Patents Assigned to Veeco Instruments
  • SELF-CLEANING SHUTTER FOR CVD REACTOR
    Publication number: 20140190405
    Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition reactor and a method of wafer processing are provided. The reactor can include a reaction chamber having an interior and an entry port for insertion and removal of substrates, a gas inlet manifold communicating with the interior of the chamber for admitting process gasses to form a deposit on substrates held within the interior, a shutter mounted to the chamber, and one or more cleaning elements mounted within the chamber. The shutter can be movable between (i) a run position in which the cleaning elements are remote from the exhaust channel and (ii) a cleaning position in which the one or more cleaning elements engage with the shutter so that the cleaning elements remove deposited particles from the shutter upon movement of the shutter to the cleaning position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: VEECO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Chenghung Paul Chang, Keng Moy, Alexander I. Gurary
  • Fault tolerant ion source power system
    Patent number: 8755165
    Abstract: The presently disclosed technology provides a responsive ion beam source power supply system capable of handling fault events without relying on conventional protection circuitry (e.g., fuses and breakers) so that physical power supply hardware intervention by a user is minimized for typical fault conditions and the ion beam source power supply system may recover automatically after experiencing a fault condition. The presently disclosed technology further discloses an ion beam source power supply system capable of detecting and diagnosing fault states, autonomously implementing command decisions to preserve or protect the function of other ion source modules or sub-systems, and/or mitigating or recovering from the disruptive fault event and returning the ion beam source system to desired user settings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Dennis John Hansen, James David Deakins, Curtis Charles Camus
  • Insertion/Extraction Tool For Components In Housing
    Publication number: 20140133950
    Abstract: An insertion/extraction tool for inserting and extracting components in a housing includes a clamp member that attaches to a component in the housing. A lift member includes a bearing attached to the clamp member. A bridge includes a threaded member attached to the clamp member with a lead screw. The lead screw is threaded through the threaded member in the bridge and terminated at the bearing attached to the clamp member. The lead screw raises and lowers the lift member as it rotates, thereby translating the component relative to the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: VEECO INSTRUMENTS, INC.
    Inventor: John Pollock
  • CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION FLOW INLET ELEMENTS AND METHODS
    Publication number: 20140116330
    Abstract: A flow inlet element for a chemical vapor deposition reactor is formed from a plurality of elongated tubular elements extending side-by-side with one another in a plane transverse to the upstream to downstream direction of the reactor. The tubular elements have inlets for ejecting gas in the downstream direction. A wafer carrier rotates around an upstream to downstream axis. The gas distribution elements may provide a pattern of gas distribution which is asymmetrical with respect to a medial plane extending through the axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: VEECO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Mikhail Belousov, Bojan Mitrovic, Keng Moy
  • Automated cassette-to-cassette substrate handling system
    Patent number: 8676375
    Abstract: An automated cassette-to-cassette substrate handling system includes a cassette storage module for storing a plurality of substrates in cassettes before and after processing. A substrate carrier storage module stores a plurality of substrate carriers. A substrate carrier loading/unloading module loads substrates from the cassette storage module onto the plurality of substrate carriers and unloads substrates from the plurality of substrate carriers to the cassette storage module. A transport mechanism transports the plurality of substrates between the cassette storage module and the plurality of substrate carriers and transports the plurality of substrate carriers between the substrate carrier loading/unloading module and a processing chamber. A vision system recognizes recesses in the plurality of substrate carriers corresponding to empty substrate positions in the substrate carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Arthur Kraus, Jeremy James Boyer, Joseph Mack, Michael DeChellis, Michael Koo
  • APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR IMPROVED ACOUSTICAL TRANSFORMATION
    Publication number: 20140060153
    Abstract: An acoustical transformer having a last matching section that includes a protective barrier of low permeability. The protective barrier is in contact with a test medium. In one embodiment, the protective barrier comprises one or more low permeability layers, such as a metallic foil or metallic coating(s) disposed on a low impedance layer such as polyimide, so that the low impedance layer and the protective barrier constitute the last matching section of the acoustical transformer. In other embodiments, the protective barrier comprises a fluoropolymer. A method for determining the thicknesses of the various layers of the acoustical transformer for enhanced performance is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: VEECO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Raymond C. Logue, Don N. Sirota, William E. Quinn, Owan C. Watkins, Maria D. Ferreira, Wei Zhang
  • HEATING ELEMENT FOR A PLANAR HEATER OF A MOCVD REACTOR
    Publication number: 20140041589
    Abstract: A heating element includes a heating body which is directly covered at least partly with a porous sintered coating, wherein the heating body and the porous sintered coating each includes at least 90% by weight of tungsten.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2012
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicants: VEECO INSTRUMENTS INC., PLANSEE SE
    Inventor: Elisabeth Martinz
  • TERMINAL FOR MECHANICAL SUPPORT OF A HEATING ELEMENT
    Publication number: 20140042147
    Abstract: A terminal for mechanical support of a heating element, includes a base device, a mounting device, the mounting device adapted to support the heating element, and a support device connecting the base device to the mounting device, the support device allowing displacement of the heating element about a radial axis and less than about 10% displacement of the heating element about a tangential and/or axial axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2012
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicants: VEECO INSTRUMENTS INC., PLANSEE SE
    Inventors: ARNO PLANKENSTEINER, CHRISTIAN FEIST, VADIM BOGUSLAVSKIY, ALEXANDER I. GURARY, CHENGHUNG PAUL CHANG
  • Chemical vapor deposition flow inlet elements and methods
    Patent number: 8636847
    Abstract: A flow inlet element (22) for a chemical vapor deposition reactor (10) is formed from a plurality of elongated tubular elements (64, 65) extending side-by-side with one another in a plane transverse to the upstream to downstream direction of the reactor. The tubular elements have inlets for ejecting gas in the downstream direction. A wafer carrier (14) rotates around an upstream to downstream axis. The gas distribution elements may provide a pattern of gas distribution which is asymmetrical with respect to a medial plane (108) extending through the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Mikhail Belousov, Bojan Mitrovic, Keng Moy
  • Film Deposition Assisted by Angular Selective Etch on a Surface
    Publication number: 20140014497
    Abstract: An ion etch assisted deposition apparatus deposits a thin film upon a substrate having a three dimensional feature, using an ion etching source and deposition source arranged at similar angles relative to the substrate and at an angle ? relative to each other. The angle ? is selected to be substantially equal the supplement of the angle ?? formed between the three dimensional feature on the substrate and the substrate surface. In this configuration the relative flux of energetic etch ions and deposition atoms is adjusted to prevent the growth of poor quality deposited material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2012
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: VEECO INSTRUMENTS, INC.
    Inventors: Boris L. Druz, Vincent Ip, Adrian Devasahayam
  • TEMPERATURE CONTROL FOR GaN BASED MATERIALS
    Publication number: 20130343426
    Abstract: A method of in-situ temperature measurement for a wafer treatment reactor such as a chemical vapor deposition reactor desirably includes the steps of heating the reactor until the reactor reaches a wafer treatment temperature and rotating a wafer support element within the reactor about a rotational axis. The method desirably further includes, while the wafer support element is rotating about the rotational axis, obtaining first operating temperature measurements using a first operating pyrometer that receives radiation from a first portion of the wafer support element, and obtaining first wafer temperature measurements using a wafer temperature measurement device that receives radiation from at least one wafer, the wafer temperature measurement device located at a first position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: VEECO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Alexander I. Gurary, Mikhail Belousov, Guray Tas
  • System and method for varying wafer surface temperature via wafer-carrier temperature offset
    Patent number: 8603248
    Abstract: A system and method for evenly heating a substrate placed in a wafer carrier used in wafer treatment systems such as chemical vapor deposition reactors, wherein a first pattern of wafer compartments is provided on the top of the wafer carrier, such as one or more rings of wafer carriers, and a second pattern of inlaid material dissimilar to the wafer carrier material is inlaid on the bottom of the wafer carrier, and the second pattern of inlaid material is substantially the opposite of the first pattern of wafer compartments, such that there are at least as many material interfaces in intermediate regions without wafer compartments as there are in wafer carrying regions with wafers and wafer compartments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Alex Gurary, Eric A. Armour, Richard Hoffman, Jonathan Cruel
  • Method For Improving Performance Of A Substrate Carrier
    Publication number: 20130284091
    Abstract: A method of modifying a substrate carrier to improve process performance includes depositing material or fabricating devices on a substrate supported by a substrate carrier. A parameter of layers deposited on the substrate is then measured as a function of their corresponding positions on the substrate carrier. The measured parameter of at least some devices fabricated on the substrate or a property of the deposited layers is related to a physical characteristic of substrate carrier to obtain a plurality of physical characteristics of the substrate carrier corresponding to a plurality of positions on the substrate carrier. The physical characteristic of the substrate carrier is then modified at one or more of the plurality of corresponding positions on the substrate carrier to obtain desired parameters of the deposited layers or fabricated devices as a function of position on the substrate carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicant: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua Mangum, William E. Quinn
  • Sectional wafer carrier
    Patent number: 8562746
    Abstract: A structure for a chemical vapor deposition reactor includes a support element defining oppositely-facing substantially planar upper and lower surfaces and a vertical rotational axis substantially perpendicular to the upper and lower surfaces, and a plurality of carrier sections releasably engaged with the support element. Each carrier section can include oppositely-facing substantially planar top and bottom surfaces and at least one aperture extending between the top and bottom surfaces. The carrier sections can be disposed on the support element with the bottom surfaces of the carrier sections facing toward the upper surface of the support element, so that wafers can be held in the apertures of the carrier sections with one surface of each wafer confronting the support element and an opposite surface exposed at the top surface of the carrier sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander I. Gurary, Joseph Arthur Kraus, Ajit Paranjpe, William E. Quinn, David Albert Crewe
  • KEYED WAFER CARRIER
    Publication number: 20130252404
    Abstract: A structure for a chemical vapor deposition reactor desirably includes a reaction chamber having an interior, a spindle mounted in the reaction chamber, and a wafer carrier releasably mounted onto the spindle for rotation therewith. The spindle desirably has a shaft extending along a vertical rotational axis and a key projecting outwardly from the shaft. The wafer carrier preferably has a body defining oppositely-facing top and bottom surfaces and at least one wafer-holding feature configured so that a wafer can be held therein with a surface of the wafer exposed at the top surface of the body. The wafer carrier desirably further has a recess extending into the body from the bottom surface of the body and a keyway projecting outwardly from a periphery of the recess along a first transverse axis. The shaft preferably is engaged in the recess and the key preferably is engaged into the keyway.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: VEECO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Sandeep Krishnan, Keng Moy, Alexander I. Gurary, Matthew King, Vadim Boguslavskiy, Steven Krommenhoek
  • Enhanced wafer carrier
    Patent number: 8535445
    Abstract: A wafer carrier used in wafer treatments such as chemical vapor deposition has pockets for holding the wafers and support surfaces for supporting the wafers above the floors of the pockets. The carrier is provided with locks for restraining wafers against upward movement away from the support surfaces. Constraining the wafers against upward movement limits the effect of wafer distortion on the spacing between the wafer and the floor surfaces, and thus limits the effects of wafer distortion on heat transfer. The carrier may include a main portion and minor portions having higher thermal conductivity than the main portion, the minor portions being disposed below the pockets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Boris Volf, Yuliy Rashkovsky
  • Automated Cassette-To-Cassette Substrate Handling System
    Publication number: 20130226335
    Abstract: An automated cassette-to-cassette substrate handling system includes a cassette storage module for storing a plurality of substrates in cassettes before and after processing. A substrate carrier storage module stores a plurality of substrate carriers. A substrate carrier loading/unloading module loads substrates from the cassette storage module onto the plurality of substrate carriers and unloads substrates from the plurality of substrate carriers to the cassette storage module. A transport mechanism transports the plurality of substrates between the cassette storage module and the plurality of substrate carriers and transports the plurality of substrate carriers between the substrate carrier loading/unloading module and a processing chamber. A vision system recognizes recesses in the plurality of substrate carriers corresponding to empty substrate positions in the substrate carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: VEECO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Joseph Arthur Kraus, Jeremy James Boyer, Michael DeChellis, Michael Koo
  • Wafer carrier having pockets
    Patent number: D690671
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander I. Gurary, Keng Moy, Chenghung Paul Chang
  • Wafer carrier having pockets
    Patent number: D695241
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander I. Gurary, Keng Moy, Chenghung Paul Chang
  • Wafer carrier having pockets
    Patent number: D695242
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander I. Gurary, Keng Moy, Paul Chang