A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright or mask work protection. The copyright or mask work owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by any one of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright or mask work rights whatsoever.
The present invention is related to the following co-pending U.S. patent applications: (1) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/238,991, filed Sep. 30, 2005, entitled “Ultra-Small Resonating Charged Particle Beam Modulator”; (2) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/917,511 , filed on Aug. 13, 2004, entitled “Patterning Thin Metal Film by Dry Reactive Ion Etching”; (3) U.S. application Ser. No. 11/203,407 , filed on Aug. 15, 2005, entitled “Method Of Patterning Ultra-Small Structures”; (4) U.S. application Ser. No. 11/243,476 , filed on Oct. 5, 2005, entitled “Structures And Methods For Coupling Energy From An Electromagnetic Wave”; (5) U.S. application Ser. No. 11/243,477 , filed on Oct. 5, 2005, entitled “Electron beam induced resonance,”, (6) U.S. application Ser. No. 11/325,432 , entitled “Resonant Structure-Based Display,” filed on Jan. 5, 2006; (7) U.S. application Ser. No. 11/325,571 , entitled “Switching Micro-Resonant Structures By Modulating A Beam Of Charged Particles,” filed on Jan. 5, 2006; (8) U.S. application Ser. No. 11/325,534 , entitled “Switching Micro-Resonant Structures Using At Least One Director,” filed on Jan. 5, 2006; (9) U.S. application Ser. No. 11/350,812 , entitled “Conductive Polymers for the Electroplating”, filed on Feb. 10, 2006; (10) U.S. application Ser. No. 11/302,471 , entitled “Coupled Nano-Resonating Energy Emitting Structures,” filed on Dec. 14, 2005; and (11) U.S. application Ser. No. 11/325,448 , entitled “Selectable Frequency Light Emitter”, filed on Jan. 5, 2006, which are all commonly owned with the present application, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
This disclosure relates to multi-directional electromagnetic radiation output devices, and particularly to ultra-small resonant structures, and arrays formed there from, together with the formation of, in conjunction with and in association with separately formed reflectors, positioned adjacent the ultra-small resonant structures. As the ultra-small resonant structures are excited and produce out put energy, light or other electromagnetic radiation (EMR), that output will be observable in or from multiple directions.
Introduction
Electroplating is well known and is used in a variety of applications, including the production of microelectronics, and in particular the ultra-small resonant structures referenced herein. For example, an integrated circuit can be electroplated with copper to fill structural recesses. In a similar way, a variety of etching techniques can also be used to form ultra-small resonant structures. In this regard, reference can be had to Ser. Nos. 10/917,511 and 11/203,407, previously noted above, and attention is directed to them for further details on each of these techniques, consequently those details do not need to be repeated herein.
Ultra-small structures encompass a range of structure sizes sometimes described as micro- or nano-sized. Objects with dimensions measured in ones, tens or hundreds of microns are described as micro-sized. Objects with dimensions measured in ones, tens or hundreds of nanometers or less are commonly designated nano-sized. Ultra-small hereinafter refers to structures and features ranging in size from hundreds of microns in size to ones of nanometers in size.
The devices of the present invention produce electromagnetic radiation by the excitation of ultra-small resonant structures. The resonant excitation in a device according to the invention is induced by electromagnetic interaction which is caused, e.g., by the passing of a charged particle beam in close proximity to the device. The charged particle beam can include ions (positive or negative), electrons, protons and the like. The beam may be produced by any source, including, e.g., without limitation an ion gun, a tungsten filament, a cathode, a planar vacuum triode, an electron-impact ionizer, a laser ionizer, a chemical ionizer, a thermal ionizer, an ion-impact ionizer.
Plating techniques, in addition to permitting the creation of smooth walled micro structures, also permit the creation of additional, free formed or grown structures that can have a wide variety of side wall or exterior surface characteristics, depending upon the plating parameters. The exterior surface can vary from smooth to very rough structures, and a multitude of degrees of each in between. Such additional ultra small structures can be formed or created adjacent the primary formation or array of ultra-small resonant structures so that when the latter are excited by a beam of charged particles moving there past, such additional ultra-small structures can act as reflectors permitting the out put from the excited ultra-small resonant structures to be directed or view from multiple directions.
A multitude of applications exist for electromagnetic radiating devices that can produce EMR at frequencies spanning the infrared, visible, and ultra-violet spectrums, in multiple directions.
Glossary
As used throughout this document:
The phrase “ultra-small resonant structure” shall mean any structure of any material, type or microscopic size that by its characteristics causes electrons to resonate at a frequency in excess of the microwave frequency.
The term “ultra-small” within the phrase “ultra-small resonant structure” shall mean microscopic structural dimensions and shall include so-called “micro” structures, “nano” structures, or any other very small structures that will produce resonance at frequencies in excess of microwave frequencies.
The invention is better understood by reading the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
In one presently preferred embodiment, an array of ultra-small resonant structures can be prepared by evaporating a 0.1 to 0.3 nanometer thick layer of nickel (Ni) onto the surface of a silicon (Si) wafer, or a like substrate, to form a conductive layer on that substrate. The artisan will recognize that the substrate need not be silicon. The substrate can be substantially flat and may be either conductive or non-conductive with a conductive layer applied by other means. In the same processing a 10 to 300 nanometer layer of silver (Ag) can then be deposited using electron beam evaporation on top of the nickel layer. Alternative methods of production can also be used to deposit the silver coating. The presence of the nickel layer improves the adherence of silver to the silicon. In an alternate embodiment, a thin carbon (C) layer may be evaporated onto the surface instead of the nickel layers. Alternatively, the conductive layer may comprise indium tin oxide (ITO) or comprise a conductive polymer or other conductive materials.
The now-conductive substrate 102, with the nickel and silver coatings thereon, is coated with a layer of photoresist as is shown in
In
It should be understood that a wide variety of shapes, sizes and styles of ultra-small resonant structures can be produced, as identified and described in the above referenced applications, all of which are incorporated by reference herein. Consequently,
In
It should be understood that while a small oval structure, or the elongated rectangles at 116L, 175 and 176, respectively, are being used in
A wide range of morphologies can be achieved in forming the additional structures to be used as reflectors, for example, by altering parameters such as peak voltage, pulse widths, and rest times. Consequently, many exterior surface types and forms can be produced allowing a wide range of reflector surfaces depending upon the results desired.
Nano-resonating structures can be constructed with many types of materials. Examples of suitable fabrication materials include silver, copper, gold, and other high conductivity metals, and high temperature superconducting materials. The material may be opaque or semi-transparent. In the above-identified patent applications, ultra-small structures for producing electromagnetic radiation are disclosed, and methods of making the same. In at least one embodiment, the resonant structures of the present invention are made from at least one layer of metal (e.g., silver, gold, aluminum, platinum or copper or alloys made with such metals); however, multiple layers and non-metallic structures (e.g., carbon nanotubes and high temperature superconductors) can be utilized, as long as the structures are excited by the passage of a charged particle beam. The materials making up the resonant structures may be deposited on a substrate and then etched, electroplated, or otherwise processed to create a number of individual resonant elements. The material need not even be a contiguous layer, but can be a series of resonant elements individually present on a substrate. The materials making up the resonant elements can be produced by a variety of methods, such as by pulsed-plating, depositing or etching. Preferred methods for doing so are described in co-pending U.S. application Ser. Nos. 10/917,571 and No. 11/203,407, both of which were previously referenced above and incorporated herein by reference.
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1948384 | Lawrence | Feb 1934 | A |
2307086 | Varian et al. | Jan 1943 | A |
2431396 | Hansell | Nov 1947 | A |
2473477 | Smith | Jun 1949 | A |
2634372 | Salisbury | Apr 1953 | A |
2932798 | Kerst et al. | Apr 1960 | A |
2944183 | Drexler | Jul 1960 | A |
2966611 | Sandstrom | Dec 1960 | A |
3231779 | White | Jan 1966 | A |
3297905 | Fiedor et al. | Jan 1967 | A |
3543147 | Kovarik | Nov 1970 | A |
3571642 | Westcott | Mar 1971 | A |
3586899 | Fleisher | Jun 1971 | A |
3761828 | Pollard et al. | Sep 1973 | A |
3886399 | Symons | May 1975 | A |
3923568 | Bersin | Dec 1975 | A |
3989347 | Eschler | Nov 1976 | A |
4282436 | Kapetanakos | Aug 1981 | A |
4482779 | Anderson | Nov 1984 | A |
4712042 | Hamm | Dec 1987 | A |
4713581 | Haimson | Dec 1987 | A |
4727550 | Chang et al. | Feb 1988 | A |
4740973 | Madey | Apr 1988 | A |
4746201 | Gould | May 1988 | A |
4829527 | Wortman et al. | May 1989 | A |
4838021 | Beattie | Jun 1989 | A |
4864131 | Rich et al. | Sep 1989 | A |
5023563 | Harvey et al. | Jun 1991 | A |
5113141 | Swenson | May 1992 | A |
5128729 | Alonas et al. | Jul 1992 | A |
5157000 | Elkind et al. | Oct 1992 | A |
5163118 | Lorenzo et al. | Nov 1992 | A |
5185073 | Bindra | Feb 1993 | A |
5199918 | Kumar | Apr 1993 | A |
5235248 | Clark et al. | Aug 1993 | A |
5262656 | Blondeau et al. | Nov 1993 | A |
5263043 | Walsh | Nov 1993 | A |
5268693 | Walsh | Dec 1993 | A |
5268788 | Fox et al. | Dec 1993 | A |
5302240 | Hori et al. | Apr 1994 | A |
5354709 | Lorenzo et al. | Oct 1994 | A |
5446814 | Kuo et al. | Aug 1995 | A |
5504341 | Glavish | Apr 1996 | A |
5578909 | Billen | Nov 1996 | A |
5608263 | Drayton et al. | Mar 1997 | A |
5666020 | Takemura | Sep 1997 | A |
5668368 | Sakai et al. | Sep 1997 | A |
5705443 | Stauf et al. | Jan 1998 | A |
5737458 | Wojnarowski et al. | Apr 1998 | A |
5744919 | Mishin et al. | Apr 1998 | A |
5757009 | Walstrom | May 1998 | A |
5767013 | Park | Jun 1998 | A |
5790585 | Walsh | Aug 1998 | A |
5811943 | Mishin et al. | Sep 1998 | A |
5821836 | Katehi et al. | Oct 1998 | A |
5821902 | Keen | Oct 1998 | A |
5825140 | Fujisawa | Oct 1998 | A |
5831270 | Nakasuji | Nov 1998 | A |
5847745 | Shimizu et al. | Dec 1998 | A |
5889449 | Fiedziuszko | Mar 1999 | A |
5902489 | Yasuda et al. | May 1999 | A |
6008496 | Winefordner et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
6040625 | Ip | Mar 2000 | A |
6060833 | Velazco | May 2000 | A |
6080529 | Ye et al. | Jun 2000 | A |
6139760 | Shim et al. | Oct 2000 | A |
6195199 | Yamada | Feb 2001 | B1 |
6222866 | Seko | Apr 2001 | B1 |
6278239 | Caporaso et al. | Aug 2001 | B1 |
6281769 | Fiedziuszko | Aug 2001 | B1 |
6297511 | Syllaios et al. | Oct 2001 | B1 |
6316876 | Tanabe | Nov 2001 | B1 |
6338968 | Hefti | Jan 2002 | B1 |
6370306 | Sato et al. | Apr 2002 | B1 |
6373194 | Small | Apr 2002 | B1 |
6376258 | Hefti | Apr 2002 | B2 |
6407516 | Victor | Jun 2002 | B1 |
6441298 | Thio | Aug 2002 | B1 |
6453087 | Frish et al. | Sep 2002 | B2 |
6470198 | Kintaka et al. | Oct 2002 | B1 |
6504303 | Small | Jan 2003 | B2 |
6525477 | Small | Feb 2003 | B2 |
6545425 | Victor | Apr 2003 | B2 |
6577040 | Nguyen | Jun 2003 | B2 |
6603915 | Glebov et al. | Aug 2003 | B2 |
6624916 | Green et al. | Sep 2003 | B1 |
6636653 | Miracky et al. | Oct 2003 | B2 |
6640023 | Miller et al. | Oct 2003 | B2 |
6642907 | Hamada et al. | Nov 2003 | B2 |
6738176 | Rabinowitz et al. | May 2004 | B2 |
6741781 | Furuyama | May 2004 | B2 |
6782205 | Trisnadi et al. | Aug 2004 | B2 |
6791438 | Takahashi et al. | Sep 2004 | B2 |
6829286 | Guilfoyle et al. | Dec 2004 | B1 |
6834152 | Gunn et al. | Dec 2004 | B2 |
6870438 | Shino et al. | Mar 2005 | B1 |
6885262 | Nishimura et al. | Apr 2005 | B2 |
6909092 | Nagahama | Jun 2005 | B2 |
6909104 | Koops et al. | Jun 2005 | B1 |
6943650 | Ramprasad et al. | Sep 2005 | B2 |
6944369 | Deliwala | Sep 2005 | B2 |
6953291 | Liu | Oct 2005 | B2 |
6965284 | Maekawa et al. | Nov 2005 | B2 |
6965625 | Mross et al. | Nov 2005 | B2 |
6972439 | Kim et al. | Dec 2005 | B1 |
6995406 | Tojo et al. | Feb 2006 | B2 |
7010183 | Estes et al. | Mar 2006 | B2 |
7092588 | Kondo | Aug 2006 | B2 |
7092603 | Glebov et al. | Aug 2006 | B2 |
7122978 | Nakanishi et al. | Oct 2006 | B2 |
7177515 | Estes et al. | Feb 2007 | B2 |
7230201 | Miley et al. | Jun 2007 | B1 |
7267459 | Matheson | Sep 2007 | B2 |
7267461 | Kan et al. | Sep 2007 | B2 |
20010025925 | Abe et al. | Oct 2001 | A1 |
20020009723 | Hefti | Jan 2002 | A1 |
20020027481 | Fiedziuszko | Mar 2002 | A1 |
20020036121 | Ball et al. | Mar 2002 | A1 |
20020036264 | Nakasuji et al. | Mar 2002 | A1 |
20020053638 | Winkler et al. | May 2002 | A1 |
20020071457 | Hogan | Jun 2002 | A1 |
20020135665 | Gardner | Sep 2002 | A1 |
20030012925 | Gorrell | Jan 2003 | A1 |
20030016412 | Small | Jan 2003 | A1 |
20030016421 | Small | Jan 2003 | A1 |
20030034535 | Barenburu et al. | Feb 2003 | A1 |
20030155521 | Feuerbaum | Aug 2003 | A1 |
20030158474 | Scherer et al. | Aug 2003 | A1 |
20030164947 | Vaupel | Sep 2003 | A1 |
20030179974 | Estes et al. | Sep 2003 | A1 |
20030206708 | Estes et al. | Nov 2003 | A1 |
20030214695 | Abramson et al. | Nov 2003 | A1 |
20040061053 | Taniguchi et al. | Apr 2004 | A1 |
20040085159 | Kubena et al. | May 2004 | A1 |
20040108473 | Melnychuk et al. | Jun 2004 | A1 |
20040136715 | Kondo | Jul 2004 | A1 |
20040150991 | Ouderkirk et al. | Aug 2004 | A1 |
20040171272 | Jin et al. | Sep 2004 | A1 |
20040180244 | Tour et al. | Sep 2004 | A1 |
20040184270 | Halter | Sep 2004 | A1 |
20040213375 | Bjorkholm et al. | Oct 2004 | A1 |
20040217297 | Moses et al. | Nov 2004 | A1 |
20040231996 | Webb | Nov 2004 | A1 |
20040240035 | Zhikov | Dec 2004 | A1 |
20040264867 | Kondo | Dec 2004 | A1 |
20050023145 | Cohen et al. | Feb 2005 | A1 |
20050045821 | Noji et al. | Mar 2005 | A1 |
20050045832 | Kelly et al. | Mar 2005 | A1 |
20050054151 | Lowther et al. | Mar 2005 | A1 |
20050067286 | Ahn et al. | Mar 2005 | A1 |
20050082469 | Carlo | Apr 2005 | A1 |
20050092929 | Schneiker | May 2005 | A1 |
20050105690 | Pau et al. | May 2005 | A1 |
20050145882 | Taylor et al. | Jul 2005 | A1 |
20050162104 | Victor et al. | Jul 2005 | A1 |
20050190637 | Ichimura et al. | Sep 2005 | A1 |
20050194258 | Cohen et al. | Sep 2005 | A1 |
20050201707 | Glebov et al. | Sep 2005 | A1 |
20050201717 | Matsumura et al. | Sep 2005 | A1 |
20050212503 | Deibele | Sep 2005 | A1 |
20050231138 | Nakanishi et al. | Oct 2005 | A1 |
20050249451 | Baehr-Jones et al. | Nov 2005 | A1 |
20050285541 | LeChevalier | Dec 2005 | A1 |
20060007730 | Nakamura et al. | Jan 2006 | A1 |
20060018619 | Helffrich et al. | Jan 2006 | A1 |
20060035173 | Davidson et al. | Feb 2006 | A1 |
20060045418 | Cho et al. | Mar 2006 | A1 |
20060060782 | Khursheed | Mar 2006 | A1 |
20060062258 | Brau et al. | Mar 2006 | A1 |
20060159131 | Liu et al. | Jul 2006 | A1 |
20060164496 | Tokutake et al. | Jul 2006 | A1 |
20060208667 | Lys et al. | Sep 2006 | A1 |
20060243925 | Barker et al. | Nov 2006 | A1 |
20060274922 | Ragsdale | Dec 2006 | A1 |
20070003781 | de Rochemont | Jan 2007 | A1 |
20070013765 | Hudson et al. | Jan 2007 | A1 |
20070075264 | Gorrell et al. | Apr 2007 | A1 |
20070086915 | LeBoeuf et al. | Apr 2007 | A1 |
20070116420 | Estes et al. | May 2007 | A1 |
20070284527 | Zani et al. | Dec 2007 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
0237559 | Dec 1991 | EP |
2004-32323 | Jan 2004 | JP |
WO 8701873 | Mar 1987 | WO |
WO 9321663 | Oct 1993 | WO |
WO 0072413 | Nov 2000 | WO |
WO 02025785 | Mar 2002 | WO |
WO 02077607 | Oct 2002 | WO |
WO 2004086560 | Oct 2004 | WO |
WO 2005015143 | Feb 2005 | WO |
WO 2006042239 | Apr 2006 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20070257621 A1 | Nov 2007 | US |