Did You Know...
...that Charles Goodyear performed some of his experiments on rubber while in debtor's prison? He was there so often he referred to it as his "hotel". Chronically in debt because of poor business sense and ill health, Goodyear depended on the generosity of friends and family. Even after he unlocked the secret to vulcanizing rubber, he was unable to improve his financial situation. When he died, his estate was $200,000 in debt.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8070931 | Electrochemical fabrication method including elastic joining of structures Embodiments are directed to methods for forming multi-layer three-dimensional structures involving the joining of at least two structural elements, at least one of which is formed as a multi-layer three-dimensional structure, wherein the joining occurs via one of: (... | 12/06/2011 |
| 7878385 | Probe arrays and method for making Embodiments of invention are directed to the formation of microprobes (i.e. compliant electrical or electronic contact elements) on a temporary substrate, dicing individual probe arrays, and then transferring the arrays to space transformers or other permanent subst... | 02/01/2011 |
| 7830228 | Miniature RF and microwave components and methods for fabricating such components RF and microwave radiation directing or controlling components are provided that may be monolithic, that may be formed from a plurality of electrodeposition operations and/or from a plurality of deposited layers of material, that may include switches, inductors, ant... | 11/09/2010 |
| 7828952 | Methods of and apparatus for electrochemically fabricating structures via interlaced layers or via selective etching and filling of voids Multi-layer structures are electrochemically fabricated by depositing a first material, selectively etching the first material (e.g. via a mask), depositing a second material to fill in the voids created by the etching, and then planarizing the depositions so as to ... | 11/09/2010 |
| 7811427 | Monolithic structures including alignment and/or retention fixtures for accepting components Permanent or temporary alignment and/or retention structures for receiving multiple components are provided. The structures are preferably formed monolithically via a plurality of deposition operations (e.g. electrodeposition operations). The structures typically in... | 10/12/2010 |
| 7686770 | Discrete or continuous tissue capture device and method for making Some embodiments of the invention provide an instrument for mechanically removing segments of tissue from a patient during a minimally invasive surgical procedure. An exemplary instrument provides an inlet for receiving tissue a mechanism for cutting away received t... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7679388 | Cantilever microprobes for contacting electronic components and methods for making such probes Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to compliant probe structures for making temporary or permanent contact with electronic circuits and the like. In particular, embodiments are directed to various designs of cantilever-like probe structures. Some embodiments ... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7674361 | Micro-turbines, roller bearings, bushings, and design of hollow closed structures and fabrication methods for creating such structures Multi-layer fabrication methods (e.g. electrochemical fabrication methods) for forming microscale and mesoscale devices or structures (e.g. turbines) provide bushings or roller bearing that allow rotational or linear motion which is constrained by multiple structura... | 03/09/2010 |
| 7640651 | Fabrication process for co-fabricating multilayer probe array and a space transformer Embodiments of the invention provide fabrication processes for the co-fabrication of microprobe arrays along with one or more space transformers wherein the fabrication processes include the forming and adhering of a plurality of layers to previously formed layers a... | 01/05/2010 |
| 7611616 | Mesoscale and microscale device fabrication methods using split structures and alignment elements Various embodiments of the invention are directed to formation of mesoscale or microscale devices using electrochemical fabrication techniques where structures are formed from a plurality of layers as opened structures which can be folded over or other otherwise com... | 11/03/2009 |
| 7588674 | Method and apparatus for maintaining parallelism of layers and/or achieving desired thicknesses of layers during the electrochemical fabrication of structures Some embodiments of the present invention provide processes and apparatus for electrochemically fabricating multilayer structures (e.g. mesoscale or microscale structures) with improved endpoint detection and parallelism maintenance for materials (e.g. layers) that ... | 09/15/2009 |
| 7567089 | Two-part microprobes for contacting electronic components and methods for making such probes Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to compliant probe structures for making temporary or permanent contact with electronic circuits and the like. In particular, embodiments are directed to various designs of two-part probe elements, socket-able probes and the... | 07/28/2009 |
| 7557595 | Cantilever microprobes for contacting electronic components and methods for making such probes Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to compliant probe structures for making temporary or permanent contact with electronic circuits and the like. In particular, embodiments are directed to various designs of cantilever-like probe structures. Some embodiments ... | 07/07/2009 |
| 7531077 | Electrochemical fabrication process for forming multilayer multimaterial microprobe structures Some embodiments of the invention are directed to the electrochemical fabrication of microprobes which are formed from a core material and a material that partially coats the surface of the probe. Other embodiments are directed to the electrochemical fabrication of ... | 05/12/2009 |
| 7527721 | Electrochemical fabrication method for producing multi-layer three-dimensional structures on a porous dielectric Multi-layer structures are electrochemically formed on porous dielectric substrates. In some embodiments, the substrates have at least one surface which is infiltrated with a sacrificial conductive material, all pores (e.g. openings in between dielectric regions of ... | 05/05/2009 |
| 7524427 | Electrochemical fabrication methods incorporating dielectric materials and/or using dielectric substrates Some embodiments of the present invention are directed to techniques for building up single layer or multi-layer structures on dielectric or partially dielectric substrates. Certain embodiments deposit seed layer material directly onto substrate materials while othe... | 04/28/2009 |
| 7517462 | Electrochemical fabrication methods incorporating dielectric materials and/or using dielectric substrates Some embodiments of the present invention are directed to techniques for building up single layer or multi-layer structures on dielectric or partially dielectric substrates. Certain embodiments deposit seed layer material directly onto substrate materials while othe... | 04/14/2009 |
| 7511523 | Cantilever microprobes for contacting electronic components and methods for making such probes Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to compliant probe structures for making temporary or permanent contact with electronic circuits and the like. In particular, embodiments are directed to various designs of cantilever-like probe structures. Some embodiments ... | 03/31/2009 |
| 7504840 | Electrochemically fabricated microprobes Multilayer test probe structures are electrochemically fabricated via depositions of one or more materials in a plurality of overlaying and adhered layers. In some embodiments each probe structure may include a plurality of contact arms or contact tips that are used... | 03/17/2009 |
| 7501328 | Methods for electrochemically fabricating structures using adhered masks, incorporating dielectric sheets, and/or seed layers that are partially removed via planarization Embodiments of the present invention provide mesoscale or microscale three-dimensional structures (e.g. components, device, and the like). Embodiments relate to one or more of (1) the formation of such structures which incorporate sheets of dielectric material and/o... | 03/10/2009 |
| 7498714 | Multi-layer three-dimensional structures having features smaller than a minimum feature size associated with the formation of individual layers Embodiments of multi-layer three-dimensional structures and formation methods provide structures with effective feature (e.g. opening) sizes (e.g. virtual gaps) that are smaller than a minimum feature size (MFS) that exists on each layer as a result of the formation... | 03/03/2009 |
| 7488686 | Electrochemical fabrication methods including use of surface treatments to reduce overplating and/or planarization during formation of multi-layer three-dimensional structures A method of fabricating three-dimensional structures from a plurality of adhered layers of at least a first and a second material wherein the first material is a conductive material and wherein each of a plurality of layers includes treating a surface of a first mat... | 02/10/2009 |
| 7412767 | Microprobe tips and methods for making Embodiments of the present invention are directed to the formation of microprobe tips elements having a variety of configurations. In some embodiments tips are formed from the same building material as the probes themselves, while in other embodiments the tips may b... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7384530 | Methods for electrochemically fabricating multi-layer structures including regions incorporating maskless, patterned, multiple layer thickness depositions of selected materials The invention includes methods of fabrication and apparatuses. In at least some embodiments of the applicants' invention, the methods include processes of: maskless selective deposition of non-layered structures, selective etching and/or deposition without use of a ... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7372616 | Complex microdevices and apparatus and methods for fabricating such devices Various embodiments of the invention are directed to various microdevices including sensors, actuators, valves, scanning mirrors, accelerometers, switches, and the like. In some embodiments the devices are formed via electrochemical fabrication (EFAB™). ... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7368044 | Non-conformable masks and methods and apparatus for forming three-dimensional structures Electrochemical Fabrication techniques are used to modify substrates or to form multilayer structures (e.g. components or devices) from a plurality of overlaying and adhered layers. Masks are used to selectively etch or deposit material. Some masks may be of the con... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7363705 | Method of making a contact Embodiments of the present invention are directed to the formation of microprobe tips elements having a variety of configurations. In some embodiments tips are formed from the same building material as the probes themselves, while in other embodiments the tips may b... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7351321 | Method for electrochemical fabrication An electroplating method that includes: a) contacting a first substrate with a first article, which includes a substrate and a conformable mask disposed in a pattern on the substrate; b) electroplating a first metal from a source of metal ions onto the first substra... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7303663 | Multistep release method for electrochemically fabricated structures Multilayer structures are electrochemically fabricated from at least one structural material (e.g. nickel), that is configured to define a desired structure and which may be attached to a substrate, and from at least one sacrificial material (e.g. copper) that surro... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7291254 | Method for electrochemically forming structures including non-parallel mating of contact masks and substrates Treatment of substrates, formation of structures, and formation of multilayer structures using contact masks are disclosed where a non-parallel or non-simultaneous mating of various mask contact surfaces to a substrate surface occurs. Some embodiments involve bringi... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7288178 | Methods of and apparatus for making high aspect ratio microelectromechanical structures Various embodiments of the invention provide techniques for forming structures (e.g. HARMS-type structures) via an electrochemical extrusion process. Preferred embodiments perform the extrusion processes via depositions through anodeless conformable contact masks th... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7273812 | Microprobe tips and methods for making Embodiments of the present invention are directed to the formation of microprobe tips elements having a variety of configurations. In some embodiments tips are formed from the same building material as the probes themselves, while in other embodiments the tips may b... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7271888 | Method and apparatus for maintaining parallelism of layers and/or achieving desired thicknesses of layers during the electrochemical fabrication of structures Some embodiments of the present invention provide processes and apparatus for electrochemically fabricating multilayer structures (e.g. mesoscale or microscale structures) with improved endpoint detection and parallelism maintenance for materials (e.g. layers) that ... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7265562 | Cantilever microprobes for contacting electronic components and methods for making such probes Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to compliant probe structures for making temporary or permanent contact with electronic circuits and the like. In particular, embodiments are directed to various designs of cantilever-like probe structures. Some embodiments ... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7265565 | Cantilever microprobes for contacting electronic components and methods for making such probes Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to compliant probe structures for making temporary or permanent contact with electronic circuits and the like. In particular, embodiments are directed to various designs of cantilever-like probe structures. Some embodiments ... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7252861 | Methods of and apparatus for electrochemically fabricating structures via interlaced layers or via selective etching and filling of voids Multi-layer structures are electrochemically fabricated by depositing a first material, selectively etching the first material (e.g. via a mask), depositing a second material to fill in the voids created by the etching, and then planarizing the depositions so as to ... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7250101 | Electrochemically fabricated structures having dielectric or active bases and methods of and apparatus for producing such structures Multilayer structures are electrochemically fabricated on a temporary (e.g. conductive) substrate and are thereafter bonded to a permanent (e.g. dielectric, patterned, multi-material, or otherwise functional) substrate and removed from the temporary substrate. In so... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7241689 | Microprobe tips and methods for making Embodiments of the present invention are directed to the formation of microprobe tips elements having a variety of configurations. In some embodiments tips are formed from the same building material as the probes themselves, while in other embodiments the tips may b... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7239219 | Miniature RF and microwave components and methods for fabricating such components RF and microwave radiation directing or controlling components are provided that may be monolithic, that may be formed from a plurality of electrodeposition operations and/or from a plurality of deposited layers of material, that may include switches, inductors, ant... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7235166 | Multi-cell masks and methods and apparatus for using such masks to form three-dimensional structures Multilayer structures are electrochemically fabricated via depositions of one or more materials in a plurality of overlaying and adhered layers. Selectivity of deposition is obtained via a multi-cell controllable mask. Alternatively, net selective deposition is obta... | 06/26/2007 |
