Patents Examined by Eric B. Fuller
  • Patent number: 7189432
    Abstract: A deposition system includes a process chamber for conducting an ALD process to deposit layers on a substrate. In one embodiment, instead of varying the gas flux on a substrate in the chamber by controlling the flow of gas upstream of the process chamber, the gas flux on the substrate is controlled by controlling the conductance between the process chamber and a lower pressure volume outside the process chamber. The flux of the gas on the substrate varies inversely with the chamber conductance, such that the flux of the gas on the substrate increases when the conductance decreases. Various methods of performing an ALD process by controlling the conductance are disclosed as well as various structures for controlling the conductance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Tony P. Chiang, Karl F. Leeser, Jeffrey A. Brown, Jason E. Babcoke
  • Patent number: 7094443
    Abstract: Wheel track ruts form under moving sprinklers and the depth of ruts is reduced and water infiltration is increased by using solid polymeric products. Solid polymeric products containing water soluble polymer are located over each wheel track. Sprinkler water contacts and dissolves the solid polymeric products, carrying water soluble polymer into the wheel track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Inventor: John Kevin Loucks
  • Patent number: 7081270
    Abstract: A heterogeneous mixture produced by blending aliphatic or cyclic organic compounds with carboxylic acids of chemical structure R—COOH and applied to soils in a manner to produce high levels of dust and erosion control, and soil stabilization. Alternatively, a heterogeneous mixture may be produced by blending aliphatic or cyclic organic compounds with polyolefins of chemical structure CnH2n or R—C2nH3n, and applied to soils in a manner to produce high levels of dust control and soil stabilization. The aliphatic and cyclic compounds act as plasticizers and carriers for the carboxylic acids or polyolefin compounds. When applied to soil the carrier provides a mechanism for the carboxylic acid or polyolefin to penetrate the soil and also acts as a dust suppressing weighting agent. The plasticized carboxylic acid and/or polyolefin provides a durable, reworkable binder that associates small particulates while stabilizing soil and aggregate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: Midwest Industrial Supply, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd R. Hawkins, Leland E. Beyersdorff, Robert W. Vitale
  • Patent number: 7045170
    Abstract: A method for depositing an anti-stiction coating on a MEMS device comprises reacting the vapor of an amino-functionalized silane precursor with a silicon surface of the MEMS device in a vacuum chamber. The method can further comprise cleaning the silicon surface of the MEMS device to form a clean hydroxylated silicon surface prior to reacting the precursor vapor with the silicon surface. The amino-functionalized silane precursor comprises at least one silicon atom, at least one reactive amino (or imine) pendant, and at least one hydrophobic pendant. The amino-functionalized silane precursor is highly reactive with the silicon surface, thereby eliminating the need for a post-process anneal step and enabling the reaction to occur at low pressure. Such vapor-phase deposition of the amino-functionalized silane coating provides a uniform surface morphology and strong adhesion to the silicon surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew G. Hankins, Thomas M. Mayer, David R. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 7037552
    Abstract: System and method for coating a medical appliance are provided. In accord with one embodiment, a system for applying a coating to a medical appliance having accessible patterned surfaces is provided. The system may include: a processor, an appliance support, and a solenoid type fluid dispensing head having an electromagnetically controlled valve. In the system, the appliance support may be adapted to hold the medical appliance and to provide direct access for a coating to contact the exposed external patterned surfaces of the medical appliance. The solenoid type fluid dispensing head in this system may move with respect to the medical appliance and may be in communication with a source of coating and with the processor. The processor in this system may contain commands that instruct the solenoid type fluid dispensing head to force coating onto the accessible patterned surfaces of the medical appliance in a pattern that correlates with the accessible patterned surfaces of the medical appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Boston Scientific SciMed, Inc.
    Inventors: Sheng-ping Zhong, Dennis R. Boulais, Praveen Kulkarni, Ron Sahatijian
  • Patent number: 7033640
    Abstract: A method of coloring cut gemstones introduces metals or metal oxides into a surface layer by means of heat treatment. During the heat treatment the gemstones are laid on a solid plate and the metals or metal oxides form a substantial constituent of the plate. The surface of the gemstone is protected from direct content with the metals and metal oxides in the plate by a layer containing non-coloring oxides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: D. Swarovski & Co
    Inventors: Thomas Rauch, Martin Würtenberger
  • Patent number: 7018679
    Abstract: A change station for atomizer (7) and other tools that contains a carousel-like rotatable and/or linearly movable mount (112) is arranged on the wall of the cabin of a coating installation. The arrangement is such that the storage locations of the change station are accessible both to the coating machine (151) in the cabin and from outside the cabin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Dürr Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Hans J. Nolte, Harry Krumma, Frank Herre, Michael Baumann, Stefano Giuliano, Rainer Melcher, Juergen Haas
  • Patent number: 7014885
    Abstract: A device and method for depositing a material of interest onto a receiving substrate includes a first laser and a second laser, a receiving substrate, and a target substrate. The target substrate comprises a laser transparent support having a back surface and a front surface. The front surface has a coating that comprises the source material, which is a material that can be transformed into the material of interest. The first laser can be positioned in relation to the target substrate so that a laser beam is directed through the back surface of the target substrate and through the laser-transparent support to strike the coating at a defined location with sufficient energy to remove and lift the source material from the surface of the support. The receiving substrate can be positioned in a spaced relation to the target substrate so that the source material is deposited at a defined location on the receiving substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Alberto Piqué, Raymond Auyeung, James Fitzgerald, Douglas B. Chrisey, Huey-Daw Wu, Paul Kydd, David L. Richard
  • Patent number: 7011866
    Abstract: A reaction gas made of a hydrogen-based carrier gas and a silane gas or the like is brought in contact with a heated catalyzer of tungsten or the like, and a DC voltage not higher than a glow discharge starting voltage or a voltage produced by superimposing an AV voltage or an RF voltage on the DC voltage is applied on the produced reactive species, so as to provide kinetic energy and carry out vapor growth of a predetermined film on a substrate, thereby providing a film of high quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Yamanaka, Kikuo Kaise
  • Patent number: 7008672
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a diamond composite from diamond particles, comprising the steps of forming a work piece, heating the work piece and controlling the heating temperature and heating time so that a certain desired amount of graphite is created by graphitization of diamond particles, thereby creating an intermediate body, and infiltrating silicon or silicon alloy into the intermediate body. The invention also relates to a diamond composite produced by this method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Skeleton Technologies AG
    Inventors: Sergey Konstantinovitch Gordeev, Sergey Germanovitch Zhukov, Lija Vladimirovna Danchukova, Thommy Ekström
  • Patent number: 6998153
    Abstract: A method that includes placing a wafer within a process chamber, generating a nitrogen plasma that is remote from the process chamber, nitriding a surface of the wafer with the nitrogen plasma, depositing a nickel film over the nitrided silicon substrate surface, and annealing the nickel film to form NiSi.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Mei-Ling Chiang, Thai-Cheng Chua
  • Patent number: 6994894
    Abstract: A method of depositing a solid film on a substrate in which a stream comprising particles suspended in a transport gas is moved through a heating zone. The particles are combined with the transport gas from a powder feeder operatively coupled to a gas flow tube. The particle stream is directed toward the heating zone by ejecting the powder stream from a nozzle connected to a distal end of the gas flow tube. A radiation source is directed at the suspended particles as they move through the heating zone so that the particles heated to a molten state. The droplets are undercooled in a cooling zone before impact with the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Vanderbilt University
    Inventor: William Hofmeister
  • Patent number: 6989173
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a polymeric epoxy patching resin containing metal intercalated AlSiO structures. The AlSiO structures are typically nanoclays, and the preferred metals are Cr, Sn and Zn, and mixtures thereof. The patching resin is applied to damaged mica tapes, where the metal intercalated nanoclays penetrate the damaged area, leaving a homogenous patch. The present invention may also be used to thicken an area of insulating tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventors: James D. B. Smith, F. Tim Emery
  • Patent number: 6982103
    Abstract: The invention a chemical vapor deposition method of forming a barium strontium titanate comprising dielectric layer having a varied concentration of barium and strontium, and/or titanium, within the layer. A substrate is positioned within a chemical vapor deposition reactor. Barium and strontium are provided within the reactor by flowing at least one metal organic precursor to the reactor. Titanium is provided within the reactor. One or more oxidizers are flowed to the reactor. In one aspect, conditions are provided within the reactor to be effective to deposit a barium strontium titanate comprising dielectric layer on the substrate from the reactants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Cem Basceri, Nancy Alzola
  • Patent number: 6960373
    Abstract: A solder jet apparatus is disclosed. The solder jet apparatus is a continuous mode solder jet that includes a blanking system and raster scan system. The use of the raster scan and blanking systems allows for a continuous stream of solder to be placed anywhere on the surface in any desired X-Y plane. This allows for greater accuracy as well as greater product throughput. Additionally, with the raster scan system, repairs to existing soldered surfaces can be quickly and easily performed using a map of the defects for directing the solder to the defects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Warren M. Farnworth
  • Patent number: 6936299
    Abstract: A method and device for layer thickness determination allows for the layer thickness to be determined in situ during the coating process. This is achieved using a sensor which has an electrical property which, as a result of the coating process, changes in a manner which is representative of the layer thickness which has been reached. As such, this property can be measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Ulrich Bast, Roman Beyer, Ralph Reiche
  • Patent number: 6936311
    Abstract: A method for creating a microarray of biomaterial uses a source of laser energy, a receiving substrate, and a target substrate. The target substrate comprises a laser-transparent support having a laser-facing surface and a support surface. The target substrate also comprises a composite material having a back surface in contact with the support surface and a front surface. The composite material comprises a mixture of the biomaterial to be deposited and a matrix material. The matrix material is a material that has the property that, when it is exposed to laser energy, it desorbs from the laser-transparent support. The source of laser energy is positioned in relation to the target substrate so that laser energy is directed through the laser-facing surface of the target substrate and through the laser-transparent support to strike the composite material at a defined target location. The receiving substrate is positioned in a spaced relation to the target substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Bradley R. Ringeisen, Douglas B. Chrisey, Alberto Pique, R. Andrew McGill, David Krizman
  • Patent number: 6926934
    Abstract: In a deposited-film formation method or apparatus according to the present invention, which comprises providing a discharge electrode in a vacuum vessel equipped with exhaust means, supplying a hydrogen gas and a raw material gas for forming a deposited film which contains at least an Si element, generating plasma from the material gas by supplying high frequency electric power to the discharge electrode, and forming a deposited film on a substrate in the vacuum vessel by plasma CVD, wherein an auxiliary electrode is arranged in plasma in the vacuum vessel, a periodically changing voltage is applied to the auxiliary electrode without causing a discharge to form a deposited film, whereby it is possible to form an amorphous-silicon-based deposited film having good quality and good uniformity over a large area at a high rate of film formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Koike, Yukito Aota, Masahiro Kanai, Hiroshi Sugai
  • Patent number: 6926927
    Abstract: A chalcogen film is applied to an acute tip of a glass fiber and the acute tip is held in physical contact with a metal layer so as to induce diffusional reaction for generation of a metal chalcogenide nano-particle or nano-particles at the acute tip. In the case where the chalcogen film is directly applied to the acute tip, the generated nano-particle or nano-particles are transferred from the acute tip to a corresponding part of the metal layer. When a silane-adsorbed film is pre-formed on the acute tip before application of the chalcogen film, the generated nano-particle or nano-particles are fixed to the acute tip. The nano-particles are several to tens in number with very narrow distribution of particle size. Since particle size and fixed position of the nano-particle or nano-particles can be controlled with high freedom, the nano-particle or nano-particles are useful as a light-emitting or photo-detecting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Japan Science and Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Akito Ishida
  • Patent number: 6881451
    Abstract: A process for producing a wear-resistant cylinder bearing surface includes rotating a laser about its longitudinal axis and simultaneously advancing the laser in a direction of the longitudinal axis which is coaxial with a cylinder of a crankcase. A powdery material is fed through the laser and a jet of the powdery material is directed toward the cylinder bearing surface. A laser beam is deflected to an impact region where the jet of the powdery material impinges on the cylinder bearing surface. The jet of the powdery material passes through the laser beam. The laser beam at least partially melts the impact region before the powdery material impinges on the impact region. A device for producing wear-resistant surfaces is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Rolf Heinemann, Klaus Färber, Achim Sach