Bing Liu

7608308, Oct 27, 2009

Apr 17, 2006

11/405020

Bing Liu - Ann Arbor MI, US
Zhendong Hu - Ann Arbor MI, US
Yong Che - Ann Arbor MI, US
Yuzuru Uehara - Ann Arbor MI, US

Imra America, Inc. - Ann Arbor MI

C23C 14/30
H05B 7/00
C23C 8/00

427596, 427586

A p-type semiconductor zinc oxide (ZnO) film and a process for preparing the film are disclosed. The film is co-doped with phosphorous (P) and lithium (Li). A pulsed laser deposition scheme is described for use in growing the film. Further described is a process of pulsed laser deposition using transparent substrates which includes a pulsed laser source, a substrate that is transparent at the wavelength of the pulsed laser, and a multi-target system. The optical path of the pulsed laser is arranged in such a way that the pulsed laser is incident from the back of the substrate, passes through the substrate, and then focuses on the target. By translating the substrate towards the target, this geometric arrangement enables deposition of small features utilizing the root of the ablation plume, which can exist in a one-dimensional transition stage along the target surface normal, before the angular width of the plume is broadened by three-dimensional adiabatic expansion. This can provide small deposition feature sizes, which can be similar in size to the laser focal spot, and provides a novel method for direct deposition of patterned materials.

7767272, Aug 3, 2010

May 25, 2007

11/754031

Bing Liu - Ann Arbor MI, US
Zhendong Hu - Ann Arbor MI, US
Yong Che - Ann Arbor MI, US

IMRA America, Inc. - Ann Arbor MI

B05D 3/00
C08J 7/18
G21H 5/00

427554, 427453, 136252

A method of producing compound nanorods and thin films under a controlled growth mode is described. The method involves ablating compound targets using an ultrafast pulsed laser and depositing the ablated materials onto a substrate. When producing compound nanorods, external catalysts such as pre-deposited metal nanoparticles are not involved. Instead, at the beginning of deposition, simply by varying the fluence at the focal spot on the target, a self-formed seed layer can be introduced for nanorods growth. This provides a simple method of producing high purity nanorods and controlling the growth mode. Three growth modes are covered by the present invention, including nanorod growth, thin film growth, and nano-porous film growth.

8246714, Aug 21, 2012

Jan 30, 2009

12/320617

Bing Liu - Ann Arbor MI, US
Zhendong Hu - Ann Arbor MI, US
Makoto Murakami - Ann Arbor MI, US
Yong Che - Ann Arbor MI, US

IMRA America, Inc. - Ann Arbor MI

B22F 9/02
B22F 9/04

75345, 20415715, 2041574, 20415741

Various embodiments include a method of producing chemically pure and stably dispersed metal and metal-alloy nanoparticle colloids with ultrafast pulsed laser ablation. A method comprises irradiating a metal or metal alloy target submerged in a liquid with ultrashort laser pulses at a high repetition rate, cooling a portion of the liquid that includes an irradiated region, and collecting nanoparticles produced with the laser irradiation and liquid cooling. The method may be implemented with a high repetition rate ultrafast pulsed laser source, an optical system for focusing and moving the pulsed laser beams, a metal or metal alloy target submerged in a liquid, and a liquid circulating system to cool the laser focal volume and collect the nanoparticle products. By controlling various laser parameters, and with optional liquid flow movement, the method provides stable colloids of dispersed metal and metal-alloy nanoparticles. In various embodiments additional stabilizing chemical agents are not required.

8409906, Apr 2, 2013

Oct 25, 2010

12/910929

Wei Guo - Canton MI, US
Yu Jin - Ann Arbor MI, US
Bing Liu - Ann Arbor MI, US
Yong Che - Ann Arbor MI, US

IMRA America, Inc. - Ann Arbor MI

H01L 21/00

438 72, 438 84, 438 85, 438E31033, 136251, 136255

The present invention provides a non-vacuum method of depositing a photovoltaic absorber layer based on electrophoretic deposition of a mixture of nanoparticles with a controlled atomic ratio between the elements. The nanoparticles are first dispersed in a liquid medium to form a colloidal suspension and then electrophoretically deposited onto a substrate to form a thin film photovoltaic absorber layer. The absorber layer may be subjected to optional post-deposition treatments for photovoltaic absorption.

8540173, Sep 24, 2013

Nov 22, 2010

12/951557

Yuki Ichikawa - Ann Arbor MI, US
Zhengong Hu - Ann Arbor MI, US
Bing Liu - Ann Arbor MI, US
Yong Che - Ann Arbor MI, US

IMRA America, Inc. - Ann Arbor MI

B02C 19/18

241 1, 241 21

A method of forming nanometer sized fine particles of functional ceramic from a bulk functional ceramic, particularly fine particles of phosphorous ceramics from a bulk phosphor material is disclosed. The method relies on irradiation of a bulk phosphorous ceramic in a liquid with an ultrashort-pulsed-laser-fragmentation beam to thereby form nanometer sized particles of the phosphorous ceramic. The method is unique in that the generated particles retain the chemical and crystalline properties of the bulk phosphorous ceramic. The generated solutions are stable colloids from which the particles can be isolated or used as is.

8609205, Dec 17, 2013

Jul 2, 2009

12/497205

Zhendong Hu - Ann Arbor MI, US
Yong Che - Ann Arbor MI, US
Bing Liu - Ann Arbor MI, US

Imra America, Inc. - Ann Arbor MI

H05B 7/00
C23C 14/14

427596

A one-step and room-temperature process for depositing nanoparticles or nanocomposite (nanoparticle-assembled) films of metal oxides such as crystalline titanium dioxide (TiO) onto a substrate surface using ultrafast pulsed laser ablation of Titania or metal titanium target. The system includes a pulsed laser with a pulse duration ranging from a few femtoseconds to a few tens of picoseconds, an optical setup for processing the laser beam such that the beam is focused onto the target surface with an appropriate average energy density and an appropriate energy density distribution, and a vacuum chamber in which the target and the substrate are installed and background gases and their pressures are appropriately adjusted.

20080006524, Jan 10, 2008

Mar 2, 2007

11/712924

Bing Liu - Ann Arbor MI, US
Zhendong Hu - Ann Arbor MI, US
Yong Che - Ann Arbor MI, US

C23C 14/00

20419212, 20429802

The present invention provides a one-step process for producing and depositing size-selected nanoparticles onto a substrate surface using ultrafast pulsed laser ablation of solid target materials. The system includes a pulsed laser with a pulse duration ranging from a few femtoseconds to a few tens of picoseconds, an optical setup for processing the laser beam such that the beam is focused onto the target surface with an appropriate average energy density and an appropriate energy density distribution, and a vacuum chamber in which the target and the substrate are installed and the background gases and their pressures are appropriately adjusted.

20080187684, Aug 7, 2008

May 10, 2007

11/798114

Zhendong Hu - Ann Arbor MI, US
Yong Che - Ann Arbor MI, US
Bing Liu - Ann Arbor MI, US

C23C 14/26

427596

The present invention provides a one-step and room-temperature process for depositing nanoparticles or nanocomposite (nanoparticle-assembled) films of crystalline titanium dioxide (TiO) onto a substrate surface using ultrafast pulsed laser ablation of Titania or metal titanium target. The system includes a pulsed laser with a pulse duration ranging from a few femtoseconds to a few tens of picoseconds, an optical setup for processing the laser beam such that the beam is focused onto the target surface with an appropriate average energy density and an appropriate energy density distribution, and a vacuum chamber in which the target and the substrate are installed and background gases and their pressures are appropriately adjusted.