Patents by Inventor Pius Grunenfelder

Pius Grunenfelder 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: 6860977
    Abstract: A workpiece is manufactured using a magnetron source that has an optimized yield of sputtered-off material as well as service life of the target. Good distribution values of the layer on the workpiece are obtained that are stable over the entire target service life, and a concave sputter face in a configuration with small target-to-workpiece distance is combined with a magnet system to form the magnetron electron trap in which the outer pole of the magnetron electron trap is stationary and an eccentrically disposed inner pole with a second outer pole part is rotatable about the central source axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: Unaxis Balzers Limited
    Inventors: Bernd Heinz, Martin Dubs, Thomas Eisenhammer, Pius Grunenfelder, Walter Haag, Stanislav Kadlec, Siegfried Krassnitzer
  • Publication number: 20040149565
    Abstract: A workpiece is manufactured using a magnetron source that has an optimized yield of sputtered-off material as well as service life of the target. Good distribution values of the layer on the workpiece are obtained that are stable over the entire target service life, and a concave sputter face in a configuration with small target-to-workpiece distance is combined with a magnet system to form the magnetron electron trap in which the outer pole of the magnetron electron trap is stationary and an eccentrically disposed inner pole with a second outer pole part is rotatable about the central source axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Applicant: Unaxis Balzers Limited
    Inventors: Bernd Heinz, Martin Dubs, Thomas Eisenhammer, Pius Grunenfelder, Walter Haag, Stanislav Kadlec, Siegfried Krassnitzer
  • Patent number: 6682637
    Abstract: To optimize the yield of sputtered-off material as well as the service life of the target on a magnetron source, in which simultaneously good attainable distribution values of the layer on the substrate, stable over the entire target service life, a concave sputter face 20 in a configuration with small target-substrate distance d is combined with a magnet system to form the magnetron electron trap in which the outer pole 3 of the magnetron electron trap is disposed stationarily and an eccentrically disposed inner pole 4 with a second outer pole part 11 is developed rotatable about the central source axis 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Unaxis Balzers Limited
    Inventors: Bernd Heinz, Martin Dubs, Thomas Eisenhammer, Pius Grunenfelder, Walter Haag, Stanislav Kadlec, Siegfried Krassnitzer
  • Patent number: 6679977
    Abstract: A method for producing flat panels for TFT or plasma display applications includes forming a sputter source within a sputter coating chamber, the source having at least two electrically mutually isolated stationery bar-shaped target arrangements. A controlled magnet arrangement provided under each target with a time-varying magnetron field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: Unakis Trading AG
    Inventors: Walter Haag, Pius Grunenfelder, Urs Schwendener, Markus Schlegel, Siegfried Krassnitzer
  • Publication number: 20030136671
    Abstract: To optimize the yield of sputtered-off material as well as the service life of the target on a magnetron source, in which simultaneously good attainable distribution values of the layer on the substrate, stable over the entire target service life, a concave sputter face 20 in a configuration with small target-substrate distance d is combined with a magnet system to form the magnetron electron trap in which the outer pole 3 of the magnetron electron trap is disposed stationarily and an eccentrically disposed inner pole 4 with a second outer pole part 11 is developed rotatable about the central source axis 6.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2002
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Inventors: Bernd Heinz, Martin Dubs, Thomas Eisenhammer, Pius Grunenfelder, Walter Haag, Stanislav Kadlec, Siegfried Krassnitzer
  • Publication number: 20030062255
    Abstract: A method for producing flat panels for TFT or plasma display applications includes forming a sputter source within a sputter coating chamber, the source having at least two electrically mutually isolated stationery bar-shaped target arrangements. A controlled magnet arrangement provided under each target with a time-varying magnetron field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Inventors: Walter Haag, Pius Grunenfelder, Urs Schwendener, Markus Schlegel, Siegfried Krassnitzer
  • Patent number: 6454920
    Abstract: A sputter source has at least two electrically mutually isolated stationar bar-shaped target arrangements mounted one alongside the other and separated by respective slits. Each of the target arrangements includes a respective electric pad so that each target arrangement may be operated electrically independently from the other target arrangement. Each target arrangement also has a controlled magnet arrangement for generating a time-varying magnetron field upon the respective target arrangement. The magnet arrangements may be controlled independently from each others. The source further has an anode arrangement with anodes alongside and between the target arrangements and/or along smaller sides of the target arrangements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Unaxis Trading AG
    Inventors: Walter Haag, Pius Grunenfelder, Urs Schwendener, Markus Schlegel, Siegfried Krassnitzer
  • Publication number: 20020036133
    Abstract: A sputter source has at least two electrically mutually isolated stationar bar-shaped target arrangements mounted one alongside the other and separated by respective slits. Each of the target arrangements includes a respective electric pad so that each target arrangement may be operated electrically independently from the other target arrangement. Each target arrangement also has a controlled magnet arrangement for generating a time-varying magnetron field upon the respective target arrangement. The magnet arrangements may be controlled independently from each others. The source further has an anode arrangement with anodes alongside and between the target arrangements and/or along smaller sides of the target arrangements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2001
    Publication date: March 28, 2002
    Applicant: Unaxis Trading AG
    Inventors: Walter Haag, Pius Grunenfelder, Urs Schwendener, Markus Schlegel, Siegfried Krassnitzer
  • Patent number: 6284106
    Abstract: A method for producing flat panels for TFT or plasma display applications includes forming a sputter source within a sputter coating chamber, the source having at least two electrically mutually isolated stationery bar-shaped target arrangements. A controlled magnet arrangement provided under each target with a time-varying magnetron field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Unaxis Trading AG
    Inventors: Walter Haag, Pius Grunenfelder, Urs Schwendener, Markus Schlegel, Siegfried Krassnitzer
  • Patent number: 6093293
    Abstract: A sputter source has at least two electrically mutually isolated stationary bar-shaped target arrangements mounted one alongside the other and separated by respective slits. Each of the target arrangements includes a respective electric pad so that each target arrangement may be operated electrically independently from the other target arrangement. Each target arrangement also has a controlled magnet arrangement for generating a time-varying magnetron field upon the respective target arrangement. The magnet arrangements may be controlled independently from each other. The source further has an anode arrangement with anodes alongside and between the target arrangements and/or along smaller sides of the target arrangements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: Balzers Hochvakuum AG
    Inventors: Walter Haag, Pius Grunenfelder, Urs Schwendener, Markus Schlegel, Siegfried Krassnitzer
  • Patent number: 5399253
    Abstract: A plasma generating device to treat substrates in a vacuum chamber, includes a cathode which, at its upper surface, contains the material to be treated in the form of a target. At least one magnetic device is provided at the back side of the target, to generate, in the area of the cathode surface, at least one tunnel-like magnet field which forms tunnel foot poles on the cathode surface, whereby the tunnel-like field extends at least along a part of a horizontal tunnel axis. The magnetic device includes a mechanism for displacing at least one of the tunnel foot poles perpendicular to the horizontal tunnel axis. The magnetic device also includes a fixed first magnetic pole generating device and surrounding, as a closed frame, at least a second magnetic pole generating device which contains the mechanism for displacing the corresponding tunnel foot pole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1995
    Assignee: Balzers Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Pius Grunenfelder