Patents Examined by Richards Bueker
  • Patent number: 7132128
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for vaporizing a solid precursor and transporting the precursor vapor to a process chamber. The film precursor vaporization system is coupled to the process chamber and positioned directly above the substrate. A precursor valve system within the film precursor vaporization system permits closing off the flow of precursor vapor to the process chamber while carrier gas flows through or over the film precursor, and once the carrier gas is saturated with precursor vapor, the precursor valve system is opened to permit the flow of precursor vapor to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Jozef Brcka
  • Patent number: 7125581
    Abstract: An evaporation method and an apparatus thereof are disclosed. The evaporation apparatus comprises a rotator, a heater and a source supplying device. The rotator, which is disposed above the central portion of the substrate, can rotate the substrate. An evaporation source is disposed on the heater, and the evaporation region is a circular region. The heater and the source supplying device are disposed below the substrate, wherein the source supplying device provides the evaporation source on the heater along a supply direction. In order to prevent the location of the evaporation source shifts along the supply direction from affecting the uniformity of deposited film, a circular trace is defined and the heater is disposed below the circular trace so that the supplying direction is parallel to the tangential direction of the circular trace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: RiTdisplay Corporation
    Inventors: Chun-An Chen, Chi-Hsien Tuan
  • Patent number: 7122085
    Abstract: Preferred embodiments of the present invention provides a sublimation system employing guidance structures including certain preferred embodiments having a high surface area support medium onto which a solid source material for vapor reactant is coated. Preferably, a guidance structure is configured to facilitate the repeated saturation of the carrier gas with the solid source for a vapor reactant. Methods of saturating a carrier gas using guidance structures are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: ASM America, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric J. Shero, Michael E. Givens, Ryan Schmidt
  • Patent number: 7118630
    Abstract: Short-wavelength photons are used to ablate material from a low work function target onto a suitable substrate. The short-wavelength photons are at or below visible wavelength. The elemental composition of the deposit is controlled by the composition of the target and the gaseous environment in which the ablation process is performed. The process is carried out in a deposition chamber to which a short-wavelength laser is mounted and which includes a substrate holder which can be rotated, tilted, heated, or cooled. The target material is mounted onto a holder that spins the target during laser ablation. In addition, the deposition chamber is provided with a vacuum pump, an external gas supply with atomizer and radical generator, a gas generator for producing a flow of molecules on the substrate, and a substrate cleaning device, such as an ion gun. The substrate can be rotated and tilted, for example, whereby only the tip of an emitter can be coated with a low work function material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Mehdi Balooch, Long N. Dinh, Wigbert J. Siekhaus
  • Patent number: 7115168
    Abstract: Scanning localized evaporation and deposition of an evaporant on a substrate utilizes a mask assembly comprised of a series of mask elements with openings thereon and spaced apart in a stack. The openings are aligned so as to direct the evaporant therethrough onto the substrate. The mask elements are heated and the stack may include a movable shutter element to block openings in adjacent mask elements. The evaporant streams are usually vertical but some may be oblique to the substrate, and they may be of different materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Optoelectronic Systems
    Inventors: Daniel Harrison Grantham, Thomas Samuel Phely-Bobin, Fotios Papadimitrakopoulos, Faquir C. Jain
  • Patent number: 7077159
    Abstract: An apparatus 115 for processing a substrate 20, comprises an integrated pumping system 155 having a high operating efficiency, small size, and low vibrational and noise levels. The apparatus 115 comprises a chamber, such as a load-lock chamber 110, transfer chamber 115, or process chamber 120. An integrated and local pump 165 is abutting or adjacent to one of the chambers 110, 115, 120 for evacuating gas from the chambers. The pump has an inlet 170 connected to a chamber 110, 115, 120, and an outlet 175 that exhausts the gas to atmospheric pressure. Preferably, the pump 165 comprises a pre-vacuum pump or a low vacuum pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Reimer, Pedram Sabouri, Dennis R. Smith
  • Patent number: 7070658
    Abstract: A vapor deposition apparatus, developed in particular for on-line deposition of phosphor or scintillator material, wherein said vapor deposition apparatus comprises a crucible containing a mixture of raw materials, a chimney having at least one inlet in communication with the said crucible and a linear slot outlet, one or more lineair heating elements, contained within said chimney, an oven surrounding said crucible, wherein said oven contains heating elements, shielding elements and cooling elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Agfa-Gevaert
    Inventors: Verreyken Guido, Bluys Peter, Hendrickx Rudy, Peeters Lucas, Lamotte Johan
  • Patent number: 7063748
    Abstract: Methods of coating core materials by providing target materials and core materials; ablating the target materials to form ablated particulate target materials; and coating the core materials with said ablated particulate target materials; wherein the method is performed at a pressure of about 10 Torr or higher. Methods of coating particles with nanometer to multiple nanometer thick coatings in atmospheric pressure, and using pneumatic fluidization, are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Nanotherapeutics, Inc.
    Inventor: James D. Talton
  • Patent number: 7025832
    Abstract: A deposition source is provided which is installed in a chamber, heated by applied electric power to transfer heat to a vapor deposition material received therein and applying a vaporized deposition material generated therein to a substrate to form deposition organic electroluminescent layers onto the substrate. The deposition source includes a vessel formed of a top plate on which a vapor efflux aperture is formed, a side wall, and a bottom wall; a heating device that supplies heat to the deposition material received in the vessel, the heating device being capable of moving vertically; and a moving device that moves the heating device (or the bottom wall), the moving device (or the bottom wall) being operated in response to the signal of a sensing device on varied distances between the heating device and the surface of said deposition material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Ki Beom Kim, Sang Dae Kim, Yoon Soo Han, Yoon Heung Tak, Seok Joo Kim
  • Patent number: 7005047
    Abstract: A particle film deposition apparatus and method are provided, with which ultra fine particles are generated by arc heating. The generated ultra fine particles can be efficiently sucked up into a transfer tube regardless of an arc voltage, and the resulting film can be stable in shape. An evaporation material 8 to be evaporated by arc heating and to generate ultra fine particles is connected to an electrode. As other electrodes, a plurality of rods 17 each having a discharge section at the tip thereof are provided. These rods 17 are so arranged as to be directed in each different direction with respect to the evaporation material 8.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junri Ishikura, Makoto Kameyama, Yasuyuki Saito
  • Patent number: 7001467
    Abstract: A device and method for depositing a material of interest onto a receiving substrate includes a first laser and a second laser, a receiving substrate, and a target substrate. The target substrate comprises a laser transparent support having a back surface and a front surface. The front surface has a coating that comprises the source material, which is a material that can be transformed into the material of interest. The first laser can be positioned in relation to the target substrate so that a laser beam is directed through the back surface of the target substrate and through the laser-transparent support to strike the coating at a defined location with sufficient energy to remove and lift the source material from the surface of the support. The receiving substrate can be positioned in a spaced relation to the target substrate so that the source material is deposited at a defined location on the receiving substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Alberto Piqué, Raymond Auyeung, James Fitzgerald, Douglas B. Chrisey, Huey-Daw Wu
  • Patent number: 6986814
    Abstract: A gas distributor suitable for introducing a carrier gas at the top of a coating container used to provide a metallic coating on articles. The gas distributor includes a gas inlet and a gas outlet head in communication with the gas inlet for receiving a flow of gas from the gas inlet. A plurality of gas outlets through which the gas flow exits as a gas stream are spaced along the peripheral surface of the gas outlet head. A plurality of gas deflectors, each proximate to one of the gas outlets, at least initially direct the gas stream exiting the gas outlet in at least a generally centripetal path. This gas distributor can be used in vapor coating apparatus having a coating container, at least one holder for each article to be coated positioned within the coating container and below the gas outlet head of the gas distributor and at least one holder for the source of the metallic coating positioned within the coating container and below the gas outlet head of the gas distributor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gary E. Wheat, Terri K. Brown, Richard L. Schmidt, Edward J. Cove
  • Patent number: 6982005
    Abstract: A multiple nozzle thermal evaporation source includes a plurality of nozzles having a tapered shape. The nozzles may comprise a thermally conductive material having a low emissivity material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: University of Delaware
    Inventors: Erten Eser, Gregory M. Hanket
  • Patent number: 6972096
    Abstract: A chemical-mechanical polishing process for planarizing at least one or more of thin films formed on a substrate, wherein the chemical-mechanical polishing is performed using a slurry containing abrasive particles mainly made of sialon or boehmite. This process is advantageous in improvement of a polishing rate without degradation in planarity of the processed surface and in level of metal impurities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Junichi Sato
  • Patent number: 6966952
    Abstract: A deposition apparatus of depositing deposition material on a wafer in a vacuum chamber includes a deposition boat installed in the vacuum chamber to vaporize the deposition material, a wafer guide on which the wafer is loaded, the wafer guide having a rotational member rotating together with the wafer, a wafer-rotation device rotating the rotational member when the wafer guide approaches, and a wafer-transfer device reciprocating the wafer guide between an inlet of the vacuum chamber, the deposition boat and the wafer-rotation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young-eal Kim, Sang-jun Choi, Dong-joon Ma
  • Patent number: 6966951
    Abstract: An apparatus of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes a chamber having an outlet, a susceptor in the chamber to hold a substrate thereon, a source material container supplying the chamber with a source material, a liquid mass flow controller connected to the source material container, a plurality of vaporizers connected to the liquid mass flow controller, a plurality of source gas injectors, each of which is connected to each vaporizer and one end of each of which projects into the chamber, a reactive gas container supplying the chamber with a reactive gas, and a plurality of reactive gas injectors connected to the reactive gas container, one end of each of which projects into the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Jusung Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kyung-Sik Shim
  • Patent number: 6960368
    Abstract: With the deposited-film forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the tubular barrel and the evaporating section can be varied, unlike the prior art deposited-film forming apparatus and hence, the efficient formation of the deposited film on the surface of each of the work pieces accommodated in the tubular barrel and the inhibition of the softening of the formed film can be achieved simultaneously. Therefore, it is possible to inhibit the damaging of the deposited film formed on the surface of each of the work pieces and the production of projections on the deposited film, and to form a deposited film at a high quality in respect of a corrosion resistance and the like and at low cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Neomax Co., LTD
    Inventors: Takeshi Nishiuchi, Ikuo Shimamoto, Fumiaki Kikui, Yoshimi Tochishita, Kazumitsu Sato
  • Patent number: 6946034
    Abstract: An electron beam physical vapor deposition (EBPVD) apparatus for producing a coating material (e.g., a ceramic thermal barrier coating) on an article. The EBPVD apparatus generally includes a coating chamber that is operable at elevated temperatures and subatmospheric pressures. An electron beam gun projects an electron beam into the coating chamber through an aperture in a wall of the chamber and onto a coating material within a coating region defined within the chamber, causing the coating material to melt and evaporate. An article is supported within the coating chamber so that vapors of the coating material deposit on the article. The operation of the EBPVD apparatus is enhanced by the inclusion within the coating chamber of a second chamber that encloses the aperture so as to separate the aperture from the coating region. The second chamber is maintained at a pressure lower than the coating region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert William Bruce, Antonio Frank Maricocchi, Christopher Lee Lagemann, John Douglas Evans, Sr., Keith Humphries Betscher, Rudolfo Viguie, David Vincent Rigney, David John Wortman, William Seth Willen
  • Patent number: 6928750
    Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for supplying a gas-liquid vapor to a process tank for performing semiconductor manufacturing. In one aspect, the invention is a method of supplying a gas-liquid vapor to a process tank comprising: supplying a gas stream through at least one hydrophobic tube; exposing the outside surface of the hydrophobic tube to a liquid so that a vapor of the liquid permeates the hydrophobic tube and enters the gas stream, forming a gas-liquid vapor inside the tube; and transporting the gas-liquid vapor to the process tank. In another aspect, the invention is an apparatus for supplying a gas-liquid vapor to a process tank comprising: at least one hydrophobic tube adapted to carry a gas; and a housing forming a chamber that surrounds the tube, the chamber adapted to receive a liquid that can permeate the tube, forming a gas-liquid vapor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Akrion, LLC
    Inventors: Ismail Kashkoush, Richard Novak, Larry Myland
  • Patent number: 6923867
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device can supply the vapor of the raw material to the substrate without fail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignees: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc., Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoshi Taniyama, Kouji Tometsuka, Shusaku Yanagawa