silica particles and the spacing between them. Compared to the solid oxide fuel cell MEAs with porous Pt electrode deposited by conventional DC sputtering method, fuel cell MEAs with the nano structured electrodes fabricated according to the current invention showed thermal and microstructural stability and superior I-V performance at 400˜450° C. Also, EIS spectra showed significant improvement in the oxygen reduction kinetics by increasing the density of charge transfer sites at the TPB. A nearly linear scaling relationship between TPB density and fuel cell performance was also demonstrated. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20100240167 | Quantum confinement solar cell fabricated by atomic layer deposition - The current invention provides a method of fabricating quantum confinement (QC) in a solar cell that includes using atomic layer deposition (ALD) for providing at least one QC structure embedded into an intrinsic region of a p-i-n diode in the solar cell, where optical and electrical properties of the confinement structure are adjusted according to at least one dimension of the confinement structure. The QC structures can include quantum wells, quantum wires, quantum tubes, and quantum dots. | 09-23-2010 |
| 20100255381 | All -electron battery having area-enhanced electrodes - Improved energy storage is provided by exploiting two physical effects in combination. The first effect can be referred to as the All-Electron Battery (AEB) effect, and relates to the use of inclusions embedded in a dielectric structure between two electrodes of a capacitor. Electrons can tunnel through the dielectric between the electrodes and the inclusions, thereby increasing the charge storage density relative to a conventional capacitor. The second effect can be referred to as an area enhancement effect, and relates to the use of micro-structuring or nano-structuring on one or both of the electrodes to provide an enhanced interface area relative to the electrode geometrical area. Area enhancement is advantageous for reducing the self-discharge rate of the device. | 10-07-2010 |
| 20100255406 | SOLID-STATE FUEL CELL INCLUDING CHEMICAL ELECTROLYTE PROTECTION LAYER AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME - A solid-state fuel cell includes: an anode; an anode side chemical electrolyte protection layer disposed on the anode; a hydrogen ion conductive solid oxide film disposed on the anode side chemical electrolyte protection layer; a cathode side chemical electrolyte protection layer disposed on the hydrogen ion conductive solid oxide film; and a cathode disposed on the cathode side chemical electrolyte protection layer. | 10-07-2010 |
| 20110027689 | Silver-copper-zinc catalyst for fuel cells and/or electrolyzers - Silver-copper-zinc compositions are employed as catalysts, e.g., for fuel cell and/or electrolyzer applications. These compositions have been experimentally tested in solid oxide fuel cell and proton exchange membrane fuel cell configurations. Such catalysts can be effective for both the anode and cathode half-reactions. A preferred composition range is Ag | 02-03-2011 |
| 20110027694 | Solid-oxide fuel cells with concentric laminating electrolytes in a nanoporous membrane - A solid oxide fuel cell with an electrolyte membrane having one or more layers with interfaces perpendicular to the surfaces of the membrane is provided. The layers can be deposited on vertical walls of holes in a nanoporous membrane until the layers fully fill the holes, thereby forming superlattices in the holes. The final shape of the superlattices in this example will be concentric, laminating layers as seen in a top view looking down on the membrane. According to one aspect, conventional electrodes can be deposited on both sides of the membrane for current collection and surface charge transfer reactions. | 02-03-2011 |
| 20110076589 | Nano-patterned electrolytes in solid oxide fuel cells - A nano-patterned membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is provided, which includes an electrolyte membrane layer having a three-dimensional close-packed array of hexagonal-pyramids, a first porous electrode layer, disposed on a top surface of the electrolyte membrane layer that conforms to a top surface-shape of the three-dimensional close-packed array of hexagonal-pyramids, and a second porous electrode layer disposed on a bottom surface of said electrolyte membrane layer that conforms to a bottom surface-shape of the three-dimensional close-packed array of hexagonal-pyramids, where a freestanding nano-patterned MEA is provided. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110076594 | Ceria-based electrolytes in solid oxide fuel cells - A solid oxide fuel cell is provided having a ceria-based bulk electrolyte layer, an interface layer, an anode and a cathode, where the ceria-based bulk electrolyte layer is disposed between the cathode and the interface layer, and the interface layer is disposed between the ceria-based bulk electrolyte layer and the anode. Use of the ceria-based bulk electrolyte layer and an interface layer between the bulk layer and the anode takes advantage of the properties of a Ceria-based electrolyte without reducing to Ce (III) when operating the SOFC at the prescribed temperatures. The ceria-based bulk electrolyte layer has a thickness in a range of 10 nm to 500 um, and the interface layer has a thickness in a range of 1 angstrom to 50 nm. | 03-31-2011 |
