Patents Assigned to Veeco Instruments
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Patent number: 8374830Abstract: A design process for varying hole locations or sizes or both in an ion beam grid includes identifying a control grid to be modified; obtaining a change factor for the grid pattern; and using the change factor to generate a new grid pattern. The change factor is one or both of a hole location change factor or a hole diameter change factor. Also included is an ion beam grid having the characteristic of hole locations or sizes or both defined by a change factor modification of control grid hole locations or sizes or both.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2010Date of Patent: February 12, 2013Assignee: Veeco Instruments, Inc.Inventors: Ikuya Kameyama, Daniel E. Siegfried
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Patent number: 8328561Abstract: The present invention provides electrical contact assemblies can be used with vacuum deposition sources. In one exemplary application, the electrical contact assemblies of the present invention provide electrical contact to an arcuate or otherwise curved surface of a heating device used with a vacuum deposition source. In one embodiment, a set of power straps are each connected at one end to a power source feed-through wire and at the other end are urged by a pressure pin and a flat spring into electrical communication with one of the electrical contacts on the heating device.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2009Date of Patent: December 11, 2012Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.Inventor: Scott Wayne Priddy
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Patent number: 8322220Abstract: A method, and corresponding apparatus, of imaging sub-surface features at a plurality of locations on a sample includes coupling an ultrasonic wave into a sample at a first lateral position. The method then measures the amplitude and phase of ultrasonic energy near the sample with a tip of an atomic force microscope. Next, the method couples an ultrasonic wave into a sample at a second lateral position and the measuring step is repeated for the second lateral position. Overall, the present system and methods achieve high resolution sub-surface mapping of a wide range of samples, including silicon wafers. It is notable that when imaging wafers, backside contamination is minimized.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2008Date of Patent: December 4, 2012Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.Inventors: Craig Prater, Chanmin Su
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Patent number: 8309937Abstract: A grid assembly coupled to a discharge chamber of an ion beam source is configured for steering ion beamlets emitted from the discharge chamber at circularly asymmetrically determined steering angles. The grid assembly includes at least first and a second grid with a substantially circular pattern of holes, wherein each grid comprises holes positioned adjacent to one another. A plurality of the holes of the second grid is positioned with offsets relative to corresponding holes in the first grid. Due to the offsets in the holes in the second grid, ions passing through the offset holes are electrostatically attracted towards the closest circumferential portion of the downstream offset holes. Thus, the trajectories of ions passing through the offset holes are altered. The beamlet is steered by predetermined asymmetric angles. The predetermined steering angles are dependent upon the hole offsets, voltage applied to the grids, and the distance between the grids.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2010Date of Patent: November 13, 2012Assignee: VEECO Instruments, Inc.Inventor: Ikuya Kameyama
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Patent number: 8303713Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 4, 2009Date of Patent: November 6, 2012Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.Inventors: Mikhail Belousov, Bojan Mitrovic, Keng Moy
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Publication number: 20120272892Abstract: A VPE reactor is improved by providing temperature control to within 0.5° C., and greater process gas uniformity via novel reactor shaping, unique wafer motion structures, improvements in thermal control systems, improvements in gas flow structures, improved methods for application of gas and temperature, and improved control systems for detecting and reducing process variation.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2012Publication date: November 1, 2012Applicant: Veeco Instruments Inc.Inventors: Ajit Paranjpe, Alexander Gurary, William Quinn
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Patent number: 8287646Abstract: An MOCVD reactor such as a rotating disc reactor (10) is equipped with a gas injector head having diffusers (129) disposed between adjacent gas inlets. The diffusers taper in the downstream direction. The injector head desirably has inlets (117) for a first gas such as a metal alkyl disposed in radial rows which terminate radially inward from the reactor wall to minimize deposition of the reactants on the reactor wall. The injector head desirably also has inlets (125) for a second gas such as ammonia arranged in a field between the rows of first gas inlets, and additionally has a center inlet (135) for the second gas coaxial with the axis of rotation.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2010Date of Patent: October 16, 2012Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.Inventors: Bojan Mitrovic, Alex Gurary, Eric A. Armour
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Patent number: 8241092Abstract: A lapping tool for lapping a wafer section in a well controlled manner, has a head with an actuator for bending the row tool, and a force multiplier coupled between the actuator and row tool to multiply the force generated by the actuator for application of greater bending force to the row tool than can be generated by the actuator. Furthermore, at least two actuators, which are controlled together, simultaneously apply force to one force multiplier, so as to further increase bending force. The increase in available force permits the use of a row tool of a ceramic or other material that is substantially stiffer than stainless steel, such as a row tool having a coefficient of thermal expansion that is substantially similar to that of the rowbar itself. The tool further includes structures for tilting or otherwise orienting the wafer section relative to the lapping plate.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2011Date of Patent: August 14, 2012Assignee: Veeco Instruments, Inc.Inventor: Tracy Lytle
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Patent number: 8231940Abstract: A method of processing wafers in a rotating disc CVD reactor uses wafer carrier having a unitary plate defining wafer-holding features such as pockets on its upstream surface. The carrier connects to the spindle of the reactor during processing. After processing the carrier and wafers in the reactor, the wafers are removed from the carrier. The carrier is renewed by removing the hub from the plate, cleaning the plate and then reassembling the plate with the same or a different hub.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2011Date of Patent: July 31, 2012Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.Inventors: Vadim Boguslavskiy, Alexander I. Gurary
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Publication number: 20120156374Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2010Publication date: June 21, 2012Applicant: Veeco Instruments Inc.Inventors: Alexander I. Gurary, Joseph Arthur Kraus, Ajit Paranjpe, William E. Quinn, David Albert Crewe
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Patent number: 8198605Abstract: An apparatus for performing non-contact material characterization includes a wafer carrier adapted to hold a plurality of substrates and a material characterization device, such as a device for performing photoluminescence spectroscopy. The apparatus is adapted to perform non-contact material characterization on at least a portion of the wafer carrier, including the substrates disposed thereon.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2011Date of Patent: June 12, 2012Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.Inventors: Dong Seung Lee, Mikhail Belousov, Eric A. Armour, William E. Quinn
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Patent number: 8192547Abstract: The present invention relates to vacuum depositions systems and related deposition methods. Vacuum deposition systems that use one or more cyropanels for localized pumping of a deposition region where a substrate is positioned are provided. The present invention is particularly applicable to pumping and minimizing reevaporation of high vapor pressure deposition materials during molecular beam epitaxy.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2007Date of Patent: June 5, 2012Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.Inventors: David William Gotthold, Richard Charles Bresnahan, Scott Wayne Priddy, Mark Lee O'Steen
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Publication number: 20120091914Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 18, 2010Publication date: April 19, 2012Applicant: Veeco Instruments, Inc.Inventors: Dennis John Hansen, James David Deakins, Curtis Charles Camus
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Patent number: 8158016Abstract: Methods of operating an electromagnet of an ion source for generating an ion beam with a controllable ion current density distribution. The methods may include generating plasma in a discharge space of the ion source, generating and shaping a magnetic field in the discharge space by applying a current to an electromagnet that is effective to define a plasma density distribution, extracting an ion beam from the plasma, measuring a distribution profile for the ion beam density, and comparing the actual distribution profile with a desired distribution profile for the ion beam density. Based upon the comparison, the current applied to the electromagnet may be adjusted either manually or automatically to modify the magnetic field in the discharge space and, thereby, alter the plasma density distribution.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2008Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: Veeco Instruments, Inc.Inventors: Alan V. Hayes, Rustam Yevtukhov, Viktor Kanarov, Boris L. Druz
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Patent number: 8157976Abstract: Apparatus for cathodic vacuum-arc coating deposition. The apparatus includes a mixing chamber, at least one input duct projecting from a first end wall of the mixing chamber, and an output duct projecting from a second end wall of the mixing chamber. Coupled with each input duct is a plasma source adapted to discharge an ion flow of a coating material into the mixing chamber, which is subsequently directed to the output duct. A first solenoidal coil disposed about a side wall of the mixing chamber creates a first magnetic field inside the mixing chamber for steering the ion flow. A second solenoidal coil is disposed adjacent to the first end wall and aligned substantially coaxially with the output duct. The second solenoidal coil creates a second magnetic field inside the mixing chamber for steering the first ion flow. The electrical currents flow through the first and second solenoidal coils in opposite solenoidal directions.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2007Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: Veeco Instruments, Inc.Inventors: Boris Druz, Ivan I. Aksenov, Olexandr A. Luchaninov, Volodymyr E. Strelnytskiy, Volodymyr V. Vasylyev, Isaak Zaritskiy, Piero Sferlazzo
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Patent number: 8152923Abstract: An MOCVD reactor such as a rotating disc reactor (10) is equipped with a gas injector head having diffusers (129) disposed between adjacent gas inlets. The diffusers taper in the downstream direction. The injector head desirably has inlets (117) for a first gas such as a metal alkyl disposed in radial rows which terminate radially inward from the reactor wall to minimize deposition of the reactants on the reactor wall. The injector head desirably also has inlets (125) for a second gas such as ammonia arranged in a field between the rows of first gas inlets, and additionally has a center inlet (135) for the second gas coaxial with the axis of rotation.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2008Date of Patent: April 10, 2012Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.Inventors: Bojan Mitrovic, Alex Gurary, Eric A. Armour
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Publication number: 20120080308Abstract: Non-elliptical ion beams and plumes of sputtered material can yield a relatively uniform wear pattern on a destination target and a uniform deposition of sputtered material on a substrate assembly. The non-elliptical ion beams and plumes of sputtered material impinge on rotating destination targets and substrate assemblies. A first example ion beam grid and a second example ion beam grid each have patterns of holes with an offset between corresponding holes. The quantity and direction of offset determines the quantity and direction of steering individual beamlets passing through corresponding holes in the first and second ion beam grids. The beamlet steering as a whole creates a non-elliptical current density distribution within a cross-section of an ion beam and generates a sputtered material plume that deposits a uniform distribution of sputtered material onto a rotating substrate assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2010Publication date: April 5, 2012Applicant: Veeco Instruments, Inc.Inventor: Ikuya Kameyama
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Publication number: 20120058630Abstract: A linear cluster deposition system includes a plurality of reaction chambers positioned in a linear horizontal arrangement. First and second reactant gas manifolds are coupled to respective process gas input port of each of the reaction chambers. An exhaust gas manifold having a plurality of exhaust gas inputs is coupled to the exhaust gas output port of each of the plurality of reaction chambers. A substrate transport vehicle transports at least one of a substrate and a substrate carrier that supports at least one substrate into and out of substrate transfer ports of each of the reaction chambers. At least one of a flow rate of process gas into the process gas input port of each of the reaction chambers and a pressure in each of the reaction chambers being chosen so that process conditions are substantially the same in at least two of the reaction chambers.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2010Publication date: March 8, 2012Applicant: Veeco Instruments Inc.Inventors: William E. Quinn, Alexander Gurary, Ajit Paranjpe, Maria D. Ferreira, Roger P. Fremgen, JR., Eric A. Armour
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Publication number: 20120027936Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition reactor and a method of wafer processing are provided. The reactor includes a reaction chamber having an interior, a gas inlet manifold communicating with the interior of the chamber, an exhaust system including an exhaust manifold having a passage and one or more ports, and one or more cleaning elements mounted within the chamber. The gas inlet manifold can admit process gasses to form a deposit on substrates held within the interior. The passage can communicate with the interior of the chamber through the one or more ports. The one or more cleaning elements are movable between (i) a run position in which the cleaning elements are remote from the one or more ports and (ii) a cleaning position in which the one or more cleaning elements are engaged in the one or more ports.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2010Publication date: February 2, 2012Applicant: Veeco Instruments Inc.Inventor: Alex Gurary
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Patent number: 8092599Abstract: A system and method for uniform deposition of material layers on wafers in a rotating disk chemical vapor deposition reaction system is provided, wherein one or more substrates are rotated on a carrier about an axis while maintaining surfaces of the one or more substrates substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation and facing in an upstream direction along the axis of rotation. During rotating a first gas is discharged in the downstream direction towards the one or more substrates from a first set of gas inlets. A second gas is discharged in the downstream direction towards the one or more substrates from at least one movable gas injector, and the at least one movable gas inlet is moved with a component of motion in a radial direction towards or away from the axis of rotation.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2007Date of Patent: January 10, 2012Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.Inventors: Piero Sferlazzo, Alexander I. Gurary, Eric A. Armour, William E. Quinn, Steve Ting