Patents Examined by Katherine A. Bareford
  • Patent number: 8017186
    Abstract: The present invention provides film forming method and a droplet discharge method for removing bubbles in a pressurizing chamber to prevent defective discharge without disposing a large amount of materials in a droplet discharging device. Before a material is discharged in the droplet discharging device, a step is provided in which reduced pressure is kept in a pressurizing chamber and a material supply portion, which are connected, to remove bubbles that exist in the pressurizing chamber. A flow path connected to the outside such as an opening of a nozzle surface of the pressurizing chamber or a material supply port of the material supply portion is sealed, and pressure in the pressurizing chamber and the material supply portion is reduced from an inlet and outlet connected to the material supply portion with the use of a reduced pressure means such as a pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Gen Fujii
  • Patent number: 8003173
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for forming a photoresist-laminated substrate including: preparing a laminated substrate having an insulating substrate and a metal layer; coating with an aerosol of metal nanoparticles on the metal layer; laminating a photoresist film on the metal layer coated with the aerosol of metal nanoparticles. The method of the present invention is a environmentally friendly method since an aerosol of metal nanoparticles is used, differentiated from the conventional wet process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hee-Sung Choi, Bae-Kyun Kim, Mi-Yang Kim, Seoung-Jae Lee
  • Patent number: 7964243
    Abstract: The present disclosure features processes and equipment for forming a variety of textured materials, including both release webs, and finished products such as flooring materials, wall coverings, textured laminates and the like. The processes described herein allow curing radiation to be passed through a texturing medium, rather than through the substrate to which the curable material is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: S.D. Warren Company
    Inventors: Gary P. Blenkhorn, Dieter Doehring
  • Patent number: 7959977
    Abstract: A substrate processing method and apparatus can securely carry out a pre-plating treatment that enables uniform plating in the necessary area of the surface of a substrate. The substrate processing method carries out a cleaning treatment and a catalyst-imparting treatment of a surface of a substrate as pre-plating treatments and then electroless plates a metal film on the catalyst-imparted surface of the substrate. The cleaning treatment is carried out in a wider area of the surface of the substrate than that area to which a catalyst is imparted by the catalyst-imparting treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Katsuoka, Masahiko Sekimoto, Toshio Yokoyama, Teruyuki Watanabe, Takahiro Ogawa, Kenichi Kobayashi, Mitsuru Miyazaki, Yasuyuki Motojima
  • Patent number: 7959978
    Abstract: A drywall hopper assembly that contains a double blade that can apply drywall mud to both interior and exterior drywall corners with no blade change. A zigzag blade can contain two grooves, one for interior corners and one for exterior corners. With this blade arrangement, an operator can quickly move from one type of corner to another without using multiple tools, multiple blades or hand application methods to apply mud. The present invention can contain a pliable release port to present mud equally to an interior or an exterior corner. There can be such a port on both the top and bottom of the blade so that mud is smoothly applied as trim moves through the hopper or the hopper is moved along the trim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Inventor: Timothy D. Smythe
  • Patent number: 7914856
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods for manufacturing an article having a wetting-resistant surface. The method includes providing a mixture comprising a plurality of micron-sized first particles and a plurality of nano-sized second particles, and a binder; depositing the mixture onto a substrate to form a wetting-resistant surface via a thermal spray process. The mixture is deposited without substantial melting of the first and second particles. The wetting-resistant surface has wettability sufficient to generate, with a reference fluid, a static contact angle of greater than about 90 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Tao Deng, Dennis Michael Gray, Todd Charles Curtis, Yuk-Chiu Lau, Dalong Zhong, Ming Feng Hsu, Nitin Bhate, Kripa Kiran Varanasi, Pazhayannur Ramanathan Subramanian, Margaret Louise Blohm
  • Patent number: 7897198
    Abstract: Electroless plating is performed to deposit conductive materials on work pieces such as partially fabricated integrated circuits. Components of an electroless plating bath are separately applied to a work piece by spin coating to produce a very thin conductive layer (in the range of a few hundred angstroms). The components are typically a reducing agent and a metal source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Heung L. Park, Eric G. Webb, Jonathan D. Reid, Timothy Patrick Cleary
  • Patent number: 7892609
    Abstract: The invention relates to a thermal spraying apparatus (1) for coating a surface (2) of a substrate (3) by means of a coating material (4). The thermal spraying apparatus (1) includes a spray pistol (5) with a heating device for heating the coating material (4) in a heating zone (6) and also a charging apparatus (7) with a feed (8) through which the coating material (4) can be introduced into the heating zone (6). In this arrangement the thermal spraying apparatus is so designed that a relative position (9) between the feed (8) and the heating zone (6) can be changed in the operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Sulzer Metco AG
    Inventor: Markus Mueller
  • Patent number: 7879393
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for applying fluids, especially particle material, on a area that is to be coated, wherein the fluid is applied on the area to be coated in front of a blade when observed from the direction of forward movement of the blade and said blade is then displaced on the applied fluid. The method is characterized in that the blade performs an oscillation similar to a rotational movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Inventors: Ingo Ederer, Rainer Höchsmann, Harald Türck
  • Patent number: 7871670
    Abstract: A method of selectively and electrolessly depositing a metal onto a substrate having a metallic patterned-nanostructure surface is disclosed. The method includes providing a tool having a patterned-nanostructure surface, the patterned-nanostructure surface having surface regions having a nanostructured surface, replicating the tool patterned-nanostructure surface onto a substrate to form a substrate patterned-nanostructure surface, disposing a metal layer on the substrate patterned-nanostructure surface to form a metallic patterned-nanostructure surface region, forming a self-assembled monolayer on the metallic patterned-nanostructure surface region, exposing the self-assembled monolayer to an electroless plating solution comprising a deposit metal, and depositing electrolessly the deposit metal selectively on the surface regions having a metallic nanostructured surface. Articles formed from this method are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Khanh P. Nguyen, Matthew H. Frey, Haiyan Zhang, Jun-Ying Zhang
  • Patent number: 7867564
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a metal plating method by a simple process, for example, on resins on which plating has been heretofore impossible. The metal plating method involves surface treating an article to be plated with a liquid prepared by mixing or reacting in advance an organic acid salt of a silane coupling agent containing an azole in a molecule, for example, a coupling agent which is an equimolar reaction product of imidazole and ?-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, and a noble metal compound, and then conducting electroless plating thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Nippon Mining & Metals Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Imori, Atsushi Yabe
  • Patent number: 7854969
    Abstract: The present invention is an integral composite structural (ICS) material comprising an open metal structure having at least one external side and internal surfaces defining a plurality of open shapes with a ceramic matrix composite bonded to at least one external side and the surfaces of at least a substantial portion of the plurality of open shapes and occupying at least a substantial portion of the plurality of open shapes. The open metal structure, independent of the ceramic matrix composite, has a total metal volume percent in the range of about 10% to about 90%, with no dimension of any open shape being greater than about ¾ inch. The ceramic matrix layer covers a substantial portion of at least one external side of the open metal structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael Lee Millard, Horace Richardson, Jr., Joseph Anthony Corrado
  • Patent number: 7846503
    Abstract: The invention concerns an electrolyte for electroless deposition of metal layers with internal compressive stresses containing a metal base salt, a reducing agent, a complexing agent, an accelerator and a stabilizer. In order to make available an electrolyte of the said kind, from which uniform pore-free and crack-free metal-phosphorus coatings can be deposited with constant layers properties and high phosphorus contents at an elevated deposition rate over a long period of time, it is proposed by means of the invention that the electrolyte contain as metal base salt a metal salt whose anions contain at least one carbon atom and that is present in a starting concentration from 0.01 to 0.3 mol/L. At least one salt consisting of metal acetate, metal formate, metal oxalate, metal propionate, metal citrate and metal ascorbate, especially preferably metal acetate, is used as the metal salt whose anion contains at least one carbon atom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Enthone Inc.
    Inventors: Franz-Josef Stark, Helmut Horsthemke, Ulrich Treuner
  • Patent number: 7833583
    Abstract: An electroless nickel plating bath is provided that utilizes hypophosphite ions as a reducing agent and is substantially free of sulphate and sodium ions. Spent nickel in the plating bath is removed using an ion exchange resin and the remaining effluent solution is usable for manufacturing fertilizer compositions. The nickel is processed for inclusion back into the plating bath. Thus, the process of the invention allows for the indefinite use of the solutions without discharging hazardous waste.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Inventors: Trevor Pearson, Paul Bray
  • Patent number: 7829152
    Abstract: An electroless plating system is provided. The system includes a first vacuum chuck supporting a first wafer and a second vacuum chuck supporting a second wafer such that a top surface of the second wafer is opposing a top surface of the first wafer. The system also includes a fluid delivery system configured to deliver a plating solution to the top surface of the first wafer, wherein in response to delivery of the plating solution, the top surface of the second wafer is brought proximate to the top surface of the first wafer so that the plating solution contacts both top surfaces. A method for applying an electroless plating solution to a substrate is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: William Thie, John M. Boyd, Yezdi Dordi, Fritz C. Redeker
  • Patent number: 7820247
    Abstract: Curtain-type coater and process for coating a web with curtain-type coater. Curtain-type coater includes a curtain head having a slit structured and arranged to supply a coating liquid curtain onto a surface of a web and outside of the edges of the web. At least a portion of the slit forming the coating liquid curtain outside the edges of the web has a width greater than a portion of the slit forming the coating liquid curtain supplied onto the web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Voith Paper Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Hirofumi Morita, Akio Hirano, Hiroyuki Kohno
  • Patent number: 7799388
    Abstract: A mechanical seal structure and a method for manufacture that employs at least one ceramic seal face prepared by a thermal spray process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Sulzer Metco Venture, LLC
    Inventors: Omar Sabouni, Jacobus Doesburg, Richard Karl Schmid, Thomas H. Piquette, David Gollob
  • Patent number: 7767267
    Abstract: During engine operation, valve retainers and valve springs are constantly rubbing and impacting each other resulting in heat and wear. The purpose of this invention is to provide a surface coating onto the valve retainer to reduce the friction with the valve spring and thus improve durability. Specifically, this invention teaches a method to thermally apply coatings to the surface of the valve retainer. Although typically fabricated from steel, the usage of lighter weight titanium valve retainers is increasing for high performance, or racing engines. The reduced mass allows valves to move more readily and requires less spring pressure to operate, producing more power and a faster revving engine, however titanium is typically not as wear resistant as the steel it replaces. In one embodiment, a porous molybdenum or other oleophilic metal is applied to the surface of the valve retainer. In another embodiment, hard coatings of cermets, carbides, and super alloys are applied as coatings to valve retainers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Wide Open Coatings, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Thomas Endicott, Randall John Wischhusen
  • Patent number: 7754062
    Abstract: After treated in a solution containing ozone, a plating material is brought into contact with a solution containing at least one of an anionic surface active agent and a nonionic surface active agent, and an alkaline component. Ozone acts to locally break unsaturated bonds on a surface of the plating material to form C—OH bonds or C?O bonds, thereby activating the surface of the plating material, and since a surface active agent 1 is adsorbed thereon, a catalyst 2 is adsorbed on hydrophilic groups of the surface active agent 1 which has been adsorbed on the above-described functional groups. Consequently, no etching treatment is required, and an electroless plated coating having excellent adhesion can be formed without roughening the surface of the resin material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masatsugu Nakanishi, Takeshi Bessho
  • Patent number: 7722919
    Abstract: The present invention is a fabrication method of a light-emitting device characterized by ejecting a solution containing a luminescent material toward an anode or a cathode under a reduced pressure and characterized in that in a duration before the solution is arrived at the anode or the cathode, the solvent in the solution is volatilized, the remaining part of the luminescent material is deposited on the anode or the cathode, and thereby formed a light-emitting layer. By the present invention, a baking process for thickness reduction is not required after applying the solution. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a fabrication method with high throughput although the method is low in cost and simple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Masakazu Murakami, Ryoji Nomura, Satoshi Seo