Glow Discharge Sputter Deposition (e.g., Cathode Sputtering, Etc.) Patents (Class 204/192.12)
  • Patent number: 11149342
    Abstract: A sputtering apparatus includes: a target disposed on a ceiling of a processing container capable of being depressurized; a gas inlet configured to supply a sputtering gas into the processing container; a first shield disposed around the target and configured to prevent deposition of a film around the target; and a second shield disposed in the processing container to cover an inner wall of the ceiling with a space from the ceiling, and including an opening in a portion corresponding to the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Junichi Takei, Hiroshi Sone
  • Patent number: 11111577
    Abstract: A film formation apparatus includes a target containing a magnetic material, a support that supports a substrate and locates the substrate in an arrangement region opposing the target, and a magnetic field formation unit located at a side of the arrangement region opposite to the target. The magnetic field formation unit forms a horizontal magnetic field parallel to an oscillation direction, which is one direction extending along the substrate, at a side of the arrangement region where the target is located. The magnetic field formation unit oscillates the horizontal magnetic field in the oscillation direction at least between one end of the arrangement region and another end of the arrangement region in the oscillation direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Yousuke Kobayashi, Harunori Iwai, Tetsushi Fujinaga, Atsuhito Ihori, Noriaki Tani
  • Patent number: 11114934
    Abstract: A power supply device includes an inductor, a switch, a power supply, and a snubber circuit. A first terminal of the switch is coupled to a first terminal of the inductor. A first terminal of the power supply is coupled to a second terminal of the witch. A first terminal of the snubber circuit is coupled to the first terminal of the switch at a first voltage output terminal. A second terminal of the snubber circuit is electrically coupled to a second terminal of the power supply at a second voltage output terminal, in which the inductor, the switch, the power supply, and the snubber circuit are configured to cooperate to generate an output voltage at the first voltage output terminal and the second voltage output terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Wei-Hsun Lai, Wei-Cheng Lin, Po-Cheng Chiu, Chien-Yu Wang
  • Patent number: 11085113
    Abstract: A film forming apparatus includes a rotary table having a loading area at a first surface side thereof and revolving a substrate loaded on the loading area, a rotation mechanism rotating the loading area such that the substrate rotates around its axis, a processing gas supply mechanism supplying a processing gas to a processing gas supply area so that a thin film is formed on the substrate which repeatedly passes through the processing gas supply area the revolution of the substrate, and a control part configured to perform a calculation of a rotation speed of the substrate based on a parameter including a rotation speed of the rotary table to allow an orientation of the substrate to be changed whenever the substrate is positioned in the processing gas supply area, and to output a control signal for rotating the substrate at a calculated rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kato, Shigehiro Miura, Hiroyuki Kikuchi, Katsuyoshi Aikawa
  • Patent number: 11081324
    Abstract: The sputtering cathode has a tubular shape having a pair of long sides facing each other in cross-sectional shape, has a sputtering target whose erosion surface faces inward, and a magnetic circuit is provided along the sputtering target. The pair of long sides are constituted by rotary targets each having a cylindrical shape. The rotary target is internally provided with a magnetic circuit and configured to allow the flow of cooling water. The magnetic circuit is provided parallel to the central axis of the rotary target and has a rectangular cross-sectional shape having a long side perpendicular to the radial direction of the rotary target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: KEIHIN RAMTECH CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Iwata
  • Patent number: 11081323
    Abstract: The sputtering cathode has a tubular shape having a pair of long sides facing each other in cross-sectional shape, has a sputtering target whose erosion surface faces inward, and a magnetic circuit is provided along the sputtering target. The pair of long sides are constituted by rotary targets each having a cylindrical shape. The rotary target is internally provided with a magnetic circuit and configured to allow the flow of cooling water. The magnetic circuit is provided parallel to the central axis of the rotary target and has a rectangular cross-sectional shape having a long side perpendicular to the radial direction of the rotary target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Keihin Ramtech Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Iwata
  • Patent number: 11073479
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises: a chamber (100) configured to be filled with electrically conductive liquid (102); a first electrode (104) and a second electrode (106) located within the chamber (100); an optical radiation receiver (126); and an electrically conductive contact area (108) of the first electrode (104) and an electrically conductive contact area (110) of the second electrode (106) are configured to be in contact with the liquid (102) of the chamber (100) wherein the electrically conductive contact area (108) of the first electrode (104) is configured to be smaller than the electrically conductive contact area (110) of the second electrode (106).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: OULUN YLIOPISTO
    Inventors: Petri Leukkunen, Kalle Blomberg Von Der Geest, Ari Mäkinen
  • Patent number: 11075061
    Abstract: A device for producing an amorphous carbon layer by electron cyclotron resonance plasma, the device including a plasma chamber; a gas supply; a magnetic mirror; a waveguide extending along a reference axis; a system for injecting microwave power; a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field in the plasma chamber, the magnetic field generator being configured to create a beam of magnetic field lines along which plasma is diffused; a target made from carbon; a substrate holder, wherein the target is arranged at a distance from the reference axis of between Rtarget/2 and Rtarget, and wherein the device further includes a screen arranged between the waveguide and the substrate holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Marc Delaunay, Anne Ghis
  • Patent number: 11069515
    Abstract: An electrical power pulse generator system and a method of the system's operation are described herein. A main energy storage capacitor supplies a negative DC power and a kick energy storage capacitor supplies a positive DC power. A main pulse power transistor is interposed between the main energy storage capacitor and an output pulse rail and includes a main power transmission control input for controlling power transmission from the main energy storage capacitor to the output pulse rail. A positive kick pulse power transistor is interposed between the kick energy storage capacitor and the output pulse rail and includes a kick power transmission control input for controlling power transmission from the kick energy storage capacitor to the output pulse rail. A positive kick pulse power transistor control line is connected to the kick power transmission control input of the positive kick pulse transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Starfire Industries LLC
    Inventors: David N. Ruzic, Robert Andrew Stubbers, Brian Edward Jurczyk
  • Patent number: 11056325
    Abstract: A movable substrate support with a top surface for holding a substrate, when present, is used in conjunction with a cover ring that is stationary to adjust for a shadow effect to control substrate edge uniformity during deposition processes. The cover ring is held stationary by an electrically isolated spacer that engages with a grounded shield in the process volume of a semiconductor process chamber. A controller adjusts the substrate support in response to deposition material on a top surface of the cover ring to maintain the shadow effect and substrate edge uniformity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Thanh X. Nguyen, Alexander Jansen, Yana Cheng, Randal Schmieding, Yong Cao, Xianmin Tang, William Johanson
  • Patent number: 11056324
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing particle contamination on substrates during a deposition process using a particle control system is disclosed here. In one embodiment, a film deposition system includes: a processing chamber sealable to create a pressurized environment and configured to contain a plasma, a target and a substrate in the pressurized environment; and a particle control unit, wherein the particle control unit is configured to provide an external force to each of at least one charged atom and at least one contamination particle in the plasma, wherein the at least one charged atom and the at last one contamination particle are generated by the target when it is in direct contact with the plasma, wherein the external force is configured to direct the at least one charged atom to a top surface of the substrate and to direct the at least one contamination particle away from the top surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsung-Han Kuo, Po-Shu Wang, Wei-Ming Wang
  • Patent number: 11056316
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) pulse matching method includes presetting a matching threshold and initializing a pulse count value to a pulse reference value and loading pulse power to an upper electrode and a lower electrode. The upper electrode includes an upper RF power supply and a corresponding upper matching device. The lower electrode includes a lower RF power supply and a corresponding lower matching device. The method further includes collecting a pulse signal of the pulse power and calculating a matching parameter according to the pulse signal, determining a magnitude of the matching parameter relative to the matching threshold and resetting the pulse count value, causing the upper matching device to perform matching on the upper RF power supply or the lower matching device to perform matching on the lower RF power supply, and repeating processes until the upper RF power supply and the lower RF power supply are matched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: BEIJING NAURA MICROELECTRONICS EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaoyang Cheng, Gang Wei, Jing Wei, Jinzhi Bai, Jing Yang
  • Patent number: 11049702
    Abstract: A sputtering system and method are disclosed. The system includes a first power source that is configured to apply a first voltage at a first electrode that alternates between positive and negative relative to a second electrode during each of multiple cycles. A second power source is coupled to a third electrode and the second electrode, and the second power source is configured to apply a second voltage to the third electrode that alternates between positive and negative relative to the second electrode during each of the multiple cycles. A controller is configured to control the first power source and the second power source to phase-synchronize the first voltage with the second voltage, so both, the first voltage and the second voltage, are simultaneously negative during a portion of each cycle and simultaneously positive relative to the second electrode during another portion of each cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Doug Pelleymounter
  • Patent number: 11047039
    Abstract: Substrate carrier apparatus having a hard mask are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a substrate carrier apparatus includes a carrier body having a support surface to support a substrate; and a mask assembly disposed above the support surface. The mask assembly includes an annular frame disposed atop the support surface; and a hard mask coupled to and disposed within the annular frame above the support surface, wherein the hard mask includes one or more openings arranged in a predetermined pattern and disposed through the hard mask, and wherein the hard mask includes a plurality of spacer elements extending from a bottom surface of the hard mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Lerner, Kim Vellore, Ami Sade, Steven Sansoni, Andrew Constant, Kevin Moraes, Roey Shaviv, Niranjan Kumar, Jeffrey Brodine, Michael Karazim
  • Patent number: 11043364
    Abstract: Embodiments of a process kit for use in a multi-cathode process chamber are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a process kit includes a rotatable shield having a base, a conical portion extend downward and radially outward from the base, and a collar portion extending radially outward from a bottom of the conical portion; an inner deposition ring having a leg portion, a flat portion extending radially inward from the leg portion, a first recessed portion extending radially inward from the flat portion, and a first lip extending upward from an innermost section of the first recessed portion; and an outer deposition ring having a collar portion, an upper flat portion disposed above and extending radially inward from the collar portion, a second recessed portion extending inward from the upper flat portion, and a second lip extending upward from an innermost section of the second recessed portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Hanbing Wu, Anantha K. Subramani, Ashish Goel, Deepak Jadhav, Rongjun Wang, Chi Hong Ching
  • Patent number: 11027488
    Abstract: A rise in temperature of a work (laminating base material) is controlled and the occurrence of thermal deformation is suppressed. There is provided a three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus having the following arrangement. That is, the three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a material ejector that ejects a material of a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object onto a work on which the three-dimensional laminated and shaped object is shaped. The three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a light beam irradiator that irradiates the ejected material with a light beam. Furthermore, the three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a jig to which the work is detachably attached. The jig includes a channel supplied with a cooling medium for cooling the work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR FUTURE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
    Inventors: Haruhiko Niitani, Yoshihito Fujita
  • Patent number: 11021788
    Abstract: A sputtering method of forming a thin film by allowing a target material to react with a gas includes narrowing down film deposition conditions from an existing period of nitrogen radicals by focusing on a nitriding process in thin-film forming processes when the thin film is formed by pulsing a waveform of electric current from a DC power supply at the time of generating plasma and applying the electric current to the target material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi Okuma, Daisuke Suetsugu, Takahide Hirasaki
  • Patent number: 11024490
    Abstract: Embodiments of magnetron assemblies and processing systems incorporating same are provided herein. In some embodiments, a magnetron assembly includes a rotatable magnet assembly coupled to a bottom of the body and having a plurality of magnets spaced apart from each other; and an encapsulating body disposed in a space between the plurality of magnets. In some embodiments, the magnetron assembly further includes a body extending along a central axis of the magnetron assembly and having a coolant feedthrough channel to provide a coolant to an area beneath the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Vanessa Faune, William R. Johanson, Kirankumar Neelasandra Savandaiah
  • Patent number: 11017989
    Abstract: Disclosed are a collimator, a fabrication apparatus including the same, and a method of fabricating a semiconductor device using the same. The fabrication apparatus may include a chamber, a heater chuck provided in a lower region of the chamber and configured to heat a substrate, a target provided over the heater chuck, the target containing a source for a thin layer to be deposited on the substrate, a plasma electrode provided in an upper region of the chamber and configured to generate plasma near the target and thereby to produce particles from the source, and a collimator provided between the heater chuck and the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jiho Park, Jeonghee Park, Changyup Park
  • Patent number: 11011356
    Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure relate to a sputtering target for a sputtering chamber used to process a substrate. In one implementation, a sputtering target for a sputtering chamber is provided. The sputtering target comprises a sputtering plate with a backside surface having radially inner, middle and outer regions and an annular-shaped backing plate mounted to the sputtering plate. The backside surface has a plurality of circular grooves which are spaced apart from one another and at least one arcuate channel cutting through the circular grooves and extending from the radially inner region to the radially outer region of sputtering plate. The annular-shaped backing plate defines an open annulus exposing the backside surface of the sputtering plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian T. West, Michael S. Cox, Jeonghoon Oh
  • Patent number: 11011349
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for regulating ion energies in a plasma chamber and chucking a substrate to a substrate support are disclosed. An exemplary method includes placing a substrate in a plasma chamber, forming a plasma in the plasma chamber, controllably switching power to the substrate so as to apply a periodic voltage function (or a modified periodic voltage function) to the substrate, and modulating, over multiple cycles of the periodic voltage function, the periodic voltage function responsive to a defined distribution of energies of ions at the surface of the substrate so as to effectuate the defined distribution of ion energies on a time-averaged basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: AES GLOBAL HOLDINGS, PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Victor Brouk, Daniel J. Hoffman, Daniel Carter
  • Patent number: 11001922
    Abstract: Provided herein is a carbon based coating and methods of producing the same. The carbon based coating comprising an amorphous carbon thin film deposited on a substrate, the carbon based coating characterized in that the carbon based coating imparts enhanced surface durability properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: United Protective Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Brent William Barbee, Jordan Moriah Larson, Michael Raymond Greenwald, Christopher Shane Alexander, Matthew James Decourcelle, Jamey Tollfeldt Ewing
  • Patent number: 10988838
    Abstract: The present invention provides a color film and a method of forming the same. In some embodiments, only one titanium target is used, and a flowrate of nitrogen gas, a working pressure, a sputtering power and a sputtering time are adjusted, so as to form single-layered titanium oxynitride color films having different colors and thicknesses. The color film has satisfactory adhesivity, a flat surface and metallic luster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: NATIONAL CHENG KUNG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Jyh-Ming Ting, Tun-Yi Chang
  • Patent number: 10990657
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes an integration platform providing a secure collaboration platform that simplifies and optimizes interactions between multiple users by facilitating secure cross-platform communications among users of the platform. Additionally, the present platform can provide a designated collaboration workspace for interactions within the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Glicq, Inc.
    Inventors: Matan Barak, Oren Barak
  • Patent number: 10984992
    Abstract: A sputtering target comprising a flat part and a tapered part, wherein a machined groove for use in ignition is arranged on a sputtering surface of the target. With the sputtering target of the present invention, the ignition failure rate during ignition (plasma ignition) can be reduced, and the sputtering process can be started stably. It is thereby possible to shorten the downtime of the device, and consequently contribute to improved throughput and enhanced cost performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation
    Inventors: Shuhei Murata, Yasuhiro Yamakoshi, Kotaro Nagatsu
  • Patent number: 10964509
    Abstract: A substrate side-deposition apparatus includes a substrate mounting drum rotatable within a chamber and allowing at least one substrate to be inserted and mounted in a direction from a circumferential surface toward a center; and at least one source target configured to deposit wiring based on sputtering to a lateral side portion of the substrate exposed protruding from the circumferential surface of the substrate mounting drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: TETOS Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kun Ho Song
  • Patent number: 10964578
    Abstract: A semiconductor processing apparatus includes a chamber housing, an electrostatic chuck disposed in the chamber housing, the electrostatic chuck being configured to hold a semiconductor wafer, an edge ring surrounding the electrostatic chuck, the edge ring including a ring electrode disposed within the edge ring, and a ring voltage supply configured to supply a ring voltage to the ring electrode, the ring voltage having a non-sinusoidal periodic waveform, wherein each period of the non-sinusoidal periodic waveform comprises a positive voltage applied during a first time period and a negative voltage applied during a second time period, and wherein the negative voltage has a magnitude that increases during the second time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jung Mo Sung, Jong Woo Sun, Je Woo Han, Chan Hoon Park, Seung Yoon Song, Seul Ha Myung
  • Patent number: 10957519
    Abstract: A magnetically enhanced HDP-CVD plasma source includes a hollow cathode target and an anode. The anode and cathode form a gap. A cathode target magnet assembly forms magnetic field lines that are substantially perpendicular to a cathode target surface. The gap magnet assembly forms a cusp magnetic field in the gap that is coupled with the cathode target magnetic field. The magnetic field lines cross a pole piece electrode positioned in the gap. This pole piece is isolated from ground and can be connected with a voltage power supply. The pole piece can have a negative, positive, or floating electric potential. The plasma source can be configured to generate volume discharge. The gap size prohibits generation of plasma discharge in the gap. By controlling the duration, value and a sign of the electric potential on the pole piece, the plasma ionization can be controlled. The magnetically enhanced HDP-CVD source can also be used for chemically enhanced ionized physical vapor deposition (CE-IPVD).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: IonQuest Corp.
    Inventors: Roman Chistyakov, Bassam Hanna Abraham
  • Patent number: 10953558
    Abstract: A razor blade substrate having a substrate that includes a blade edge portion having a profiled geometry which is covered by a strengthening coating deposited on the razor blade substrate at least at the blade edge portion. The strengthening coating covering the blade edge tip, having a profiled geometry and having a tapering geometry with two coating sides converge toward a blade edge tip. The strengthening coating includes a strengthening layer made of a titanium- and boron-containing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: BIC-VIOLEX SA
    Inventors: Stergios Logothetidis, Nikolaos Kalfagiannis, Konstantinos Mavroeidis, Vasileios Papachristos, Michail Karousis
  • Patent number: 10950429
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide for post deposition anneal of a substrate, having an amorphous carbon layer deposited thereon, to desirably reduce variations in local stresses thereacross. In one embodiment, a method of processing a substrate includes positioning a substrate, having an amorphous carbon layer deposited thereon, in a first processing volume, flowing an anneal gas into the first processing volume, heating the substrate to an anneal temperature of not more than about 450° C., and maintaining the substrate at the anneal temperature for about 30 seconds or more. Herein, the amorphous carbon layer was deposited on the substrate using a method which included positioning the substrate on a substrate support disposed in a second processing volume, flowing a processing gas into the second processing volume, applying pulsed DC power to a carbon target disposed in the second processing volume, forming a plasma of the processing gas, and depositing the amorphous carbon layer on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Bhargav S. Citla, Mei-Yee Shek, Srinivas D. Nemani
  • Patent number: 10947639
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide Molten Target Sputtering (MTS) methods and devices. The various embodiments may provide increases in the kinetic energy, increases in the energy latency, and/or increases in the flux density of molecules for better crystal formation at low temperature operation. The various embodiment MTS methods and devices may enable the growth of a single crystal Si1-xGex film on a substrate heated to less than about 500° C. The various embodiment MTS methods and devices may provide increases in the kinetic energy, increases in the energy latency, and/or increases in the flux density of molecules without requiring the addition of extra systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR OF NASA
    Inventors: Hyun Jung Kim, Sang H. Choi
  • Patent number: 10923311
    Abstract: An apparatus for ion implantation is disclosed. The apparatus comprising an arc chamber and an electron source device. The electron source device includes a cathode and a filament. The filament is disposed within the cathode. The cathode has a body and a cap disposed over the body. The cap has a receiving surface and a emitting surface opposite the receiving surface. The emitting surface has a convex shape facing the receiving area of the arc chamber and the receiving surface has a conical shape where a center area is a flat surface and the center area being surrounded by a tapered sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: XIA TAI XIN SEMICONDUCTOR (QING DAO) LTD.
    Inventors: Keewoung Choi, Jong-Moo Choi, Heung-Woo Park, Hasung Lee
  • Patent number: 10916800
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for plating a lithium (Li)-compound thin film. In the thin film, Li is obtained through thermal evaporation, and titanium (Ti) or other metal by using arc plasma. The elements converted into gas phase are co-deposited in a plasma environment with a reaction gas (oxygen) to be activated as excited atoms or molecules for reaction. In the end, all of the constituent elements are deposited on a substrate to form the Li-compound thin film. Thus, reaction efficiency is high with a fast deposition rate. The composition ratio of each element is independently determined to control its yield according to the requirement. Hence, the present invention greatly enhances the fabrication rate with lowered production cost for applications in the thin-film battery industries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Atomic Energy Council, Executive Yuan, R.O.C.
    Inventors: Der-Jun Jan, Yuh-Jenq Yu, Tien-Hsiang Hsueh, Tien-F Ko
  • Patent number: 10889890
    Abstract: A vacuum treatment apparatus includes a vacuum treatment recipient with a circular opening between an inside and exterior of the recipient. The recipient houses a turntable, which defines a plane (P) along its table surface, is drivingly rotatable around a central axis perpendicular to plane (P), and exhibits a plurality of circular substrates supports. The opening is arranged such that during a turn of the turntable the area of each of the substrate supports and the opening are fully aligned and completely face each other. The vacuum treatment apparatus also includes a PVD deposition source attached to the opening. The PVD source has a a circular material target and a static magnet arrangement. The magnet arrangement is arranged in a plane (M) in parallel to plane (P) and is not rotationally symmetric around a central axis running centrally through the magnet arrangement and being perpendicular to the plane (M).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: EVATEC AG
    Inventors: Silvia Schwyn-Thony, Romeo Good, Michael Cheseaux, Marco Padrun
  • Patent number: 10858727
    Abstract: A deposited amorphous carbon film includes at least 95% carbon. A percentage of sp3 carbon-carbon bonds present in the amorphous carbon film exceeds 30%, and a hydrogen content of the amorphous carbon film is less than 5%. A process of depositing amorphous carbon on a workpiece includes positioning the workpiece within a process chamber and positioning a magnetron assembly adjacent to the process chamber. The magnetron assembly projects a magnetic field into the process chamber. The method further includes providing a carbon target such that the magnetic field extends through the carbon target toward the workpiece. The method further includes providing a source gas to the process chamber, and providing pulses of DC power to a plasma formed from the source gas within the process chamber. The pulses of DC power are supplied in pulses of 40 microseconds or less, that repeat at a frequency of at least 4 kHz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jingjing Liu, Zhong Qiang Hua, Adolph Miller Allen, Michael W. Stowell, Srinivas D. Nemani, Chentsau Ying, Bhargav Citla, Viachslav Babayan, Andrej Halabica
  • Patent number: 10861683
    Abstract: A vacuum device includes a processing target placement unit that is arranged inside a vacuum chamber and a vacuum evacuation unit that is connected to the vacuum chamber. The processing target placement unit has one main surface on which processing targets are placed and a side surface that is connected to the one main surface. The processing target placement unit is provided with a plurality of grooves that have openings at the one main surface. When the processing target placement unit is viewed from the one main surface side thereof, the smallest width of the opening of each groove in the one main surface is equal to or less than half the smallest width of the processing target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Issei Yamamoto, Atsushi Shimizu, Yoichi Takagi, Hideo Nakagoshi, Toru Komatsu, Hideki Shinkai, Tetsuya Oda
  • Patent number: 10858754
    Abstract: Some aspects relate to methods of forming an epitaxial layer. In some examples, the methods include ejecting atoms from a molten metal sputtering material onto a heated crystalline substrate and growing a single epitaxial layer on the substrate from the ejected atoms, where the atoms are ejected with sufficient energy that the grown epitaxial layer has at least a partial rhombohedral lattice, and wherein the crystalline substrate is heated to a temperature of about 600 degrees Celsius or less, or about 500 degrees or less. Other aspects relate to materials, such as a material including a single epitaxial layer on top of a crystalline substrate, the layer including one or more semiconductor materials and having at least a partial rhombohedral lattice, or a substantially rhombohedral lattice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR OF NASA
    Inventors: Hyun Jung Kim, Sang Hyouk Choi
  • Patent number: 10854434
    Abstract: Magnetron, magnetron sputtering chamber, and magnetron sputtering apparatus are provided. The magnetron has a rotation center, and includes a first outer magnetic pole and a first inner magnetic pole of opposite polarities. The first outer magnetic pole has an annular structure around the rotation center. The first inner magnetic pole is located on the inner side of the first outer magnetic pole, and a first magnetic field track is formed between the first inner magnetic pole and the first outer magnetic pole. A straight line starting from the rotation center and along one of the radial directions passes through the first magnetic field track at least twice in succession, and the magnetic-field directions at the two positions of the first magnetic field track that the straight line passes through twice in succession are opposite to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: BEIJING NAURA MICROELECTRONICS EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yujie Yang, Tongwen Zhang
  • Patent number: 10847805
    Abstract: An article for forming an electrochemical device is disclosed. The article comprises a metallic current collector clad with an ion conducting solid-electrolyte material such that intimate contact between the current collector and the ion conducting solid-electrolyte material is made. A lithium metal anode can be formed in situ between the current collector clad and the ion conducting solid-electrolyte material from lithium ions contained within a cathode material that is placed in contact with the ion conducting solid-electrolyte material. A bipolar electrochemical cell can be constructed from the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
    Inventors: Jeffrey Sakamoto, Travis Thompson, Nathan Taylor
  • Patent number: 10840123
    Abstract: A substrate treatment method performed by a substrate treatment device includes placing a substrate on a stage, treating the substrate placed on the stage; and detaching a treated substrate from a stage. Detaching the treated substrate includes pushing the substrate with a lift pin in a direction away from the stage, and ejecting fluid through a fluid ejection unit onto the substrate in a direction away from the stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Heungyeol Na
  • Patent number: 10822692
    Abstract: An interconnect and a method of making an interconnect between one or more features on a substrate comprises: sputtering a noble metal-copper eutectic thin film under controlled power on an oxide grown or deposited on a substrate; and forming an amorphous alloy structure from the noble metal-copper eutectic thin film in the shape of the interconnect and the interconnect comprising no grain or grain boundaries without temperature sensitive resistivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS
    Inventors: Sundeep Mukherjee, Santanu Das
  • Patent number: 10818483
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to reduce sizes of an inert gas supply and exhaust devices used for a pulse sputtering device. Another object is to efficiently supply suitable quantity of the inert gas to a place where the inert gas is required in the pulse sputtering device. Therefore, a provided pulse sputtering device has a sputtering source that performs pulse discharge and generates plasma, a gas injection valve that injects and supplies an inert gas to the sputtering source and a controller that controls the sputtering source and the gas injection valve. The controller controls the sputtering source and the gas injection valve such that the gas injection valve injects the inert gas intermittently and such that a part of a period, in which the pulse discharge occurs in the sputtering source, overlaps with a part of a period, in which the gas injection valve injects and supplies the inert gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: AYABO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keizo Tsukamoto
  • Patent number: 10815561
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for asymmetric selective physical vapor deposition (PVD) are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for physical vapor deposition (PVD) includes providing a stream of a first material from a first PVD source towards a surface of a substrate at a first non-perpendicular angle to the plane of the substrate surface, directing the stream of the first material through a first collimator having at least one opening to limit an angular range of first material passing through the at least one opening; depositing the first material only on a top portion and a first sidewall of at least one feature formed on the substrate surface, and linearly scan the substrate through the stream of first material via the substrate support to deposit the first material only on a top portion and a first sidewall of all features formed on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Joung Joo Lee, Bencherki Mebarki, Xianmin Tang, Keith Miller, Sree Rangasai Kesapragada, Sudarsan Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 10801102
    Abstract: A cathode assembly for a magnetron sputtering system includes a target comprising sputterable material having an at least partially exposed, substantially planar sputtering or erosion surface and a target support configured to support and move the target during sputtering. In certain exemplary embodiments the cathode assembly further comprises a magnetic field source, e.g., a magnet array behind the target. The target support is configured to move the sputtering surface of the target by rotating or spinning the target in the plane of the sputtering surface, moving the target linearly back-and-forth or otherwise. The target support is configured to move the target relative to the magnetic field source, which may be stationary during sputtering, e.g., relative to the cathode assembly and vacuum chamber in which the sputtering is performed. A sputtering system including such a cathode assembly also is provided. A method of sputtering is further provided, employing such a cathode assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Alluxa, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Scobey, Shaun Frank Mccaffery
  • Patent number: 10793945
    Abstract: A powder coating apparatus which can form a thin film in which freely selected elements are combined without an impurity being mixed and satisfies that a composition of the obtained thin film is uniform. The powder coating apparatus according to the present invention is a powder coating apparatus including a barrel, exhaust device for evacuating an inside of the barrel, and a sputtering device installed inside the barrel, the barrel having a main axis C directed in a horizontal direction and rotating around the main axis, the sputtering device forming a coating film on a surface of powder put in the barrel, in which the sputtering device has one fixing portion for one target to mount two or more targets, and respective targets are disposed in parallel to each other at the same level position with respect to a direction of the main axis when the target is mounted on the fixing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: FURUYA METAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Maruko, Keiichiro Jinushi, Amiko Ito
  • Patent number: 10790433
    Abstract: A technique relates to forming a sidewall tunnel junction. A first conducting layer is formed using a first shadow mask evaporation. A second conducting layer is formed on a portion of the first conducting layer, where the second conducting layer is formed using a second shadow mask evaporation. An oxide layer is formed on the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer. A third conducting layer is formed on part of the oxide layer, such that the sidewall tunnel junction is positioned between the first conducting layer and the third conducting layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Markus Brink, Sami Rosenblatt
  • Patent number: 10790147
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming an etch target layer on a substrate; forming an amorphous metal layer on the etch target layer, the amorphous metal layer comprising nitrogen between 15 atomic percentage (at %) and 25 at %; forming an amorphous metal hardmask by patterning the amorphous metal layer; and etching the etch target layer by using the amorphous metal hardmask as an etching mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jang-Hee Lee, Se-Ran Oh, Hyun-Su Kim, Ik-Soo Kim, Seong-Gil Park, Geun-O Jeong
  • Patent number: 10781102
    Abstract: A coating source for physical vapor deposition to produce doped carbon layers. The coating source is produced by way of sintering from pulverulent components and is formed of carbon as matrix material in a proportion of at least 75 mol % and at least one dopant in a proportion in the range from 1 mol % to 25 mol %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Plansee Composite Materials GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Polcik, Sabine Woerle, Ulrich Miller
  • Patent number: 10774417
    Abstract: A deposition system comprises a vacuum chamber having a cylindrical inner wall, a cylindrical parts carousel disposed concentrically inside the cylindrical inner wall of the vacuum chamber, and one or more deposition sources arranged to flow deposition material onto the cylindrical parts carousel. A cylindrical shutter assembly is disposed concentrically inside the cylindrical inner wall of the vacuum chamber, and has (1) a shuttered position in which the cylindrical shutter assembly blocks the one or more deposition sources from depositing onto the parts carousel and (2) an unshuttered position in which the cylindrical shutter assembly does not block the one or more deposition sources from depositing onto the parts carousel. A drive train rotates the cylindrical shutter assembly between the shuttered and unshuttered positions. The drive train not operatively connected to rotate the cylindrical parts carousel. The deposition sources may include inner and outer sputter sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: MATERION CORPORATION
    Inventors: Zan Aslett, Michael P. Newell, Donald W. Ahern
  • Patent number: 10773996
    Abstract: Low-emissivity coatings that are highly reflective to infrared-radiation. The coating includes three infrared-reflection film regions, which may each include silver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: CARDINAL CG COMPANY
    Inventor: Klaus Hartig