Patents Examined by Mandy Louie
  • Patent number: 9969622
    Abstract: Ternary tungsten boride nitride (WBN) thin films and related methods of formation are provided. The films are have excellent thermal stability, tunable resistivity and good adhesion to oxides. Methods of forming the films can involve thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes in which boron-containing, nitrogen-containing and tungsten-containing reactants are sequentially pulsed into a reaction chamber to deposit the WBN films. In some embodiments, the processes include multiple cycles of boron-containing, nitrogen-containing and tungsten-containing reactant pulses, with each cycle including multiple boron-containing pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Wei Lei, Juwen Gao
  • Patent number: 9959511
    Abstract: An automated seed treatment system is adapted for on-site operation at a retail seed distributor. A sealed seed-treater vessel is configured to apply a plurality of chemical treatments to a batch of seed based on a seed treatment recipe. A programmable system controller is electrically coupled to a pump controller of each of a plurality of pump-stations. The programmable system controller is configured to receive a material transfer indication from each of the plurality of pump-stations and issue commands to the pump controller of each pump-station in response to the seed treatment recipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Bayer CropScience LP
    Inventors: Greg A. Reineccius, Jaco Ernest Van der Westhuizen, Alan W. Geiss, Bradley W. May, Tharacad S. Ramanarayanan, Marc Jean-Marie Andrieux
  • Patent number: 9914998
    Abstract: An apparatus and a non-vapor-pressure dependent method of chemical vapor deposition of Si based materials using direct injection of liquid hydrosilane(s) are presented. Liquid silane precursor solutions may also include metal, non-metal or metalloid dopants, nanomaterials and solvents. An illustrative apparatus has a precursor solution and carrier gas system, atomizer and deposit head with interior chamber and a hot plate supporting the substrate. Atomized liquid silane precursor solutions and carrier gas moves through a confined reaction zone that may be heated and the aerosol and vapor are deposited on a substrate to form a thin film. The substrate may be heated prior to deposition. The deposited film may be processed further with thermal or laser processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: NDSU RESEARCH FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Guruvenket Srinivasan, Robert A. Sailer, Justin Hoey
  • Patent number: 9905344
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a grain-orientated electric steel which is coated with a phosphate layer and in which there is applied to the electric steel a phosphate solution which contains a colloid component and at least one colloid stabilizer (A) and/or at least one pickling inhibitor (B), the phosphate solution containing at least one compound which has chromium in the oxidation stage III (chromium (III) compound). Grain-orientated electric steel produced with the method according to the invention is distinguished by excellent optical properties and a high tensile stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: ThyssenKrupp Electrical Steel GmbH
    Inventors: Christof Holzapfel, Stefan Pahike, Carsten Schepers, Heiner Schrapers
  • Patent number: 9868131
    Abstract: The invention relates to method including operating a plasma atomic layer deposition reactor configured to deposit material in a reaction chamber on at least one substrate by sequential self-saturating surface reactions, and allowing gas from an inactive gas source to flow into a widening radical in-feed part opening towards the reaction chamber substantially during a whole deposition cycle. The invention also relates to a corresponding apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Picosun Oy
    Inventors: Vaino Kilpi, Wei-Min Li, Timo Malinen, Juhana Kostamo, Sven Lindfors
  • Patent number: 9850161
    Abstract: An article comprises a body having a coating. The coating comprising a mixture of a first oxide and a second oxide. The coating includes a glaze on a surface of the coating, the glaze comprising a eutectic system having a super-lattice of a first fluoride and a second fluoride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Chengtsin Lee, Jennifer Y. Sun
  • Patent number: 9847099
    Abstract: A method according to one embodiment includes forming a first portion of a thin film writer structure on a substantially planar portion of a substrate such that planes of deposition of the first portion of the writer structure are substantially parallel to a plane of the substrate; forming a portion of a write gap of the writer structure at an angle of greater than 0° relative to the substantially planar portion of the substrate; and causing the writer structure to tilt at an angle relative to the plane of the substrate such that a plane of deposition of the write gap is oriented about perpendicular to a final media-facing surface of the writer structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Philipp Herget, Pierre-Olivier Jubert
  • Patent number: 9840775
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for arranging a precursor vapor flow through a vertical atomic layer deposition (ALD) cartridge along a top-to-bottom vertical channel in a central area of the cartridge, and for moving particulate material to be ALD processed in the cartridge upwards, upon rotation, by a threaded area substantially extending from the vertical channel to a side wall of the cartridge, and downwards along the vertical channel to cause the particulate material to cycle during ALD processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Picosun Oy
    Inventor: Juhana Kostamo
  • Patent number: 9810751
    Abstract: One example includes a method for fabricating a compound material. The method includes providing a first discrete material layer having a first thickness dimension. The first discrete material layer includes a first material having a first magnetic susceptibility. The method also includes depositing a second discrete material layer having a second thickness dimension over the first discrete material layer. The second discrete material layer can include a second material having a second magnetic susceptibility. The relative first and second thickness dimensions can be selected to provide a desired magnetic susceptibility of the compound material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Michael D. Bulatowicz
  • Patent number: 9809490
    Abstract: A method for producing an oxynitride film includes: (A) supplying a first precursor containing a network former into a reactor in which a substrate is placed; (B) supplying at least one of an oxygen gas and an ozone gas into the reactor; (C) supplying a second precursor containing at least one of an alkali metal element and an alkaline-earth metal element into the reactor; (D) supplying at least one of a nitrogen gas and an ammonia gas into the reactor; and (E) supplying a purge gas into the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Miyuki Nakai, Satoshi Shibata
  • Patent number: 9793148
    Abstract: A method for positioning wafers in dual wafer transport, includes: simultaneously moving first and second wafers placed on first and second end-effectors to positions over lift pins protruding from first and second susceptors, respectively; and correcting the positions of the first and second wafers without moving any of the lift pins relative to the respective susceptors or without moving the lift pins relative to each other, wherein when the first and second wafers are moved to the respective positions, the distance between the first wafer and tips of the lift pins of the first susceptor is substantially smaller than the distance between the second wafer and tips of the lift pins of the second susceptor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yamagishi, Masaei Suwada, Hiroyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9761262
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for magnetic recording that includes a storage medium having a media surface. The media surface has a plurality of lands and recesses between the lands. A polymer layer fills the recesses so that the media surface is substantially planar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Yiao-Tee Hsia, Lei Li
  • Patent number: 9721724
    Abstract: [Problem] To provide a highly efficient manufacturing method including an RH supply-diffusion process by which the number of magnets processed at a time can be increased without allowing sintered R-T-B based magnets to stick to holding members. [Solution] A method for producing a sintered R-T-B based magnet including the steps of: forming a stack of RH diffusion sources and sintered R-T-B based magnet bodies by stacking the diffusion sources and the magnet bodies alternately with a holding member having openings interposed; and carrying out an RH supply-diffusion process by loading the stack into a process vessel and creating an atmosphere with a pressure of 0.1 Pa to 50 Pa and a temperature of 800° C. to 950° C. within the process vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
    Inventor: Tohru Obata
  • Patent number: 9672858
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a magnetic recording medium manufacturing method including forming a bonding layer on a substrate, forming a holding layer containing silicon on the bonding layer, forming a single-particle layer on the holding layer using particles containing metal fusible on the bonding layer, etching SiO2 in the holding layer using an etching solution containing HF and H2O2, filling the holding layer with the particles until the particles are brought into contact with the bonding layer, bonding the particles and the bonding layer together by heating, and forming a magnetic recording layer on the single-particle layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Akira Watanabe, Kaori Kimura, Takeshi Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 9663855
    Abstract: A plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (“PECVD”) apparatus includes: an ejecting unit which is configured to eject a gas toward a substrate onto which the gas is deposited; a lift which is configured to support and selectively raise or lower a mask unit in which is defined a pattern through which the gas ejected from the ejecting unit passes towards the substrate; and a susceptor into which a portion of the lift is inserted, and which is configured to linearly move the substrate. A temperature of the lift is variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jung-Sik Lee, Myung-Su Heo, Seok-Won Jung
  • Patent number: 9646643
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a magnetic recording medium sequentially forms a magnetic recording layer, a protection layer, and a lubricant layer on a stacked body. The lubricant layer is formed on a surface of the protection layer by vapor-phase lubrication without exposing the stacked body to atmosphere after forming the protection layer on the stacked body. Nitrogen atoms or oxygen atoms are injected onto the surface of the protection layer after forming the protection layer and before forming the lubricant layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventor: Ichiro Ota
  • Patent number: 9617189
    Abstract: An apparatus for materials processing utilizing a rotating magnetic field comprises a platform for supporting a specimen, and a plurality of magnets underlying the platform. The plurality of magnets are configured for rotation about an axis of rotation intersecting the platform. A heat source is disposed above the platform for heating the specimen during the rotation of the plurality of magnets. A method for materials processing utilizing a rotating magnetic field comprises providing a specimen on a platform overlying a plurality of magnets; rotating the plurality of magnets about an axis of rotation intersecting the platform, thereby applying a rotating magnetic field to the specimen; and, while rotating the plurality of magnets, heating the specimen to a desired temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Govindarajan Muralidharan, Joseph A. Angelini, Bart L. Murphy, John B. Wilgen
  • Patent number: 9580802
    Abstract: A film formation method performs a supply cycle of sequentially supplying two kinds of reactive gases inside a vacuum container to form a thin film on the substrate. The method includes placing the substrate, including a depressed portion formed thereon, on a table, then adjusting a temperature of the substrate to a temperature at which a first reactive gas is adsorbed and condensed, then supplying the first reactive gas and thereby depositing a condensed substance of the first reactive gas on the substrate, then rotating the table, then partly vaporizing the condensed substance by supplying a heated gas to the substrate; and then supplying a second reactive gas in an activated state to the substrate and thereby causing the second reactive gas to react with the condensed substance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kato, Kohichi Orito
  • Patent number: 9559296
    Abstract: A method for providing a magnetic junction usable in a magnetic device and the magnetic junction are described. The method includes providing a free layer, a pinned layer and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the free layer and the pinned layer. The free layer is switchable between a plurality of stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic junction. At least one of the step of providing the free layer includes a first plurality of steps and the step of providing the pinned layer includes a second plurality of steps. The first and second plurality of steps include depositing a portion of a layer, depositing a sacrificial layer, annealing the portion of the magnetic junction under the sacrificial layer, and depositing a remaining portion of the layer. The layer may be the free layer, the pinned layer, or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dustin William Erickson, Xueti Tang, Jangeun Lee
  • Patent number: 9556516
    Abstract: A method for forming a Ti-containing film on a substrate by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) using tetrakis(dimethylamino)titanium (TDMAT) or tetrakis(diethylamino)titanium (TDEAT), includes: introducing TDMAT and/or TDEAT in a pulse to a reaction space where a substrate is placed; continuously introducing a NH3-free reactant gas to the reaction space; applying RF power in a pulse to the reaction space wherein the pulse of TDMAT and/or TDEAT and the pulse of RF power do not overlap; and repeating the above steps to deposit a Ti-containing film on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V
    Inventors: Noboru Takamure, Tatsuhiro Okabe