Texas Instruments Corporation

Stellar Generation, LLC

Jerome Lee Elkind

Patricia Beauregard Smith

Jose L Melendez

Joseph D Luttmer

Richard A Carr

Rudy L York

Larry D Hutchins

Julie S England

Andreas Hühmer

Anita A Strong

Keren Deng

Glennis J Orloff

Lissa K Magel

In some implementations, a system for producing hydrogen and oxygen from water includes a target, an oxygen selective membrane, a cooling chamber, and a hydrogen selective membrane. The target heats to at least a temperature that thermally decomposes water, receives water vapor, heats the received water vapor to the temperature that thermally decomposes water to form a heated vapor, and passes the heated vapor to an oxygen selective membrane. The oxygen selective membrane separates, at or near the temperature that thermally decomposes water, oxygen from the heated vapor to form a hydrogen-rich vapor. The cooling chamber cools the hydrogen-rich vapor to at least a specified temperature. The hydrogen selective membrane separates hydrogen in the hydrogen-rich vapor to leave substantially water vapor.

Separating hydrogen from disassociated water

The present disclosure is directed to concentrating sunlight. In some implementations, a concentrator includes a plurality of reflector support structures and a plurality of reflector segments associated with each reflector support structure. Each reflector support structure formed to include a curved surface that receives an associated reflector segment and a bottom portion that distributes the weight of the reflector segment along a surface area. Each reflector segment includes a reflecting surface adjacent a flexible element such that the reflecting surface reflects incident sunlight light. In some examples, the reflector support structures may comprise a light weight material such as a polyurethane and/or the reflecting surface may be 5 mils or less.

Concentrating solar energy

In some implementations, a system for disassociating water includes a decomposition chamber, a heating element, a plurality of hollow fiber membranes, and a water inlet. The heating element is positioned in the decomposition chamber and configured to generate heat sufficient to dissociate at least a portion of water to hydrogen and oxygen. The plurality of hollow fiber membranes include at least a section of each hollow fiber membrane that passes through the decomposition chamber and has an inner conduit and an outer wall. The inner conduit for each hollow fiber membrane is configured to pass a sweep gas, and the outer wall for each hollow fiber membrane is configured to selectively pass either oxygen or hydrogen. The water inlet connected to the decomposition chamber and configured to pass water vapor into the decomposition chamber.

Disclosed is apparatus and method for controlled surface plasmon resonance analysis having a surface plasmon resonance sensor () with a derivatized surface plasmon layer () in optical communication with the sensor, derivatizing the surface plasmon layer and placing an analyte detection chamber () in fluid communication with the derivatized surface plasmon layer. The chamber is adapted () for the generation of a molecular interaction bias across the chamber. A conjugate is provided between an analyte and a bias responsive element, wherein the analyte is reactive with the derivatized surface plasmon layer and the bias responsive element changes the response of the analyte to the molecular interaction bias. A conjugated analyte may be introduced into the chamber, generating a molecular interaction.

System for directed molecular interaction in surface plasmon resonance analysis

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor ( ) is disclosed. The sensor ( ) includes a light source ( ) and polarizer ( ), which emit polarized light toward a surface plasmon layer ( ). Light is reflected from the surface plasmon layer ( ) at many angles, toward a photodetector array ( ) via a mirror surface ( ). The surface plasmon layer ( ) includes a resonance film ( ), such as gold, and a hard protective layer ( ). The hard protective layer ( ) is of a thickness below the sensing range (R) of the SPR sensor ( ), and protects the resonance film ( ) from damage. Materials useful as the hard protective layer ( ) include silicon carbide (SiC), diamond-like carbon (DLC), silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, titanium oxide, titanium nitride, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, beryllium oxide, and tantalum oxide.

Robust integrated surface plasmon resonance sensor

A versatile flow cell front-end ( ) for storing and delivering reagents, test samples, and other transportable materials within an optically-based integrated sensor device ( ), where management of those materials is controlled via electrical connections ( ) within the optically-based integrated sensor device is disclosed, including an inlet chamber ( ) formed within the flow cell, a sensing chamber ( ) formed within the flow cell, an electrical interface ( ) formed within the flow cell, a conduit ( ) adjoining the inlet and sensing chambers, another conduit ( ) adapted to dispose of fluid in the sensing chamber, and a fluidic control member ( ) instantiated along the conduit and responsively coupled to the electrical interface.

Versatile flow cell front-end for optically-based integrated sensors

A versatile system ( ) for fountain beverage dispensing is disclosed, including a plurality of beverage supply sources ( ) adapted to supply a plurality of beverage constituents; a beverage mixing apparatus ( ) having a first aperture ( ) adapted to receive the plurality of beverage constituents, a second aperture ( ) adapted to dispense a mixture of the beverage constituents, and a conduit ( ) interposed between the first and second apertures and adapted ( ) to mix the plurality of beverage constituents; a dispensing nozzle ( ) engaged with the second aperture; and a sensor device ( ) disposed along the conduit, proximal to the second aperture, and adapted to adjust the supply of a beverage constituent.

Versatile system for fountain beverage mixing

Disclosed is a method of automatically sensing and controlling beverage quality for soft drinks from a fountain dispenser, for example, comprising the steps of supplying a first fluid, such as water or carbonated water, wherein the flow of the first fluid is controlled by a first valve, supplying a second fluid, mixing the first fluid and the second fluid, passing a sample of the mixture of the first fluid and the second fluid onto a sensing surface of a fixed optic sensor, measuring one or more properties of the sample, such as, for example, refractive index, temperature, and pressure, controlling the first valve based on the one or more properties, and dispensing the mixture. The first valve may be proportionally enlarged and reduced or it may selectively opened and closed pursuant to a desired duty cycle. The present invention further comprises a system for automatically sensing and controlling beverage quality, comprising a controller means, a first valve electrically coupled to the controller means for controlling supply of a first fluid, a second valve electrically coupled to the controller means for controlling supply of a second fluid, and a fixed optic sensor electrically coupled to the controller means.

System and method for sensing and controlling beverage quality

Disclosed is a sensing system and method utilizing a sensor cartridge (,) for making analytical measurements regarding one or more samples (,) of interest, the cartridge (,) comprising an opaque housing (,) having an opening (,), the opening (,) allowing access to one or more electrically conductive contacts (,) and one or more fluidic connectors (,) disposed within the housing (,) and mechanically aligned to the electrically conductive contacts (,), a flow cell (,) having one or more channels connected to the one or more fluidic connectors (,), and a fixed optic sensor (,) disposed within said housing (,) and aligned to a sensing surface on the flow cell. The fixed optic sensor may be, for example, a surface plasmon resonance sensor, a critical angle sensor, or a fluorescence-based sensor. In one embodiment of the present invention, the one or more electrically conductive contacts (,) comprise card-edge contacts (,). In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the one or more electrically conductive contacts comprise conductive pins (,) intended to be inserted into a socket (,) of a reporter unit (,). Because the optic sensor is pre-aligned, e.g., a sensing surface portion of the optic sensor is mounted on the flow cell, and at least one of the fluid connectors is aligned to the electrical contacts, the cartridge can be easily replaced on a host unit to allow, e.g., field analysis of multiple fluids.

System and method for optical sensing utilizing a portable, detachable sensor cartridge

A method is provided for reducing leakage current in an integrated circuit (24). A first doped region (18) having a first conductivity type is formed in a semiconductor layer (10) having a second conductivity type, such that a second doped region (20) having the first conductivity type is formed in the semiconductor layer (10). The second doped region (20) is less conductive than the first doped region (18). The first doped region (18) is removed from the semiconductor layer (10), such that the second doped region (20) substantially remains in the semiconductor layer (10). The integrated circuit (24) is formed to include the second doped region (20) and the semiconductor layer (10).

Method of reducing leakage current in an integrated circuit

A method of forming an n-p junction in a body (44, 44a, 44b) formed of Group II and Group VI elements. The body (44, 44a, 44b) initially is of p-type conductivity characteristic, and a dry reactive etching process is employed for forming a via (60, 60a, 60b) in the body by a chemical reaction which is also effective to type convert a portion of the body adjacent the via. An n-doped region (64, 64a, 64b) is thereby formed within the body around the via and between the via and the remaining, p-doped region of the body, thereby defining an n-p junction. In one embodiment, the body is mounted on an electrical device (50, 50a, 50b) having an input contact pad (58, 58a, 58b), and an electrically conductive layer (62, 46a, 90) is formed in connection with the contact pad and the n-doped region adjacent the via. In one application, a plurality of the n-p doped via junctions are formed in laterally spaced orientation for providing an array of infrared radiation sensitive photodiodes (24, 24a, 24b), the n-doped region of each diode having electrical connection with a respective contact pad of the electrical device.

Method for via formation and type conversion in group II and group VI

A process is disclosed through which vias (50) can be formed by the reaction of an etchant species (52) with a mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe) or zinc sulfide (ZnS) layer (42). The activating gases (20) are preferably a hydrogen gas or a methane gas which is excited in a diode plasma reactor (100) which has an RF power source (13) applied to one of two parallel electrodes. The etching occurs in selected areas in a photoresist pattern (44) residing over the ZnS or HgCdTe layer (42). Wet etching the layer (42) with a wet etchant (54) following the dry etching, improves the via (50) by making the walls (48) smoother, and allowing for expansion of the vias (50) to a dimension necessary for proper operation of a HgCdTe-based infrared detector.

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Dallas, TX, United States of America

Jerome Lee Elkind