Patents by Inventor Gianluca Valente

Gianluca Valente 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: 20100037825
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a reaction chamber (1) for an epitaxial reactor, provided with walls delimiting an inner cavity (10), specifically a lower wall (3) and an upper wall (2) and at least two side walls (4,5); the lower wall (3) and the upper wall (2) have different configurations and/or are made of different materials; this allows the lower wall (3) to be heated to a higher temperature than the upper wall (2). The present invention also relates to a method for heating a reaction chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Applicant: LPE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Gianluca Valente, Giacomo Nicolao Maccalli, Danilo Crippa, Franco Preti
  • Publication number: 20100031885
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a reactor (1) for growing crystals of a material, in particular of silicon carbide or a third-group nitride; it comprises a chamber (2) divided into a first zone (21) and a second zone (22), said division being accomplished through a dividing wall (3) having at least one opening (31) which puts said first and second zones (21,22) in communication with each other, injection means (41,42) adapted to supply said first zone (21) with at least one precursor gas of said material, exhaust means (5) adapted to discharge exhaust gases from said second zone (22), support means (6) located in said second zone (22) and adapted to support a growing crystal, and heating means (71,72) adapted to keep said first and second zones (21,22) at a temperature between 2000° C. and 2600° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2007
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Inventors: Claudio Pelosi, Vittorio Pozzetti, Natale Speciale, Gianluca Valente, Sonia De Angelis, Danilo Crippa, Franco Preti
  • Patent number: 7615121
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a susceptor system for an apparatus of the type adapted to treat substrates and/or wafers; the susceptor system is provided with a cavity (1) which acts as a chamber for the treatment of the substrates and/or wafers and which extends in a longitudinal direction and is delimited by an upper wall (2), by a lower wall (3), by a right-hand side wall (4), and by a left-hand side wall (5); the upper wall (2) is constituted by at least one piece of electrically conducting material suitable for being heated by electromagnetic induction; the lower wall (3) is constituted by at least one piece of electrically conducting material suitable for being heated by electromagnetic induction; the right-hand side wall (4) is constituted by at least one piece of inert, refractory and electrically insulating material; the left-hand side wall (5) is constituted by at least one piece of inert, refractory and electrically insulating material; the piece of the upper wall (2) is thus electrically well i
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: E.T.C. Epitaxial Technology Center SRL
    Inventors: Giacomo Nicolao Maccalli, Gianluca Valente, Olle Kordina, Franco Preti, Danilo Crippa
  • Patent number: 7488922
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a susceptor system for an apparatus for the treatment of substrates and/or wafers, provided with a treatment chamber (1) delimited by at least two walls and with at least one heating solenoid (9); the susceptor system comprises at least one susceptor element (2, 3) delimited by an outer surface and made of electrically conducting material suitable for being heated by electromagnetic induction; the susceptor element (2, 3) is hollow; a first portion of the outer surface of the susceptor element (2, 3) is suitable for acting as a wall of the treatment chamber (1); a second portion of the outer surface of the susceptor element (2, 3) is suitable for being disposed close to the heating solenoid (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: E.T.C. Epitaxial Technology Center SRL
    Inventors: Giacomo Nicolao Maccalli, Olle Kordina, Gianluca Valente, Danilo Crippa, Franco Preti
  • Publication number: 20080202424
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device (1) for introducing reaction gases into a reaction chamber of an epitaxial reactor; the device (1) comprises a gas supply pipe (2) and a cooling member (3) situated at one end of the supply pipe (2) and able to cool the supply pipe (2) and thereby the gas flowing inside it.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2006
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: LPE SPA
    Inventors: Vittorio Pozzetti, Natale Speciale, Gianluca Valente, Franco Preti
  • Publication number: 20080190357
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a susceptor (3) for epitaxial reactors, comprising a body (31) provided typically with at least one recess (311) for housing substrates on which epitaxial growth is performed; the susceptor (3) comprises a projecting part (32) able to be gripped by a tool (9) so as to be introduced into and extracted from a reaction chamber (12) of an epitaxial reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2006
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Applicant: LPE S.P.A.
    Inventors: Ingemar Karlsson, Gianluca Valente, Danilo Crippa, Franco Preti
  • Patent number: 7387687
    Abstract: A system for an apparatus of the type adapted to treat substrates and/or wafers is described and comprises a stationary base element and a movable support for at least one substrate or at least one wafer, the support being rotatable above the element about a stationary axis; a chamber, and at least one duct is provided for the admission of at least one gas-flow to the chamber in order to raise the support; the system also comprises means for converting the flow of gas into the chamber into rotation of the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: E.T.C. Epitaxial Technology Center SRL
    Inventors: Natale Speciale, Gianluca Valente, Danilo Crippa, Franco Preti
  • Publication number: 20070264807
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for cleaning the reaction chamber (12) of a CVD reactor, comprising the steps of heating the chamber walls to a suitable temperature and introducing a gas flow into the chamber, this cleaning process may be advantageously used within an operating process of a CVD reactor for depositing semiconductor material onto substrates inside a chamber; this operating process envisages a growth process comprising the sequential and cyclical loading of the substrates into the chamber (12), deposition of semiconductor material onto the substrates and unloading of the substrates from the chamber (12); after unloading a process for cleaning the chamber (12) is performed. The invention also relates to process for cleaning the entire CVD reactor, which envisages, together with heating, the presence of chemical etching components in the gas flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Publication date: November 15, 2007
    Inventors: Stefano Leone, Marco Mauceri, Giuseppe Abbondanza, Danilo Crippa, Gianluca Valente, Maurizio Masi, Franco Preti
  • Publication number: 20060283389
    Abstract: A system for growing silicon carbide crystals on substrates is described and comprises a chamber (1) which extends along an axis, wherein the chamber (1) has separate input means (2, ;) for gases containing carbon and for gases containing silicon, substrate support means (4) disposed in a first end zone (ZI) of the chambe, exhaust output means (5) disposed in the vicinity of the support means (4), and heating means adapted for beating the chamber (1) to a temperature greater than 1800° C.?; the input means (2) for gases containing silicon are positioned, shaped and dimensioned in a manner such that the gases containing silicon enter in a second end zone (Z2) of the chamber; the input means (3) for gases containing carbon are positioned shaped and dimensioned in a manner such that the carbon and tire silicon come substantially into contact in a central zone (ZC) of the chamber remote both from the first end zone (ZI) and from the second end zone (Z2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2005
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Inventors: GianLuca Valente, Vittorio Pozzetti, Olle Kordina, Maurizio Masi, Natale Speciale, Danilo Crippa, Franco Preti
  • Publication number: 20060275104
    Abstract: A support system (1) for an apparatus of the type able to treat substrates and/or wafers is described, said system comprising a fixed base element (10) having a substantially flat surface in which a substantially cylindrical seat (11) with a substantially flat bottom is formed, and a movable support element (20) having a substantially disc-shaped form, being housed inside the seat (11), being able to rotate about the axis of the seat (11) and having a substantially flat upper side provided with at least one cavity (21) for a substrate or wafer and a substantially flat bottom side; one or more passages (12) for one or more gas flows are provided, which passages (12) emerge inside the seat (11) in directions which are inclined and preferably skew with respect to its axis, in such a way as to lift and rotate the support element (20).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2004
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Applicant: E.T.C. Epitaxial Technology Center S R L
    Inventors: Natale Speciale, Gianluca Valente, Danilo Crippa
  • Publication number: 20060118048
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a susceptor system for an apparatus of the type adapted to treat substrates and/or wafers; the susceptor system is provided with a cavity (1) which acts as a chamber for the treatment of the substrates and/or wafers and which extends in a longitudinal direction and is delimited by an upper wall (2), by a lower wall (3), by a right-hand side wall (4), and by a left-hand side wall (5); the upper wall (2) is constituted by at least one piece of electrically conducting material suitable for being heated by electromagnetic induction; the lower wall (3) is constituted by at least one piece of electrically conducting material suitable for being heated by electromagnetic induction; the right-hand side wall (4) is constituted by at least one piece of inert, refractory and electrically insulating material; the left-hand side wall (5) is constituted by at least one piece of inert, refractory and electrically insulating material; the piece of the upper wall (2) is thus electrically well i
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Inventors: Giacomo Maccalli, Gianluca Valente, Olle Kordina, Franco Preti, Danilo Crippa
  • Publication number: 20060081187
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a susceptor system for an apparatus for the treatment of substrates and/or wafers, provided with a treatment chamber (1) delimited by at least two walls and with at least one heating solenoid (9); the susceptor system comprises at least one susceptor element (2, 3) delimited by an outer surface and made of electrically conducting material suitable for being heated by electromagnetic induction; the susceptor element (2, 3) is hollow; a first portion of the outer surface of the susceptor element (2, 3) is suitable for acting as a wall of the treatment chamber (1); a second portion of the outer surface of the susceptor element (2, 3) is suitable for being disposed close to the heating solenoid (9).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Inventors: Giacomo Maccalli, Olle Kordina, Gianluca Valente, Danilo Crippa, Franco Preti
  • Publication number: 20060008661
    Abstract: A method of depositing silicon carbide on a substrate, including placing a substrate in a low pressure chemical vapor deposition chamber; flowing a single source precursor gas containing silicon and carbon into the chamber; maintaining the chamber at a pressure not less than approximately 5 mTorr; and maintaining the substrate temperature less than approximately 900° C. The Method also includes a method for depositing a nitrogen doped silicon carbide by the addition of nitrogen containing gas into the chamber along with flowing a single source precursor gas containing silicon and carbon into the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2004
    Publication date: January 12, 2006
    Inventors: Muthu Wijesundara, Gianluca Valente, Roger Howe, Albert Pisano, Carlo Carraro, Roya Maboudian