Patents Examined by Timothy Meeks
  • Film formation method in vertical batch CVD apparatus
    Patent number: 8257789
    Abstract: A film formation method, in a vertical batch CVD apparatus, is preset to repeat a cycle a plurality of times to laminate thin films formed by respective times. The cycle alternately includes an adsorption step of adsorbing a source gas onto a surface of the target substrates and a reaction step of causing a reactive gas to react with the adsorbed source gas. The adsorption step is arranged to make a plurality of times a supply sub-step of performing supply of the source gas to the process field with an intermediate sub-step of stopping supply of the source gas to the process field interposed therebetween, while maintaining a shut-off state of supply of the reactive gas. The reaction step is arranged to continuously perform supply of the reactive gas to the process field, while maintaining a shut-off state of supply of the source gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masanobu Matsunaga, Nobutake Nodera, Kazuhide Hasebe
  • Methods for identifying articles of manufacture
    Patent number: 8257784
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for identifying an article of manufacture may include: producing a plurality of multilayer photonic structures, wherein each of the plurality of multilayer photonic structures has a unique intensity profile; incorporating one of the plurality of multilayer photonic structures that produces the unique intensity profile into a coating; and generating an electronic code corresponding to the unique intensity profile of one of the plurality of multilayer photonic structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Alan Grayson, Debasish Benerjee, Minjuan Zhang, Yasuo Uehara, Masahiko Ishii
  • Photoresist coating to apply a coating to select areas of a medical device
    Patent number: 8257777
    Abstract: Methods and devices for coating a medical device, such as a stent, including the steps of coating the medical device with a photoresist polymeric coating, irradiating a portion of the medical device, optionally applying a post-exposure bake step, and removing all or a portion of the coating from the irradiated portion of the medical device, if a positive photoresist coating material is used, or from a portion of the medical device not exposed to the radiation, if a negative photoresist coating material is used. The photoresist polymeric coating may optionally include a drug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Edelman
  • Method and apparatus for ejecting liquefied material
    Patent number: 8252383
    Abstract: A method for ejecting liquid crystal from a droplet ejection head onto a mother glass substrate is disclosed. The ejecting method includes: substantially equalizing the temperature in the proximity of the droplet ejection head when the droplet ejection head is held in a standby state at a standby position with the temperature in the proximity of the droplet ejection head at the time when the droplet ejection head ejects the liquid crystal onto the mother glass substrate; and moving the droplet ejection head from the standby position to a position at which the mother glass substrate is located, thereby performing ejection of the liquid crystal onto the mother glass substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yuji Iwata
  • Methods and apparatus to fabricate soft magnetic film with preferred uniaxial anisotropy for perpendicular recording
    Patent number: 8252367
    Abstract: Soft magnetic film fabricated with preferred uniaxial anisotropy for perpendicular recording. One type of cathode design has a field direction that is parallel to the direction of the Hex of the second SUL with a magnetically-pinned first SUL. In addition, SUL structures having low AP exchange energy also are disclosed. The SUL structure combines the cathode field direction of the SUL2 with the pinned SUL1. The SUL1 is magnetically pinned to the pinning layer and the pinning direction is parallel to the direction of the cathode field applied during deposition of the SUL1. High Hc ferro-magnetic materials may be deposited onto a heated substrate that is magnetized along the radial direction by the cathode field. The pinning field may be higher than the cathode field, indicating that the cathode field during deposition of the SUL2 cannot disturb the magnetic state of the SUL1 pinned to pinning layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Gunn Choe, Yoshihiro Ikeda, Masayoshi Shimizu, Kiwamu Tanahashi
  • Apparatus for the efficient coating of substrates including plasma cleaning
    Patent number: 8252375
    Abstract: A process for the coating of substrates comprising insertion of a substrate into a process oven, plasma cleaning of the substrate, dehydration of the substrate, withdrawal of a metered amount of one or more chemicals from one or more chemical reservoirs, vaporizing the withdrawn chemicals in one or more vapor chambers, and transfer of the vaporized chemicals into a process oven, thereby reacting with the substrate. An apparatus for the coating of substrates comprising a process oven, a gas plasma generator, a metered chemical withdrawal subsystem, and a vaporization subsystem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Yield Engineering Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: William A. Moffat, Boris C. Randazzo, Craig W. McCoy, Stuart V. Allen
  • Molecular coating on metal surfaces
    Patent number: 8252381
    Abstract: A coated metal surface is disclosed, with a chemically-bonded film of long-chain organic groups. Such coating may be hydrophobic, and therefore repel the presence of water. This allows the surface to resist corrosion and surface oxidation, without diminishing the desired metallic characteristics of the surface. Further disclosed are methods for applying and coating on various substrates. Such coating may be advantageously applied to protect metals from corrosive environments such as air, water, chemicals, and bodily fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: CSL, Inc.
    Inventors: Sunity K. Sharma, Ravi Shankar, Jaspreet S. Dhau, Naishadh K. Saraiya
  • Optical film and method for producing same
    Patent number: 8247026
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing an optical film composed of a transparent resin and a metal oxide, which film has high light transmittance and light diffusion property even it is formed thin. Also disclosed is such an optical film. Specifically disclosed is a method for producing an optical film having a total light transmittance of not less than 70% and a haze value of not less than 20%, which comprises a step (A) wherein a metal compound to form a metal oxide through a sol-gel reaction is subjected to a sol-gel reaction in a solvent; a step (B) for providing a solution containing a transparent resin as a solute; a step (C) for mixing the mixture obtained in the step (A) with the solution obtained in the step (B); and a step (D) wherein the mixture obtained in the step (C) is applied or spread over a substrate or container and then heated for evaporating the solvent, thereby forming a film thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Fumiaki Nishino, Katsunori Nishiura, Kazuyuki Fukuda, Toshihiko Takaki, Takehiro Miyashita
  • Process for producing base material for forming heat shielding film
    Patent number: 8246848
    Abstract: There is provided a production process of a heat-ray shielding film-formed base member comprising the steps of mixing a sol solution, formed by using a starting raw material of trialkoxysilane or trialkoxysilane and tetraalkoxysilane, with a solution in which tin-doped indium oxide ultra-fine particles are dispersed, to make a treatment agent; and applying the treatment agent to a base member. In this production process, the treatment agent has an organic solvent having a boiling point of 100-200° C. as a dispersion medium, and the application is conducted by a means by bringing a member retaining the treatment agent into contact with the base member or by a means by spraying the treatment agent, thereby adjusting haze value of the film to be formed to 0.5% or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Central Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Masanori Saito, Shigeo Hamaguchi, Yoshinori Akamatsu, Soichi Kumon
  • Compostable container for storing fluids
    Patent number: 8245848
    Abstract: A fully compostable container is provided having an enclosed body with an opening through an interior surface and an exterior surface. The enclosed body having a plant fiber structural layer configured to biodegrade in ambient conditions into nontoxic residue and a fluid barrier layer formed on a first side of the structural layer to form the interior surface of the enclosed body, the fluid barrier layer configured to biodegrade in ambient conditions into nontoxic residue. The container is gradually biodegradable when exposed to a set of factors in a natural environment and has a shelf life of six months when stored under standard commercial conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Sacred Green, Inc.
    Inventors: Cynthia Tolibas-Spurlock, Bambi Allred-Forsman, Darla Agnew-Von Moos
  • Method for fabricating fine conductive patterns using surface modified mask template
    Patent number: 8241712
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for fabricating fine conductive patterns using a surface modified mask template, the method including: depositing a high molecular substance on a substrate; applying a hydrophobic material onto the high molecular substance so that the hydrophobic material can infiltrate into the high molecular substance; forming a mask template by removing a part of the high molecular substance to form a recess where a region of the substrate is exposed to an outside; depositing conductive ink on the mask template; and performing annealing to abstract metal particles from a metallic compound dissolved in the conductive ink so that an insulating pattern can be formed in a region on which the high molecular substance is deposited, but a conductive pattern can be formed as the metal particles are abstracted from the conductive ink in the recess and cohere with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials
    Inventors: Dong-Youn Shin, Taik-Min Lee
  • Tribological applications of polyelectrolyte multilayers
    Patent number: 8241698
    Abstract: One aspect of the present invention relates to an implantable medical device comprising a surface coated with a polyelectrolyte multilayer, wherein said surface is glass, metal, plastic, polymer, or fiberglass. Another aspect of the present invention involves a method of preparing a PEM-coated implantable medical device, comprising the step of applying a film to a surface of an implantable medical device, wherein said film comprises a polyelectrolyte multilayer and said surface is glass, metal, plastic, polymer, or fiberglass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Robert E. Cohen, Prem V. Pavoor, Anuj Bellare, Brian P. Gearing
  • Articles with super-hydrophobic and-or super-hydrophilic surfaces and method of formation
    Patent number: 8236379
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a chemical vapor deposition method of depositing layers of materials to provide super-hydrophilic surface properties, or super-hydrophobic surface properties, or combinations of such properties at various locations on a given surface. The invention also relates to electronic applications which make use of super-hydrophobic surface properties, and to biological applications which make use of super-hydrophilic surface properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Microstructures, Inc.
    Inventors: Boris Kobrin, Jeffrey D. Chin, Benigno A. Janeiro, Romuald Nowak
  • Selective deposition of carbon nanotubes on optical fibers
    Patent number: 8236375
    Abstract: The specification describes a method for selectively depositing carbon nanotubes on the end face of an optical fiber. The end face of the optical fiber is exposed to a dispersion of carbon nanotubes while light is propagated through the optical fiber. Carbon nanotubes deposit selectively on the light emitting core of the optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: OFS Fitel, LLC
    Inventor: Jeffrey Nicholson
  • Gas supply system, substrate processing apparatus and gas supply method
    Patent number: 8236380
    Abstract: A gas supply system for supplying a gas into a processing chamber for processing a substrate to be processed includes: a processing gas supply unit; a processing gas supply line; a first and a second processing gas branch line; a branch flow control unit; an additional gas supply unit; an additional gas supply line; a first and a second additional gas branch line; a flow path switching unit; and a control unit. Before processing the substrate to be processed, the control unit performs a pressure ratio control on the branch flow control unit while the processing gas supply unit supplies the processing gas. After the inner pressures of the first and the second processing gas branch line become stable, the control unit switches the pressure ratio control to a fixed pressure control, and then the additional gas supply unit supplies the additional gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Kenetsu Mizusawa
  • Wafer processing method with carrier hub removal
    Patent number: 8231940
    Abstract: A method of processing wafers in a rotating disc CVD reactor uses wafer carrier having a unitary plate defining wafer-holding features such as pockets on its upstream surface. The carrier connects to the spindle of the reactor during processing. After processing the carrier and wafers in the reactor, the wafers are removed from the carrier. The carrier is renewed by removing the hub from the plate, cleaning the plate and then reassembling the plate with the same or a different hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Vadim Boguslavskiy, Alexander I. Gurary
  • Adhesion promoting cleaner solution
    Patent number: 8227038
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an adhesion promoting cleaner solution for producing and adherent coating on a resinous substrate. The adhesion promoting cleaning solution comprises a telechelic diol in a carrier liquid such as an organic solvent. Also disclosed is a process of using the adhesion promoting cleaner solution to produce an adherent coating on a resinous substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: E I du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventor: Patrick Henry Corcoran
  • Method of curing metal alkoxide-containing films
    Patent number: 8227040
    Abstract: A method for forming an inorganic or hybrid organic/inorganic layer on a substrate, which method comprises applying a metal alkoxide to form a layer atop the substrate and exposing the metal alkoxide layer to heat from a catalytic combustion heater in the presence of water to cure the layer is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Mark A. Strobel, Michael J. Ulsh, Christopher S. Lyons, Judith M. Invie
  • System and method for enhancing the efficacy of antimicrobial contact lenses and other surfaces
    Patent number: 8227017
    Abstract: A system and method of enhancing the antimicrobial and biofilm-resistant efficacy of surfaces that have cationic polyelectrolytes nonleachably bound thereto in order to impart antimicrobial activity to the surface. The system for enhancing antimicrobial efficacy involves brushing, dipping, wiping, spraying, or storing the surface in a solution containing citrate ion. The method involves treatment of the surface with a solution which enhances the antimicrobial and biofilm-resistant efficacy of the surface, and which prevents a loss of the antimicrobial properties of the surface which may occur over time. Preferably, the enhancement agent is citrate ion and the cationic polyelectrolyte is poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), also known as polyDADMAC. The system is particularly beneficial for surfaces of articles such as contact lenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Quick-Med Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Susan Leander, William Toreki, Gerald Olderman, Albina Mikhaylova
  • Wallpaper for use in an automobile and a method for making same
    Patent number: 8221844
    Abstract: An automobile wallpaper, and an exterior surface finishing agent for the door trim, seats, and so on, of automobiles, as well as its manufacturing method. To manufacture such automobile wallpaper, a printing process is performed on the surface of a surface material which is currently being used, in order to render a three-dimensional effect to the surface, so as to achieve various luxurious appearances. The three-dimensional effect of the printing is maintained even during the molding process, and it also possesses excellent properties relative to sound absorbency, due to the three-dimensional effect of the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Carl Freudenberg KG
    Inventors: SungYong Ryu, YongWon Jin