Patents Examined by Patrick S Ott
  • Patent number: 12354856
    Abstract: There is provided a film forming apparatus comprising a processing chamber including a processing chamber main body and a lid, a stage, a target, and a shield. The shield has a chamber shield fixed to the processing chamber main body and a target shield fixed to the lid. The chamber shield has a cylindrical sidewall and a horizontal wall formed at a radially outer side of the cylindrical sidewall. The target shield has a cylindrical portion extending toward the stage. A diameter of an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion is smaller than a diameter of an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical sidewall, and the cylindrical portion and the cylindrical sidewall form a double pipe structure in which the cylindrical portion and the cylindrical sidewall overlap at least partially in a height direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2025
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Junichi Takei
  • Patent number: 12338526
    Abstract: A deposition apparatus, which forms a film on a substrate, includes a rotation unit configured to rotate a target about a rotating axis; a striker configured to generate an arc discharge; a driving unit configured to drive the striker so as to make a close state which the striker closes to a side surface around the rotating axis of the target to generate the arc discharge; and a control unit configured to control rotation of the target by the rotation unit so as to change a facing position on the side surface of the target facing the striker in the close state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: Canon Anelva Corporation
    Inventor: Masahiro Atsumi
  • Patent number: 12338524
    Abstract: An article including a durable, optically transparent, and superhydrophobic coating is described. In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an article comprising a substrate, and disposed adjacent the substrate, a layer comprising graphitic carbon, diamond-like carbon, and aerogel. In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for preparing a coated substrate, comprising providing a carbon layer disposed on a substrate and having a textured surface; and disposing aerogel adjacent to at least a portion of the textured surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: John T. Simpson, Bryce Remesch
  • Patent number: 12331392
    Abstract: A deposition system is provided capable of cleaning itself by removing a target material deposited on a surface of a collimator. The deposition system in accordance with the present disclosure includes a substrate process chamber. The deposition includes a substrate pedestal in the substrate process chamber, the substrate pedestal configured to support a substrate, a target enclosing the substrate process chamber, and a collimator having a plurality of hollow structures disposed between the target and the substrate, a vibration generating unit, and cleaning gas outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wen-Hao Cheng, Hsuan-Chih Chu, Yen-Yu Chen
  • Patent number: 12327715
    Abstract: A magnetic shield reduces external noise in a chamber including a target and at least one electromagnet for copper physical vapor deposition (PVD). The shield may have a thickness in a range from approximately 0.1 mm to approximately 10 mm to provide sufficient protection from radio frequency and other electromagnetic signals. As a result, copper atoms in the chamber undergo less re-direction from external noise. Additionally, even when hardware failure occurs during PVD (e.g., an electromagnet malfunctions, a wafer stage is not level, and/or a flow optimizer induces too much shift, among other examples), the copper atoms are less susceptible to small re-directions from external noise. As a result, back end of line (BEOL) and/or middle end of line (MEOL) conductive structures are formed in a more uniform manner, which increases conductivity and improves lifetime of an electronic device including the BEOL and/or MEOL conductive structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2025
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chia-Hung Tsai, Chin-Szu Lee, Szu-Hua Wu, Jui-Hung Ho, Chi-Hung Liao, Yu-Jen Chien
  • Patent number: 12312674
    Abstract: A sputtering target according to the present invention contains Co and Pt as metal components, wherein a molar ratio of a content of Pt to a content of Co is from 5/100 to 45/100, and wherein the sputtering target contains Nb2O5 as a metal oxide component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: JX Advanced Metals Corporation
    Inventors: Masayoshi Shimizu, Yasuyuki Iwabuchi, Manami Masuda
  • Patent number: 12315707
    Abstract: A mounting table structure includes a mounting table on which a substrate is mounted, a refrigerating mechanism configured to cool the substrate, an elevating drive part configured to move the mounting table or the refrigerating mechanism up and down, and at least one contact provided at a position between the refrigerating mechanism and the mounting table which face each other. The refrigerating mechanism and the mounting table are allowed to be brought into contact with each other via the contact by moving the mounting table or the refrigerating mechanism up and down by the elevating drive part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Motoi Yamagata, Hiroshi Sone, Masato Shinada
  • Patent number: 12297527
    Abstract: A method for preparing a p-type gallium oxide film is provided. An MxGa1-xN target material is subjected to ablating, sputtering or evaporation in a vacuum chamber via physical vapor deposition to obtain MxGa1-xN clusters, where M is selected from the group consisting of Al, Sc, In, Y and Lu, and 0<x<1. The MxGa1-xN clusters are oxidized by O2 to obtain M-N co-doped p-type gallium oxide film on a substrate. The MxGa1-xN target material is prepared from MN powder and GaN powder through ball milling, pressing and sintering. A p-type gallium oxide film prepared by the method, and its application in the manufacturing of solar-blind ultraviolet detection devices and high-power electronic devices are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2025
    Assignee: Hubei University
    Inventors: Yunbin He, Zhouyang Luo, Daotian Shi, Yinmei Lu, Mingkai Li, Jian Chen, Lufeng Chen
  • Patent number: 12291772
    Abstract: A low-friction long-life ultra-lattice composite coating as well as a preparation method and use thereof are provided. The ultra-lattice composite coating includes a titanium transition layer, a TiNx bearing layer, a TiNx/MoS2 gradient transition layer, a MoS2/Me gradient transition layer and a MoS2/Me ultra-lattice layer which are successively formed on the surface of a matrix; wherein, in a direction gradually far away from the matrix, the content of MoS2 in the TiNx/MoS2 gradient transition layer is increasing, and the content of MoS2 in the MoS2/Me gradient transition layer is decreasing. The ultra-lattice composite coating has excellent mechanical property and tribological performance, with a vacuum friction coefficient being below 0.02 and a friction life exceeding 4×106 revolutions, which can meet the requirements on ultra-low friction and ultra-long service life for aerospace vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: NINGBO INSTITUTE OF MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
    Inventors: Jibin Pu, Yanbin Shi, Haixin Wang
  • Patent number: 12293905
    Abstract: A cathode unit includes first and second magnet units that are driven to rotate around an axis on a side opposed to a sputtering surface of a target. The first magnet unit is configured to cause a first leakage magnetic field to act on a space in front of the sputtering surface including a target center inward. The second magnet unit is configured to cause a second leakage magnetic field to act locally in the space in front of the sputtered surface located between the target center and the outer edge of the target and to enable self-holding discharge under low pressure of plasma confined by the second leakage magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Toshiya Aoyagi, Makoto Arai, Satoru Takasawa
  • Patent number: 12281381
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, a method for processing a substrate comprises supplying pulsed DC power to a target disposed in a processing volume of a processing chamber for depositing sputter material onto a substrate, during a pulse off time, determining if a reverse current is equal to or greater than at least one of a first threshold or a second threshold different from the first threshold, and if the reverse current is equal to or greater than the at least one of the first threshold or second threshold, generate a pulsed DC power shutdown response, and if the reverse current is not equal to or greater than the at least one of the first threshold or second threshold, continue supplying pulsed DC power to the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Sireesh Adimadhyam, Shouyin Zhang
  • Patent number: 12242163
    Abstract: Prior electrochromic devices frequently suffer from high levels of defectivity. The defects may be manifest as pin holes or spots where the electrochromic transition is impaired. This is unacceptable for many applications such as electrochromic architectural glass. Improved electrochromic devices with low defectivity can be fabricated by depositing certain layered components of the electrochromic device in a single integrated deposition system. While these layers are being deposited and/or treated on a substrate, for example a glass window, the substrate never leaves a controlled ambient environment, for example a low pressure controlled atmosphere having very low levels of particles. These layers may be deposited using physical vapor deposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: View, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Kozlowski, Eric W. Kurman, Zhongchun Wang, Mike Scobey, Jeremy A. Dixon, Anshu A Pradhan, Robert T. Rozbicki
  • Patent number: 12243715
    Abstract: An aspect of the invention provides an ion beam sputtering apparatus comprising an ion source configured to generate a hollow ion beam along a beam axis that is located in a hollow part of the beam; and a sputtering target having a target body that defines at least one target surface, the target body comprising sputterable particles, the target body being located relative to the ion source so that the ion beam hits the at least one target surface to sputter particles from the target body towards a surface of an object to be modified. The target body is shaped so that the particles sputtered towards a surface to be modified are generally sputtered from the sputtering target in radially extending sputter directions relative to the beam axis, the sputter directions being one of (i) directions extending towards the beam axis and (ii) directions extending away from the beam axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited
    Inventors: Richard John Futter, Ryan James Davidson, Jerome Leveneur, John Vedamuthu Kennedy
  • Patent number: 12198910
    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: November 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    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: 12112890
    Abstract: Magnet assemblies comprising a housing with a top plate each comprising aligned openings are described. The housing has a bottom ring and an annular wall with a plurality of openings formed in the bottom ring. The top plate is on the housing and has a plurality of openings aligned with the plurality of openings in the bottom ring of the housing. The magnet assembly may also include a non-conducting base plate and/or a conductive cover plate. Methods for using the magnet assembly and magnetic field tuning are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Borui Xia, Anthony Chih-Tung Chan, Shiyu Yue, Wei Lei, Aravind Miyar Kamath, Mukund Sundararajan, Rongjun Wang, Adolph Miller Allen
  • Patent number: 12094698
    Abstract: A method includes loading a wafer into a sputtering chamber, followed by depositing a film over the wafer by performing a sputtering process in the sputtering chamber. In the sputtering process, a target is bombarded by ions that are applied with a magnetic field using a magnetron. The magnetron includes a magnetic element over the target, an arm assembly connected to the magnetic element, a hinge mechanism connecting the arm assembly and a rotational shaft. The arm assembly includes a first prong and a second prong at opposite sides of the hinge mechanism. The magnetron further includes a controller that controls motion of the first arm assembly, enabling the first prong to revolve in an orbital motion path about the first hinge mechanism while the second prong remains stationary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chia-Hsi Wang, Kun-Che Ho, Yen-Yu Chen
  • Patent number: 12068142
    Abstract: Various embodiments herein relate to carriers for supporting one or more substrate as the substrates are passed through a processing apparatus. In many cases, the substrates are oriented in a vertical manner. The carrier may include a frame and vertical support bars that secure the glass to the frame. The carrier may lack horizontal support bars. The carrier may allow for thermal expansion and contraction of the substrates, without any need to provide precise gaps between adjacent pairs of substrates. The carriers described herein substantially reduce the risk of breaking the processing apparatus and substrates, thereby achieving a more efficient process. Certain embodiments herein relate to methods of loading substrates onto a carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: View, Inc.
    Inventors: Bo Neilan, Michael Potter, Dhairya Shrivastava
  • Patent number: 12043898
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a film formation apparatus and a moisture removing method thereof that can facilitate the removement of moisture in the chamber without the complication of the apparatus are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: SHIBAURA MECHATRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shohei Tanabe, Koji Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 12019025
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for preparing glow discharge sputtering samples for materials microscopic characterization are provided. The apparatus includes a glow discharge sputtering unit, a glow discharge power supply, a gas circuit automatic control unit, a spectrometer, and a computer. The structure of the glow discharge sputtering unit is optimized to be more suitable for sample preparation by simulation. By adding a magnetic field to the glow discharge plasma, uniform sample sputtering is realized within a large size range of the sample surface. The spectrometer monitors multi-element signal in a depth direction of the sample sputtering, so that precise preparation of different layer microstructures is realized. In conjunction with the acquisition of the sample position marks and the precise spatial coordinates (x, y, z) information, the correspondence between the surface space coordinates and the microstructure of the sample is conveniently realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: NCS Testing Technology CO., LTD
    Inventors: Xing Yu, Haizhou Wang, Xuejing Shen, Xiaojia Li, Yifei Zhu, Weihao Wan, Yuhua Lu, Hui Wang, Qun Ren, Yongqing Wang, Zhenzhen Wan
  • Patent number: 12002667
    Abstract: There is provided a sputtering apparatus comprising: a target from which sputtered particles are emitted; a substrate support configured to support a substrate; a substrate moving mechanism configured to move the substrate in one direction; and a shielding member disposed between the target and the substrate support and having an opening through which the sputtered particles pass. The shielding member includes a first shielding member and a second shielding member disposed in a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masato Shinada, Tetsuya Miyashita, Einstein Noel Abarra