Muffle-type Enclosure Patents (Class 219/390)
  • Patent number: 9835598
    Abstract: A heat insulating member 13 is provided on the outer circumference of a connection pipe 11. The heat insulating member 13 includes: a tube 12; and an air layer 15 between the connection pipe 11 and the tube 12. Accordingly, it is possible to always keep the temperature of a sample component at the time of detection by a detector constant and thus prevent an influence of the temperature on an output result of the detector, in a low flow rate analysis using a modularized column unit and a modularized detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masato Watanabe, Masahide Gunji
  • Patent number: 9799517
    Abstract: Light is applied for preheating from a halogen lamp to a lower surface of a semiconductor wafer supported on a susceptor within a chamber. Thereafter, flash light is applied for flash heating from a flash lamp to an upper surface of the semiconductor wafer. Treatment gas supplied from a gas supply source is heated by a heater, and supplied into the chamber. A flow amount control valve is provided to increase a flow amount of the treatment gas supplied into the chamber. Contaminants discharged from a film of the semiconductor wafer during heat treatment are discharged to the outside of the chamber with a gas flow formed by a large amount of high-temperature treatment gas supplied into the chamber to reduce contamination inside the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Tanimura, Kaoru Matsuo, Kazuhiko Fuse, Shinichi Kato
  • Patent number: 9759615
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide an RTP system for processing a substrate. An RTP chamber has a radiation source configured to deliver radiation to a substrate disposed within a processing volume. One or more pyrometers are coupled to the chamber body opposite the radiation source. In one example, the radiation source is disposed below the substrate and the pyrometers are disposed above the substrate. In another example, the radiation source is disposed above the substrate and the pyrometers are disposed below the substrate. The substrate may be supported in varying manners configured to reduce physical contact between the substrate support and the substrate. An edge ring and shield are disposed within the processing volume and are configured to reduce or eliminate background radiation from interfering with the pyrometers. Additionally, an absorbing surface may be coupled to the chamber body to further reduce background radiation interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventor: Wolfgang R. Aderhold
  • Patent number: 9752806
    Abstract: A temperature adjustment apparatus suppresses decline in temperature adjustment performance by avoiding even partial impairment of the function of a thermoelectric module in respective zones, which is accomplished due to the presence of terminals. A terminal is provided via an electrode extension section on a heat exchange plate side electrode of the thermoelectric module of inner zones apart from an outermost zone, of four zones. The electrode extension section is disposed at a position which is sandwiched between adjacent thermoelectric elements and over which a temperature adjustment side electrode spans. The terminals are disposed outside the thermoelectric module in the outermost zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: KELK Ltd.
    Inventor: Wataru Kiyosawa
  • Patent number: 9748122
    Abstract: A control unit can select a large-number control zone model in which the number of control zones, which are independently controlled, is large, and a small-number control zone model in which the number of control zones, which are independently controlled, is small. When a temperature is increased or decreased, the control unit can select the small-number control zone model so as to control, based on signals from temperature sensors of the respective control zones C1 . . . C5 whose number is small, heaters located on the respective control zones C1 . . . C5. When a temperature is stabilized, the control unit can select the large-number control zone model so as to control, based on signals signals from the temperature sensors of the respective control zones C1 . . . C10 whose number is large, the heaters located on the respective control zones C1 . . . C10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Koji Yoshii, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Wenling Wang, Takanori Saito
  • Patent number: 9735034
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and apparatus for visual lamp failure detection in a processing chamber, such as an RTP chamber. Visual feedback is facilitated through the use of a wide-angle lens positioned to view lamps within the process chamber. The wide-angle lens is positioned within a probe and secured using a spring in order to withstand high temperature processing. A camera coupled to the lens is adapted to capture an image of the lamps within the process chamber. The captured image of the lamps is then compared to a reference image to determine if the lamps are functioning as desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Kim Vellore, Dinesh Kanawade, Stephen Moffatt, Aaron Miller, Leonid M. Tertitski, Norman L. Tam, Michael Liu, Colin Fox
  • Patent number: 9728430
    Abstract: An electrostatic chuck with LED heating is disclosed. The electrostatic chuck with LED heating comprises a first subassembly, which comprises a LED heater, and a second subassembly, which comprises an electrostatic chuck. The LED substrate heater subassembly includes a base having a recessed portion. A plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) is disposed within the recessed portion. The LEDs may be GaN or GaP LEDs, which emit light at a wavelength which is readily absorbed by silicon, thus efficiently and quickly heating the substrate. The second subassembly, which comprises an electrostatic chuck, is disposed on the LED substrate heater subassembly. The electrostatic chuck includes a top dielectric layer and an interior layer that are transparent at the wavelength emitted by the LEDs. One or more electrodes are disposed between the top dielectric layer and the interior layer to create the electrostatic force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason M. Schaller, William T. Weaver, Morgan D. Evans, Robert Brent Vopat, Paul E. Pergande, Julian G. Blake, David Blahnik, Ala Moradian
  • Patent number: 9728471
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus and method for reducing non uniformity during thermal processing. One embodiment provides an apparatus for processing a substrate comprising a chamber body defining a processing volume, a substrate support disposed in the processing volume, wherein the substrate support is configured to rotate the substrate, a sensor assembly configured to measure temperature of the substrate at a plurality of locations, and one or more pulse heating elements configured to provide pulsed energy towards the processing volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Wolfgang R. Aderhold, Aaron Hunter, Joseph M. Ranish
  • Patent number: 9601653
    Abstract: A method includes placing at least two substrates on a substrate carrier at a distance from one another, placing the substrate carrier in a reaction chamber, depositing a precursor on the at least two substrates, and performing a first annealing process on the at least two substrates. The at least two substrates include a first content of a first material. The distance between the at least two substrates is based on the first content of the first material and at least one processing parameter. The disclosed method advantageously provides for improved Na-dosing control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Li Xu, Wen-Chin Lee
  • Patent number: 9570328
    Abstract: Apparatus for use with multi-zonal heating sources are provided. In some embodiments, a substrate support may have a pocket disposed in a surface of the substrate support and a lip disposed about the pocket to receive an edge of a substrate and to support the substrate over the pocket such that a gap is defined between a pocket surface and a backside surface of the substrate when the substrate is disposed on the lip; a plurality of features to operate in combination with a plurality of heating zones provided by a multi-zonal heating source to provide a desired temperature profile on a frontside surface of a substrate when the substrate is disposed on the lip, and wherein the plurality of features are alternatingly disposed above and below a baseline surface profile of the pocket surface in a radial direction from a central axis of the substrate support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Kailash Patalay, Errol Sanchez
  • Patent number: 9507212
    Abstract: A photoalignment equipment includes a light emitting device, a platform, a pipe assembly, and a blower. The light emitting device has an ultraviolet light source and an accommodating space. The ultraviolet light source is located in the accommodating space. When the ultraviolet light source emits an ultraviolet light, at least a portion of air in the accommodating space is transformed into a plurality of ozone molecules. The platform is under the light-emitting device. The pipe assembly has a first opening and at least one second opening. The first opening is communicated with the accommodating space, and the second opening faces the platform. The blower is communicated with the pipe assembly to draw the ozone molecules in the accommodating space by the first opening of the pipe assembly and exhausts the ozone molecules from the second opening of the pipe assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: AU OPTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Chin-Wen Huang
  • Patent number: 9508914
    Abstract: Disclosed is a magnetic annealing apparatus including a carrier conveyance region and a workpiece conveyance region. The carrier conveyance region includes: a first mounting table where a carrier is disposed; second mounting tables where carriers convey workpieces from the carrier conveyance region to the workpiece conveyance region; a storage unit; and a carrier conveyance mechanism that performs carrying-out/carrying-in of the carriers. The workpiece conveyance region includes: an aligner device; a workpiece boat; a workpiece conveyance mechanism that conveys the workpieces from the carriers disposed on the second mounting tables to the workpiece boat via the aligner device; a heating unit; a magnetic field generating unit; and a transfer mechanism that transfers the workpieces held by the workpiece boat into the magnetic field generating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yuji Ono, Toru Ishii, Makoto Saito, Mitsuru Obara, Yasushi Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 9449825
    Abstract: A first flash heating is performed in which a lower flash lamp irradiates a back surface of a semiconductor wafer with flashes of light, so that heat conduction from the back surface to a surface of the semiconductor wafer raises the temperature of the surface from the room temperature to an intermediate temperature. Then, a second flash heating is performed in which an upper flash lamp irradiates the surface of the semiconductor wafer with flashes of light, to raise the temperature of the surface of the semiconductor wafer from the intermediate temperature to a target temperature. Since only the irradiation with flashes of light emitted from the lower flash lamp and the upper flash lamp is used to cause the semiconductor wafer having the room temperature to reach the target temperature, all heat treatments can be completed in an extremely short time of one second or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichi Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 9429331
    Abstract: A heater management system provides heat to heated zones of a mobile unit. For each heated zone, the heater management system includes a heater driver and a sensor. The heater driver is controlled by a unique control channel that is configured to heat the heated zone. The sensor senses environmental data external and internal to the heated zone. The heater management system includes a memory storing a heater driver prioritization database. The heater management system includes a heater control logic unit programmed to receive periodic reports from each of the sensors, prioritize the heated zones by utilizing the heater driver database as a function of the periodic reports, and determine power to be provided to each of the heater drivers based on the prioritizing operation and a predetermined global power limitation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chung Keung Poon, Thomas Koch, Armia N Nazeer
  • Patent number: 9431279
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a heater block and a substrate treatment apparatus, and more particularly to a heater block to perform heat treatment on a substrate and a substrate treatment apparatus having the same. According to embodiments of the present invention, it is provided a heater block for a substrate treatment apparatus having heating lamps on its one side to transfer heat to a target subjected to heat treatment, the heating lamps having different arrangement patterns in a plurality of regions on said one side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: AP SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Chang-Kyo Kim, Sung-Chul Kim, Chang-Min Kwon, Ki-Nam Kim
  • Patent number: 9330949
    Abstract: Three support members made of silicon carbide are provided fixedly on an inner periphery of the support ring. The support members are inclined at an angle in the range of 15 to 30 degrees with respect to a horizontal plane. With an outer peripheral edge of a semiconductor wafer supported by the three support members, a heating treatment is performed by irradiating the semiconductor wafer with halogen light from halogen lamps. Silicon carbide absorbs the halogen light better than quartz. The support members support the outer peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer in point contacting relationship, so that the contact between a holder and the semiconductor wafer is minimized. This minimizes the disorder of the temperature distribution of the semiconductor wafer due to the support members to achieve the uniform heating of the semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Yokouchi, Hideo Nishihara
  • Patent number: 9331278
    Abstract: Forming memristors on imaging devices can include forming a printhead body comprising a first conductive material, forming a memory on the printhead body by performing an oxidation process to form a switching oxide material on the first conductive material, and forming a second conductive material on the switching oxide material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jianhua Yang, Ning Ge, Zhiyong Li, Minxian Max Zhang
  • Patent number: 9324591
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus including: a processing container for processing wafers held in a boat; heaters for heating the processing container; and a control section for controlling the heaters. Heater temperature sensors are provided between the heaters and the processing container, in-container temperature sensors are provided in the processing container, and movable temperature sensors are provided in the boat. The temperature sensors are connected to a temperature estimation section. The temperature estimation section selects two of the three types of temperature sensors, e.g. the movable temperature sensors and the in-container temperature sensors, and determines the temperature of a wafer according to the following formula: T=T1×(1??)+T2×?, ?>1, where T1 and T2 represent detection temperatures of the selected temperature sensors, and ? represents a mixing ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Koji Yoshii, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Wenling Wang, Takanori Saito
  • Patent number: 9305820
    Abstract: A stable and highly reliable device for detecting damage or contact failures of respective parts is provided. The device includes a processing chamber for processing a substrate; a heater for heating the substrate; a substrate support accommodating the heater and installed inside the processing chamber; a shaft for supporting the substrate support; a wire inserted through the shaft; a supporting unit for holding the wire; and a temperature detector connected to the supporting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Kazuya Nabeta, Naoki Ukae, Mitsunori Takeshita
  • Patent number: 9304357
    Abstract: A photoalignment equipment includes a light emitting device, a platform, a pipe assembly, and a blower. The light emitting device has an ultraviolet light source and an accommodating space. The ultraviolet light source is located in the accommodating space. When the ultraviolet light source emits an ultraviolet light, at least a portion of air in the accommodating space is transformed into a plurality of ozone molecules. The platform is under the light-emitting device. The pipe assembly has a first opening and at least one second opening. The first opening is communicated with the accommodating space, and the second opening faces the platform. The blower is communicated with the pipe assembly to draw the ozone molecules in the accommodating space by the first opening of the pipe assembly and exhausts the ozone molecules from the second opening of the pipe assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: AU OPTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Chin-Wen Huang
  • Patent number: 9299595
    Abstract: A wafer processing apparatus may include a susceptor having a top side and a backside, a susceptor heater having a spacing member and a heating member, a shim removably mounted between the susceptor and the susceptor heater, a cavity formed by the susceptor backside, the susceptor heater, and the shim, a fluid inlet communicating with the cavity, and a plurality of fluid outlets communicating with the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Todd Dunn, Fred Alokozai, Jerry Winkler, Michael Halpin
  • Patent number: 9283644
    Abstract: Disclosed is a heating apparatus for manufacturing a display device, which prevents damage or breakage even though a heating member is deformed by heat, and extends a period for replacement of the heating member, wherein the heating apparatus comprises the heating member for emitting heat so as to heat a material to be deposited on a substrate prepared for manufacturing the display device, a first installing device for supporting the heating member, and a second installing device provided with a passing hole for passing the other end of the heating member therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chul Young Jang, Hyun Taek Lim, Joo Hwan Hwang, Jun Ho Yu, Seok Min Hong
  • Patent number: 9285169
    Abstract: A sintering device (1) for sintering workpieces, in particular dental workpieces, in a shielding gas atmosphere, wherein the sintering device (1) has at least one sintering chamber (2) with at least one gas inlet (3) and at least one gas outlet (4) for a gas exchange in a sintering chamber cavity (5) which is surrounded by the sintering chamber (2), and the sintering device has at least one sintering material cup (6) arranged in the sintering chamber cavity (5) in order to receive the workpiece to be sintered. The sintering device (1) additionally has at least one sintering material cover (7) for covering the workpiece to be sintered in the sintering material cup (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: AMANN GIRRBACH AG
    Inventors: Falko Noack, Axel Reichert
  • Patent number: 9255736
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus and control method enabling the apparatus to settle down an internal temperature of a treating vessel to a target temperature accurately and quickly. The heat treatment apparatus includes a furnace body with a heater on an inner circumferential surface thereof, the treating vessel disposed inside the furnace body, a cooling medium supply blower and cooling medium release blower each connected to the furnace body, and a temperature sensor provided inside the treating vessel. A signal from the temperature sensor is sent to a heater output computing unit and blower output computing unit included in a controller. The heater output computing unit determines a heater output level based on a heater output numerical model and the signal from the temperature sensor. The blower output computing unit determines a blower output level based on a blower output numerical model and the signal from the temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Koji Yoshii, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Wenling Wang, Takanori Saito
  • Patent number: 9202727
    Abstract: A substrate supporting assembly in a reaction space includes a heater, a substrate support member, and a shim positioned between the heater and the substrate support member. The shim may be removably secured between the heater and the substrate support member. The shim may further include an inner surface defining a perimeter of a gap. The gap may be further defined by a bottom surface of the substrate support member and a top surface of the heater. The substrate support member may further include a shoulder positioned radially outside of a substrate support position and wherein the shim inner surface is radially aligned with the substrate support member shoulder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding
    Inventors: Todd Dunn, Carl White, Michael Halpin, Eric Shero, Jerry Winkler
  • Patent number: 9184069
    Abstract: A heating apparatus comprises a heating element, an inner shell for supporting the heating element, an outer shell disposed along the outer boundary of the inner shell, a cooling medium passage for conveying a cooling medium between the inner shell and the outer shell, a first opening provided in the inner shell, a second opening provided in the outer shell, and a partition arranged to extend from the first opening to the second opening for developing at least a space separated from the cooling medium passage and between the inner shell and the outer shell. The heating apparatus further comprises an insulator for shutting up a gap provided between the partition and the second opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignees: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc., Teitokusha Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Hayashida, Masaaki Ueno, Masakazu Shimada, Masashi Sugishita, Toshimitsu Miyata, Kimio Kitamura, Kenji Tanaka, Jyunichi Nishihara
  • Patent number: 9171746
    Abstract: A heater assembly with enhanced cooling pursuant to various embodiments described herein makes use of fluidic flow in the insulation or in the space used for insulation. By creating a natural convection or forced convection flow, the heater cools down faster, it can operate at lower temperatures and/or higher temperature precision, and it can improve temperature controllability by generating higher heat loss rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Inventor: Arsalan Emami
  • Patent number: 9114479
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for treating a substrate. The substrate is positioned on a support in a thermal treatment chamber. Electromagnetic radiation is directed toward the substrate to anneal a portion of the substrate. Other electromagnetic radiation is directed toward the substrate to preheat a portion of the substrate. The preheating reduces thermal stresses at the boundary between the preheat region and the anneal region. Any number of anneal and preheat regions are contemplated, with varying shapes and temperature profiles, as needed for specific embodiments. Any convenient source of electromagnetic radiation may be used, such as lasers, heat lamps, white light lamps, or flash lamps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Stephen Moffatt, Abhilash J. Mayur, Sundar Ramamurthy, Joseph Ranish, Aaron Hunter
  • Patent number: 9093482
    Abstract: In an apparatus and process for treating wafer-shaped articles, a spin chuck holds a wafer-shaped article in a predetermined orientation relative to an upper surface of the spin chuck. A heating assembly comprises a housing containing at least one infrared heating element. The heating assembly is mounted above the upper surface of the spin chuck and adjacent a wafer-shaped article when mounted on the spin chuck. The housing also contains a conduit having an inlet connected to a source of cooling fluid and an outlet returning cooling fluid to the source of cooling fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: LAM RESEARCH AG
    Inventors: Michael Brugger, Otto Lach, Olivier Postel
  • Patent number: 9082728
    Abstract: A first flash heating is performed in which a flash lamp emits a first flashing light to a semiconductor wafer having been heated to a first preheating temperature equal to or lower than 650 degrees C. by a light emission from a halogen lamp so that the temperature of a surface of the semiconductor wafer reaches 1000 degrees C. or higher. Then, a second flash heating is performed in which a second flashing light is emitted to the semiconductor wafer having been further heated by a light emission of the halogen lamp. Performing the first flash heating can suppress diffusion of impurity in the subsequent second flash heating. In the second flash heating, the impurity is activated and introduced crystal defects are recovered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichi Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 9070728
    Abstract: A method of lowering a temperature of a substrate table uses a substrate W processing system including a first substrate table 2b; one or more processing chambers 1b, in each of which the first substrate table 2b is disposed, the processing chamber being configured to perform a predetermined process, with the substrate being placed on the first substrate table 2b; a substrate transfer apparatus 31 configured to transfer the substrate to the processing chamber 1b; a transfer chamber in which the substrate transfer apparatus 31 is disposed; and a second substrate table configured to cool the substrate. The method of lowering a temperature of a substrate table comprises the steps of first transfer in which the substrate W placed on the first substrate table 2b is transferred to the second substrate table by the substrate transfer apparatus 31, and second transfer in which the substrate placed on the second substrate table is transferred to the first substrate table 2b.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kenichi Kobayashi, Youichi Nakayama, Kozo Kai, Kenji Shirasaka
  • Patent number: 9064696
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for manufacturing a compound semiconductor, which forms a compound semiconductor layer using a metal-organic chemical vapor deposition method. The apparatus is characterized in that: the apparatus is provided with a reaction container, a holder, which is disposed in the reaction container and has placed thereon a subject, on which the layer is to be formed, the subject having facing up the subject surface where the layer is to be formed, and a raw material supply port, through which the raw material gas of the compound semiconductor is supplied to the inside of the reaction container from the outside; the holder is in contact with the lower surface of the subject, the contact being inside of the outer circumferential portion of the subject to the center of the upper surface of the holder; and that the holder has a supporting portion, which supports the subject such that a predetermined interval is maintained between the upper surface of the holder and the lower surface of the subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideki Yasuhara, Akira Bandoh
  • Patent number: 9018567
    Abstract: A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus (1), comprising a substrate support assembly (30), including a substrate support (32) defining an outer support surface (34) for supporting a substrate or substrate carrier (24) thereon, and a heater (50) comprising a heat dissipating portion (54) that is disposed within the substrate support (32) and that extends underneath and substantially parallel to the support surface (34), said substrate support (32) being rotatably mounted around a rotation axis (L) that extends through said support surface (34), such that the support surface (34) is rotatable relative to the heat dissipating portion (54) of the heater (50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: ASM International N.V.
    Inventors: Chris G. M. de Ridder, Klaas P. Boonstra, Theodorus G. M. Oosterlaken, Barend J. T. Ravenhorst
  • Publication number: 20150108106
    Abstract: Disclosed are cooking devices and assemblies that employ infrared radiant energy to cook food. One cooking assembly includes a cooker including a body having a cooker lid configured to engage a top of the body, an inner layer arranged within the body and defining a heating cavity within the cooker, a heating element arranged within the heating cavity and configured to heat the heating cavity, and a cooking vessel made of a transmissive material and configured to be arranged within the heating cavity, the cooking vessel defines a cooking cavity configured to receive food therein, wherein the heating element convectively heats the cooking vessel and infrared radiant energy is thereby emitted from interior surfaces of the cooking vessel into the cooking cavity to cook the food.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventor: Brian L. Coleman
  • Patent number: 9000333
    Abstract: The installation (10) is adapted for the heat treatment of objects, such as plastic preforms (17), and comprises a reflective device exhibiting a plurality of elongated and opened IR-reflective cavities stacked one onto the other according to a stacking axis and arranged to lodge elongated IR lamps (16) within, where the aperture of each cavity faces generally a main axis parallel to the stacking axis along which the object would be placed. The reflective device (20) further comprises protrusions separating the cavities one to the other and extending generally transversal/transverse to the stacking axis, the reflective device being made as at least one integral block of a heat-conductive material. The cavities may each comprise a curved bottom portion and two opposite side surfaces provided with respective longitudinal breaks of slope at a junction with the curved bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Speziallampenfabrik Dr. Fischer GmbH
    Inventor: Serge Monteix
  • Patent number: 8993933
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide thermal processing chambers including a drive mechanism and a heating assembly disposed on opposite sides of a substrate support assembly. Particularly, the heating assembly is disposed below the substrate support assembly to process a substrate with a device side facing up and the drive mechanism is disposed above the substrate assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Oleg Serebryanov, Joseph M. Ranish, Aaron Muir Hunter
  • Publication number: 20150069042
    Abstract: A vacuum oven or vacuum furnace is disclosed having an energy distribution sleeve that conforms to the shape of an interior heating chamber. The energy distribution sleeve may be of generally annular shape, like a ring, and located in a substantially regularly spaced and offset relationship from a heating element located within walls adjacent the interior heating chamber. The energy distribution sleeve includes a thermal conductive material which absorbs and re-radiates heat emitted from the heating element, thereby providing more consistent and regular radiation fields for heat treating a work piece that is loaded on a work holding tray and, upon the vacuum oven being in an operational position, the work piece is located within the furnace chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Inventors: Daniel F. Serrago, James D. Emmons
  • Patent number: 8963051
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus wherein a nozzle is accurately provided on an adaptor to prevent the nozzle from interfering with other part items and a possibility of breakage due to heat expansion of the nozzle can be reduced. The heat treatment apparatus (10) is provided with a reaction tube (42) for treating a substrate (54), a quartz adaptor (44) for supporting the reaction tube (42), a nozzle (66) connected to the adaptor (44) for supplying a treatment gas into the reaction tube (42), and a heater (46) provided outside the reaction tube (42) for heating inside the reaction tube (42). The nozzle (66) is connected to an upper plane of the adaptor (44) in the reaction tube (42) at least a part which is of the nozzle (66) and is connected with the adaptor (44) is made of quartz and other nozzle parts are made of silicon carbide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventors: Tomoharu Shimada, Akira Morohashi, Kojiro Yokozawa, Keishin Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8957352
    Abstract: Provided is a heat treatment furnace, which includes a processing vessel configured to accommodate at least one object to be processed, a heat insulating member configured to cover a periphery of the processing vessel, and a heating unit configured to be arranged along an inner peripheral surface of the heat insulating member. The heat insulating member includes an inner heat insulating member and an outer heat insulating member formed independently of the inner heat insulating member. The outer heat insulating member contains a finely-powdered compressed silica material, and at least an outer surface thereof is covered with an anti-scattering member configured to prevent the finely-powdered compressed silica material from being scattered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Makoto Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8952297
    Abstract: This invention discloses a reaction apparatus for wafer treatment, an electrostatic chuck and a wafer temperature control method, in the field of semiconductor processing. The electrostatic chuck comprises an insulating layer for supporting a wafer and a lamp array disposed in the insulating layer. Each lamp of the lamp array can be independently controlled to turn on and off and/or to adjust the output power. By controlling the on/off switch and/or output power of each lamp of the lamp array the temperature of the wafer held on the ESC is adjusted and temperature non-uniformity can be more favorably adjusted, greatly improving wafer temperature uniformity, particularly alleviating non-radial temperature non-uniformity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Beijing) Corporation
    Inventors: Qiyang He, Yiying Zhang
  • Patent number: 8933375
    Abstract: A wafer processing apparatus may include a susceptor having a top side and a backside, a susceptor heater having a spacing member and a heating member, a shim removably mounted between the susceptor and the susceptor heater, a cavity formed by the susceptor backside, the susceptor heater, and the shim, a fluid inlet communicating with the cavity, and a plurality of fluid outlets communicating with the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Todd Dunn, Fred Alokozai, Jerry Winkler, Michael Halpin
  • Patent number: 8927912
    Abstract: A sealant curing apparatus is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a processing object panel, a panel supporting unit supporting the processing object panel and a voltage applying unit including a first electrode and a second electrode positioned on the panel supporting unit via the processing object panel interposed therebetween and having different polarities. The processing object panel includes: i) a conductive layer pattern including a heating unit that includes a lattice (grid) pattern, a connecting unit coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode, and a coupling unit connecting the heating unit and the connecting unit and ii) a sealant formed according to the heating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Beong-Ju Kim, Sung-Chul Kim
  • Publication number: 20140339216
    Abstract: The invention concerns a dental furnace, with a furnace base and with a furnace hood, wherein the furnace hood includes a firing chamber for the accommodation of dental restorations, with a temperature sensor that records the temperature of the dental restoration and which is connected to a control device which controls the dental furnace, and the dental furnace (10) includes a drive unit (18) for the furnace hood (16) and the control device (30) controls the drive unit (18) based on the temperature recorded by the temperature sensor (20), namely opens the furnace hood.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2013
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: Ivoclar Vivadent AG
    Inventor: Rudolf Jussel
  • Patent number: 8890036
    Abstract: A vacuum oven or vacuum furnace is disclosed having a heat distribution sleeve that conforms to the shape of an interior heating chamber. The heat distribution sleeve may be of generally annular shape, like a ring, and located in a substantially regularly spaced and offset relationship from a heating element located within walls adjacent the interior heating chamber. The heat distribution sleeve includes a thermal conductive material which absorbs and re-radiates heat emitted from the heating element, thereby providing more consistent and regular radiation fields for heating treating a work piece that is loaded on a work holding tray and, upon the vacuum oven being in an operational position, the work piece is located within the furnace chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Inventors: Daniel F. Serrago, James D. Emmons
  • Patent number: 8835811
    Abstract: A control unit can select a large-number control zone model in which the number of control zones, which are independently controlled, is large, and a small-number control zone model in which the number of control zones, which are independently controlled, is small. When a temperature is increased or decreased, the control unit can select the small-number control zone model so as to control, based on signals from temperature sensors of the respective control zones C1 . . . C5 whose number is small, heaters located on the respective control zones C1 . . . C5. When a temperature is stabilized, the control unit can select the large-number control zone model so as to control, based on signals from the temperature sensors of the respective control zones C1 . . . C10 whose number is large, the heaters located on the respective control zones C1 . . . C10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Koji Yoshii, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Wenling Wang, Takanori Saito
  • Patent number: 8837924
    Abstract: The present invention provides a vacuum heating/cooling apparatus capable of rapidly heating and also rapidly cooling only a substrate while a high vacuum degree is maintained after film-formation processing. The vacuum heating/cooling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a vacuum chamber (1), a halogen lamp (2) which emits heating light, a quartz window (3) for allowing the heating light to enter the vacuum chamber (1), a substrate supporting base (9) having a cooling function, and a lift pin (13) which causes the substrate (5) to stand still at a heating position P3 and a cooling position P1 and moves the substrate (5) between the heating position P3 and the cooling position P1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Anelva Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Tsunekawa, Yoshinori Nagamine, Shinji Furukawa
  • Patent number: 8837923
    Abstract: Pulsed processing methods and systems for heating objects such as semiconductor substrates feature process control for multi-pulse processing of a single substrate, or single or multi-pulse processing of different substrates having different physical properties. Heat is applied a controllable way to the object during a background heating mode, thereby selectively heating the object to at least generally produce a temperature rise throughout the object during background heating. A first surface of the object is heated in a pulsed heating mode by subjecting it to at least a first pulse of energy. Background heating is controlled in timed relation to the first pulse. A first temperature response of the object to the first energy pulse may be sensed and used to establish at least a second set of pulse parameters for at least a second energy pulse to at least partially produce a target condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Mattson Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul J. Timans, Narasimha Acharya
  • Patent number: 8816253
    Abstract: Multi-lane, side-by-side, independently driven transport systems particularly useful for transfer on conveyor belts or finger/chains of thin work pieces, such as silicon wafers, through processing equipment for converting the wafers into solar cells, including UV pre-treaters, dopers, dryers, diffusion furnaces and metallization furnaces. The inventive multi-lane transport systems may employ wire mesh belts having a flying bridge wafer support system comprising longitudinally spaced carrier wire elements that support the wafers at their side edges at only point contacts, by means of opposed, inwardly inclined, downwardly slanted segments or wings. Alternately, finger drives comprising spaced-apart chains having inwardly projecting fingers may be used for transport of the wafers by side edge contact. Friction or sprocket drives having tensioner assemblies associa-ted therewith are used to move the transport belts or finger chains through the furnace zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: TP Solar, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard W. Parks, Peter G. Ragay, Luis Alejandro Rey Garcia
  • Publication number: 20140231405
    Abstract: The invention relates to a dental firing or press furnace (10) that enables the production of at least one dental restoration part (62). The dental firing or press furnace is provided with a firing space (12) that is heatable with the aid of a heating device (22), preferably, a resistance heating device. A heat-conducting element (50) having a specific thermal conductivity of at least 100 W/mK is arranged on the floor of the firing space (12).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Inventor: Rudolf Jussel
  • Patent number: 8796594
    Abstract: A semiconductor manufacturing equipment is provided herein. The semiconductor manufacturing equipment includes a heater element configured to heat a wafer, a first connection part and a second connection part integrated with the heater element, a first electrode electrically contacted with and fixed to the first connection part on a first surface of the first electrode, and a second electrode electrically contacted with and fixed to the second connection part on a second surface of the second electrode. The second surface is perpendicular to the direction of the first surface, and the heater element produces heat by applying a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Hideki Arai, Satoshi Inada, Yoshikazu Moriyama, Noriki Juumatsu