Patents Examined by Patrick S Ott
  • Patent number: 12644174
    Abstract: A sputtering target assembly comprises a tungsten containing sputtering target, a titanium containing backing plate attached to the tungsten containing sputtering target and an interlayer positioned between and diffusion bonding the tungsten containing sputtering target and the titanium containing backing plate. The interlayer includes a nickel layer immediately adjacent to the tungsten containing sputtering target and a copper layer immediately adjacent to the nickel layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2026
    Assignee: Solstice Advanced Materials US, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaodan Wu, Susan D. Strothers, Rashmi Mohanty, Wayne Meyer
  • Patent number: 12637754
    Abstract: The oxide film preparation method includes placing a wafer in a reaction chamber, introducing a first mixed gas of a bombardment gas and an oxidization gas into the reaction chamber, applying DC power and radio frequency (RF) power to the target, exciting the first mixed gas to form a plasma to bombard the target to form an oxide film on the wafer, stopping applying the DC power and the RF power on the target, introducing a second mixed gas of the bombardment gas, the oxidization gas, and nitrogen into the reaction chamber, applying the RF power to the base, exciting the second mixed gas to form the plasma to bombard the oxide film to form an oxynitride film, continuing to introduce the second mixed gas, exciting the second mixed gas to form the plasma to bombard the target and the oxynitride film to form an oxynitride film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2026
    Assignee: BEIJING NAURA MICROELECTRONICS EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jianheng Luo
  • Patent number: 12630430
    Abstract: Methods for producing layered nanocarbon structures placing a workpiece in a working chamber, applying a vacuum to the chamber, processing the workpiece surface with gas ions, applying a material sublayer to the workpiece surface, depositing carbon ions from a carbon plasma on the workpiece surface to apply an amorphous diamond-like sp3 carbon coating layer on the workpiece surface. The methods include irradiating the growing carbon coating with accelerated ions of an inert gas at a first energy range to apply a graphite sp2 carbon coating layer on the sp3 carbon coating layer and irradiating the growing carbon coating with accelerated ions of the inert gas at a second energy range, different from the first energy range, to apply a linear chain and polymer sp1 carbon coating layer on the sp2 carbon coating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: Lion Alternative Energy PLC
    Inventor: Kostas Liapis
  • Patent number: 12630916
    Abstract: Provided are methods of reducing the stress of a semiconductor wafer. The method includes exposing depositing an aluminum layer on a top surface of a substrate; and cooling the substrate to a temperature of less than or equal to 20° C., or less than or equal to 10° C., or less than or equal to 0° C., or less than or equal to ?20° C. In some embodiments, the method is conducted within a processing tool, e.g., a cluster tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yaoying Zhong, Haomin Xu, Siew Kit Hoi, Jay Min Soh, Xiao Tan, Li Ying Choo
  • Patent number: 12620552
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for micromachining a biological sample for creating a lamella for analysis in a Cryo-Charged Particle Microscope (Cryo-CPM). The method comprising the steps of providing a biological sample on a sample carrier; Locating a sample area on the sample carrier, said sample area comprising a region of interest having biological material from which a lamella can be created; and Micromachining at least part of the biological sample so as to remove material in a part of the sample area surrounding the region of interest, in order to increase a visual contrast between the biological material in the region of interest and its surroundings. With the increased visual contrast a location for a potential lamella can be identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2026
    Assignee: FEI Company
    Inventors: Matej Dolník, Veronika Vrbovská, Radim Kříž, Jakub Kuba, Tilman Franke
  • Patent number: 12609288
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to target plates for sputtering a material to form a layer of material on a substrate. In some embodiments, a target plate is made up of two or more discrete sections and/or has at least one recess to help reduce or avoid hotspots created by a rotating plasma ring created during sputtering. The present disclosure also relates to methods of actively heating and/or cooling different regions of a heat-sink backing plate while sputtering material to reduce or avoid hotspots created by a rotating plasma ring created during sputtering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2026
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Florin Zavaliche, Robin Davies, Thomas Larson Greenberg, Chun Wai Joseph Tong
  • Patent number: 12606904
    Abstract: A film forming apparatus has a process chamber and a processing unit provided in the process chamber and forming adhesive film. The surface of the inner walls of the process chamber is formed of a material having a large getter effect on gas or water (H2O) remaining in the process chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2026
    Assignee: CANON ANELVA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yakushiji, Reiji Sakamoto, Masahiro Shibamoto
  • Patent number: 12595549
    Abstract: An optical filter including at least one of a high refractive index material and a low refractive index material; wherein the optical filter exhibits a reduced angle shift in at least one of a visible, near infrared, and an extreme ultraviolet wavelength is disclosed. A method of depositing a film is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2026
    Assignee: VIAVI SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Georg Ockenfuss, Markus Bilger, Marius Grigonis
  • Patent number: 12597587
    Abstract: Embodiments of process chambers having cooling plate are provided herein. In some embodiments, a process chamber includes: a chamber body defining an interior volume therein, the chamber body having a view port side having an opening configured as a view port, a pump side having a pump port, and a shutter side opposite the view port side, wherein the port view side, the pump side, and the shutter side are all different sides of the chamber body; a first cooling plate coupled to the view port side and having one or more first coolant channels; a second cooling plate coupled to the pump side and having one or more second coolant channels; and a third cooling plate coupled to the shutter side and having one or more third coolant channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2026
    Assignee: Applied Materials Inc.
    Inventors: Dinkesh Huderi Somanna, Dan Deyo, Vishwas Kumar Pandey, Ala Moradian
  • Patent number: 12588448
    Abstract: In a method for preparing a cross section in a substrate, a cut face is created in the substrate with at least one focused ion beam, wherein before and during the creation of the cut face a surface region of the substrate on the edge of the cut face is protected with a hardmask that is made from a doped semiconductor material, provided as a separate part, and positioned on the edge of the cut face with at least one micromanipulator. The method is characterized in that the hardmask is not affixed to the substrate, but instead is held in place with the micromanipulator while the cut face is created. With the method, it is possible to reduce the processing time for creating the cross section and to avoid contamination of the surface by foreign materials in semiconductor manufacturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2026
    Assignee: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventor: Susanne Beuer
  • Patent number: 12584207
    Abstract: A method of depositing an AlN thin film according to an embodiment of the disclosure comprises: a step of forming an insulating layer on a base substrate; and a step of depositing an AlN thin film on the insulating layer through a sputtering process, wherein the step of depositing the AlN thin film is performed through a continuous deposition type, at lower than a CMOS-compatible process temperature and in a state of applying a bias positive voltage to the base substrate such that the AlN thin film has an adjustable deposition thickness. Therefore, an embodiment of the disclosure is advantageous in that an AlN thin film having excellent piezo characteristics can be obtained at a low process temperature compatible with a CMOS process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2026
    Assignee: KOREA ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Sungmin Hong, Hyungman Lee
  • Patent number: 12581926
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided. For example, a method includes sputtering a material from a target in a PVD chamber to form a material layer on a layer comprising a feature of the substrate, the feature having an opening width defined by a first sidewall and a second sidewall, the material layer having a greater lateral thickness at the top surface of the layer than a thickness on the first sidewall or the second sidewall within the feature, depositing additional material on the layer by biasing the layer with an RF bias at a low power, etching the material layer from the layer by biasing the layer with an RF bias at a high-power, and repeatedly alternating between the low power and the high-power at a predetermined frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2026
    Assignee: Applied Materials Inc.
    Inventors: Bencherki Mebarki, Joung Joo Lee, Komal Garde, Kishor Kumar Kalathiparambil, Xianmin Tang, Xiangjin Xie, Rui Li
  • Patent number: 12580161
    Abstract: A hollow cathode system generates a plasma. The system includes an anode device, a power supply for applying an electric current between a cathode tube and the anode device, and at least one gas reservoir for supplying the gas flowing through the cathode tube are used, in which at least two cathode tubes are used that are electrically connected to one another, and in which each cathode tube has a separate actuator with which the amount of gas flowing through the respective cathode tube is set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2026
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Henrik Flaske, Meyer Björn, Mattausch Gösta, Stefan Weiss, Volker Kirchhoff, Burkhard Zimmermann, Rainer Labitzke, Jörg Kubusch
  • Patent number: 12553121
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a gallium nitride film includes the steps of placing a substrate so as to face a target containing nitrogen and gallium in a vacuum chamber, supplying a sputtering gas into the vacuum chamber, supplying a nitrogen radical into the vacuum chamber, generating a plasma of the sputtering gas by application of a voltage to the target, generating a gallium ion by a collision of an ion of the sputtering gas with the target, and stopping the application of the voltage to the target and depositing gallium nitride on the substrate. The gallium nitride is generated by a reaction of the gallium ion with a nitrogen anion which is generated by a reaction of an electron in the vacuum chamber with the nitrogen radical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Assignee: JAPAN DISPLAY INC.
    Inventor: Masanobu Ikeda
  • Patent number: 12553122
    Abstract: A method of LiCoO2 film formation involves depositing a LiCoO2 layer on a substrate. This deposition is conducted by reactive magnetron sputtering of a metal cobalt (Co) target in lithium (Li) vapor onto a substrate in a vacuum chamber. A lithium tank is heated to the lithium melting point and a gas-carrier flow is fed through the heated lithium reservoir which results in the controlled feeding of lithium vapor to a magnetron system via a gas distributor. The gas distributor is connected to a working gas input and a lithium tank input. The regulated supply of lithium vapor is carried out by changing the gas-carrier flow and the lithium vapor is supplied from a heated tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Inventors: Iaroslav Anatolevich Korolenko, Airat Khamitovich Khisamov, Sergei Mikhailovich Nastochkin, Aleksandr Viktorovich Rossokhatyi
  • Patent number: 12553124
    Abstract: A sputter deposition source for depositing a material on a substrate is described. The sputter deposition source includes an array of magnetron sputter cathodes arranged in a row for coating the substrate in a deposition area on a front side of the array. At least one magnetron sputter cathode of the array includes a first rotary target rotatable around a first rotation axis (A1); and a first magnet assembly arranged in the first rotary target and configured to provide a closed plasma racetrack (P) on a surface of the first rotary target that extends along the first rotation axis (A1) on a first side and on a second side of the at least one magnetron sputter cathode. Further described is a magnetron sputter cathode for a sputter deposition source and a method of depositing a material on a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Werner Zilbauer, Andreas Lopp
  • Patent number: 12555744
    Abstract: Provided a plasma process apparatus including a chamber including a plasma processing space, a substrate stage included in the chamber, the substrate stage including a seating surface, a target including deposition particles to be deposited on the substrate, a gas supplier configured to supply gas into the chamber, a plasma generator configured to generate plasma from the gas, the plasma generator configured to deposit the deposition particles on the substrate through the plasma, at least one permanent magnet on the target being rotatable and configured to distribute the plasma on the target through a magnetic field, and a coil assembly on an outer wall of the chamber and assembly including first through third side coils inclined and being configured to generate first through third vectors, respectively, and the coil assembly being configured to generate a magnetic field vector guiding the plasma through a combination of the first through third vectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jaesuk Kim, Sangwook Park, Gukrok Yun, Kyoungwhan Oh
  • Patent number: 12555758
    Abstract: There is provided a film forming method for a film forming apparatus which includes: a processing chamber; a plurality of sputtering targets disposed in the processing chamber; and a plurality of magnets respectively disposed at the plurality of targets. The film forming method comprises: during a sputtering process in which a selected target selected among the plurality of targets is subjected to sputtering, performing a selected-side reciprocating operation in which the magnet disposed at the selected target reciprocates in parallel to an extension direction of the selected target; and at the same time, performing at least one of an unselected-side reciprocating operation in which the magnet disposed at an unselected target that is not subjected to the sputtering among the plurality of targets reciprocates in parallel to an extension direction of the unselected target, and a separating operation in which the magnet is separated from the unselected target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Atsushi Shimada
  • Patent number: 12545991
    Abstract: A coated member of the present invention includes a substrate and a hard coating film that is formed on the surface of the substrate and includes a nitride or carbonitride of a metal element. A content of Al is 65 atom % or more and 85 atom % or less, a content of Cr is 15 atom % or more and 35 atom % or less, and a total content of Al and Cr is 90 atom % or more and 100 atom % or less in a total amount of the metal element and metalloid element contained in the hard coating film, and in an intensity profile obtained from a selected area diffraction pattern of a transmission electron microscope, a crystal plane exhibiting a maximum peak intensity is different between a vicinity of the substrate and a vicinity of the surface, in the vicinity of the substrate, a peak corresponding to a (111) plane or a (200) plane of a face-centered cubic lattice structure exhibits a maximum intensity, and in the vicinity of the surface, a peak intensity corresponding to a (220) plane is 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2026
    Assignees: KOBE STEEL, LTD., MOLDINO Tool Engineering, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Takahashi, Ryosuke Takei, Aya Hino, Tomoya Sasaki
  • Patent number: 12542264
    Abstract: A method for modifying magnetic field distribution in a deposition chamber is disclosed. The method includes the operations of providing a target magnetic field distribution, removing a first plurality of fixed magnets in the deposition chamber, replacing each of the first plurality of fixed magnets with respective ones of a second plurality of magnets, performing at least one of adjusting a position of at least one of the second plurality of the magnets, and adjusting a size of at least one of the second plurality of magnets, adjusting a magnetic flux of at least one of the second plurality of magnets, measuring the magnetic field distribution in the deposition chamber, and comparing the measured magnetic field distribution in the deposition chamber with the target magnetic field distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2026
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ming-Jie He, Shawn Yang, Szu-Hsien Lo, Shuen-Liang Tseng, Wen-Cheng Cheng, Chen-Fang Chung, Chia-Lin Hsueh, Kuo-Pin Chuang