Including Heat Energy Reflecting Or Directing Means Patents (Class 219/405)
  • Patent number: 11821794
    Abstract: Devices and corresponding methods can be provided to monitor or measure temperature of a target or to control a process. Targets can have low, unknown, or variable emissivity. Devices and corresponding methods can be used to measure temperatures of thin film, partially transparent, or opaque targets, as well as targets not filling a sensor's field of view. Temperature measurements can be made independent of emissivity of a target surface by, for example, inserting a target between a thermopile sensor and a background surface maintained at substantially the same temperature as the thermopile sensor. In embodiment devices and methods, a sensor temperature can be controlled to match a target temperature by minimizing or zeroing a net heat flux at the sensor, as derived from a sensor output signal. Alternatively, a target temperature can be controlled to minimize the heat flux.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: EXERGEN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jason N. Jarboe, Francesco Pompei
  • Patent number: 11823873
    Abstract: Examples of a substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate carrier apparatus including a shaft, at least one carrier arm that is fixed to the shaft and rotates as the shaft rotates, and at least one thermometer fixed to the carrier arm, a susceptor, a heater that heats the susceptor, a temperature regulator that controls the heater, and a control unit that acquires a measured temperature, which is a surface temperature, of the susceptor obtained by the thermometer by bringing the carrier arm close to the susceptor and control the temperature regulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Nishiwaki
  • Patent number: 11523707
    Abstract: Several embodiments include a cooking appliance/instrument (e.g., oven). The cooking instrument can draw an alternating current (AC) power and generate a maximum available power for a heating system of the cooking instrument via a power component that converts the drawn AC power. The cooking instrument can then directionally heat each of different zones in a cooking chamber of the cooking instrument in sequence using one or more heating elements of the heating system on at least one side of the cooking chamber such that each step in the sequence utilizes the maximum available power for the heating system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Brava Home, Inc.
    Inventor: Shih-Yu Cheng
  • Patent number: 11424147
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a deposition apparatus including: a reaction space which is a reaction chamber; a front chamber for deposition; a raw material supply port that is configured to supply a raw material to the reaction space; an opening for measuring a temperature of a wafer mounted on a wafer mounting surface of a mounting stage disposed in the reaction space; and a partition plate that partitions the reaction space and the front chamber for deposition, in which the raw material supply port is positioned on the same plane as the partition plate or on the reaction space side from the partition plate, and the opening is positioned in the front chamber for deposition side from the partition plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Keisuke Fukada, Naoto Ishibashi, Hironori Atsumi
  • Patent number: 11380621
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer processing susceptor for holding a wafer having an orientation notch during deposition of a layer on the wafer, having a placement surface for supporting the semiconductor wafer in the rear edge region of the wafer, the placement surface having a stepped outer delimitation, and an indentation of the outer delimitation of the placement surface for placement of the partial region of the edge region of the rear side of the wafer in which the orientation notch is located onto a partial region of the placement surface delimited by the indentation of the outer delimitation of the placement surface. The susceptor is used in a method for depositing a layer on a wafer having an orientation notch, and wafers made of monocrystalline silicon upon which layers are deposited using the susceptor have greater local flatness on both front and rear sides proximate the orientation notch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: SILTRONIC AG
    Inventors: Reinhard Schauer, Christian Hager
  • Patent number: 11377754
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a reactor (1) for epitaxial deposition of semiconductor material on substrates (100), comprising: a reaction chamber (2) provided with a cavity (20) defined by a lower wall (21), an upper wall (22) and lateral walls (23, 24); a susceptor (3), positioned inside said cavity (20), and adapted to support and heat substrates (100) during epitaxial deposition; a heating system (6) adapted to heat said susceptor (3); an upper plate (7) that is positioned above said upper wall (22) and that overlies said susceptor (3) so that it reflects thermal radiation emitted by said susceptor (3) towards said susceptor (3). A liquid flow (LF) is provided in or on said upper plate (7) to cool said upper plate (7). A gaseous flow (GF) is provided between said upper wall (22) and said upper plate (7) to promote the transfer of heat from said upper wall (22) to said upper plate (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: LPE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Silvio Preti, Vincenzo Ogliari, Franco Preti
  • Patent number: 11337277
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein relate to circular lamp arrays for use in a semiconductor processing chamber. Circular lamp arrays utilizing one or more torroidal lamps disposed in a reflective trough and arranged in a concentric circular pattern may provide for improved rapid thermal processing. The reflective troughs, which may house the torroidal lamps, may be disposed at various angles relative to a surface of a substrate being processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph M. Ranish
  • Patent number: 11215934
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for detecting ultraviolet light are provided herein. For example, an ultraviolet (UV) process chamber includes a vacuum window or a transparent showerhead; a UV light source disposed above one of the vacuum window or the transparent showerhead and configured to generate and transmit UV light into a process volume of the UV process chamber; and a first UV sensor configured to measure at least one of emissivity from the UV light source or irradiance of the UV light transmitted into the process volume and to transmit a signal corresponding to a measured at least one of emissivity from the UV light source or irradiance of the UV light to a controller coupled to the UV process chamber during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Ralph Peter Antonio, Shuran Sheng, Lin Zhang, Joseph C. Werner
  • Patent number: 10941490
    Abstract: Susceptor assemblies, reactors and systems including the assemblies, and methods of using the assemblies, reactors, and systems are disclosed. Exemplary susceptor assemblies include two or more sections that can be moved relative to each other to allow rapid changes in a substrate temperature. The movement of the two or more sections can additionally or alternatively be used to manipulate conductance of gas flow though a reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventor: John Kevin Shugrue
  • Patent number: 10699922
    Abstract: A processing chamber is described. The processing chamber includes a chamber having an interior volume, a light pipe array coupled to the chamber, the light pipe array comprising a wall member that defines a boundary of the interior volume of the chamber, wherein the light pipe array includes a plurality of non-metallic light pipe structures, and a radiant heat source comprising a plurality of energy sources in optical communication with each of the plurality of light pipe structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph M. Ranish, Aaron Muir Hunter
  • Patent number: 10658250
    Abstract: A front surface of a semiconductor wafer is momentarily heated by irradiation with a flash of light from flash lamps. An upper radiation thermometer and a high-speed radiation thermometer unit measure a temperature of the front surface of the semiconductor wafer after the irradiation with the flash of light. The temperature data are sequentially accumulated, so that a temperature profile is acquired. An analyzer determines the highest measurement temperature of the semiconductor wafer subjected to the flash irradiation from the temperature profile to calculate a jump distance of the semiconductor wafer from a susceptor, based on the highest measurement temperature. If the calculated jump distance is greater than a predetermined threshold value, there is a high probability that the semiconductor wafer is significantly out of position, so that the transport of the semiconductor wafer to the outside is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hikaru Kawarazaki
  • Patent number: 10573569
    Abstract: A substrate in a chamber is preheated through light irradiation by a halogen lamp and then heated through irradiation with flash light from a flash lamp. Ammonia is supplied to the chamber from an ammonia supply mechanism to form ammonia atmosphere. The temperature of the substrate at heating processing is measured by a radiation thermometer. When the measurement wavelength band of the radiation thermometer overlaps with the absorption wavelength band of ammonia, the set emissivity of the radiation thermometer is changed and set to be lower than the actual emissivity of the substrate. When radiation light emitted from the substrate is absorbed by the ammonia atmosphere, the radiation thermometer can accurately output the temperature of the substrate as a measured value by reducing the set emissivity of the radiation thermometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Furukawa, Hikaru Kawarazaki, Kazuhiko Fuse
  • Patent number: 10570510
    Abstract: An arrangement of two shutters radially outward from an injector block and a susceptor onto which a wafer carrier is removably mounted are configured to provide a flowpath through a reactor chamber that does not exhibit a vortex, thereby reducing or eliminating buildup on the inside of the reactor chamber and facilitating large temperature gradient between the injector block and the wafer carrier. This can be accomplished by introduction of a purge gas flow at a radially inner wall of an upper shutter, and in some embodiments the purge gas can have a different chemical composition than the precursor gas used to grow desired epitaxial structures on the wafer carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Bojan Mitrovic, Eric Armour, Ian Kunsch
  • Patent number: 10541145
    Abstract: In a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate mounted on a mounting table in a processing chamber by supplying a gas to the substrate, the apparatus includes: a partition unit provided, between a processing space where a substrate is provided and a diffusion space where a first gas is diffused, to face the mounting table; a first gas supply unit for supplying the first gas to the diffusion space; first gas injection holes, formed through the partition unit, for injecting the first gas diffused in the diffusion space into the processing space; and a second gas supply unit including second gas injection holes opened on a gas injection surface of the partition unit which faces the processing space. The second gas supply unit independently supplies a second gas to each of a plurality of regions arranged in a horizontal direction in the processing space separately from the first gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ogawa, Tomoya Okubo, Akitaka Shimizu
  • Patent number: 10466545
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for processing a photoresist component, including steps of: placing a photoresist component to be processed on a heating device comprising a plurality of heating components; and controlling, based on a heating parameter, each of the plurality of heating components associated with the heating parameter to heat the photoresist component to be processed. The heating parameter is determined based on a photoresist component parameter of the photoresist component to be processed and a process parameter of forming the photoresist component. The present disclosure further provides a device for processing a photoresist component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignees: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD., BEIJING BOE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shichao Ma, Pengfei Wang, Chongxi Wei
  • Patent number: 10468291
    Abstract: An atomic deposition (ALD) thin film deposition apparatus includes a deposition chamber configured to deposit a thin film on a wafer mounted within a space defined therein. The deposition chamber comprises a gas inlet that is in communication with the space. A gas system is configured to deliver gas to the gas inlet of the deposition chamber. At least a portion of the gas system is positioned above the deposition chamber. The gas system includes a mixer configured to mix a plurality of gas streams. A transfer member is in fluid communication with the mixer and the gas inlet. The transfer member comprising a pair of horizontally divergent walls configured to spread the gas in a horizontal direction before entering the gas inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: ASM America, Inc.
    Inventors: Mohith Verghese, Kyle Fondurulia, Carl White, Eric Shero, Darko Babic, Herbert Terhorst, Marko Peussa, Min Yan
  • Patent number: 10446386
    Abstract: A heating bulb for a liquid boiler includes a metal pressure shell of titanium or the like and contains an inner pressure plenum that stores pressurized inert gas, such as argon. The inner pressure plenum is sealed with a ceramic isolation plug that also contains a power conduit supplying a resistance heating element within the inner pressure plenum. Preferably, from approximately five to 100 atmospheres of pressure may be used to make the heating of the pressurized inert gas more efficient for heating a liquid within a boiler into which the heating bulb is placed. Thermocouples are used to control the flow of power to the resistance heating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Inventor: Carlos Botero
  • Patent number: 10358720
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a process chamber; a rotary table provided within the process chamber so as to place a substrate on a surface of the rotary table; a first process gas supply region including a first process gas supply part that supplies a first process gas to the substrate; a second process gas supply region including a second process gas supply part that supplies a second process gas to the substrate; first and second exhaust ports provided below the rotary table; and a conductance reduction part that reduces conductance in the vicinity of the first exhaust port in a route along which the second process gas flows toward the first exhaust port through a communication space, the communication space being generated by upward movement of the rotary table and allowing the first exhaust port and the second exhaust port to communicate with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Shigehiro Miura
  • Patent number: 10332763
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a lamp driver for lamps used as a source of heat radiation in a thermal processing chamber. The lamp driver includes a power source, at least two DC/DC converters, each DC/DC converter connected with the power source in series, a direct connection between the at least two DC/DC converters, and a line that is attached to the direct connection and attachable to a reference voltage. A plurality of the lamp drivers may be utilized to power a plurality of lamps positioned in a grounded lamphead assembly. The electrical potential between the lamps and the grounded lamphead assembly is reduced, which reduces the risk of arcing between the lamps and the lamphead assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INCL
    Inventors: Oleg V. Serebryanov, Alexander Goldin, Joseph M. Ranish
  • Patent number: 10283637
    Abstract: A semiconductor fabrication system includes a wafer carrier configured to carry a wafer thereon. A radiation source is positioned above the wafer carrier. The radiation source is configured to emit thermal radiation. A plurality of reflectors is positioned above, and aligned with, an edge region of the wafer. The reflectors each have a reflective coating configured to reflect the thermal radiation. A plurality of separately-controllable motors is coupled to the reflectors, respectively. The motors are each configured to cause its respective reflector to rotate in a counterclockwise direction or a clockwise direction so as to redirect the thermal radiation back toward the edge region of the wafer. A controller is communicatively coupled to the plurality of motors. The controller is configured to control each of the motors separately to cause each motors to rotate independently of other motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO, LTD.
    Inventor: Shih-Wei Hung
  • Patent number: 10223933
    Abstract: Several embodiments include a cooking instrument. The cooking instrument can select a food cooking recipe and identify relative areas in a cooking chamber to place at least two portions of food. The relative areas would match the food cooking recipe. The cooking instrument can display information associated with an instruction to place the at least two portions of food over the relative areas. The cooking instrument can then determine a heating sequence in accordance with the food cooking recipe and control, based on the heating sequence, a heating system to directionally transfer heat under different heating characteristics respectively to the at least two portions of the food at the identified relative areas in the cooking chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: BRAVA HOME, INC.
    Inventors: Shih-Yu Cheng, Dan Yue, Richard Metzler, Mark Janoff
  • Patent number: 10161035
    Abstract: A processing chamber is described having a gas evacuation flow path from the center to the edge of the chamber. Purge gas is introduced at an opening around a support shaft that supports a heater plate. A shaft wall around the opening directs the purge gas along the support shaft to an evacuation plenum. Gas flows from the evacuation plenum through an opening in a second plate near the shaft wall and along the chamber bottom to an opening coupled to a vacuum source. Purge gas is also directed to the slit valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Amit Kumar Bansal, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Jianhua Zhou, Ramprakash Sankarakrishnan
  • Patent number: 10163668
    Abstract: A heater system includes a heater assembly, an imaging device and a control system. The heater assembly includes a plurality of heating zones. The imaging device acquires an image of the heater assembly. The control system determines variations in the plurality of heating zones based on the thermal image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: WATLOW ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY
    Inventor: Louis P. Steinhauser
  • Patent number: 10085592
    Abstract: Several embodiments include a cooking appliance/instrument (e.g., oven). The cooking instrument can draw an alternating current (AC) power and generate a maximum available power for a heating system of the cooking instrument via a power component that converts the drawn AC power. The cooking instrument can then directionally heat each of different zones in a cooking chamber of the cooking instrument in sequence using one or more heating elements of the heating system on at least one side of the cooking chamber such that each step in the sequence utilizes the maximum available power for the heating system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: BRAVA HOME, INC.
    Inventor: Shih-yu Cheng
  • Patent number: 10064244
    Abstract: Several embodiments include a cooking appliance/instrument (e.g., oven). The cooking appliance/instrument can include a cooking chamber, a support tray adapted to hold food in the cooking chamber; and a heating system comprised of at least a heating element. The heating system is adapted to emit waves according to a particular configuration such that the emitted waves is substantially transparent or substantially opaque to the support tray and thus enabling the cooking instrument to select what to heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Brava Home, Inc.
    Inventors: Shih-yu Cheng, Mark Janoff, Richard Metzler, Dan Yue
  • Patent number: 9940707
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for assessing images in applications such as microscopic scanning of a slide having light emitting objects. In certain embodiments, such scanning can involve objects such as sequencing beads disposed on the slide to facilitate biological analysis such as nucleic acid sequencing. Also disclosed are certain embodiments where images of light emitting objects are assessed for image quality so as to facilitate a feedback response such as a corrective action. In certain embodiments, such assessment and correction can be performed in real-time during the scanning process, and can include re-acquisition of the assessed image. Also disclosed are certain embodiments where such assessment and correction can be triggered dynamically during the scan, or before start of the scan, so as to enhance the scanning performance, including scanning time and throughput.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Haoning Fu
  • Patent number: 9832817
    Abstract: Known apparatuses for irradiating a substrate include a housing and, within the housing, a receptacle for the substrate having a circular irradiation surface and a first emitter for generating optical radiation having a first emitter tube arranged in a plane of curvature extending parallel to the irradiation surface and having an emitter tube end, whereby the receptacle and the first emitter can be moved with respect to each other. In these apparatuses, the irradiation surface includes first and second semi-circular surface portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Heraeus Noblelight GmbH
    Inventors: Larisa Von Riewel, Sven Linow
  • Patent number: 9786529
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally relate to pyrometry during thermal processing of semiconductor substrates. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to a pyrometry filter for a thermal process chamber. In certain embodiments, the pyrometry filter selectively filters selected wavelengths of energy to improve a pyrometer measurement. The pyrometry filter may have various geometries which may affect the functionality of the pyrometry filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph M. Ranish, Bruce E. Adams
  • Patent number: 9603195
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a C-shaped susceptor including a first substrate placement portion capable of placing the substrate, and an opening portion, a substrate stage including a second substrate placement portion capable of placing the substrate, and a susceptor support portion configured to support the susceptor, and a complementary portion formed separately from the susceptor support portion, engaged with the susceptor support portion, and configured to complement an opening portion of the susceptor to form the susceptor into an annular shape in a state in which the susceptor support portion supports the susceptor. When the substrate is placed on the second substrate placement portion and the second substrate placement portion is located at a predetermined distant position with respect to the heat radiation surface, the susceptor forms the annular shape together with the complementary portion to surround the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: CANON ANELVA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kaori Mashimo, Masami Shibagaki
  • Patent number: 9570337
    Abstract: At the time of transporting a substrate into or from a space where a film formation process is performed, the space where the film formation process is performed, a space where a lower heater 16 is provided, and a space where an upper heater 19 is provided are made in an inert gas atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignees: NuFlare Technology, Inc., Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Ito, Hidekazu Tsuchida, Isaho Kamata, Masahiko Ito, Masami Naito, Hiroaki Fujibayashi, Ayumu Adachi, Koichi Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 9360772
    Abstract: A carrier system equipped with a fine movement stage holding a mounted wafer and can move along a predetermined plane, a chuck main section which holds the wafer above a predetermined position and can move vertically, and vertical movement pins supporting the wafer held by the chuck main section on the fine movement stage from below when the fine movement stage is positioned at the predetermined position and are vertically movable. A controller drives the chuck main section and the vertical movement pins downward until a lower surface of the wafer comes into contact with the fine movement stage while maintaining a hold state by the chuck main section to the wafer and a support state by the vertical movement pins to the wafer, and when the lower surface of the wafer comes into contact with the fine movement stage, the hold state and the support state are released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuichi Shibazaki
  • Patent number: 9340056
    Abstract: An apparatus for decorating includes a kiln provided with a heating chamber for receiving the objects and a carriage for transferring the objects from a more distant position from the chamber to a position nearer to the chamber. The carriage includes a resting arrangement for restingly receiving the objects and configured to serve as a bottom of the heating chamber in the nearer position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: DECORAL SYSTEM USA CORP.
    Inventor: Ivana Giacomello
  • Patent number: 9186699
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a curing apparatus comprising: a cassette; lamps configured in the cassette; a lamp housing having lamp accommodating portions disposed within the cassette to accommodate the lamps; and window plates separately configured so as to correspond to the positions of the lamp accommodating portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: LG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jaeyeol Heo, Ojun Kwon, Kyengbaek Ryu, Hoonseok Kang, Jongho Song
  • Patent number: 9084298
    Abstract: There are provided a substrate processing apparatus capable of suppressing leakage of magnetic field during processing of a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventors: Yukitomo Hirochi, Akinori Tanaka, Akihiro Sato, Takeshi Itoh, Daisuke Hara, Kenji Shirako, Kazuhiro Morimitsu, Masanao Fukuda
  • Patent number: 8957350
    Abstract: A device for preparing a thermoplastic material, with dry heat, for use in patient fixation. The device generates circulated heat to a threshold temperature. Once the thermoplastic material has become pliable, it is molded into a cast for fixation purposes. The circulated heat may be generated by a device having a housing and a support member movably attached to the housing. The device also includes a heating element and an array of circulation elements to push air centrally at the central region and drawing air from a periphery region concurrently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: S&S X-Ray Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Torben Juhl, Katarina Hansen, Torben Rasmussen, Norman Shoenfeld, Fred Sopenoff
  • Publication number: 20150040774
    Abstract: The toaster oven of the present invention includes a housing having an internal heating compartment, an upper heating element and a lower heating element. The upper heating element and the lower heating element are independently controllable between zero power and full power in dependence upon a user-selected operating mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventor: Kam Fai Fung
  • Patent number: 8939067
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a cooker. In the present invention, a carbon heater is used to cook foods in a cooking chamber and electric current applied to the carbon heater is controlled by a switching element, such that an effective wavelength range and an available temperature range of energy generated from the carbon heater is adjusted. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible more efficiently cook foods, using the carbon heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Young Jun Lee, Yang Kyeong Kim
  • Patent number: 8933376
    Abstract: A heating device has a heating chamber 3. An initial temperature distribution is created in a surface of a substrate (wafer W) when the substrate is carried into the heating chamber 3 . . . Temperature distribution creating means (heating lamps 2) creates a preheating temperature distribution in the substrate supported on a cooling plate 4 at a waiting position before the substrate is carried into the heating chamber 3 so as to level out the initial temperature distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Tetsuo Fukuoka, Takahiro Kitano, Kazuo Terada
  • Patent number: 8929724
    Abstract: A high efficiency oven is disclosed. An exemplary high efficiency oven includes two or more infrared heating elements selected to generate different wavelengths in an oven cavity, a temperature sensor, and a system controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: J.C. Penney Purchasing Corporation, Inc.
    Inventor: Shawki H. Mograbi
  • Publication number: 20140319120
    Abstract: The embodiments described herein generally relate to a lamphead assembly with an absorbing upper surface in a thermal processing chamber. In one embodiment, a processing chamber includes an upper structure, a lower structure, a base ring connecting the upper structure to the lower structure, a substrate support disposed between the upper structure and the lower structure, a lower structure disposed below the substrate support, a lamphead positioned proximate to the lower structure with one or more fixed lamphead positions formed therein, the lamphead comprising a first surface proximate the lower structure and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the first surface comprises an absorptive coating and one or more lamp assemblies each comprising a radiation generating source and positioned in connection with the one or more fixed lamphead positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventors: Paul BRILLHART, Joseph M. RANISH, Satheesh KUPPURAO, Balasubramanian RAMACHANDRAN, Zuoming ZHU
  • Patent number: 8872055
    Abstract: A track rail heating assembly that is adapted to position a heater element in spaced relation proximate to a surface of a track rail of a railroad. The assembly includes at least one heating element, and a housing that is operable to at least partially surround the heating element while positioning the heating element near to track rail. The hood positions the heating element relative to the rail section such that a gap exists between the heating element and the rail section. As the heating element does not contact the rail, the heating element cannot form an electrical by-pass for signals passing through the rail section. The assembly further incorporates a flexible barrier that at least partially isolates a side surface of the track rail from ambient conditions to reduce heat loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Fastrax Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: David L. Reichle
  • Patent number: 8874254
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to perform temperature setting of a heating plate so that a wafer is uniformly heated in an actual heat processing time. The temperature of a wafer is measured during a heat processing period from immediately after a temperature measuring wafer is mounted on the heating plate to the time when the actual heat processing time elapses. Whether the uniformity in temperature within the wafer is allowable or not is determined from the temperature of the wafer in the heat processing period, and if the determination result is negative, a correction value for a temperature setting parameter of the heating plate is calculated using a correction value calculation model from the measurement result, and the temperature setting parameter is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shuji Iwanaga, Nobuyuki Sata
  • Patent number: 8835813
    Abstract: A light-emission output of a flash lamp for performing a light-irradiation heat treatment on a substrate in which impurities are implanted is increased up to a target value L1 over a period of time from 1 to 100 milliseconds, is kept for 5 to 100 milliseconds within a fluctuation range of plus or minus 30% from the target value L1, and is then attenuated from the target value L1 to zero over a period of time from 1 to 100 milliseconds. That is, compared with conventional flash lamp annealing, the light-emission output of the flash lamp is increased more gradually, is kept to be constant for a certain period of time, and is then decreased more gradually. As a result, a total heat amount of a surface of the substrate increases compared with the conventional case, but a surface temperature thereof rises more gradually and then drops more gradually compared with the conventional case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Shinichi Kato
  • Publication number: 20140202444
    Abstract: A heating transfer method and apparatus that has a fixed physical obstruction placed in the air path causing the airflow to cause the airflow to shed into alternating patterns. A column is placed perpendicular to the airflow path to provide an obstruction to the airflow. The cross-section of the column can be round, square or another multi-sided design. The obstruction will affect the velocity and intensity at which the shedding occurs thus, causing motion of the jets to deliver a more uniform cook on the product surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: STANDEX INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael J. Dobie
  • Patent number: 8774611
    Abstract: A heating device for tempering preforms before processing in a stretch blow device. The heating device includes a heating alley with a plurality of infra red emitters, arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tempered preforms. At least one back reflector and/or one filter is assigned to the infra red emitters, whereby the at least one back reflector and/or the at least one filter is segmented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Schoenberger, Simon Fischer, Andreas Wutz, Jochen Hirdina, Christian Holzer
  • Patent number: 8698049
    Abstract: Embodiments of a lamphead and apparatus utilizing same are provided. In some embodiments, a lamphead for thermal processing may include a monolithic member having a plurality of coolant passages and a plurality of lamp passages and reflector cavities, wherein each lamp passage is configured to accommodate a lamp and each reflector cavity is shaped to act as a reflector or to receive a replaceable reflector for the lamp, and wherein the plurality of coolant passages are disposed proximate to the plurality of lamp passages; and at least one heat transfer member extending from the monolithic member into each coolant passage, wherein the at least one heat transfer member extends into each coolant passage up to the full height of each coolant passage. The lamphead may be disposed in an apparatus comprising a process chamber having a substrate support, wherein the lamphead is positioned to provide energy to the substrate support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph M. Ranish, Khurshed Sorabji, Kedarnath Sangam, Alexander Lerner
  • Patent number: 8692161
    Abstract: An infrared firing furnace includes a case-integrated cooling system to provide high performance cooling as the first step in the cooling process. The cooling system includes a cooling manifold integrated into, and made from, the same case material as the adjacent firing zone. As the cooling system is made from the same material as the rest of the case, it can handle being exposed to higher temperatures. The cooling system is positioned such that the plane of its outlet is at a specific clearance level relative to the product passing underneath. High pressure cooling jets of air are directed downward toward the products as they pass under the cooling manifold in order to quickly bring the temperature of the products down from the much higher firing temperature, and minimize the dwell time of the product at the higher temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: BTU International, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy R Doherty, Derek J Butland
  • Patent number: 8669497
    Abstract: A thermal processing apparatus and method with predictive temperature correction. Distances are measured from a backside of the wafer relative to a reference plane. Heat is transferred to the backside of the substrate in relation to the measured distances. This allows a baking unit to uniformly heat the substrate to compensate for irregularities or warpage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: John Kulp
  • Patent number: 8669496
    Abstract: An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating device which contains an assembly linear lamps for emitting light energy onto a wafer. The linear lamps can be placed in various configurations. In accordance with the present invention, tuning devices which are used to adjust the overall irradiance distribution of the light energy sources are included in the heating device. The tuning devices can be, for instance, are lamps or lasers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Mattson Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Janis Timans
  • Patent number: 8658947
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for thermally processing a substrate is provided. In one embodiment, a method for thermally treating a substrate is provided. The method includes transferring a substrate at a first temperature to a substrate support in a chamber, the chamber having a heating source and a cooling source disposed in opposing portions of the chamber, heating the substrate to a second temperature during a first time period while the substrate is disposed on the substrate support, heating the substrate to a third temperature during a second time period while the substrate is disposed on the substrate support, and cooling the substrate in the chamber to a fourth temperature that is substantially equal to the second temperature during the second time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Khurshed Sorabji, Alexander N. Lerner