Patents by Inventor Morimichi Watanabe

Morimichi Watanabe 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: 9892950
    Abstract: A ceramic member 30 according to the present invention includes a ceramic base 32, which contains a solid solution Mg(Al)O(N) in which Al and N components are dissolved in magnesium oxide as the main phase, and an electrode 34 disposed on a portion of the ceramic base 32 and containing at least one of nitrides, carbides, carbonitrides, and metals as an electrode component. The ceramic base 32 may have an XRD peak of a (111), (200), or (220) plane of Mg(Al)O(N) measured using a CuK? ray at 2?=36.9 to 39, 42.9 to 44.8, or 62.3 to 65.2 degrees, respectively, between a magnesium oxide cubic crystal peak and an aluminum nitride cubic crystal peak.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Morimichi Watanabe, Asumi Jindo, Yuji Katsuda, Yosuke Sato, Yoshinori Isoda, Atsushi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9893234
    Abstract: Provided is a light emitting device composite substrate suitable for manufacturing large-area light emitting devices at low cost. The light emitting device composite substrate comprises a substrate composed of an oriented polycrystalline alumina sintered body, and a light emitting functional layer formed on the substrate and having two or more layers composed of semiconductor single crystal grains, wherein each of the two or more layers has a single crystal structure in a direction approximately normal to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Morimichi Watanabe, Jun Yoshikawa, Tsutomu Nanataki, Katsuhiro Imai, Tomohiko Sugiyama, Takashi Yoshino, Yukihisa Takeuchi, Kei Sato
  • Patent number: 9768352
    Abstract: Provided is a self-supporting polycrystalline GaN substrate composed of GaN-based single crystal grains having a specific crystal orientation in a direction approximately normal to the substrate. The crystal orientations of individual GaN-based single crystal grains as determined from inverse pole figure mapping by EBSD analysis on the substrate surface are distributed with tilt angles from the specific crystal orientation, the average tilt angle being 1 to 10°. There is also provided a light emitting device including the self-supporting substrate and a light emitting functional layer, which has at least one layer composed of semiconductor single crystal grains, the at least one layer having a single crystal structure in the direction approximately normal to the substrate. The present invention makes it possible to provide a self-supporting polycrystalline GaN substrate having a reduced defect density at the substrate surface, and to provide a light emitting device having a high luminous efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Morimichi Watanabe, Jun Yoshikawa, Yoshitaka Kuraoka, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • Publication number: 20170174524
    Abstract: A plate-like alumina powder production method of the present invention comprises placing a transition alumina and a fluoride in a container such that the transition alumina and the fluoride do not come into contact with each other and then performing heat treatment to obtain a plate-like ?-alumina powder. The transition alumina is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of gibbsite, boehmite, and ?-alumina. It is preferable that the amount of the fluoride used is set such that the percentage ration of F in the fluoride to the transition alumina is 0.017% by mass or more. The container preferably has a volume such that a value obtained by dividing the mass of F in the fluoride by the volume of the container is 6.5×10?5 g/cm3 or more. The heat treatment is preferably performed at the temperature of 750 to 1,650° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi FUKUI, Kei SATO, Morimichi WATANABE, Tsutomu NANATAKI
  • Publication number: 20170174574
    Abstract: An alumina sintered body according to the present invention has a degree of c-plane orientation of 90% or more as determined by Lotgering's method from an X-ray diffraction profile obtained by irradiating a plate surface with X-rays in a range of 2?=20° to 70°. The alumina sintered body has no pores when a cross-sectional surface formed in a direction perpendicular to the plate surface is polished using an Ar+ ion beam and a mask and is examined under a scanning electron microscope at a magnification of 5,000 times. The alumina sintered body has a total mass fraction of impurity elements other than Mg and C of 100 ppm or less. This alumina sintered body has a high degree of orientation, high density, and high purity and thus has a higher optical translucency than those known in the art.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi MATSUSHIMA, Morimichi WATANABE, Kei SATO, Tsutomu NANATAKI
  • Publication number: 20170166454
    Abstract: 96 parts by mass of a ?-alumina powder, 4 parts by mass of a an AlF3 powder, and 0.17 parts by mass of an ?-alumina powder as a seed crystal were mixed by a pot mill. The purities of each raw material were evaluated, and it was found that the mass ratio of each impurity element other than Al, O, F, H, C, and S was 10 ppm or less. In a high-purity alumina-made sagger having a purity of 99.9 percent by mass, 300 g of the obtained mixed powder was received, and after a high-purity alumina-made lid having a purity of 99.9 percent by mass was placed on the sagger, a heat treatment was perforated at 900° C. for 3 hours in an electric furnace in an air flow atmosphere, so that an alumina powder was obtained. The value of AlF3 mass/container volume was 0.016 g/cm3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Morimichi WATANABE, Hiroshi FUKUI, Kei SATO, Tsutomu NANATAKI
  • Publication number: 20170166484
    Abstract: A method for producing a transparent alumina sintered body includes (a) the step of preparing an alumina raw material powder containing a plate-like alumina powder having an aspect ratio of 3 or more so that the mass ratio R1 of F to Al in the alumina raw material powder is 5 ppm or more, and forming a compaction raw material containing the alumina raw material powder into a compact, and (b) the step of pressure-sintering the compact at a temperature at which F evaporate to yield a transparent alumina sintered body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi MATSUSHIMA, Morimichi WATANABE, Kei SATO, Tsutomu NANATAKI
  • Patent number: 9660138
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a light emitting device includes a) forming a first light confinement layer having a plurality of openings on or above one main surface of an oriented polycrystalline substrate, said oriented polycrystalline substrate including a plurality of oriented crystal grains; b) stacking an n-type layer, an active layer, and a p-type layer; c) forming a second light confinement layer on said first light confinement layer so that said second light confinement layer covers said plurality of first columnar structures and said second columnar structure; d) forming a transparent conductive film on said second light confinement layer; e) forming a pad electrode on said transparent conductive film; and f) forming a cathode electrode electrically connected to ends of said plurality of first columnar structures closer to said oriented polycrystalline substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Kuraoka, Shohei Oue, Masahiko Namerikawa, Morimichi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9653651
    Abstract: A light emitting device that is inexpensive, is easy to manufacture, and has high light extraction efficiency is provided. The light emitting device includes an oriented polycrystalline substrate, a plurality of columnar light emitting parts, and a light confinement layer. The oriented polycrystalline substrate includes a plurality of oriented crystal grains. The plurality of columnar light emitting parts are discretely located on or above one main surface of the oriented polycrystalline substrate in areas in which there are no crystal defects, and are each a columnar part having a longitudinal direction matching a normal direction of the oriented polycrystalline substrate. The light confinement layer is made of a material having a lower refractive index than a material for the plurality of columnar light emitting parts, and is located on or above the oriented polycrystalline substrate so as to surround the plurality of columnar light emitting parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Kuraoka, Shohei Oue, Masahiko Namerikawa, Morimichi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9640720
    Abstract: Provided is a surface light-emitting device comprising a substrate composed of an oriented polycrystalline zinc oxide sintered body in a plate shape, a light emitting functional layer provided on the substrate, and an electrode provided on the light emitting functional layer. According to the present invention, a surface light-emitting device having high luminous efficiency can be inexpensively provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Morimichi Watanabe, Katsuhiro Imai, Jun Yoshikawa, Tsutomu Nanataki, Takashi Yoshino, Yukihisa Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20170110624
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a light emitting device includes a) forming a first light confinement layer having a plurality of openings on or above one main surface of an oriented polycrystalline substrate, said oriented polycrystalline substrate including a plurality of oriented crystal grains; b) stacking an n-type layer, an active layer, and a p-type layer; c) forming a second light confinement layer on said first light confinement layer so that said second light confinement layer covers said plurality of first columnar structures and said second columnar structure; d) forming a transparent conductive film on said second light confinement layer; e) forming a pad electrode on said transparent conductive film; and f) forming a cathode electrode electrically connected to ends of said plurality of first columnar structures closer to said oriented polycrystalline substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Kuraoka, Shohei Oue, Masahiko Namerikawa, Morimichi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20170077349
    Abstract: Provided is a self-supporting polycrystalline GaN substrate composed of GaN-based single crystal grains having a specific crystal orientation in a direction approximately normal to the substrate. The crystal orientations of individual GaN-based single crystal grains as determined from inverse pole figure mapping by EBSD analysis on the substrate surface are distributed with tilt angles from the specific crystal orientation, the average tilt angle being 1 to 10°. There is also provided a light emitting device including the self-supporting substrate and a light emitting functional layer, which has at least one layer composed of semiconductor single crystal grains, the at least one layer having a single crystal structure in the direction approximately normal to the substrate. The present invention makes it possible to provide a self-supporting polycrystalline GaN substrate having a reduced defect density at the substrate surface, and to provide a light emitting device having a high luminous efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Morimichi WATANABE, Jun YOSHIKAWA, Yoshitaka KURAOKA, Tsutomu NANATAKI
  • Publication number: 20170053801
    Abstract: There is provided a production method which enables stable formation of a p-type zinc oxide film and also is suitable for enlarging the area of the film. The method for producing a p-type zinc oxide film according to the present invention comprises the steps of: placing a target containing a zinc source and a substrate in a gas atmosphere containing a nitrogen source and an oxygen source and having a gas pressure of 0.1 Pa to 100 Pa, and exposing the target to arc discharge, thereby forming a precursor film containing zinc and oxygen on the substrate; and annealing the precursor film in an oxidizing atmosphere, thereby forming a p-type zinc oxide film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2016
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Applicants: NAGOYA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Masaki TANEMURA, Morimichi WATANABE, Jun YOSHIKAWA, Tsutomu NANATAKI
  • Patent number: 9548418
    Abstract: Provided is a self-supporting gallium nitride substrate useful as an alternative material for a gallium nitride single crystal substrate, which is inexpensive and also suitable for having a large area. This substrate is composed of a plate composed of gallium nitride-based single crystal grains, wherein the plate has a single crystal structure in the approximately normal direction. This substrate can be manufactured by a method comprising providing an oriented polycrystalline sintered body; forming a seed crystal layer composed of gallium nitride on the sintered body so that the seed crystal layer has crystal orientation mostly in conformity with the crystal orientation of the sintered body; forming a layer with a thickness of 20 ?m or greater composed of gallium nitride-based crystals on the seed crystal layer so that the layer has crystal orientation mostly in conformity with crystal orientation of the seed crystal layer; and removing the sintered body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Morimichi Watanabe, Jun Yoshikawa, Tsutomu Nanataki, Katsuhiro Imai, Tomohiko Sugiyama, Takashi Yoshino, Yukihisa Takeuchi, Kei Sato
  • Patent number: 9543473
    Abstract: Provided is a self-supporting polycrystalline GaN substrate composed of GaN-based single crystal grains having a specific crystal orientation in a direction approximately normal to the substrate. The crystal orientations of individual GaN-based single crystal grains as determined from inverse pole figure mapping by EBSD analysis on the substrate surface are distributed with tilt angles from the specific crystal orientation, the average tilt angle being 1 to 10°. There is also provided a light emitting device including the self-supporting substrate and a light emitting functional layer, which has at least one layer composed of semiconductor single crystal grains, the at least one layer having a single crystal structure in the direction approximately normal to the substrate. The present invention makes it possible to provide a self-supporting polycrystalline GaN substrate having a reduced defect density at the substrate surface, and to provide a light emitting device having a high luminous efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Morimichi Watanabe, Jun Yoshikawa, Yoshitaka Kuraoka, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • Publication number: 20160293800
    Abstract: Provided is a light emitting device composite substrate suitable for manufacturing large-area light emitting devices at low cost. The light emitting device composite substrate comprises a substrate composed of an oriented polycrystalline alumina sintered body, and a light emitting functional layer formed on the substrate and having two or more layers composed of semiconductor single crystal grains, wherein each of the two or more layers has a single crystal structure in a direction approximately normal to the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Morimichi WATANABE, Jun YOSHIKAWA, Tsutomu NANATAKI, Katsuhiro IMAI, Tomohiko SUGIYAMA, Takashi YOSHINO, Yukihisa TAKEUCHI, Kei SATO
  • Patent number: 9437463
    Abstract: A heating apparatus includes a susceptor having a heating face of heating a semiconductor and a supporting part joined with a back face of the susceptor. The susceptor comprises a ceramic material comprising magnesium, aluminum, oxygen and nitrogen as main components. The material comprises a main phase comprising magnesium-aluminum oxynitride phase exhibiting an XRD peak at least in 2?=47 to 50° by CuK? X-ray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kondo, Morimichi Watanabe, Asumi Jindo, Yuji Katsuda, Yosuke Sato, Yoshinori Isoda
  • Publication number: 20160197234
    Abstract: Provided is a self-supporting polycrystalline GaN substrate composed of GaN-based single crystal grains having a specific crystal orientation in a direction approximately normal to the substrate. The crystal orientations of individual GaN-based single crystal grains as determined from inverse pole figure mapping by EBSD analysis on the substrate surface are distributed with tilt angles from the specific crystal orientation, the average tilt angle being 1 to 10°. There is also provided a light emitting device including the self-supporting substrate and a light emitting functional layer, which has at least one layer composed of semiconductor single crystal grains, the at least one layer having a single crystal structure in the direction approximately normal to the substrate. The present invention makes it possible to provide a self-supporting polycrystalline GaN substrate having a reduced defect density at the substrate surface, and to provide a light emitting device having a high luminous efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Inventors: Morimichi WATANABE, Jun YOSHIKAWA, Yoshitaka KURAOKA, Tsutomu NANATAKI
  • Publication number: 20160190392
    Abstract: A light emitting device that is inexpensive, is easy to manufacture, and has high light extraction efficiency is provided. The light emitting device includes an oriented polycrystalline substrate, a plurality of columnar light emitting parts, and a light confinement layer. The oriented polycrystalline substrate includes a plurality of oriented crystal grains. The plurality of columnar light emitting parts are discretely located on or above one main surface of the oriented polycrystalline substrate in areas in which there are no crystal defects, and are each a columnar part having a longitudinal direction matching a normal direction of the oriented polycrystalline substrate. The light confinement layer is made of a material having a lower refractive index than a material for the plurality of columnar light emitting parts, and is located on or above the oriented polycrystalline substrate so as to surround the plurality of columnar light emitting parts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Kuraoka, Shohei Oue, Masahiko Namerikawa, Morimichi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20160172541
    Abstract: Provided is a self-supporting gallium nitride substrate useful as an alternative material for a gallium nitride single crystal substrate, which is inexpensive and also suitable for having a large area. This substrate is composed of a plate composed of gallium nitride-based single crystal grains, wherein the plate has a single crystal structure in the approximately normal direction. This substrate can be manufactured by a method comprising providing an oriented polycrystalline sintered body; forming a seed crystal layer composed of gallium nitride on the sintered body so that the seed crystal layer has crystal orientation mostly in conformity with the crystal orientation of the sintered body; forming a layer with a thickness of 20 ?m or greater composed of gallium nitride-based crystals on the seed crystal layer so that the layer has crystal orientation mostly in conformity with crystal orientation of the seed crystal layer; and removing the sintered body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: Morimichi WATANABE, Jun YOSHIKAWA, Tsutomu NANATAKI, Katsuhiro IMAI, Tomohiko SUGIYAMA, Takashi YOSHINO, Yukihisa TAKEUCHI, Kei SATO