Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.

Other

David V Tsu

Stanford R Ovshinsky

David A Strand

Rosa T Young

Robert O Miller

Boil Pashmakov

Thomas Schuelke

Lars Haubold

John Thomas Slagter

Fluorinated and hydrogenated diamond-like carbon ('DLC-FH') that have unique optical properties differ as a class from the existing DLC art, whose refractive indices [&#x3b7;]are limited to rather high values above a lower threshold of 1.7, and can range up to about 2.7. The DLC-FH materials can achieve very low refractive indices at 550 nm wavelength, [&#x3b7;], i.e., below 1.5, and especially demonstrated down to 1.3. Moreover, whereas the absorption for the existing DLC art, as quantified by the extinction coefficient [&#x3ba;] at a wavelength of 550 nm, [&#x3ba;] is limited to about 0.04, our DLC-FH material can achieve [&#x3ba;] below 0.01. Both of these attributes, i.e., low [&#x3b7;] and low [&#x3ba;] means that, for the first time, a carbon-based material as represented by the DLC-FH material, can be used for anti-reflection (AR) coating, wherein there are no longer any restrictions in how they can be used to promote low reflectance (with low fit[&#x3b7;]) and high transmittance (with low [&#x3ba;]). A dual-energy deposition process, using a Laser Arc for the high energy component creates a plasma of energized carbon atoms and ions, and excites a down-stream flow of fluorine and hydrogen containing gases to deposit an AR coating on a substrate which may be, windows typical of transportation vehicles (land, sea, air), and buildings.

Fluorinated and hydrogenated diamond-like carbon materials for anti-reflective coatings

An optical data storage and retrieval system that includes a phase change storage medium and dual energy sources. The phase change material may store information by undergoing a transformation from one structural state to another structural state through application of energy. The system is equipped with two energy sources, neither of which alone provides sufficient energy to effect the transformation. The combination of both energy sources, however, provides sufficient energy to induce the transformation needed to record information. The energy from either source may be optical, thermal, electromagnetic, mechanical or magnetic energy.

Optical data storage and retrieval systems utilizing dual energy sources

A light-plasmon coupling lens including an optically transparent substrate having a light incident surface and a light-plasmon coupling surface opposite the light incident surface. The light-plasmon coupling surface including at least a set of circular concentric peaks/valleys which form a Fourier sinusoidal pattern in the radial direction of the circular concentric peaks/valleys. A conformal layer of metal is deposited on the light-plasmon coupling surface of the substrate and has aperture at the center of thereof through which plasmons are transmitted. An optical recording medium including a light-plasmon coupling lens.

Optical data storage and systems utilizing plasmon lenses

An optical recording medium includes a crystallizing layer for enhancing the crystallization of a phase change memory layer, an energy storage layer for aiding the state transformations of a phase change memory layer, and/or a modifying element for increasing absorption and contrast at short wavelengths. An optical data storage and retrieval system containing same. Also a light-plasmon coupling lens including an optically transparent substrate having a light incident surface and a light-plasmon coupling surface opposite the light incident surface. The light-plasmon coupling surface including at least a set of circular concentric peaks/valleys which form a Fourier sinusoidal pattern in the radial direction of the circular concentric peaks/valleys. A conformal layer of metal is deposited on the light-plasmon coupling surface of the substrate and has aperture at the center of thereof through which plasmons are transmitted.

Increased data storage in optical data storage and retrieval systems using blue lasers and/or plasmon lenses

Methods of writing information to an optical memory device. The methods comprise the step of writing a mark to the active material of the optical memory device by irradiating the material with an applied energy source. In one embodiment, the applied energy source provides a plurality of energy pulses. In another embodiment, energy in excess of that required to form a mark is released and dissipated in a manner that minimizes mark enlargement, spurious mark formation, recrystallization and back crystallization. The methods are effective to provide better cooling characteristics through enhancement of the capacitive cooling contribution.

Recording mark formation in a phase change memory material via a predominately capacitive cooling process

An element for steering electromagnetic beams. The element includes a phase change material in combination with dielectric and other layers in a multilayer optical stack. The phase change material that is reversibly transformable between two or more structural states, where different structural states differ with respect to refractive index and/or extinction coefficient. The structural state of the phase change material establishes a phase angle state for the element that dictates the direction of propagation of an output beam produced from an incident electromagnetic beam. Depending on the structural state, the element adopts one of two principal phase angle states and a binary beam steering capability is achieved in which an incident electromagnetic beam can be redirected in either of two directions. In a preferred embodiment, the output beam is a reflected beam and the element includes a phase change material sandwiched between two dielectric materials and supported by a metal layer.

Binary beam steering device

An element for reflecting, transmitting, focusing, defocusing or wavefront correction of electromagnetic radiation in the terahertz frequency range. The elements include a grid of conductive strips including active regions comprising a chalcogenide phase change material. The chalcogenide material can be in an amorphous, crystalline or partially crystalline state. The dispersive characteristics of the grid (e.g. impedance, admittance, capacitance, inductance) influence one or more of the reflection, transmission, state of focusing or wavefront characteristics of incident electromagnetic radiation through the action of a stored phase taper formed by establishing a crystallinity gradient over a series of active chalcogenide regions or domains in one or more directions of the element. The dispersive characteristics of the grid are determined by the structural states of the active chalcogenide regions contained therein and are reconfigurable through transformations of one or more chalcogenide regions from one structural state to another by providing energy to the chalcogenide material. In a preferred embodiment, the individual active chalcogenide regions are much smaller than the operating wavelength of the element so that a plurality of active chalcogenide regions is included in wavelength scale domains. In these embodiments, crystallinity gradients may be formed through monotonic increases or decreases in the domain average fractional crystallinity in one or more directions of an element where no particular requirement on the fractional crystallinity of individual active regions need be imposed. In these embodiments, the domain fractional crystallinity is a statistical average over the individual chalcogenide regions contained therein and phase tapers may be achieved in multistate or binary mode. The element may be free-standing, supported on a dielectric substrate or interposed between two or more dielectric materials.

Phase angle controlled stationary elements for long wavelength electromagnetic radiation

A photonic crystal having reversibly tunable photonic properties. The photonic crystal includes a phase change material having a plurality of structural states that vary with respect to fractional crystallinity. Optical constants including refractive index, extinction coefficient and permittivity vary as the fractional crystallinity of the phase change material is varied thereby providing tunability of photonic crystal properties. Variations among the structural states of the phase change material are reversibly effected through the addition of energy in forms including optical or electrical energy. The photonic crystals may include defects that provide photonic states within the photonic band gap. The position of these states is tunable through the control of the fractional crystallinity of the phase change material included in the photonic crystal. Electromagnetic radiation resonators including photonic crystals having photonic states in the photonic band gap are further provided. These resonators may be used for frequency selective filtering or routing of electromagnetic radiation and permit tunable variation in the frequency and decay rates of resonant modes through control of the structural state of the phase change material. These resonators are further coupled to waveguides to provide tunable channel drop filters and narrowband reflectors.

Photonic crystals and devices having tunability and switchability

A reconfigurable and stationary element for the engineering of the wavefront of electromagnetic radiation. The element includes a phase change material that may be reversibly transformed between its crystalline and amorphous states. By forming a gradient in crystallinity, a phase taper may be stored in the phase change material of the instant element. The phase taper provides control of the phase angle of reflected or reradiated electromagnetic radiation. An incident wavefront of electromagnetic radiation interacts with the instant element and is reradiated with controlled propagation characteristics imposed by the stored phase taper. The instant element may provide non-specular reflection, beam steering, focusing, defocusing, symmetrical and asymmetrical cross section effects, and wavefront correction. In a preferred embodiment, a pattern of amorphous marks is formed within a crystalline matrix of phase change material. By controlling the size, shape, spacing, symmetry and distribution of marks, crystallinity gradients of various strengths in one or more directions may be formed to provide phase tapers that effect the engineering of wavefronts. An apparatus for forming patterns of marks included in the instant element is also provided.

Phase angle controlled stationary elements for wavefront engineering of electromagnetic radiation

A non-single crystalline semiconductor material includes coordinatively irregular structures characterized by distorted chemical bonding, reduced dimensionality and novel electronic properties. A process for forming the material permits variation of the size, concentration and spatial distribution of coordinatively irregular structures. The electronic properties of the material can be changed by controlling the characteristics of the coordinatively irregular structures.

Semiconductor with coordinatively irregular structures

A first aspect of the present invention is an improved microwave vacuum feed-through device for coupling microwave energy from a microwave wave guide in a substantially atmospheric pressure region into an elongated linear microwave applicator in a sub-atmospheric pressure region. The improved feed-through is designed to match the impedance of the microwave wave guide in the atmospheric pressure region and the improved linear microwave applicator. A second aspect of the present invention is an improved linear microwave applicator for uniformly coupling 95% or more of the microwave energy input thereto into an elongated plasma zone. The applicator includes curved microwave reflector panels which are used to tune the uniformity of the radiated microwave energy along the length of the linear applicator. A third aspect of the present invention is a microwave enhanced chemical vapor deposition method for depositing thin film material. The method includes a step of intensifying the kinetic/thermal energy of the electrically neutral species in the plasma by intensifying the kinetic/thermal energy of the ions in the plasma and thereby, through ion-neutral collisions, intensifying the kinetic/thermal energy of the electrically neutral species. The step of intensifying the kinetic/thermal energy of the ions in the plasma includes subjecting the plasma to either a very low frequency alternating current electrical bias or an alternating polarity magnetic field, the frequency of thereof being less than about 100 kHz.

Method and apparatus for the improved microwave deposition of thin films

An improved chemical vapor deposition method for the high-rate low-temperature deposition of high-quality thin film material. The method includes the steps of providing an evacuated chamber having a plasma deposition region defined therein; placing a substrate inside the chamber; supplying plasma deposition precursor gases to the deposition region in the evacuated chamber; directing microwave energy from a source thereof to the deposition region, the microwave energy interacting with the deposition precursor gases to form a plasma of electrons, ions and activated electrically neutral species, the plasma including one or more depositing species; increasing the surface mobility of the depositing species in the plasma by coupling additional non-microwave electronic energy and magnetic energy into the plasma, without intentionally adding thermal energy to the substrate or precursor gas; and depositing a thin film of material onto the substrate.

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Auburn Hills, MI, United States of America

David V Tsu