Patents by Inventor Daniel P. Spence

Daniel P. Spence 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).

  • Publication number: 20110256314
    Abstract: A method for forming metal-containing films by atomic layer deposition using precursors of the formula: M(OR1)(OR2)(R3C(O)C(R4)C(O)XR5y)2 wherein M is Group 4 metals; wherein R1 and R2 can be same or different selected from the group consisting of a linear or branched C1-10 alkyl and a C6-12 aryl; R3 can be selected from the group consisting of linear or branched C1-10 alkyls, preferably C1-3 alkyls and a C6-12 aryl; R4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-10 alkyls, and a C6-12 aryl, preferably hydrogen; R5 is selected from the group consisting of C1-10 linear or branched alkyls, and a C6-12 aryl, preferably a methyl or ethyl group; X?O or N wherein when X?O, y=1 and R1, 2 and 5 are the same, when X?N, y=2 and each R5 can be the same or different.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicant: AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS, INC.
    Inventors: Sergei Vladimirovich Ivanov, Xinjian Lei, Hansong Cheng, Daniel P. Spence, Moo-Sung Kim
  • Publication number: 20110250126
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a family of Group 4 metal precursors represented by the formula: M(OR1)2(R2C(O)C(R3)C(O)OR1)2 wherein M is a Group 4 metals of Ti, Zr, or Hf; wherein R1 is selected from the group consisting of a linear or branched C1-10 alkyl and a C6-12 aryl, preferably methyl, ethyl or n-propyl; R2 is selected from the group consisting of branched C3-10 alkyls, preferably iso-propyl, tert-butyl, sec-butyl, iso-butyl, or tert-amyl and a C6-12 aryl; R3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-10 alkyls, and a C6-12 aryl, preferably hydrogen. In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the precursor is a liquid or a solid with a melting point below 60° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS, INC.
    Inventors: Sergei Vladimirovich Ivanov, Xinjian Lei, Hansong Cheng, Daniel P. Spence, Moo-Sung Kim
  • Publication number: 20110212629
    Abstract: A formulation, comprising: a) at least one metal-ligand complex, wherein one or more ligands are selected from the group consisting of ?-diketonates, ?-ketoiminates, ?-ketoesterates, ?-diiminates, alkyls, carbonyls, alkyl carbonyls, cyclopentadienyls, pyrrolyls, alkoxides, amidinates, imidazolyls, and mixtures thereof; and the metal is selected from Group 2 to 16 elements of the Periodic Table of the Elements; and, b) at least one aminoether selected from the group consisting of R1R2NR3OR4NR5R6, R1OR4NR5R6, O(CH2CH2)2NR1, R1R2NR3N(CH2CH2)2O, R1R2NR3OR4N(CH2CH2)2O, O(CH2CH2)2NR1OR2N(CH2CH2)2O, and mixtures thereof, wherein R1-6 are independently selected from group consisting of C1-10 linear alkyl, C1-10 branched alkyl, C1-10 cyclic alkyl, C6-C10 aromatic, C1-10 alkylamine, C1-10 alkylaminoalkyl, C1-10 ether, C4-C10 cyclic ether, C4-C10 cyclic aminoether, and mixture thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS, INC.
    Inventors: Sergei Vladimirovich Ivanov, Xinjian Lei, Daniel P. Spence, John Anthony Thomas Norman, Laura M. Matz
  • Publication number: 20110135838
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a family of liquid group 4 precursors represented by the formula: (pyr*)M(OR1)(OR2)(OR3) wherein pyr* is an alkyl substituted pyrrolyl, wherein M is group 4 metals include Ti, Zr, and Hf; wherein R1-3 can be same or different and selected from group consisting of linear or branched C1-6 alkyls; preferably C1-3 alkyls; R4 is selected from the group consisting of C1-6 alkyls, preferably branched C3-5 alkyls substituted at 2, 5 positions to prevent the pyrrolyl coordinated to the metal center in ?1 fashion; n=2, 3, 4. Most preferably the invention is directed to (2,5-di-tert-butylpyrrolyl)(tris(ethoxy)titanium, (2,5-di-tert-amylpyrrolyl)(tris(ethoxy)titanium, and (2,5-di-tert-amylpyrrolyl)(tris(iso-propoxy)titanium. The invention is also directed to (cyclopentadienyl)(2,5-di-methylpyrrolyl)(bis(ethoxy))titanium. Deposition methods using these compounds are also contemplated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS, INC.
    Inventors: Xinjian Lei, John Anthony Thomas Norman, Daniel P. Spence
  • Patent number: 7919409
    Abstract: We have used the state-of-the-art computational chemistry techniques to identify adhesion promoting layer materials that provide good adhesion of copper seed layer to the adhesion promoting layer and the adhesion promoting layer to the barrier layer. We have identified factors responsible for providing good adhesion of copper layer on various metallic surfaces and circumstances under which agglomeration of copper film occur. Several promising adhesion promoting layer materials based on chromium alloys have been predicted to be able to significantly enhance the adhesion of copper films. Chromium containing complexes of a polydentate ?-ketoiminate have been identified as chromium containing precursors to make the alloys with chromium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Hansong Cheng, Xinjian Lei, Daniel P. Spence, John Anthony Thomas Norman, David Allen Roberts, Bo Han, Chenggang Zhou, Jinping Wu
  • Publication number: 20110040124
    Abstract: A method for making a group 2 metal-containing polydentate ?-ketoiminate represented by the following structure A: wherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba; R1, R3, R5, and R6 are independently selected from an alkyl group, a fluoroalkyl group, a cycloaliphatic group, and an aryl group; R2 is selected from a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, a cycloaliphatic group, and an aryl group; and R4 is an alkyenyl bridge, comprising: reacting M in a reaction mixture comprising a tridentate ketoimine ligand and an alcohol comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of R7OH and (OH)nR8 wherein R7 and R8 are independently selected from an alkyl group and an aryl group. In certain embodiments, the reaction mixture further comprises an organic solvent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS, INC.
    Inventors: Xinjian Lei, Daniel P. Spence
  • Publication number: 20100143607
    Abstract: Described herein are Group 4 metal-containing precursors, compositions comprising Group 4 metal-containing precursors, and deposition processes for fabricating conformal metal containing films on substrates. In one aspect, the Group 4 metal-containing precursors are represented by the following formula I: wherein M comprises a metal chosen from Ti, Zr, and Hf; R and R1 are each independently selected from an alkyl group comprising from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; R2 is an alkyl group comprising from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; R3 is chosen from hydrogen or an alkyl group comprising from 1 to 3 carbon atoms; R4 is an alkyl group comprising from 1 to 6 carbon atoms and wherein R2 and R4 are different alkyl groups. Also described herein are methods for making Group 4 metal-containing precursors and methods for depositing films using the Group 4 metal-containing precursors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Xinjian Lei, Daniel P. Spence, Moo-Sung Kim, Iain Buchanan, Laura M. Matz, Sergei Vladimirovich Ivanov
  • Patent number: 7723493
    Abstract: Metal-containing complexes of a tridentate beta-ketoiminate, one embodiment of which is represented by the structure: wherein M is a metal such as calcium, strontium, barium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, titanium, zirconium, vanadium, tungsten, manganese, cobalt, iron, nickel, ruthenium, zinc, copper, palladium, platinum, iridium, rhenium, osmium; R1 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkoxyalkyl, fluoroalkyl, cycloaliphatic, and aryl, having 1 to 10 carbon atoms; R2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy, cycloaliphatic, and aryl; R3 is linear or branched selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkoxyalkyl, fluoroalkyl, cycloaliphatic, and aryl; R4 is a branched alkylene bridge with at least one chiral center; R5-6 are individually linear or branched selected from the group consisting of alkyl, fluoroalkyl, cycloaliphatic, aryl, and can be connected to form a ring containing carbon, oxygen, or nitrogen atoms; n is an integer equal to the valence of the metal
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Xinjian Lei, Daniel P. Spence, Hansong Cheng
  • Publication number: 20100119726
    Abstract: This invention is related to Group 2 metal-containing polydentate ?-ketoiminate precursors and compositions comprising Group 2 metal-containing polydentate ?-ketoiminate precursors, wherein the polydentate ?-ketoiminate precursors incorporate an alkoxy group in the imino portion of the molecule. The compounds and compositions are useful for fabricating metal containing films on substrates such as silicon, metal nitride, metal oxide and other metal layers via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Xinjian Lei, Daniel P. Spence, John Anthony Thomas Norman, Michael Ulman
  • Patent number: 7691984
    Abstract: Metal-containing complexes of a tridentate beta-ketoiminate, one embodiment of which is represented by the structure: wherein M is a metal such as calcium, strontium, barium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, titanium, zirconium, vanadium, tungsten, manganese, cobalt, iron, nickel, ruthenium, zinc, copper, palladium, platinum, iridium, rhenium, osmium; R1 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, fluoroalkyl, cycloaliphatic, and aryl, having 1 to 10 carbon atoms; R2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy, cycloaliphatic, and aryl; R3 is linear or branched selected from the group consisting of alkylene, fluoroalkyl, cycloaliphatic, and aryl; R4 is a branched alkylene bridge with at least one chiral center; R5-6 are individually linear or branched selected from the group consisting of alkyl, fluoroalkyl, cycloaliphatic, aryl, and can be connected to form a ring containing carbon, oxygen, or nitrogen atoms; n is an integer equal to the valence of the metal M.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Xinjian Lei, Daniel P. Spence, Hansong Cheng
  • Publication number: 20100075067
    Abstract: A cyclic deposition process to make a metal oxide film on a substrate, which comprises the steps: introducing a metal ketoiminate into a deposition chamber and depositing the metal ketoiminate on a heated substrate; purging the deposition chamber to remove unreacted metal ketominate and any byproduct; introducing an oxygen-containing source to the heated substrate; purging the deposition chamber to remove any unreacted chemical and byproduct; and, repeating the cyclic deposition process until a desired thickness of film is established.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS, INC.
    Inventors: Moo-Sung Kim, Xinjian Lei, Daniel P. Spence, Sang-Hyun Yang
  • Publication number: 20100038785
    Abstract: We have used the state-of-the-art computational chemistry techniques to identify adhesion promoting layer materials that provide good adhesion of copper seed layer to the adhesion promoting layer and the adhesion promoting layer to the barrier layer. We have identified factors responsible for providing good adhesion of copper layer on various metallic surfaces and circumstances under which agglomeration of copper film occur. Several promising adhesion promoting layer materials based on chromium alloys have been predicted to be able to significantly enhance the adhesion of copper films. Chromium containing complexes of a polydentate ?-ketoiminate have been identified as chromium containing precursors to make the alloys with chromium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Applicant: AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS, INC.
    Inventors: Hansong Cheng, Xinjian Lei, Daniel P. Spence, John Anthony Thomas Norman, David Allen Roberts, Bo Han, Chenggang Zhou, Jinping Wu
  • Publication number: 20090136685
    Abstract: Metal-containing complexes of a tridentate beta-ketoiminate, one embodiment of which is represented by the structure: wherein M is a metal such as calcium, strontium, barium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, titanium, zirconium, vanadium, tungsten, manganese, cobalt, iron, nickel, ruthenium, zinc, copper, palladium, platinum, iridium, rhenium, osmium; R1 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkoxyalkyl, fluoroalkyl, cycloaliphatic, and aryl, having 1 to 10 carbon atoms; R2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy, cycloaliphatic, and aryl; R3 is linear or branched selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkoxyalkyl, fluoroalkyl, cycloaliphatic, and aryl; R4 is a branched alkylene bridge with at least one chiral center; R5-6 are individually linear or branched selected from the group consisting of alkyl, fluoroalkyl, cycloaliphatic, aryl, and can be connected to form a ring containing carbon, oxygen, or nitrogen atoms; n is an integer equal to the valence of the metal
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS, INC.
    Inventors: Xinjian Lei, Daniel P. Spence, Hansong Cheng
  • Publication number: 20090136677
    Abstract: Metal-containing complexes of a tridentate beta-ketoiminate, one embodiment of which is represented by the structure: wherein M is a metal such as calcium, strontium, barium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, titanium, zirconium, vanadium, tungsten, manganese, cobalt, iron, nickel, ruthenium, zinc, copper, palladium, platinum, iridium, rhenium, osmium; R1 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, fluoroalkyl, cycloaliphatic, and aryl, having 1 to 10 carbon atoms; R2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy, cycloaliphatic, and aryl; R3 is linear or branched selected from the group consisting of alkylene, fluoroalkyl, cycloaliphatic, and aryl; R4 is a branched alkylene bridge with at least one chiral center; R5-6 are individually linear or branched selected from the group consisting of alkyl, fluoroalkyl, cycloaliphatic, aryl, and can be connected to form a ring containing carbon, oxygen, or nitrogen atoms; n is an integer equal to the valence of the metal M.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS, INC.
    Inventors: Xinjian Lei, Daniel P. Spence, Hansong Cheng
  • Publication number: 20090130338
    Abstract: Novel Sr and Ba complexes containing both beta-diketonates and N-methyl-pyrrolidone were synthesized and characterized. TGA experiments indicated these complexes are volatile, they can be employed as precursors for ALD strontium titanate (STO) or barium strontium titanate films (BST) films in semiconductor fabrication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Applicant: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Xinjian Lei, Liam J. Quinn, Daniel P. Spence
  • Publication number: 20080286464
    Abstract: Novel Sr and Ba complexes containing both beta-diketonates and N-methyl-pyrrolidone were synthesized and characterized. TGA experiments indicated these complexes are volatile, they can be employed as potential precursors for ALD strontium titanate (STO) or barium strontium titanate films (BST) films in semiconductor fabrication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2008
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Applicant: AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS, INC.
    Inventors: Xinjian Lei, Liam J. Quinn, Daniel P. Spence
  • Publication number: 20080254218
    Abstract: Metal source containing precursor liquid solutions for chemical vapor deposition processes, including atomic layer deposition, for fabricating conformal metal-containing films on substrates are described. More specifically, the metal source precursor liquid solutions are comprised of (i) at least one metal complex selected from ?-diketonates, ?-ketoiminates, ?-diiminates, alkyl metal, metal carbonyl, alkyl metal carbonyl, aryl metal, aryl metal carbonyl, cyclopentadienyl metal, cyclopentadienyl metal isonitrile, cyclopentadienyl metal nitrile, cyclopentadienyl metal carbonyl, metal alkoxide, metal ether alkoxide, and metal amides wherein the ligand can be monodentate, bidentate and multidentate coordinating to the metal atom and the metal is selected from group 2 to 14 elements, and (ii) a solvent selected from organic amides including linear amides and cyclic amides for such metal source containing precursors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Applicant: AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS, INC.
    Inventors: Xinjian Lei, Liam Quinn, John Anthony Thomas Norman, William Franklin Burgoyne, Gauri Sankar Lal, Michael Ulman, Daniel P. Spence