Patents Examined by Patrick S Ott
  • Patent number: 11377727
    Abstract: A method for preparing a bactericidal film on fiber cloth, comprising cleansing a reel of fiber cloth; placing the reel of fiber cloth into a vacuum chamber; supplying a DC power and a mid-frequency power; introducing argon gas to increase the chamber pressure to 0.3 Pa; position sputtering targets in the following order: silicon target, silicon carbide target, silver target, silicon carbide target, silver target, silicon carbide target and silver target, and then sputtering the targets simultaneously; wherein the silicon targets act as a bonding layer between the bactericidal film and the substrate; stopping the silicon targets, the silicon carbide targets and the silver targets first, and then turning off the argon gas; injecting air into the chamber until the pressure in the chamber and the atmospheric pressure are balanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Inventor: Fook Chi Mak
  • Patent number: 11381212
    Abstract: Bulk acoustic wave resonator structures include a bulk layer with inclined c-axis hexagonal crystal structure piezoelectric material supported by a substrate. The bulk layer may be prepared without first depositing a seed layer on the substrate. The bulk material layer has a c-axis tilt of about 32 degrees or greater. The bulk material layer may exhibit a ratio of shear coupling to longitudinal coupling of 1.25 or greater during excitation. A method for preparing a crystalline bulk layer having a c-axis tilt includes depositing a bulk material layer directly onto a substrate at an off-normal incidence. The deposition conditions may include a pressure of less than 5 mTorr and a deposition angle of about 35 degrees to about 85 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: Derya Deniz, Robert Kraft, John Belsick
  • Patent number: 11346895
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a magnetic sensor includes: a soft magnetic material layer deposition process depositing a soft magnetic material layer (101) constituting a sensitive part (21) sensing a magnetic field on a substrate (10) by magnetron sputtering; and a sensitive part formation process forming the sensitive part (21) sensing the magnetic field in a portion of the soft magnetic material layer (101) where uniaxial magnetic anisotropy is provided by a magnetic field used for magnetron sputtering of the soft magnetic material layer (101).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventor: Daizo Endo
  • Patent number: 11345989
    Abstract: A device (1) for coating a substrate (4) with nanometric sized particles, wherein the device comprises: a plurality of aerodynamic lenses able to product a jet (3) of nanometric sized particles, each of the aerodynamic lenses having a longitudinal axis, the aerodynamic lenses being arranged so that the various longitudinal axes are parallel and oriented in a first direction (X) defining the direction of propagation of the jet and in the form of at least two columns (9, 10) offset from each other in a second direction (Y) orthogonal to the first direction, where the first and the second column each comprise at least one of the aerodynamic lenses, the at least one of the aerodynamic lenses of the first column also being offset relative to the at least one of the aerodynamic lenses of the second column in a third direction (Z) that is both orthogonal to the first direction and to the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Olivier Sublemontier, Youri Rousseau, Christian Petit, Christophe Muller, Alain Billard, Pascal Briois, Frédéric Perry, Jean-Paul Gaston
  • Patent number: 11339468
    Abstract: A magnetron sputtering scanning method for manufacturing a silicon carbide optical reflector surface modification layer and improving surface profile includes (1) for a silicon carbide plane mirror to be modified, first utilizing diamond micro-powders to grind and roughly polish an aspherical silicon carbide reflector with a conventional polishing or CCOS numerical control machining method; (2) after the surface profile precision of the silicon carbide reflector satisfies a modification requirement, utilizing a strip-shaped magnetron sputtering source to deposit a compact silicon modification layer on the surface of the silicon carbide reflector; (3) then, utilizing a circular sputtering source to modify and improve the surface profile of the reflector; and (4) finally, finely polishing the modification layer, and achieving the requirements for machining the surface profile and roughness of the reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: NANJING INSTITUTE OF ASTRONOMICAL OPTICS & TECHNOLOGY, NATIONAL ASTORNOMICAL OBSERVATORIES, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
    Inventors: Jinfeng Wang, Meng Huang, Jie Tian, Yeru Wang
  • Patent number: 11339466
    Abstract: Embodiments of a process shield for use in a process chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, a process shield for use in a process chamber includes a body having a cylindrical shape, wherein the body includes an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having an outer lip and the lower portion extending downward and radially inward from the upper portion, wherein the outer lip includes a plurality of openings to accommodate fasteners, a plurality of alignment slots extending radially inward from an outer surface of the outer lip, and a notched lower peripheral edge, and wherein a lower surface of the outer lip includes a plurality of grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Ilya Lavitsky, Keith A Miller, Goichi Yoshidome
  • Patent number: 11328913
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to improve uniformity of film deposition by a plasma-based sputtering device. Provided is a sputtering device 100 for depositing a film on a substrate W through sputtering of targets T by using plasma P, said sputtering device being provided with a vacuum chamber 2 which can be evacuated to a vacuum and into which a gas is to be introduced; a substrate holding part 3 for holding the substrate W inside the vacuum chamber 2; target holding parts 4 for holding the targets T inside the vacuum chamber 2; multiple antennas 5 which are arranged along a surface of the substrate W held by the substrate holding part 3 and generate plasma P; and a reciprocal scanning mechanism 14 for scanning back and forth the substrate holding part 3 along the arrangement direction X of the multiple antennas 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: NISSIN ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeaki Kishida, Daisuke Matsuo
  • Patent number: 11315771
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. A method, for example, includes igniting a plasma at a first pressure within a processing volume of a process chamber; depositing sputter material from a target disposed within the processing volume while decreasing the first pressure to a second pressure within a first time frame while maintaining the plasma; continuing to deposit sputter material from the target while decreasing the second pressure to a third pressure within a second time frame less than the first time frame while maintaining the plasma; and continuing to deposit sputter material from the target while maintaining the third pressure for a third time frame that is greater than or equal to the second time frame while maintaining the plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Xiangjin Xie, Fuhong Zhang, Shirish A. Pethe, Martin Lee Riker, Lewis Yuan Tse Lo, Lanlan Zhong, Xianmin Tang, Paul Dennis Connors
  • Patent number: 11313031
    Abstract: Provided is a technique of forming an aluminum film that has high flatness and less cavities. Step S11 is forming a first film having a thickness that is equal to or greater than 0.1 ?m and less than 1 ?m, by sputtering a material onto a substrate. Step S12 is reflowing the first film by heating the first film. Step S13 is forming a second film by sputtering the material onto the first film that has been reflowed. Step S14 is reflowing the second film by heating the second film. Step S15 is forming a third film by sputtering the material onto the second film that has been reflowed. Step S16 is reflowing the third film by heating the third film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Yuji Tokura
  • Patent number: 11293092
    Abstract: A stage device includes a stage configured to hold a target substrate in a vacuum chamber, a chiller having a cold head maintained at an extremely low temperature and a cold heat transfer body fixed in contact with the cold head and disposed below a bottom surface of the stage with a gap between the stage and the cold heat transfer body. The stage device further includes a heat insulating structure unit having a vacuum insulated structure and configured to surround at least the cold head and a connection portion between the cold head and the cold heat transfer body, cooling fluid supplied to the gap to transfer cold heat of the cold heat transfer body to the stage, and a stage support rotated by a driving mechanism and configured to rotatably support the stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Manabu Nakagawasai, Naoyuki Suzuki, Shinji Orimoto
  • Patent number: 11286554
    Abstract: The sputtering apparatus has a vacuum chamber in which is disposed a target. While rotating a circular substrate at a predetermined rotational speed with a center of the substrate, the target is sputtered to form the thin film on the surface. The sputtering apparatus has: a stage for rotatably holding the substrate in a state in which the center of the substrate is offset by a predetermined distance to radially one side from the center of the target; and a shielding plate disposed between the target and the substrate on the stage. The shielding plate has an opening part allowing to pass sputtered particles scattered out of the target as a result of sputtering the target. The opening part has a contour in which, with a central region of the substrate serving as an origin, the area of the opening part gradually increases from the origin toward radially outward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Katsuaki Nakano, Kanji Yaginuma
  • Patent number: 11289305
    Abstract: A deposition method of arranging a discharge portion of a striker near a target to induce arc discharge and forming a film on a substrate using a plasma generated by the arc discharge is disclosed. The method includes a changing step of changing a position for inducing the arc discharge by the striker in a region set in the target, a deposition step of forming the film on the substrate using the plasma generated by inducing the arc discharge at the position, and a reduction step of reducing the region in accordance with use of the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: CANON ANELVA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yakushiji, Yuzuru Miura, Masahiro Shibamoto
  • Patent number: 11289314
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to improve uniformity of film deposition by a plasma-based sputtering device. Provided is a sputtering device 100 for depositing a film on a substrate W through sputtering of targets T by using plasma P, said sputtering device being provided with a vacuum chamber 2 which can be evacuated to a vacuum and into which a gas is to be introduced; a substrate holding part 3 for holding the substrate W inside the vacuum chamber 2; target holding parts 4 for holding the targets T inside the vacuum chamber 2; multiple antennas 5 which are arranged along a surface of the substrate W held by the substrate holding part 3 and generate plasma P; and a reciprocal scanning mechanism 14 for scanning back and forth the substrate holding part 3 along the arrangement direction X of the multiple antennas 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: NISSIN ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeaki Kishida, Daisuke Matsuo
  • Patent number: 11282682
    Abstract: A magnetron drive mechanism is provided. The magnetron drive mechanism includes: a driving assembly, a rotating assembly, a transmission assembly, and a limiting assembly. The driving assembly is configured to drive the rotating assembly and the transmission assembly to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise around a first rotation axis. The rotating assembly is connected to a magnetron, and through the transmission assembly, the driving assembly drives the rotating assembly and the magnetron to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise around a second rotation axis. The second rotation axis and the first rotation axis are parallel with each other. The limiting assembly is configured to block the rotating assembly from rotating clockwise or counterclockwise, respectively, to confine the magnetron to positions at different radii of the first rotation axis. The present disclosure also provides a magnetron assembly and a reaction chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: BEIJING NAURA MICROELECTRONICS EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Qing She, Jingfeng Wei, Mengxin Zhao, Jue Hou
  • Patent number: 11274363
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method in which a selection is made for a first major constituent, a second major constituent and a minor constituent for forming a desired material. The method can include mixing the first major constituent, the second major constituent and the minor constituent in a single mixing step to provide a mixture of constituents. The method can include drying the mixture of constituents to provide a dried mixture of constituents and calcining the dried mixture of constituents to provide a calcinated mixture of constituents. The method can include processing the calcinated mixture of constituents (by a process including vacuum annealing and hot-pressing) to provide a sputtering target. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Marina Zelner, Andrew Vladimir Claude Cervin
  • Patent number: 11270872
    Abstract: Cathode structures are disclosed for use with pulsed cathodic arc deposition systems for forming diamond-like carbon (DLC) films on devices, such as on the sliders of hard disk drives. In illustrative examples, a base layer composed of an electrically- and thermally-conducting material is provided between the ceramic substrate of the cathode and a graphitic paint outer coating, where the base layer is a silver-filled coating that adheres to the ceramic rod and the graphitic paint. The base layer is provided, in some examples, to achieve and maintain a relatively low resistance (and hence a relatively high conductivity) within the cathode structure during pulsed arc deposition to avoid issues that can result from a loss of conductivity within the graphitic paint over time as deposition proceeds. Examples of suitable base material compounds are described herein where, e.g., the base layer can withstand temperatures of 1700° F. (927° C.).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Cherngye Hwang, Reimar Azupardo, Randall Simmons, Mary Agnes Gupit Perez
  • Patent number: 11268187
    Abstract: Disclosed are a porous aluminum macroscopic body, a fabrication system, and a method therefor, where the porous aluminum macroscopic body is a three-dimensional full-through-hole structure formed by connecting hollow aluminum wires, and the wall thickness of the hollow aluminum wires is 7-100 micrometers. The fabrication system comprises a magnetron sputtering subsystem, a high-temperature aluminum vapor subsystem, a low-temperature aluminum deposition subsystem, an aluminum vapor recovery subsystem, and a porous polymer film conveying subsystem. A preparation method therefor comprises first utilizing a magnetron sputtering method to rapidly sputter on a porous polymer film to form an aluminum layer that has a thickness of 1-500 nm, and then continuing to deposit the aluminum layer to a thickness of 7-100 micrometers while decomposing the polymer film in-situ so as to obtain the porous aluminum macroscopic body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignees: JIANGSU ZHONGTIAN TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., ZHONGTIAN SUPERCAPACITOR TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., Tsinghua University
    Inventors: Wei-Zhong Qian, Ji-Ping Xue, Zhou-Fei Yang, Wei-Ren You, Ying Jin, Sun-Wang Gu
  • Patent number: 11255014
    Abstract: An apparatus for depositing a metal film on a surface of a three-dimensional object, includes a mounting drum rotatably disposed inside a chamber and having a circumferential surface onto which a plurality of three-dimensional objects is settled and mounted making each surface thereof to be subjected to deposition be exposed to an outside; and at least one source target depositing a metal film onto the surface of the three-dimensional object mounted to the mounting drum by sputtering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: TETOS Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kun Ho Song
  • Patent number: 11242596
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a film-forming device belongs to the field of film forming technology comprising: a film-forming chamber configured to form a film on a substrate disposed inside the film-forming chamber; a transfer assembly configured to transport a shielding plate into the film-forming chamber along a conveying path, move the shielding plate to a first position, and remove the shielding plate from the film-forming chamber along the conveying path; and a cleaning assembly disposed at the conveying path outside the film-forming chamber for cleaning the shielding plate removed from the film-forming chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignees: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD., HEFEI XINSHENG OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Guangfei Chen, Dagang Liu, Feng Liu
  • Patent number: 11239064
    Abstract: A magnet unit for a magnetron sputtering apparatus is disposed above the target has: a yoke made of magnetic material and is disposed to lie opposite to the target; and plural pieces of magnets disposed on a lower surface of the yoke, wherein a leakage magnetic field in which a line passing through a position where the vertical component of the magnetic field becomes zero is closed in an endless manner, is caused to locally act on such a lower space of the target as is positioned between the center of the target and a periphery thereof, the magnet unit being driven for rotation about the center of the target. In a predetermined position of the yoke there is formed a recessed groove in a circumferentially elongated manner along an imaginary circle with the center of the target serving as a center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Fujii, Shinya Nakamura