Patents Examined by Richards Bueker
  • Patent number: 6540840
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vaporizer constituted of a dispersing section 8 and a vaporizing section 22. The dispersing section 8 comprises a gas introduction port 4 for introducing a carrier gas 3 under pressure into a gas passage, means for feeding raw material solutions 5a and 5b to the gas passage, and a gas outlet 7 for delivering the carrier gas containing the raw material solutions to the vaporizing section 22. The vaporizing section 22 comprises a vaporizing tube 20 having one end connected to a reaction tube of the MOCVD system and having the other end connected to the gas outlet 7 of the dispersing section 8, and heating means for heating the vaporizing tube 20. The vaporizing section 22 serves to heat and vaporize the raw material solution containing carrier gas 3 delivered from the dispersing section 8. The dispersing section 8 includes a dispersing section body 1 having a cylindrical hollow portion, and a rod 10 having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical hollow portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Watanabe Shoko
    Inventors: Masayuki Toda, Masaki Kusuhara, Mikio Doi, Masaru Umeda, Mitsuru Fukagawa, Yoichi Kanno, Osamu Uchisawa, Kohei Yamamoto, Toshikatu Meguro
  • Patent number: 6533868
    Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus for depositing a layer of material on to a workpiece. The apparatus includes chamber 11, a sputter target 12, a wafer support 13, wafer transport aperture 14 and a wafer transport mechanism 15. The last delivers the wafers along a transport path 16. An annular shield 19 is disposed between the support 13 and the target 12 and lies in the wafer transport path 16. Pins 30 are provided to lift the annular shield out of the transport path 16.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: Trikon Holdings Limited
    Inventors: Gordon Robert Green, Robert William Teagle, Anthony William Barrass
  • Patent number: 6530992
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses of forming a film on a substrate including introducing a pretreatment material into a processing chamber sufficient to form a film as a portion of an inner surface of the processing chamber to inhibit outgassing from that portion of the chamber, introducing a substrate into the chamber, and forming a film on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael X. Yang, Henry Ho, Steven A. Chen
  • Patent number: 6511544
    Abstract: A process and system for use during the growth of a thin film upon the surface of a substrate by exposing the substrate surface ti vaporized material in a high vacuum (HV) facility involves the directing of an electron beam generally toward the surface of the substrate as the substrate is exposed to vaporized material so that electrons are diffracted from the substrate surface by the beam and the monitoring of the pattern of electrons diffracted from the substrate surfaces as vaporized material settles upon the substrate surface. When the monitored pattern achieves a condition indicative of the desired condition of the thin film being grown upon the substrate, the exposure of the substrate to the vaporized materials is shut off of otherwise adjusted. To facilitate the adjustment of the crystallographic orientation of the film relative to the electron beam, the system includes a mechanism for altering the orientation of the surface of the substrate relative to the electron beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Rodney A. McKee, Frederick J. Walker
  • Patent number: 6509061
    Abstract: An apparatus for depositing a material by evaporation on a substrate having a large surface. The apparatus includes an enclosure in which are placed a number of material evaporation sources. It also includes a device for channeling or piping of vapors emitted by the sources toward the substrate during evaporation. This is formed by walls or covers which define compartments within the enclosure, each evaporation source being placed in a compartment. The apparatus can also utilize a device for moving the substrate in order to improve the uniformity of the deposit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energe Atomique
    Inventors: Michel Ida, Aimé Perrin, Michel Borel, Raymond Charles
  • Patent number: 6506257
    Abstract: A single-substrate-processing apparatus includes an airtight process chamber in which a worktable is supported by a pedestal. The worktable has a mount face on which a plurality of ventilation grooves are formed. A plurality of ventilation holes and three lifter holes for lifter pins are formed vertically through the worktable. The gap space between the wafer and the mount face communicates with the inner space of the process chamber around the worktable and the wafer, through the ventilation grooves, the ventilation holes, and the lifter holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takahiro Horiguchi, Naofumi Oda, Hiroshi Kaneko
  • Patent number: 6503331
    Abstract: Provided herewith is a chamber for depositing a film on a substrate comprising a process compartment; a purge compartment, a purge ring located on the chamber body to separate the two compartments, a heater, and a shadow ring covering the periphery of the substrate. Alternatively, the chamber may further comprise a shield interconnected with the shadow ring. Still provided is a method for depositing a film of uniformity on a substrate in such a chamber. The method comprises the steps of positioning the substrate in a process compartment; flowing a process gas into the process compartment; flowing a purge gas in a purge compartment; and exhausting the process and purge gas from the chamber, thereby depositing a film of uniformity on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Yudovsky, Lawrence C. Lei, Salvador Umotoy
  • Patent number: 6497767
    Abstract: A thermal processing unit for a single substrate of the invention includes a processing chamber vessel whose inside can be made a predetermined atmosphere of a process gas, and an elevating shaft which can be moved up and down in the processing chamber vessel. A supporting body which can support a substrate is arranged on an upper end of the elevating shaft. The substrate supported by the supporting body is adapted to be heated by a heater. The supporting body has a circular supporting part which can support a substantially full surface of a peripheral area of the substrate, and a pushing-up member which can push up the substrate from on the supporting part for conveying the substrate. According to the invention, concentration of stress onto the substrate can be restrained, and a thermal process can be conducted uniformly within a surface of the substrate because heating from a peripheral area of the substrate may be restrained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Wataru Okase, Yasushi Yagi
  • Patent number: 6488775
    Abstract: A batch-processing type semiconductor-manufacturing device includes a cylindrical reaction chamber with its upper end closed and its bottom end open, a substrate-supporting boat loading multiple substrates, which are inserted within the reaction chamber, and an injector for spraying a reaction gas to the substrates, which injector is provided parallel to the substrate-supporting boat within the reaction chamber. The injector is supported by an injector holder, and both the injector and the injector holder are fitted by a male-female fitting structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Akira Shimizu, Mikio Shimizu
  • Patent number: 6488777
    Abstract: A substrate cassette contains two physically spaced and parallel reels. A relatively long web of flexible substrate material is wound about one reel and the exposed end of the web is connected to the other reel, to thus expose a relatively short length of the substrate material at a deposition-plane that lies between the two reels. A first idler roller is associated with the first reel, a second idler roller is associated with the second reel, and the web is guided by the two idler rollers as the web moves between the two reels. The two idler rollers are mounted at fixed positions in order to accurately establish a fixed-position deposition-plane. The substrate cassette is placed within one or more vacuum deposition chambers, the web is advanced between the two reels, and one or more semiconductor layers are deposited on substantially the entire length of the web. A protective layer is provided as part of the web in order to protect the semiconductor layer(s) when the web is wound unto a take-up reel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Inventors: Arun Madan, Jeffrey Owen Heng
  • Patent number: 6485655
    Abstract: An internal coating on an internal passage wall exposed at a passage opening through an article external surface is protected from removal during repair of the article, including removal of at least a portion of an external coating, by a masking assembly disposed about the passage opening. The masking assembly comprises a masking member and a substantially flexible seal, substantially inert to a coating removal medium for the external coating. The masking member is shaped for disposition about the passage opening across a gap between the external surface and the masking member. The substantially flexible seal is disposed across the gap substantially to seal the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nripendra Nath Das, Stephen Joseph Ferrigno, Jim Dean Reeves, Michael Glenn Gordon
  • Patent number: 6485605
    Abstract: A high temperature process chamber that has improved heat endurance and a method for improving heat endurance of a process chamber are described. In the high temperature process chamber, a heat insulating adapter is connected in-between a lift cylinder and a chamber body in which a plasma ashing process is conducted at 250° C. The heat insulating adapter prevents substantially heat conduction from the chamber body to the lift cylinder such that the cylinder can be safely operated at a temperature lower than 40° C. The present invention method for improving heat endurance of a process chamber can be carried out by connecting a heat insulating adapter between a wafer pedestal and a lift cylinder, conducting a process at a temperature of at least 200° C., and preferably at least 250° C. in the process chamber while maintaining a temperature of the lift cylinder at below 40° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Taiwan SEmiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Huan-Liang Tseng, Hsyun-Ying Chan, Ping-Jen Cheng
  • Patent number: 6477980
    Abstract: A gas inlet manifold for a plasma chamber having a perforated gas distribution plate suspended by flexible side walls. The flexible suspension minimizes mechanical stress due to thermal expansion of the gas distribution plate. In another aspect, the suspension provides thermal isolation between the gas distribution plate and other components of the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: John M. White, Ernst Keller, Wendell T. Blonigan
  • Patent number: 6475284
    Abstract: A semiconductor processing system includes a reactor and a dispersion head within the reactor. During use, process gas is supplied to the dispersion head. The process gas flows through distributors of the dispersion head and into the reactor. The process gas contacts substrates in the reactor thus forming a layer on the substrate. Use of the dispersion head reduces and/or eliminates turbulence and recirculation in the flow of the process gas through the reactor. This results in the formation of layers on the substrates having excellent thickness uniformity. This also allows realization of an abrupt transition between layers formed on the substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Moore Epitaxial, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary M. Moore, Katsuhito Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 6475286
    Abstract: The invention relates to seal means (I, TR) for sealing two substantially flat closing surfaces (9a,7a), respectively of two separable elements (9,7), for forming a boundary between a first space (101) and a second space (102), in order to prevent a first gas flow (&PHgr;1) propagating in the first space to exit through an interface (I) between said two closing surfaces disposed one opposite to the other for sealing, comprising the construction of a set of troughs (TR) in at least one of the closing surfaces (9), carried out throughout the length (L) of said boundary in the direction of said first flow, and comprising a counter-flow (&PHgr;2), propagating from the second space (102) through said troughs, which have construction parameters including a width (w), a depth (h) and a separating width (W), determined in combination with the height (H) of the interface (I) and said length (L) of the boundary, for preventing the first flow (&PHgr;1) to exit through the interface (I) along the troughs (TR) and along t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Aixtron Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Peter Frijlink
  • Patent number: 6471779
    Abstract: A gas feed ceramic structure for feeding a gas into a semiconductor-producing apparatus, includes a planar substrate having a gas-feeding surface and a rear surface. The planar substrate has depressions formed from the rear surface toward the gas-feeding surface to define thin portions between the depressions and the gas-feed surface. Each of the thin portions includes a plurality of gas feed holes for feeding the gas to a side of the gas-feeding surface of the substrate, and one open end of the gas feed holes is provided at the gas-feeding surface of the substrate, and the other open end faces the depressions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akifumi Nishio, Masahiro Hori, Naohito Yamada
  • Patent number: 6471782
    Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus for depositing a low vapor pressure copper precursor onto a silicon wafer. The CVD apparatus includes a CVD reaction chamber with an interior containing a substrate holder adapted to support a substrate, such as a silicon wafer, at a predetermined position within the CVD reaction chamber. An ultrasonic nebulizer is operatively connected to the CVD reaction chamber and is adapted to connect to a source of liquid precursor. The ultrasonic nebulizer has an atomizing discharge end adapted to atomize the liquid precursor and deposit the atomized precursor onto a substrate supported by the substrate holder. A gas distribution ring is disposed within the interior of the CVD reaction chamber for discharging a directionally oriented gas into the atomized precursor to direct the atomized precursor toward the substrate. Additional embodiments and methods for depositing the precursor are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Tokyo Electronic Limited
    Inventors: Ching-Ping Fang, Joseph T. Hillman
  • Patent number: 6470144
    Abstract: There are provided a vaporizer for use with a CVD apparatus and a CVD apparatus, capable of long-term, reliable and efficient production of CVD film with good properties, and a semiconductor device manufactured employing the same. The vaporizer for use with a CVD apparatus is comprised of a material introducing tube, a vaporization chamber and a cooling member. The material introducing tube transports a mixture containing a solution of a material for the CVD film and a gas carrying the solution. The vaporization chamber is connected to the material introducing tube to vaporize the material introduced through the material introducing tube. The cooling member cools that portion of the material introducing tube adjacent to the vaporization chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayoshi Tarutani, Tsuyoshi Horikawa, Takaaki Kawahara, Mikio Yamamuka, Shigeru Matsuno, Takehiko Sato
  • Patent number: 6468354
    Abstract: A wafer support for supporting and rotating a semiconductor wafer within a rapid thermal process chamber is formed of a single member of unitary construction. The unitary member includes a first, horizontal section for supporting the periphery of the wafer thereon, and a downwardly extending cylindrical section that is mounted for rotation within the chamber. The first and second sections are integrally formed to prevent radiant energy from passing there between and comprise materials that cause the support to act as a black body, yielding more uniform heating of the wafer. A recess formed in the horizontal section receives the outer edge of the wafer and prevents radiant heat from passing between the wafer and the support in those cases where the wafer is warped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Cheng-Yi Huang, Tsung-Chieh Tsai, Kuo-Hung Liao
  • Patent number: 6464793
    Abstract: A substrate is heated in a crystal growth vessel evacuated to a ultrahigh vacuum, and gases containing component elements of a crystal to be grown on the substrate are introduced into the vessel under predetermined conditions to cause successive epitaxial growth of single molecular layers, the number of growth cycles being automatically controlled. A mass analyzer is disposed opposite to the substrate in the vessel so that the progress of crystal growth can be incessantly traced and evaluated for each of the molecular layers. An etchant gas introduction nozzle extends into the vessel to make etching treatment of the surface of the substrate in the evacuated vessel prior to the crystal growth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignees: Research Development Corporation of Japan
    Inventors: Junichi Nishizawa, Hitoshi Abe