Patents Represented by Attorney Patterson & Sheridan, L.L.P.
  • Patent number: 8136216
    Abstract: A tubing connection arrangement and a method used for coupling expandable tubing sections together. In one embodiment, there is disclosed a tubing connection arrangement comprising a first expandable tubing section defining a male portion; a second expandable tubing section defining a female portion, the first and second expandable tubing sections being engageable with one another; one of the first and second expandable tubing sections including a restraining member for restraining part of the other expandable tubing section; and the first expandable tubing section including a tapered shoulder for co-operating with a corresponding tapered shoulder of the second expandable tubing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason David Evans, Martin William Geddes, Colin McHardy, Wayne Rudd
  • Patent number: 8137463
    Abstract: The present invention generally provides apparatus and method for processing a substrate. Particularly, the present invention provides apparatus and methods to obtain a desired distribution of a process gas. One embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate comprising an injection nozzle having a first fluid path including a first inlet configured to receive a fluid input, and a plurality of first injection ports connected with the first inlet, wherein the plurality of first injection ports are configured to direct a fluid from the first inlet towards a first region of a process volume, and a second fluid path including a second inlet configured to receive a fluid input, and a plurality of second injection ports connected with the second inlet, wherein the second injection ports are configured to direct a fluid from the second inlet towards a second region of the process volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Liu, Johanes S. Swenberg, Hanh D. Nguyen, Son T. Nguyen, Roger Curtis, Philip A. Bottini
  • Patent number: 8137510
    Abstract: This invention relates to a coater for the coating, in particular, of large-area substrates by means of cathode sputtering, the coater having a coating chamber and, provided therein, a cathode assembly (2) where the material to be sputtered is located on a target (4) with a curved surface, the material to be sputtered being located, in particular, on the lateral surface of a cylinder, there being in a single coating chamber for a coherent coating zone at least three, preferably more, cathode assemblies (2) with rotatable, curved targets (4) positioned one beside the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Stefan Bangert, Frank Fuchs, Ralph Lindenberg, Andreas Lopp, Uwe Schüssler, Tobias Stolley
  • Patent number: 8138069
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to apparatus and method for pretreatment of substrates for manufacturing devices such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) or laser diodes (LDs). One embodiment of the present invention comprises pre-treating the aluminum oxide containing substrate by exposing a surface of the aluminum oxide containing substrate to a pretreatment gas mixture, wherein the pretreatment gas mixture comprises ammonia (NH3) and a halogen gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuriy Melnik, Olga Kryliouk, Hidehiro Kojiri, Tetsuya Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 8138782
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to a solar simulator module of a solar cell production line. In one embodiment the solar simulator receives a solar cell module in a horizontal position and reorients the module into a vertical position. A light source is oriented to emit a flash of light in a substantially horizontal orientation toward the vertically oriented solar cell module. In one embodiment, an automated labeling device affixes a label including the electrical characteristics measured onto a back surface of the solar cell module. In one embodiment, a plurality of solar cell modules are received and tested simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yacov Elgar, Danny Cam Toan Lu, Tzay-Fa Su, Jeffrey S. Sullivan, David Tanner, Harry Whitesell
  • Patent number: 8138320
    Abstract: The present invention provides nucleic acid molecules encoding novel red fluorescent proteins from Entacmaea quadricolor and mutants thereof. Also of interest are proteins that are substantially similar to the novel red fluorescent proteins. In addition, host cells, stable cell lines and transgenic organisms comprising the nucleic acid molecules encoding the novel red fluorescent proteins are provided. The subject proteins and nucleic acid compositions find use in a variety of different applications and methods, particularly for labeling of biomolecules, cells, or cell organelles. Finally, kits for use in such methods and applications are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Evrogen IP Joint Stock Company
    Inventors: Sergey A. Lukyanov, Dmitry M. Chudakov
  • Patent number: 8140595
    Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for linking logical fields abstractly describing data in a database and, more particularly, for creating an abstract query using linked logical fields. One embodiment provides a method of linking logical fields abstractly describing data in a database. The method includes creating link information for a first logical field from the plurality of logical fields. The link information identifies at least one second logical field from the plurality of logical fields and an associated link type operation. The first and second logical fields are linked using the link information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Richard D. Dettinger, Thomas J. Eggebraaten, Jeffrey W. Tenner
  • Patent number: 8137468
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide an apparatus and a method for generating a gaseous chemical precursor that may be used in a vapor deposition processing system. In one embodiment, the apparatus contains a valve manifold assembly, which includes a valve assembly body having at least one embedded electric heater, an inlet channel passing through the valve assembly body, a first pneumatic valve and a first manual valve coupled to the valve assembly body and positioned to control fluid flow within the inlet channel, an outlet channel passing through the valve assembly body, and a second pneumatic valve and a second manual valve coupled to the valve assembly body and positioned to control fluid flow within the outlet channel. The valve manifold assembly further contains a bypass channel connected to and between the inlet and outlet channels, and containing a bypass valve positioned to control fluid flow within the bypass channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenric T. Choi, Son T. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8133368
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide encapsulated sputtering targets and methods for preparing such targets prior to a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process. In one embodiment, an encapsulated target for PVD is provided which includes a target layer containing lanthanum disposed on a backing plate and an encapsulation layer containing titanium disposed on or over the target layer. In one example, the target layer contains metallic lanthanum or lanthanum oxide and the encapsulation layer contains titanium. The encapsulation layer may have a thickness within a range from about 1,000 ? to about 2,000 ?. In another embodiment, a method for preparing an encapsulated target prior to a PVD process is provided which includes positioning an encapsulated target within a PVD chamber and exposing the encapsulation layer to a plasma while removing the encapsulation layer and revealing an upper surface of the target layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Lara Hawrylchak, Xianmin Tang, Vijay Parhke, Rongjun Wang
  • Patent number: 8133096
    Abstract: An article of manufacture, a method, and an apparatus for use in a chemical mechanical polishing system is provided. In one aspect, an article of manufacture is provided for polishing a substrate including a polishing article having a polishing surface, the polishing surface including a first polishing portion having a first polishing material of a first hardness for polishing a first portion of the substrate, and a second polishing portion having a second polishing material of a second hardness for polishing a second portion of the substrate. The article of manufacturer may be disposed on a rotatable, stationary, or linear platen for processing a substrate. In another aspect, a method is provided for processing a substrate, including providing a platen containing the polishing article disposed on the rotatable platen, delivering a polishing composition to the polishing article, and contacting a substrate on the polishing article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Ramin Emami, Robert Lum, Sourabh Mishra
  • Patent number: 8133583
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fire retardant antiflux fiber, the fiber is composed of the following components: cellulose 60˜80% by mass, silicon fire retardant (calculated as silicon dioxide) 15˜36% by mass, tourmaline 0.1˜5%. The present invention also provides a process of producing fire retardant antiflux fiber, in the adding step, the silicon fire retardant is added into the cellulose xanthate in the xanthation step or the viscose which was prepared after the xanthation step, the level of adding the silicon fire retardant is 19˜30%, calculated as silicon dioxide. The fire retardant antiflux fiber of the present invention has high fire retardant antiflux effect, high fiber strength and excellent negative ion generating efficacy. At the same time, the viscose also maintains excellent filtering performance in the procedure using above production process, reducing the production standstill caused by the viscose blocking up filter screen, improving production efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Shandong Helon Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sufeng Tian, Lejun Wang
  • Patent number: 8129261
    Abstract: Methods for implanting ions into a substrate by a plasma immersion ion implanting process are provided. In one embodiment, a method for implanting ions into a substrate includes providing a substrate into a processing chamber, the substrate comprising substrate surface having one or more features formed therein and each feature having one or more horizontal surfaces and one or more vertical surfaces, generating a plasma from a gas mixture including a reacting gas adapted to produce ions, depositing a material layer on the substrate surface and on at least one horizontal surface of the substrate feature, implanting ions from the plasma into the substrate by an isotropic process into at least one horizontal surface and into at least one vertical surface, and etching the material layer on the substrate surface and the at least one horizontal surface by an anisotropic process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter I. Porshnev, Matthew D. Scotney-Castle, Majeed A. Foad
  • Patent number: 8129212
    Abstract: Methods for surface texturing a crystalline silicon substrate are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a crystalline silicon substrate, wetting the substrate with an alkaline solution comprising a wetting agent, and forming a textured surface with a structure having a depth about 1 ?m to about 10 ?m on the substrate. In another embodiment, a method of performing a substrate texture process includes providing crystalline silicon substrate, pre-cleaning the substrate in a HF aqueous solution, wetting the substrate with a KOH aqueous solution comprising polyethylene glycol (PEG) compound, and forming a textured surface with a structure having a depth about 3 ?m to about 8 ?m on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kapila Wijekoon, Rohit Mishra, Michael P Stewart, Timothy Weidman, Hari Ponnekanti, Tristan R. Holtam
  • Patent number: 8129237
    Abstract: A vertical light-emitting diode (VLED) structure fabricated with a SixNy layer responsible for providing increased light extraction out of a roughened n-doped surface of the VLED are provided. Such VLED structures fabricated with a SixNy layer may have increased luminous efficiency when compared to conventional VLED structures fabricated without a SixNy layer. Methods for creating such VLED structures are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: SemiLEDS Optoelectronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chuong Anh Tran
  • Patent number: 8122975
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for drilling a wellbore includes an act of drilling the wellbore by injecting drilling fluid through a tubular string disposed in the wellbore, the tubular string comprising a drill bit disposed on a bottom thereof. The drilling fluid exits the drill bit and carries cuttings from the drill bit. The drilling fluid and cuttings (returns) flow to a surface of the wellbore via an annulus defined by an outer surface of the tubular string and an inner surface of the wellbore. The method further includes an act performed while drilling the wellbore of measuring a first annulus pressure (FAP) using a pressure sensor attached to a casing string hung from a wellhead of the wellbore. The method further includes an act performed while drilling the wellbore of controlling a second annulus pressure (SAP) exerted on a formation exposed to the annulus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Belcher, Adrian Steiner, Kevin Schmigel, David Brunnert, Darcy Nott, Richard Todd, Jim Stanley, Simon Harrall
  • Patent number: 8123902
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing flow into a processing chamber are provided. In one embodiment, a vacuum processing chamber is provided that includes a chamber body having an interior volume, a substrate support disposed in the interior volume and a gas distribution assembly having an asymmetrical distribution of gas injection ports. In another embodiment, a method for vacuum processing a substrate is provided that includes disposing a substrate on a substrate support within in a processing chamber, flowing process gas into laterally into a space defined above a gas distribution plate positioned in the processing chamber over the substrate, and processing the substrate in the presence of the processing gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Brillhart, Daniel J. Hoffman, James D. Carducci, Xiaoping Zhou, Matthew L. Miller
  • Patent number: 8124907
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a load lock chamber having a decoupled slit valve door seal compartment. In one embodiment, a load lock chamber includes a main assembly, a first slit valve door seal compartment and a seal assembly. The main assembly has a substrate transfer cavity formed therein. Two substrate access ports are formed through the main assembly and fluidly couple to the cavity. The first slit valve door seal compartment has an aperture disposed adjacent to and aligned with one of the access ports. The first slit valve door seal compartment is decoupled from the main assembly. The seal assembly couples the first slit valve door seal compartment to the main assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jae-Chull Lee, Suhail Anwar, Shinichi Kurita
  • Patent number: 8124454
    Abstract: Techniques for fabricating metal devices, such as vertical light-emitting diode (VLED) devices, power devices, laser diodes, and vertical cavity surface emitting laser devices, are provided. Devices produced accordingly may benefit from greater yields and enhanced performance over conventional metal devices, such as higher brightness of the light-emitting diode and increased thermal conductivity. Moreover, the invention discloses techniques in the fabrication arts that are applicable to GaN-based electronic devices in cases where there is a high heat dissipation rate of the metal devices that have an original non- (or low) thermally conductive and/or non- (or low) electrically conductive carrier substrate that has been removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: SemiLEDS Optoelectronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chen-Fu Chu, Trung Tri Doan, Chuong Anh Tran, Chao-Chen Cheng, Jiunn-Yi Chu, Wen-Huang Liu, Hao-Chun Cheng, Feng-Hsu Fan, Jui-Kang Yen
  • Patent number: 8123860
    Abstract: An apparatus for cyclical depositing of thin films on semiconductor substrates, comprising a process chamber having a gas distribution system with separate paths for process gases and an exhaust system synchronized with operation of valves dosing the process gases into a reaction region of the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Randhir P. S. Thakur, Alfred W. Mak, Ming Xi, Walter Benjamin Glenn, Ahmad A. Khan, Ayad A. Al-Shaikh, Avgerinos V. Gelatos, Salvador P. Umotoy
  • Patent number: 8125034
    Abstract: A method of forming a device using a graded anti-reflective coating is provided. One or more amorphous carbon layers are formed on a substrate. An anti-reflective coating (ARC) is formed on the one or more amorphous carbon layers wherein the ARC layer has an absorption coefficient that varies across the thickness of the ARC layer. An energy sensitive resist material is formed on the ARC layer. An image of a pattern is introduced into the layer of energy sensitive resist material by exposing the energy sensitive resist material to patterned radiation. The image of the pattern introduced into the layer of energy sensitive resist material is developed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Wendy H. Yeh, Martin J. Seamons, Matthew Spuller, Sum-Yee Betty Tang, Kwangduk Douglas Lee, Sudha Rathi