Patents by Inventor Takatomo Sasaki

Takatomo Sasaki has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7381268
    Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus of Group III nitride crystals and a method for manufacturing Group III nitride crystals are provided, by which high quality crystals can be manufactured. For instance, crystals are grown using the apparatus of the present invention as follows. A crystal raw material (131) and gas containing nitrogen are introduced into a reactor vessel (120), to which heat is applied by a heater (110), and crystals are grown in an atmosphere of pressure applied thereto. The gas is introduced from a gas supplying device (180) to the reactor vessel (120) through a gas inlet of the reactor vessel, and then is exhausted to the inside of a pressure-resistant vessel (102) through a gas outlet of the reactor vessel. Since the gas is introduced directly to the reactor vessel (120) without passing through the pressure-resistant vessel (102), the mixture of impurities attached to the pressure-resistant vessel (102) and the like into the site of the crystal growth can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignees: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisashi Minemoto, Yasuo Kitaoka, Isao Kidoguchi, Yusuke Mori, Fumio Kawamura, Takatomo Sasaki, Hidekazu Umeda, Yasuhito Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7361220
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a gallium nitride single crystal that can suppress the decomposition of gallium nitride and improve production efficiency in a sublimation method. According to the manufacturing method, a material (GaN powder) for the gallium nitride (GaN) single crystal is placed inside a crucible, sublimed or evaporated by heating, and cooled on a substrate surface to return to a solid again, so that the gallium nitride single crystal is grown on the substrate surface. The growth of the single crystal is performed under pressure. The pressure is preferably not less than 5 atm (5×1.013×105 Pa). The single crystal is grown preferably in a mixed gas atmosphere containing NH3 and N2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignees: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takatomo Sasaki, Yusuke Mori, Fumio Kawamura, Masashi Yoshimura, Yasunori Kai, Mamoru Imade, Yasuo Kitaoka, Hisashi Minemoto, Isao Kidoguchi
  • Publication number: 20080022921
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a group III-nitride crystal substrate including the steps of introducing an alkali-metal-element-containing substance, a group III-element-containing substance and a nitrogen-element-containing substance into a reactor, forming a melt containing at least the alkali metal element, the group III-element and the nitrogen element in the reactor, and growing group III-nitride crystal from the melt, and characterized by handling the alkali-metal-element-containing substance in a drying container in which moisture concentration is controlled to at most 1.0 ppm at least in the step of introducing the alkali-metal-element-containing substance into the reactor is provided. A group III-nitride crystal substrate attaining a small absorption coefficient and the method of manufacturing the same, as well as a group III-nitride semiconductor device can thus be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Publication date: January 31, 2008
    Inventors: Takatomo Sasaki, Yusuke Mori, Masashi Yoshimura, Fumio Kawamura, Seiji Nakahata, Ryu Hirota
  • Publication number: 20080011224
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a novel method of growing hexagonal boron nitride single crystal. It is found that hexagonal boron nitride single crystal is grown in calcium nitride flux by heating, or heating and then slowly cooling, boron nitride and calcium series material in atmosphere containing nitrogen. Bulk of hexagonal boron nitride single crystal can thereby successfully be grown.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2007
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Applicants: NGK Insulators, Ltd., Yusuke Mori
    Inventors: Makoto Iwai, Katsuhiro Imai, Takatomo Sasaki, Fumio Kawamura, Minoru Kawahara, Hiroaki Isobe
  • Publication number: 20070296061
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a group III-nitride crystal substrate including the steps of introducing an alkali-metal-element-containing substance, a group III-element-containing substance and a nitrogen-element-containing substance into a reactor, forming a melt containing at least the alkali metal element, the group III-element and the nitrogen element in the reactor, and growing group III-nitride crystal from the melt, and characterized by handling the alkali-metal-element-containing substance in a drying container in which moisture concentration is controlled to at most 1.0 ppm at least in the step of introducing the alkali-metal-element-containing substance into the reactor is provided. A group III-nitride crystal substrate attaining a small absorption coefficient and the method of manufacturing the same, as well as a group III-nitride semiconductor device can thus be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2005
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Inventors: Takatomo Sasaki, Yusuke Mori, Masashi Yoshimura, Fumio Kawamura, Ryu Hirota, Seiji Nakahata
  • Patent number: 7309534
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing Group III nitride crystals that are of high quality, are manufactured highly efficiently, and are useful and usable as a substrate that is used in semiconductor manufacturing processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignees: Matsushita Electric INdustrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Kitaoka, Hisashi Minemoto, Isao Kidoguchi, Takatomo Sasaki, Yusuke Mori, Fumio Kawamura, Masanori Morishita
  • Publication number: 20070272941
    Abstract: A method for producing Group-III-element nitride crystals by which an improved growth rate is obtained and large high-quality crystals can be grown in a short time, a producing apparatus used therein, and a semiconductor element obtained using the method and the apparatus are provided. The method is a method for producing Group-III-element nitride crystals that includes a crystal growth process of subjecting a material solution containing a Group III element, nitrogen, and at least one of alkali metal and alkaline-earth metal to pressurizing and heating under an atmosphere of a nitrogen-containing gas so that the nitrogen and the Group III element in the material solution react with each other to grow crystals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Applicants: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hisashi Minemoto, Yasuo Kitaoka, Isao Kidoguchi, Yusuke Mori, Fumio Kawamura, Takatomo Sasaki, Yasuhito Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7288151
    Abstract: There is provided a method of manufacturing a group-III nitride crystal in which a nitrogen plasma is brought into contact with a melt containing a group-III element and an alkali metal to grow the group-III nitride crystal. Furthermore, there is also provided a method of manufacturing a group-III nitride crystal in which the group-III nitride crystal is grown on a substrate placed in a melt containing a group-III element and an alkali metal, with a minimal distance between a surface of the melt and a surface of the substrate set to be at most 50 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignees: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takatomo Sasaki, Yusuke Mori, Masashi Yoshimura, Fumio Kawamura, Ryu Hirota
  • Patent number: 7288152
    Abstract: The present invention provides a manufacturing method in which high quality GaN crystals and GaN crystal substrates can be manufactured under mild conditions of low pressure and low temperature. In a method of manufacturing GaN crystals in which in a gas atmosphere containing nitrogen, gallium and the nitrogen are allowed to react with each other to generate GaN crystals in a mixed melt of the gallium and sodium, the gallium and the nitrogen are allowed to react with each other under a pressurizing condition that exceeds atmospheric pressure, and pressure P1 (atm(×1.013×105 Pa)) of the pressurizing condition is set so as to satisfy the condition that is expressed by the following conditional expression (I): P?P1<(P+45),??(I) where in the expression (I), P (atm(×1.013×105 Pa)) denotes the minimum pressure that is required for generating GaN crystals at a temperature T° C. of the mixed melt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignees: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Yusuke MORI
    Inventors: Yasuo Kitaoka, Hisashi Minemoto, Isao Kidoguchi, Takatomo Sasaki, Yusuke Mori, Fumio Kawamura, Masanori Morishita
  • Publication number: 20070221122
    Abstract: The present invention provides a producing method with which large silicon carbide (SiC) single crystal can be produced at low cost. Silicon carbide single crystal is produced or grown by dissolving and reacting silicon (Si) and carbon (C) in an alkali metal flux. The alkali metal preferably is lithium (Li). With this method, silicon carbide single crystal can be produced even under low-temperature conditions of 1500° C. or lower, for example. The photograph of FIG. 3B is an example of a silicon carbide single crystal obtained by the method of the present invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2005
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Applicants: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD., OSAKA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yasuo Kitaoka, Yusuke Mori, Takatomo Sasaki, Fumio Kawamura, Minoru Kawahara
  • Publication number: 20070215035
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a compound single crystal that can improve a growth rate and grow a large single crystal with high crystal uniformity in a short time, and a production apparatus used for the method. The compound single crystal is grown while stirring a material solution to create a flow from a gas-liquid interface in contact with a source gas toward the inside of the material solution. With this stirring, the source gas can be dissolved easily in the material solution, and supersaturation can be achieved in a short time, thus improving the growth rate of the compound single crystal. Moreover, the flow formed by the stirring goes from the gas-liquid interface where a source gas concentration is high to the inside of the material solution where the source gas concentration is low, so that dissolution of the source gas becomes uniform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Applicants: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuo Kitaoka, Hisashi Minemoto, Isao Kidoguchi, Yasuhito Takahashi, Takatomo Sasaki, Yusuke Mori, Fumio Kwamura
  • Publication number: 20070196942
    Abstract: In a nitrogen-containing atmosphere, a Group III nitride crystal is grown in a flux that includes at least one Group III element selected from Ga, Al, and In, an alkali metal, and Mg, thereby forming a Group III nitride substrate. Since Mg is a p-type dopant for the Group III nitride crystal, even if Mg is present in the crystal, the crystal can have p-type or semi-insulating electrical characteristics and causes no problem in its application to an electronic device. Moreover, the amount of nitrogen dissolved in the flux is increased because the flux includes Mg, which allows the crystal to be grown at a high growth rate and also improves the reproducibility of the crystal growth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Applicant: Yusuke MORI
    Inventors: Yasuo Kitaoka, Hisashi Minemoto, Isao Kidoguchi, Takatomo Sasaki, Yusuke Mori, Fumio Kawamura
  • Patent number: 7255742
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing Group III nitride crystals that are of high quality, are manufactured efficiently, and are useful and usable as a substrate for semiconductor manufacturing processes. A semiconductor layer that is made of a semiconductor and includes crystal-nucleus generation regions at its surface is formed. The semiconductor is expressed by a composition formula of AluGavIn1-u-vN (where 0?u?1, 0?v?1, and u+v?1). Group III nitride crystals then are grown on the semiconductor layer by bringing the crystal-nucleus generation regions of the semiconductor layer into contact with a melt in an atmosphere including nitrogen. The melt contains nitrogen, at least one Group III element selected from the group consisting of gallium, aluminum, and indium, and at least one of alkali metal and alkaline-earth metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2007
    Assignees: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Kitaoka, Hisashi Minemoto, Isao Kidoguchi, Takatomo Sasaki, Yusuke Mori, Fumio Kawamura
  • Patent number: 7247203
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing high-quality crystals of protein or organic substances easily and efficiently. A solution of protein or an organic substance is prepared and then is cooled slowly to be supersaturated to a low degree. This supersaturated solution is irradiated with a femtosecond laser 10. A local explosion phenomenon occurs at the focal point of the laser and thereby a crystalline nucleus is generated. A high-quality crystal is obtained when a crystal is grown on the crystalline nucleus over a long period of time. The femtosecond laser to be used herein can be a titanium:sapphire laser having a wavelength of 800 nm, a duration of 120 fs, a frequency of 1 kHz, and an output of 400 mW.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Osaka Industrial Promotion Organization
    Inventors: Takatomo Sasaki, Yusuke Mori, Masashi Yoshimura, Hiroaki Adachi, Hiroshi Masuhara, Youichiroh Hosokawa, Kazufumi Takano
  • Publication number: 20070157876
    Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus of Group III nitride crystals and a method for manufacturing Group III nitride crystals are provided, by which high quality crystals can be manufactured. For instance, crystals are grown using the apparatus of the present invention as follows. A crystal raw material (131) and gas containing nitrogen are introduced into a reactor vessel (120), to which heat is applied by a heater (110), and crystals are grown in an atmosphere of pressure applied thereto. The gas is introduced from a gas supplying device (180) to the reactor vessel (120) through a gas inlet of the reactor vessel, and then is exhausted to the inside of a pressure-resistant vessel (102) through a gas outlet of the reactor vessel. Since the gas is introduced directly to the reactor vessel (120) without passing through the pressure-resistant vessel (102), the mixture of impurities attached to the pressure-resistant vessel (102) and the like into the site of the crystal growth can be prevented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2005
    Publication date: July 12, 2007
    Applicants: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hisashi Minemoto, Yasuo Kitaoka, Isao Kidoguchi, Yusuke Mori, Fumio Kawamura, Takatomo Sasaki, Hidekazu Umeda, Yasuhito Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20070101931
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a Group III nitride compound semiconductor crystal, the semiconductor crystal being grown through the flux method employing a flux. At least a portion of a substrate on which the semiconductor crystal is to be grown is formed of a flux-soluble material. While the semiconductor crystal is grown on a surface of the substrate, the flux-soluble material is dissolved in the flux from a surface of the substrate that is opposite the surface on which the semiconductor crystal is grown. Alternatively, after the semiconductor crystal has been grown on a surface of the substrate, the flux-soluble material is dissolved in the flux from a surface of the substrate that is opposite the surface on which the semiconductor crystal has been grown. The flux-soluble material is formed of silicon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2006
    Publication date: May 10, 2007
    Applicants: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD., NGK INSULATORS, LTD., OSAKA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Shiro Yamazaki, Koji Hirata, Katsuhiro Imai, Makoto Iwai, Takatomo Sasaki, Yusuke Mori, Masashi Yoshimura, Fumio Kawamura, Yuji Yamada
  • Patent number: 7198738
    Abstract: The present invention provides a cesium-lithium-borate crystal, which can be used as a high-performance wavelength converting crystal, having a chemical composition expressed as CsLiB6O10, and substituted cesium-lithium-borate crystals expressed by the following formula: Cs1?xLi1?yMx+yB6O10 or Cs2(1?z)Li2LzB12O20 (where, M is an alkali metal element, and L is an alkali earth metal element); a method for manufacturing same by heating and melting; and an optical apparatus using such crystals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Research Development Corporation of Japan
    Inventors: Takatomo Sasaki, Akio Hiraki, Yusuke Mori, Sadao Nakai
  • Patent number: 7176115
    Abstract: The present invention provides a manufacturing method that allows a Group III nitride substrate with a low dislocation density to be manufactured, and a semiconductor device that is manufactured using the manufacturing method. The manufacturing method includes, in an atmosphere including nitrogen, allowing a Group III element and the nitrogen to react with each other in an alkali metal melt to cause generation and growth of Group III nitride crystals. In the manufacturing method, a plurality of portions of a Group III nitride semiconductor layer are prepared, selected as seed crystals, and used for at least one of the generation and the growth of the Group III nitride crystals, and then surfaces of the seed crystals are brought into contact with the alkali metal melt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignees: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Kitaoka, Hisashi Minemoto, Isao Kidoguchi, Akihiko Ishibashi, Takatomo Sasaki, Yusuke Mori, Fumio Kawamura
  • Patent number: 7142354
    Abstract: In a wavelength converting method, an ambient that is in contact with a surface of a non-linear optical crystal from which wavelength-converted light is outputted is a gas that is lower in content of nitrogen than air. A wavelength converting device includes a device for controlling the ambient in contact with a surface of the non-linear optical crystal from which the wavelength-converted light is outputted so the ambient is lower in nitrogen than air. A laser machining device includes the wavelength converting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuo Kojima, Susumu Konno, Shuichi Fujikawa, Koji Yasui, Takatomo Sasaki, Yusuke Mori, Masashi Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 7125801
    Abstract: The present invention provides a Group III nitride crystal substrate whose surface has concavities and convexities reduced in size. The surfaces with concavities and convexities, such as hillocks, pits and facets, of Group III nitride crystals are brought into contact with a melt and thereby the surfaces are subjected to meltback etching or mechanochemical polishing. The melt includes at least one of alkali metal and alkaline-earth metal. Thus a Group III nitride crystal substrate that has reduced strain and a reduced number of defects, which are caused through the processing, and is excellent in surface flatness is manufactured. Furthermore, by the use of the Group III nitride crystal substrate of the present invention, for instance, semiconductor devices of high performance can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisashi Minemoto, Yasuo Kitaoka, Isao Kidoguchi, Yusuke Mori, Takatomo Sasaki, Fumio Kawamura