Patents Examined by Erin Bergner
  • Patent number: 9570293
    Abstract: A method for making an epitaxial base includes the following steps. A plurality of grooves and a plurality of bulges are formed on an epitaxial growth surface of a substrate by etching the epitaxial growth surface. A carbon nanotube layer is located on the epitaxial growth surface, wherein the carbon nanotube layer defines a first part attached on top surface of bulges, and a second part suspended on the grooves. The second part of the carbon nanotube layer is attached on bottom surface of the grooves by treating the carbon nanotube layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignees: Tsinghua University, HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yang Wei, Shou-Shan Fan
  • Patent number: 9551089
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method for growing a sapphire sheet via edge-defined film-fed growth (EFG) including an angled heat shield with respect to the a side surface of a die tip. The present disclosure is further directed to an sapphire sheets and batches of such sheets having features such as a particular maximum low spot thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: SAINT-GOBAIN CERAMICS & PLASTICS, INC.
    Inventors: Marc Ouellette, Joseph M. Collins, John Walter Locher, Guilford L. Mack, III, Abbie M. Jennings, Jan J. Buzniak, Christopher D. Jones
  • Patent number: 9546435
    Abstract: A vapor phase growth apparatus of an embodiment includes: a reaction chamber; a gas supply path connected to an organic metal supply source at a first connection, the gas supply path being connected to a carrier gas supply source, the gas supply path supplies a process gas including organic metal and a carrier gas into the reaction chamber; a gas discharge path connected to the organic metal supply source at a second connection, the gas discharge path discharges the process gas to the outside of the apparatus; a first mass flow controller and a first adjustment device provided at the gas supply path; a second adjustment device provided at the gas discharge path; and a shortcut path connecting the gas supply path to the gas discharge path. One of the first and the second adjustment device is a back pressure regulator, and the other is a mass flow controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Takumi Yamada, Yuusuke Sato
  • Patent number: 9527763
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a composite crucible includes: supplying mullite material powder to an upper region of a mold, and supplying second silica powder to a lower region provided below the upper region while rotating the mold; supplying third silica powder on an inner surface side of a layer made of the mullite material powder and the second silica powder; heating and fusing the mullite material powder, the second silica powder, and the third silica powder to form an opaque vitreous silica layer provided on the outer surface of the crucible, a transparent vitreous silica layer provided on an inner surface side of the crucible, and a mullite reinforcement layer provided on the outer surface side of an upper end portion of the crucible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Ken Kitahara, Takuma Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 9493888
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a method for producing a crystalline material in a crucible in a crystal growth apparatus are disclosed. The method comprises, in part, the step of monitoring for remaining solid feedstock in a liquid feedstock melt with an automated vision system positioned above the crucible. Alternatively, or in addition, the method comprises the step of monitoring for solidified crystalline material in a partially solidified melt with the automated vision system. A crystal growth apparatus comprising the automated vision system is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: GTAT Corporation
    Inventors: Dean C. Skelton, Brett C. Forlano
  • Patent number: 9457405
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a precursor powder is pressed into an intermediate volume and chemically reduced, via sintering, to form a metallic shaped article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: H.C. Starck, Inc.
    Inventors: Maria Bozena Winnicka, Gary A. Rozak
  • Patent number: 9425057
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a memory device having a vertical structure according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a step for alternatingly laminating one or more insulation layers and one or more sacrificial layers on a substrate; a step for forming a penetration hole for penetrating the insulation layer and the sacrificial layer; a step for forming a pattern for filling up the penetration hole; a step for forming an opening for penetrating the insulation layer and the sacrificial layer; and a step for removing the sacrificial layer by supplying an etchant through the opening, wherein the step for laminating the insulation layer includes a step for depositing a first silicon oxide film by supplying to the substrate at least one gas selected from the group consisting of SiH4, Si2H6, Si3H8, Si4H10, and the step for laminating the sacrificial layer includes a step for depositing a second silicon oxide film by supplying dichlorosilane (SiCl2H2) to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Eugene Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung Kil Cho, Hai Won Kim, Sang Ho Woo, Seung Woo Shin, Gil Sun Jang, Wan Suk Oh
  • Patent number: 9422637
    Abstract: Provides are a system of controlling a diameter of a single crystal ingot and a single crystal ingot growing apparatus including the same. The system of controlling a diameter of a single crystal ingot includes: a diameter measuring sensor measuring a diameter of a single crystal ingot; a Low-Pass Filter (LPF) removing short period noise from measured data from the diameter measuring sensor; and an Automatic Diameter Control (ADC) sensor controlling the diameter of the single crystal ingot through controlling of a pull speed by using data having the noise removed as current data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: LG Siltron Inc.
    Inventors: Young-Ho Hong, Se-Geun Ha, Yo-Han Jung
  • Patent number: 9422636
    Abstract: A method for producing a single crystal of semiconductor material having material properties of a zone-pulled single crystal includes providing a vessel transmissive to high frequency magnetic fields and having a granulate of a granular semiconductor material disposed therein and a first conductor disposed externally thereto. A high frequency current is supplied to a planar inductor disposed above the vessel, the planar inductor having a turn and a slit as a current supply so as to produce an open melt lake on the granulate by a temperature field at a surface of the granulate produced by thermal power of the planar inductor and a heating action of the first inductor, the melt lake being embedded in unmelted material of the granular semiconductor material and not being in contact with a wall of the vessel. A single crystal is pulled form the melt lake of the semiconductor material upwards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: FORSCHUNGSVERBUND BERLIN E.V.
    Inventors: Helge Riemann, Nikolai V. Abrosimov, Joerg Fischer, Matthias Renner
  • Patent number: 9403236
    Abstract: A method for selectively removing portions of a protective coating from a substrate, such as an electronic device, includes removing portions of the protective coating from the substrate. The removal process may include cutting the protective coating at specific locations, then removing desired portions of the protective coating from the substrate, or it may include ablating the portions of the protective coating that are to be removed. Coating and removal systems are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: HZO, Inc.
    Inventors: David James Astle, Tyler Christensen Child, Vimal Kumar Kasagani, Cameron LaMar Loose, Blake LeRoy Stevens, Max Ernest Sorenson
  • Patent number: 9396954
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a memory device having a 3-dimensional structure, which includes alternately stacking one or more dielectric layers and one or more sacrificial layers on a substrate, forming a through hole passing through the dielectric layers and the sacrificial layers, forming a pattern filling the through hole, forming an opening passing through the dielectric layers and the sacrificial layers, and supplying an etchant through the opening to remove the sacrificial layers. The stacking of the dielectric layers includes supplying the substrate with one or more gases selected from the group consisting of SiH4, Si2H6, Si3H8, and Si4H10, to deposit a silicon oxide layer. The stacking of the sacrificial layers includes supplying the substrate with one or more gases selected from the group consisting of SiH4, Si2H6, Si3H8, Si4H10, and dichloro silane (SiCl2H2), and ammonia-based gas, to deposit a silicon nitride layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: EUGENE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung Kil Cho, Hai Won Kim, Sang Ho Woo, Seung Woo Shin, Gil Sun Jang, Wan Suk Oh
  • Patent number: 9390905
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a silicon substrate, including: performing a rapid heat treatment to a silicon substrate with a rapid-heating and rapid-cooling apparatus by maintaining the silicon substrate at a temperature that is higher than 1300° C. and not greater than a silicon melting point for 1 to 60 seconds, the silicon substrate being sliced from a silicon single crystal ingot grown by the Czochralski method; performing a first temperature decrease process down to a temperature in the range of 600 to 800° C. at a temperature decrease rate of 5 to 150° C./sec; and performing a second temperature decrease process in such a manner that a cooling time of X seconds and a temperature decrease rate of Y° C./sec meet Y?0.15X-4.5 when X<100 and meet Y?10 when X?100.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU HANDOTAI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Oka, Koji Ebara, Shuji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9388507
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a polycrystalline silicon ingot includes unidirectionally solidifying a molten silicon upwardly from the bottom of a crucible, wherein the crucible is provided with silica deposited on the bottom of the crusible; and then dividing the degree of solidification in the crucible into a first zone from 0 mm to X in height (10 mm?X<30 mm), a second zone from X to Y in height (30 mm?Y<100 mm) and a third zone of Y or more in height, based on the bottom of the crucible, wherein a solidification rate V1 in the first zone is set in the range of 10 mm/h?V1?20 mm/h and a solidification rate V2 in the second zone is set in the range of 1 mm/h?V2?5 mm/h.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignees: MITSUBISHI MATERIALS CORPORATION, MITSUBISHI MATERIALS ELECTRONIC CHEMICALS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Tsuzukihashi, Hiroshi Ikeda, Masahiro Kanai, Saburo Wakita
  • Patent number: 9382619
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus for cleaning an inner surface of a film growth reaction chamber, including a supporting unit, a cleaning unit, an electric motor and a power supply apparatus. The cleaning unit includes a surface facing the inner surface of the reaction chamber, and the surface is provided with a plurality of scraping structures. The electric motor is provided on the supporting unit and includes a driving shaft. One end of the driving shaft is connected to the cleaning unit so as to drive the cleaning unit to move. The power supply apparatus is connected to the electric motor. The cleaning apparatus of the present application provides a method for cleaning the inner surface of the reaction chamber, which is highly automatic, effective and timesaving, and may ensure the quality and consistency of cleaning process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment, Inc.
    Inventors: Yinxin Jiang, Yijun Sun, Zhiyou Du
  • Patent number: 9378757
    Abstract: The disclosed methods enable the production of plasmonic near-field transducers that are useful in heat-assisted magnetic recording. The plasmonic near-field transducers have an enlarged region and a peg region. The peg region includes a peg region in proximity to an air-bearing surface above a recording medium and also includes a flared region between and in contact with the enlarged region and the peg region. The flared region can act as a heat sink and can lower the thermal resistance of the peg portion of the near-field transducer, thus reducing its temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Yongjun Zhao, Dongsung Hong, Lijuan Zou, Mark Ostrowski
  • Patent number: 9371597
    Abstract: Device for producing silicon blocks for photovoltaic applications, comprising a container for receiving a silicon melt with a base wall and at least one side wall, means for reducing the diffusion of impurities from at least one of the walls of the container into the silicon melt, wherein the means for reducing the diffusion of impurities comprise at least one covering element for the at least partial covering of at least one of the walls of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignees: SolarWorld Innovations GmbH, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Bernhard Freudenberg, Sara Grützner, Marc Dietrich, Kaspars Dadzis, Andreas Krause, Bianca Gründig-Wendrock, Doreen Nauert, Matthias Trempa, Christian Reimann, Jochen Friedrich
  • Patent number: 9340897
    Abstract: The diameter of a single crystal is controlled to a set point diameter during pulling of the single crystal from a melt contained in a crucible and which forms a meniscus at a phase boundary on the edge of the single crystal, the meniscus having a height which corresponds to the distance between the phase boundary and a level of the surface of the melt outside the meniscus, comprising repeatedly: determining the diameter of a bright ring on the meniscus; calculating a diameter of the single crystal while taking into account the diameter of the bright ring and the dependency of the diameter of the bright ring on the height of the meniscus and on the diameter of the single crystal itself; and calculating at least one manipulated variable for controlling the diameter of the single crystal on the basis of the difference between the calculated diameter of the single crystal and the set point diameter of the single crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Siltronic AG
    Inventor: Thomas Schroeck
  • Patent number: 9324567
    Abstract: A method and system for performing gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) etch processing of various materials is described. In particular, the GCIB etch processing includes setting one or more GCIB properties of a GCIB process condition for the GCIB to achieve one or more target etch process metrics. Furthermore, the GCIB etch processing utilizes Si-containing and/or Ge-containing etchants. Further yet, the GCIB etch processing facilitates etching Si-containing material, Ge-containing material, and metal-containing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: TEL Epion Inc.
    Inventors: Martin D. Tabat, Christopher K. Olsen, Yan Shao, Ruairidh MacCrimmon, Luis Fernandez
  • Patent number: 9309128
    Abstract: A method for preparing zinc oxide nanostructures using arc discharge is disclosed. The method comprises the provision of an anode and a cathode in an arc discharge chamber. Current is supplied to the anode and the cathode to establish an arc discharge between the cathode and the anode to vaporize the anode and produce zinc oxide nanostructures. Contemplated is the use of the zinc oxide nanostructures to produce components that have applications in, for example, optoelectronics, energy storage devices, field emission devices, and sensors such as UV photosensors, gas sensors and humidity sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: INSTITUTE OF GEOLOGICAL AND NUCLEAR SCIENCES LIMITED
    Inventors: John Vedamuthu Kennedy, Richard John Futter, Fang Fang, Andreas Markwitz
  • Patent number: 9303332
    Abstract: Silicon single crystal substrates having uniform resistance, few BMDs in a surface layer and a moderate number of BMDs in a center of thickness of the substrate are formed from Czochralski silicon single crystals. The substrates have a resistivity in the center of a first main surface not lower than 50 ?·cm and a rate of change in resistivity in the first main surface not higher than 3%, an average density of bulk micro defects in a region between the first main surface and a plane at a depth of 50 ?m of less than 1×108/cm3, and an average density of bulk micro defects in a region lying between a plane at a depth of 300 ?m and a plane at a depth of 400 ?m from the first main surface not lower than 1×108 /cm3 and not higher than 1×109 /cm3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: SILTRONIC AG
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Nakai, Masamichi Ohkubo, Hikaru Sakamoto