Patents by Inventor Aaron L. LaBrie

Aaron L. LaBrie has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6254673
    Abstract: A crystal pulling apparatus is disclosed which employs the Czochralski method. The crystal pulling apparatus is operated while a containing a crucible of molten material, while maintaining the growing chamber under a controlled pressure of less than atmospheric. In the event of a vacuum pump unexpectedly ceasing operation, power to the heater is terminated, thus allowing the molten material to solidify. In such an event, a second vacuum pump can readily be attached to the growing chamber thus restoring pressure control, and allowing power to the heater to be restored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: SEH America, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron W. Johnson, Aaron L. LaBrie, Randall Spradlin
  • Patent number: 6189176
    Abstract: A high pressure gas cleaning purge cleaning silicon oxide dust deposits from inside a dry vacuum pump while installed on a crystal grower. The high pressure gas cleaning purge is performed before or after each crystal is grown. The high pressure gas flow is injected into the inlet of the dry vacuum pump and repeatedly turned on and off to create differing turbulent flow patterns within the pump. The differing turbulent flow patterns effectively remove substantial quantities of the silicon oxide dust deposited in the pump during crystal growing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: SEH-America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth C. Ivey, Aaron L. LaBrie
  • Patent number: 6090222
    Abstract: A high pressure gas cleaning purge cleans silicon oxide dust deposits from inside a dry vacuum pump while installed on a crystal grower. The high pressure gas cleaning purge is performed before or after each crystal is grown. The high pressure gas flow is injected into the inlet of the dry vacuum pump and repeatedly turned on and off to create differing turbulent flow patterns within the pump. The differing turbulent flow patterns effectively remove substantial quantities of the silicon oxide dust deposited in the pump during crystal growing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Seh-America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth C. Ivey, Aaron L. LaBrie
  • Patent number: 6051064
    Abstract: An apparatus for weighing single crystals during Czochralski crystal growing processes includes a pivotal elongated member such as a beam, a contact element and a load sensor. The load sensor can be mounted to at least one of the elongated member and a support surface of a crystal growing vessel. The beam is attached to a lift for pulling single crystals from a melt. During crystal growing, the weight of the grown crystal causes increased loading along the elongated member such that the contact element exerts an increasing force on the load sensor. The contact element and load sensor have respective contact surfaces which are shaped such that the force exerted on the load sensor corresponds substantially to the weight of grown single crystal. Typically, at least one of the contact surfaces is a rolling surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: SEH America, Inc.
    Inventor: Aaron L. Labrie