Patents Examined by Jose I Hernandez-Kenney
  • Patent number: 11976357
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide methods for fabricating or otherwise forming a protective coating containing cerium oxide on processing chamber surfaces and/or components, such as surfaces which are exposed to a plasma within a processing chamber. In one or more embodiments, a method of forming a protective coating within a processing chamber includes depositing a cerium oxide layer on a chamber surface or a chamber component during an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. The ALD process includes sequentially exposing the chamber surface or the chamber component to a cerium precursor, a purge gas, an oxidizing agent, and the purge gas during an ALD cycle, and repeating the ALD cycle to deposit the cerium oxide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Geetika Bajaj, Yogita Pareek, Prerna Sonthalia Goradia, Ankur Kadam
  • Patent number: 11956978
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of selectively forming a deposit may include providing a substrate, the substrate having a plurality of surface features, extending at a non-zero angle of inclination with respect to a perpendicular to a plane of the substrate. The method may include directing a reactive beam to the plurality of surface features, the reactive beam defining a non-zero angle of incidence with respect to a perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, wherein a seed layer is deposited on a first portion of the surface features, and is not deposited on a second portion of the surface features. The method may further include exposing the substrate to a reactive deposition process after the directing the reactive ion beam, wherein a deposit layer selectively grows over the seed layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: M. Arif Zeeshan, Kelvin Chan, Shantanu Kallakuri, Sony Varghese
  • Patent number: 11946134
    Abstract: Methods of depositing a nanocrystalline diamond film are described. The method may be used in the manufacture of integrated circuits. Methods include treating a substrate with a mild plasma to form a treated substrate surface, incubating the treated substrate with a carbon-rich weak plasma to nucleate diamond particles on the treated substrate surface, followed by treating the substrate with a strong plasma to form a nanocrystalline diamond film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Sze Chieh Tan, Vicknesh Sahmuganathan, Eswaranand Venkatasubramanian, Abhijit Basu Mallick, John Sudijono
  • Patent number: 11949087
    Abstract: A method for preparing a graphene-coated powder material, comprising: A) dispersing a graphene powder and/or graphene oxide powder, a powder material to be coated with graphene, and a polymeric co-coating agent in a first organic solvent to form a first organic solvent dispersion; B) mixing the first organic solvent dispersion with a second organic solvent and separating a precipitate after sedimentation; and C) annealing the precipitate in an inert atmosphere to obtain the graphene-coated powder material; wherein the polymeric co-coating agent is soluble in the first organic solvent but insoluble in the second organic solvent. The present invention also relates to a graphene-coated powder material prepared by the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignees: BEIJING TUNGHSU CARBON ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., TUNGHSU GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Qing Li, Yunxiao Tong, Heran Li, Zhonghui Wang
  • Patent number: 11939670
    Abstract: Methods for depositing inorganic particles including titanium carbonitride on a metal substrate via chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In some embodiments, the CVD process may be supplied by two or more source gasses that react to form the inorganic particles. At least one of the sources gases includes a titanium source gas. And a source of carbon and nitrogen may be (a) a single source gas including a carbon and nitrogen source gas with a heat of formation energy that is less than 65.9 kilojoules per mole and/or (b) two source gases including a carbon source gas with a gas molecule having a carbon-nitrogen single bond and a nitrogen source gas. In some embodiments, the CVD process may be supplied by a source gas including a metalorganic compound to form the inorganic particles. In some embodiments, the CVD process may be supplied by an aluminum-containing metalorganic reducing agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Hoon Kim, Charles Andrew Paulson
  • Patent number: 11939678
    Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus member includes a step of preparing an aluminum base having an alumite layer having a porous columnar structure at an upper surface thereof. The alumite layer is an anodic oxidation film, and a Young's modulus of the alumite layer is between 90 GPa and 120 GPa. The method also includes a step of forming a particle-resistant layer on the alumite layer by aerosol deposition, in which an aerosol containing fine particles of a brittle material dispersed in a gas is ejected from a nozzle to impact against a surface of the alumite layer, wherein the particle-resistant layer includes a polycrystalline ceramic; and wherein, when the resulting semiconductor manufacturing apparatus member is exposed to a plasma in a reference plasma resistance test, the particle-resistant layer has an arithmetic average height Sa of 0.060 or less after the reference plasma test is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Yasutaka Nitta, Takuma Wada
  • Patent number: 11938745
    Abstract: A method including obtaining an at least partially transparent object (1), providing a mask (6) defining at least one opening (8) wherein the contour corresponds to a profile of the anti-counterfeit marking to be structured, the mask (6) covering a surface of the at least partially transparent object (1) at the areas not to be structured, structuring the anti-counterfeit marking by bombarding the at least partially transparent object (1) by an ion beam (14) through the at least one opening (8) of the mask (6), the mechanical properties of the mask (6) being sufficient to prevent the ions of the ion beam (14) from etching the surface of the at least partially transparent object (1) at the areas where this surface is covered by the mask (6), removing the mask (6), and placing the at least partially transparent object (1) in a bath (16) at alkaline pH.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Comadur SA
    Inventors: Alexis Boulmay, Damien Le Boudouil
  • Patent number: 11935759
    Abstract: Atomic layer deposition (ALD) methods and barrier films are disclosed. A method of performing ALD includes placing a substrate proximal an electrode coupled to a power supply, exposing the substrate to an oxygen-containing gas or a nitrogen-containing gas at or below 0.8 Torr, and applying, with the power supply, a voltage to the electrode of at least 700 Volts to induce a plasma state in the oxygen-containing gas or the nitrogen-containing gas proximal the substrate. High quality barrier films can be made with the methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Lotus Applied Technology, LLC
    Inventor: Eric R. Dickey
  • Patent number: 11932940
    Abstract: Silyl pseudohalides having a general formula of R4-nSiXn, where n is a range of 1-4, each R is independently selected from H, alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, amino, alkyl amino, alkoxide, and phosphine groups, and each X is a pseudohalide selected from nitrile, cyanate, isocyanate, thiocyanate, isothiocyanate, selenocyanate and isoselenocyanate are disclosed. Further, some embodiments of the disclosure provide methods for depositing silicon-containing films using silyl pseudohalides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Keenan N. Woods, Cong Trinh, Mark Saly, Mihaela A. Balseanu, Maribel Maldonado-Garcia, Lisa J. Enman
  • Patent number: 11915914
    Abstract: A film forming method includes: preparing a substrate having a surface on which a first film containing boron and a second film made of a material different from that of the first film are formed; supplying a raw material gas, which contains halogen and an element X other than halogen, to the surface of the substrate; and supplying a plasmarized reaction gas, which contains oxygen, to the surface of the substrate, wherein a third film as an oxide film of the element X is selectively formed on the second film with respect to the first film by alternately supplying the raw material gas and the plasmarized reaction gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Sena Fujita, Hiroki Murakami
  • Patent number: 11898239
    Abstract: Methods for treating a thin film made from a conductive or semiconductive material may improve the crystalline quality thereof. Such methods may include: supplying a substrate including, on one of the faces thereof, a thin film of the material; and biased plasma treating the assembly formed by the substrate and the thin film at a given temperature and for a given time, so as to obtain a crystalline reorganization over a depth of the thin film, the biased plasma treatment including an electrical biasing of the thin film and an exposure of the film thus biased to a hydrogen plasma, the biased plasma treatment being implemented at a temperature that is below the melting points of the thin film and of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Julien Delchevalrie, Jean-Charles Arnault, Samuel Saada, Romain Bachelet
  • Patent number: 11885979
    Abstract: High-performance optical-metasurface-based components configured to at frequencies of UV light and, in particular, in deep UV range and performing multiple optical-wavefront-shaping functions (among which there are high-numerical-aperture lensing, accelerating beam generation, and hologram projection). As a representative material for such components, hafnium oxide demands creation and establishment of a novel process of manufacture that is nevertheless based on general principles of Damascene lithography, to be compatible with existing technology and yet sufficient for producing high-aspect-ratio features that currently-used materials and processes simply do not deliver. The described invention opens a way towards low-form-factor, multifunctional ultraviolet nanophotonic platforms based on flat optical components and enabling diverse applications including lithography, imaging, spectroscopy, and quantum information processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK, GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
    Inventors: Cheng Zhang, Shawn Divitt, Wenqi Zhu, Amit Kumar Agrawal, Henri Lezec
  • Patent number: 11884689
    Abstract: A method and composition for producing a porous low k dielectric film via chemical vapor deposition is provided. In one aspect, the method comprises the steps of: providing a substrate within a reaction chamber; introducing into the reaction chamber gaseous reagents including at least one structure-forming precursor comprising a alkoxysilacyclic or acyloxysilacyclic compound with or without a porogen; applying energy to the gaseous reagents in the reaction chamber to induce reaction of the gaseous reagents to deposit a preliminary film on the substrate, wherein the preliminary film contains the porogen, and the preliminary film is deposited; and removing from the preliminary film at least a portion of the porogen contained therein and provide the film with pores and a dielectric constant of 3.2 or less. In certain embodiments, the structure-forming precursor further comprises a hardening additive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Inventors: Robert Gordon Ridgeway, Raymond Nicholas Vrtis, Xinjian Lei, Jennifer Lynn Anne Achtyl, William Robert Entley
  • Patent number: 11854766
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to plasma processes. A plasma process includes generating a plasma containing negatively charged oxygen ions. A substrate is exposed to the plasma. The substrate is disposed on a pedestal while being exposed to the plasma. While exposing the substrate to the plasma, a negative direct current (DC) bias voltage is applied to the pedestal to repel the negatively charged oxygen ions from the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sheng-Liang Pan, Bing-Hung Chen, Chia-Yang Hung, Jyu-Horng Shieh, Shu-Huei Suen, Syun-Ming Jang, Jack Kuo-Ping Kuo
  • Patent number: 11827650
    Abstract: Provided are a method of manufacturing a ruthenium-containing thin film and a ruthenium-containing thin film manufactured therefrom, and the method of manufacturing a ruthenium-containing thin film of the present invention uses a ruthenium(0)-based hydrocarbon compound and specific reaction gas, whereby a high-purity thin film may be easily manufactured by a simple process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: DNF CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Myong Woon Kim, Sang Ick Lee, Sung Woo Cho, Mi Jeong Han, Haeng Don Lim
  • Patent number: 11821081
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to thin free-standing oxide membranes. In one aspect, a method includes providing a substrate. The substrate defines a hole having a diameter of about 500 nanometers to 5000 nanometers. A layer of metal is deposited on the substrate. A supporting layer is deposited on the layer of metal. A first side of the supporting layer is the side that is disposed on the layer of metal. A metal oxide layer is deposited on the first side of the supporting layer and on the substrate. In some implementations, the method further includes removing the supporting layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Yi-Hsien Lu, Xiao Zhao, Matthijs van Spronsen, Adam Schwartzberg, Miquel Salmeron, Carlos Morales Sanchez
  • Patent number: 11819923
    Abstract: A method of forming a conductive powder includes reducing, by a reduction reaction, a conductive powder precursor gas using a plasma to form the conductive powder. The method further includes filtering the conductive powder based on particle size. The method further includes dispersing a portion of the conductive powder having a particle size below a threshold value in a fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: You-Hua Chou, Kuo-Sheng Chuang
  • Patent number: 11813889
    Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing a component provided with a decoration by laser light. The method includes sequentially irradiating a target region in a surface of the component with laser light so as to draw decorative patterns in an overlaid manner, each decorative pattern being composed of a plurality of lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shosaku Aruga, Isao Setojima
  • Patent number: 11807939
    Abstract: Provided is a method for depositing a metal thin film by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using an organometallic complex as a source material and without using radical species such as plasma and ozone, which have a possibility of deactivation. The method is an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method for metal thin films which includes: a process of supplying an organometallic complex having an aromatic anionic ligand and/or an alkyl ligand into a reaction chamber in which a substrate is installed; and a process of supplying a mixture gas containing a nucleophilic gas and an electrophilic gas into the reaction chamber, the ALD method substantially not using either one of a gas in a plasma or radical state and a gas containing oxygen atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: KOJUNDO CHEMICAL LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fumikazu Mizutani, Shintaro Higashi, Naoyuki Takezawa
  • Patent number: 11807937
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for forming a patterned layer of carbon are disclosed. In one arrangement, a selected portion of a surface of a solid structure is irradiated with extreme ultraviolet radiation in the presence of a carbon-containing precursor. The radiation interacts with the solid structure in the selected portion to cause formation of a layer of carbon in the selected portion from the carbon-containing precursor. The layer of carbon is formed in a pattern defined by the selected portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Sonia Castellanos Ortega, Jan Verhoeven, Joost Wilhelmus Maria Frenken, Pavlo Antonov, Nicolaas Ten Kate, Olivier Christian Maurice Lugier