Patents Examined by Hua Qi
  • Patent number: 9518340
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of growing an ingot of group III nitride. Group III nitride crystals such as GaN are grown by the ammonothermal method on both sides of a seed to form an ingot and the ingot is sliced into wafers. The wafer including the first-generation seed is sliced thicker than the other wafers so that the wafer including the first-generation seed does not break. The wafer including the first-generation seed crystal can be used as a seed for the next ammonothermal growth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignees: SixPoint Materials, Inc., Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadao Hashimoto, Edward Letts, Sierra Hoff
  • Patent number: 9476144
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming heterojunction stressor layers is described. A germanium precursor and a metal precursor are provided to a chamber, and an epitaxial layer of germanium-metal alloy formed on the substrate. The metal precursor is typically a metal halide, which may be provided by subliming a solid metal halide or by contacting a pure metal with a halogen gas. The precursors may be provided through a showerhead or through a side entry point, and an exhaust system coupled to the chamber may be separately heated to manage condensation of exhaust components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Errol Antonio C. Sanchez, David K. Carlson
  • Patent number: 9422634
    Abstract: Single crystals are produced by means of the floating zone method, wherein the single crystal crystallizes below a melt zone at a crystallization boundary, and the emission of crystallization heat is impeded by a reflector surrounding the single crystal, wherein the single crystal is heated in the region of an outer edge of the crystallization boundary by means of a heating device in a first zone, wherein a distance ? between an outer triple point Ta at the outer edge of the crystallization boundary and a center Z of the crystallization boundary is influenced. An apparatus for producing the single crystal provides a heat source below the melting induction coil and above the reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: SILTRONIC AG
    Inventors: Georg Raming, Ludwig Altmannshofer, Gundars Ratnieks, Johann Landrichinger, Josef Lobmeyer, Alfred Holzinger
  • Patent number: 9410263
    Abstract: The device of according to the present invention is a device for holding a single crystal silicon seed. The device or holder contains a plurality of strips to clamp a seed crystal in the seed crystal holder; and a base supporting the plurality of strips. The plurality of strips each has a free end which contacts a single crystal silicon seed and an end opposite the free end which joins the base and becomes integral therewith. The plurality of strips are bent or folded in such that they exert pressure on a seed crystal when the seed crystal is inserted among the plurality of strips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Polycrystalline Silicon America Corporation (MIPSA)
    Inventors: Brian P. Smith, Christopher Cook
  • Patent number: 9403620
    Abstract: A silica container contains a substrate having a rotational symmetry, containing mainly a silica, and gaseous bubbles in a peripheral part of the substrate; a transparent silica glass in an inner peripheral part of the substrate; and an inner layer, formed on an inner surface of the substrate and containing a transparent silica glass; wherein the substrate contains Li, Na, and K in a total concentration of 50 or less ppm by weight; the substrate has a linear light transmittance of 91.8% to 93.2% at a light wavelength of 600 nm; the inner layer contains Li, Na, and K in a total concentration of 100 or less ppb by weight and at least one of Ca, Sr, and Ba in a total concentration of 50 to 2000 ppm by weight; and the inner layer has a linear light transmittance of 91.8% to 93.2% at a light wavelength of 600 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU QUARTZ PRODUCTS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru Yamagata, Tomomi Usui
  • Patent number: 9388499
    Abstract: A method to provide an article of manufacture of iron oxide on indium tin oxide for solar energy conversion. An atomic layer epitaxy method is used to deposit an uncommon bixbytite-phase iron (III) oxide (?-Fe2O3) which is deposited at low temperatures to provide 99% phase pure ?-Fe2O3 thin films on indium tin oxide. Subsequent annealing produces pure ?-Fe2O3 with well-defined epitaxy via a topotactic transition. These highly crystalline films in the ultra thin film limit enable high efficiency photoelectrochemical chemical water splitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: UChicago Argonne, LLC
    Inventors: Alex B. Martinson, Shannon Riha, Peijun Guo, Jonathan D. Emery
  • Patent number: 9359693
    Abstract: A method for integrating wide-gap semiconductors, and specifically, gallium nitride epilayers, with synthetic diamond substrates is disclosed. Diamond substrates are created by depositing synthetic diamond onto a nucleating layer deposited or formed on a layered structure that comprises at least one layer of gallium nitride. Methods for manufacturing GaN-on-diamond wafers with low bow and high crystalline quality are disclosed along with preferred choices for manufacturing GaN-on-diamond wafers and chips tailored to specific applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: ELEMENT SIX TECHNOLOGIES US CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel Francis, Firooz Faili, Kristopher Matthews, Frank Yantis Lowe, Quentin Diduck, Sergey Zaytsev, Felix Ejeckam
  • Patent number: 9322112
    Abstract: To suppress 3D or convex growth and ensure a high flatness, an apparatus for producing an SiC single crystal includes: a container which holds an SiC solution, a portion for maintaining the solution in the container at a suitable temperature, a shaft having a lower end part acting as a portion for holding an SiC seed crystal in planar contact with an overall back surface of a crystal growth face and acting as a portion for cooling the SiC seed crystal, and a portion of the holding shaft for enabling an SiC single crystal to continuously grow at the crystal growth face by maintaining the crystal growth face brought into contact with the solution, a lower end part of the shaft having a portion for obtaining a uniform in-plane temperature distribution of the crystal growth face brought into planar contact, and a method for the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomokazu Ishii, Hidemitsu Sakamoto, Kazuhiko Kusunoki, Kazuhito Kamei
  • Patent number: 9281197
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer is set in a laser irradiation apparatus, and laser beam irradiation is performed while the semiconductor wafer is moved. At this time, a laser beam emitted from a laser generating apparatus is condensed by a condensing lens so that the condensing point (focal point) is positioned at a depth of several tens of?m or so from one surface of the semiconductor wafer. Thereby, the crystal structure of the semiconductor wafer in the position having such a depth is modified, and a gettering sink is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazunari Kurita
  • Patent number: 9267219
    Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to a sheet production apparatus. A vessel is configured to hold a melt of a material and a cooling plate is disposed proximate the melt. This cooling plate configured to form a sheet of the material on the melt. A pump is used. In one instance, this pump includes a gas source and a conduit in fluid communication with the gas source. In another instance, this pump injects a gas into a melt. The gas can raise the melt or provide momentum to the melt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter L. Kellerman, Frederick Carlson
  • Patent number: 9243343
    Abstract: The present invention provides a vitreous silica crucible which can restrain deterioration of crystallinity of a silicon ingot in multi-pulling. Provided is a vitreous silica crucible for pulling a silicon single crystal, the crucible has a wall having, from an inner surface toward an outer surface of the crucible, a synthetic vitreous silica layer, a natural vitreous silica layer, an impurity-containing vitreous silica layer and a natural vitreous silica layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Hiroshi Kishi
  • Patent number: 9222197
    Abstract: Provided is a shield member and an apparatus for growing a single crystal equipped with the shield member. Such a shield member includes: a vessel for growing the single crystal; a raw material storage part positioned at a lower portion of the vessel for growing the single crystal; a substrate supporting part, positioned above the raw material storage part to support the substrate; and a heating apparatus positioned at a an outer periphery of the vessel for growing the single crystal, thereby sublimating the raw material from the raw material storage part to grow the single crystal of the raw material onto the substrate, in which a plurality of permeation holes through which the raw material gas passes is formed. The shield member is configured such that the heat capacity thereof increases from the center to the outer periphery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventor: Akihiro Matsuse
  • Patent number: 9202872
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of growing an ingot of group III nitride. Group III nitride crystals such as GaN are grown by the ammonothermal method on both sides of a seed to form an ingot and the ingot is sliced into wafers. The wafer including the first-generation seed is sliced thicker than the other wafers so that the wafer including the first-generation seed does not break. The wafer including the first-generation seed crystal can be used as a seed for the next ammonothermal growth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignees: SixPoint Materials, Inc., Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadao Hashimoto, Edward Letts, Sierra Hoff
  • Patent number: 9200379
    Abstract: A base material for growing a single crystal diamond that includes at least a single crystal SiC substrate, and an iridium film or a rhodium film heteroepitaxially grown on a side of the single crystal SiC substrate where the single crystal diamond is to be grown. As a result, there is provided a base material for growing a single crystal diamond and a method for producing a single crystal diamond substrate which can grow the single crystal diamond having a large area and good crystallinity and produce a high quality single crystal diamond substrate at low cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hitoshi Noguchi
  • Patent number: 9187844
    Abstract: A single-crystal manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a single crystal ingot according to the Czochralski method including: a crucible that contains a raw material melt; a heater having a cylindrical heat generating portion that surrounds the crucible; a main chamber that accommodates the heater; a heater electrode that supports the heater and supplies current to the heater; and a heat insulating plate provided below the cylindrical heat generating portion of the heater, wherein the heat insulating plate is fixed to and supported by the heater electrode through an insulating stationary member, and an insulating support member is provided on an upper surface of the heat insulating plate at a position at which the insulating support member faces a lower end of the cylindrical heat generating portion. Provided is a single-crystal manufacturing apparatus that can inhibit heater deformation and prevent deterioration of heat efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU HANDOTAI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Toshiro Shimada
  • Patent number: 9163326
    Abstract: A crystal growth device includes a crucible and a heater setting. The crucible has a bottom and a top opening. The heater setting surrounds the crucible and is movable relative to the crucible along a top-bottom direction of the crucible and between first and second positions. The heater setting includes a first temperature heating zone and a second temperature heating zone higher in temperature than the first temperature heating zone. The heater setting is in the first position when the crucible is in the second temperature heating zone and in the second position when the crucible is in the first temperature heating zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Sino-American Silicon Products Inc.
    Inventors: Chung-Wen Lan, Bruce Hsu, Wen-Huai Yu, Wen-Chieh Lan, Yu-Min Yang, Kai-Yuan Pai, Wen-Ching Hsu
  • Patent number: 9133063
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a crucible which has high viscosity at high temperature, and can be used for a long time, and can be manufactured at low cost, and a method of manufacturing the same. The composite crucible 10 is characterized in the use of mullite (3Al2O3.2SiO2) as the basic material of the crucible. The composite crucible 10 has the crucible body 11 made of mullite material whose main component is alumina and silica, and a transparent vitreous silica layer 12 formed on the inner surface of the crucible body 11. The thickness of the transparent vitreous silica layer 12 is smaller than that of the crucible body 11. The crucible body 11 can be formed by the slip casting method, and the transparent vitreous silica layer 12 can be formed by the thermal spraying method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Takuma Yoshioka, Hiroshi Kishi, Takeshi Fujita, Minoru Kanda, Koichi Suzuki, Ken Kitahara
  • Patent number: 9123759
    Abstract: An aspect of the present invention relates to a susceptor comprising a counterbored groove receiving a semiconductor wafer in the course of manufacturing an epitaxial wafer by vapor phase growing an epitaxial layer on a surface of the semiconductor wafer, wherein a lateral wall of the counterbored groove is comprised of at least one flat portion and at least one protruding portion being higher than the flat portion, and a height of the flat portion is equal to or greater than a thickness of the semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Junji Miyashita
  • Patent number: 9080254
    Abstract: In a method of producing a SiC single crystal, the SiC single crystal is grown on a SiC seed crystal by bringing the SiC seed crystal, which is fixed at a rotatable seed crystal fixing shaft, into contact with a solution produced by dissolving carbon in melt containing silicon in a rotatable crucible. The method includes starting rotation of the seed crystal fixing shaft, and starting rotation of the crucible after a predetermined delay time (Td); then stopping the rotation of the seed crystal fixing shaft and the rotation of the crucible simultaneously; then stopping the seed crystal fixing shaft and the crucible for a predetermined stop time (Ts); and repeating a rotation/stop cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidemitsu Sakamoto, Hironori Daikoku, Yasuyuki Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 9080252
    Abstract: An approach is provided for a method to manufacture a crystalline silicon ingot. The method comprises providing a mold formed for melting and cooling a silicon feedstock by using a directional solidification process, disposing a barrier layer inside the mold, disposing one or more silicon crystal seeds on the barrier layer, loading the silicon feedstock on the silicon crystal seeds, heating the mold to obtain a silicon melt, and cooling the mold by the directional solidification process to solidify the silicon melt into a silicon ingot. The mold is heated until the silicon feedstock is fully melted and the silicon crystal seeds are at least partially melted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Sino-American Silicon Products Inc.
    Inventors: Chung-Wen Lan, Ya-Lu Tsai, Sung-Lin Hsu, Chao-Kun Hsieh, Wen-Chieh Lan, Wen-Ching Hsu