Patents Examined by Nadine G. Norton
  • Patent number: 11090701
    Abstract: The invention relates to apparatuses, machines, systems and methods for periodically washing and/or disinfecting the interior of individual containers having a polygonal base (e.g., rectangular), such as bins of the type used for the used for agricultural commodity collection, storage, and transport (agricultural bins), as well as other types of bins and containers. The systems of the present invention may be operable to automatically and thoroughly clean the interior of such bins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: PACKLINE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Lorin Reed, Jim Moshier
  • Patent number: 11081361
    Abstract: Provided is a plasma etching method comprising supplying both hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) gas and argon (Ar) gas to a plasma chamber receiving an etching target therein, thereby to plasma-etch the etching target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: AJOU UNIVERSITY INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Chang-Koo Kim, Jun-Hyun Kim, Jin-Su Park
  • Patent number: 11066575
    Abstract: Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) compositions, systems and methods of using the compositions for polishing tungsten or tungsten-containing substrates. The compositions comprise nano-sized abrasive; metal compound coated organic polymer particles as solid state catalyst; oxidizer; tungsten corrosion inhibitor; and a water based liquid carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Versum Materials US, LLC
    Inventors: Xiaobo Shi, Hongjun Zhou, James Allen Schlueter, Jo-Ann T. Schwartz
  • Patent number: 11066328
    Abstract: A low reflectivity coating (20) is formed of a layer of carbon nanostructures (20) over a contact surface (14) of a substrate (10), from a spray incorporating the carbon nanostructures in suspension in a solvent. The carbon nanostructure layer provides a very low reflectivity coating which may be further enhanced by etching the outer surface of the coating. The layer may be etched for reduced reflectivity. Very low reflectivity coatings have been achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: SURREY NANOSYSTEMS LIMITED
    Inventor: Ben Poul Jensen
  • Patent number: 11056349
    Abstract: There is provided a method of fabricating a semiconductor device by performing a process on a substrate, which includes: forming a masking film made of a polymer having a urea bond by supplying polymerizing raw materials to a surface of the substrate on which an etching target film formed; forming an etching pattern on the masking film; subsequently, etching the etching target film with a processing gas using the etching pattern; and subsequently, removing the masking film by heating the substrate to depolymerize the polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Koichi Yatsuda, Takashi Hayakawa, Hiroshi Okuno, Reiji Niino, Hiroyuki Hashimoto, Tatsuya Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11056370
    Abstract: A method according to an embodiment includes: (a) a first step of etching a workpiece held by a holding structure in a state in which a first direction and a second direction are maintained to form a first angle, by a plasma generated in a processing container; and (a) a second step of, after execution of the first step, etching the workpiece held by the holding structure in a state in which the first direction and the second direction are maintained to form a second angle, by the plasma generated in the processing container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shuhei Ogawa, Keigo Toyoda, Yoshihide Kihara
  • Patent number: 11053440
    Abstract: Compositions useful for the selective removal of silicon nitride materials relative to polysilicon, silicon oxide materials and/or silicide materials from a microelectronic device having same thereon are provided. The compositions of the invention are particularly useful in the etching of 3D NAND structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: ENTEGRIS, INC.
    Inventors: Steven M. Bilodeau, SeongJin Hong, Hsing-Chen Wu, Min-Chieh Yang, Emanuel I. Cooper
  • Patent number: 11043151
    Abstract: The invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing composition comprising (a) an abrasive selected from the group consisting of alumina, ceria, titania, zirconia, and combinations thereof, wherein the abrasive is surface-coated with a copolymer comprising a combination of sulfonic acid monomeric units and carboxylic acid monomeric units a combination of sulfonic acid monomeric units and phosphonic acid monomeric units, (b) an oxidizing agent, and (c) water, wherein the polishing composition has a pH of about 2 to about 5. The invention further provides a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate with the inventive chemical-mechanical polishing composition. Typically, the substrate comprises tungsten or cobalt and silicon oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: CMC Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Ji Cui, Helin Huang, Kevin P. Dockery, Pankaj K. Singh, Hung-Tsung Huang, Chih-Hsien Chien
  • Patent number: 11033164
    Abstract: A stick vacuum cleaner has a floor cleaning configuration and a hand vac portion useable in an above floor cleaning configuration, wherein in the above floor cleaning configuration, the hand vac portion is self-powered by a capacitor. The stick vacuum cleaner is operable to continuously clean a household by rapidly charging the capacitor when the stick vacuum cleaner is in the floor cleaning configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
    Inventor: Wayne Ernest Conrad
  • Patent number: 11031245
    Abstract: Thin tin oxide films are used as spacers in semiconductor device manufacturing. In one implementation, thin tin oxide film is conformally deposited onto a semiconductor substrate having an exposed layer of a first material (e.g., silicon oxide or silicon nitride) and a plurality of protruding features comprising a second material (e.g., silicon or carbon). For example, 10-100 nm thick tin oxide layer can be deposited using atomic layer deposition. Next, tin oxide film is removed from horizontal surfaces, without being completely removed from the sidewalls of the protruding features. Next, the material of protruding features is etched away, leaving tin oxide spacers on the substrate. This is followed by etching the unprotected portions of the first material, without removal of the spacers. Next, underlying layer is etched, and spacers are removed. Tin-containing particles can be removed from processing chambers by converting them to volatile tin hydride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Lan Research Corporation
    Inventors: David Charles Smith, Richard Wise, Arpan Mahorowala, Patrick A. Van Cleemput, Bart J. van Schravendijk
  • Patent number: 11024514
    Abstract: There is provided an etching method including: loading a substrate having a recess and an etching target portion existing on an inner surface of the recess into a processing container, the etching target portion being made of SiN or Si; preferentially modifying a surface of the etching target portion at a top portion of the recess by performing an oxygen-containing plasma process on the substrate inside the processing container; and subsequently, dry-etching the etching target portion in an isotropic manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takuya Abe, Hidenori Miyoshi, Akitaka Shimizu, Koichi Nagakura
  • Patent number: 11014129
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods for cleaning a Protein A chromatography column employing a media comprising a Protein A ligand derived from the C domain of Staphylococcus aureus, such that the column can be cleaned using both acidic and alkaline solutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: EMD Millipore Corporation
    Inventors: Nanying Bian, Sapna Mehtani, John Dana Hubbard
  • Patent number: 10994705
    Abstract: A vehicle washing installation includes at least one side washing brush which is mounted on a crossbar of the vehicle washing installation by a suspension to be rotatable about first and second pivot axes. The suspension has a first actuator for pivoting the side washing brush about the first pivot axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: WashTec Holding GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Auer, Christoph Hobmeier, David Stecher
  • Patent number: 10971372
    Abstract: A method for the dry removal of a material on a microelectronic workpiece is described. The method includes receiving a workpiece having a surface exposing a target layer composed of silicon and either (1) organic material or (2) both oxygen and nitrogen, and selectively removing at least a portion of the target layer from the workpiece. The selective removal includes exposing the surface of the workpiece to a chemical environment containing N, H, and F at a first setpoint temperature to chemically alter a surface region of the target layer, and then, elevating the temperature of the workpiece to a second setpoint temperature to remove the chemically treated surface region of the target layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Subhadeep Kal, Nihar Mohanty, Angelique D. Raley, Aelan Mosden, Scott W. Lefevre
  • Patent number: 10964529
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for cleaning a lanthanum gallium silicate wafer which comprises the following steps: at a step of 1, a cleaning solution constituted of phosphorous acid, hydrogen peroxide and deionized water is utilized to clean the lanthanum gallium silicate wafer with a megahertz sound wave; at a step of 2, the cleaned lanthanum gallium silicate wafer is rinsed and dried by spinning; at a step of 3, a cleaning solution constituted of ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and deionized water is utilized to clean the lanthanum gallium silicate wafer with the megahertz sound wave; at a step of 4, the cleaned lanthanum gallium silicate wafer is rinsed and dried by spinning; and at a step of 5, the rinsed and dried wafer is placed in an oven to be baked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Inventors: Dongmei Li, Lei Zhou, Shengfa Liang, Xiaojing Li, Hao Zhang, Changqing Xie, Ming Liu
  • Patent number: 10964558
    Abstract: A low surface tension liquid supply unit supplies a low surface tension liquid onto the upper surface of a substrate to form a liquid film of the low surface tension liquid on the substrate. An opening is formed in a central region of the liquid film of an organic solvent. The liquid film is removed from the upper surface of the substrate by expanding the opening. While a low surface tension liquid is supplied from the low surface tension liquid supply unit, to the liquid film, toward a liquid landing point set outside the opening, the liquid landing point is moved so as to follow the expansion of the opening. While an facing surface of a drying head faces a dry region set inside the opening to form a low-humidity space between the facing surface and the dry region, with the low-humidity space having a humidity lower than that outside the space, the dry region and the facing surface are moved so as to follow the expansion of the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Inventor: Koji Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 10957554
    Abstract: Disclosed is a dry etching method for etching a metal film on a substrate with the use of an etching gas, wherein the etching gas contains a ?-diketone and first and second additive gases; wherein the metal film contains a metal element capable of forming a complex with the ?-diketone; wherein the first additive gas is at least one kind of gas selected from the group consisting of NO, NO2, O2 and O3; wherein the second additive gas is at least one kind of gas selected from the group consisting of H2O and H2O2; wherein the amount of the ?-diketone contained is 10 vol % to 90 vol % relative to the etching gas; and wherein the amount of the second additive gas contained is 0.1 vol % to 15 vol % relative to the etching gas. The etching rate of the metal film is increased by this etching method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Central Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Kunihiro Yamauchi, Takashi Masuda, Akifumi Yao
  • Patent number: 10954411
    Abstract: An acid chemical mechanical polishing composition polishes silicon nitride over silicon dioxide and simultaneously inhibits damage to the silicon dioxide. The acid chemical mechanical polishing composition includes polyvinylpyrrolidone polymers, anionic functional colloidal silica abrasive particles and an amine carboxylic acid. The pH of the acid chemical mechanical polishing composition is 5 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials CMP Holdings
    Inventors: Naresh Kumar Penta, Kwadwo E. Tettey, Matthew Van Hanehem
  • Patent number: 10941342
    Abstract: An etchant composition may include: a peroxosulfate; a cyclic amine compound; a first amphoteric compound including a carboxyl group; and a second amphoteric compound including a sulfone group, wherein the second amphoteric compound may be different from the first amphoteric compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bong Kyun Kim, Jin Suek Kim, Seung Bo Shim, Shin Hyuk Choi, Seung Hee Kim, Dong Hee Lee, In Seol Kuk, Beom Soo Kim, Sang Tae Kim, Young Chul Park, Young Jin Yoon, Dae Sung Lim
  • Patent number: 10923356
    Abstract: A method for the dry removal of a material on a microelectronic workpiece is described. The method includes receiving a substrate having a working surface exposing a silicon-germanium alloy and at least one other material, the silicon-germanium alloy represented as SixGe1-x, wherein x is a real number ranging from 0 to 1; and selectively etching the silicon-germanium alloy relative to the other material by exposing the substrate to a controlled gas-phase environment containing an anhydrous halogen compound, such as a diatomic halogen or an interhalogen compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Subhadeep Kal, Masashi Matsumoto, Daisuke Ito, Yusuke Muraki, Aelan Mosden