Patents by Inventor Tuomo Suntola
Tuomo Suntola 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).
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Patent number: 8507039Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for growing a thin film onto a substrate, in which method a substrate placed in a reaction space (21) is subjected to alternately repeated surface reactions of at least two vapor-phase reactants for the purpose of forming a thin film. According to the method, said reactants are fed in the form of vapor-phase pulses repeatedly and alternately, each reactant separately from its own source, into said reaction space (21), and said vapor-phase reactants are brought to react with the surface of the substrate for the purpose of forming a solid-state thin film compound on said substrate. According to the invention, the gas volume of said reaction space is evacuated by means of a vacuum pump essentially totally between two successive vapor-phase reactant pulses.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2009Date of Patent: August 13, 2013Assignee: ASM America, Inc.Inventors: Tuomo Suntola, Sven Lindfors
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Publication number: 20090181169Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for growing a thin film onto a substrate, in which method a substrate placed in a reaction space (21) is subjected to alternately repeated surface reactions of at least two vapor-phase reactants for the purpose of forming a thin film. According to the method, said reactants are fed in the form of vapor-phase pulses repeatedly and alternately, each reactant separately from its own source, into said reaction space (21), and said vapor-phase reactants are brought to react with the surface of the substrate for the purpose of forming a solid-state thin film compound on said substrate. According to the invention, the gas volume of said reaction space is evacuated by means of a vacuum pump essentially totally between two successive vapor-phase reactant pulses.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2009Publication date: July 16, 2009Applicant: ASM AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Tuomo Suntola, Sven Lindfors
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Patent number: 7498059Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for growing a thin film onto a substrate, in which method a substrate placed in a reaction space (21) is subjected to alternately repeated surface reactions of at least two vapor-phase reactants for the purpose of forming a thin film. According to the method, said reactants are fed in the form of vapor-phase pulses repeatedly and alternately, each reactant separately from its own source, into said reaction space (21), and said vapor-phase reactants are brought to react with the surface of the substrate for the purpose of forming a solid-state thin film compound on said substrate. According to the invention, the gas volume of said reaction space is evacuated by means of a vacuum pump essentially totally between two successive vapor-phase reactant pulses.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2007Date of Patent: March 3, 2009Assignee: ASM America, Inc.Inventors: Tuomo Suntola, Sven Lindfors
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Patent number: 7404984Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for growing a thin film onto a substrate, in which method a substrate placed in a reaction space (21) is subjected to alternately repeated surface reactions of at least two vapor-phase reactants for the purpose of forming a thin film. According to the method, said reactants are fed in the form of vapor-phase pulses repeatedly and alternately, each reactant separately from its own source, into said reaction space (21), and said vapor-phase reactants are brought to react with the surface of the substrate for the purpose of forming a solid-state thin film compound on said substrate. According to the invention, the gas volume of said reaction space is evacuated by means of a vacuum pump essentially totally between two successive vapor-phase reactant pulses.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2001Date of Patent: July 29, 2008Assignee: ASM America, Inc.Inventors: Tuomo Suntola, Sven Lindfors
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Publication number: 20080138518Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for growing a thin film onto a substrate, in which method a substrate placed in a reaction space (21) is subjected to alternately repeated surface reactions of at least two vapor-phase reactants for the purpose of forming a thin film. According to the method, said reactants are fed in the form of vapor-phase pulses repeatedly and alternately, each reactant separately from its own source, into said reaction space (21), and said vapor-phase reactants are brought to react with the surface of the substrate for the purpose of forming a solid-state thin film compound on said substrate. According to the invention, the gas volume of said reaction space is evacuated by means of a vacuum pump essentially totally between two successive vapor-phase reactant pulses.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2007Publication date: June 12, 2008Inventors: Tuomo Suntola, Sven Lindfors
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Patent number: 6630030Abstract: A method and an apparatus for producing a thin film on a substrate. A substrate is placed in a reaction space and is subjected to alternately repeated surface reactions with at least two different reactants. The reactants are fed in the vapor phase repeatedly and alternately into the reaction space through tree-like piping having a plurality of channels and nozzle orifices, where the nozzle orifices are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the substrate. The apparatus includes a reaction chamber in which the substrate is placed, inflow piping having a plurality of channels and nozzle orifices, and outlet passages for removing the reaction products and excess reactants. The inflow piping has a tree-like shape and is contained in a plurality of interconnected plates. The nozzle orifices are arranged in an essentially planar fashion in a plane essentially perpendicular to the plane of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2000Date of Patent: October 7, 2003Assignee: ASM Microchemistry Ltd.Inventors: Tuomo Suntola, Pekka Soininen, Niklas Bondestam
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Patent number: 6572705Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for growing a thin film onto a substrate, in which method a substrate placed in a reaction space (21) is subjected to alternately repeated surface reactions of at least two vapor-phase reactants for the purpose of forming a thin film. According to the method, said reactants are fed in the form of vapor-phase pulses repeatedly and alternately, each reactant separately from its own source, into said reaction space (21), and said vapor-phase reactants are brought to react with the surface of the substrate for the purpose of forming a solid-state thin film compound on said substrate. According to the invention, the gas volume of said reaction space is evacuated by means of a vacuum pump essentially totally between two successive vapor-phase reactant pulses.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2000Date of Patent: June 3, 2003Assignee: ASM America, Inc.Inventors: Tuomo Suntola, Sven Lindfors
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Patent number: 6534431Abstract: The invention relates to a process and to an apparatus for preparing a heterogeneous catalyst having at least one catalytically active species bound to the surface of a support material. According to the process, the surface of the support is first pretreated. A catalyst reagent containing the catalytically active species or its precursor is vaporized and the vapor is routed into a reaction chamber where it is brought to interact with the support material. The catalyst reagent not bound to the support is withdrawn from the reaction chamber in gaseous form. If necessary, the species bound to the support is posttreated in order to convert it into a catalytically active form. According to the invention, the amount of catalyst reagent brought into the reaction chamber is at least equal to, preferably in excess of the number of available binding sites on the surface.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 1997Date of Patent: March 18, 2003Assignee: Fortum Oil and Gas OyInventors: Tuomo Suntola, Eeva-Liisa Lakomaa, Hilkka Knuuttila, Pekka Knuuttila, Outi Krause, Sven Lindfors
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Patent number: 6500780Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for preparing heterogeneous catalysts. According to the method, preparation is carried out under such process conditions in which the bonding of compounds from the gas phase onto the surface of a support material is primarily determined by the properties of the support surface. The constituents contained in the reagent are then selectively bonded to the bonding sites of the support material surface, thus forming stable surface bonds. According to the invention, the number of surface-bond sites available for preparing a stable product with surface bonds is controlled by varying the reaction temperature and/or selecting a suitable reagent. The invention makes it possible to control the metal content of the end product at a predetermined level.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 1997Date of Patent: December 31, 2002Assignee: Neste OyInventors: Tuomo Suntola, Suvi Haukka, Arla Kytökivi, Eeva-Liisa Lakomaa, Marina Lindblad, Jukka Hietala, Harri Hokkanen, Hilkka Knuuttila, Pekka Knuuttila, Outi Krause, Lars Peter Lindfors
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Publication number: 20020041931Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for growing a thin film onto a substrate, in which method a substrate placed in a reaction space (21) is subjected to alternately repeated surface reactions of at least two vapor-phase reactants for the purpose of forming a thin film. According to the method, said reactants are fed in the form of vapor-phase pulses repeatedly and alternately, each reactant separately from its own source, into said reaction space (21), and said vapor-phase reactants are brought to react with the surface of the substrate for the purpose of forming a solid-state thin film compound on said substrate. According to the invention, the gas volume of said reaction space is evacuated by means of a vacuum pump essentially totally between two successive vapor-phase reactant pulses.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2001Publication date: April 11, 2002Inventors: Tuomo Suntola, Sven Lindfors
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Patent number: 6015590Abstract: A method for growing a thin film on a substrate. A substrate is placed in a reaction space. The substrate is subjected to at least two vapor phase reactants in the form of vapor phase pulses, repeatedly and alternately. Gas within the reaction space is purged between two successive vapor phase pulses essentially entirely by use of a pump connected to the reaction space. The reaction space is purged between two successive vapor phase pulses such that less than 1% of the residual components from the first vapor phase pulse remains prior to the inflow of the second vapor phase pulse.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 1996Date of Patent: January 18, 2000Assignee: Neste OyInventors: Tuomo Suntola, Sven Lindfors
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Patent number: 5711811Abstract: The invention relates to equipment for growing a thin film onto a substrate. The equipment suited to implement the invention comprises a reaction space having a reaction chamber therein into which a substrate is placed and is subjected to alternately repeated surface reactions of at least two vapor-phase reactants for the purpose of forming a thin film. The equipment further comprises recesses/openings communicating with the reaction space to form gas inflow and outflow channels. The reactants are fed in the form of vapor-phase pulses repeatedly and alternately into the reaction space through the inflow channels, each reactant separately from its own source. The vapor-phase reactants are brought to react with the surface of the substrate for the purpose of forming a solid-state thin film compound on said substrate. The gaseous reaction products and possible excess reactants are removed in gas phase from the reaction space via the outflow channels.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 1996Date of Patent: January 27, 1998Assignee: Mikrokemia OyInventors: Tuomo Suntola, Sven Lindfors, Pekka Soininen
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Patent number: 4388554Abstract: Disclosed herein is an electroluminescent display component, which may be provided as a unified, large-scale device mounted on a substrate. Electroluminescent material is sandwiched between two electrodes, each of which may be formed in spaced lines, perpendicular to the lines of the other electrode, to form a matrix. At each portion wherein the electrodes are disposed in opposition to each other, each electrode is formed with elongated parallel gaps, divergent from the gaps of the opposed electrode, thus providing a screen effect and minimizing the unified areas at which the electrodes are opposed to each other.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 1981Date of Patent: June 14, 1983Assignee: Ou Lohja AbInventors: Tuomo Suntola, Jorma O. Antson
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Patent number: 4058430Abstract: A method is provided for growing highly oriented compound thin films on a substrate by subjecting the substrate to the vapor of a first single element which can react with the surface at a temperature sufficiently high for the reaction to occur which forms a single atomic layer of the first single element on the surface and then subjecting the thus formed surface with a first single element atomic layer thereon to the vapor of a second single element which can react with the first single element at a temperature sufficiently high for the reaction to occur so that a single atomic layer of the second single element is formed on the surface bound to the first single element. This procedure can then be repeated alternately subjecting the surface to the vapors of the first single element then to the second single element, etc. until the compound film reaches a desired thickness.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 1975Date of Patent: November 15, 1977Inventors: Tuomo Suntola, Jorma Antson