Patents Examined by Patrick S Ott
  • Patent number: 12774517
    Abstract: A sputtering target assembly comprises a tungsten containing sputtering target, a copper alloy backing plate attached to the tungsten containing sputtering target, and an interlayer positioned between and diffusion bonding the tungsten containing sputtering target and copper alloy backing plate. The tungsten containing sputtering target comprises 0 wt. % to about 50 wt. % of an alloying component and the balance is tungsten. The alloying component is titanium, aluminum or molybdenum. A method of making is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2026
    Assignee: Solstice Advanced Materials US, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaodan Wu, Susan D. Strothers, Rashmi Mohanty, Wayne Meyer
  • Patent number: 12774516
    Abstract: Disclosed are an electromagnetic wave shielding material, and a method of preparing the same, which includes a base material, and a Zn—NiCr shielding layer coated on a surface of the base material, thereby blocking electromagnetic waves coming from the outside to prevent malfunction of electronic components, and blocking electromagnetic waves generated in electronic components and radiating to the outside to minimize harmfulness to a human body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2026
    Assignee: Hyundai Kefico Corporation
    Inventor: Sung Chul Cha
  • Patent number: 12770823
    Abstract: Ablating a material from a material unit and arranging the material on an object in a particle beam apparatus includes feeding a particle beam with charged particles onto the material. The material is arranged on the material unit and/or the material unit is formed from the material. The material is ablatable from the material unit. The material is arranged on the material unit at a distance from the object. Ablating a material from a material unit and arranging the material on an object in a particle beam apparatus also includes ablating the ablatable material arranged on the material unit from the material unit using the particle beam, and arranging the ablated material on the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2026
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy, GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Doemer, Michele Nicoletti, Andreas Schmaunz
  • Patent number: 12768030
    Abstract: A method (480, 580) of depositing layers of a thin-film transistor on a substrate using a sputter deposition source comprising at least one first pair of electrodes and at least one second pair of electrodes, the method comprising moving (482, 582) the substrate to a first vacuum chamber; depositing (484, 584) a first layer of the layers on the substrate by supplying the at least one first pair of electrodes with bipolar pulsed DC voltage, wherein a first material of the first layer comprises a first metal oxide; moving (486, 586) the substrate from the first vacuum chamber to a second vacuum chamber without a vacuum break; and depositing (488, 588) a second layer of the layers on the first layer by supplying the at least one second pair of electrodes with bipolar pulsed DC voltage, wherein a second material of the second layer comprises a second metal oxide, the second material being different from the first material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2026
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yun-chu Tsai, Dong Kil Yim, Rodney Shunleong Lim, Jürgen Grillmayer, Jung Bae Kim, Marcus Bender
  • Patent number: 12768031
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device to for applying a layer 64 to a body 60, 62, and to a coated body 60. The body 60, 62 is disposed in a vacuum chamber 12 and process gas is supplied. A plasma is generated in the vacuum chamber 12 by operating a cathode 30 by applying a cathode voltage VP with cathode pulses and by sputtering a target 32. A bias voltage VB is applied to the body 60, 62 so that charge carriers of the plasma are accelerated into the direction of the body 60, 62 and attached to its surface. In order to achieve favorable properties of the coating 64 in a controlled way, the time course of the bias voltage VB is varied during the coating duration D. In the coating 64 of the body 60, 62, the material of the layer 64 comprises proportions of a noble gas, the concentration of which in the layer 64 varies over the layer thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2026
    Assignee: CemeCon AG
    Inventors: Werner Kölker, Stephan Bolz, Oliver Lemmer
  • Patent number: 12763289
    Abstract: A substrate processing method capable of performing a stable plasma process includes: supplying a source gas under a first plasma atmosphere using a substrate processing apparatus including a power generation unit, a first reactor, and a matching network between the power generation unit and the first reactor; purging the source gas; supplying a reaction gas under a second plasma atmosphere; and purging the reaction gas, wherein setting a variable capacitor included in the matching network to a first value is performed during the purging of the source gas, and setting the variable capacitor to a second value is performed during the purging of the reaction gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2026
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Doohan Kim, YongGyu Han, KiChul Um, DaeYoun Kim
  • Patent number: 12760407
    Abstract: A substrate stage holding a substrate to be treated in a vacuum chamber in which a target made of tungsten is mounted and a high-frequency power source supplying a high-frequency electric power to the substrate stage are provided. When a first plasma atmosphere is generated in the vacuum chamber, and sputtered particles generated by sputtering the target are adhered and accumulated on the substrate so that a tungsten film is deposited, a second plasma atmosphere is generated by supplying the high-frequency electric power to the substrate stage, and plus ions in the first plasma atmosphere are also caused to collide with the substrate. Provided that an area of a substrate holding surface of the substrate stage functioning as one electrode and an inner-surface area of the vacuum chamber functioning as the other electrode of the second plasma atmosphere are defined as an anode area and a cathode area, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2025
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2026
    Assignee: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventor: Yutaka Nakamitsu
  • Patent number: 12753489
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a coating module for a coating system as well as to a method for replacing a coating target in a coating module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2026
    Assignee: SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Ralf Heiland, Andreas Ruppel, Stefan Kempf
  • Patent number: 12753520
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for fabricating a membrane-electrode assembly for PEM water electrolysis, whereby the electrode layer can be improved in electrical conductivity. Specifically, a membrane-electrode assembly for PEM water electrolysis, comprising: a polymer electrolyte membrane; an anode disposed on one surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane and containing an anode catalyst; a cathode disposed on another surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane and containing a cathode catalyst; and a platinum layer disposed on the anode, and a fabrication method therefor are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2026
    Assignee: KOREA INSTITUTE OF ENERGY RESEARCH
    Inventors: Sang Kyung Kim, Won Chul Cho, Hyun Seok Cho, Min Joong Kim, Chang Soo Lee, Jae Hun Lee, Se Chan Lee
  • Patent number: 12747493
    Abstract: A magnetron sputtering apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a chamber accommodating sputter gas and providing an internal space in which a workpiece is arranged, an ion source unit including a sputtering target providing a deposition material to the workpiece by an electric field formed in the internal space and a magnet arranged at one side of the sputtering target to form a magnetic field, a power supply unit providing power to the ion source unit, and a cooling unit including a cooling device provided outside the chamber and a cold head directly connecting the cooling device to the ion source unit in the internal space, wherein the cold head includes metal, and does not require the introduction of refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2026
    Assignee: DAEGU GYEONGBUK INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: June Seo Kim, Joon Woo Kim
  • Patent number: 12747491
    Abstract: A magnetron sputtering system including a substrate to be coated and a magnetron sputtering device including at least one rotatable tubular cathode, a mask positioned between the cathode and the substrate and at least one magnet. The magnet is tiltably supported inside the tubular cathode. The system further includes a controller, wherein the controller is configured to control a tilt of the at least one magnet and/or a tilt of the at least one rotatable tubular cathode with respect to the substrate to be coated for tuning coating uniformity on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2026
    Assignee: Bühler Alzenau GmbH
    Inventors: Jens-Peter Biethan, Martin Stapp, Harro Hagedorn
  • Patent number: 12738468
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a magnetic assembly includes: an inner permeance annulus; and an outer permeance annulus connected to the inner permeance annulus via magnets, wherein the outer permeance annulus comprises a peak region with a thickness greater than other regions of the outer permeance annulus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2024
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2026
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsung-Jen Yang, Yi-Zhen Chen, Chih-Pin Wang, Chao-Li Shih, Ching-Hou Su, Cheng-Yi Huang
  • Patent number: 12731772
    Abstract: Provided is a plasma measuring method for measuring a plasma state using a probe device disposed at a plasma processing apparatus and a measuring circuit including a signal transmitter that outputs an AC voltage, the method comprising: measuring a first current in the measuring circuit when the AC voltage is outputted from the signal transmitter to the probe device in a state where plasma is not generated in the plasma processing apparatus and a second current in a state where plasma is generated in the plasma processing apparatus; measuring a phase difference between a current flowing through the plasma and the AC voltage by vector calculation using the measured first and second currents; and adjusting the AC voltage such that a voltage applied to the plasma becomes constant based on the phase difference and measuring a plasma state based on the measured current flowing through the plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2024
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2026
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Mitsutoshi Ashida
  • Patent number: 12723303
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a substrate processing system includes a chamber port assembly configured to connect between respective first and second chambers of a substrate processing system. The chamber port assembly includes a body with openings disposed on opposing sides of the body and a tunnel extending between the openings to facilitate passage of a substrate between the first and second chambers through the tunnel; an inlet port in the body; a manifold in fluid communication with the inlet port and having an outlet in fluid communication with the tunnel; and a sensor port in the body in communication with the tunnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2024
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2026
    Assignee: Applied Materials Inc.
    Inventors: Ralph P. Antonio, Daisuke Tanaka, Peter Lai, Kaushik Rao, Sudhir R. Gondhalekar, Paul Emerick
  • Patent number: 12723300
    Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to design a novel coating material applied to the surface of industrial rollers used in the manufacturing process of secondary batteries and to provide a method for forming the coating material. In accordance with this objective, the present invention provides a roller surface coating material composed of Ni—Co—Cr—Si—N, utilizing a high-entropy alloy target containing Ni—Co—Cr—Si.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2024
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2026
    Assignee: INNOTION TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jeong Ki Hong, In Ki Hong, Myoung Ki Hong, Min Seok Park
  • Patent number: 12697658
    Abstract: A Me-B based alloy spherical powder for use in a sputtering target including a metal powder selected from the group consisting of: Mo, W, Ta, Nb, Hf and Ti; a BN powder; and optionally a binary or ternary compound powder, as well as W/B sputter targets, alloys, and barrier/seed films made by such targets. A combined diffusion barrier layer is provided by sputter coating of a W/B sputter target either directly or by reactive sputtering with nitrogen wherein the B content of the alloy is about 0.5 wt %-10 wt %. The oxygen content of the alloy target is about 50 ppm or less. Preferably, the alloy is 99.995% pure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2026
    Assignee: Tosoh SMD, Inc.
    Inventors: Eugene Y. Ivanov, Eduardo del Rio
  • Patent number: 12671013
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a superconducting wire includes forming a buffer layer on the substrate, the buffer layer including an Al2O3 layer, the Al2O3 layer being formed by reactive magnetron sputtering in which first oxygen gas as reactant gas and a sputtering target made of aluminium metal are used, the Al2O3 layer being formed while being supplied the first oxygen gas at a first concentration, the first concentration being a concentration of the first oxygen gas at which an emission intensity of Al in plasma near a surface of the sputtering target is not less than 25% and not more than 80% of a first reference value, the first reference value being the emission intensity of Al at which the concentration of the first oxygen gas is zero; and forming a superconducting layer above the buffer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2026
    Assignee: FARADAY FACTORY JAPAN LLC
    Inventors: Valery Petrykin, Sergey Li
  • Patent number: 12671066
    Abstract: A plasma processing chamber has an upper window with a coil disposed above the upper window. A coil connection enclosure is disposed above the coil. A metrology enclosure is disposed above the coil connection enclosure. A spectral reflectometry system is disposed within the metrology enclosure. The spectral reflectometry system includes an optical collimator positioned to direct a beam of light through an opening in the metrology enclosure, an opening in the coil connection enclosure, and the upper window into the plasma processing chamber. The optical collimator is also configured to receive reflected light from within the plasma processing chamber, where the reflected light passes through the upper window and through the opening in the coil connection enclosure and through the opening in the metrology enclosure. A tip angle and a tilt angle of the optical collimator are remotely adjusted to optimize an orientation of the optical collimator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2026
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Miller Paterson, Daniel Guzman, William T. Hart, Cristian Siladie, Michael John Martin, Yuhou Wang, Michael Drymon, John Drewery, Eduardo Castanos-Martinez, Jorge Luque
  • Patent number: 12662729
    Abstract: The present invention is a composite film manufacturing method in which a sputtering device is used and a gas of a substance with which can be prepared a mixed gas of a target of a solid substance in a standard state (a temperature of 25° C. and pressure of 100 KPa) (A) and a sputtering gas (B) is used. The method includes: (1) a step for attaching the target (A) to a target installation jig of the sputtering device; (2) a step for reducing the pressure inside a sputtering chamber of the sputtering device to a prescribed first pressure; (3) a step for introducing the mixed gas of the sputtering gas and the gas (B) into the sputtering chamber of the sputtering device such that the inside of the sputtering chamber reaches a second prescribed pressure (greater than or equal to the first prescribed pressure); and (4) a step for applying electric power to the target (A) and using sputtering to form a composite film on the surface of a base material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2026
    Assignee: RIKEN TECHNOS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei Nakashima, Taketo Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 12658410
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a base plate, an upper plate on the base plate, a DC power supply configured to supply power to the upper plate, and a controller interconnecting the upper plate and the DC power supply. The upper plate includes a first electrode, and a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode. The controller includes a first controller interconnecting the first electrode and the DC power supply, and a second controller interconnecting the second electrode and the DC power supply. The DC power supply is configured to apply a first voltage to the first electrode via the first controller, and configured to apply a second voltage to the second electrode via the second controller. The first voltage and the second voltage are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yunhwan Kim, Dougyong Sung, Byeongsang Kim, Youngjin Noh, Namkyun Kim