Patents Examined by James Lin
  • Patent number: 12383644
    Abstract: A decontamination system not requiring large-scale equipment and capable of efficiently using a decontamination liquid. Long pipes can be installed for each of multiple rooms to be decontaminated, a decontamination liquid is not present in supply pipes as a residual dead liquid, and a proper amount of decontamination liquid can essentially be supplied for each room to cause no failure of an ultrasonic vibrator. The system employs a decontamination mist and includes a compressed air generating equipment and a decontamination liquid supplying equipment, and each room is provided with primary and secondary mist generating equipment. The conveyance distance of a primary mist supply pipe connecting the primary and secondary mist generating equipment is longer than that of a decontamination liquid supply pipe connecting the decontamination liquid supplying equipment and the primary mist generating equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2025
    Assignee: AIREX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Kawasaki, Gun Sou, Tsukasa Kitano, Zhiqiang Guo, Haruka Futamura, Yukihiro Yazaki, Daisuke Kakuda, Jun Masudome
  • Patent number: 12366550
    Abstract: A gas sensor includes a sensor element and a pump cell controller. During a normal operation time of the sensor element, the pump cell controller executes a normal time measurement pump control process of pumping out the oxygen in a measurement chamber by controlling a measurement pump cell so that voltage for measurement reaches a normal time target value. At the start-up time of the sensor element, the pump cell controller executes a start-up time measurement pump control process of pumping out the oxygen in the measurement chamber by controlling the measurement pump cell so that the voltage for measurement reaches a start-up time target value higher than the normal time target value. When determining that the oxygen concentration in the measurement chamber is stabilized, the pump cell controller makes switching from the start-up time measurement pump control process to the normal time measurement pump control process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2025
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Taku Okamoto, Soichiro Yoshida, Ryo Hashikawa
  • Patent number: 12359602
    Abstract: A SOx concentration acquiring apparatus of an internal combustion engine of the invention acquires sensor currents as SOx concentration currents after a sensor voltage reaches an oxygen decreasing voltage in a reoxidation voltage decreasing control, acquires the sensor current as a base current when the sensor voltage is equal to or lower than the oxygen decreasing voltage in the reoxidation voltage decreasing control, acquires an integration value of differences between the base current and each of the SOx concentration currents, and acquires a SOx concentration of an exhaust gas discharged from an internal combustion engine on the basis of the integration value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Matsuda, Kazuhiro Wakao, Keiichiro Aoki
  • Patent number: 12352720
    Abstract: Methods are provided that allow global access to redox-based molecular information by coupling electrochemical measurements with signal processing approaches. More specifically, the disclosure provides methods that rely on the use of redox probes to assay samples for redox activities that act to exchange electrons with the probe thereby generating detectable optical and electrochemical signature signals that can then be assigned to a sample feature of interest. In particular embodiments, the disclosed assay methods are useful for diagnosis and prognosis of disorders, such as schizophrenia, that are found to be associated with a specific redox-based signature within a subject sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2025
    Assignees: UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK, University of Maryland, Baltimore
    Inventors: Eunkyoung Kim, Gregory F. Payne, Mijeong Kang, Reza Ghodssi, Thomas E. Winkler, George Banis, Christopher Kitchen, Deanna L. Kelly, William E. Bentley
  • Patent number: 12354856
    Abstract: There is provided a film forming apparatus comprising a processing chamber including a processing chamber main body and a lid, a stage, a target, and a shield. The shield has a chamber shield fixed to the processing chamber main body and a target shield fixed to the lid. The chamber shield has a cylindrical sidewall and a horizontal wall formed at a radially outer side of the cylindrical sidewall. The target shield has a cylindrical portion extending toward the stage. A diameter of an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion is smaller than a diameter of an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical sidewall, and the cylindrical portion and the cylindrical sidewall form a double pipe structure in which the cylindrical portion and the cylindrical sidewall overlap at least partially in a height direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2025
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Junichi Takei
  • Patent number: 12345674
    Abstract: The sensor element of a gas sensor includes an element body, a surface protective layer provided at the outermost surface position of a tip portion of the element body, in the longitudinal direction of the element body, and an internal protective layer provided between the surface protective layer and the element body. The internal protective layer has a lower thermal conductivity and a higher average porosity than the surface protective layer, and is disposed between the surface protective layer and the element body. In the internal protective layer, a first protective layer portion of the internal protective layer is located on a side that faces the heater, and at least the base position is positioned closer in the longitudinal direction to the tip end of the element body than is the maximum temperature position on the element body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2025
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shota Imada, Satoshi Suzuki, Takumi Ushikubo
  • Patent number: 12338526
    Abstract: A deposition apparatus, which forms a film on a substrate, includes a rotation unit configured to rotate a target about a rotating axis; a striker configured to generate an arc discharge; a driving unit configured to drive the striker so as to make a close state which the striker closes to a side surface around the rotating axis of the target to generate the arc discharge; and a control unit configured to control rotation of the target by the rotation unit so as to change a facing position on the side surface of the target facing the striker in the close state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: Canon Anelva Corporation
    Inventor: Masahiro Atsumi
  • Patent number: 12338524
    Abstract: An article including a durable, optically transparent, and superhydrophobic coating is described. In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an article comprising a substrate, and disposed adjacent the substrate, a layer comprising graphitic carbon, diamond-like carbon, and aerogel. In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for preparing a coated substrate, comprising providing a carbon layer disposed on a substrate and having a textured surface; and disposing aerogel adjacent to at least a portion of the textured surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: John T. Simpson, Bryce Remesch
  • Patent number: 12331392
    Abstract: A deposition system is provided capable of cleaning itself by removing a target material deposited on a surface of a collimator. The deposition system in accordance with the present disclosure includes a substrate process chamber. The deposition includes a substrate pedestal in the substrate process chamber, the substrate pedestal configured to support a substrate, a target enclosing the substrate process chamber, and a collimator having a plurality of hollow structures disposed between the target and the substrate, a vibration generating unit, and cleaning gas outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wen-Hao Cheng, Hsuan-Chih Chu, Yen-Yu Chen
  • Patent number: 12327715
    Abstract: A magnetic shield reduces external noise in a chamber including a target and at least one electromagnet for copper physical vapor deposition (PVD). The shield may have a thickness in a range from approximately 0.1 mm to approximately 10 mm to provide sufficient protection from radio frequency and other electromagnetic signals. As a result, copper atoms in the chamber undergo less re-direction from external noise. Additionally, even when hardware failure occurs during PVD (e.g., an electromagnet malfunctions, a wafer stage is not level, and/or a flow optimizer induces too much shift, among other examples), the copper atoms are less susceptible to small re-directions from external noise. As a result, back end of line (BEOL) and/or middle end of line (MEOL) conductive structures are formed in a more uniform manner, which increases conductivity and improves lifetime of an electronic device including the BEOL and/or MEOL conductive structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2025
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chia-Hung Tsai, Chin-Szu Lee, Szu-Hua Wu, Jui-Hung Ho, Chi-Hung Liao, Yu-Jen Chien
  • Patent number: 12313584
    Abstract: Molecules may be analyzed (e.g., sequencing of nucleic acid molecules) by tunneling recognition at a tunneling junction. Embodiments of the present invention may allow detecting individual nucleotides and the sequencing of a nucleic acid molecule using a tunneling junction. By labeling a specific 5 nucleotide with a moiety, tunneling junctions may generate a signal with a suitable signal-to-noise ratio. An electric field may be applied to move the nucleic acid molecule and the moiety close to the tunneling junction so that a current may travel through the moiety. Because a single nucleotide can be detected with a signal with a suitable signal-to-noise ratio resulting from the tunneling current passing through 10 the moiety, embodiments of the present invention may allow for fast detection of nucleotides using a tunneling current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: Roche Sequencing Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Yann Astier, Zsolt Majzik, Flint Mitchell, Juraj Topolancik
  • Patent number: 12312674
    Abstract: A sputtering target according to the present invention contains Co and Pt as metal components, wherein a molar ratio of a content of Pt to a content of Co is from 5/100 to 45/100, and wherein the sputtering target contains Nb2O5 as a metal oxide component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: JX Advanced Metals Corporation
    Inventors: Masayoshi Shimizu, Yasuyuki Iwabuchi, Manami Masuda
  • Patent number: 12315707
    Abstract: A mounting table structure includes a mounting table on which a substrate is mounted, a refrigerating mechanism configured to cool the substrate, an elevating drive part configured to move the mounting table or the refrigerating mechanism up and down, and at least one contact provided at a position between the refrigerating mechanism and the mounting table which face each other. The refrigerating mechanism and the mounting table are allowed to be brought into contact with each other via the contact by moving the mounting table or the refrigerating mechanism up and down by the elevating drive part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Motoi Yamagata, Hiroshi Sone, Masato Shinada
  • Patent number: 12297527
    Abstract: A method for preparing a p-type gallium oxide film is provided. An MxGa1-xN target material is subjected to ablating, sputtering or evaporation in a vacuum chamber via physical vapor deposition to obtain MxGa1-xN clusters, where M is selected from the group consisting of Al, Sc, In, Y and Lu, and 0<x<1. The MxGa1-xN clusters are oxidized by O2 to obtain M-N co-doped p-type gallium oxide film on a substrate. The MxGa1-xN target material is prepared from MN powder and GaN powder through ball milling, pressing and sintering. A p-type gallium oxide film prepared by the method, and its application in the manufacturing of solar-blind ultraviolet detection devices and high-power electronic devices are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2025
    Assignee: Hubei University
    Inventors: Yunbin He, Zhouyang Luo, Daotian Shi, Yinmei Lu, Mingkai Li, Jian Chen, Lufeng Chen
  • Patent number: 12291772
    Abstract: A low-friction long-life ultra-lattice composite coating as well as a preparation method and use thereof are provided. The ultra-lattice composite coating includes a titanium transition layer, a TiNx bearing layer, a TiNx/MoS2 gradient transition layer, a MoS2/Me gradient transition layer and a MoS2/Me ultra-lattice layer which are successively formed on the surface of a matrix; wherein, in a direction gradually far away from the matrix, the content of MoS2 in the TiNx/MoS2 gradient transition layer is increasing, and the content of MoS2 in the MoS2/Me gradient transition layer is decreasing. The ultra-lattice composite coating has excellent mechanical property and tribological performance, with a vacuum friction coefficient being below 0.02 and a friction life exceeding 4×106 revolutions, which can meet the requirements on ultra-low friction and ultra-long service life for aerospace vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: NINGBO INSTITUTE OF MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
    Inventors: Jibin Pu, Yanbin Shi, Haixin Wang
  • Patent number: 12293905
    Abstract: A cathode unit includes first and second magnet units that are driven to rotate around an axis on a side opposed to a sputtering surface of a target. The first magnet unit is configured to cause a first leakage magnetic field to act on a space in front of the sputtering surface including a target center inward. The second magnet unit is configured to cause a second leakage magnetic field to act locally in the space in front of the sputtered surface located between the target center and the outer edge of the target and to enable self-holding discharge under low pressure of plasma confined by the second leakage magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Toshiya Aoyagi, Makoto Arai, Satoru Takasawa
  • Patent number: 12281381
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, a method for processing a substrate comprises supplying pulsed DC power to a target disposed in a processing volume of a processing chamber for depositing sputter material onto a substrate, during a pulse off time, determining if a reverse current is equal to or greater than at least one of a first threshold or a second threshold different from the first threshold, and if the reverse current is equal to or greater than the at least one of the first threshold or second threshold, generate a pulsed DC power shutdown response, and if the reverse current is not equal to or greater than the at least one of the first threshold or second threshold, continue supplying pulsed DC power to the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Sireesh Adimadhyam, Shouyin Zhang
  • Patent number: 12253488
    Abstract: A gas sensor includes a laminated body constituted by at least two ceramic layers laminated thereon, and having at least one gas introduction port, and at least one internal vacancy, and an outer side electrode formed on the laminated body, and provided in order to discharge oxygen from the internal vacancy, wherein a slit portion connected to an external space, and which is formed in the laminated body in covering relation to the outer side electrode, is interposed between the ceramic layers and the outer side electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Soichiro Yoshida, Kunihiko Nakagaki
  • Patent number: 12242163
    Abstract: Prior electrochromic devices frequently suffer from high levels of defectivity. The defects may be manifest as pin holes or spots where the electrochromic transition is impaired. This is unacceptable for many applications such as electrochromic architectural glass. Improved electrochromic devices with low defectivity can be fabricated by depositing certain layered components of the electrochromic device in a single integrated deposition system. While these layers are being deposited and/or treated on a substrate, for example a glass window, the substrate never leaves a controlled ambient environment, for example a low pressure controlled atmosphere having very low levels of particles. These layers may be deposited using physical vapor deposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: View, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Kozlowski, Eric W. Kurman, Zhongchun Wang, Mike Scobey, Jeremy A. Dixon, Anshu A Pradhan, Robert T. Rozbicki
  • Patent number: 12243715
    Abstract: An aspect of the invention provides an ion beam sputtering apparatus comprising an ion source configured to generate a hollow ion beam along a beam axis that is located in a hollow part of the beam; and a sputtering target having a target body that defines at least one target surface, the target body comprising sputterable particles, the target body being located relative to the ion source so that the ion beam hits the at least one target surface to sputter particles from the target body towards a surface of an object to be modified. The target body is shaped so that the particles sputtered towards a surface to be modified are generally sputtered from the sputtering target in radially extending sputter directions relative to the beam axis, the sputter directions being one of (i) directions extending towards the beam axis and (ii) directions extending away from the beam axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited
    Inventors: Richard John Futter, Ryan James Davidson, Jerome Leveneur, John Vedamuthu Kennedy