Patents Examined by Nadine G. Norton
  • Patent number: 11319508
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a cleaning composition for removing an oxide including an acid selected from an organic acid, an inorganic acid, and a combination thereof; a salt selected from an organic salt, an inorganic salt, and a combination thereof; a surfactant; and water, and a method of cleaning using the cleaning composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sungsoon Im, Kyuhwan Hwang, Inho Kong, Changsub Kim, Hotae Kim, Jaehwan Jin, Donguk Hwang
  • Patent number: 11241714
    Abstract: The present invention addresses the problem of providing a flame treatment device which is capable of performing a flame treatment on a metal-based base material without requiring a preheat treatment. For the purpose of solving the above-described problem, a flame treatment device according to the present invention comprises: a first temperature measurement unit which measures the temperature of a metal-based base material before a flame treatment; a control unit which determines the combustion energy of flame on the basis of the temperature before a flame treatment, said temperature having been measured by the first temperature measurement unit, so that the surface temperature of the metal-based base material during the flame treatment is 56° C. or higher; and a flame treatment unit which performs a flame treatment on the metal-based base material on the basis of the combustion energy, which has been determined by the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaki Satou, Seiju Suzuki, Shuichi Sugita
  • Patent number: 11241721
    Abstract: Systems and methods for cleaning vehicle sensors are disclosed that optimize sensor cleaning fluid usage. An exemplary vehicle sensor cleaning system includes a sensor cleaning fluid delivery system that delivers sensor cleaning fluid to a sensor of a vehicle and a sensor cleaning control system in communication with the sensor cleaning fluid delivery system. The sensor cleaning control system determines a target cleanliness level for the sensor based on sensor cleaning data associated with the sensor. The target cleanliness level is less than a maximum cleanliness level indicating indicates a contaminate-free sensor. The sensor cleaning control system further monitors a cleanliness level of the sensor and initiates a sensor cleaning operation when the cleanliness level of the sensor is less than an operational cleanliness threshold, such that the sensor cleaning fluid delivery system delivers sensor cleaning fluid to the sensor to clean the sensor to the target cleanliness level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Chase Violetta
  • Patent number: 11225044
    Abstract: A method for forming a porous copper composite is provided. At least two carbon nanostructure reinforced copper composite substrates are provided. The at least two carbon nanostructure reinforced copper composite substrates are stacked to form a composite substrate. An active metal layer is disposed on a surface of the composite substrate to form a first a composite structure. The first composite structure is pressed to form a second composite structure. The second composite structure is annealed to form a third composite structure. The third composite structure is de-alloyed to form a porous copper composite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignees: Tsinghua University, HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuan-Feng Liu, Ze-Cheng Hou, Lu Chen, Lin Zhu, Wen-Zhen Li
  • Patent number: 11220752
    Abstract: A process for surface treatment of semi-finished aluminum products is provided. The process includes preparing an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and dissolved metallic aluminum, kept in suspension by adding complexing agents including gluconate and sorbitol, and placing a semi-finished aluminum product in contact with the aqueous solution, maintaining temperature of the aqueous solution within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Inventor: Claudio Marenco
  • Patent number: 11211241
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes a processing liquid supplying step of supplying a processing liquid to a patterned surface of a substrate having the patterned surface with projections and recesses, a processing film forming step of solidifying or curing the processing liquid supplied to the patterned surface to form, so as to follow the projections and the recesses of the patterned surface, a processing film which holds a removal object present on the patterned surface and a removing step of supplying a peeling liquid to the patterned surface to peel the processing film from the patterned surface together with the removal object, thereby removing the processing film from the substrate, while such a state is kept that the removal object is held by the processing film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Inventors: Yukifumi Yoshida, Manabu Okutani, Shuichi Yasuda, Yasunori Kanematsu, Dai Ueda, Song Zhang, Tatsuro Nagahara, Takafumi Kinuta
  • Patent number: 11201067
    Abstract: A substrate processing method including a vapor atmosphere filling step in which a vapor atmosphere which contains vapor of a low surface tension liquid whose lower surface tension than a processing liquid is filled around a liquid film of the processing liquid, a thin film region forming step in which, in parallel with the vapor atmosphere filling step, a substrate is rotated at a predetermined thin film region forming speed, to partially remove the processing liquid, thereby forming a thin film region on the liquid film of the processing liquid, a thin film region expanding step in which, in parallel with the vapor atmosphere filling step, the thin film region is expanded to an outer circumference of the substrate, and a thin film removing step in which the thin film is removed from the upper surface after the thin film region expanding step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Inventor: Masayuki Otsuji
  • Patent number: 11198265
    Abstract: A method for structured coating of a surface of a substrate. The surface includes spaced optical elements and at least partially metallic elements provided adjacent the optical elements. After the application of the method, the optical elements should be completely covered with the coating, whereas at least some of the metallic elements should not be coated on the major part of their surface. The method includes: a) providing the substrate with the spaced optical elements and metallic elements; b) applying a sacrificial material to at least some of the metallic elements to form sacrificial spots; c) coating the surface of the substrate with a layer system; and d) detaching the sacrificial spots from the substrate, wherein the regions of the layer system on the sacrificial spots are also detached from the substrate. The application of the sacrificial material is carried out at least partially by jetting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: OPTICS BALZERS AG
    Inventors: Tobias Geldhauser, Olga Kurapova
  • Patent number: 11198161
    Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning the inside of a monocrystal pulling apparatus includes a main tube part that is capable of being inserted into a pull chamber and a wire cleaning mechanism that is provided at an upper portion of the main tube part and is configured to clean a pulling wire to be inserted into the main tube part. The main tube part includes a continuous extension mechanism that adds together and joins a plurality of joint tube parts in an axial direction and allows the plurality of joint tube parts to be sealed and connected to each other. Accordingly, the cleaning device is configured to efficiently clean the wire by preventing powdery dust from adhering thereto again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kenji Okita
  • Patent number: 11192136
    Abstract: To provide a powder resin coating method and powder resin coating device which can maintain a powder surface as flat irrespective of changes in the average particle size of powder resin. A powder resin coating device (1) includes a powder fluidizing bed (2) storing powder resin, a vibration mechanism (5) connected to the powder fluidizing bed (2), and a control device (8) controlling the frequency of the vibration mechanism (5). The control device (8) includes an average particle size estimation unit (82) that estimates the average particle size of powder resin stored within the powder fluidizing bed (2); an optimum frequency determination unit (83) that determines an optimum frequency for causing the powder surface to flatten based on the average particle size estimated by the average particle size estimation unit (82); and a frequency control unit (84) causing the vibration mechanism (5) to vibrate at the determined optimum frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kunieda, Kenji Miyanaga, Junji Nakajima, Hiroomi Shimizu, Hirokazu Akiyoshi
  • Patent number: 11189498
    Abstract: There is provided a method of etching a silicon-containing film formed on a substrate, the method including: etching the silicon-containing film by using both a first fluorine-containing gas and a second fluorine-containing gas, the first fluorine-containing gas including at least an F2 gas and the second fluorine-containing gas including at least a ClF3 gas, an IF7 gas, an IF5 gas or an SF6 gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takehiko Orii, Yasuo Asada, Jun Lin, Ayano Hagiwara, Shinji Irie, Kenji Tanouchi, Kakeru Wada
  • Patent number: 11180678
    Abstract: Present invention provides Chemical Mechanical Planarization Polishing (CMP) compositions for Shallow Trench Isolation (STI) applications. The CMP compositions contain ceria coated inorganic oxide particles as abrasives, such as ceria-coated silica particles; chemical additive selected from the group consisting of an organic acetylene molecule containing an acetylene bond and at least two or multi ethoxylate functional groups with terminal hydroxyl groups, an organic molecule with at least two or multi hydroxyl functional groups in the same molecule, and combinations thereof; water soluble solvent; and optionally biocide and pH adjuster; wherein the composition has a pH of 2 to 12, preferably 3 to 10, and more preferably 4 to 9.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: VERSUM MATERIALS US, LLC
    Inventors: Xiaobo Shi, Krishna P. Murella, Joseph D. Rose, Hongjun Zhou, Mark Leonard O'Neill
  • Patent number: 11177125
    Abstract: A method for cleaning a semiconductor wafer, including: inserting a semiconductor wafer into a hydrofluoric acid tank filled with hydrofluoric acid to immerse the semiconductor wafer in the hydrofluoric acid; pulling out the semiconductor wafer from the hydrofluoric acid tank; and then inserting the semiconductor wafer into an ozone water tank filled with ozone water to immerse the semiconductor wafer in the ozone water for cleaning. The semiconductor wafer is inserted into the ozone water tank at a rate of 20000 mm/min or more at least after a lower end of the semiconductor wafer comes into contact with the ozone water until the semiconductor wafer is completely immersed in the ozone water. A method for cleaning a semiconductor wafer which can prevent and remove contaminant from re-adhering in a method in which a semiconductor wafer is cleaned by immersion in hydrofluoric acid and then cleaned by immersion in ozone water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU HANDOTAI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kensaku Igarashi, Tatsuo Abe
  • Patent number: 11149201
    Abstract: Provided is a silicon nitride layer etching composition, and more specifically, a silicon nitride layer etching composition including two different silicon-based compounds in an etching composition to be capable of selectively etching a silicon nitride layer relative to a silicon oxide layer with a remarkable etch selectivity ratio and providing remarkable effects of suppressing generation of precipitates and reducing the abnormal growth of other layers existing in the vicinity, including the silicon oxide layer when the silicon nitride layer etching composition is used for an etching process and a semiconductor manufacturing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: ENF TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dong Hyun Kim, Hyeon Woo Park, Du Won Lee, Jang Woo Cho, Myung Ho Lee, Myung Geun Song
  • Patent number: 11118140
    Abstract: Solid rinse aid compositions, methods of use, and methods of making said composition are disclosed. Rinse aid is provided by a solidification agent, a sheeting agent, a defoamer component, and a polyacrylic acid homopolymer or alkali metal salt thereof forming a solid compositions. Preferred solidification agents include aromatic sulfonates. Preferred sheeting agents include one or more alcohol ethyoxylates. Preferred defoamer components include a polymer compound including one or more ethylene oxide groups. The solid rinse aid compositions are preferably substantially free of sulfate and sulfate-containing compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: ECOLAB USA INC.
    Inventors: Carter M. Silvernail, Erik C. Olson
  • Patent number: 11103898
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for effectively cleaning vias, trenches or recessed areas on a substrate using an ultra/mega sonic device, comprising: applying liquid into a space between a substrate and an ultra/mega sonic device; setting an ultra/mega sonic power supply at frequency f1 and power P1 to drive said ultra/mega sonic device; after the ratio of total bubbles volume to volume inside vias, trenches or recessed areas on the substrate increasing to a first set value, setting said ultra/mega sonic power supply at frequency f2 and power P2 to drive said ultra/mega sonic device; after the ratio of total bubbles volume to volume inside the vias, trenches or recessed areas reducing to a second set value, setting said ultra/mega sonic power supply at frequency f1 and power P1 again; repeating above steps till the substrate being cleaned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: ACM Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Hui Wang, Xi Wang, Fuping Chen, Fufa Chen, Jian Wang, Xiaoyan Zhang, Yinuo Jin, Zhaowei Jia, Jun Wang, Xuejun Li
  • Patent number: 11097668
    Abstract: A device for cleaning a camera lens (6), by means of a cleaning head, comprises a fixed cleaning head and a camera that is made mobile by means of drive means (10), the head being accommodated in a structural element (2) of the vehicle. The drive means are suitable for generating a relative movement of the camera in relation to the cleaning head, between a passive image capture position in which the camera is disposed accommodated in said structural element of the vehicle facing the cleaning head, and an active position in which the camera is deployed at a distance from the structural element of the vehicle to allow image capture. The device is particularly effective when applied to the cleaning of a reversing camera implanted in motor vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Valeo Systèmes d'Essuyage
    Inventor: Marcel Trebouet
  • Patent number: 11097036
    Abstract: A declogging assembly (20) is configured for use with a suction conduit (10). The suction conduit has a head (14) at a first end (15) and a vacuum tube connection (16) at a second end (17). The assembly includes a body (30). The body defines a first aperture (32), a second aperture (34), and a third aperture (36). The assembly also includes a plug (40) disposed within the body (30). The plug has a surface (42) configured to contact the head (14) of the suction conduit (10) so as to move the plug from a first position, in which the first aperture (32) is in fluid communication with the second aperture (34), to a second position, in which the first aperture (32) is in fluid communication with the third aperture (36). The assembly (20) also includes a biasing member (50) configured to bias the plug into the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: MUSC FOUNDATION FOR RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT
    Inventors: Stephen P. Kalhorn, Mark E. Semler
  • Patent number: 11094524
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes a substrate holding step of horizontally holding a substrate, a liquid film forming step of supplying a processing liquid onto the upper surface of the substrate to form a liquid film of the processing liquid covering the upper surface of the substrate, a liquid film-removed region-forming step of partially eliminating the processing liquid from the liquid film of the processing liquid to form a liquid film-removed region in the liquid film of the processing liquid, a liquid film-removed region enlarging step of enlarging the liquid film-removed region toward the outer periphery of the substrate, and a hydrogen fluoride atmosphere-holding step of keeping the ambient atmosphere at the boundary between the liquid film-removed region and the liquid film of the processing liquid as an atmosphere of hydrogen fluoride-containing vapor, in parallel with the liquid film-removed region enlarging step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Inventor: Masayuki Otsuji
  • Patent number: 11094565
    Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate treating method of performing drying treatment on a pattern-formed surface of a substrate, the substrate treating method comprising: a supplying step of supplying a substrate treating liquid containing a plastic crystalline material in a molten state to the pattern-formed surface of the substrate; a plastic crystalline layer forming step of bringing, on the pattern-formed surface, the plastic crystalline material into a state of a plastic crystal so as to form a plastic crystalline layer; and a removing step of changing the plastic crystalline material in the state of the plastic crystal into a gas state without an intermediate phase of liquid so as to remove the plastic crystalline material from the pattern-formed surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Inventors: Yuta Sasaki, Yosuke Hanawa