Patents Examined by Hua Qi
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Patent number: 10513797Abstract: A manufacturing method of an epitaxial silicon wafer, using an epitaxial growth apparatus including a susceptor and a heat ring, includes: determining a surface position of a silicon wafer to be higher than a surface position of a peripheral portion of the susceptor and to be lower than a surface position of the heat ring; and adjusting a gap between the surface position of the silicon wafer and the surface position of the heat ring to control a difference between a film thickness of the epitaxial layer formed on a peripheral portion in a <110> orientation of the silicon wafer and a film thickness of the epitaxial layer formed on the peripheral portion in a <100> orientation of the silicon wafer.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2015Date of Patent: December 24, 2019Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATIONInventors: Takeshi Hirose, Masayuki Tsuji, Fumihiko Kimura
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Patent number: 10508360Abstract: A nanocellular single crystal nickel based material is provided having a thermal diffusivity in the range of 0.0002 cm{circumflex over (?)}2/s to 0.02 cm{circumflex over (?)}2/s and a thermal conductivity in the range of 0.024 W/mK to 9.4 W/mK. The nanocellular single crystal nickel based material may be used to form turbine engine components. The nanocellular single crystal nickel based material may be produced by providing a first solution containing a nickel precursor and deionized water, providing a second solution containing a structure controlling polymer/surfactant and an alcohol, mixing the first and second solutions into a solution containing a reducing agent to form a third solution, and processing the third solution to create the nanocellular single crystal based material.Type: GrantFiled: January 20, 2015Date of Patent: December 17, 2019Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Michael J Birnkrant, Weina Li
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Patent number: 10472732Abstract: A target value of a pull-up speed of the single crystal is set in advance before starting pulling-up of the single crystal for every predetermined pull-up length, the pull-up speed moving average value is calculated from actual values of the pull-up speeds measured from a time point that pulling-up of a predetermined length of the single crystal has been started until the current time point, a corrected value of the pull-up speed target value at a current time point is calculated and the single crystal is pulled up on the basis of this corrected value. When ? is a past pull-up length and ? is a future pull-up length, a pull-up length (?+?) used for calculating the corrected value of the pull-up speed target value is changed with an actual value of the single crystal diameter.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2015Date of Patent: November 12, 2019Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATIONInventor: Masahiko Mizuta
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Patent number: 10472733Abstract: A silicon single crystal manufacturing method in which the distance between the heat shield and the melt level of the melt can be regulated in a high precision. The real image includes at least the circular opening of the heat shield provided in such a way that the heat shield covers a part of the melt level of the silicon melt. The mirror image is a reflected image of the heat shield on the surface of the silicon melt. Based on the distance between the obtained real image and the mirror image, the melt level position of the silicon melt is computed, and the distance between the heat shield and the melt level position is regulated.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2016Date of Patent: November 12, 2019Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATIONInventors: Keiichi Takanashi, Ken Hamada
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Patent number: 10458044Abstract: Dust that is accumulated in an exhaust passage provided in a chamber, the exhaust passage for discharging gas in the chamber of a semiconductor crystal manufacturing device, is removed by being sucked from the outside of the chamber. Moreover, an opening and closing valve for cleaning that is detachably attached to an opening of the exhaust passage, the opening facing the chamber, is opened and closed intermittently in a suction state. Furthermore, the opening and closing valve for cleaning is driven by a valve driving unit. The dust accumulated in the exhaust passage is removed efficiently, whereby the time required to clean the exhaust passage is shortened and fluctuations of the pressure inside the chamber when a semiconductor crystal is manufactured are suppressed.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2017Date of Patent: October 29, 2019Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATIONInventor: Kenji Okita
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Patent number: 10450671Abstract: Provided is a SiC single crystal that has a large growth thickness and contains no inclusions. A SiC single crystal grown by a solution process, wherein the total length M of the outer peripheral section formed by the {1-100} faces on the {0001} growth surface of the SiC single crystal, and the length P of the outer periphery of the growth surface of the SiC single crystal, satisfy the relationship M/P?0.70, and the length in the growth direction of the SiC single crystal is 2 mm or greater.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2014Date of Patent: October 22, 2019Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATIONInventors: Hironori Daikoku, Motohisa Kado, Kazuhito Kamei, Kazuhiko Kusunoki
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Patent number: 10428440Abstract: A high-quality SiC single crystal and a method for producing such a SiC single crystal is provided. In the SiC single crystal, the threading dislocation density including screw dislocation, edge dislocation and micropipe defect is reduced. The method for producing the SiC single crystal according to a solution technique involves bringing an SiC seed crystal into contact with an Si—C solution having a temperature gradient in which a temperature of the Si—C solution is lower towards the surface of the SiC seed crystal. Growing an SiC single crystal includes setting the temperature gradient of the surface region of the Si—C solution to 10° C/cm or below, bringing the (1-100) face of the SiC seed crystal into contact with the Si—C solution, and growing an SiC single crystal on the (1-100) face of the seed crystal at a ratio (single crystal growth rate/temperature gradient) of less than 20×10?4 cm2/h·° C.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2013Date of Patent: October 1, 2019Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Katsunori Danno
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Patent number: 10421208Abstract: A method for cleaving wafers comprising the following steps: providing a slice of a crystalline material with at least a first plane side, providing at least one stressing means to be attached to said slice, wherein said at least one stressing means is at least in parts made of a material with a coefficient of thermal expansion different from that of the slice, attaching said stressing means to said first plane side of said slice to form a stack, inducing a thermal shear stress to said slice by applying a temperature change to said stack.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2013Date of Patent: September 24, 2019Assignee: SUNPOWER CORPORATIONInventors: Nathan Stoddard, Bjoern Seipel
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Patent number: 10400351Abstract: A method for sculpting crystalline oxide structures for bulk nanofabrication is provided. The method includes the controlled electron beam induced irradiation of amorphous and liquid phase precursor solutions using a scanning transmission electron microscope. The atomically focused electron beam includes operating parameters (e.g., location, dwell time, raster speed) that are selected to provide a higher electron dose in patterned areas and a lower electron dose in non-patterned areas. Concurrently with the epitaxial growth of crystalline features, the present method includes scanning the substrate to provide information on the size of the crystalline features with atomic resolution. This approach provides for atomic level sculpting of crystalline oxide materials from a metastable amorphous precursor and the liquid phase patterning of nanocrystals.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2017Date of Patent: September 3, 2019Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLCInventors: Albina Y. Borisevich, Stephen Jesse, Sergei V. Kalinin, Andrew R. Lupini, Raymond R. Unocic, Qian He
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Patent number: 10385473Abstract: A seed crystal holder for pulling up a single crystal is made of a carbon fiber-reinforced carbon composite material, and has a substantially cylindrical shape with a hollow space having a shape matching an outer shape of a substantially rod-shaped seed crystal. A direction of carbon fibers at a part in contact with at least an outer peripheral surface of the seed crystal has isotropy as viewed from a central axis of the hollow space.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2016Date of Patent: August 20, 2019Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATIONInventor: Eiichi Kawasaki
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Patent number: 10379094Abstract: A contamination control method includes: a wafer loading step for loading a monitor wafer in a chamber of a vapor deposition apparatus; a heat-treatment repetition step for consecutively repeating a heat-treatment step for thermally treating the monitor wafer for predetermined times; a wafer unloading step for unloading the monitor wafer from the chamber; and a wafer-contamination-evaluation step for evaluating a metal-contamination degree of the monitor wafer unloaded out of the chamber. The heat-treatment step includes a first heat-treatment step for thermally treating the monitor wafer in an atmosphere of a hydrogen-containing gas and a second heat-treatment step for thermally treating the monitor wafer in an atmosphere of a hydrogen-chloride-containing gas and the hydrogen-containing gas.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2015Date of Patent: August 13, 2019Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATIONInventor: Syouji Nogami
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Patent number: 10344396Abstract: An apparatus for physical vapor transport growth of semiconductor crystals having a cylindrical vacuum enclosure defining an axis of symmetry; a reaction-cell support for supporting a reaction cell inside the vacuum enclosure; a cylindrical reaction cell made of material that is transparent to RF energy and having a height Hcell defined along the axis of symmetry; an RF coil provided around exterior of the vacuum enclosure and axially centered about the axis of symmetry, wherein the RF coil is configured to generate a uniform RF field along at least the height Hcell; and, an insulation configured for generating thermal gradient inside the reaction cell along the axis of symmetry. The ratio of height of the RF induction coil, measured along the axis of symmetry, to the height Hcell may range from 2.5 to 4.0 or from 2.8 to 4.0.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2016Date of Patent: July 9, 2019Assignee: DOW SILICONES CORPORATIONInventor: Mark Loboda
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Patent number: 10344381Abstract: The present invention is in the field of processes for the generation of thin inorganic films on substrates, in particular atomic layer deposition processes. In detail the present invention relates a process comprising bringing a compound of general formula (I) into the gaseous or aerosol state (Fig.) and depositing the compound of general formula (I) from the gaseous or aerosol state onto a solid substrate, wherein R1 and R4 are independent of each other an alkyl group, an aryl group or a trialkylsilyl group, R2, R3, R5 and R6 are independent of each other hydrogen, an alkyl group, an aryl group or a trialkylsilyl group, n is an integer from 1 to 3, M is Ni or Co, X is a ligand which coordinates M, and m is an integer from 0 to 4.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2015Date of Patent: July 9, 2019Assignee: BASF SEInventors: Julia Strautmann, Rocco Paciello, Thomas Schaub, Felix Eickemeyer, Daniel Loeffler, Hagen Wilmer, Udo Radius, Johannes Berthel, Florian Hering
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Patent number: 10337087Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide processes for forming and removing epitaxial films and materials from growth wafers by epitaxial lift off (ELO) processes. In some embodiments, the growth wafer has edge surfaces with an off-axis orientation which is utilized during the ELO process. The off-axis orientation of the edge surface provides an additional variable for controlling the etch rate during the ELO process and therefore the etch front may be modulated to prevent the formation of high stress points which reduces or prevents stressing and cracking the epitaxial film stack. In one embodiment, the growth wafer is rectangular and has an edge surface with an off-axis orientation rotated by an angle greater than 0° and up to 90° relative to an edge orientation of <110> at 0°.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2018Date of Patent: July 2, 2019Assignee: ALTA DEVICES, INC.Inventors: Thomas Gmitter, Gang He, Melissa Archer, Siew Neo
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Patent number: 10294584Abstract: A physical vapor transport growth system includes a growth chamber charged with SiC source material and a SiC seed crystal in spaced relation and an envelope that is at least partially gas-permeable disposed in the growth chamber. The envelope separates the growth chamber into a source compartment that includes the SiC source material and a crystallization compartment that includes the SiC seed crystal. The envelope is formed of a material that is reactive to vapor generated during sublimation growth of a SiC single crystal on the SiC seed crystal in the crystallization compartment to produce C-bearing vapor that acts as an additional source of C during the growth of the SiC single crystal on the SiC seed crystal.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2010Date of Patent: May 21, 2019Assignee: II-VI INCORPORATEDInventors: Avinash K. Gupta, Ilya Zwieback, Edward Semenas, Marcus L. Getkin, Patrick D. Flynn
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Patent number: 10280529Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for making semimetal compound of Pt. The semimetal compound is a single crystal material of PtSe2. The method comprises: placing pure Pt and pure Se in a reacting chamber as reacting materials; evacuating the reacting chamber to be vacuum less than 10 Pa; heating the reacting chamber to a first temperature of 600 degrees Celsius to 800 degrees Celsius and keeping for 24 hours to 100 hours; cooling the reacting chamber to a second temperature of 400 degrees Celsius to 500 degrees Celsius and keeping for 24 hours to 100 hours at a cooling rate of 1 degrees Celsius per hour to 10 degrees Celsius per hour to obtain a crystal material of PtSe2; and separating the excessive reacting materials from the crystal material of PtSe2.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2017Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignees: Tsinghua University, HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.Inventors: Ke-Nan Zhang, Ming-Zhe Yan, Shu-Yun Zhou, Yang Wu, Shou-Shan Fan
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Patent number: 10266961Abstract: Buckling of a vitreous silica crucible or fall of a sidewall into the crucible is effectively suppressed. Furthermore, dislocations in a silicon single crystal are suppressed to enhance the yield of the single crystal. The vitreous silica crucible is used to pull single-crystal silicon and includes the cylindrical sidewall having an upward-opening rim, a mortar-shaped bottom including a curve, and a round portion connecting the sidewall and the bottom. The round portion is provided in such a manner that the curvature of the inner surface thereof is gradually increased from the sidewall toward the bottom in a section passing through the rotation axis of the vitreous silica crucible.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2012Date of Patent: April 23, 2019Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATIONInventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Tadahiro Sato, Eriko Kitahara, Takeshi Fujita
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Patent number: 10202704Abstract: A Czochralski growth system is described comprising a growth chamber, a feed port, and a feed chamber comprising a container for feedstock and a feeder. The feed port is disposed in at least one side wall of the growth chamber, and the feed chamber is attached to the growth chamber at the feed port. The feeder is insertable into the growth chamber through the feed port and supplies the feedstock into the growth chamber. Preferably this system can be used for producing silicon ingots using a continuous Czochralski method.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2012Date of Patent: February 12, 2019Assignee: GTAT IP HOLDING LLCInventors: William L. Luter, Verlin A. Lauher, Dick S. Williams, Howard P. Zinschlag, Neil Middendorf, David J. Dubiel
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Patent number: 10202705Abstract: A Czochralski growth system is disclosed comprising a crucible, a silicon delivery system comprising a feeder having a delivery point overhanging the crucible and delivering a controllable amount of silicon into the crucible, and at least one doping mechanism controllably delivering at least one dopant material to the feeder. The system can comprise two or more doping mechanisms each loaded with a different dopant material and can therefore be used to prepare silicon ingots having multiple dopants. The resulting ingots have substantially constant dopant concentrations along their axes. Also disclosed is a method of Czochralski growth of at least one silicon ingot comprising at least one dopant material, which is preferably a continuous Czochralski method.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2012Date of Patent: February 12, 2019Assignee: GTAT IP HOLDING LLCInventors: Bayard K. Johnson, John P. Deluca, William L. Luter
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Patent number: 10175183Abstract: An agent for searching for protein crystallization conditions, containing a water-swellable layered silicate having a fluorine atom and a hydroxyl group, wherein the fluorine atom is covalently bonded to the silicate by isomorphous substitution with the hydroxyl group. A method of searching for protein crystallization conditions, which comprises a step of mixing the agent for searching for protein crystallization conditions described above and a solution in which a protein is dissolved.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2012Date of Patent: January 8, 2019Assignees: KUNIMINE INDUSTRIES CO., LTD., TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATIONInventors: Keiichi Kurosaka, Munehiro Kubota, Kengo Sakaguchi, Keita Ino, Itsumi Udagawa, Kazuki Iwabata, Yoichi Takakusagi, Yasutaka Seki
