Patents by Inventor Thomas Zilbauer

Thomas Zilbauer 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).

  • THIN-FILM SOLAR FABRICATION PROCESS, DEPOSITION METHOD FOR TCO LAYER, AND SOLAR CELL PRECURSOR LAYER STACK
    Publication number: 20120285522
    Abstract: Method of depositing a TCO layer on a substrate, of depositing precursors of a solar cell and precursors of a solar cell are described. The methods includes DC sputtering a ZnO-containing transparent conductive oxide layer over the substrate, the substrate having a size of 1.4 m2 or above and texturing the ZnO-containing transparent conductive oxide layer, wherein the textured ZnO-containing transparent conductive oxide layer has a root means square roughness of 60 nm or below.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Elisabeth Sommer, Philipp Obermeyer, Thomas Zilbauer, Inge Vermeir, Daniel Severin, Niels Kuhr, Markus Kress, Christof Kurthen, Ursula Ingeborg Schmidt, Stefan Klein, Susanne Buschbaum, Konrad Schwanitz, Christian Stoemmer, Tobias Stolley, Martin Rohde, Andreas Rembeck
  • Hafnium oxide ALD process
    Patent number: 8016945
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing ALD deposition of hafnium oxide on a substrate is provided. The apparatus includes a process chamber, a precursor delivery subsystem, an oxidizer delivery subsystem, a purge gas subsystem, a solvent flush subsystem, and optional solvent recovery and purification subsystems. The method includes pulsing precursor compounds into the process chamber in sequence. While one precursor is pulsed, purge gas is provided through the other precursor line. After pulsing, precursor lines are purged, and the chamber is evacuated and purged. A solvent flush step is employed to remove precursor deposits that build up in piping over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Zilbauer, Ignaz Eisele, Jan Matusche, Ursula Ingeborg Schmidt
  • HAFNIUM OXIDE ALD PROCESS
    Publication number: 20090162551
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing ALD deposition of hafnium oxide on a substrate is provided. The apparatus includes a process chamber, a precursor delivery subsystem, an oxidizer delivery subsystem, a purge gas subsystem, a solvent flush subsystem, and optional solvent recovery and purification subsystems. The method includes pulsing precursor compounds into the process chamber in sequence. While one precursor is pulsed, purge gas is provided through the other precursor line. After pulsing, precursor lines are purged, and the chamber is evacuated and purged. A solvent flush step is employed to remove precursor deposits that build up in piping over time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: Thomas Zilbauer, Ignaz Eisele, Jan Matusche, Ursula Ingeborg Schmidt