Glow Discharge Sputter Deposition (e.g., Cathode Sputtering, Etc.) Patents (Class 204/192.12)
  • Patent number: 8308915
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for face target sputtering to fabricate semiconductors by providing one or more materials with differential coefficients of expansion in the FTS chamber; and generating a controlled pressure and size with the one or more materials during sintering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: 4D-S Pty Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Nagashima
  • Patent number: 8303785
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber, substrate stage, electrode, conductive members, and deposition shield. The chamber is maintained at a predetermined potential. The substrate stage serves to hold a substrate within the chamber. The electrode serves to generate a plasma inside the chamber by applying AC power to the chamber. The conductive members connect the substrate stage and the side wall of the chamber by surrounding the plasma space between the substrate stage and the electrode in plasma formation, and at least some of them are separated by being moved by a driving mechanism so as to form an opening for loading a substrate onto the substrate stage while no plasma is being formed. The deposition shield covers the surfaces of the conductive members on the side of the plasma space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Anelva Corporation
    Inventors: Yoh Tanaka, Kazuya Konaga, Eisaku Watanabe, Eitaro Morimoto
  • Publication number: 20120273343
    Abstract: A method is provided for coating a substrate (100) with a cathode assembly (10) having a rotatable target (20). The rotatable target has at least one magnet assembly (25) positioned there within. The method includes positioning the magnet assembly at a first position so that it is asymmetrically aligned with respect to a plane (22) perpendicularly extending from the substrate (100) to the axis (21) of the rotatable target for a predetermined first time interval; positioning the magnet assembly at a second position that is asymmetrically aligned with respect to said plane (22) for a predetermined second time interval; and providing a voltage to the rotatable target that is varied over time during coating. Further, a coater is provided that includes a cathode assembly with a rotatable curved target; and two magnet assemblies positioned within the rotatable curved target wherein the distance between the two magnet assemblies can be varied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIAL, INC.
    Inventors: Marcus Bender, Markus Hanika, Evelyn Scheer, Fabio Pieralisi, Guido Mahnke
  • Publication number: 20120276396
    Abstract: A method of continuously subjecting an elongated substrate to vacuum film formation is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: feeding a first substrate from a first roll chamber in a first direction from the first roll chamber toward a second roll chamber; degassing the first substrate; forming a film of a second material on the first substrate, in a second film formation chamber; and rolling up the first substrate in the second roll chamber, thereby producing the first substrate, and comprises similar steps to produce a second substrate. In advance of producing the first substrate with the second material film, the first cathode electrode of the first film formation chamber is removed from the first film formation chamber, and, in advance of producing the second substrate with the first material film, the second cathode electrode of the second film formation chamber is removed from the second film formation chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomotake NASHIKI, Yoshimasa SAKATA, Hideo SUGAWARA, Kenkichi YAGURA, Akira HAMADA, Yoshihisa ITO, Kuniaki ISHIBASHI
  • Publication number: 20120276397
    Abstract: A method of continuously subjecting an elongated substrate to vacuum film formation is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: feeding a first substrate from a first roll chamber in a first direction from the first chamber toward a second roll chamber; degassing the first substrate; forming a film of a second material on the first substrate, in a second film formation chamber; and rolling up the first substrate in the second roll chamber, thereby producing the first substrate, and further comprises similar steps to produce a second substrate. In advance of producing the first substrate with the second material film, the first cathode electrode of the first film formation chamber is removed from the first film formation chamber, and, in advance of producing the second substrate with the first material film, the second cathode electrode of the second film formation chamber is removed from the second film formation chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomotake NASHIKI, Hideo SUGAWARA, Tomonori NOGUCHI, Akira HAMADA, Yoshihisa ITO, Kuniaki ISHIBASHI
  • Patent number: 8282844
    Abstract: A method and system of etching a metal nitride, such as titanium nitride, is described. The etching process comprises introducing a process composition having a halogen containing gas, such as Cl2, HBr, or BCl3, and a hydrocarbon gas having the chemical formula CxHy, where x and y are equal to unity or greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Akiteru Ko, Hiroyuki Takahashi, Masayuki Sawataishi
  • Patent number: 8282270
    Abstract: According to this process for manufacturing a ceramic element intended to be fitted onto a watch case, the visible surface of which has features, a soluble layer (2) is selectively deposited on said visible surface, the thickness of said soluble layer being at least equal to the height of said features, a first tie layer (3) of the Ti, Ta, Cr or Th type is vacuum-deposited by magnetron sputtering with a thickness of at least 100 nm by physical vapor deposition (PVD) on said surface thus selectively coated, followed, without venting atmosphere, by PVD deposition of said second layer (4) made of Au, Pt, Ag, Ni, Pd, TiN, CrN, ZrN or alloys thereof with a thickness of at least 100 nm, and then said soluble layer (2) is dissolved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Rolex S.A.
    Inventor: Eric Grippo
  • Publication number: 20120251023
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a plain bearing element (1) by means of coating a surface (5) of a substrate with a tribologically effective sliding layer (6) by means of cathode sputtering in a gas atmosphere and using at least one metal target (16), with a substrate having a cylindrical cavity (3) being used, and the target (16) being arranged at least partially in the cavity (3) and furthermore the discharge for sputtering the target (16) is supported or maintained by means of a third electrode (26).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: MIBA GLEITLAGER GMBH
    Inventor: Walter Gaertner
  • Patent number: 8277617
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for magnetron sputter coating of an interior surface of a hollow substrate defining at least one irregular contour. The apparatus may contain a vacuum chamber and a target containing one or more metals having an exterior surface defining at least one irregular contour. The exterior surface of the target may be configured to conform to at least a portion of an irregular contour of the interior surface of the hollow substrate to be coated. A magnet assembly may be supplied which may include a plurality of magnets where the magnets are positioned substantially within a metallic target alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Kuang-Tsan Kenneth Chiang, Ronghua Wei
  • Publication number: 20120244448
    Abstract: Methods of heat treating at least one component of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system. The method includes heating the at least one component with a rapid thermal process, wherein the rapid thermal process heats at least a portion of the component at a rate of approximately 50° C./sec or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: Bloom Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan Hallum, Michael Gasda, Arne Ballantine, Ravi Oswal
  • Publication number: 20120244298
    Abstract: A coated substrate. The coated substrate includes a unitary substrate having a major surface. A first coating is applied to a first surface segment of the major surface. A second coating applied to a second surface segment of the major surface. The first coating is different than the second coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Inventors: Russell Huffer, Randy Leland Stull, Henry Boyum, Keith Grubb, Kristen Spurgeon
  • Publication number: 20120241311
    Abstract: According to the embodiment, a sputtering device and a sputtering method includes: a target of which a bottom surface is arranged so as to be opposed to a wafer substrate; a magnetic field forming portion which is arranged to be opposed to an upper surface of the target, and includes a magnet forming a magnetic field; a mechanism which changes a distance from a center point on a surface of the target opposed to the wafer substrate to a predetermined reference point of the magnetic field forming portion, while making the magnetic field forming portion go around the center point, with maintaining a spacing between the target and the magnetic field forming portion; and a wafer retaining portion which is capable of arranging the wafer substrate at a predetermined position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Satoshi KATO
  • Patent number: 8273222
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for depositing coatings on the surface of a workpiece with sputtering material in an ion plasma environment. The apparatus may include a magnetron including a core cooling system surrounded by a magnet assembly and target material having a surface capable of providing a source of sputtering material. An RF plasma generation assembly is also provided in the apparatus including an RF antenna capable of providing an RF plasma and drawing ions to one or both of the workpiece surface and target material surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Ronghua Wei, Sabrina L. Lee
  • Publication number: 20120234672
    Abstract: This invention provides a sputtering method which can generate an electric discharge under practical conditions and maintain the pressure in a plasma space uniform, and a sputtering apparatus used for the same. The sputtering method includes a first gas introduction step (step S403) of introducing a process gas from a first gas introduction port formed in a sputtering space defined by a deposition shield plate, a substrate holder, and the target which are disposed in a process chamber, a voltage application step (step S407) of applying a voltage to the target after the first gas introduction step, and a second gas introduction step (step S405) of introducing a process gas from a second gas introduction port formed outside the sputtering space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: CANON ANELVA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuo YAMAGUCHI, Kazuaki Matsuo
  • Publication number: 20120228123
    Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for plasma ion implantation of a solid element, which enable plasma ion implantation of a solid element. According to the apparatus and method, a sample is placed on a sample stage in a vacuum chamber, and the inside of the vacuum chamber is maintained as a vacuum state. And, gas is supplied in the vacuum chamber, a first pulsed DC power is applied to a magnetron sputtering source so as to generate plasma ions of a solid element. The plasma ions of a solid element sputtered from the source are implanted on the surface of the sample. The first power is a pulse DC power capable of applying a high power the moment a pulse is applied while maintaining low average power. And, simultaneously with the applying of the first pulse power, a second power may be supplied to the sample stage, which is a high negative voltage pulse accelerating plasma ions of a solid element to the sample and synchronized to the pulse DC power for magnetron sputtering source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: Korea Institute of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Seung-Hee HAN, Ji-Young Byun, Hyun-Kwang Seok, Jun-Hyun Han, Yu-Chan Kim, Sung-Bai Lee, Jin-Young Choi
  • Publication number: 20120228125
    Abstract: A physical vapor deposition (PVD) system includes N coaxial coils arranged in a first plane parallel to a substrate-supporting surface of a pedestal in a chamber of a PVD system and below the pedestal. M coaxial coils are arranged adjacent to the pedestal. Plasma is created in the chamber. A magnetic field well is created above a substrate by supplying N currents to the N coaxial coils, respectively, and M currents to the M coaxial coils, respectively. The N currents flow in a first direction in the N coaxial coils and the M second currents flow in a second direction in the M coaxial coils that is opposite to the first direction. A recessed feature on the substrate arranged on the pedestal is filled with a metal-containing material by PVD using at least one operation with high density plasma having a fractional ionization of metal greater than 30%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Inventors: Liqi Wu, Ishtak Karim, Huatan Qiu, Kie-Jin Park, Chunming Zhou, Karthik Colinjivadi
  • Publication number: 20120228124
    Abstract: A method of depositing wear resistant layers, using PVD method, where the depositing is carried out from at least two working deposition sources, simultaneously, where at least one of said sources is a cylindrical rotating cathode working in an unbalanced magnetron regime and simultaneously, at least one of said sources is a cathode, working in low-voltage arc-discharge regime. Further, the invention is related to the apparatus for carrying out said method, the apparatus consisting of vacuum deposition chamber, in which there are at least two deposition sources with their relevant gas inputs of process gases and their shields, and in which at least one substrate on rotating support is placed, and where the most substantive is that at least one of said sources is a cylindrical rotating cathode working in an unbalanced magnetron regime, and, simultaneously, at least one of said sources is a cathode, working in low-voltage arc-discharge regime.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Inventors: Stan Veprek, Mojmir Jilek, Ondrej Zindulka
  • Patent number: 8262869
    Abstract: Work piece processing is performed by pulsed discharges between an anode (2) and a magnetron sputtering cathode (1) in solid-gas plasmas using a chamber (2) containing the work piece (7). A system (12) maintains a vacuum in the chamber and another system (14) provides sputtering and reactive gases. The pulses are produced in a plasma pulser circuit including the anode and the cathode, the discharges creating gas and partially ionized solid plasma blobs (3) moving or spreading from a region at a surface of the cathode towards the work piece and the anode. A potential is applied to the work piece so that a pulsed current comprising biasing pulses arises between the second electrodes. In particular biasing discharges are produced between the anode and the work piece when said plasma blobs have spread to regions at the anode and at the work piece so that the pulsed current is the current of these biasing discharges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Chemfilt Ionsputtering Aktiebolag
    Inventor: Vladimir Kouznetsov
  • Patent number: 8257561
    Abstract: Methods are generally provided for forming a conductive oxide layer on a substrate. In one particular embodiment, the method can include sputtering a transparent conductive oxide layer on a substrate at a sputtering temperature from about 10° C. to about 100° C. A cap layer including cadmium sulfide can be deposited directly on the transparent conductive oxide layer. The transparent conductive oxide layer can be annealed at an anneal temperature from about 450° C. to about 650° C. Methods are also generally provided for manufacturing a cadmium telluride based thin film photovoltaic device. An intermediate substrate is also generally provided for use to manufacture a thin film photovoltaic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Primestar Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Daniel Feldman-Peabody, Jennifer Ann Drayton, Robert Dwayne Gossman, Mehran Sadeghi
  • Publication number: 20120211352
    Abstract: The present specification concerns a sputtering magnetron assembly 104,204,304 comprising a rotatable tubular target cathode 105,205,305 and a magnetic field generating device 106,206,306 installed within the tubular target cathode 105,205,305. At least part of the magnetic field generating device 106,206,306 is configured to move within the tubular target cathode 105,205,305 so as to maintain within a predetermined range a magnetic field strength H at an outer surface 110,210,310 of the tubular target cathode 105,205,305 during erosion of said outer surface. The present specification also relates to a physical vapour deposition method using such a sputtering magnetron assembly 104,204,304.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA MOTOR EUROPE NV/SA
    Inventor: Premendra
  • Patent number: 8246794
    Abstract: A method of magnetron sputtering, comprises rotating a magnet of a magnetron with an angular frequency ?, and, during sputtering of material from a source of the magnetron onto a substrate, periodically modulating a power level applied to the source with at least a component comprising a frequency f which is a harmonic of the angular frequency ? of rotation of the magnet other than the first harmonic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: OC Oerlikon Blazers AG
    Inventors: Stanislav Kadlec, Frantisek Balon, Juergen Weichart, Bart Scholte van Mast
  • Patent number: 8242348
    Abstract: Processes for economical large scale commercial production of blocks of quantum well particles, platelets, or continuous sheets of material imparting minimal or essentially no parasitic substrate loss in quantum well devices such as thermo-electric generators in which the blocks are embodied involve roll to roll processing, i.e., deposition and crystallization of alternating layers of quantum well materials, on an elongate and continuous base layer of appreciable width. Blocks of quantum well materials having no attached base layer are produced on decomposable or release treated base layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: General Atomics
    Inventor: Lawrence D. Woolf
  • Publication number: 20120199471
    Abstract: Provided are a film-forming apparatus and a film-forming method capable of preventing complication of an apparatus mechanism in formation of a thin film of multiple materials by sputtering to simplify the apparatus mechanism and preventing an increase in an apparatus cost. The film-forming apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a substrate holder for holding a substrate, cathode mechanisms for supporting targets respectively so that the targets can be opposed to the substrate in the vacuum chamber, and shutters movable forward and backward individually between the targets made of different materials and the substrate to block or pass film-forming particles generated from the targets. At least one of the shutters is formed of a target material different from those for the targets so that the at least one of the shutters is configured as a shutter that also functions as a target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiken Matsumoto, Seiji Kuwabara
  • Publication number: 20120193218
    Abstract: It is provided a device for supporting a rotatable target of a deposition apparatus for sputtering material onto a substrate, wherein the device includes a drive unit for rotating the rotatable target; a ring-shaped part connected to the drive unit for attaching the drive unit to the rotatable target; and, a shield for covering the ring-shaped part. The shield is adapted for rotating together with the ring-shaped part and includes a plurality of parts assembled together. Furthermore, a sputtering apparatus and a method for supporting a rotatable target are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Frank SCHNAPPENBERGER, Jürgen MULTERER
  • Publication number: 20120193217
    Abstract: A physical vapor deposition system includes a segmented post cathode having multiple post segments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Inventors: Brian S. Tryon, Russell A. Beers
  • Publication number: 20120181166
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to methods for physical vapor deposition processes. The methods generally include synchronizing process chamber conditions with the position of a magnetron. As the magnetron is scanned over a first area of a target, the conditions within the chamber are adjusted to a first set of predetermined process conditions. As the magnetron is subsequently scanned over a second area of the target, the conditions within the chamber are adjusted to a second set of predetermined process conditions different the first set. The target may be divided into more than two areas. By correlating the position of the magnetron with different sets of process conditions, film uniformity can be improved by reducing center-to-edge non-uniformities, such as re-sputter rates which may be higher when the magnetron is near the edge of the target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: QIAN LUO, Ye Xu, Tza-Jing Gung, Xianmin Tang
  • Patent number: 8221594
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a magnetron sputtering technique for forming a film having an even film thickness distribution for a long period of time. A magnetron sputtering apparatus of the present invention includes a vacuum chamber, a cathode part provided in the vacuum chamber, the cathode part holding a target on the front side thereof and having a backing plate to hold a plurality of magnets on the backside thereof, and a direct-current power source that supplies direct-current power to the cathode part. A plurality of control electrodes, which independently controls potentials, is provided in a discharge space on the side of the target with respect to the backing plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Ulvac, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Akamatsu, Kyuzo Nakamura, Motoshi Kobayashi, Junya Kiyota, Tomiyuki Yukawa, Masaki Takei, Yuuichi Oishi, Makoto Arai, Satoru Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 8216663
    Abstract: A member having high non-electrostatic properties and high hydrophilicity and preventing an adhesion of contaminants, a surface-treating process and an apparatus for the surface-treating process are provided. A surface-treatment apparatus comprises a water vapor-generating unit 1, a superheating unit 5 for superheating a water vapor to generate a superheated water vapor, and a processing unit 11 for spraying the superheated water vapor to a member 14 to be treated (a ceramic, a metal) or for exposing the member to the superheated water vapor. Treating the untreated member with a superheated water vapor having a temperature 300 to 1000° C., hydrophilicity and antistatic properties are imparted to the member. The untreated member may be a member (a window member) contacting with a processing space in a vapor phase surface process apparatus (e.g., a chamber) for the surface process of a substrate by a vapor phase method such as a PVD, a CVD, or a dry etching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Canaan Precision Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Koichiro Takayanagi
  • Publication number: 20120171500
    Abstract: A process for treating the surface of magnesium alloy comprises providing a substrate made of magnesium alloy. The substrate is then treated with a chemical conversion treatment solution containing oleic acid as a main film forming agent, to form an oleic acid conversion film on the substrate. A ceramic coating comprising refractory metal compound is next formed on the cerium conversion film by physical vapor deposition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicants: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD., HONG FU JIN PRECISION INDUSTRY (ShenZhen) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: HSIN-PEI CHANG, WEN-RONG CHEN, HUANN-WU CHIANG, CHENG-SHI CHEN, DUN MAO
  • Publication number: 20120171502
    Abstract: A process for treating the surface of magnesium alloy comprises providing a substrate made of magnesium alloy. The substrate is then treated with a chemical conversion treatment solution containing cerium nitrate and potassium permanganate as main film forming agents, to form a cerium conversion film on the substrate. A ceramic coating comprising refractory metal compound is next formed on the cerium conversion film by physical vapor deposition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicants: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD., HONG FU JIN PRECISION INDUSTRY (ShenZhen) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: HSIN-PEI CHANG, WEN-RONG CHEN, HUANN-WU CHIANG, CHENG-SHI CHEN, DUN MAO
  • Publication number: 20120164410
    Abstract: An coated article includes a substrate; and a lubricant layer deposited on the substrate; wherein the lubricant layer is a molybdenum sulphur boron nitride layer and comprises molybdenum sulfur boron nitride (MoSBN) having a molybdenum disulfide phase and a boron nitride phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicants: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD., HONG FU JIN PRECISION INDUSTRY (ShenZhen) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: HSIN-PEI CHANG, WEN-RONG CHEN, HUANN-WU CHIANG, CHENG-SHI CHEN, SHYAN-JUH LIU, CONG LI
  • Publication number: 20120160807
    Abstract: A vacuum plasma system has a table with a table power connector, and a fixture spaced apart from the table for defining a chamber between the table and the fixture. An electrostatic chuck (ESC) is mounted to the table in the chamber. The ESC has a side for supporting a workpiece, and an ESC power connector that electrically couples with the table power connector. A coupling extends between the table and ESC power connectors to provide electrical connection therebetween. A shield surrounds the coupling and portions of the table and ESC power connectors to reduce external fields applied to the coupling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: SPANSION LLC
    Inventors: Kin-sang Lam, Gary Ray Pierce, JR.
  • Publication number: 20120164517
    Abstract: A reverse configuration, lithium thin film battery (300) having a buried lithium anode layer (305) and process for making the same. The present invention is formed from a precursor composite structure (200) made by depositing electrolyte layer (204) onto substrate (201), followed by sequential depositions of cathode layer (203) and current collector (202) on the electrolyte layer. The precursor is subjected to an activation step, wherein a buried lithium anode layer (305) is formed via electroplating a lithium anode layer at the interface of substrate (201) and electrolyte film (204). The electroplating is accomplished by applying a current between anode current collector (201) and cathode current collector (202).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.
    Inventors: Se-Hee LEE, C. Edwin Tracy, Ping Liu
  • Publication number: 20120152726
    Abstract: A deposition system is provided, where conductive targets of similar composition are situated opposing each other. The system is aligned parallel with a substrate, which is located outside the resulting plasma that is largely confined between the two cathodes. A “plasma cage” is formed wherein the carbon atoms collide with accelerating electrons and get highly ionized. The electrons are trapped inside the plasma cage, while the ionized carbon atoms are deposited on the surface of the substrate. Since the electrons are confined to the plasma cage, no substrate damage or heating occurs. Additionally, argon atoms, which are used to ignite and sustain the plasma and to sputter carbon atoms from the target, do not reach the substrate, so as to avoid damaging the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Inventors: Samuel D. HARKNESS IV, Terry Bluck, Michael A. Russak, Quang N. Tran
  • Publication number: 20120156458
    Abstract: A transparent conductive structure includes a substrate unit, a first coating unit, a diffusion barrier structure, a second coating unit, a third coating unit and a conductive unit. The substrate unit includes a plastic substrate. The first coating unit includes a first coating layer formed on the plastic substrate. The diffusion barrier structure is formed on the first coating layer. The diffusion barrier structure includes a first oxide unit having a plurality of first oxide layers and a second oxide unit having a plurality of second oxide layers. The first oxide layers and the second oxide layers are stacked on top of each other alternately. The second coating unit includes a second coating layer formed on the diffusion barrier structure. The third coating unit includes a third coating layer formed on the second coating layer. The conductive unit includes a transparent conductive film formed on the third coating layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: INNOVATION & INFINITY GLOBAL CORP.
    Inventor: CHAO-CHIEH CHU
  • Publication number: 20120148864
    Abstract: A coated article includes a substrate, an anti-corrosion layer formed on the substrate, and a decorative layer formed on the anti-corrosion layer. The substrate is made of aluminum or aluminum alloy. The anti-corrosion layer includes an aluminum-copper alloy layer formed on the substrate and an aluminum nitride layer formed on the aluminum-copper alloy layer. The coated article has good corrosion resistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicants: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD., HONG FU JIN PRECISION INDUSTRY ( ShenZhen) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: HSIN-PEI CHANG, WEN-RONG CHEN, HUANN-WU CHIANG, CHENG-SHI CHEN, XIAO-QIANG CHEN
  • Patent number: 8198179
    Abstract: A method for producing a group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device including: an intermediate layer formation step in which an intermediate layer containing group III nitride is formed on a substrate by sputtering, and a laminate semiconductor formation step in which an n-type semiconductor layer having a base layer, a light-emitting layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer are laminated on the intermediate layer in this order, wherein the method includes a pretreatment step in which the intermediate layer is treated using plasma between the intermediate layer formation step and the laminate semiconductor formation step, and a formation step for the base layer which is included in the laminate semiconductor formation step is a step for laminating the base layer by sputtering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Showa Denko K.K.
    Inventors: Yasumasa Sasaki, Hisayuki Miki
  • Publication number: 20120139997
    Abstract: A method of method of making a corrosion resistant print head die comprises creating a self-ionized plasma (SIP) of a coating material; establishing a bias on a print head die comprising a plurality of feed slots (40), each feed slot (40) comprising side wall surfaces (61); and causing the coating material plasma to be deposited on the surfaces to form a protective coating, wherein at least a portion of the coating material is deposited on at least a portion of the surfaces by resputtering. In some cases, the feed slots have an aspect ratio greater than 2. In some cases, the feed slot comprises at least one rib (41), each rib (41) comprising a top surface (68), two side surfaces (66), and an under surface (69), and the formed protective coating is deposited on the top surface (68), two side surfaces (66), and under surface (69) of each rib (41).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Inventors: Siddhartha Bhowmik, Rio Rivas, Gerald R. Wonnacott
  • Patent number: 8192592
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods of forming a phase-change material layer including providing a substrate and a chalcogenide target including germanium (Ge), antimony (Sb) and tellurium (Te) at a temperature wherein tellurium is volatilized and antimony is not volatilized, and performing a sputtering process to form the phase-change material layer including a chalcogenide material on the substrate. Methods of manufacturing a phase-change memory device using the same are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Do-Hyung Kim, Shin-Jae Kang, In-Sun Park, Hyun-Seok Lim, Gyu-Hwan Oh
  • Publication number: 20120132517
    Abstract: In a method for coating a substrate in a vacuum chamber having a rotating magnetron, wherein a substrate is guided past the magnetron in a substrate transport direction and is coated by a material, which has been isolated from a target connected to the magnetron, and, optionally with the material reacting with a reactive gas present in the vacuum chamber, homogeneity of the coating layer on a substrate is improved by stabilizing the working point by way of the target rotation. This is achieved in that a periodic change of a first process parameter caused by the target revolution is compensated for by a periodic change of a second process parameter having a determined level and/or by employing two magnetrons having different rotational speeds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: VON ARDENNE ANLAGENTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventors: Volker Linss, Tilo Wuensche
  • Patent number: 8187430
    Abstract: Forming coated cemented carbide inserts, particularly useful in fine turning of super alloys. The inserts are characterized by a composition of a cemented carbide of WC, about 4.0 wt-% Co to about 7.0 wt-% Co, about 0.25 wt-% Cr to 0.50 wt-% Cr, and a coercivity (Hc) of about 28 kA/m to about 38 kA/m. The coating comprises a single (Ti1-xSix)N-layer, where x is between about 0.1 and about 0.25, with a crystal structure of NaCl type and a total thickness between about 0.5 ?m and about 2.0 ?m with a strong (200)-texture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Seco Tools AB
    Inventors: Erik Sundstrom, Jacob Sjolen, Niklas Ahlen
  • Publication number: 20120128948
    Abstract: A coated article includes a substrate; a color layer deposited on the substrate; and a pattern layer deposited on the surface of the color layer opposite to the substrate. A network of metal nuclei groups forms the pattern layer. The network of metal nuclei groups includes a plurality of metal nuclei, and each metal nucleus is bonded to at least one other metal nucleus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicants: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD., HON FU JIN PRECISION INDUSTRY (ShenZhen) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: HSIN-PEI CHANG, WEN-RONG CHEN, HUANN-WU CHIANG, CHENG-SHI CHEN, CHENG ZHANG
  • Publication number: 20120128971
    Abstract: A coated member includes a base material and a coating film formed on the surface thereof. At least one layer in the coating film is a hard film of a cubic metal compound including at least one element selected from the group consisting of the group 4 elements (Ti, Zr, Hf, etc.), group 5 elements (V, Nb, Ta, etc.) and group 6 elements (Cr, Mo, W, etc.) of the periodic table, Al, Si, B, Y and Mn together with at least one element selected from the group consisting of C, N and O. In the pole figure for the face (111) of the hard film, the X-ray intensity distribution in the ?-axis shows the maximum intensity in the ?-angle range of 50-65°. In the pole figure for the face (200), the X-ray intensity distribution in the ?-axis shows the maximum intensity in the ?-angle range of 60-80°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Inventor: Miho Shibata
  • Patent number: 8182661
    Abstract: A sputter target assembly particularly useful for a large panel plasma sputter reactor having a target assembly sealed both to the main processing chamber and a vacuum pumped chamber housing a moving magnetron. The target assembly to which target tiles are bonded includes an integral plate with parallel cooling holes drilled parallel to the principal faces. The ends of the holes may be sealed and vertically extending slots arranged in two staggered groups on each side and machined down to respective pairs of cooling holes on opposite sides of the backing plate in pairs. Four manifolds tubes are sealed to the four groups of slots and provide counter-flowing coolant paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Tanase, Makoto Inagawa, Akihiro Hosokawa
  • Patent number: 8182660
    Abstract: A power supply apparatus includes a power supply mechanism which supplies, from an external power supply, electric power to be supplied to an electrostatic chuck. The power supply mechanism includes a first conductive annular member fixed to the end portion of a strut, and capable of rotating together with the strut, a second conductive annular member fixed to a housing, and brought into surface contact with the first conductive annular member, and a first power supply member which supplies a supplied first voltage to an electrode of the electrostatic chuck via the second conductive annular member and the first conductive annular member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Anelva Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi Miura, Kazunari Sekiya
  • Publication number: 20120118725
    Abstract: A film forming method of forming a coating on a surface of an object to be processed includes disposing a target forming a base material of the coating and the object to be processed in a chamber so as to face each other, and generating a magnetic field through which a vertical line of magnetic force locally passes from a sputter surface of the target toward a surface to be film formed of the object to be processed at predetermined intervals; generating plasma in a space between the target and the object to be processed by introducing a sputter gas into the chamber, controlling a gas pressure in the chamber to a range of 0.3 Pa to 10.0 Pa, and applying a negative DC voltage to the target; and inducing and depositing the sputter particles on the object to be processed and forming the coating, while controlling flying direction of the sputter particles generated by sputtering the target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2010
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Naoki Morimoto, Junichi Hamaguchi, Kazumasa Horita, Naoki Takeda
  • Publication number: 20120121818
    Abstract: A coating surface processing method includes forming a coating on the entire surface of a base body that has fine holes or fine grooves formed on the to-be-filmed surface, including the inner wall surfaces and the inner bottom surfaces of the holes or the grooves, and flattening the coating formed on the inner wall surfaces of the holes or the grooves by carrying out a plasma processing on the surface of the coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Shuji Kodaira, Tomoyuki Yoshihama, Koukichi Kamada, Kazumasa Horita, Junichi Hamaguchi, Shigeo Nakanishi, Satoru Toyoda
  • Publication number: 20120103794
    Abstract: A method of coating an RF device for reducing cost of manufacture and coating period of time and a sputtering apparatus used in the same are disclosed. The sputtering apparatus used for coating of an RF device includes a supporting member on which an object to be coated corresponding to the RF device is placed, a first target made up of material coated on the object and a second target disposed separately from the first target. Here, power is applied to the first target and the second target when the object is coated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: ACE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Myoung-Joon JUNG, Myoung-Ho KIM, Hyun-Yeong JUNG, Se-Young OH
  • Publication number: 20120104616
    Abstract: A method for depositing at least one thin-film electrode onto a transparent conductive oxide film is provided. At first, the transparent conductive oxide film is deposited onto a substrate to be processed. Then, the substrate and the transparent conductive oxide film are subjected to a processing environment containing a processing gas acting as a donor material or an acceptor material with respect to the transparent conductive oxide film. The at least one thin-film electrode is deposited onto at least portions of the transparent conductive oxide film. A partial pressure of the processing gas acting as the donor material or the acceptor material with respect to the transparent conductive oxide film is varied while depositing the at least one thin-film electrode onto at least portions of the transparent conductive oxide film. Thus, a modified transparent conductive oxide film having reduced interface resistance and bulk resistance can be obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventor: Fabio PIERALISI
  • Publication number: 20120097527
    Abstract: A film formation apparatus includes: a chamber in which both a body to be processed and a target are disposed; a first magnetic field generation section generating a magnetic field; and a second magnetic field generation section including a first generation portion to which a current defined as “Iu” is applied and a second generation portion to which a current defined as “Id” is applied, the first generation portion being disposed at a position close to the target, the second generation portion being disposed at a position close to the body to be processed, the second magnetic field generation section applying the currents to the first generation portion and the second generation portion so as to satisfy the relational expression Id<Iu, the second magnetic field generation section allowing perpendicular magnetic lines to pass between the target and the body to be processed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Shuji Kodaira, Tomoyuki Yoshihama, Koukichi Kamada, Kazumasa Horita, Junichi Hamaguchi, Shigeo Nakanishi, Satoru Toyoda