Patents by Inventor Kenneth George Irvine

Kenneth George Irvine 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).

  • Highly uniform silicon carbide epitaxial layers
    Patent number: 6297522
    Abstract: An improved chemical vapor deposition method is disclosed that increases the uniformity of silicon carbide epitaxial layers and that is particularly useful for obtaining thicker epitaxial layers. The method comprises heating a reactor to a temperature at which silicon carbide source gases will form an epitaxial layer of silicon carbide on a substrate in the reactor; and then directing a flow of source and carrier gases through the heated reactor to form an epitaxial layer of silicon carbide on the substrate with the carrier gases comprising a blend of hydrogen and a second gas in which the second gas has a thermal conductivity that is less than the thermal conductivity of hydrogen so that the source gases deplete less as they pass through the reactor than they would if hydrogen is used as the sole carrier gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Olle Claes Erik Kordina, Kenneth George Irvine, Michael James Paisley
  • Growth of very uniform silicon carbide epitaxial layers
    Patent number: 6063186
    Abstract: An improved chemical vapor deposition method is disclosed that increases the uniformity of silicon carbide epitaxial layers and that is particularly useful for obtaining thicker epitaxial layers. The method comprises heating a reactor to a temperature at which silicon carbide source gases will form an epitaxial layer of silicon carbide on a substrate in the reactor; and then directing a flow of source and carrier gases through the heated reactor to form an epitaxial layer of silicon carbide on the substrate with the carrier gases comprising a blend of hydrogen and a second gas in which the second gas has a thermal conductivity that is less than the thermal conductivity of hydrogen so that the source gases deplete less as they pass through the reactor than they would if hydrogen is used as the sole carrier gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth George Irvine, Michael James Paisley, Olle Claes Erik Kordina