The Aerospace Corporation

Peter D Fuqua

Siegfried W Janson

Jon Victor Osborn

Donald C Mayer

Henry Helvajian

Margaret H Abraham

William W Hansen

Ernest Y Robinson

James D Barrie

A laser direct write method creates true three dimensional structures within photocerams using an focused pulsed ultraviolet laser with a wavelength in a weakly absorbing region of the photoceram material. A critical dose of focused laser UV light selectively exposes embedded volumes of the material for subsequent selective etching. The photoceram material exposure is nonlinear with the laser fluence and the critical dose depends on the square of the per shot fluence and the number of pulses. The laser light is focused to a focal depth for selective volumetric exposure of the material within a focal volume within the remaining collateral volumes that is critically dosed for selecting etching and batch fabrication of highly defined embedded structures.

Ultraviolet method of embedding structures in photocerams

A thin film electrical optical filter includes a thin film electrooptical dielectric having a voltage controlled electrooptical refractive index that is disposed between opposing stacks of alternative layers having differing refractive indices for transmitting received incident light through a target passband. An applied voltage to the electrooptical dielectric can serve to alter the actual passband to the target passband for compensating for thin film manufacturing tolerances for producing controllable optical filters with precise passbands.

Tunable solid state thin film optical filter

A microthruster having an inverted exhaust system traps burst diaphragm fragments providing a clean exhaust while an exhaust port provides increased back pressure for efficient combustion of a propellant charge in a fuel cell. A converging diverging micronozzle provides a predictable exhaust vector for improved microthrusting well suited for propulsion system on small spacecraft.

Lateral exhaust microthruster

An address element, including a polysilicon resistor functioning as a heating element and blocking diode preventing sneak current to unaddressed elements, is selectively addressed using row and column address lines in a thin film structure having a minimum number of address lines and a minimum number of layers. The resistor heater element is well suited for igniting a fuel cell such as a fuel cell in an array of fuel cells disposed in a thin film microthruster.

Addressable diode isolated thin film cell array

Addressable diode isolated thin film array

The method addresses and interrogates addressable cells having at least one element including a polysilicon resistor functioning as a heating element and blocking diode preventing sneak current to un addressed elements, for selectively addressing one of the cells using row and column address line in a thin film structure having a minimum number of address lines and a minimum number of layers. The resistor heating element can be used for igniting a respective fuel cell in an array of fuel cells disposed in a thin film microthruster. After ignition, the address lines are used to interrogate the cell location for verification of fuel cell ignition well suited for monitoring fuel burns and usage of the microthruster.

Growing community of inventors

Redondo Beach, CA, United States of America

Peter D Fuqua