Patents Examined by Allan Olsen
  • Patent number: 8961802
    Abstract: A method of forming a fine pattern, including: a phase separation step in which a layer containing a block copolymer having a plurality of blocks bonded is formed on a substrate, and then the layer is heated for phase separation of the layer; a decomposition step in which at least a portion of a phase of at least one block of the plurality of blocks constituting the block copolymer is decomposed; a selective removal step in which the layer is immersed in a developing solution to selectively remove a phase containing decomposed blocks to form a nano structure; and an etching step in which the substrate is subjected to etching by using the nano structure as a mask; and a main component of the developing solution is an organic solvent having an SP value of 7.5 to 11.5 (cal/cm3)1/2, and having vapor pressure of less than 2.1 kPa at 25° C., or is benzene that may be substituted by an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, or a halogen atom, and the developing solution further contains metal alkoxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignees: Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd., Riken
    Inventors: Shigenori Fujikawa, Harumi Hayakawa, Takahiro Senzaki, Ken Miyagi
  • Patent number: 8961805
    Abstract: A method for performing dry etching on a metal film containing Pt via a mask layer includes performing dry etching on the metal film by generating a plasma of an etching gas including a gaseous mixture of H2 gas, CO2 gas, methane gas and rare gas. With the dry etching method, it is possible to make a vertical sidewall of a hole or trench more vertical without using a halogen gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Eiichi Nishimura, Takashi Sone
  • Patent number: 8962492
    Abstract: A method to thin an initial silicon-on-insulator substrate that has a layer of silicon oxide buried between a silicon carrier substrate and a silicon surface layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Soitec
    Inventors: Patrick Reynaud, Ludovic Ecarnot, Khalid Radouane
  • Patent number: 8961806
    Abstract: In a method comprising a modified region forming step of converging a laser light at a sheet-like object to be processed made of silicon so as to form a plurality of modified spots within the object along a modified region forming line tilted in a first lateral direction with respect to a thickness direction of the object and the plurality of modified spots construct a modified region, and an etching step of anisotropically etching the object after the modified region forming step so as to advance the etching selectively along the modified region and form the object with a space extending obliquely with respect to the thickness direction, the modified region forming step forms the plurality of modified spots such that the modified spots adjacent to each other at least partly overlap each other when seen in the first lateral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Hideki Shimoi, Hiroyuki Kyushima, Keisuke Araki
  • Patent number: 8945416
    Abstract: A laser processing method of converging laser light into an object to be processed made of silicon so as to form a modified region and etching the object along the modified region so as to form the object with a through hole comprises an etch resist film producing step of producing an etch resist film resistant to etching on an outer surface of the object; a laser light converging step of converging the laser light at the object after the etch resist film producing step so as to form the modified region along a part corresponding to the through hole in the object and converging the laser light at the etch resist film so as to form a defect region along a part corresponding to the through hole in the etch resist film; and an etching step of etching the object after the laser light converging step so as to advance the etching selectively along the modified region and form the through hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Hideki Shimoi, Keisuke Araki
  • Patent number: 8936729
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a planarizing method is proposed. In the planarizing method, a surface to be processed of an object to be processed including a silicon oxide film is planarized in a processing solution by bringing the surface to be processed into contact with or close proximity with the surface of a solid-state plate on which fluorine is adsorbed. The bonding energy between fluorine and the solid-state plate is lower than that between fluorine and silicon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Akifumi Gawase, Yukiteru Matsui
  • Patent number: 8937017
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to a substrate etching method and apparatus. In one embodiment, a method for etching a substrate in a plasma etch reactor is provided that include flowing a backside process gas between a substrate and a substrate support assembly, and cyclically etching a layer on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan Cheshire, Stanley Detmar
  • Patent number: 8926859
    Abstract: A polishing composition for a silicon wafer includes a macromolecular compound, an abrasive, and an aqueous medium. The macromolecular compound includes a constitutional unit (a1) represented by the following general formula (1), a constitutional unit (a2) represented by the following general formula (2), and a constitutional unit (a3) represented by the following general formula (3). The total of the constitutional unit (a3) is 0.001 to 1.5 mol % of all the constitutional units of the macromolecular compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Kao Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiko Suzuki, Mami Okamura, Toshiaki Oi
  • Patent number: 8927429
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) composition comprising a specific heteropolyacid Abstract A chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) composition comprising: (A) inorganic particles, organic particles, or a mixture thereof, (B) a heteropolyacid of the formula HaXbPsMOyVzOc wherein X=any cation other than H 8<y<18 8<z<14 56<c<105 a+b=2c?6y?5(3+z) b>0 and a>0 (formula I) or a salt thereof, and, (C) an aqueous medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christine Schmitt, Andrey Karpov, Frank Rosowski, Mario Brands, Yuzhuo Li
  • Patent number: 8920665
    Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus including a processing room disposed in a vacuum vessel, a sample stage located in the processing room, a dielectric film disposed on the top surface of the sample stage and serving as the sample mounting surface of the sample stage, and a plurality of electrodes embedded in the dielectric film for chucking the sample to the dielectric film when supplied with electric power, a part of the sample is chucked by supplying electric power to at least one of the electrodes while the sample is mounted on the sample stage; the sample is heated up to a predetermined temperature; a larger part of the sample is chucked by supplying electric power to the other of the electrodes; and the processing of the sample using the plasma is initiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Kohei Sato, Kazunori Nakamoto, Yutaka Omoto
  • Patent number: 8916061
    Abstract: The invention relates to a chemical-mechanical polishing composition comprising a ceria abrasive, cations of one or more lanthanide metals, one or more nonionic polymers, water, and optionally one or more additives. The invention further relates to a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate with the inventive chemical-mechanical polishing composition. Typically, the substrate comprises one or more of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and polysilicon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Cabot Microelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Reiss, Michael Willhoff, Daniel Mateja
  • Patent number: 8906246
    Abstract: A film deposition method includes steps of transferring a substrate having a pattern including a concave part into a vacuum chamber; supplying a first reaction gas to the substrate from a first reaction gas supplying part, thereby allowing the first reaction gas to be adsorbed on the substrate; supplying a second reaction gas that reacts with the first reaction gas to the substrate from a second reaction gas supplying part, thereby allowing the first reaction gas adsorbed on the substrate to react with the second reaction gas and forming a reaction product of the first and the second reaction gases on the substrate; supplying an alteration gas to the substrate through an activated gas supplying part capable of activating the alteration gas; and supplying an etching gas to the substrate chamber through the activated gas supplying part under an environment where the reaction product is not formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kato, Takeshi Kumagai
  • Patent number: 8900477
    Abstract: Provided are a metal-polishing liquid that comprises an oxidizing agent, an oxidized-metal etchant, a protective film-forming agent, a dissolution promoter for the protective film-forming agent, and water; a method for producing it; and a polishing method of using it. Also provided are materials for the metal-polishing liquid, which include an oxidized-metal etchant, a protective film-forming agent, and a dissolution promoter for the protective film-forming agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Uchida, Tetsuya Hoshino, Hiroki Terazaki, Yasuo Kamigata, Naoyuki Koyama, Yoshio Honma, Seiichi Kondoh
  • Patent number: 8900473
    Abstract: The CMP polishing liquid of the present invention contains 1,2,4-triazole, a phosphoric acid, an oxidant, and abrasive particles. The polishing method of the present invention is a substrate polishing method for polishing a substrate with a polishing cloth while supplying a CMP polishing liquid between the substrate and the polishing cloth, in which the substrate is a substrate having a palladium layer, and the CMP polishing liquid is a CMP polishing liquid containing 1,2,4-triazole, a phosphoric acid, an oxidant, and abrasive particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisataka Minami, Ryouta Saisyo, Hiroshi Ono
  • Patent number: 8901004
    Abstract: A method of producing plurality of etched features in an electronic device is disclosed that avoids micro-loading problems thus maintaining more uniform sidewall profiles and more uniform critical dimensions. The method comprises performing a first time-divisional plasma etch process step within a plasma chamber to a first depth of the plurality of etched features, and performing a flash process step to remove any polymers from exposed surfaces of the plurality of etched features without requiring an oxidation step. The flash process step is performed independently of the time-divisional plasma etch step. A second time-divisional plasma etch process step is performed within the plasma chamber to a second depth of the plurality of etched features. The method may be repeated until a desired etch depth is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Tom Kamp, Qian Fu, I. C. Jang, Linda Braly, Shenjian Liu
  • Patent number: 8894867
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing ZnO contact layers for solar cells. The layers are etched using hydrofluoric acid so as to generate a texture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH
    Inventors: Eerke Bunte, Jorj Owen, Juergen Huepkes
  • Patent number: 8894877
    Abstract: A liquid composition for wet etching has improved selectivity for polysilicon over silicon dioxide, even when the polysilicon is heavily doped and/or the silicon dioxide is a low temperature oxide. The composition comprises 0.05-0.4 percent by weight hydrofluoric acid, 15-40 percent by weight nitric acid, 55-85 percent by weight sulfuric acid and 2-20 percent by weight water. A method and apparatus for wet etching using the composition are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Lam Research AG
    Inventor: Stefan Detterbeck
  • Patent number: 8889019
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to methods for forming a sensor structure utilizing a shallow and narrow hard mask stencil. In one embodiment, a sensor structure is formed by utilizing a four-layered hard mask stencil. The four-layered hard mask stencil includes a first mask layer, a second mask layer disposed over the first hard mask, a third mask layer disposed over the second mask layer, and a forth mask layer disposed over the third mask layer. In another embodiment, a sensor structure is formed by utilizing a three-layered hard mask stencil. The three-layered hard mask stencil includes a first mask layer, a second mask layer disposed over the first mask layer, and a third mask layer disposed over the second mask layer. The sensor structure is formed with a two-step chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Guomin Mao, Hicham Moulay Sougrati, Yi Zheng
  • Patent number: 8889017
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing silicon waveguides on non-SOI substrate (non-silicon-on-insulator substrate), and particularly relates to a method for producing silicon waveguides on silicon substrate with a laser. This method includes the following steps: (1) forming a ridge structure with high aspect ratio on a non-SOI substrate; (2) melting and reshaping the ridge structure by laser illumination for forming a structure having broad upper part and narrow lower part; and (3) oxidizing the structure having broad upper part and narrow lower part to form a silicon waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Ching-Fuh Lin, Shih-Che Hung, Shu-Jia Syu
  • Patent number: 8883028
    Abstract: A method for processing substrate in a chamber, which has at least one plasma generating source, a reactive gas source for providing reactive gas into the interior region of the chamber, and a non-reactive gas source for providing non-reactive gas into the interior region, is provided. The method includes performing a mixed-mode pulsing (MMP) preparation phase, including flowing reactive gas into the interior region and forming a first plasma to process the substrate that is disposed on a work piece holder. The method further includes performing a MMP reactive phase, including flowing at least non-reactive gas into the interior region, and forming a second plasma to process the substrate, the second plasma is formed with a reactive gas flow during the MMP reactive phase that is less than a reactive gas flow during the MMP preparation phase. Perform the method steps a plurality of times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventor: Keren Jacobs Kanarik