YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- The first U.S. patent awarded to Youngstown State University should draw additional funding for future research projects, secure more support from the administration, and encourage other researchers and academics to pursue new and exciting ideas that can also be patented.
"I hope that this will actually inspire my colleagues who are involved in research to aim for that kind of target -- to get a patent," said Tom Oder, an assistant professor of physics whose decade of work has resulted the first patent in the history of the university.
Oder is the chief researcher behind a method to improve the Schottky diode, a component that regulates voltage and is found in semiconductors that govern just about every electronics device on the market today.
Oder, YSU President Jim Tressel, and Martin Abraham, former dean of the YSU College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM, announced the awarded patent Thursday during a press event.
Abraham was named interim provost of the university Wednesday.
Most semiconductors use silicon as the substance to transmit energy, Oder noted. However, a major drawback is that silicon diodes can fail under intense heat – usually about 200 degrees Celsius – and need to be cooled through mechanisms such as fans or other devices. This means that the operation uses more energy and is more prone to failure.
Oder developed a process that that uses a silicon carbide diode which, combined with other metals, can withstand high temperatures in excess of 400 degrees Fahrenheit, thus eliminating the need for a cooling and enhancing the reliability of a microchip.
"The patent is based on identifying the right metals, and identifying the processes that you need to come up with a device that, together, will provide efficiency and reliability at a high temperature," he said.
The result is a microchip that could become invaluable to automobile, aerospace, and energy applications such as deep-well drilling, Oder said.
The physicist is also awaiting word on another application for a patent related to a process that involves nickel gallide in microchips that can withstand temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
However, Oder is still unsure how to market his discovery, and suggested that YSU develop a means to commercialize patents such as this venture.
Oder also emphasized that students were heavily involved in the research process. At present, six students with academic tracks in physics, electrical engineering, chemical engineering and mechanical engineering are engaged in related research
"These students receive high-quality training in research," he said, preparing them for advanced work at other academic institutions or private industry.
The patent granted YSU exemplifies the university's efforts to increase its profile as a top-notch applied research institution, Abraham said. "Applied research means looking at opportunities to do scientific discovery, but to do scientific discovery with a purpose," the interim provost said.
Abraham said that the U.S. Patent Office is extremely selective about issuing patents. "They do a very rigorous analysis of the material that is presented for the patent application, reviewing what has been done in the past and how this is different," he said.
Patents represent work that is "truly distinct," Abraham said. "This is the validation of some really excellent work that Tom is doing for about 10 years now, and trying to achieve the discovery of something new and novel."
Tressel said the patent places a renewed focus on the hard work of university faculty and students. "We want to raise our level of excellence nationally and internationally, and here's a great example of it," he remarked.
Students exposed to this research at an undergraduate level gain an invaluable education, Tressel said, which in turn prepares them for great endeavors.
"These are undergraduate students," he said. Can you imagine what they'll do as they continue to grow? It's what we want to be about -- constantly seeking excellence."
Pictured: Tom Oder, assistant professor of physics at Youngstown State University.
Copyright 2014 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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