Germanium {c30b 29/08} Patents (Class 117/936)
  • Patent number: 12116271
    Abstract: A method of forming a monocrystalline nitinol film on a single crystal silicon wafer can comprise depositing a first seed layer of a first metal on the single crystal silicon wafer, the first seed layer growing epitaxially on the single crystal silicon wafer in response to the depositing the first seed layer of the first metal; and depositing the monocrystalline nitinol film on a final seed layer, the monocrystalline nitinol film growing epitaxially on the final seed layer in response to the depositing the monocrystalline nitinol film. The method can form a multilayer stack for a micro-electromechanical system MEMS device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University
    Inventors: Jagannathan Rajagopalan, Rohit Berlia
  • Patent number: 11996289
    Abstract: Methods and systems for forming structures including one or more layers comprising silicon germanium and one or more layers comprising silicon are disclosed. Exemplary methods can include using a surfactant, using particular precursors, and/or using a transition step to improve an interface between adjacent layers comprising silicon germanium and comprising silicon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Amir Kajbafvala, Joe Margetis, Xin Sun, David Kohen, Dieter Pierreux
  • Patent number: 11713519
    Abstract: An integrated die and crucible system used an integrated die and crucible assembly that allows for improved sapphire sheet growing as result of targeted heat features and controls of the integrated die and crucible system and corresponding systems used to form the integrated die and crucible assembly, which include in part heat plugs, as well specific wall thicknesses about the die and crucibles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Sapphire Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: John Outwater, Bradford Shattuck Collins
  • Patent number: 8476152
    Abstract: A method includes epitaxially growing a germanium (Ge) layer onto a Ge substrate and incorporating a compensating species with a compensating atomic radius into the Ge layer. The method includes implanting an n-type dopant species with a dopant atomic radius into the Ge layer. The method includes selecting the n-type dopant species and the compensating species in such manner that the size of the Ge atomic radius is inbetween the n-type dopant atomic radius and the compensating atomic radius.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jee Hwan Kim, Stephen W. Bedell, Siegfried Maurer, Devendra K. Sadana
  • Patent number: 7906413
    Abstract: A structure and method of forming an abrupt doping profile is described incorporating a substrate, a first epitaxial layer of Ge less than the critical thickness having a P or As concentration greater than 5×1019 atoms/cc, and a second epitaxial layer having a change in concentration in its first 40 from the first layer of greater than 1×1019 P atoms/cc. Alternatively, a layer of SiGe having a Ge content greater than 0.5 may be selectively amorphized and recrystalized with respect to other layers in a layered structure. The invention overcomes the problem of forming abrupt phosphorus profiles in Si and SiGe layers or films in semiconductor structures such as CMOS, MODFET's, and HBT's.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank Cardone, Jack Oon Chu, Khalid EzzEldin Ismail
  • Patent number: 7479443
    Abstract: A method comprises, in a reaction chamber, depositing a seed layer of germanium over a silicon-containing surface at a first temperature. The seed layer has a thickness between about one monolayer and about 1000 ?. The method further comprises, after depositing the seed layer, increasing the temperature of the reaction chamber while continuing to deposit germanium. The method further comprises holding the reaction chamber in a second temperature range while continuing to deposit germanium. The second temperature range is greater than the first temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: ASM America Inc.
    Inventors: Matthias Bauer, Paul Brabant, Trevan Landin
  • Patent number: 7344596
    Abstract: To reduce the heat input to the bottom of the crucible and to control heat extraction independently of heat input, a shield can be raised between a heating element and a crucible at a controlled speed as the crystal grows. Other steps could include moving the crucible, but this process can avoid having to move the crucible. A temperature gradient is produced by shielding only a portion of the heating element; for example, the bottom portion of a cylindrical element can be shielded to cause heat transfer to be less in the bottom of the crucible than at the top, thereby causing a stabilizing temperature gradient in the crucible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Crystal Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick Schmid, Chandra P. Khattak, David B. Joyce
  • Patent number: 7329593
    Abstract: A method comprises, in a reaction chamber, depositing a seed layer of germanium over a silicon-containing surface at a first temperature. The seed layer has a thickness between about one monolayer and about 1000 ?. The method further comprises, after depositing the seed layer, increasing the temperature of the reaction chamber while continuing to deposit germanium. The method further comprises holding the reaction chamber in a second temperature range while continuing to deposit germanium. The second temperature range is greater than the first temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: ASM America, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthias Bauer, Paul Brabant, Trevan Landin
  • Patent number: 7267721
    Abstract: Group IV nanocrystals, such as, for example, silicon nanocrysals and germanium nanocrystals, with chemically accessible surfaces are produced in solution reactions. Group IV halides can be reduced in organic solvents such as 1,2-dimethoxyethane (glyme), with soluable reducing agents to give halide-terminated group IV nanocrystals, which can then be easily functionalized with alkyl lithium, Grignard or other reagents to synthesize group IV nanocrystals having air and moisture stable surfaces. Synthesis can occur at ambient temperature and pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Evergreen Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Susan M. Kauzlarich, Richard K. Baldwin
  • Patent number: 7232487
    Abstract: A method of making a highly sensitive epitaxial germanium low temperature sensor that is superior in the method of production and performance than those currently available. The geometry and sensitivity of the sensor can be tuned to desired temperature ranges, and specifically can operate at cryogenic temperatures. The sensor can be manufactured uniformly and reproducibly in large quantities at relatively low cost in which large area arrays are possible. The applications of the sensors range from conventional low temperature thermometry and control in laboratory and industrial settings, to applications associated with infrared, x-ray, particle and plasma physics and spectroscopy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
    Inventors: Eric H. Silver, Norman W. Madden, McDonald Robinson, Lamonte H. Lawrence
  • Patent number: 7226504
    Abstract: A method of forming a SiGe layer having a relatively high germanium content and a relatively low threading dislocation density includes preparing a silicon substrate; depositing a layer of SiGe to a thickness of between about 100 nm to 500 nm, wherein the germanium content of the SiGe layer is greater than 20%, by atomic ratio; implanting H+ ions into the SiGe layer at a dose of between about 1·1016 cm?2 to 5·1016 cm?2, at an energy of between about 20 keV to 45 keV; patterning the SiGe layer with photoresist; plasma etching the structure to form trenches about regions; removing the photoresist; and thermal annealing the substrate and SiGe layer, to relax the SiGe layer, in an inert atmosphere at a temperature of between about 650° C. to 950° C. for between about 30 seconds and 30 minutes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Jer-Shen Maa, Douglas James Tweet, Tingkai Li, Jong-Jan Lee, Sheng Teng Hsu
  • Patent number: 7217322
    Abstract: A method of fabricating an epitaxial silicon-germanium layer for an integrated semiconductor device comprises the step of depositing an arsenic in-situ doped silicon-germanium layer, wherein arsenic and germanium are introduced subsequently into different regions of said silicon-germanium layer during deposition of said silicon-germanium layer. By separating arsenic from germanium any interaction between arsenic and germanium is avoided during deposition thereby allowing fabricating silicon-germanium layers with reproducible doping profiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. Babcock, Scott Balster, Alfred Haeusler, Angelo Pinto, Manfred Schiekofer, Philipp Steinmann, Badih El-Kareh
  • Patent number: 6635110
    Abstract: The invention provides processes for producing a very low dislocation density in heterogeneous epitaxial layers with a wide range of thicknesses, including a thickness compatible with conventional silicon CMOS processing. In a process for reducing dislocation density in a semiconductor material formed as an epitaxial layer upon a dissimilar substrate material, the epitaxial layer and the substrate are heated at a heating temperature that is less than about a characteristic temperature of melting of the epitaxial layer but greater than about a temperature above which the epitaxial layer is characterized by plasticity, for a first time duration. Then the epitaxial layer and the substrate are cooled at a cooling temperature that is lower than the about the heating temperature, for a second time duration. These heating and cooling steps are carried out a selected number of cycles to reduce the dislocation density of the epitaxial layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Hsin-Chiao Luan, Lionel C. Kimerling
  • Patent number: 6596077
    Abstract: A method for the non-photochemical laser induced nucleation in which short high-intensity laser pulses are used to induce nucleation in supersaturated solutions including protein solutions. The laser induces nucleation only in the area where the beam is focused or passes through, resulting in fewer nuclei than would be achieved by spontaneous nucleation. In addition, the laser reduces nucleation time significantly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Illinois Institute of Technology
    Inventor: Allan S. Myerson
  • Patent number: 6287381
    Abstract: An optical dome or window formed of a composition which is transmissive to infrared frequencies in the range of from about 1 micron to about 14 microns and which is relatively opaque to substantially all frequencies above about 14 microns consisting essentially of a compound taken from the class consisting of group III-V compounds doped with an element taken from the class consisting of shallow donors and having less than about 1×107 atoms/cc impurities and having less than about 1×1015 parts carbon. The shallow donors are Se, Te and S, preferably Se, with the Se concentration from 5×1015 atoms/cc to 2×106 atoms/cc. The group III-V compound is preferably GaAs or GaP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Paul Klocek
  • Patent number: 6273949
    Abstract: A method for fabricating gallium arsenide (GaAs) based structure groups with inverted crystallographic orientation to form wavelength converters that utilizes germanium as a crystallographic neutral template layer deposited on a GaAs substrate. A crystallographic inverted gallium arsenide layer is grown on top of the template layer. In a selective trench etching process areas of the substrate are exposed again for a consecutive collective deposition of GaAs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Loren A. Eyres, Martin M. Fejer, Christopher B. Ebert, James S. Harris
  • Patent number: 6090666
    Abstract: There are provided a method for fabricating semiconductor nanocrystals which are highly controllable and less variable in density and size, as well as a semiconductor memory device which, with the use of the semiconductor nanocrystals, allows thickness of a insulating film between nanocrystals and channel region to be easily controlled and involves less variations in characteristics such as threshold and programming performance, and which is fast reprogrammable and has nonvolatility. Under a low pressure below atmospheric pressure, an amorphous silicon thin film 3 is deposited on a tunnel insulating film 2 formed on a silicon substrate 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Ueda, Kenta Nakamura, Yasumori Fukushima
  • Patent number: 5900054
    Abstract: Provided is an oxide single crystal of large size having the crystal structure of Ca.sub.3 Ga.sub.2 Ge.sub.4 O.sub.14 and containing Ge as a constituent element and a method of manufacturing thereof. The oxide single crystal is obtained by a manufacturing method comprising the steps of preparing a melt of starting materials containing GeO.sub.2 and growing said oxide crystal from said melt of starting materials in single-crystal growing atmosphere, which is characterized in that said starting materials contain GeO.sub.2 in a stoichiometrically excess amount, and/or said single-crystal growing atmosphere is a gas having an oxygen partial pressure greater than about 2.times.10.sup.-1 atm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Takagi, Makoto Kumatoriya, Tsuguo Fukuda
  • Patent number: 5785756
    Abstract: A novel molecular beam epitaxy deposition process for precisely growing structurally robust films and coatings containing germanium and various fluoride compounds for use as an optical filter. The process comprises depositing two (2) materials having different indices of refraction via molecular beam epitaxy at a temperature significantly lower than the optimal growth temperature. At such lower temperature, layers of the respective compounds are grown, via molecular beam epitaxy, such that the layers contain large concentrations of dislocations. Once the film or coating has been grown to the desired thickness, the material deposited is allowed to cool to room temperature and may then be used in a wide range of applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventor: Myung B. Lee
  • Patent number: 5513593
    Abstract: To produce a layer by liquid-phase heteroepitaxy a molten metal serving as the solvent is saturated at a first temperature with substrate material and compounded with layer material. The solution and the substrate are then separatly "overheated" to a second, higher temperature and then brought into contact with each other. Due to the overheating a negative thermodynamic driving force results for the epitaxy which compensates the positive driving force for the epitaxy at least in part due to the different interfacial energies between layer material and solution and substrate material and solution. The degree of overheating determines the resulting total driving force for the epitaxy which may be reduced to zero. Very thin layers, down to a monolayer thickness may be grown in this way from the solution with a layer thickness exact to a monolayer with no dislocation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1996
    Assignee: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften e.V.
    Inventors: Per-Ove Hansson, Martin Albrecht
  • Patent number: 5379712
    Abstract: A method of epitaxially growing a surface layer on a substrate including the steps of coating the substrate surface, with a meltable film, melting the film and implanting ions into he melted film, to deposit ion material onto the coated substrate surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1995
    Assignee: Implant Sciences Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony J. Armini, Stephen N. Bunker
  • Patent number: 5336360
    Abstract: A method of making pure fibers from a parent material utilizing laser energy. A short wavelength laser is used to achieve a diffraction limited focal spot diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the growing fiber. Focused laser beam convergence is used to obtain a fiber growth rate that depends on the fiber tip portion such that the fiber growth rate achieves a value equal to the controlled fiber pulling rate. The present invention achieves vapor-liquid-solid growth of single crystal silicon fibers and whiskers from silane gas and permits the use of other materials in the production of fibers by the vapor-liquid-solid process. The method provides an increase in the allowable ambient pressure and growth temperature and a large and more energy efficient growth velocity as compared to carbon dioxide based laser beam technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1994
    Assignee: Clemson University
    Inventor: Paul C. Nordine
  • Patent number: 5316615
    Abstract: The present invention broadly concerns layered structures of substantially-crystalline materials and processes for making such structures. More particularly, the invention concerns epitaxial growth of a substantially-crystalline layer of a first material on a substantially-crystalline second material different from the first material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1994
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew W. Copel, Rudolf M. Tromp