Patents Examined by Erin Bergner
  • Patent number: 9938635
    Abstract: A method for producing a component includes joining individual wall parts, especially for producing a melting crucible for use at a high operating temperature in a crucible-pulling method for quartz glass, wherein at least two wall parts of a refractory metal or of a base alloy of a refractory metal are provided, butt-joined to form a joint and joined together by sintering at a temperature above 1500° C. to form the component. A sealant is inserted into the joint to provide a component of improved tightness and to ensure improved sintering of the individual parts of the component. A component produced according to the method, particularly a melting crucible, particularly in a crucible pulling method for quartz glass, has the joint between the butt-joined walls closed in a gas-tight manner by a sealant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Heraeus Quarzglas GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Boris Gromann, Nigel Whippey, Christian Schenk
  • Patent number: 9932690
    Abstract: A device for producing a single crystal by crystallizing the single crystal in a melt zone, comprising a housing, an inductor for generating heat in the melt zone, a reheater which surrounds and applies thermal radiation to the crystallizing single crystal, and a separating bottom which delimits downward an intermediate space between the reheater and a wall of the housing at a lower end of the reheater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: SILTRONIC AG
    Inventors: Georg Raming, Ludwig Altmannshofer
  • Patent number: 9896778
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing SiC single crystals where the quality of the SiC single crystals is improved, and a production method using such an apparatus are provided. The apparatus for producing SiC single crystals according to an embodiment of the present invention is employed to produce an SiC single crystal by the solution growth method. The production apparatus includes a crucible and a support shaft. The crucible accommodates an Si—C solution. The support shaft supports the crucible. The support shaft includes a heat removing portion for removing heat from a bottom portion of the crucible. The heat removing portion includes one of (a) a contact portion having a thermal conductivity not less than that of the bottom portion and contacting at least a portion of the bottom portion and (b) a space adjacent to at least a portion of the contact portion or the bottom portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhito Kamei, Kazuhiko Kusunoki, Motohisa Kado, Hironori Daikoku, Hidemitsu Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 9863057
    Abstract: A coated substrate is formed with aligned objects such as small molecules, macromolecules and nanoscale particulates, such as inorganic, organic or inorganic/organic hybrid materials. In accordance with one or more embodiments, an apparatus or method involves an applicator having at least one surface patterned with protruded or indented features, and a coated substrate including a solution-based layer of objects having features and morphology attributes arranged as a function of the protruded or indented features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Zhenan Bao, Ying Diao, Stefan Christian Bernhardt Mannsfeld, Chee-Keong Tee, Hector A. Becerril-Garcia, Yan Zhou
  • Patent number: 9863060
    Abstract: Method for manufacturing a single crystal according to a CZ method, including: pre-examining a correlation between an Al/Li ratio in a quartz raw material powder used for producing the quartz crucible, a use time of the crucible, a devitrification ratio at the use time, and occurrence or nonoccurrence of melt leakage attributable to the devitrification part; setting a range of the devitrification ratio of the quartz crucible in order not to generate the melt leakage, and determining a maximum use time of the quartz crucible according to the Al/Li ratio so as to fall within the set range of the ratio, on the basis of the correlation; and growing the single crystal by using the quartz crucible in the range of the maximum use time. This provides a manufacturing method which can efficiently use a quartz crucible to grow a single crystal while preventing occurrence of melt leakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU HANDOTAI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuuichi Miyahara, Shou Takashima, Yasuhiko Sawazaki, Atsushi Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 9856583
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a silicon carbide single crystal includes steps of preparing a crucible, a source material disposed toward a bottom surface in the crucible, a seed crystal disposed to face the source material toward a top surface in the crucible, a resistive heater, and a heat insulator configured to be able to accommodate the crucible therein, measuring a mass of at least a portion of the heat insulator, comparing a measured value of the mass obtained in the measuring step with a threshold value, and growing a silicon carbide single crystal on the seed crystal by sublimation of the source material by heating the crucible placed in the heat insulator with the resistive heater. When the measured value of the mass is lower than the threshold value in the comparing step, the step of growing a silicon carbide single crystal is performed at least one or more times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Shin Harada, Tsutomu Hori
  • Patent number: 9850571
    Abstract: The invention belongs to the technical field of inorganic compounds, and particularly, relates to a method for directly preparing graphene by taking CBr4 as a source material and using methods such as molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD). A method for preparing graphene comprises the following steps: selecting a proper material as a substrate; directly depositing a catalyst and CBr4 on a surface of the substrate; and performing annealing treatment on the sample obtained through deposition. Compared with other technologies, an innovative point of the method in the invention is that the catalyst and CBr4 source can be quantitatively and controllably deposited on any substrate, and the catalyst and CBr4 source react on the surface of the substrate to form the graphene, so that the dependence of the graphene growth on a substrate material can be reduced to a great extent, and different substrate materials can be selected according to different application backgrounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: SHANGHAI INSTITUTE OF MICROSYSTEM AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
    Inventors: Shumin Wang, Qian Gong, Xiaoming Xie, Hailong Wang, Zengfeng Di, Guqiao Ding, Qingbo Liu
  • Patent number: 9845549
    Abstract: A crucible having a top surface, a bottom surface opposite to the top surface, and a tubular side surface located between the top surface and the bottom surface, a resistive heater provided outside of the crucible and made of carbon, a source material provided in the crucible, and a seed crystal provided to face the source material in the crucible are prepared. A silicon carbide single crystal is grown on the seed crystal by sublimating the source material with the resistive heater. In the step of growing a silicon carbide single crystal, a value obtained by dividing a value of a current flowing through the resistive heater by a cross-sectional area of the resistive heater perpendicular to a direction in which the current flows is maintained at 5 A/mm2 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shin Harada, Tsutomu Hori
  • Patent number: 9834854
    Abstract: A process for producing a lithium-manganese-nickel oxide spinel material includes maintaining a solution comprising a dissolved lithium compound, a dissolved manganese compound, a dissolved nickel compound, a hydroxycarboxylic acid, a polyhydroxy alcohol, and, optionally, an additional metallic compound, at an elevated temperature T1, where T1 is below the boiling point of the solution, until the solution gels. The gel is maintained at an elevated temperature until it ignites and burns to form a Li—Mn—Ni—O powder. The Li—Mn—Ni—O powder is calcined to burn off carbon and/or other impurities present in the powder. The resultant calcined powder is optionally subjected 1 to microwave treatment, to obtain a treated powder, which is annealed to crystallize the powder. The resultant annealed material is optionally subjected to microwave treatment. At least one of the microwave treatments is carried out. The lithium-manganese-nickel oxide spinel material is thereby obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: CSIR
    Inventors: Kenneth Ikechukwu Ozoemena, Charl Jeremy Jafta
  • Patent number: 9822468
    Abstract: A method for producing a SiC single crystal by a solution process is provided, which allows generation of miscellaneous crystals to be reduced. Method for producing a SiC single crystal wherein a crucible has thickness Lu in horizontal direction at same height as liquid level of Si—C solution, and thickness Ld in horizontal direction at same height as bottom inner wall, Ld/Lu is 2.00 to 4.21, and thickness in horizontal direction of crucible monotonously increases between Lu and Ld from Lu toward Ld, wall thickness of crucible is 1 mm or greater, bottom thickness Lb in vertical direction of crucible is between 1 mm and 15 mm, bottom outer wall of crucible has flat section with area of 100 mm2 or greater, depth of Si—C solution from bottom inner wall is 30 mm or greater, and method includes heating and electromagnetic stirring Si—C solution with high-frequency coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hironori Daikoku, Kazuhito Kamei, Kazuhiko Kusunoki, Kazuaki Seki, Yutaka Kishida
  • Patent number: 9824892
    Abstract: A method for growing semiconductor wafers by lateral diffusion liquid phase epitaxy is described. Also provided are a refractory device for practicing the disclosed method and semiconductor wafers prepared by the disclosed method and device. The disclosed method and device allow for significant cost and material waste savings over current semiconductor production technologies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: McMaster University
    Inventors: Adrian Kitai, Haoling Yu, Bo Li
  • Patent number: 9797068
    Abstract: Relates to a method of producing a semiconductor crystal having generation of a defect suppressed in the semiconductor single crystal. The production method includes the steps of: forming a boron oxide film on the inner wall of a growth container having a bottom section and a body section continuous to the bottom section; bringing the boron oxide film into contact with boron oxide melt containing silicon oxide to form a boron oxide film containing silicon oxide on the inner wall of the growth container; forming raw material melt above seed crystal placed in and on the bottom section of the growth container; and solidifying the raw material melt from the seed crystal side to grow a semiconductor single crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Sakurada, Tomohiro Kawase, Yoshiaki Hagi
  • Patent number: 9797062
    Abstract: The present invention aims at providing a zone melting furnace thermal field with a dual power heating function and a heat preservation method. The zone melting furnace thermal field comprises a primary heating coil and an auxiliary heater, wherein the auxiliary heater has a wavy appearance bent repeatedly up and down and forms a circular loop by surrounding in the horizontal direction, wherein both end parts of the auxiliary heater are provided with ports and are connected with an auxiliary heating power supply through cables; and the auxiliary heating power supply is also sequentially connected with a data analysis module and an infrared temperature measuring instrument through single lines. The present invention can solve the problem of single crystal rod cracking caused by unreasonable distribution of the thermal field and overlarge thermal stress in the growth process of zone-melted silicon single crystals over 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: ZHEJIANG JINGSHENG M & E CO., LTD
    Inventors: Jianwei Cao, Penggen Ouyang, Dantao Wang, Linjian Fu, Mingjie Chen, Gang Shi, Minxiu Qiu
  • Patent number: 9790618
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for growing sapphire single crystals, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for growing sapphire single crystals in which a high quality, long single crystal can be obtained within a short period of time upon the use of a long rectangular crucible and a long seed crystal extending in a c-axial direction. Use of the method and apparatus for growing sapphire single crystals according to the present invention can uniformly maintain the horizontal temperature at the inside of the crucible despite the use of a rectangular crucible, thereby obtaining a high-quality single crystal as well decreasing the possibility of a failure in the growth of the single crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: CRISTECH CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jun Tae Ahn
  • Patent number: 9777401
    Abstract: A method for producing a single crystal includes a step of placing a source material powder and a seed crystal within a crucible; and a step of growing a single crystal on the seed crystal. The crucible includes a peripheral wall part and a bottom part and a lid part that are connected to the peripheral wall part to close the openings of the peripheral wall part. In the step of growing the single crystal on the seed crystal, the crucible is disposed on a spacer so as to form a space starting directly below an outer surface of the bottom part, and the peripheral wall part and an auxiliary heating member that is placed so as to face the outer surface of the bottom part with the space therebetween are heated by induction heating to sublime the source material powder to cause recrystallization on the seed crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Shunsaku Ueta, Tsutomu Hori, Akira Matsushima
  • Patent number: 9777400
    Abstract: A method for producing a single crystal includes a step of placing a source material powder and a seed crystal within a crucible, and a step of growing a single crystal on the seed crystal. The crucible includes a peripheral wall part and a bottom part and a lid part that are connected to the peripheral wall part to close the openings of the peripheral wall part, the lid part having a holder that holds the seed crystal. The bottom part has a connection region connected to the peripheral wall part and a thick region that is thicker than the connection region and that surrounds a central axis passing through a center of gravity of orthogonal projection of the bottom part, the orthogonal projection being formed on a plane perpendicular to a growth direction of the single crystal, the central axis extending in the growth direction of the single crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Shunsaku Ueta, Tsutomu Hori, Akira Matsushima
  • Patent number: 9777398
    Abstract: Systems and method for creating crystalline parts having a desired primary and secondary crystallographic orientations are provided. One embodiment may take the form of a method of manufacturing a part having a crystalline structure. The method includes melting aluminum oxide and drawing the melted aluminum oxide up a slit. Additionally, the method includes orienting the seed crystal relative to a growth apparatus such that a crystalline structure grows having a desired primary plane and a desired secondary plane orientation. Moreover, the method includes pulling the crystal as it forms to create a ribbon shaped crystalline structure and cutting a part from the crystalline structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Benjamin J. Pope, Christopher D. Prest, Dale N. Memering, Scott A. Meyers
  • Patent number: 9777399
    Abstract: A method for producing a SiC single crystal, comprising using a Si—C solution having a temperature gradient in which the temperature decreases from the interior toward the surface to grow a SiC single crystal from a seed crystal substrate, wherein the Si—C solution includes Si and Cr, the boron density difference Bs?Bg between the boron density Bs in the seed crystal substrate and the boron density Bg in the growing single crystal is 1×1017/cm3 or greater, the chromium density difference Crg?Crs between the chromium density Crs in the seed crystal substrate and the chromium density Crg in the growing single crystal is 1×1016/cm3 or greater, and the nitrogen density difference Ng?Ns between the nitrogen density Ns in the seed crystal substrate and the nitrogen density Ng in the growing single crystal is 3.5×1018/cm3 to 5.8×1018/cm3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Katsunori Danno
  • Patent number: 9777397
    Abstract: Systems and methods for continuous sapphire growth are disclosed. One embodiment may take the form of a method including feeding a base material into a crucible located within a growth chamber, heating the crucible to melt the base material and initiating crystalline growth in the melted base material to create a crystal structure. Additionally, the method includes pulling the crystal structure away from crucible and feeding the crystal structure out of the growth chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Dale N. Memering, Scott A. Myers
  • Patent number: 9777394
    Abstract: A method of producing silicon single crystal ingot by pulling the silicon single crystal ingot made of an N-region by the CZ method, including: performing an EOSF inspection including a heat treatment to manifest oxide precipitates and selective etching on sample wafer from the silicon single crystal ingot composed of the N-region to measure a density of EOSF; performing a shallow-pit inspection to investigate a pattern of occurrence of a shallow pit; adjusting the pulling conditions according to result of identification of a defect region of the sample wafer by the EOSF and shallow-pit inspections to pull a next silicon single crystal ingot composed of the N-region, wherein in the identification of the defect region, for an N-region, what portion of an Nv-region or Ni-region the defect region corresponds to is also identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU HANDOTAI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Susumu Sonokawa, Wataru Sato, Nobuaki Mitamura, Tomohiko Ohta