Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.

Other

Ovonic Synthetic Materials Company Inc.

Hellmut Fritzsche

Stanford R Ovshinsky

Stephen J Hudgens

Wolodymyr Czubatyj

Sergey A Kostylev

David A Strand

Benjamin S Chao

Jesus Gonzalez-Hernandez

John E Keem

Robert R Johnson

Qiuyi Ye

Alan M Kadin

Quiyi Ye

Julius J Harwood

A unique class of microcrystalline semiconductor materials which can be modulated, within a crystalline phase, to assume any one of a large dynamic range of different Fermi level positions while maintaining a substantially constant band gap over the entire range, even after a modulating field has been removed. A solid state, directly overwritable, electronic and optical, non-volatile, high density, low cost, low energy, high speed, readily manufacturable, multibit single cell memory based upon the novel switching characteristics provided by said unique class of semiconductor materials, which memory exhibits orders of magnitude higher switching speeds at remarkably reduced energy levels. The novel memory of the instant invention is in turn characterized, inter alia, by numerous stable and non-volatile detectable configurations of local atomic order, which configurations can be selectively and repeatably accessed by input signals of varying levels.

Homogeneous compositions of microcrystalline semiconductor material,

A phase change optical recording medium which includes 1) a substrate having a planar surface; and 2) a plurality of discrete data recording points deposited upon the substrate. The discrete data recording points are formed from a phase change material which changes from a state of a first relative order to a state of a second relative order and visa versa upon the application of optical beam energy. Preferably the phase change material forming the plurality of discrete data recording points is deposited within individual cavities embossed into the surface of the substrate. More preferably the individual cavities are cylindrical or parabolic (bowl shaped) cavities having their central axis perpendicular to the plane of the surface of the substrate.

Optical recording medium having a plurality of discrete phase change

Homogeneous composition of microcrystalline semiconductor material,

A method of forming a magnetic material. The magnetic material is a solid mass of grains, and has magnetic parameters characterized by: (1) a maximum magnetic energy product, (BH).sub.max, greater than 15 megagaussoersteds; and (2) a remanence greater than 9 kilogauss. The magnetic material is prepared by a two step solidification, heat treatment process. The solidification process is carried out by: (a) providing a molten precursor alloy; (b) atomizing the molten alloy through nozzle means to form individual droplets of the molten alloy; and (c) quenching the droplets of the molten alloy to form solid particles of the alloy. The solid particles have a morphology characterized as being one or more of (i) amorphous; (ii) microcrystalline; or (iii) polycrystalline. The grains within the solid have, at this stage of the process, an average grain characteristic dimension less than that of the heat treated magnetic material. In the second, or heat treating, stage of the process, the atomized solid particles are heat treated to form a solid material comprised or grains meeting at grain boundaries. The grains and grain boundaries have the morphology of the magnetic material.

Method of preparing a magnetic material

A high performance, small area thin film transistor has a drain region, an insulating layer, and a source region at least portions of the edge of which form a non-coplanar surface with respect to a substrate. The insulative layer is formed in between the source and drain regions. A deposited semiconductor overlies the non-coplanar surface to form a current conduction channel between the drain and source. A gate insulator and gate electrode overly at least a portion of the deposited semiconductor adjacent thereto. The length of the current conduction channel is determined by the thickness of the insulative layer and therefore can be made short without precision photolithography. The non-coplanar surface can be formed by utilizing a dry process to simultaneously etch through several layers in a continuous one-step process. A second dielectric layer may be formed above the three previous layers. This decouples the gate electrode from the source region by creating two capacitances in series, thereby limiting further the capacitance between the gate electrode and the source region.

High performance, small area thin film transistor

Growing community of inventors

Chicago, IL, United States of America

Hellmut Fritzsche