Patents by Inventor Shozo Shirai

Shozo Shirai 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: 12237435
    Abstract: A solar cell includes a light-receiving surface electrode formed on a light-receiving surface, a back surface electrode formed on a backside, and a CZ silicon single crystal substrate doped with gallium. The CZ silicon single crystal substrate contains 12 ppm or more oxygen atoms. A spiral oxygen-induced defect is not observed in an EL (electroluminescence) image of the solar cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Otsuka, Shozo Shirai
  • Publication number: 20240417883
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an underlying substrate for a single crystal diamond laminate substrate, the method including the steps of: preparing an initial substrate; forming an intermediate layer consisting of a single layer or a laminated film containing at least a single crystal Ir film or a single crystal MgO film on the initial substrate; wherein the single crystal Ir film or single crystal MgO film constituting the intermediate layer is formed using a mist CVD method. This makes it possible to provide a method for manufacturing an underlying substrate on which a high quality single crystal diamond layer which is applicable to electronic/magnetic devices, has a large area (large diameter), and having high crystallinity, few hillocks, abnormally grown particles, dislocation defects, with high purity and low stress can be formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2022
    Publication date: December 19, 2024
    Applicant: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hitoshi NOGUCHI, Hiroshi HASHIGAMI, Shozo SHIRAI
  • Publication number: 20240136464
    Abstract: A solar cell includes a light-receiving surface electrode formed on a light-receiving surface, a back surface electrode formed on a backside, and a CZ silicon single crystal substrate doped with gallium. The CZ silicon single crystal substrate contains 12 ppm or more oxygen atoms. A spiral oxygen-induced defect is not observed in an EL (electroluminescence) image of the solar cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki OTSUKA, Shozo SHIRAI
  • Patent number: 11901475
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for manufacturing a substrate for a solar cell composed of a single crystal silicon, including the steps of: producing a silicon single crystal ingot; slicing a silicon substrate from the silicon single crystal ingot; and subjecting the silicon substrate to low temperature thermal treatment at a temperature of 800° C. or more and less than 1200° C., wherein the silicon single crystal ingot or the silicon substrate is subjected to high temperature thermal treatment at a temperature of 1200° C. or more for 30 seconds or more before the low temperature thermal treatment. As a result, it is possible to provide a method for manufacturing a substrate for a solar cell that can prevent decrease in the minority carrier lifetime of the substrate even when the substrate has higher oxygen concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Otsuka, Shozo Shirai
  • Publication number: 20240022229
    Abstract: A composite substrate that is obtained by bonding a silicon (Si) wafer having an interstitial oxygen concentration of 2 to 10 ppma to a piezoelectric material substrate as a support substrate, and thinning the piezoelectric material substrate after the bonding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoji AKIYAMA, Shozo SHIRAI, Masayuki TANNO
  • Patent number: 11804818
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a composite substrate that includes bonding a silicon (Si) wafer having an interstitial oxygen concentration of 2 to 10 ppma to a piezoelectric material substrate as a support substrate, and thinning the piezoelectric material substrate after the bonding. The piezoelectric material substrate is particularly preferably a lithium tantalate wafer (LT) substrate or a lithium niobate (LN) substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shoji Akiyama, Shozo Shirai, Masayuki Tanno
  • Publication number: 20230175170
    Abstract: A composite substrate is resistant to the development of cracks, thereby not having deteriorating properties even when exposed to high-temperatures or low temperatures, and a method is provided for producing the composite substrate. The composite substrate 10 of the present invention has a supporting substrate 2, a stress relaxing interlayer 3, and an oxide single-crystal thin film 1 stacked in the listed order. The stress relaxing interlayer 3 has a thermal expansion coefficient between that of the supporting substrate 2 and that of the oxide single-crystal thin film 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Shoji AKIYAMA, Masayuki TANNO, Shozo SHIRAI
  • Patent number: 11606073
    Abstract: Provided is a composite substrate for surface acoustic wave device which does not cause peeling of an entire surface of a piezoelectric single crystal film even when heating the film to 400° C. or higher in a step after bonding. The composite substrate is formed by providing a piezoelectric single crystal substrate and a support substrate, forming a film made of an inorganic material on at least one of the piezoelectric single crystal substrate and the support substrate, and joining the piezoelectric single crystal substrate with the support substrate so as to sandwich the film made of the inorganic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shoji Akiyama, Masayuki Tanno, Shozo Shirai
  • Patent number: 11066757
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a diamond substrate, including: a first step of preparing patterned diamond on a foundation surface, a second step of growing diamond from the patterned diamond prepared in the first step to form the diamond in a pattern gap of the patterned diamond prepared in the first step, a third step of removing the patterned diamond prepared in the first step to form a patterned diamond composed of the diamond formed in the second step, and a fourth step of growing diamond from the patterned diamond formed in the third step to form the diamond in a pattern gap of the patterned diamond formed in the third step. There can be provided a method for manufacturing a diamond substrate which can sufficiently suppress dislocation defects, a high-quality diamond substrate, and a freestanding diamond substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, National University Corporation Kanazawa University
    Inventors: Hitoshi Noguchi, Shozo Shirai, Toshiharu Makino, Masahiko Ogura, Hiromitsu Kato, Hiroyuki Kawashima, Daisuke Kuwabara, Satoshi Yamasaki, Daisuke Takeuchi, Norio Tokuda, Takao Inokuma, Tsubasa Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10886890
    Abstract: Provided is a high-performance composite substrate for surface acoustic wave device which has good temperature characteristics and in which spurious caused by the reflection of a wave on a joined interface between a piezoelectric crystal film and a support substrate is reduced. The composite substrate for surface acoustic wave device includes: a piezoelectric single crystal substrate; and a support substrate, where, at a portion of a joined interface between the piezoelectric single crystal substrate and the support substrate, at least one of the piezoelectric single crystal substrate and the support substrate has an uneven structure, a ratio of an average length RSm of elements in a cross-sectional curve of the uneven structure to a wavelength ? of a surface acoustic wave when the substrate is used as a surface acoustic wave device is equal to or more than 0.2 and equal to or less than 7.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shoji Akiyama, Masayuki Tanno, Shozo Shirai
  • Publication number: 20200144441
    Abstract: A solar cell includes a light-receiving surface electrode formed on a light-receiving surface, a back surface electrode formed on a backside, and a CZ silicon single crystal substrate doped with gallium. The CZ silicon single crystal substrate contains 12 ppm or more oxygen atoms. A spiral oxygen-induced defect is not observed in an EL (electroluminescence) image of the solar cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2020
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Applicant: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki OTSUKA, Shozo SHIRAI
  • Publication number: 20190386640
    Abstract: A composite substrate capable of maintaining high resistance after processing at 300° C. and a method of manufacturing the composite substrate are provided. The composite substrate according to the present invention is manufactured by bonding a silicon (Si) wafer having an interstitial oxygen concentration of 2 to 10 ppma to a piezoelectric material substrate as a support substrate, and thinning the piezoelectric material substrate after the bonding. The piezoelectric material substrate is particularly preferably a lithium tantalate wafer (LT) substrate or a lithium niobate (LN) substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicant: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoji AKIYAMA, Shozo SHIRAI, Masayuki TANNO
  • Publication number: 20190288661
    Abstract: Provided is a high-performance composite substrate for surface acoustic wave device which has good temperature characteristics and in which spurious caused by the reflection of a wave on a joined interface between a piezoelectric crystal film and a support substrate is reduced. The composite substrate for surface acoustic wave device includes: a piezoelectric single crystal substrate; and a support substrate, where, at a portion of a joined interface between the piezoelectric single crystal substrate and the support substrate, at least one of the piezoelectric single crystal substrate and the support substrate has an uneven structure, a ratio of an average length RSm of elements in a cross-sectional curve of the uneven structure to a wavelength ? of a surface acoustic wave when the substrate is used as a surface acoustic wave device is equal to or more than 0.2 and equal to or less than 7.0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2017
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Applicant: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shoji AKIYAMA, Masayuki TANNO, Shozo SHIRAI
  • Publication number: 20190280666
    Abstract: Provided is a composite substrate for surface acoustic wave device which does not cause peeling of an entire surface of a piezoelectric single crystal film even when heating the film to 400° C. or higher in a step after bonding. The composite substrate is formed by providing a piezoelectric single crystal substrate and a support substrate, forming a film made of an inorganic material on at least one of the piezoelectric single crystal substrate and the support substrate, and joining the piezoelectric single crystal substrate with the support substrate so as to sandwich the film made of the inorganic material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Applicant: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shoji AKIYAMA, Masayuki TANNO, Shozo SHIRAI
  • Patent number: 10253426
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a diamond substrate, including: a first step of preparing patterned diamond on a foundation surface, a second step of growing diamond from the patterned diamond prepared in the first step to form the diamond in a pattern gap of the patterned diamond prepared in the first step, a third step of removing the patterned diamond prepared in the first step to form a patterned diamond composed of the diamond formed in the second step, and a fourth step of growing diamond from the patterned diamond formed in the third step to form the diamond in a pattern gap of the patterned diamond formed in the third step. There can be provided a method for manufacturing a diamond substrate which can sufficiently suppress dislocation defects, a high-quality diamond substrate, and a freestanding diamond substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignees: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD., NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION KANAZAWA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Hitoshi Noguchi, Shozo Shirai, Toshiharu Makino, Masahiko Ogura, Hiromitsu Kato, Hiroyuki Kawashima, Daisuke Kuwabara, Satoshi Yamasaki, Daisuke Takeuchi, Norio Tokuda, Takao Inokuma, Tsubasa Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20190093253
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a diamond substrate, including: a first step of preparing patterned diamond on a foundation surface, a second step of growing diamond from the patterned diamond prepared in the first step to form the diamond in a pattern gap of the patterned diamond prepared in the first step, a third step of removing the patterned diamond prepared in the first step to form a patterned diamond composed of the diamond formed in the second step, and a fourth step of growing diamond from the patterned diamond formed in the third step to form the diamond in a pattern gap of the patterned diamond formed in the third step. There can be provided a method for manufacturing a diamond substrate which can sufficiently suppress dislocation defects, a high-quality diamond substrate, and a freestanding diamond substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Applicants: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD., National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION KANAZAWA UNIVERSIT
    Inventors: Hitoshi NOGUCHI, Shozo SHIRAI, Toshiharu MAKINO, Masahiko OGURA, Hiromitsu KATO, Hiroyuki KAWASHIMA, Daisuke KUWABARA, Satoshi YAMASAKI, Daisuke TAKEUCHI, Norio TOKUDA, Takao INOKUMA, Tsubasa MATSUMOTO
  • Patent number: 10100435
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a diamond substrate, including: a first step of preparing patterned diamond on a foundation surface, a second step of removing a foreign substance adhered on a wall of the patterned diamond prepared in the first step, and a third step of growing diamond from the patterned diamond prepared in the first step to form the diamond in a pattern gap of the patterned diamond prepared in the first step. There can be provided a method for manufacturing a diamond substrate with few dislocation defects, in which generation of abnormal growth particles are suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignees: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD., NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION KANAZAWA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Hitoshi Noguchi, Shozo Shirai, Toshiharu Makino, Masahiko Ogura, Hiromitsu Kato, Hiroyuki Kawashima, Daisuke Kuwabara, Satoshi Yamasaki, Daisuke Takeuchi, Norio Tokuda, Takao Inokuma, Tsubasa Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20170352774
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for manufacturing a substrate for a solar cell composed of a single crystal silicon, including the steps of: producing a silicon single crystal ingot; slicing a silicon substrate from the silicon single crystal ingot; and subjecting the silicon substrate to low temperature thermal treatment at a temperature of 800° C. or more and less than 1200° C., wherein the silicon single crystal ingot or the silicon substrate is subjected to high temperature thermal treatment at a temperature of 1200° C. or more for 30 seconds or more before the low temperature thermal treatment. As a result, it is possible to provide a method for manufacturing a substrate for a solar cell that can prevent decrease in the minority carrier lifetime of the substrate even when the substrate has higher oxygen concentration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Applicant: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki OTSUKA, Shozo SHIRAI
  • Patent number: 9752255
    Abstract: A single-crystal diamond growth base material on which single-crystal diamond is grown having at least a base substrate of a material having a linear expansion coefficient smaller than that of MgO and not smaller than 0.5×10?6/K; a single-crystal MgO layer formed on a face of the base substrate where the single-crystal diamond is grown by a bonding method; and a film constituted of any one of an iridium film, a rhodium film, and a platinum film heteroepitaxially grown on the single-crystal MgO layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Noguchi, Shozo Shirai
  • Publication number: 20170247811
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a diamond substrate, including: a first step of preparing patterned diamond on a foundation surface, a second step of growing diamond from the patterned diamond prepared in the first step to form the diamond in a pattern gap of the patterned diamond prepared in the first step, a third step of removing the patterned diamond prepared in the first step to form a patterned diamond composed of the diamond formed in the second step, and a fourth step of growing diamond from the patterned diamond formed in the third step to form the diamond in a pattern gap of the patterned diamond formed in the third step. There can be provided a method for manufacturing a diamond substrate which can sufficiently suppress dislocation defects, a high-quality diamond substrate, and a freestanding diamond substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Applicants: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD., National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION KANAZAWA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Hitoshi NOGUCHI, Shozo SHIRAI, Toshiharu MAKINO, Masahiko OGURA, Hiromitsu KATO, Hiroyuki KAWASHIMA, Daisuke KUWABARA, Satoshi YAMASAKI, Daisuke TAKEUCHI, Norio TOKUDA, Takao INOKUMA, Tsubasa MATSUMOTO