Patents Represented by Attorney Catherine U. Brown
  • Patent number: 8021483
    Abstract: A method for recharging a crucible with polycrystalline silicon comprises adding flowable chips to a crucible used in a Czochralski-type process. Flowable chips are polycrystalline silicon particles made from polycrystalline silicon prepared by a chemical vapor deposition process, and flowable chips have a controlled particle size distribution, generally nonspherical morphology, low levels of bulk impurities, and low levels of surface impurities. Flowable chips can be added to the crucible using conventional feeder equipment, such as vibration feeder systems and canister feeder systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Arvid Neil Arvidson, Terence Lee Horstman, Michael John Molnar, Chris Tim Schmidt, Roger Dale Spencer, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7935327
    Abstract: A fluidized bed reactor and a Siemens reactor are used to produce polycrystalline silicon. The process includes feeding the vent gas from the Siemens reactor as a feed gas to the fluidized bed reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Arvid Neil Arvidson, Michael Molnar
  • Patent number: 7927984
    Abstract: Silicon deposits are suppressed at the wall of a fluidized bed reactor by a process in which an etching gas is fed near the wall of the reactor. The etching gas includes tetrachlorosilane. A Siemens reactor may be integrated into the process such that the vent gas from the Siemens reactor is used to form a feed gas and/or etching gas fed to the fluidized bed reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Michael John Molnar
  • Patent number: 7649068
    Abstract: A polymerized product is obtained from a mixture containing (i) a free radical polymerizable monomer, oligomer or polymer; (ii) an organoborane amine complex, (iii) a poor or non-solvent for the polymerized product of (i); and (iv) an amine reactive compound. The mixture may include (v) an active ingredient to be encapsulated by the polymerized product, and (vi) an optional component(s). Polymer particles are obtained by (A) forming a composition containing components (i)-(iv); (B) agitating components (i)-(iv) in the presence of oxygen to initiate polymerization, at a rate and for a time sufficient to provide a uniform dispersion and reaction of the components; (C) allowing the reaction to proceed to completion at room temperature; and (D) recovering the polymer particles by removing component (iii). The composition may include (v) the active ingredient to be encapsulated by the polymer particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation
    Inventor: Dongchan Ahn
  • Patent number: 7551830
    Abstract: An impact resistant waveguide includes a clad surrounding a core. A reinforcing filler is incorporated in a curable silicone composition used to prepare the core, thereby imparting impact resistance to the core. A method of manufacture of the waveguide includes injecting the curable silicone composition into a clad made of silicone elastomeric tubing and thereafter curing the curable silicone composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation
    Inventors: Jon Degroot, Steven Evans, Peter Lo, Udo Pernisz, Kai Su
  • Patent number: 7541264
    Abstract: A method for temporary wafer bonding employs an addition reaction curable adhesive composition. The adhesive composition may include (A) a polyorganosiloxane containing an average of at least two silicon-bonded unsaturated organic groups per molecule, (B) an organosilicon compound containing an average of at least two silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms per molecule in an amount sufficient to cure the composition, (C) a catalytic amount of a hydrosilylation catalyst, and (D) a solvent. The film prepared by curing the composition is removable with an etching solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation
    Inventors: Geoffrey Bruce Gardner, Brian Robert Harkness
  • Patent number: 7527870
    Abstract: A moisture curable composition capable of cure to an elastomeric body, the composition comprising (a) an organopolysiloxane having not less than two silicon-bonded hydroxyl or hydrolyzable groups; (b) a silane of the general formula G2-Si—R12, wherein each group is reactable with the hydroxyl or hydrolyzable groups in (a), and each R1 group is an alkyl group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group an aryl group or a fluorinated alkyl group; (c) one or more fillers and (d) a photocatalyst. Preferably at least one R1 group is unsaturated, but in the absence of this there is provided an additional component in the form of (e) an unsaturated compound selected from the group of an unsaturated short chain siloxane, an unsaturated cyclic siloxane, an unsaturated fatty acid an unsaturated fatty alcohol or an unsaturated fatty acid ester. The cured product is generally used as a sealant, which avoids dirt pick-up after cure and has a protective layer on the sealant interface with air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew Beger, Timothy Lueder, Nagambai Subramaniam
  • Patent number: 7521124
    Abstract: A composition is prepared by mixing components including: (I) a polyorganosiloxane having an average of at least two unsaturated organic groups per molecule, with the proviso that component (I) is free of fluorine atoms; optionally (II) an organohydrogenpolysiloxane having an average of at least two silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms per molecule, with the proviso that component (II) is free of fluorine atoms; (III) a hydrosilylation catalyst; (IV) a fluoroorganosilicone, with the provisos that (1) component (IV) has at least one functional group reactive with component (I), component (II), or both, (2) when component (II) is not present, then component (IV) has an average of at least two silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms per molecule, and (3) component (IV) is added to the composition in an amount sufficient to provide chemical resistance to a cured product of the composition; and (V) an adhesion promoter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation
    Inventors: Dongchan Ahn, Pamela Jean Huey, Nick Evan Shephard, Michael John Watson
  • Patent number: 7521125
    Abstract: This invention relates to a composition that can be cured to form an adhesive. The adhesive is useful in the electronics industry. The composition is prepared by mixing components including: (I) a polyorganosiloxane having an average of at least two terminally-unsaturated organic groups per molecule, (II) an organohydrogenpolysiloxane having an average of at least two silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms per molecule, (III) a hydrosilylation catalyst, (IV) a fluoroorganosilicone having at least one functional group reactive with component (I), component (II), or both, (V) an unsaturated ester-functional compound, and (VI) an adhesion promoter. The composition may also include one or more optional components selected from (VII) a void reducing agent, (VIII) a pigment, (IX) a filler, (X) a cure modifier, (XI) a rheology modifier, and (XII) a spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation
    Inventors: Dongchan Ahn, Patricia Ann Rolley
  • Patent number: 7517808
    Abstract: A method for reworking semiconductor materials includes: (i) applying a silicone composition to a surface of a substrate to form a film, (ii) exposing a portion of the film to radiation to produce a partially exposed film having non-exposed regions covering a portion of the surface and exposed regions covering the remainder of the surface; (iii) heating the partially exposed film for an amount of time such that the exposed regions are substantially insoluble in a developing solvent and the non-exposed regions are soluble in the developing solvent; (iv) removing the non-exposed regions of the heated film with the developing solvent to form a patterned film; (v) heating the patterned film for an amount of time sufficient to form a cured silicone layer; and (vi) removing all or a portion of the cured silicone layer by exposure to an anhydrous etching solution including an organic solvent and abase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory Becker, Geoffrey Gardner, Brian Harkness
  • Patent number: 7485202
    Abstract: A method for preparing flat-top pads in electronic components includes the steps of: a) stencil printing a flat-top deposit of a curable silicone composition onto a first electronic substrate, where the first electronic substrate is selected from a semiconductor die or a semiconductor die attachment member, where stencil printing the flat-top deposit is performed by squeegee through a down-step stencil; b) curing the flat-top deposit to form a flat-top pad; optionally c) adhering a second electronic substrate to the top of the flat-top pad, where the second electronic substrate is selected from a semiconductor die or a semiconductor die attachment member; and optionally d) repeating steps a), b) and c).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation
    Inventors: Debra Soliz, Yeong Lee
  • Patent number: 7270706
    Abstract: A single roll crusher for comminuting high purity materials includes a roll with teeth spaced around the circumference of the roll. The roll is rotatably mounted inside a housing. The housing has a top with an entrance port, sides, and bottom with an exit port. The roll, teeth, and at least the inside surfaces of the top, sides, and bottom are fabricated from a material of construction that minimizes contamination of silicon. The material of construction may be tungsten carbide with a cobalt binder. The single roll crusher is used for processing polycrystalline silicon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas Andrejewski, Thomas Dubay, Terence Lee Horstman, Roger Dale Spencer, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7080742
    Abstract: A method for processing polycrystalline silicon workpieces to form size distributions of polycrystalline silicon pieces suitable for use in a Czochralski-type process includes: (1) preparing a polycrystalline silicon workpiece by a chemical vapor deposition process; (2) fracturing the polycrystalline silicon workpiece into a mixture of polycrystalline silicon pieces, where the polycrystalline silicon pieces have varying sizes; and (3) sorting the mixture of polycrystalline silicon pieces into at least two size distributions. Step (2) may be carried out by a thermal shock process. Step (3) may be carried out using a rotary indent classifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Arvid Neil Arvidson, Todd Stanley Graham, Kathryn Elizabeth Messner, Chris Tim Schmidt, Terence Lee Horstman
  • Patent number: 7074490
    Abstract: A phase change composition comprises: a matrix comprising an organofunctional silicone wax, and a thermally conductive filler. The composition can be used as a thermal interface material in electronic devices. The composition is formulated to have any desired phase change temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation
    Inventors: Qian Jane Feng, Lenin James Petroff, Diane Elizabeth Swarthout, Shizhong Zhang
  • Patent number: 7045586
    Abstract: This invention relates to a composition that can be cured to form an adhesive. The adhesive is useful in the electronics industry. The composition is prepared by mixing components including: (I) a polyorganosiloxane having an average of at least two terminally-unsaturated organic groups per molecule, (II) an organohydrogenpolysiloxane having an average of at least two silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms per molecule, (III) a hydrosilylation catalyst, (IV) a fluoroorganosilicone having at least one functional group reactive with component (I), component (II), or both, (V) an unsaturated ester-functional compound, and (VI) an adhesion promoter. The composition may also include one or more optional components selected from (VII) a void reducing agent, (VIII) a pigment, (IX) a filler, (X) a cure modifier, (XI) a rheology modifier, and (XII) a spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation
    Inventors: Dongchan Ahn, Patricia Ann Rolley
  • Patent number: 7033561
    Abstract: A process for preparing polycrystalline silicon comprising the steps of (A) reacting trichlorosilane with hydrogen thereby forming silicon and an effluent mixture comprising tetrachlorosilane and disilane described by formula HnCl6—nSi2 where n is a value of 0 to 6 and (B) co-feeding the effluent mixture and hydrogen to a reactor at a temperature within a range of about 600° C. to 1200° C. thereby effecting hydrogenation of the tetrachlorosilane and conversion of the disilane to monosilanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation
    Inventors: James Edward Kendig, David Russell Landis, Todd Michael McQuiston, Michael Matthew Zalar
  • Patent number: 6940177
    Abstract: A semiconductor package comprising a semiconductor wafer having an active surface comprising at least one integrated circuit, wherein each integrated circuit has a plurality of bond pads; and at least one cured silicone member covering at least a portion of the active surface, wherein at least a portion of each bond pad is not covered by the silicone member, the silicone member has a coefficient of linear thermal expansion of from 60 to 280 ?m/m° C. between ?40 and 150° C. and a modulus of from 1 to 300 MPa at 25° C., and the silicone member is prepared by the method of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation
    Inventors: Stanton James Dent, Lyndon James Larson, Robert Thomas Nelson, Debra Charilla Rash
  • Patent number: 6874713
    Abstract: A method for processing polycrystalline silicon workpieces to form size distributions of polycrystalline silicon pieces suitable for use in a Czochralski-type process includes: (1) preparing a polycrystalline silicon workpiece by a chemical vapor deposition process; (2) fracturing the polycrystalline silicon workpiece into a mixture of polycrystalline silicon pieces, where the polycrystalline silicon pieces have varying sizes; and (3) sorting the mixture of polycrystalline silicon pieces into at least two size distributions. Step (2) may be carried out by a thermal shock process. Step (3) may be carried out using a rotary indent classifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation
    Inventors: Arvid Neil Arvidson, Todd Stanley Graham, Kathryn Elizabeth Messner, Chris Tim Schmidt, Terence Lee Horstman
  • Patent number: 6831145
    Abstract: A silicone composition for preparing a cured silicone product, the composition prepared by mixing: (A) an organopolysiloxane containing an average of at least two epoxy-functional organic groups per molecule; (B) a curing agent in an amount sufficient to cure the composition, provided the curing agent is free of phenolic hydroxy groups; (C) an electrically conductive filler in an amount sufficient to impart electrical conductivity to the silicone product, wherein the filler comprises particles having at least an outer surface of a metal selected from silver, gold, platinum, palladium, and alloys thereof; and (D) an effective amount of a hydroxy-functional organic compound having a molecular weight up to about 1000 and containing at least one hydroxy group per molecule, provided the compound does not substantially inhibit cure of the composition. A cured silicone product and a multi-part silicone composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation
    Inventors: Don Lee Kleyer, Michael Andrew Lutz
  • Patent number: 6815486
    Abstract: A phase change composition comprises: a matrix comprising a silicone-organic block copolymer, and a thermally conductive filler. The composition can be used as a thermal interface material in electronic devices. The composition is formulated to have any desired phase change temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation
    Inventors: Dorab Edul Bhagwagar, Andrew Anthony Mojica, Kimmai Thi Nguyen