Processes Of Growth From Liquid Or Supercritical State Patents (Class 117/11)
  • Patent number: 12157953
    Abstract: There is provided a growing method for monocrystalline silicon by a Czochralski process, the method including: pulling the monocrystalline silicon while rotating the monocrystalline silicon; and dropping a granular dopant onto a liquid surface of a silicon melt while a straight body of the monocrystalline silicon is being pulled, in which in the dropping of the dopant, a dropping position of the granular dopant is set above a region where a flow away from the straight body is dominant in the liquid surface of the silicon melt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norihito Fukatsu, Ryusuke Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 11725303
    Abstract: Methods for purifying reaction precursors used in the synthesis of inorganic compounds and methods for synthesizing inorganic compounds from the purified precursors are provided. Also provided are methods for purifying the inorganic compounds and methods for crystallizing the inorganic compounds from a melt. ? and X-ray detectors incorporating the crystals of the inorganic compounds are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Northwestern University
    Inventors: Mercouri G. Kanatzidis, Wenwen Lin
  • Patent number: 11634833
    Abstract: A production method of monocrystalline silicon includes: measuring an emissivity of an inner wall surface of a top chamber; and determining a target resistivity of monocrystalline silicon based on the emissivity measured in the measuring, thereby producing the monocrystalline silicon. In determining the target emissivity on a crystal center axis at a position for starting formation of a straight body of the monocrystalline silicon in the producing, when the emissivity is 0.4 or less, the target resistivity is determined to be less than a resistivity value of 3.0 m?·cm when the dopant is arsenic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinichi Kawazoe, Toshirou Kotooka, Yuuji Tsutsumi
  • Patent number: 11585010
    Abstract: Methods for producing a single crystal silicon ingot are disclosed. The ingot is doped with boron using solid-phase boric acid as the source of boron. Boric acid may be used to counter-dope the ingot during ingot growth. Ingot puller apparatus that use a solid-phase dopant are also disclosed. The solid-phase dopant may be disposed in a receptacle that is moved closer to the surface of the melt or a vaporization unit may be used to produce a dopant gas from the solid-phase dopant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: GlobalWafers Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: William L. Luter, Hariprasad Sreedharamurthy, Stephan Haringer, Richard J. Phillips, Nan Zhang, Yu-Chaio Wu
  • Patent number: 11515445
    Abstract: Provided is a core-shell type light-emitting quantum dot, including an alloy type core consisting of Cd, Se, Zn, and S, and a shell layer having a zinc blende structure and being coated on the surface of the alloy core, wherein the element ratio of each of Zn and S accounts for 30 to 50% of the overall core, and the content of Cd and Se gradually decreases outward from the core center. Also provided is a method for preparing the core-shell type light-emitting quantum dot. By having the alloy core and the shell layer with a zinc blende structure, the core-shell type quantum dot can achieve quantum efficiency of 95%, and have high temperature resistance and excellent water- and oxygen-barrier performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: OPULENCE OPTRONICS CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yuan-Chang Lu, Shang-Wei Chou
  • Patent number: 11453958
    Abstract: The present invention provides a heat-insulating shield member, wherein the heat-insulating shield member is arranged and used between a SiC source housing (3) and a substrate support (4) in a single crystal manufacturing apparatus (10), wherein the single crystal manufacturing apparatus (10) comprises a crystal growth container (2) and a heating member (5) arranged on an outer periphery of the crystal growth container (2), wherein the crystal growth container (2) includes the SiC source housing (3) disposed at a lower portion of the apparatus, and the substrate support (4) which is arranged above the SiC source housing (3) and supports a substrate (S) used for crystal growth so as to face the SiC source housing (3), and wherein the single crystal manufacturing apparatus (10) is configured to grow a single crystal (W) from a SiC source (M) on the substrate (S) by sublimating the SiC source (M) from the SiC source housing (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventor: Yohei Fujikawa
  • Patent number: 11440001
    Abstract: The invention is a high-throughput voltage screening crystallographic device and methodology that uses multiple micro wells and electric circuits capable of assaying different crystallization condition for the same or different proteins of interest at the same of different voltages under a humidity and temperature controlled environment. The protein is solubilized in a lipid matrix similar to the lipid composition of the protein in the native environment to ensure stability of the protein during crystallization. The invention provides a system and method where the protein is transferred to a lipid matrix that holds a resting membrane potential, which reduces the degree of conformational freedom of the protein. The invention overcomes the majority of the difficulties associated with vapor diffusion techniques and essentially reconstitutes the protein in its native lipid environment under “cuasi” physiological conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO
    Inventors: Jose A. Lasalde-Dominicci, Orestes Quesada-Gonzalez, Josue Rodriguez-Cordero, Carlos Baez-Pagan, Martin Montoya-Zavala
  • Patent number: 11359306
    Abstract: A method for preparing a SiC ingot includes preparing a crucible assembly comprising a crucible body having an internal space, loading a raw material into the internal space of the crucible body and placing a plurality of SiC seed in the internal space of the crucible body at regular intervals spaced apart from the raw material, and growing the SiC ingot from the plurality of SiC seed by adjusting the internal space of the crucible body to a crystal growth atmosphere such that the raw material is vapor-transported and deposited to the plurality of SiC seed. A density of the crucible body may be 1.70 to 1.92 g/cm3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: SENIC INC.
    Inventors: Jong Hwi Park, Myung-Ok Kyun, Jongmin Shim, Eun Su Yang, Byung Kyu Jang, Jung Woo Choi, Sang Ki Ko, Kap-Ryeol Ku, Jung-Gyu Kim
  • Patent number: 11352556
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a process for the preparation of metal sulphide quantum dots by using a very low cost sulphur precursor as a sulphur source. The metal sulphide quantum dots finds application in optical devices selected from photovoltaic cells, photodetectors and light-emission devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC & INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH
    Inventors: Bhagavatula Lakshmi Vara Prasad, Abhjit Bera
  • Patent number: 10988856
    Abstract: A single crystal is pulled by an FZ method, in which a polycrystal is melted by means of an electromagnetic melting apparatus and then recrystallized, wherein a first phase (P1) a lower end of the polycrystal, which is moved toward the melting apparatus, is melted by the melting apparatus to form a drop, and in a second phase (P2) a monocrystalline seed is attached to the lower end of the polycrystal and is melted beginning from an upper end of the seed, where a power (P) of the melting apparatus during the first phase (P1) and during the second phase (P2) is predetermined at least temporarily in dependence on a temperature and/or geometrical dimensions of crystal material used which comprises the drop and/or the seed and/or the polycrystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Siltronic AG
    Inventor: Thomas Schroeck
  • Patent number: 10976267
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for analyzing diffraction data obtained using a crystal structure analysis sample, the sample comprising a single crystal of a porous compound, and a compound for which a structure is to be determined. The method comprising: a step (I) that selects a space group that is identical to a space group of the single crystal of the porous compound, or a space group that has a symmetry lower than that, to be a space group of the crystal structure analysis sample; a step (II) that determines an initial structure of the crystal structure analysis sample using diffraction data with respect to a crystal structure of the single crystal of the porous compound as initial values; and a step (III) that refines the initial structure determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: JAPAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AGENCY
    Inventors: Makoto Fujita, Yasuhide Inokuma, Kentaro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 10957597
    Abstract: Implementations of methods of cutting a semiconductor substrate may include aligning a first saw blade substantially perpendicularly with a crystal plane of a non-cubic crystalline lattice of a semiconductor substrate coupled with a backmetal layer and cutting through at least a majority of the semiconductor substrate at an angle substantially perpendicular with the crystal plane of the non-cubic crystalline lattice of the semiconductor substrate. The method may also include aligning a second saw blade substantially perpendicularly with the semiconductor substrate and cutting entirely through the semiconductor substrate and the backmetal layer using the second saw blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Michael J. Seddon
  • Patent number: 10907271
    Abstract: A single crystal is pulled by the FZ method, in which in a first phase, a lower end of the polycrystal is melted by the melting apparatus, in a second phase, a monocrystalline seed is attached to the lower end of the polycrystal, and in a third phase, between a lower section of the seed and the polycrystal, a thin neck section is formed whose diameter is smaller than that of the seed, where the power of the melting apparatus before the third phase is dynamically adapted in dependence on a position of a lower phase boundary (PU) between liquid material and solid material on the part of the seed, and where the power of the melting apparatus during the third phase is dynamically adapted in dependence on the position of an upper phase boundary (PO) between liquid material and solid material on the part of the polycrystal plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: SILTRONIC AG
    Inventor: Thomas Schroeck
  • Patent number: 10865277
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a metal nanostructure having a chiral structure. The method for manufacturing a metal nanostructure comprises: preparing a first mixture solution by mixing a metal precursor, a surfactant, and a reducing agent; preparing a second mixture solution by adding a peptide to the first mixture solution; and preparing a metal nanostructure having a chiral structure by adding a metal seed particle to the second mixture solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignees: LG Display Co., Ltd., SNU R&DB Foundation
    Inventors: KiSeok Chang, WookSung Kim, KiTae Nam, SungPil Ryu, HyeEun Lee, HyoYong Ahn
  • Patent number: 10679898
    Abstract: Implementations of methods of cutting a semiconductor substrate may include aligning a first saw blade substantially perpendicularly with a crystal plane of a non-cubic crystalline lattice of a semiconductor substrate coupled with a backmetal layer and cutting through at least a majority of the semiconductor substrate at an angle substantially perpendicular with the crystal plane of the non-cubic crystalline lattice of the semiconductor substrate. The method may also include aligning a second saw blade substantially perpendicularly with the semiconductor substrate and cutting entirely through the semiconductor substrate and the backmetal layer using the second saw blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Michael J. Seddon
  • Patent number: 10358475
    Abstract: The invention is a high-throughput voltage screening crystallographic device and methodology that uses multiple micro wells and electric circuits capable of assaying different crystallization condition for the same or different proteins of interest at the same of different voltages under a humidity and temperature controlled environment. The protein is solubilized in a lipid matrix similar to the lipid composition of the protein in the native environment to ensure stability of the protein during crystallization. The invention provides a system and method where the protein is transferred to a lipid matrix that holds a resting membrane potential, which reduces the degree of conformational freedom of the protein. The invention overcomes the majority of the difficulties associated with vapor diffusion techniques and essentially reconstitutes the protein in its native lipid environment under “cuasi” physiological conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: University of Puerto Rico
    Inventors: Jose A. Lasalde-Dominicci, Orestes Quesada-Gonzalez, Josue Rodriguez-Cordero, Carlos Baez-Pagan
  • Patent number: 10297438
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a wafer producing method for producing a hexagonal single crystal wafer from a hexagonal single crystal ingot. The wafer producing method includes a modified layer forming step of setting the focal point of a laser beam having a transmission wavelength to the ingot inside the ingot at a predetermined depth from the upper surface of the ingot, which depth corresponds to the thickness of the wafer to be produced, and next applying the laser beam to the upper surface of the ingot as relatively moving the focal point and the ingot to thereby form a modified layer parallel to the upper surface of the ingot and cracks extending from the modified layer. In the modified layer forming step, the focal point of the laser beam is relatively moved from a radially inside position inside the ingot toward the outer circumference of the ingot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Disco Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuya Hirata, Yoko Nishino
  • Patent number: 10208396
    Abstract: A method for growing a crystalline composition, the first crystalline composition may include gallium and nitrogen. The crystalline composition may have an infrared absorption peak at about 3175 cm?1, with an absorbance per unit thickness of greater than about 0.01 cm?1. In one embodiment, the composition may have an amount of oxygen present in a concentration of less than about 3×1018 per cubic centimeter, and may be free of two-dimensional planar boundary defects in a determined volume of the first crystalline composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Soraa, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Philip D'Evelyn, Kristi Jean Narang, Dong-Sil Park, Huicong Hong, Xian-An Cao, Larry Qiang Zeng
  • Patent number: 10190233
    Abstract: A group 13 element source, a flux comprising at least one of an alkali metal and an alkaline earth metal, and an additive being liquid at an ambient temperature are placed in a crystal growing vessel. The crystal growing vessel is heated and pressurized under a nitrogen atom-containing gas atmosphere to form a melt containing the group 13 element source, the flux and the additive. Evaporation of the additive is prevented until the flux is melted. The crystal of the nitride of the group 13 element is then grown in the melt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Suguru Noguchi, Shuhei Higashihara, Takayuki Hirao, Tetsuya Uchikawa
  • Patent number: 10094040
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to a furnace system for growing crystals. The furnace system comprises a crucible for growing a crystal and a furnace comprising a housing having an inner volume. The housing comprises a through hole connecting the inner volume with an environment of the housing. An insulation plug is movably insertable into the through hole for controlling a heat extraction out of the crucible by radiation, wherein the insulation plug is free of a force transmitting contact with the crucible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Ebner Industrieofenbau GMBH
    Inventors: Bernard D. Jones, Dean C. Skelton, Thomas S. McGee, Robert Ebner
  • Patent number: 10053796
    Abstract: There is provided a method for manufacturing a group III nitride substrate, including: preparing a plurality of seed crystal substrates formed into shapes that can be arranged with side surfaces opposed to each other; bonding the plurality of seed crystal substrates on a base material by an adhesive agent in an appearance that the seed crystal substrates are arranged with the side surfaces opposed to each other; growing a group III nitride crystals above main surfaces of the plurality of seed crystal substrates, so that crystals grown on each main surface are integrally combined each other; and obtaining a group III nitride substrate formed of the group III nitride crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventor: Takehiro Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9903042
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to suppress macro step growth in the growth of GaN crystal through a flux method. As a crucible for holding a melt when growing a GaN crystal through the Na flux method, the crucible is made of alumina and produced by plaster mold casting. The crucible is used, in which there are alumina grains abnormally grown on the inner walls thereof, and the maximum grain size of the abnormally grown alumina grains is not less than 10 ?m. When such a crucible is selected and used, the macro step growth can be suppressed, thereby improving the GaN crystal quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masateru Yamazaki, Miki Moriyama
  • Patent number: 9878915
    Abstract: A silicon member for a semiconductor apparatus is provided. The silicon member has an equivalent performance to one fabricated from a single-crystalline silicon even though it is fabricated from a unidirectionally solidified silicon. In addition, it can be applied for producing a relatively large-sized part. The silicon member is fabricated by sawing a columnar crystal silicon ingot obtained by growing a single-crystal from each of seed crystals by placing the seed crystals that are made of a single-crystalline silicon plate on a bottom part of a crucible and unidirectionally solidifying a molten silicon in the crucible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI MATERIALS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshinobu Nakada
  • Patent number: 9869034
    Abstract: The present invention is a silicon single crystal pulling apparatus based on Czochralski method, including a crucible for receiving a raw material, a heater for heating the raw material into a raw material melt, a main chamber accommodating the crucible and the heater, a shield disposed between the heater and the main chamber for shielding a radiant heat from the heater, and a supporting member holding the heater and the shield from below, the supporting member being movable vertically whereby the heater and the shield can move vertically together. As a result, there is provided a silicon single crystal pulling apparatus that facilitates the adjustment of thermal history, the improvement of pulling rate of a silicon single crystal, and the reduction in oxygen concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU HANDOTAI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinobu Takeyasu, Atsushi Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 9868900
    Abstract: A scintillation compound can include a rare earth element that is in a divalent (RE2+) or a tetravalent state (RE4+). The scintillation compound can include another element to allow for better change balance. The other element may be a principal constituent of the scintillation compound or may be a dopant or a co-dopant. In an embodiment, a metal element in a trivalent state (M3+) may be replaced by RE4+ and a metal element in a divalent state (M2+). In another embodiment, M3+ may be replaced by RE2+ and M4+. In a further embodiment, M2+ may be replaced by a RE3+ and a metal element in a monovalent state (M1+). The metal element used for electronic charge balance may have a single valance state, rather than a plurality of valence states, to help reduce the likelihood that the valance state would change during formation of the scintillation compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Inventors: Samuel Blahuta, Eric E. Mattmann, Damien Pauwels, Bruno Viana
  • Patent number: 9850593
    Abstract: Quantum dots and methods of making quantum dots are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wenhao Liu, Craig Breen
  • Patent number: 9797068
    Abstract: Relates to a method of producing a semiconductor crystal having generation of a defect suppressed in the semiconductor single crystal. The production method includes the steps of: forming a boron oxide film on the inner wall of a growth container having a bottom section and a body section continuous to the bottom section; bringing the boron oxide film into contact with boron oxide melt containing silicon oxide to form a boron oxide film containing silicon oxide on the inner wall of the growth container; forming raw material melt above seed crystal placed in and on the bottom section of the growth container; and solidifying the raw material melt from the seed crystal side to grow a semiconductor single crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Sakurada, Tomohiro Kawase, Yoshiaki Hagi
  • Patent number: 9745669
    Abstract: Crystals having a modified regular tetrahedron shape are provided. Crystals preferably have four substantially identical triangular faces that define four truncated vertices and six chamfered edges. The six chamfered edges can have an average length of l, and an average width of w, and 8?l/w?9.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Ark Crystal, LLC
    Inventor: Nassim Haramein
  • Patent number: 9708734
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to produce a high-quality SiC single crystal with good reproducibility while avoiding the fluctuations in the solution-contacting position of a seed crystal among production operations. A method for producing a SiC single crystal by bringing a SiC seed crystal supported by a supporting bar into contact with a solution that has been heated by high-frequency induction to thereby grow the SiC single crystal, wherein the supporting bar is born down while applying a magnetic field to the solution to thereby bring the SiC seed crystal into contact with the solution, and subsequently the application of the magnetic field is halted to grow the SiC single crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironori Daikoku, Hidemitsu Sakamoto, Motohisa Kado, Kazuhiko Kusunoki
  • Patent number: 9702057
    Abstract: Provided is a method for producing an n-type SiC single crystal, whereby it is possible to grow an n-type SiC single crystal having a low resistivity at a high speed. A method for producing an n-type SiC single crystal by bringing a SiC seed crystal substrate into contact with a Si—C solution having such a temperature gradient that the temperature gradually decreases from the inside toward the surface, thereby achieving the crystal growth of the n-type SiC single crystal. The method involves adding a nitride to a raw material for forming the Si—C solution or to the Si—C solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takayuki Shirai
  • Patent number: 9567689
    Abstract: A method of preparing nanostructured single crystal silver, comprising placing a high-conductive molded porous active carbon containing chloride ions, which has been reductively treated, into a silver-containing precursor solution. After several hours at room temperature, the nanostructured single crystal silver grows on the surface of the active carbon. The silver-containing precursors and appropriate amount of chlorine provide a crystal nucleus and a slow stable crystal growth environment which are required for single crystal silver growth, and said nanostructured silver single crystals could be obtained with various morphologies by controlling the concentration of the silver-containing precursor solution and the growth time. The method of the invention is an environmentally friendly synthesis method with the nanostructured single crystal silver grows on the surface of the molded porous active carbon at room temperature, which is pollution-free and does not need any additives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignees: SHANGHAI JIAO TONG UNIVERSITY, SHANGHAI SWITCHDIY DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Binyuan Zhao, Hong Zhao, Fei Wang, Yijian Lai, Yuesheng Ning, Lei Wang, Jie Zhou
  • Patent number: 9410264
    Abstract: An ingot growing apparatus. A main chamber includes a crucible accommodating a source material therein and a heater melting the source material by heating the crucible. A dome chamber is disposed on top of the crucible. A pull chamber is disposed on top of the dome chamber. An ingot grown in the crucible moves via a seed cable within the dome chamber and the pull chamber. A weight-measuring unit is disposed on top of the pull chamber. The weight-measuring unit includes a housing disposed on top of the pull chamber, with the interior thereof being maintained in a vacuum state, a support roller disposed within the housing to support the seed cable, and a load cell disposed outside of the housing to measure a weight of the ingot supported by the support roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: S-TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jin Sub Park, Jin No Kim, Hyuck Cheol Kwon
  • Patent number: 9376764
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a configuration and in particular a physical vapor transport growth system for simultaneously growing more than one silicon carbide (SiC) bulk crystal. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for producing such a bulk SiC crystal. A physical vapor transport growth system for simultaneously growing more than one SiC single crystal boule comprises a crucible containing two growth compartments for arranging at least one SiC seed crystal in each of them, and a source material compartment for containing a SiC source material, wherein said source material compartment is arranged symmetrically between said growth compartments and is separated from each of the growth compartments by a gas permeable porous membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: SiCrystal AG
    Inventors: Thomas Ludwig Straubinger, Michael Vogel, Andreas Wohlfart, Erwin Schmitt
  • Patent number: 9194057
    Abstract: A process for producing fluoride crystals, in particular calcium fluoride crystals, having high radiation resistance to ultraviolet radiation, which includes: provisioning of a crystal powder (6) containing alkali metal fluoride or alkaline earth metal fluoride to form a raw crystal mass, melting of the raw crystal mass in a crystal growing unit (11) and solidifiying of the molten raw crystal mass by cooling. In the process, an ammonium salt (7) of a complex fluoro acid and an aliphatic alcohol (8) are added to the crystal powder (6) or to the raw crystal mass, to decrease oxidic impurities. A fluoride crystal produced by the process and also an optical component formed from such a fluoride crystal are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventor: Ulrich Pahl
  • Patent number: 9017478
    Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method of extracting a silicon ingot. The apparatus for extracting a silicon ingot includes a chamber in which a silicon source material introduced into a cold crucible is melted, a primary extraction apparatus vertically movably installed in the chamber and configured to solidify the molten silicon to extract the silicon ingot, a movable apparatus configured to horizontally move the primary extraction apparatus, and a secondary extraction apparatus vertically movably installed under the chamber and configured to extract the silicon ingot in a state in which the primary extraction apparatus is moved to one side. Therefore, as the height of the extraction apparatus is reduced, manufacturing cost of equipment can be reduced and installation space of the extraction apparatus can also be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: KCC Corporation
    Inventors: Ki Hyun Chang, Dong Hyun Nam
  • Patent number: 8999060
    Abstract: Millimeter-scale GaN single crystals in filamentary form, also known as GaN whiskers, grown from solution and a process for preparing the same at moderate temperatures and near atmospheric pressures are provided. GaN whiskers can be grown from a GaN source in a reaction vessel subjected to a temperature gradient at nitrogen pressure. The GaN source can be formed in situ as part of an exchange reaction or can be preexisting GaN material. The GaN source is dissolved in a solvent and precipitates out of the solution as millimeter-scale single crystal filaments as a result of the applied temperature gradient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Boris N. Feigelson, Jennifer K. Hite, Francis J. Kub, Charles R. Eddy, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8968467
    Abstract: Techniques for controlling resistivity in the formation of a silicon ingot from compensated feedstock silicon material prepares a compensated, upgraded metallurgical silicon feedstock for being melted to form a silicon melt. The compensated, upgraded metallurgical silicon feedstock provides semiconductor predominantly of a single type (p-type or n-type) for which the process assesses the concentrations of boron and phosphorus and adds a predetermined amount of boron, phosphorus, aluminum and/or gallium. The process further melts the silicon feedstock with the boron, phosphorus, aluminum and/or gallium to form a molten silicon solution from which to perform directional solidification and maintains the homogeneity of the resistivity of the silicon throughout the ingot. A balanced amount of phosphorus can be optionally added to the aluminum and/or gallium. Resistivity may also be measured repeatedly during ingot formation, and additional dopant may be added in response, either repeatedly or continuously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Silicor Materials Inc.
    Inventors: Fritz Kirscht, Marcin Walerysiak, Matthias Heuer, Anis Jouini, Kamel Ounadjela
  • Patent number: 8968471
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an apparatus for manufacturing a silicon substrate for solar cells using continuous casting, which can improve quality, productivity and energy conversion efficiency of the silicon substrate. The apparatus includes a crucible unit configured to receive raw silicon and having a discharge port, a heating unit provided to an outer wall and an external bottom surface of the crucible unit and heating the crucible unit to form molten silicon, a casting unit casting the molten silicon into a silicon substrate, a cooling unit rapidly cooling the silicon substrate, and a transfer unit disposed at one end of the cooling unit and transferring the silicon substrate. The casting unit includes a casting unit body having a casting space defined therein to be horizontally connected to the discharge port, and an assistant heating mechanism that preheats the casting unit body to control a solidification temperature of the silicon substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Korea Institute of Energy Research
    Inventors: Bo-Yun Jang, Jin-Seok Lee, Joon-Soo Kim
  • Publication number: 20150037926
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for synthesizing nanoscale materials are provided, including semiconductor nanowires. Precursor solutions include mixed reagent precursor solutions of metal and chalcogenide precursors and a catalyst, where such solutions are liquid at room temperature. The precursor solutions are mixed by dividing a solution flow into multiple paths and converging the paths to form a uniform solution. A thermally controlled reactor receives the uniform solution to form semiconductor nanowires. Various electronic, optical, and sensory devices may employ the semiconductor nanowires described herein, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventors: Anthony C. Onicha, Louise E. Sinks, Stefanie L. Weber
  • Patent number: 8945302
    Abstract: Method for crystal growth from a surfactant of a metal-nonmetal (MN) compound, including the procedures of providing a seed crystal, introducing atoms of a first metal to the seed crystal thus forming a thin liquid metal wetting layer on a surface of the seed crystal, setting a temperature of the seed crystal below a minimal temperature required for dissolving MN molecules in the wetting layer and above a melting point of the first metal, each one of the MN molecules being formed from an atom of a second metal and an atom of a first nonmetal, introducing the MN molecules which form an MN surfactant monolayer, thereby facilitating a formation of the wetting layer between the MN surfactant monolayer and the surface of the seed crystal, and regulating a thickness of the wetting layer, thereby growing an epitaxial layer of the MN compound on the seed crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Mosaic Crystals Ltd.
    Inventor: Moshe Einav
  • Patent number: 8940095
    Abstract: An apparatus for growth of uniform multi-component single crystals is provided. The single crystal material has at least three elements and has a diameter of at least 50 mm, a dislocation density of less than 100 cm?2 and a radial compositional variation of less than 1%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
    Inventor: Partha Dutta
  • Patent number: 8936679
    Abstract: According to one exemplary embodiment, a single crystal pulling-up apparatus of pulling-up silicon single crystals by a Czochralski method, is provided with: a neck diameter measuring portion which measures a diameter of a grown neck portion; a first compensation portion which outputs a first compensated pulling-up speed for the seed crystals based on a difference between a measured value of the diameter of the neck portion and a target value of the neck portion diameter previously stored; a second compensation portion which outputs a second pulling-up speed while limiting an upper limit of the first pulling-up speed to a first limit value; and a crucible rotation number compensation portion which lowers the number of a rotation of a crucible at least in a period where the upper limit of the first pulling-up speed is limited to the first limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Globalwafers Japan Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hironori Banba, Hiromichi Isogai, Yoshiaki Abe, Takashi Ishikawa, Shingo Narimatsu, Jun Nakao, Hiroyuki Abiko, Michihiro Ohwa
  • Patent number: 8936684
    Abstract: The present invention provides a vitreous silica crucible which can suppress buckling and sidewall lowering of the crucible and the generation of cracks. According to the present invention, a vitreous silica crucible is provided for pulling a silicon single crystal having a wall, the wall including a non-doped inner surface layer made of natural vitreous silica or synthetic vitreous silica, a mineralizing element-maldistributed vitreous silica layer containing dispersed island regions each containing a mineralizing element, and wherein the vitreous silica of the island regions and the vitreous silica of a surrounding region of the island regions is a combination of mineralizing element-doped natural vitreous silica and non-doped synthetic vitreous silica, or a combination of mineralizing element-doped synthetic vitreous silica and non-doped natural vitreous silica, and the inner surface layer is made of vitreous silica of a different kind from that of the island region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Japan Super Quartz Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sudo, Hiroshi Kishi, Ken Kitahara
  • Patent number: 8920561
    Abstract: A silicon single crystal pull-up apparatus includes a pull-up furnace, a sample chamber in which a sublimable dopant is housed, a sample tube which can be raised and lowered between the interior of the sample chamber and the interior of the pull-up furnace, a raising and lowering means for raising and lowering the sample tube, a supply pipe which is installed inside the pull-up furnace and supplies the sublimable dopant to a melt, and a connection means for connecting the sample tube and the supply pipe. The connection means is constructed from a ball joint structure comprising a convex member which projects from one end of the sample tube and a concave member which is provided at one end of the supply pipe and is formed to be engageable with the convex member. The contact surfaces of the convex member and the concave member are formed to be curved surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Sumco Techxiv Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhito Narushima, Shinichi Kawazoe, Fukuo Ogawa, Toshimichi Kubota, Tomohiro Fukuda
  • Patent number: 8900489
    Abstract: The present application provides nitride semiconductor nanoparticles, for example nanocrystals, made from a new composition of matter in the form of a novel compound semiconductor family of the type group II-III-N, for example ZnGaN, ZnInN, ZnInGaN, ZnAlN, ZnAlGaN, ZnAlInN and ZnAlGaInN. This type of compound semiconductor nanocrystal is not previously known in the prior art. The invention also discloses II-N semiconductor nanocrystals, for example ZnN nanocrystals, which are a subgroup of the group II-III-N semiconductor nanocrystals. The composition and size of the new and novel II-III-N compound semiconductor nanocrystals can be controlled in order to tailor their band-gap and light emission properties. Efficient light emission in the ultraviolet-visible-infrared wavelength range is demonstrated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Peter Neil Taylor, Jonathan Heffernan, Stewart Edward Hooper, Tim Michael Smeeton
  • Patent number: 8864907
    Abstract: A condition of a single crystal manufacturing step subjected to the Czochralski method applying an initial oxygen concentration, a dopant concentration or resistivity, and a heat treatment condition is determined simply and clearly on the basis of the conditions of a wafer manufacturing step and a device step so as to obtain a silicon wafer having a desired gettering capability. A manufacturing method of a silicon substrate which is manufactured from a silicon single crystal grown by the CZ method and provided for manufacturing a solid-state imaging device is provided. The internal state of the silicon substrate, which depends on the initial oxygen concentration, the carbon concentration, the resistivity, and the pulling condition of the silicon substrate, is determined by comparing a white spot condition representing upper and lower limits of the density of white spots as device characteristics with the measured density of white spots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Sumco Corporation
    Inventors: Kazunari Kurita, Shuichi Omote
  • Patent number: 8864906
    Abstract: A method for producing a silicon wafer in which occurrence of slip starting from interstitial-type point defects is prevented in a part from the shoulder to the top of the straight cylinder portion of a silicon single crystal when the silicon single crystal is grown by pulling method under growth conditions entering an I-rich region. In order to prevent occurrence of slip in the range from the shoulder (10A) to the top of the straight cylinder portion (10B), the silicon single crystal (10) is pulled under conditions that the oxygen concentration Oi from the shoulder (10A) to the top of the straight cylinder portion (10B) of the silicon single crystal (10) is not lower than a predetermined concentration for preventing slip starting from interstitial-type point defects, more specifically not lower than 9.0×1017 atoms/cm3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Sumco Techxiv Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Kuroki, Motoaki Yoshinaga, Yutaka Shiraishi, Masahiro Shibata
  • Patent number: 8852340
    Abstract: In consideration of influence of segregation, an evaporation area of a volatile dopant and influence of pulling-up speed at the time of manufacturing a monocrystal using a monocrystal pulling-up device, an evaporation speed formula for calculating evaporation speed of the dopant is derived. At predetermined timing during pulling-up, gas flow volume and inner pressure in a chamber are controlled such that a cumulative evaporation amount of the dopant, calculated based on the evaporation speed formula, becomes a predetermined amount. A difference between a resistivity profile of the monocrystal predicted based on the evaporation speed formula and an actual resistivity profile is made small. Since no volatile dopant is subsequently added, increase in workload on an operator, increase of manufacturing time, an increase in amorphous adhering to the inside of the chamber, and an increase in workload at the time of cleaning the inside of the chamber can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Sumco Techxiv Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhito Narushima, Fukuo Ogawa, Shinichi Kawazoe, Toshimichi Kubota
  • Patent number: 8828139
    Abstract: Methods of manufacturing a sapphire seed for growing a crystal having reduced dislocation density. The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a sapphire seed formed by a sapphire single crystal and used for growing another sapphire single crystal on a (0001) face as a crystal growing surface, the method comprising: preparing a sapphire seed whose side face forms a crystal face within a {1-100} face±10 °, and whose shape is processed so as to include a hexagonal prism or a triangle prism; and applying a predetermined thermal treatment to said sapphire seed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Sumco Corporation
    Inventors: Masato Imai, Kouzou Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8801854
    Abstract: A method for evaluating metal contamination of a silicon single crystal grown by the Czochralski method using a pulling apparatus in which a voltage can be applied between a crystal suspending member and a crucible comprises the steps of: setting the crystal suspending member as a negative electrode while setting the crucible as a positive electrode in a process for growing a non-convertible portion of the silicon single crystal; applying the voltage; collecting a sample from the non-convertible portion grown in association with the voltage application; and evaluating the metal contamination of the sample by an analysis in which Surface Photo Voltage method is adopted. In a process for growing an end-product convertible portion of the silicon single crystal, the voltage is applied such that the crystal suspending member is set as the positive electrode while the crucible is set as the negative electrode, or the voltage is not applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Sumco Corporation
    Inventor: Shunji Kuragaki