Patents by Inventor Zhigang Ban
Zhigang Ban 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).
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Publication number: 20200270744Abstract: Distributor assemblies for vapor transport deposition systems, and methods of conducting vapor transport deposition, are described.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 24, 2018Publication date: August 27, 2020Applicant: First Solar, Inc.Inventors: Zhigang Ban, John Barden, Jerry Drennan, Litian Liu, Rick Powell, Nirav Vora, Yaojun Xu
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Patent number: 9799784Abstract: A photovoltaic device is disclosed including at least one Cadmium Sulfide Telluride (CdSxTe1?x) layer as are methods of forming such a photovoltaic device.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2014Date of Patent: October 24, 2017Assignee: First Solar, Inc.Inventors: Arnold Allenic, Zhigang Ban, Benyamin Buller, Markus Gloeckler, Benjamin Milliron, Xilin Peng, Rick C. Powell, Jigish Trivedi, Oomman K. Varghese, Jianjun Wang, Zhibo Zhao
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Patent number: 9337376Abstract: A multi-stage method and apparatus for vaporizing and depositing a tellurium containing semiconductor material on a substrate.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2014Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: First Solar, Inc.Inventors: Arnold Allenic, Zhigang Ban, John Barden, Benjamin Milliron, Rick C. Powell
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Publication number: 20150079725Abstract: A multi-stage method and apparatus for vaporizing and depositing a tellurium containing semiconductor material on a substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 24, 2014Publication date: March 19, 2015Inventors: Arnold Allenic, Zhigang Ban, John Barden, Benjamin Milliron, Rick C. Powell
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Patent number: 8921147Abstract: A multi-stage method and apparatus for vaporizing and depositing a tellurium containing semiconductor material on a substrate.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2013Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: First Solar, Inc.Inventors: Arnold Allenic, Zhigang Ban, John Barden, Benjamin Milliron, Rick C. Powell
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Patent number: 8865260Abstract: A coated ceramic cutting insert for removing material from a workpiece, as well as a method for making the same, that includes a ceramic substrate with a rake surface and at least one flank surface wherein a cutting edge is at the juncture therebetween. A wear-resistant coating scheme that includes an alumina-containing base coating layer region, which has at least one exposed alumina coating layer, deposited by chemical vapor deposition on the substantially all of the surfaces of the ceramic substrate that experience wear during removal of material from the workpiece. The exposed alumina coating layer exhibits a blasted stress condition ranging between about 50 MPa (tensile stress) and about ?2 GPa (compressive) as measured by XRD using the Psi tilt method and the (024) reflection of alumina. The exposed alumina coating layer is the result of wet blasting a titanium-containing outer coating layer region from the surface of the alumina-containing base coating layer region.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2013Date of Patent: October 21, 2014Assignee: Kennametal Inc.Inventors: Zhigang Ban, Alfred S. Gates, Jr., Yixiong Liu, Jie Wu
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Patent number: 8859114Abstract: In one aspect, coated cutting tools are described herein which, in some embodiments, can demonstrate improved wear resistance in one or more cutting applications. In some embodiments, a coated cutting tool described herein comprises a substrate and a coating adhered to the substrate, the coating comprising an inner layer deposited by physical vapor deposition and an outer deposited by physical vapor deposition over the inner layer.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2013Date of Patent: October 14, 2014Assignee: Kennametal Inc.Inventors: Aharon Inspektor, Nicholas F Waggle, Jr., Michael F Beblo, Mark J Rowe, Zhigang Ban
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Publication number: 20140261688Abstract: A photovoltaic device is disclosed including at least one Cadmium Sulfide Telluride (CdSxTe1-x) layer as are methods of forming such a photovoltaic device.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2014Publication date: September 18, 2014Applicant: FIRST SOLAR, INCInventors: Arnold Allenic, Zhigang Ban, Benyamin Buller, Markus Gloeckler, Benjamin Milliron, Xilin Peng, Rick C. Powell, Jigish Trivedi, Oomman K. Varghese, Jianjun Wang, Zhibo Zhao
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Patent number: 8828492Abstract: A method for making a coated article wherein the method includes the following steps: providing a substrate; and depositing an aluminum oxynitride coating layer from a gaseous mixture. The gaseous mixture contains the following components: 30.0-65.0 volume percent nitrogen, 0.7-1.3 volume percent aluminum tri-chloride; 1.0-2.0 volume percent ammonia, 0.1-1.5 carbon dioxide, 1.5-4.5 volume percent hydrogen chloride, optional components of carbon monoxide and/or argon, and hydrogen as the balance.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2013Date of Patent: September 9, 2014Assignee: Kennametal Inc.Inventors: Volkmar Sottke, Hartmut Westphal, Hendrikus Van Den Berg, Zhigang Ban, Yixiong Liu, Mark S. Greenfield
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Patent number: 8668982Abstract: A coated cutting insert for removing material from a workpiece that includes a substrate is disclosed. A wear-resistant coating on the substrate that includes an alumina layer and a Zr- or Hf-carbonitride outer layer deposited on the alumina layer. The Zr- or Hf-carbonitride outer layer is subjected to a post-coat wet blasting treatment. The wet blasting changes the stress condition of the exposed alumina coating layer from an initial tensile stress condition to a compressive stress condition.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2011Date of Patent: March 11, 2014Assignee: Kennametal Inc.Inventors: Peter Leicht, Mark Greenfield, Volkmar Sottke, Zhigang Ban, Hartmut Westphal, Yixiong Liu, Michael Frank Beblo
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Publication number: 20140051206Abstract: A multi-stage method and apparatus for vaporizing and depositing a tellurium containing semiconductor material on a substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2013Publication date: February 20, 2014Applicant: FIRST SOLAR, INCInventors: Arnold Allenic, Zhigang Ban, John Barden, Benjamin Milliron, Rick C. Powell
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Publication number: 20130302521Abstract: A coated article such as a coated cutting tool or coated wear part, which includes a substrate and a coating scheme on the substrate. The coating scheme has a titanium-containing coating layer, and an aluminum oxynitride coating layer on the titanium-containing coating layer. The aluminum oxynitride includes a mixture of phases having a hexagonal aluminum nitride type structure (space group: P63mc), a cubic aluminum nitride type structure (space group: Fm-3m), and optionally amorphous structure. The aluminum oxynitride coating layer has a composition of aluminum in an amount between about 20 atomic percent and about 50 atomic percent, nitrogen in an amount between about 40 atomic percent and about 70 atomic percent, and oxygen in an amount between about 1 atomic percent and about 20 atomic percent.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2013Publication date: November 14, 2013Applicant: Kennametal Inc.Inventors: Volkmar Sottke, Hartmut Westphal, Hendrikus Van Den Berg, Zhigang Ban, Yixiong Liu, Mark S. Greenfield
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Patent number: 8574728Abstract: A coated article such as a coated cutting tool or coated wear part, which includes a substrate and a coating scheme on the substrate. The coating scheme has a titanium-containing coating layer, and an aluminum oxynitride coating layer on the titanium-containing coating layer. The aluminum oxynitride includes a mixture of phases having a hexagonal aluminum nitride type structure (space group: P63mc), a cubic aluminum nitride type structure (space group: Fm-3m), and optionally amorphous structure. The aluminum oxynitride coating layer has a composition of aluminum in an amount between about 20 atomic percent and about 50 atomic percent, nitrogen in an amount between about 40 atomic percent and about 70 atomic percent, and oxygen in an amount between about 1 atomic percent and about 20 atomic percent.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2011Date of Patent: November 5, 2013Assignee: Kennametal Inc.Inventors: Volkmar Sottke, Hartmut Westphal, Hendrkus Van Den Berg, Zhigang Ban, Yixiong Liu, Mark S. Greenfield
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Patent number: 8557406Abstract: A coated polycrystalline cubic boron nitride cutting insert useful in a cutting tool for removing material from a workpiece, and a method for making the same. The cutting insert including a polycrystalline cubic boron nitride substrate with a rake surface and at least one flank surface, and a cutting edge formed at the juncture between the rake surface and the flank surface. A wear-resistant coating scheme is on the polycrystalline cubic boron nitride substrate. The wear-resistant coating scheme includes the following coating layers. An inner coating layer region is on at least some of the rake surface and at least some of the flank surface of the polycrystalline cubic boron nitride substrate. An alumina-containing coating layer region, which has at least one exposed alumina coating layer, is on the inner coating layer region.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2010Date of Patent: October 15, 2013Assignee: Kennametal Inc.Inventors: Zhigang Ban, Yixiong Liu
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Publication number: 20130260035Abstract: A coated ceramic cutting insert for removing material from a workpiece, as well as a method for making the same, that includes a ceramic substrate with a rake surface and at least one flank surface wherein a cutting edge is at the juncture therebetween. A wear-resistant coating scheme that includes an alumina-containing base coating layer region, which has at least one exposed alumina coating layer, deposited by chemical vapor deposition on the substantially all of the surfaces of the ceramic substrate that experience wear during removal of material from the workpiece. The exposed alumina coating layer exhibits a blasted stress condition ranging between about 50 MPa (tensile stress) and about ?2 GPa (compressive) as measured by XRD using the Psi tilt method and the (024) reflection of alumina. The exposed alumina coating layer is the result of wet blasting a titanium-containing outer coating layer region from the surface of the alumina-containing base coating layer region.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2013Publication date: October 3, 2013Inventors: Zhigang Ban, Alfred S. Gates, JR., Yixiong Liu, Jie Wu
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Patent number: 8524360Abstract: A method for making a coated cutting insert, as well as the coated cutting insert, includes a step of providing a substrate which has a surface, and depositing a CVD coating layer of titanium oxycarbonitride. The gaseous mixture from which the coating layer of titanium oxycarbonitride is deposited has a composition of nitrogen, methane hydrogen chloride, titanium tetrachloride, acetonitrile, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen. The coating layer of titanium oxycarbonitride comprises titanium oxycarbonitride whiskers having as measured in a two-dimensional plane view an average length greater than about 1.0 ?m, an average width greater than about 0.2 ?m, and an average aspect ratio greater than about 2.0.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2011Date of Patent: September 3, 2013Assignee: Kennametal Inc.Inventors: Alfred S. Gates, Jr., Zhigang Ban
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Patent number: 8507082Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention provides coated cutting tools comprising a PcBN substrate wherein a layer of single phase ?-alumina is deposited by chemical vapor deposition directly on one or more surfaces of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2011Date of Patent: August 13, 2013Assignee: Kennametal Inc.Inventors: Zhigang Ban, Yixiong Liu
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Patent number: 8475944Abstract: A coated ceramic cutting insert for removing material from a workpiece, as well as a method for making the same, that includes a ceramic substrate with a rake surface and at least one flank surface wherein a cutting edge is at the juncture therebetween. A wear-resistant coating scheme that includes an alumina-containing base coating layer region, which has at least one exposed alumina coating layer, deposited by chemical vapor deposition on the substantially all of the surfaces of the ceramic substrate that experience wear during removal of material from the workpiece. The exposed alumina coating layer exhibits a blasted stress condition ranging between about 50 MPa (tensile stress) and about ?2 GPa (compressive) as measured by XRD using the Psi tilt method and the (024) reflection of alumina. The exposed alumina coating layer is the result of wet blasting a titanium-containing outer coating layer region from the surface of the alumina-containing base coating layer region.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2010Date of Patent: July 2, 2013Assignee: Kennametal Inc.Inventors: Zhigang Ban, Alfred Gates, Jr., Yixiong Liu, Jie Wu
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Patent number: 8440328Abstract: In one aspect, coated cutting tools are described herein which, in some embodiments, can demonstrate improved wear resistance in one or more cutting applications. In some embodiments, a coated cutting tool described herein comprises a substrate and a coating adhered to the substrate, the coating comprising an inner layer deposited by physical vapor deposition and an outer deposited by physical vapor deposition over the inner layer.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2011Date of Patent: May 14, 2013Assignee: Kennametal Inc.Inventors: Aharon Inspektor, Nicholas F Waggle, Jr., Michael F Beblo, Mark J Rowe, Zhigang Ban
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Patent number: 8409702Abstract: Coated cutting tools are disclosed which have a hard coating that includes at least one aluminum titanium nitride layer having a single phase structure of B1 cubic phase and a composition of (AlxTi1-x)N, where x is in the range of about 0.46 to about 0.52 moles. The hard coatings also have a residual stress in the range of from about ?0.4 to about ?3 GPa as measured by the XRD Sin2 ? method, and a crystallographic orientation characterized by an x-ray diffraction (200) to (111) peak intensity ratio in the range of about 1 to about 14. Preferably the aluminum titanium nitride layer has an average crystallite size in the range of about 15 to about 50 nanometers. Methods of making such coated cutting tools are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2011Date of Patent: April 2, 2013Assignee: Kennametal Inc.Inventors: Wangyang Ni, Zhigang Ban, Ronald M. Penich, Yixiong Liu