Patents by Inventor Oliviero Diana

Oliviero Diana 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: 20180078976
    Abstract: Elemental fluorine is often manufactured electrochemically from a solution of KF in hydrogen fluoride (HF) and contains varying amounts of HF as impurity. The present disclosure relates to a method for chamber cleaning using F2 containing more than 0.1% by weight and equal to or less than 10% by weight of HF. Surprisingly, such an F2 is very well suited for the purpose of chamber cleaning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventor: Oliviero DIANA
  • Patent number: 9757775
    Abstract: Elemental fluorine is often manufactured electrochemically from a solution of KF in hydrogen fluoride and contains varying amounts of HF as impurity. The present invention provides a method for chamber cleaning using F2 which contains more than 0.1% by weight and equal to or less than 10% by weight of HF. Surprisingly, such an F2 is very well suited for the purpose of chamber cleaning. In a preferred embodiment, the F2 which contains more than 0.1% by weight and less than 2.5% by weight of HF is electrolytically produced, cleaned, delivered and used on site, without any pressurizing treatment. Omitting cleaning steps and process and using process conditions leaving a relatively high HF content in the F2 allows at the same time to omit pressurizing steps. The advantage is that less cleaning steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: SOLVAY SA
    Inventor: Oliviero Diana
  • Patent number: 9334574
    Abstract: A hydrogen fluoride supply unit which comprises a plurality of transportable hydrogen fluoride storage containers connected to a hydrogen fluoride supply line and a chemical plant comprising the hydrogen fluoride supply unit. Such chemical plant may be for the manufacture of fluorine, wherein the hydrogen fluoride supply line is connected to an electrolysis cell for producing fluorine by HF electrolysis of a molten salt electrolyte. A process for the manufacture of a chemical comprising using such chemical plant. Also a method for supply of hydrogen fluoride to a chemical plant, which comprises: (a) filling at least one transportable hydrogen fluoride storage container with hydrogen fluoride, (b) transporting the hydrogen fluoride storage container to the hydrogen fluoride supply unit, (c) connecting the hydrogen fluoride storage container to the hydrogen fluoride supply line, and (d) supplying hydrogen fluoride from the hydrogen fluoride storage container to the hydrogen fluoride supply line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: SOLVAY SA
    Inventors: Alain Fobelets, Philippe Morelle, Oliviero Diana, Peter M. Predikant, Maurizio Paganin
  • Publication number: 20150209838
    Abstract: Elemental fluorine is often manufactured electrochemically from a solution of KF in hydrogen fluoride and contains varying amounts of HF as impurity. The present invention provides a method for chamber cleaning using F2 which contains more than 0.1% by weight and equal to or less than 10% by weight ofHF. Surprisingly, such an F2 is very well suited for the purpose of chamber cleaning. In a preferred embodiment, the F2 which contains more than 0.1% by weight and less than 2.5% by weight of HF is electrolytically produced, cleaned, delivered and used on site, without any pressurizing treatment. Omitting cleaning steps and process and using process conditions leaving a relatively high HF content in the F2 allows at the same time to omit pressurizing steps. The advantage is that less cleaning steps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Inventor: Oliviero Diana
  • Patent number: 8821821
    Abstract: Elemental fluorine is often manufactured electrochemically from a solution of KF in hydrogen fluoride and contains varying amounts of entrained electrolyte salt in solid form as impurity. The invention concerns a process for the purification of such impure elemental fluorine by contact with liquid hydrogen fluoride, e.g., in a jet gas scrubber or by bubbling the raw fluorine through liquid hydrogen fluoride. After this purification step, any entrained hydrogen fluoride is removed by adsorption, condensing it out or both. After passing through a filter with very small pores, the purified fluorine is especially suited for the semiconductor industry as etching gas or as chamber cleaning gas in the manufacture of semiconductors, TFTs and solar cells, or for the manufacture of micro-electromechanical systems (“MEMS”).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Solvay SA
    Inventors: Oliviero Diana, Peter M. Predikant, Philippe Morelle, Maurizio Paganin, Christoph Sommer
  • Publication number: 20130180609
    Abstract: A hydrogen fluoride supply unit which comprises a plurality of transportable hydrogen fluoride storage containers connected to a hydrogen fluoride supply line and a chemical plant comprising the hydrogen fluoride supply unit. Such chemical plant may be for the manufacture of fluorine, wherein the hydrogen fluoride supply line is connected to an electrolysis cell for producing fluorine by HF electrolysis of a molten salt electrolyte. A process for the manufacture of a chemical comprising using such chemical plant. Also a method for supply of hydrogen fluoride to a chemical plant, which comprises: (a) filling at least one transportable hydrogen fluoride storage container with hydrogen fluoride, (b) transporting the hydrogen fluoride storage container to the hydrogen fluoride supply unit, (c) connecting the hydrogen fluoride storage container to the hydrogen fluoride supply line, and (d) supplying hydrogen fluoride from the hydrogen fluoride storage container to the hydrogen fluoride supply line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: SOLVAY SA
    Inventors: Alain Fobelets, Philippe Morelle, Oliviero Diana, Peter M. Predikant, Maurizio Paganin
  • Publication number: 20130175161
    Abstract: A fluorine gas manufacturing plant wherein F2 is manufactured by the electrolysis of KF/HF compositions. The plant comprises skid modules for: HF storage, the electrolytic cells, storage and purification of the manufactured F2 raw gas, for fluorine gas delivery including a single buffer tank or multiple storage units, scrubbers to provide purified waste gas, for providing cooling water circuits, analysis, electrical rectifiers, an electrical sub-station with transformers and emergency supply, and for utilities including a control room with laboratory and a rest room for the personnel. The advantage of the skids is that they can be separately manufactured in workshops, tested, transported to the facility and assembled there. A great advantage is the safety aspect, a reliable F2 production for 24 hours and 7 days a week of high purity F2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: SOLVAY SA
    Inventors: Philippe Morelle, Oliviero Diana, Peter M. Predikant, Joachim Lange, Holger Pernice, Francis Feys, Alain Fobelets, Maurizio Paganin
  • Publication number: 20130130505
    Abstract: Elemental fluorine is often manufactured electrochemically from a solution of KF in hydrogen fluoride and contains varying amounts of entrained electrolyte salt in solid form as impurity. The invention concerns a process for the purification of such impure elemental fluorine by contact with liquid hydrogen fluoride, e.g., in a jet gas scrubber or by bubbling the raw fluorine through liquid hydrogen fluoride. After this purification step, any entrained hydrogen fluoride is removed by adsorption, condensing it out or both. After passing through a filter with very small pores, the purified fluorine is especially suited for the semiconductor industry as etching gas or as chamber cleaning gas in the manufacture of semiconductors, TFTs and solar cells, or for the manufacture of micro-electromechanical systems (“MEMS”).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: SOLVAY SA
    Inventors: Oliviero Diana, Peter M. Predikant, Philippe Morelle, Maurizio Paganin, Christoph Sommer
  • Publication number: 20130023126
    Abstract: Elemental fluorine is used as etching agent for the manufacture of electronic devices, especially semiconductor devices, micro-electromechanical devices, thin film transistors, flat panel displays and solar panels, and as chamber cleaning agent mainly for plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) apparatus. For this purpose, fluorine often is produced on-site. The invention provides a process for the manufacture of electronic devices wherein fluorine is produced on site and is purified from HF by a low temperature treatment. A pressure of between 1.5 and 20 Bars absolute is especially advantageous.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: SOLVAY SA
    Inventors: Christoph Sommer, Oliviero Diana, Johannes Eicher, Ercan Uenveren, Stefan Mross, Holger Pernice, Peter M. Predikant, Thomas Schwarze, Reiner Fischer