Sandia Corporation

National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC

Paul J Resnick

Murat Okandan

Gregory Nolan Nielson

Jose Luis Cruz-Campa

Carlos Anthony Sanchez

Vipin P Gupta

Peggy J Clews

Michael Hibbs

Bruce L Draper

Jeffrey S Nelson

Brian D Homeijer

Anthony L Lentine

Christopher E Holland

David Bruce Burckel

Thomas A Friedmann

Eric Langlois

David L Chichester

Kristin L Hertz

Jeffry Joseph Sniegowski

Michael B Sinclair

Mark W Wanlass

Paul Davids

Igal Brener

Christopher Nordquist

Anna Tauke-Pedretti

Alex Robinson

Matthew G Blain

Paul R Schwoebel

Salvatore Campione

Scott D Habermehl

Michael Wiwi

Dale L Hetherington

Christopher W Berry

Seethambal S Mani

James E Stevens

Judith Maria Lavin

Bongsang Kim

Thomas W Krygowski

Peter Lukas Wilhelm Maunz

Benjamin John Anderson

Jeffrey Cederberg

Ralph W Young

Jonathan David Sterk

Steven R Volk

John F Rembetski

Katherine M Musick

Ryan Austin Shaffer

A resonant beam accelerometer employing a pair of double ended tuning forks and a proof mass having meso-scale mass as it is formed in the handle layer of a SOI wafer and a method of fabricating same is disclosed. The resonant frequencies of the pair of double ended tuning forks change in opposite directions when an externally applied acceleration is in a direction parallel to the pair of double ended tuning forks. Due to the proof mass having meso-scale mass, the resonant beam accelerometer is very sensitive. By employing a lid and a stator cap, the active portions of the resonant beam accelerometer may be sealed in a vacuum to further increase sensitivity.

Large mass MEMS resonant beam accelerometer

A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) inertial sensing device having a large proof mass with interlocking tabs is disclosed. The interlocking tabs limit motion of the proof mass when subjected to large inertial forces. The interlocking tabs are formed around the periphery of the proof mass and interact with corresponding interlocking tabs formed in a frame to which the proof mass is tethered. The motion of the proof mass is limited by the interlocking tabs, which are formed during MEMS fabrication of the inertial sensing device rather than as part of the packaging process. With a large proof mass, the inertial sensing device can provide high sensitivity in low inertial force environments while the interlocking tabs protect the device when subjected to high inertial forces.

Interlocking proof mass for mems inertial sensing device

A moldable photovoltaic module is provided. The module includes a flexible polymeric flex-circuit substrate having an electrically conductive printed wiring pattern and solder pads defined on it. Small photovoltaic cells are affixed to the flex-circuit substrate by back-surface contacts in electrical contact with the solder pads. At least one thermoformable polymeric film is joined to the flex-circuit substrate. Each said solder pad comprises a solder composition that, after an initial melt, has a melting point that lies above at least a portion of the temperature range for thermoforming the polymeric film.

Moldable photovoltaic solar cell module

A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometer that has high sensitivity to motion along the z axis is discussed. The device includes two symmetrical sets of bilateral, diametrically opposed high aspect ratio flexures that tether a movable proof mass to the frame of the device. The flexures are designed in such a way as to restrict movement of the proof mass along the x and y axes but readily allow motion along the z axis. More specifically, when the device experiences an acceleration along the x or y axes, the proof mass is restricted from moving because some of the bilateral, diametrically opposed flexures are in compression and others are in tension.

High sensitivity single-axis MEMS accelerometer with bilateral flexures

A platform for trapping atomic ions includes a substrate and a plurality of metallization layers that overlie the substrate. The metallization layer farthest from the substrate is a top layer patterned with electrostatic control trap electrodes and radio-frequency trap electrodes. Another metallization layer is a microwave layer patterned to define a microwave circuit. The microwave layer lies below the top layer. The microwave circuit is adapted to generate, in use, a microwave magnetic field above the electrostatic control and radio-frequency trap electrodes. The top metallization layer includes slots that, in use, are penetrated by microwave energy from the microwave circuit.

Ion trapping for quantum information processing

Tunable filters can use Fano metasurface designs having extremely narrow transmission bands. The Fano metasurface can comprise dielectric or semiconductor materials and can produce transmission bands with quality factors well in excess of 1000&#x2014;at least a factor of 50 greater than typical metamaterial-based infrared resonances. Numerical simulations of these metasurfaces show that the spectral position of the passband can be changed by slightly changing the position of a small dielectric perturbation block placed within the near-field of the resonator by using simple electromechanical actuation architectures that allow for such motion. An array of independently tunable narrowband infrared filters can thereby be fabricated that only requires deep-subwavelength motions of perturbing objects in the resonator's near-field.

Rapidly tunable, narrow-band infrared filter arrays

A method, system and apparatus including a device cell having a top side, a bottom side and opposing side walls. A passivation layer is formed along the top side, the bottom side and opposing side walls of the device cell. The passivation layer serves to passivate the device cell and facilitate carrier collection around the device cell. An anti-reflective layer is formed over the passivation layer and an optical layer is formed on the top side of the device cell. The optical layer reflects light within the device cell. The apparatus may further include a reflective layer formed along the bottom side of the device cell, the reflective layer to reflect light internally within the device cell.

High performance ultra-thin solar cell structures

A method is provided for making a molded photovoltaic module. The module includes a flexible polymeric flex-circuit substrate having an electrically conductive printed wiring pattern and solder pads defined on it. Small photovoltaic cells are affixed to the flex-circuit substrate by back-surface contacts in electrical contact with the solder pads. At least one thermoformable polymeric film is joined to the flex-circuit substrate. Each said solder pad comprises a solder composition that, after an initial melt, has a melting point that lies above at least a portion of the temperature range for thermoforming the polymeric film.

An apparatus, method, and system, the apparatus and system including a flexible microsystems enabled microelectronic device package including a microelectronic device positioned on a substrate; an encapsulation layer encapsulating the microelectronic device and the substrate; a protective layer positioned around the encapsulating layer; and a reinforcing layer coupled to the protective layer, wherein the substrate, encapsulation layer, protective layer and reinforcing layer form a flexible and optically transparent package around the microelectronic device. The method including encapsulating a microelectronic device positioned on a substrate within an encapsulation layer; sealing the encapsulated microelectronic device within a protective layer; and coupling the protective layer to a reinforcing layer, wherein the substrate, encapsulation layer, protective layer and reinforcing layer form a flexible and optically transparent package around the microelectronic device.

Flexible packaging for microelectronic devices

An apparatus including a carrier substrate configured to move a microelectronic device. The apparatus further includes a rotatable body configured to receive the microelectronic device. Additionally, the apparatus includes a second substrate configured to receive the microelectronic device from the rotatable body.

Apparatus for assembly of microelectronic devices

There is provided an electronic device and a method for its manufacture. The device comprises an elongate silicon nanowire less than 0.5 &#x3bc;m in cross-sectional dimensions and having a hexagonal cross-sectional shape due to annealing-induced energy relaxation. The method, in examples, includes thinning the nanowire through iterative oxidation and etching of the oxidized portion.

Method of making a silicon nanowire device

There is provided an electronic device and a method for its manufacture. The device comprises an elongate silicon nanowire less than 0.5 &#x3bc;m in cross-sectional dimensions and having a hexagonal cross-sectional shape due to annealing-induced energy relaxation.

Silicon nanowire device and method for its manufacture

Photovoltaic cells and photovoltaic modules, as well as methods of making and using such photovoltaic cells and photovoltaic modules, are disclosed. More particularly, embodiments of the photovoltaic cells selectively reflect visible light to provide the photovoltaic cells with a colorized appearance. Photovoltaic modules combining colorized photovoltaic cells may be used to harvest solar energy while providing a customized appearance, e.g., an image or pattern.

Customized color patterning of photovoltaic cells

An integrated field emission array for ion desorption includes an electrically conductive substrate; a dielectric layer lying over the electrically conductive substrate comprising a plurality of laterally separated cavities extending through the dielectric layer; a like plurality of conically-shaped emitter tips on posts, each emitter tip/post disposed concentrically within a laterally separated cavity and electrically contacting the substrate; and a gate electrode structure lying over the dielectric layer, including a like plurality of circular gate apertures, each gate aperture disposed concentrically above an emitter tip/post to provide a like plurality of annular gate electrodes and wherein the lower edge of each annular gate electrode proximate the like emitter tip/post is rounded. Also disclosed herein are methods for fabricating an integrated field emission array.

Integrated field emission array for ion desorption

Growing community of inventors

Albuquerque, NM, United States of America

Paul J Resnick