Patents Examined by Timon Wanga
  • Patent number: 9761458
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for reactive ion etching of a substrate, comprising: a plasma etch zone including an etch gas supply and arranged with a plasma generating structure for igniting a plasma and comprising an electrode structure arranged to accelerate the etch plasma toward a substrate portion to have ions impinge on the surface of the substrate; a passivation zone including a cavity provided with a passivation gas supply; said supply arranged for providing a passivation gas flow from the supply to the cavity; the cavity in use being bounded by the injector head and the substrate surface; and a gas purge structure comprising a gas exhaust arranged between said etch zone and passivation zone; the gas purge structure thus forming a spatial division of the etch and passivation zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO
    Inventors: Freddy Roozeboom, Adriaan Marinus Lankhorst, Paulus Willibrordus George Poodt, Norbertus Benedictus Koster, Gerardus Johan Jozef Winands, Adrianus Johannes Petrus Maria Vermeer
  • Patent number: 9761467
    Abstract: A method and system for improved planar deprocessing of semiconductor devices using a focused ion beam system. The method comprises defining a target area to be removed, the target area including at least a portion of a mixed copper and dielectric layer of a semiconductor device; directing a precursor gas toward the target area; and directing a focused ion beam toward the target area in the presence of the precursor gas, thereby removing at least a portion of a first mixed copper and dielectric layer and producing a uniformly smooth floor in the milled target area. The precursor gas causes the focused ion beam to mill the copper at substantially the same rate as the dielectric. In a preferred embodiment, the precursor gas comprises methyl nitroacetate. In alternative embodiments, the precursor gas is methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, ethyl nitroacetate, propyl acetate, propyl nitroacetate, nitro ethyl acetate, methyl methoxyacetate, or methoxy acetylchloride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: FEI Company
    Inventors: Chad Rue, Clive D. Chandler
  • Patent number: 9761424
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating energetic particles and application of coatings in a vacuum comprising a plasma duct surrounded by a magnetic deflecting and focusing system communicating with a primary cathodic arc plasma source in a cathode chamber and a distal anode in a coating chamber. A coating chamber comprises a substrate holder off of an optical axis of the plasma source. A set of baffles are installed along the walls of cathode chambers and the plasma duct not occupied with plasma sources and in some embodiments across the plasma stream to trap macroparticles and neutrals. A plasma duct has a deflecting portion with attached cathode chamber and a tunnel portion attached to the coating chamber. The deflecting system comprises a deflecting coil surrounding the cathode chamber having an off-set deflecting conductor spaced from the plasma duct. In one embodiment a magnetron source is magnetically coupled with cathodic arc source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Nano-Product Engineering, LLC
    Inventor: Vladimir Gorokhovsky
  • Patent number: 9761420
    Abstract: The present invention relates to novel and improved high purity diffusion bonded copper (Cu) sputtering targets having a Cu purity level of 99.9999% (6N) or greater. The target assemblies of the present invention exhibit sufficient bond strength and microstructural homogeneity, both of which are properties previously considered mutually exclusive for conventional 6N Cu target assemblies. The grain structure is characterized by an absence of alloying elements and the bonded interface is generally flat without any type of interlayer or interlocking arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: PRAXAIR S.T. TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Jaydeep Sarkar, Paul Gilman
  • Patent number: 9758863
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a carrier having first and second ends extending in a first direction, and third and fourth ends extending in a second direction and being not shorter than the first and second ends. The apparatus further includes a member holder having a magnet placement face on which first and second magnetic-pole portions are placed, the magnet placement face having fifth and sixth ends extending in the first direction and being shorter than the first and second ends, and seventh and eighth ends extending in the second direction, being longer than the fifth and sixth ends, and being longer than the third and fourth ends. The apparatus further includes a carrier transporter transporting the carrier along the first direction. The carrier transporter can transport the carrier such that the third and fourth ends pass under a center line of the magnet placement face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko Miura, Kazuhiro Murakami
  • Patent number: 9757764
    Abstract: A mask for deposition for forming a pattern on a transparent substrate according to the present invention includes a mask member having a mask alignment mark penetratedly formed so as to be aligned with a substrate alignment mark formed on the transparent substrate; and an unevenness region formed on one surface of the mask member so as to be adjacent to the mask alignment mark and having protrusions and depressions on a surface thereof. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the alignment error of the mask from occurring by increasing the recognition rate of the align marks formed on the substrate and the mask. As a result, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing costs by reducing the defective rate of the organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-Min Hong, Sang-Hyuk Park, Woo-Young Jung, Ha-Nul Kwen, Suk-Ho Kang, Jeong-Yeol Lee
  • Patent number: 9761422
    Abstract: A magnetic material sputtering target characterized in that, in a plane for observing the oxide in the target, oxide grains in the target have an average diameter of 1.5 ?m or less, and that 60% or more of the oxide grains in the observing plane of the target have a difference between a maximum diameter and a minimum diameter of 0.4 ?m or less, where the maximum diameter is a maximum distance between arbitrary two points on the periphery of an oxide grain, and the minimum diameter is a minimum distance between two parallel lines across the oxide grain. A non-magnetic grain dispersion-type magnetic material sputtering target that can inhibit abnormal discharge due to an oxide causing occurrence of particles during sputtering is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation
    Inventors: Atsutoshi Arakawa, Hideo Takami, Yuichiro Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9761343
    Abstract: A p-type transparent conductive material can comprise a thin film of BCSF on a substrate where the film has a conductivity of at least 1 S/cm. The substrate may be a plastic substrate, such as a polyethersulfone, polyethylene terephthalate, polyimide, or some other suitable plastic or polymeric substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Jesse A. Frantz, Jasbinder S. Sanghera, Vinh Q. Nguyen, Woohong Kim, Ishwar D. Aggarwal
  • Patent number: 9758856
    Abstract: A sputtering target having a one-piece top coat comprising a mixture of oxides of zinc, tin, and optionally gallium, characterized in that said one-piece top coat has a length of at least 80 cm; a method for forming such a sputtering target and the use of such a target for forming films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: SOLERAS ADVANCED COATINGS BVBA
    Inventors: Jorg Oberste Berghaus, Wilmert De Bosscher
  • Patent number: 9758860
    Abstract: An indium sputtering target with a short time to attain a stable film deposition rate once sputtering has begun is provided. An indium sputtering target having a surface to be sputtered with an arithmetic average roughness Ra of from 5 ?m to 70 ?m prior to sputtering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation
    Inventors: Yousuke Endo, Masaru Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 9758862
    Abstract: One embodiment is directed to a magnetron assembly comprising a plurality of magnets, and a yoke configured to hold the plurality of magnets in at least four straight, parallel, independent linear arrays. The plurality of magnets is arranged in the yoke so as to form a pattern comprising an outer portion and an inner portion, wherein the outer portion substantially surrounds the perimeter of the inner portion. The end portions of the linear array comprise a pair of turnaround sections, wherein each turnaround section substantially spans respective ends of the pair of elongated sections of the outer portion. The magnets in each turnaround section are arranged to form at least two or more different curves in the magnetic field that are offset from each along the target rotation axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Sputtering Components, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick Lawrence Morse
  • Patent number: 9758857
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a deposition device capable of coping with a size change of a substrate only by replacing a magnet unit and a target material. A deposition device (1) of the present invention is to perform deposition onto a surface of a substrate W to be conveyed by using an evaporation source (2) facing a front surface of the substrate (W), and the evaporation source (2) has a target material (7), a backing plate (8), a magnet unit (9), a cathode body (10), and a cooling water flow passage (12). The cooling water flow passage (12) is a space formed by separating the magnet unit (9) and the backing plate (8), and the cooling water can be distributed through this space. As the magnet unit (9), a short magnet unit can be arranged in correspondence with a narrow-width substrate having narrower width than that of the substrate (W), and as the target material (7), a short target material is arranged in correspondence with width of the arrange magnet unit (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Asuka Nagamine, Hiroshi Tamagaki
  • Patent number: 9657389
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a target for an ARC source having a first body (3) of a material to be vaporized, which essentially comprises in one plane a surface which is intended to be vaporized, wherein the surface surrounds in this plane a central area, characterized in that in the central area a second body (7) is provided, which is preferably in the form of a disk and is electrically isolated from the first body (3), in such a way that the second body (7) can essentially provide no electrons for maintaining a spark.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: OERLIKON SURFACE SOLUTIONS AG, PFÄFFIKON
    Inventors: Siegfried Krassnitzer, Juerg Hagmann
  • Patent number: 9624570
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a filtered cathodic-arc ion source that reduces, or even eliminates, macroparticles while minimally compromising the compact size, simplicity, and high flux ion production benefits of unfiltered cathodic-arc sources. Magnetic and electrostatic forces are implemented in a compact way to guide ions along curved trajectories between the cathode source and the workpiece area such that macroparticles, which are minimally affected by these forces and travel in straight lines, are inhibited from reaching the workpieces. The present invention implements this filtering technique in a device that is compact, symmetrical and easy to manufacture and operate and which does not substantially compromise coating deposition rate, area, or uniformity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: FLUXION INC.
    Inventor: Paul Erik Sathrum
  • Patent number: 9617634
    Abstract: In a sputter device (1), power of a DC power source (20) is sequentially distributed and supplied in a time division pulse state to a plurality of sputter evaporation sources (4). A power source (10) provided to each of the sputter evaporation sources (4) supplies continuous power to each of the sputter evaporation sources (4). The sputter device (1) having the configuration requires no DC pulse power source to be provided to each of the sputter evaporation sources (4), which reduces the device cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd
    Inventors: Tadao Okimoto, Hiroshi Tamagaki
  • Patent number: 9611539
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for depositing a metal-containing layer on a substrate are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of processing a substrate in a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber includes applying RF power at a VHF frequency to a target comprising a metal disposed in the PVD chamber above the substrate to form a plasma from a plasma-forming gas; optionally applying a DC power to the target to direct the plasma towards the target; sputtering metal atoms from the target using the plasma while maintaining a first pressure in the PVD chamber sufficient to ionize a predominant portion of the sputtered metal atoms; and controlling the plasma sheath voltage between the plasma and the substrate to form a metal-containing layer having a desired crystal structure and or desired morphology on feature structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Zhenbin Ge, Alan Ritchie, Adolph Miller Allen
  • Patent number: 9611537
    Abstract: A target for a physical vapor deposition system includes a top, a bottom, and a base. The base essentially is defined by the surface of the target to be sputtered. A first, inner ring and a second, outer ring extend from the base. Each ring has an inner side and an outer side, wherein sputtering is concentrated on the outer sides by means of a magnet arrangement adjacent to the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: EVATEC AG
    Inventors: Stanislav Kadlec, Jürgen Weichart
  • Patent number: 9605340
    Abstract: A physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber for depositing a transparent and clear hydrogenated carbon, e.g., hydrogenated diamond-like carbon, film. A chamber body is configured for maintaining vacuum condition therein, the chamber body having an aperture on its sidewall. A plasma cage having an orifice is attached to the sidewall, such that the orifice overlaps the aperture. Two sputtering targets are situated on cathodes inside the plasma cage and are oriented opposite each other and configured to sustain plasma there-between and confined inside the plasma cage. The plasma inside the cage sputters material from the targets, which then passes through the orifice and aperture and lands on the substrate. The substrate is moved continuously in a pass-by fashion during the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: INTEVAC, INC.
    Inventors: David Fang Wei Chen, David Ward Brown, Charles Liu, Samuel D. Harkness, IV
  • Patent number: 9587305
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for depositing a wear resistant coating on a cutting tool substrate. Cathodic arc deposition is performed using one or more plate-shaped targets and a high arc current of at least 200 A, preferably at least 400 A, whereby a high total ion current of at least 5 A is provided in front of the substrates. A comparatively low bias voltage may be used in order to avoid negative effects of ions impinging on the substrates with high kinetic energy. Thanks to the method of the invention it is possible to deposit thick wear resistant coatings on cutting tool substrates in order to improve cutting performance and tool life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Lamina Technologies S.A.
    Inventors: Johan Bohlmark, Hermann Curtins, Axel Kinell
  • Patent number: 9580795
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a sputter source for a process chamber may include: a first enclosure having a top, sides and an open bottom; a target coupled to the open bottom; an electrical feed coupled to the top of the first enclosure proximate a central axis of the first enclosure to provide power to the target via the first enclosure; a magnet assembly having a shaft, a support arm coupled to the shaft, and a magnet coupled to the support arm disposed within the first enclosure; a first rotational actuator disposed off-axis to the central axis of the first enclosure and rotatably coupled to the magnet to rotate the magnet about the central axis of the first enclosure; and a second rotational actuator disposed off-axis to the central axis of the first enclosure and rotatably coupled to the magnet to rotate the magnet about a central axis of the magnet assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Keith A. Miller, Martin Lee Riker