Patents by Inventor Seiichiro Otsuka

Seiichiro Otsuka 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: 6113686
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for growing and manufacturing a single crystal according to a so-called Czochralski (CZ) method. A seed crystal 12 is connected to a tip end of a wire 41a as a hanging member 41 to pull and form a single crystal part 15, arm-shaped members 44a of a lifting jig 44 are engaged in a recess 16 of a corrugated portion 14 formed on the single crystal part 15 during the pulling operation, the pulling speeds of both of the arm-shaped members 44a and wire 41a are synchronously controlled to provide smooth transfer between the arm-shaped members 44a and wire 41a, whereby the single crystal part 15 is pulled always at a constant pulling speed. In particular, a heavy-weight single crystal can be safely pulled and formed without any dislocation therein while minimizing an impact force applied to the crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiichi Iino, Yasushi Nakamura, Seiichiro Otsuka, Koji Midzuishi, Masanori Kimura, Hirotoshi Yamagishi
  • Patent number: 5910216
    Abstract: In a crystal holding apparatus, a corrugated portion between a seed crystal and a straight cylindrical portion of a crystal is held by a lifting jig during a single-crystal growing process wherein the seed crystal is brought into contact with a material melt and is subsequently pulled while being rotated. The tip end portion of the lifting jig includes a swinging portion having a short stroke which swings to hold or release the corrugated portion. A lock mechanism is also provided in order to swing the swinging portion for opening/closing operation and to lock the swinging portion. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably hold the corrugated portion of a crystal while the crystal is pulled in accordance with the CZ method, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1999
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Nakamura, Seiichiro Otsuka
  • Patent number: 5879448
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for pulling a single crystal are disclosed. A first neck portion, a convex portion, and a second neck portion are formed in this order under a seed crystal held by a seed chuck, and subsequent to the second neck portion, a single crystal having a diameter-expanding portion and a straight cylindrical portion is formed. Lifting holders are brought around and in proximity to the second neck portion when the second neck portion rises to a predetermined position during the pulling by the seed chuck. The single crystal and the lifting holders are moved relative to each other in the vertical direction to thereby bring the convex portion into contact with the lifting holders in a resting manner, so that part of a load borne by the seed chuck is shifted to the lifting holders. Subsequently, the pulling operation is performed by the lifting holders. Accordingly, a single crystal having a larger weight can be pulled safely while maintaining high quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiko Urano, Yasushi Nakamura, Seiichiro Otsuka, Eiichi Iino
  • Patent number: 4916955
    Abstract: A load measuring device for measuring the pulling up load of a monocystalline rod (38) grown by the Czochralski method utilizes a strain gauge (20). The monocrystalline rod (38) is pulled up by wire rope (36) consisting of multiple strands. The pulley (34) guiding the wire rope between a drum (36) and a crystal holder (44) has a guide groove which has a cross-sectional shape which is substantially identical to a semicircle circumscribing the wire rope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Handotai Company, Limited
    Inventors: Nobuo Katsuoka, Kouji Mizuishi, Yoshihiro Hirano, Kenichi Sato, Seiichiro Otsuka