Patents Examined by Bob M Kunemund
  • Patent number: 8956454
    Abstract: According to the invention, a device and a method for producing materials having a monocrystalline or multicrystalline structure are provided, in which a container is arranged between two pressure regions and the setting of the height of the melt in the container takes place via the setting of the differential pressure between the pressure regions. As a result, even particulate material can be fed continuously to the container and melted uniformly. Delivery material with high purity can also be pulled out of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Streicher Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Rupert Köckeis
  • Patent number: 8951344
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for casting silicon for photovoltaic cells and other applications. With such methods and apparatuses, a cast body of geometrically ordered multi-crystalline silicon may be formed that is free or substantially free of radially-distributed impurities and defects and having at least two dimensions that are each at least about 10 cm is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: AMG Idealcast Solar Corporation
    Inventor: Nathan G. Stoddard
  • Patent number: 8945303
    Abstract: The subject is providing a crystallizing device of a biopolymer, which made to form biopolymer crystal efficiently in crystallization solution of a small amount of biopolymers by applying a low voltage and not to make an electrode disturb but observable a state of crystal formation. As an electrode for applying an electric field to a biopolymer solution, a transparent conductor, which does not disturb crystal formation, is used. Between the transparent conductor electrodes 2s, the electric insulating member 4 is placed and the crystallization solution 1 for a small amount of biopolymers is maintained inter-electrode. A biopolymer is efficiently crystallized by applying a low voltage supplied from the voltage generator 5 to the transparent conductor electrode 2. A crystal formation state of a biopolymer is optically observable from the electrode side of a transparent conductor. Orientation control of the biopolymer can be performed by an electric field formed by the above-mentioned voltage application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Institute of National Colleges of Technology, Japan
    Inventors: Takashi Wakamatsu, Yuki Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 8945301
    Abstract: A method for producing a diamond material by contacting a fluorinated precursor with a hydrocarbon in a reactor and forming a combination in the absence of a metal catalyst; increasing the pressure of the reactor to a first pressure; heating the combination under pressure to form a material precursor; cooling the material precursor; and forming a diamond material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: University of Houston System
    Inventors: Valery N. Khabashesku, Valery A. Davydov, Alexandra V. Rakhmanina
  • Patent number: 8940093
    Abstract: A method of controlling an epitaxial growth process in an epitaxial reactor. The method includes optimizing the thermocouple offset parameter for a second run by setting up a modeled output parameter value as a linear function of the actual output parameter value, and a second thermocouple offset parameter value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Manfred Schiekofer, Pietro Foglietti, Robert Maier
  • Patent number: 8940094
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor processing device includes providing a susceptor including a substantially cylindrical body portion having opposing upper and lower surfaces. The body portion has a diameter larger than a wafer diameter. The method also includes providing a set of holes circumferentially disposed at a first susceptor diameter, the set of holes being evenly spaced with respect to adjacent holes and extending through the upper and lower surfaces in an area. The first susceptor diameter is larger than the wafer diameter, and holes are omitted along the first diameter in a set of predetermined orientations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: SunEdison Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: John Allen Pitney, Manabu Hamano
  • Patent number: 8932404
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing semicrystalline polymer material, wherein the predominantly amorphous raw polymer material, in particular granules, to be treated is introduced into a crystallization reactor (1) and is partially crystallized there by being heated, but without melting, and subsequently the semicrystalline polymer material obtained in such a way is removed from the crystallization reactor (1) and at least part of said semicrystalline polymer material is diverted and mixed back into the crystallization reactor (1) in order to reduce the adhesive tendency of the polymer material. According to the invention, the diverted semicrystalline polymer material is combined and mixed with the raw polymer material before being mixed back into the crystallization reactor (1), and the mixture is then introduced into the crystallization reactor (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: EREMA Engineering Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen Gesellschaft m.b.H.
    Inventors: Klaus Feichtinger, Manfred Hackl, Andreas Roessler-Czermak, Gerald Weis
  • Patent number: 8932403
    Abstract: A method for forming a surface-textured single-crystal film layer by growing the film atop a layer of microparticles on a substrate and subsequently selectively etching away the microparticles to release the surface-textured single-crystal film layer from the substrate. This method is applicable to a very wide variety of substrates and films. In some embodiments, the film is an epitaxial film that has been grown in crystallographic alignment with respect to a crystalline substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Qiming Li, George T. Wang
  • Patent number: 8926749
    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: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Hemlock Semi Conductor
    Inventors: Arvid Neil Arvidson, Terence Lee Horstman, Michael John Molnar, Chris Tim Schmidt, Roger Dale Spencer, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8926751
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a gas flow guiding device for use in a crystal-growing furnace. The gas flow guiding device has an insulation layer enclosing a crucible, a gas inlet mounted in the upper insulation layer, and a gas exit formed in the lateral insulation layer. A plurality of guide plates are radially arranged around the opening of the gas inlet, so that the free surface of the melt is blown by the guided gas flow in such a manner that the gas flow takes the impurity away from the free surface efficiently. As a result, the crystal ingot obtained by solidifying the melt will exhibit a reduced concentration of impurities and an improved crystal quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: National Central University
    Inventors: Jyh-Chen Chen, Ying-Yang Teng, Chung-Wei Lu, Hsueh-I Chen
  • Patent number: 8920559
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to crystallizing a chemical substance(s) using ultrasound. Methods are provided for screening a chemical substance according to its solid forms by using ultrasound to generate new or unusual solid forms. Methods are also provided for crystallizing a chemical substance by novel techniques that include sonication. The present disclosure also relates to cocrystallization using ultrasound. Methods are provided for preparing cocrystals of an active agent and a guest by sonicating and crystallizing. Methods are also provided for screening a sample according to solid state phases (such as cocrystals and salts) and include generating a cocrystal from the sample using ultrasound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Aptuit (West Lafayette), LLC
    Inventors: Scott L. Childs, Patricia M. Mougin-Andres, Barbara C. Stahly
  • Patent number: 8906159
    Abstract: Disclosed are a (Al, Ga, In)N-based compound semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same. The (Al, Ga, In)N-based compound semiconductor device of the present invention comprises a substrate; a (Al, Ga, In)N-based compound semiconductor layer grown on the substrate; and an electrode formed of at least one material or an alloy thereof selected from the group consisting of Pt, Pd and Au on the (Al, Ga, In)N-based compound semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Seoul Viosys Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chung Hoon Lee
  • Patent number: 8906157
    Abstract: Single crystal composed of silicon with a section having a diameter that remains constant, are pulled by a method wherein the single crystal is pulled with a predefined pulling rate vp having the units [mm/min]; and the diameter of the single crystal in the section having a diameter that remains constant is regulated to the predefined diameter by regulating the heating power of a first heating source which supplies heat to the single crystal and to a region of the melt that adjoins the single crystal and is arranged above the melt, such that diameter fluctuations are corrected with a period duration T that is not longer than (2·18 mm)/vp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Siltronic AG
    Inventors: Thomas Schroeck, Wilfried von Ammon, Claus Kropshofer
  • Patent number: 8906158
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing a compound semiconductor epitaxial substrate having a pn junction by selective growth which is characterized by using a base substrate having an average residual strain of not more than 1.0×10?5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited
    Inventors: Kenji Kohiro, Kazumasa Ueda, Masahiko Hata
  • Patent number: 8900362
    Abstract: A method of growing a single crystal of gallium oxide at a lower temperature than the melting point (1900° C.) of gallium oxide is provided. A compound film (hereinafter referred to as “gallium oxide compound film”) containing Ga atoms, O atoms, and atoms or molecules that easily sublimate, is heated to sublimate the atoms or molecules that easily sublimate from inside the gallium oxide compound film, thereby growing a single crystal of gallium oxide with a heat energy that is lower than a binding energy of gallium oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akiharu Miyanaga, Tatsuya Honda, Takatsugu Omata, Yusuke Nonaka
  • Patent number: 8894766
    Abstract: The invention provides a process for producing polycrystalline silicon, including introduction of a reaction gas containing a silicon-containing component and hydrogen by means of one or more nozzles into a reactor including at least one heated filament rod on which silicon is deposited, wherein an Archimedes number Arn which describes flow conditions in the reactor, as a function of the fill level FL which states the ratio of one rod volume to one empty reactor volume in percent, for a fill level FL of up to 5% is within the range limited at the lower end by the function Ar=2000×FL?0.6 and at the upper end by the function Ar=17 000×FL?0.9, and at a fill level of greater than 5% is within a range from at least 750 to at most 4000.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Wacker Chemie AG
    Inventors: Marcus Schaefer, Oliver Kraetzschmar
  • Patent number: 8894765
    Abstract: A PIN-PMN-PT ferroelectric single crystal and a method of manufacture are disclosed. The PIN-PMN-PT ferroelectric single crystal is oriented and polarized along a single crystallographic direction. The PIN-PMN-PT ferroelectric single crystal ferroelectric has increased remnant polarization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: TRS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wesley S. Hackenberger, Edward F. Alberta
  • Patent number: 8888913
    Abstract: A method of forming an epitaxial layer to increase flatness of an epitaxial silicon wafer is provided. In particular, a method of controlling the epitaxial layer thickness in a peripheral part of the wafer is provided. An apparatus for manufacturing an epitaxial wafer by growing an epitaxial layer with reaction of a semiconductor wafer and a source gas in a reaction furnace comprising: a pocket in which the semiconductor wafer is placed; a susceptor fixing the semiconductor; orientation-dependent control means dependent on a crystal orientation of the semiconductor wafer and/or orientation-independent control means independent from the crystal orientation of the semiconductor wafer, wherein the apparatus may improve flatness in a peripheral part of the epitaxial layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Sumco Techxiv Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Narahara, Hirotaka Kato, Koichiro Hayashida
  • Patent number: 8882911
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a silicon carbide single crystal grows the silicon carbide single crystal on a seed crystal by supplying a material gas from below the seed crystal. The apparatus includes a heating container and a base located in the heating container. The seed crystal is mounded on the base. The apparatus further includes a first inlet for causing a purge gas to flow along an inner wall surface of the heating container, a purge gas source for supplying the purge gas to the first inlet, a second inlet for causing the purge gas to flow along an outer wall surface of the base, and a mechanism for supporting the base and for supplying the purge gas to the base from below the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuuichirou Tokuda, Kazukuni Hara, Jun Kojima
  • Patent number: 8876972
    Abstract: A crystallization device is for protein crystallization with a small amount of a sample in the liquid to liquid diffusion method. It is easy to fill the device with protein solution and precipitant solution and easy to pick up grown crystals from the device. The device comprises a channel plate made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and the first and second cover sheets made of polyethylene terephthalate. The channel plate includes at least one elongated channel having one side which extends in the longitudinal direction of the channel, the one side being exposed at the bottom surface of the channel plate. The channel has both ends which communicate with a protein solution inlet and a precipitant solution inlet respectively. The channel also communicates midway with a gel inlet and a vent hole. When picking up grown crystals from the device, the second cover sheet is cut off with a cutter knife so that the channel is exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignees: Rigaku Corporation, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
    Inventors: Tomokazu Hasegawa, Kensaku Hamada, Masaru Sato, Moritoshi Motohara