Patents by Inventor Takuma Yoshioka

Takuma Yoshioka 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: 11535546
    Abstract: A silica glass crucible includes a cylindrical side wall portion, a curved bottom portion, and a corner portion that is provided between the side wall portion and the bottom portion and has a higher curvature than a curvature of the bottom portion, in which a first region provided from a crucible inner surface to a middle in a thickness direction, a second region that is provided outside the first region in the thickness direction and has a different strain distribution from the first region, and a third region that is provided outside the second region in the thickness direction and up to the crucible outer surface and has a different strain distribution from the second region, are provided, and internal residual stresses of the first region and the third region are compressive stresses, whereas an internal residual stress of the second region includes a tensile stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ken Kitahara, Masaru Sato, Takuma Yoshioka
  • Publication number: 20200392032
    Abstract: A silica glass crucible includes a cylindrical side wall portion, a curved bottom portion, and a corner portion that is provided between the side wall portion and the bottom portion and has a higher curvature than a curvature of the bottom portion, in which a first region provided from a crucible inner surface to a middle in a thickness direction, a second region that is provided outside the first region in the thickness direction and has a different strain distribution from the first region, and a third region that is provided outside the second region in the thickness direction and up to the crucible outer surface and has a different strain distribution from the second region, are provided, and internal residual stresses of the first region and the third region are compressive stresses, whereas an internal residual stress of the second region includes a tensile stress.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Inventors: Ken KITAHARA, Masaru SATO, Takuma YOSHIOKA
  • Publication number: 20200123676
    Abstract: In an exemplary embodiment, a quartz glass crucible 1 includes: a straight body portion 1a having a cylindrical shape; a bottom portion 1b; and a corner portion 1c, in which a bubble content of an inner surface layer portion ranging from an inner surface to a depth 0.5 mm in an upper portion 1a1 of the straight body portion 1a is 0.2% to 2%, the bubble content of the inner surface layer portion in a lower portion 1a2 of the straight body portion 1a is more than 0.1% and not more than 1.3 times a lower limit of the bubble content of the upper portion 1a1, the bubble content of the inner surface layer portion in the corner portion 1c is more than 0.1% and 0.5% or less, and the bubble content of the inner surface layer portion in the bottom portion 1b is 0.1% or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Inventors: Takuma YOSHIOKA, Masami OHARA
  • Patent number: 9758900
    Abstract: Buckling of a vitreous silica crucible 12 or inward fall of a sidewall 15 is effectively suppressed. The vitreous silica crucible 12 includes the cylindrical sidewall 15 having an upward-opening rim, a mortar-shaped bottom 16 including a curve, and a round portion 17 connecting the sidewall 15 and the bottom 16. In the vitreous silica crucible 12 the per-unit area thermal resistance in the thickness direction of the sidewall 15 is higher than that of the round portion 17.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Tadahiro Sato, Ken Kitahara, Takuma Yoshioka, Hiroshi Kishi
  • Patent number: 9527763
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a composite crucible includes: supplying mullite material powder to an upper region of a mold, and supplying second silica powder to a lower region provided below the upper region while rotating the mold; supplying third silica powder on an inner surface side of a layer made of the mullite material powder and the second silica powder; heating and fusing the mullite material powder, the second silica powder, and the third silica powder to form an opaque vitreous silica layer provided on the outer surface of the crucible, a transparent vitreous silica layer provided on an inner surface side of the crucible, and a mullite reinforcement layer provided on the outer surface side of an upper end portion of the crucible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Ken Kitahara, Takuma Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 9469560
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible having a transparent layer by use of waste vitreous silica. According to the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible for manufacturing a monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon ingot, including a process of vitrifying a silica powder sintered body having a crucible shape in the whole or part of the thickness direction by arc fusing the silica powder sintered body from the inner surface side, wherein the method further includes at least one means of (1) depressurizing the silica powder sintered body from the outer surface side during the arc fusing, and (2) forming a synthetic vitreous silica layer on the inner surface by spraying synthetic silica powder onto the inner surface of the silica powder sintered body during the arc fusing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: JAPAN SUPER QUARTZ CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Takuma Yoshioka, Koichi Suzuki, Shinsuke Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20160115625
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a composite crucible includes: supplying mullite material powder to an upper region of a mold, and supplying second silica powder to a lower region provided below the upper region while rotating the mold; supplying third silica powder on an inner surface side of a layer made of the mullite material powder and the second silica powder; heating and fusing the mullite material powder, the second silica powder, and the third silica powder to form an opaque vitreous silica layer provided on the outer surface of the crucible, a transparent vitreous silica layer provided on an inner surface side of the crucible, and a mullite reinforcement layer provided on the outer surface side of an upper end portion of the crucible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Toshiaki SUDO, Ken KITAHARA, Takuma YOSHIOKA
  • Patent number: 9284207
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible having a transparent layer by use of waste vitreous silica, and silica powder suitable for the manufacturing. According to the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing granulated silica powder comprising a process for pulverizing waste vitreous silica generated in the manufacturing process of a crucible to form silica fine powder having an average particle diameter of 100 ?m or less, and a process for granulating the silica fine powder to obtain granulated silica powder having an average particle diameter of 50 ?m or more under helium atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Takuma Yoshioka, Koichi Suzuki, Shinsuke Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9266763
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a crucible which has high viscosity at high temperature, can be used for a long time, and can be manufactured at low cost, and a method of manufacturing the crucible. The present invention provides a composite crucible including a vitreous silica crucible body having a sidewall portion and a bottom portion, and a reinforcement layer provided on an outer surface side of an upper end portion of the vitreous silica crucible body, wherein the reinforcement layer is made of mullite material whose main component is alumina and silica.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Ken Kitahara, Takuma Yoshioka
  • Publication number: 20150337456
    Abstract: A composite crucible 10 is characterized in the use of mullite (3Al2O3.2SiO2) as the basic material of the crucible. The composite crucible 10 has a crucible body 11 made of mullite material whose main component is alumina and silica, and a transparent vitreous silica layer 12 formed on the inner surface of the crucible body 11. The thickness of the transparent vitreous silica layer 12 is smaller than that of the crucible body 11. The crucible body 11 is formed by the slip casting method, and the transparent vitreous silica layer 12 is formed by the thermal spraying method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: Toshiaki SUDO, Takuma YOSHIOKA, Hiroshi KISHI, Takeshi FUJITA, Minoru KANDA, Koichi SUZUKI, Ken KITAHARA
  • Patent number: 9133063
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a crucible which has high viscosity at high temperature, and can be used for a long time, and can be manufactured at low cost, and a method of manufacturing the same. The composite crucible 10 is characterized in the use of mullite (3Al2O3.2SiO2) as the basic material of the crucible. The composite crucible 10 has the crucible body 11 made of mullite material whose main component is alumina and silica, and a transparent vitreous silica layer 12 formed on the inner surface of the crucible body 11. The thickness of the transparent vitreous silica layer 12 is smaller than that of the crucible body 11. The crucible body 11 can be formed by the slip casting method, and the transparent vitreous silica layer 12 can be formed by the thermal spraying method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Takuma Yoshioka, Hiroshi Kishi, Takeshi Fujita, Minoru Kanda, Koichi Suzuki, Ken Kitahara
  • Publication number: 20150027364
    Abstract: Buckling of a vitreous silica crucible 12 or inward fall of a sidewall 15 is effectively suppressed. The vitreous silica crucible 12 includes the cylindrical sidewall 15 having an upward-opening rim, a mortar-shaped bottom 16 including a curve, and a round portion 17 connecting the sidewall 15 and the bottom 16. In the vitreous silica crucible 12, the per-unit area thermal resistance in the thickness direction of the sidewall 15 is higher than that of the round portion 17.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Tadahiro Sato, Ken Kitahara, Takuma Yoshioka, Hiroshi Kishi
  • Patent number: 8671716
    Abstract: There is provided a method of manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible having non-bubbles on the inner surface without necessitating new apparatuses for grinding and polishing and without damaging the productivity. According to the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible including the processes of: gathering a vitreous silica layer containing residual bubbles existing in a near-surface region of the transparent layer of the vitreous silica crucible by controlling the number of rotations applied to the vitreous silica crucible in a state that an inner surface side of the vitreous silica crucible is fused by arc heating; and moving a portion of a non-bubble layer in the surface of the transparent layer exposed by movement of the residual bubble-containing layer to cover a region in which bubbles have gathered with the non-bubble layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Japan Super Quartz Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Takuma Yoshioka
  • Publication number: 20120160158
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a crucible which has high viscosity at high temperature, can be used for a long time, and can be manufactured at low cost, and a method of manufacturing the crucible. The present invention provides a composite crucible including a vitreous silica crucible body having a sidewall portion and a bottom portion, and a reinforcement layer provided on an outer surface side of an upper end portion of the vitreous silica crucible body, wherein the reinforcement layer is made of mullite material whose main component is alumina and silica.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: JAPAN SUPER QUARTZ CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki SUDO, Ken KITAHARA, Takuma YOSHIOKA
  • Publication number: 20120160155
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a crucible which has high viscosity at high temperature, and can be used for a long time, and can be manufactured at low cost, and a method of manufacturing the same. The composite crucible 10 is characterized in the use of mullite (3Al2O3.2SiO2) as the basic material of the crucible. The composite crucible 10 has the crucible body 11 made of mullite material whose main component is alumina and silica, and a transparent vitreous silica layer 12 formed on the inner surface of the crucible body 11. The thickness of the transparent vitreous silica layer 12 is smaller than that of the crucible body 11. The crucible body 11 can be formed by the slip casting method, and the transparent vitreous silica layer 12 can be formed by the thermal spraying method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: JAPAN SUPER QUARTZ CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Takuma Yoshioka, Hiroshi Kishi, Takeshi Fujita, Minoru Kanda, Koichi Suzuki, Ken Kitahara
  • Publication number: 20120141704
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible having a transparent layer by use of waste vitreous silica. According to the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible for manufacturing a monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon ingot, including a process of vitrifying a silica powder sintered body having a crucible shape in the whole or part of the thickness direction by arc fusing the silica powder sintered body from the inner surface side, wherein the method further includes at least one means of (1) depressurizing the silica powder sintered body from the outer surface side during the arc fusing, and (2) forming a synthetic vitreous silica layer on the inner surface by spraying synthetic silica powder onto the inner surface of the silica powder sintered body during the arc fusing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: JAPAN SUPER QUARTZ CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki SUDO, Takuma YOSHIOKA, Koichi SUZUKI, Shinsuke YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20120137732
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible having a transparent layer by use of waste vitreous silica, and silica powder suitable for the manufacturing. According to the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing granulated silica powder comprising a process for pulverizing waste vitreous silica generated in the manufacturing process of a crucible to form silica fine powder having an average particle diameter of 100 ?m or less, and a process for granulating the silica fine powder to obtain granulated silica powder having an average particle diameter of 50 ?m or more under helium atmosphere.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: JAPAN SUPER QUARTZ CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Takuma Yoshioka, Koichi Suzuki, Shinsuke Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20120137735
    Abstract: There is provided a method of manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible having non-bubbles on the inner surface without necessitating new apparatuses for grinding and polishing and without damaging the productivity. According to the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible including the processes of: gathering a vitreous silica layer containing residual bubbles existing in a near-surface region of the transparent layer of the vitreous silica crucible by controlling the number of rotations applied to the vitreous silica crucible in a state that an inner surface side of the vitreous silica crucible is fused by arc heating; and moving a portion of a non-bubble layer in the surface of the transparent layer exposed by movement of the residual bubble-containing layer to cover a region in which bubbles have gathered with the non-bubble layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: JAPAN SUPER QUARTZ CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki SUDO, Takuma YOSHIOKA
  • Patent number: 8128055
    Abstract: A mold for the production of a silica crucible by heat-fusing silica or quartz powder attached onto an inner wall of a rotating mold, wherein a ring-shaped heat insulating barrier material having a specified inner diameter is disposed on an inner peripheral wall of an upper opening portion of the mold corresponding to an upper region of the silica crucible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Japan Super Quartz Corporation
    Inventors: Takuma Yoshioka, Masaki Morikawa
  • Patent number: 8105514
    Abstract: In a mold for use in the production of a silica crucible, a mold cover corresponding to a small-diameter thinned portion of an upper part of the silica crucible is detachably disposed on a mold substrate corresponding to a main body of the silica crucible, and the mold cover has a barrier function against arc heating, and an inner diameter of the mold cover is smaller than that of the mold substrate but larger than that of the silica crucible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Japan Super Quartz Corporation
    Inventors: Takuma Yoshioka, Masaki Morikawa