Patents by Inventor Eriko Kitahara

Eriko Kitahara 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: 9758901
    Abstract: The present invention provides a vitreous silica crucible which inhibits a deformation even when used under a high temperature condition for a long time, and a method for manufacturing the same. The vitreous silica crucible comprises: a substantially cylindrical straight body portion having an opening on the top end and extending in a vertical direction, a curved bottom portion, and a corner portion connecting the straight body portion with the bottom portion and a curvature of which is greater than that of the bottom portion, wherein, the vitreous silica crucible comprises a transparent layer on the inside and a bubble layer on the outside thereof, a compressive stress layer in which compressive stress remains in the inner surface side of the transparent layer, and a tensile stress layer in which tensile stress remains and is adjacent to the compressive stress layer at a gradual rate of change of stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Ken Kitahara, Akihiro Aiba, Kazushi Ousyuya, Fumie Yoshida, Makiko Hinooka, Eriko Kitahara, Tadahiro Sato
  • Patent number: 9754052
    Abstract: An apparatus for supporting setting of a manufacturing condition of a vitreous silica crucible includes: an improved property parameter setting unit configured to, if the degree of matching between three-dimensional shapes of simulation data obtained based on an initial property parameter and measurement data falls below a predetermined level, set an improved property parameter such that the degree of matching becomes higher than or equal to the predetermined level, and an improved manufacturing condition data setting unit configured to set a manufacturing condition such that simulation data matching the design data to a degree higher than or equal to a predetermined level is obtained. By using the apparatus, it is possible to manufacture a vitreous silica crucible by rotational molding in such a manner that the three-dimensional shape thereof matches the design data to a high degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Tadahiro Sato, Eriko Kitahara, Shuji Tobita, Koichi Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20160313234
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a distortion-measuring apparatus for measuring a distortion distribution of an entire vitreous silica crucible in a non-destructive way includes: a light source 11; a first polarizer 12 and a first quarter-wave plate 13 disposed between the light source 11 and an outer surface of a vitreous silica crucible wall; a camera 14 disposed inside of a vitreous silica crucible 1; a camera control mechanism 15 configured to control a photographing direction of the camera 14; a second polarizer 16 and a second quarter-wave plate 17 disposed between the camera 14 and an inner surface of the vitreous silica crucible wall. An optical axis of the second quarter-wave plate 17 inclines 90 degrees with respect to the first quarter-wave plate 13.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 25, 2014
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Applicant: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki SUDO, Tadahiro SATO, Ken KITAHARA, Eriko KITAHARA
  • Publication number: 20160289862
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a vitreous silica crucible 1 includes a cylindrical straight body portion 10a, a corner portion 10c formed at lower end of the straight body portion 10a, and a bottom portion 10b connected with the straight body portion 10a via the corner portion 10c. Moreover, the vitreous silica crucible 1 includes a bubble-containing opaque layer 11 constituting an outer layer, and a bubble-free transparent layer 12 constituting an inner layer. A boundary surface, between the opaque layer 11 and the transparent layer 12 in at least the straight body portion 10a, forms a periodic wave surface in a vertical direction. The vitreous silica crucible can suppress deformation under high temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 25, 2014
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Applicant: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki SUDO, Tadahiro SATO, Ken KITAHARA, Eriko KITAHARA
  • Publication number: 20160201216
    Abstract: A vitreous silica crucible includes: a substantially cylindrical straight body portion having an opening on a top end and extending in a vertical direction; a curved bottom portion; and a corner portion connecting the straight body portion with the bottom portion and a curvature of which is greater than that of the bottom portion, wherein an inner surface of the crucible has a concavo-convex structure in which groove-shaped valleys are interposed between ridges, and an average interval of the ridges is 5-100 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2013
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Toshiaki SUDO, Tadahiro SATO, Ken KITAHARA, Eriko KITAHARA
  • Publication number: 20160153116
    Abstract: A method for pulling silicon single crystal includes a process of placing a molded body between a susceptor's inner surface and a crucible's outer surface. The molded body is formed based on three-dimensional data of the inner surface shape of the susceptor which can hold the vitreous silica crucible and three-dimensional data of the crucible so as to make the susceptor's central axis and the crucible's central axis substantially aligned when it is placed between the susceptor's inner surface and the crucible's outer surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2013
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Inventors: Toshiaki SUDO, Tadahiro SATO, Ken KITAHARA, Eriko KITAHARA
  • Publication number: 20160108550
    Abstract: The present invention provides a vitreous silica crucible which inhibits a deformation even when used under a high temperature condition for a long time, and a method for manufacturing the same. The vitreous silica crucible comprises: a substantially cylindrical straight body portion having an opening on the top end and extending in a vertical direction, a curved bottom portion, and a corner portion connecting the straight body portion with the bottom portion and a curvature of which is greater than that of the bottom portion, wherein, the vitreous silica crucible comprises a transparent layer on the inside and a bubble layer on the outside thereof, a compressive stress layer in which compressive stress remains in the inner surface side of the transparent layer, and a tensile stress layer in which tensile stress remains and is adjacent to the compressive stress layer at a gradual rate of change of stress.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Toshiaki SUDO, Ken KITAHARA, Akihiro AIBA, Kazushi OUSYUYA, Fumie YOSHIDA, Makiko HINOOKA, Eriko KITAHARA, Tadahiro SATO
  • Publication number: 20140352606
    Abstract: Buckling of a vitreous silica crucible or fall of a sidewall into the crucible is effectively suppressed. Furthermore, dislocations in a silicon single crystal are suppressed to enhance the yield of the single crystal. The vitreous silica crucible is used to pull single-crystal silicon and includes the cylindrical sidewall having an upward-opening rim, a mortar-shaped bottom including a curve, and a round portion connecting the sidewall and the bottom. The round portion is provided in such a manner that the curvature of the inner surface thereof is gradually increased from the sidewall toward the bottom in a section passing through the rotation axis of the vitreous silica crucible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Tadahiro Sato, Eriko Kitahara, Takeshi Fujita
  • Publication number: 20140358270
    Abstract: A vitreous silica crucible is manufactured by rotational molding in such a manner that the three-dimensional shape thereof matches design data to a high degree. If the degree of matching between three-dimensional shapes of simulation data obtained based on initial property parameters and measurement data falls below a predetermined level, improved property parameters are set such that the degree of matching becomes higher than or equal to the predetermined level. If the degree of matching between three-dimensional shapes of simulation data obtained based on initial manufacturing conditions and the measurement data falls below a predetermined level, improved manufacturing conditions are set such that simulation data matching design data to a degree higher than or equal to the predetermined level is obtained. As a result, the degree of matching between the three-dimensional shapes of the design data and measurement data of the vitreous silica crucible can be enhanced to the predetermined level or higher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Toshiaki SUDO, Tadahiro SATO, Eriko KITAHARA, Shuji TOBITA, Koichi SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20140326172
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for evaluating a vitreous silica crucible which can measure a three-dimensional shape of the inner surface of the crucible in a non-destructive manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Applicant: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Tadahiro Sato, Ken Kitahara, Eriko Kitahara, Makiko Kodama