3m Innovative Properties Company

Todd A Ballen

Kenneth L Smith

Catherine A Leatherdale

Michael Albert Haase

Robert J DeVoe

Jeffrey M Florczak

Terry Lee Smith

Nelson D Sewall

Amy S Barnes

Patrick R Fleming

Douglas Scott Dunn

Jun-Ying Zhang

James W Howard

D Scott Thompson

Travis L Potts

Craig R Sykora

Thomas J Dahlin

Dora M Paolucci

Jeffrey D Janovec

Michael R Duoos

John Allen Wheatley

Brant Ulrick Kolb

Gilles J Benoit

Robert L Brott

Rolf W Biernath

Zhaohui Yang

Robert S Moshrefzadeh

Guanglei Du

Daniel J Schmidt

Thomas James Miller

David Jon Lundin

Edward J Kivel

Xiaoguang Sun

Jacqueline C Rolf

Michael Charles Lea

Christopher S Grinde

Stephen Michael Randall

Jordan D Whitney

A new technique for making cube corner elements that involves end milling is used in the fabrication of cube corner elements having non-orthogonal dihedral angles and dihedral angle errors, and arrays of such cube corner elements. A given optical face of a cube corner element may be a compound face with two constituent faces. In some cases, the constituent faces may be parallel and coplanar such that a given dihedral angle error pertains to the entire optical face, while in other cases, the two constituent faces may not be parallel, and may be associated with different dihedral angle errors.

Non-orthogonal cube corner elements and arrays thereof made by end milling

An optical filter including a polarizer and a visible light blocking filter is described. The polarizer is configured to transmit at least 60 percent of light in a first infrared wavelength range that is incident on the polarizer at normal incidence in a first polarization state, to transmit less than 30 percent of light in a second infrared wavelength that is incident on the polarizer at normal incidence in a second polarization state orthogonal to the first polarization state, and to transmit less than 30 percent of light in a third infrared wavelength range that is incident on the polarizer with a 50 degree angle of incidence in the second polarization state. The visible light blocking filter configured to transmit at least 60 percent of light in the first infrared wavelength range at normal incidence in the first polarization state.

Optical filter

Disclosed is an identification system to improve safety on roads and allow for the driver or for the vehicle itself, if it is autonomous or semi-autonomous, to have readable and useful information about road signs, roadways, and adjacent roadway information. The disclosed identification system comprises a marker with marker communication information that can be read by a vehicle information system to provide information to the vehicle. Information that the marker communication information may convey would allow the vehicle information system to detect or recognize, or both detect and recognize critical road sign, roadway information, and adjacent roadway information. Then, the vehicle information system could respond to the information received from the marker communication information.

Sign to vehicle identification system

Cube corner articles such as retroreflective sheeting utilize multiple cube corner arrays in a tiled configuration, each tile containing one array of canted cube corner elements. The tiles may be long and narrow, and the array in each of at least two or three adjacent tiles, or even in every tile, may include at least one lengthwise groove that is parallel to an edge of the tile and parallel to a fixed in-plane axis. Each tile may have a width that is narrow (e.g. 0.2 to 5 mm), and equal to an integer multiple of a lengthwise groove pitch to avoid or reduce ineffective fragmented cube corners along the tile edge. Each array may have a plane of cant and a primary plane of entrance angularity, and the primary planes of entrance angularity for the multiple tiles may be more evenly distributed in azimuthal angle than the planes of cant.

Microtiled prismatic cube corner articles

Re-emitting semiconductor constructions (RSCs) for use with LEDs, and related devices, systems, and methods are disclosed. A method of fabrication includes providing a semiconductor substrate, forming on a first side of the substrate a semiconductor layer stack, attaching a carrier window to the stack, and removing the substrate after the attaching step. The stack includes an active region adapted to convert light at a first wavelength &#x3bb;to visible light at a second wavelength &#x3bb;, the active region including at least a first potential well. The attaching step is carried out such that the stack is disposed between the substrate and the carrier window, which is transparent to the second wavelength &#x3bb;. The carrier window may also have a lateral dimension greater than that of the stack. The removal step is carried out so as to provide an RSC carrier device that includes the carrier window and the stack.

Re-emitting semiconductor carrier devices for use with LEDs and methods of manufacture

Multilayer construction is disclosed. The multilayer construction includes a II-VI semiconductor layer and a SiNlayer disposed directly on the II-VI semiconductor layer.

Multilayer construction

A multilayer construction is disclosed. The multilayer construction includes a -II-VI semiconductor layer ()x and a SiNlayer () disposed directly on the II-VI semiconductor layer. To improve the adhesion of the Si3N4 layer () a native oxide on the II-VI semiconductor layer is removed.

Light emitting systems are disclosed. The light emitting system includes an LED that emits light at a first wave-length. A primary portion of the emitted first wavelength light exits the LED from a top surface of the LED that has a minimum lateral dimension Wmin. The remaining portion of the emitted first wavelength light exits the LED from one or more sides of the LED that has a maximum edge thickness Tmax (). The ratio Wmin/Tmax is at least 30. The light emitting system further includes a re-emitting semiconductor construction that includes a semiconductor potential well. The re-emitting semiconductor construction receives the first wavelength light that exits the LED from the top surface and converts at least a portion of the received light to light of a second wavelength. The integrated emission intensity of all light at the second wavelength that exit the light emitting system is at least 4 times the integrated emission intensity of all light at the first wavelength that exit the light emitting system.

Monochromatic light source with high aspect ratio

Disclosed herein is an optical bonding composition that may be used in optical applications. An LED light source that utilizes the composition is also disclosed, as well as a method of making it. The LED light source may comprise: an LED die; an optical element optically coupled to the LED die; and a bonding layer comprising surface-modified metal oxide nanoparticles in an amorphous silicate network, the bonding layer bonding the LED die and the optical element together. Efficiency of the LED light source may be increased when using an optical extractor as the optical element.

Optical bonding composition for LED light source

An optical bonding composition and LED light source comprising the composition are disclosed, as well as a method of making the LED light source. The LED light source may comprise: an LED die; an optical element optically coupled to the LED die; and a bonding layer comprising an amorphous organopolysiloxane network, the organopolysiloxane network comprising a silsesquioxane portion derived from (RSiO)wherein Ris an organic group and n is an integer of at least 10; the bonding layer bonding the LED die and the optical element together. Efficiency of the LED light source may be increased when using an optical extractor as the optical element.

A process for making a microlens array or a microlens array masterform comprises

Process for making microlens arrays and masterforms

A method for enhancing photoreactive absorption in a specified volume element of a photoreactive composition. In one embodiment, the method includes: providing a photoreactive composition: providing a source of light (preferably, a pulsed laser) sufficient for simultaneous absorption of at least two photons by the photoreactive composition, the light source having a beam capable of being divided: dividing the light beam into a plurality of equal path length exposure beams: and focusing the exposure beams in a substantially non-counter propagating manner at a single volume element of the photoreactive composition simultaneously to react at least a portion of the photoreactive composition. In another embodiment, a method includes: providing a photoreactive composition capable of photoreactive absorption: and exposing the photoreactive composition to laser light from a plurality of substantially non-counter propagating directions simultaneously, wherein the light overlaps in time and space at a predetermined focus spot.

Multidirectional photoreactive absorption method

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Todd A Ballen