With Chamber Patents (Class 392/416)
  • Patent number: 11914003
    Abstract: Apparatus and associated methods relate to predicting failure and/or estimating remaining useful life of an air-data-probe heater. Failure is predicted or useful life is estimated based on an electrical metric of the electrical operating power provided to a resistive heating element of the air-data-probe heater. The electrical metric of the air data probe heater is one or more of: i) phase relation between voltage across the resistive heating element and leakage current, which is conducted from the resistive heating element to a conductive sheath surrounding the resistive heating element; ii) a time-domain profile of leakage current through the heating element insulation during a full power cycle; and/or iii) high-frequency components of the electrical current conducted by the resistive heating element and/or the voltage across the resistive heating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Rosemount Aerospace Inc.
    Inventors: Kaare Josef Anderson, Magdi A Essawy
  • Patent number: 11908664
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a stage for supporting a target object in a chamber defined by a chamber body. The stage includes a lower electrode, an electrostatic chuck provided on the lower electrode, heaters provided in the electrostatic chuck, and terminals electrically connected to the heaters. A conductor pipe electrically connects a high frequency power supply and the lower electrode and extends from the lower electrode to the outside of the chamber body. Power supply lines supply power from a heater controller to the heaters. Filters partially forming the power supply lines prevent the inflow of high frequency power from the heaters to the heater controller. The power supply lines include wirings which respectively connect the terminals and the filters and extend to the outside of the chamber body through an inner bore of the conductor pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Naohiko Okunishi, Nozomu Nagashima, Tomoyuki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11896547
    Abstract: Sauna heaters are used to generate heat for saunas. Sauna heaters include a first halogen tube configured to generate heat, a second halogen tube configured to generate heat, wherein the first halogen tube is implemented a distance from the second halogen, and wherein the distance between the first halogen tube and the second halogen tube is configurable to adjust an amount of electromagnetic field (EMF) emitted by the heater. Sauna heaters also include a source of alternating current electrically coupled to the first halogen tube and the second halogen tube such that the source of alternating current is configured to provide the first halogen tube and the second halogen tube with a current, wherein the current powering the first halogen tube is out of phase with the current powering the second halogen tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: SAUNA WORKS INC.
    Inventor: Raleigh C. Duncan
  • Patent number: 11881420
    Abstract: A ring support is attached to an inner wall surface of a chamber that houses a semiconductor wafer to support a susceptor. When the semiconductor wafer is placed on the susceptor, an inner space of the chamber is separated into an upper space and a lower space. Particles are likely to accumulate on a lower chamber window as a floor part of the chamber. However, since the upper space and the lower space are separated, the semiconductor wafer can be prevented from being contaminated by the particles flowing into the upper space and adhering to a surface of the semiconductor wafer even when the particles on the lower chamber window are blown up by irradiation with flash light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Yamada, Makoto Abe, Kazuhiko Fuse, Jun Watanabe, Shinji Miyawaki
  • Patent number: 11830759
    Abstract: Various carrier ring designs and configurations to control an amount of deposition at a wafer's front side and bevel edge are provided. The carrier ring designs can control the amount of deposition at various locations of the wafer while deposition is performed on the wafer's back side, with no deposition desired on the front side of the wafer. These locations include front side, edge, and back side of bevel; and front and back side of the wafer. Edge profiles of the carrier rings are designed to control flow of process gases, flow of front side purge gas, and plasma effects. In some designs, through holes are added to the carrier rings to control gas flows. The edge profiles and added features can reduce or eliminate deposition at the wafer's front side and bevel edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Janicki, Brian Joseph Williams
  • Patent number: 11812523
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods for processing workpieces are provided. In one example, the system includes a processing chamber. The system includes a workpiece support configured to support a workpiece within the processing chamber. The system includes a heat source configured to emit light toward the workpiece. The system includes a shutter disposed between the workpiece and the heat source. The shutter includes an electrochromic material configurable in a translucent state and an opaque state. When the electrochromic material is configured in the opaque state, the shutter reduces transmission of the light through the shutter, and when the electrochromic material is configured in the translucent state, the light at least partially passes through the shutter. The system includes a controller configured to control the shutter to reduce transmission of light through the shutter during a thermal treatment process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignees: BEIJING E-TOWN SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY, CO., LTD, MATTSON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Michael X. Yang, Rolf Bremensdorfer
  • Patent number: 11798823
    Abstract: A gas ring is attached to an upper portion of a chamber side portion as a side wall of a chamber. The gas ring is formed by overlapping an upper ring and a lower ring. A gap between the upper ring and the lower ring provides a flow path for processing gas. A labyrinthine resisting unit is formed in the flow path. The mass of the lower ring having an inner wall surface is increased to increase heat capacity. The lower ring is attached to the chamber side portion to be in surface contact with the chamber side portion, so that thermal conductivity from the lower ring to the chamber side portion has a large value, and the amount of heat accumulated in the lower ring is reduced. An increase in temperature of the lower ring at thermal processing is thereby suppressed to prevent discoloration of the gas ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Miyake, Kazuhiko Fuse, Akitsugu Ueda
  • Patent number: 11764087
    Abstract: A process apparatus includes a heating module and a supporter disposed below the heating module. A process space is provided between the heating module and the supporter. The heating module includes a housing, at least one heating lamp disposed in the housing, at least one temperature sensor disposed in the housing, and a blocking plate disposed under the housing. The blocking plate spatially separates the at least one heating lamp from the process space, and the blocking plate includes at least one window spatially connecting the at least one temperature sensor to the process space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chaemook Lim, Yeongrack Son, Ohhyuk Kwon, Dongouk Kim, Youngbum Kim, Woohee Kim, Dongjoon Lee, Kwanghyeon Jeong
  • Patent number: 11699603
    Abstract: A thermal processing system is provided. The thermal processing system can include a processing chamber and a workpiece disposed within the processing chamber. The thermal processing system can include a heat source configured to emit light towards the workpiece. The thermal processing system can further include a tunable reflective array disposed between the workpiece and the heat source. The tunable reflective array can include a plurality of pixels. Each pixel of the plurality of pixels can include an electrochromatic material configurable in a translucent state or an opaque state. When the electrochromatic material of a pixel is configured in the translucent state, the light at least partially passes through the pixel. Conversely, transmission of light through a pixel is reduced when the electrochromatic material of the pixel is configured in the opaque state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignees: BEIJING E-TOWN SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY, CO., LTD, MATTSON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Michael X. Yang, Chen-an Chen
  • Patent number: 11606980
    Abstract: A vaporizer apparatus includes a pump housing, a main housing containing an evacuation chamber, and an operation unit attached to the main housing. The operation unit selectively isolates the evacuation chamber from communication with an air inlet. At least one vacuum pump is operable to generate a vacuum in the evacuation chamber, while a heating element also operates. A mouthpiece is attached to the main housing, and may be selectively placed in communication with the evacuation chamber. When oil is placed in the evacuation chamber and the operation unit is operated, the evacuation chamber is temporarily sealed off from the inlet, creating a vacuum sealed chamber connected with the pump(s). Then, the pump(s) is/are activated to reduce pressure in the evacuation chamber, and the oil is vaporized at reduced pressure and at an elevated temperature. When the operation unit is released, the evacuation chamber is emptied via the mouthpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Mabee Engineered Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian D. Mabee, Kathryn Mabee, Austin M. Mabee, Marc Longfellow
  • Patent number: 11606844
    Abstract: An optical heating device includes: a chamber that accommodates a workpiece; a supporter that supports the workpiece in the chamber; a plurality of solid-state light sources emitting heating light toward a main surface of the workpiece; a plurality of reference light sources that emit reference light toward the main surface of the workpiece when power of the same power value is supplied to each of the reference light sources; a plurality of photodetectors that corresponds to the respective reference light sources, and that output signals in response to the intensity of the reference light that has been received; and a controller that executes a reference mode and a heating mode, the reference light sources and the corresponding photodetectors are arranged to face each other through the workpiece, and the photodetectors are configured to receive the reference light emitted from the reference light sources and transmitted through the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinji Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 11562915
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus provide for optically monitoring individual lamps of substrate processing chambers. In one aspect, the individual lamps are monitored to determine if one or more lamps are in need of replacement. A method includes using one or more camera coupled to a borescope to capture a plurality of images of one or more lamps in a substrate processing chamber. The plurality of images is analyzed to identify a change of mean light pixel intensity in an image reference region associated with each lamp. The method includes generating an alert based on the detection of the mean light pixel intensity change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Ji-Dih Hu, Chaitanya Anjaneyalu Prasad, Dongming Iu, Samuel C. Howells, Vilen K. Nestorov
  • Patent number: 11523969
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for lyophilizing and sealing a medicament within a medical delivery device having an opening. The apparatus may include a stopper for sealing the opening. The stopper may have one or more elongated members extending from a base, in a direction that is parallel to a central axis of the base. One or more of the members may be set radially away from the axis and define a coaxial central well. The member or members may define a void. The elongated member or members may engage a device inner wall and support the base away from the opening. The void may provide gas exchange between a device interior and a device exterior. The gas may be a lyophilization byproduct that escapes from the device interior between the inner wall, the base and the member or members. The stopper may be advanced into the device to seal the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Genentech, Inc.
    Inventor: Lionel Vedrine
  • Patent number: 11523475
    Abstract: A method of operating cooking appliance includes activating a motor to rotate a turntable within a cooking cavity defined in a casing of the cooking appliance. The methods also includes activating a cooking lamp in response to the turntable reaching a first angular position after activating the motor to rotate the turntable and deactivating the cooking lamp in response to the turntable reaching a second angular position after the first angular position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark Heimerdinger
  • Patent number: 11517044
    Abstract: A vaporizer apparatus includes a pump housing, a main housing containing an evacuation chamber, and an operation unit attached to the main housing. The operation unit selectively seals the evacuation chamber off from communication with an air inlet. One or more pumps in the pump housing is/are operable to generate a vacuum in the evacuation chamber. A mouthpiece is attached to the main housing, and may be selectively placed in communication with the evacuation chamber. When oil is placed in the evacuation chamber and the operation unit is operated, the evacuation chamber is temporarily sealed off from the inlet, creating a vacuum sealed chamber connected with the pump(s). Then, the pump(s) is/are activated to reduce pressure in the evacuation chamber, and the oil is vaporized at an ambient temperature without requiring a heater. When the operation unit is released, the evacuation chamber is emptied via the mouthpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Mabee Engineered Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Brian D. Mabee, Kathryn Mabee, Austin M. Mabee, Marc Longfellow
  • Patent number: 11490464
    Abstract: A heather unit including a small diameter sheath heater with improved reliability is provided. The heater unit includes a first substrate having a first joint surface and a second substrate having a second joint surface being joined together, a groove arranged on at least one of the first joint surface or the second joint surface, and a sheath heater arranged inside the groove. The sheath heater includes a metal sheath, a heating wire having a band shape, the heating wire arranged with a space within the metal sheath so as to rotate with respect to an axis direction of the metal sheath, an insulating material arranged in the space, and connection terminals arranged at one end of the metal sheath, the connection terminals electrically connected with both ends of the heating wire respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Hanamachi, Kenji Sekiya, Go Takahara, Naoya Aikawa, Yuta Kisara, Arata Tatsumi
  • Patent number: 11477858
    Abstract: A small diameter sheath heater with improved reliability is provided. The sheath heater according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a metal sheath, a heating wire having a band shape, the heating wire arranged with a gap within the metal sheath so as to rotate with respect to an axis direction of the metal sheath, an insulating material arranged in the gap, and connection terminals arranged at one end of the metal sheath, the connection terminals electrically connected with both ends of the heating wire respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: NHK SPRING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Hanamachi, Kenji Sekiya, Daisuke Hashimoto, Satoshi Hirano, Masaru Takimoto, Go Takahara, Yoshihito Araki, Arata Tatsumi, Takashi Kawasaki, Yuki Toyama, Satoshi Anzai
  • Patent number: 11456195
    Abstract: A wafer processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: a heating plate through which vacuum ports are formed; a plurality of temperature sensors; a heating device configured to heat the heating plate; first and second power supplies; temperature controllers to generate first and second feedback temperature control signals for controlling power output power supplies based on measurement values generated by the temperature sensors; an electronic pressure regulator configured to provide vacuum pressure for fixing a wafer to the plurality of vacuum ports; and a wafer chucking controller configured to control the electronic pressure regulator, and generate a feedback pressure control signal for controlling the electronic pressure regulator based on the first and second feedback temperature control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Youngho Hwang, Sungyong Park, Eunseok Seo, Hyeongseok Jo, Seok Heo
  • Patent number: 11456193
    Abstract: After a semiconductor wafer held by a susceptor in a chamber is preheated by irradiating the semiconductor wafer with light from halogen lamps, the semiconductor wafer is irradiated with a flash of light from flash lamps. A temperature of the semiconductor wafer is measured with an end edge part radiation thermometer and a temperature of the susceptor is measured with a central part radiation thermometer. It is determined that the semiconductor wafer bows when a specific singular point appears in a temporal differentiation in the temperature measured with the end edge part radiation thermometer or a temporal differentiation in the temperature measured with the central part radiation thermometer. A flash light irradiation of the semiconductor wafer which is determined to be in the bowing state is omitted and the semiconductor wafer is transported out of the chamber, and the subsequent semiconductor wafer is transported into the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shogo Shigemasu, Takahiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 11398394
    Abstract: A heating treatment method includes: a step (A) of supplying power to both a heating lamp and an LED, and irradiating a heating object with light emitted from the heating lamp and light emitted from the LED to raise the temperature of the heating object; a step (B) of decreasing the power supplied to the heating lamp after performing the step (A); and a step (C) of lowering the temperature of the heating object by decreasing the power supplied to the LED after performing the step (B).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takafumi Mizojiri, Yukio Ueshima
  • Patent number: 11276590
    Abstract: Exemplary support assemblies may include a top puck and a backing plate coupled with the top puck. The support assemblies may include a cooling plate coupled with the backing plate. The support assemblies may include a heater coupled between the cooling plate and the backing plate. The support assemblies may also include a back plate coupled with the backing plate about an exterior of the backing plate. The back plate may at least partially define a volume, and the heater and the cooling plate may be housed within the volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Mehmet Tugrul Samir, Dongqing Yang, Dmitry Lubomirsky, Peter Hillman, Soonam Park, Martin Yue Choy, Lala Zhu
  • Patent number: 11193178
    Abstract: Systems and methods for heat treating closed shape workpieces are provided. In one example implementation, a method can include imparting relative motion of the closed shape workpiece such that the perimeter surface of the closed shape workpiece is moved relative to the lamp heat source from a first position where a first portion of the closed shape workpiece is presented to the lamp heat source to a second position where a second portion of the closed shape workpiece is presented to the lamp heat source. The method can include emitting lamp heat onto the perimeter surface of the closed shape workpiece from the lamp heat source during imparting of relative motion of the closed shape workpiece. The method can include implementing a flux control procedure during emitting of lamp heat onto the perimeter surface of the closed shape workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignees: Beijing E-Town Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd., Mattson Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Rolf Bremensdorfer, Johannes Keppler, Michael Yang
  • Patent number: 10937672
    Abstract: A heating device and a heating chamber are provided, comprising a base plate (21), at least three supporting columns (22) and a heating assembly, where the at least three supporting columns are arranged vertically on the base plate and are distributed at intervals along a circumferential direction of the base plate Top ends of the at least three supporting columns form a bearing surface for supporting a to-be-heated member (23). The heating assembly includes a heating light tube (24) and a thermal radiation shielding assembly, where the heating light tube is disposed above the base plate and below the bearing surface. A projection of an effective heating area formed by uniform distribution of the heating light tube on the base plate covers a projection of the bearing surface on the base plate. The thermal radiation shielding assembly shields heat radiated by the heating light tube towards surroundings and bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: BEIJING NAURA MICROELECTRONICS EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Zhang, Xuewei Wu, Boyu Dong, Baogang Xu, Henan Zhang, Bingliang Guo, Wen Zhang, Shaohui Liu
  • Patent number: 10930521
    Abstract: Heating treatment is performed on a semiconductor wafer in an ammonia atmosphere formed in a chamber by light irradiation from halogen lamps and flash lamps. For the formation of the ammonia atmosphere in the chamber, pressure in the chamber is once reduced. The pressure in the chamber is also reduced after the heating treatment of the semiconductor wafer. Light irradiation from the halogen lamps is performed to heat the atmosphere in the chamber before the pressure in the chamber is reduced by exhausting the atmosphere from the chamber. The heating of the atmosphere in the chamber before the pressure reduction activates the thermal motion of gas molecules in the atmosphere and decreases a gas density. As a result, the gas molecules in the chamber are discharged rapidly during the pressure reduction, so that the pressure in the chamber is reduced to a predetermined pressure in a short time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mao Omori, Masashi Furukawa
  • Patent number: 10847389
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for annealing a semiconductor structure. In one embodiment, the method includes providing an energy-converting structure proximate a semiconductor structure, the energy-converting structure comprising a material having a loss tangent larger than that of the semiconductor structure; providing a heat reflecting structure between the semiconductor structure and the energy-converting structure; and providing microwave radiation to the energy-converting structure and the semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure may include at least one material selected from the group consisting of boron-doped silicon germanium, silicon phosphide, titanium, nickel, silicon nitride, silicon dioxide, silicon carbide, n-type doped silicon, and aluminum capped silicon carbide. The heat reflecting structure may include a material substantially transparent to microwave radiation and having substantial reflectivity with respect to infrared radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Chun-Hsiung Tsai, Zi-Wei Fang, Chao-Hsiung Wang
  • Patent number: 10818839
    Abstract: An apparatus of fabricating a semiconductor device may include a chamber including a housing and a slit valve used to open or close a portion of the housing, a heater chuck provided in a lower region of the housing and used to heat a substrate, a target provided over the heater chuck, a plasma electrode provided in an upper region of the housing and used to generate plasma on the target, a heat-dissipation shield surrounding the inner wall of the housing between the plasma electrode and the heater chuck, and an edge heating structure provided between the heat-dissipation shield and the inner wall of the housing and configured to heat the heat-dissipation shield and an edge region of the substrate and to reduce a difference in temperature between center and edge regions of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jaeho Jung, Kyoung Sun Kim, Jeonghee Park, Jiho Park, Changyup Park
  • Patent number: 10807128
    Abstract: When a chamber of a heat treatment apparatus is opened for a purpose such as maintenance of the heat treatment apparatus, particles flow in large quantities into the chamber together with an outside atmosphere. After maintenance work is finished, an enclosed space is formed in the chamber and gas in the chamber is exhausted to place the interior of the chamber in a reduced-pressure atmosphere. While the interior of the chamber is in the reduced-pressure atmosphere, the interior of the chamber is irradiated with a flash of light emitted multiple times from a flash lamp to cause momentary gas expansion and subsequent gas shrinkage repeatedly, thereby causing particles adhering in the chamber to fly. The flying particles are discharged from the chamber to remove the particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masashi Furukawa
  • Patent number: 10790171
    Abstract: Over a front surface of a silicon semiconductor wafer is deposited a high dielectric constant film with a silicon oxide film, serving as an interface layer, provided between the semiconductor wafer and the high dielectric constant film. After a chamber houses the semiconductor wafer, a chamber's pressure is reduced to be lower than atmospheric pressure. Subsequently, a gaseous mixture of ammonia and nitrogen gas is supplied into the chamber to return the pressure to ordinary pressure, and the front surface is irradiated with a flash light, thereby performing post deposition annealing (PDA) on the high dielectric constant film. Since the pressure is reduced once to be lower than atmospheric pressure and then returned to ordinary pressure, a chamber's oxygen concentration is lowered remarkably during the PDA. This restricts an increase in thickness of the silicon oxide film underlying the high dielectric constant film by oxygen taken in during the PDA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Aoyama, Hikaru Kawarazaki, Masashi Furukawa, Shinichi Kato, Kazuhiko Fuse, Hideaki Tanimura
  • Patent number: 10712034
    Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system includes an air moving device configured to move air through the HVAC system, a first variable frequency drive (VFD) configured to drive the air moving device, and a second VFD configured to drive the air moving device, wherein the first VFD and the second VFD are configured receive control instructions and to selectively operate based on the control instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Ryan E. Hill, Harold J. Dubensky, Sandeep K. Chodapaneedi, Lindsey C. Walker, Nivedita Nath, Keith L. Glatfelter, Bhushan D. Vichare, Gnanesh Suvvada, Siddappa R. Bidari, Justin M. Fantom, Deepak S. Kollabettu, William J. Skinner, Jr., David A. Shearer, David P. Gillmen
  • Patent number: 10600661
    Abstract: A rapid heat treatment apparatus comprises: a chamber for rapid heat treatment; a support stage radiating light to rapidly heat a substrate for rapid heat treatment; a substrate for temperature measurement which is made of a same material as the substrate for rapid heat treatment; a thermocouple for temperature measurement measuring a temperature of the substrate for temperature measurement; a support part formed of a light-transmitting material that supports the substrate for temperature measurement; and a light-transmitting plate disposed between the support part and the heat source device to isolate the opposite internals spaces of the chamber from each other, wherein the temperature of the substrate for temperature measurement, which is measured by the thermocouple, is considered to be the temperature of the substrate subjected to rapid heat treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: ULTECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Changgil Seog, Daeyoung Kong, Mungyu Song, Kyuchul Seo
  • Patent number: 10529597
    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: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Inventor: Arsalan Emami
  • Patent number: 10513438
    Abstract: A method is provided for stabilizing filaments in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor. The method includes providing the pair of filaments, and connecting the pair of filaments with at least one stabilizer. The stabilizer may include an electronically insulating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: OCI COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Wenjun Qin, Chad Fero, Aaron D. Rhodes, Jeffrey C. Gum
  • Patent number: 10424483
    Abstract: A metal film is deposited on a front surface of a semiconductor wafer of silicon. After the semiconductor wafer is received in a chamber, the pressure in the chamber is reduced to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. Thereafter, nitrogen gas is supplied into the chamber to return the pressure in the chamber to ordinary pressure, and the front surface of the semiconductor wafer is irradiated with a flash of light, so that a silicide that is a compound of the metal film and silicon is formed. The oxygen concentration in the chamber is significantly lowered during the formation of the silicide because the pressure in the chamber is reduced once to the pressure lower than atmospheric pressure and then returned to the ordinary pressure. This suppresses the increase in resistance of the silicide resulting from the entry of oxygen in the atmosphere in the chamber into defects near the interface between the metal film and a base material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Aoyama, Hikaru Kawarazaki, Masashi Furukawa, Kazuhiko Fuse, Hideaki Tanimura, Shinichi Kato
  • Patent number: 10181404
    Abstract: A metal film is deposited on a front surface of a semiconductor wafer of silicon. After the semiconductor wafer is received in a chamber, the pressure in the chamber is reduced to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. Thereafter, nitrogen gas is supplied into the chamber to return the pressure in the chamber to ordinary pressure, and the front surface of the semiconductor wafer is irradiated with a flash of light, so that a silicide that is a compound of the metal film and silicon is formed. The oxygen concentration in the chamber is significantly lowered during the formation of the silicide because the pressure in the chamber is reduced once to the pressure lower than atmospheric pressure and then returned to the ordinary pressure. This suppresses the increase in resistance of the silicide resulting from the entry of oxygen in the atmosphere in the chamber into defects near the interface between the metal film and a base material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Aoyama, Hikaru Kawarazaki, Masashi Furukawa, Kazuhiko Fuse, Hideaki Tanimura, Shinichi Kato
  • Patent number: 10121683
    Abstract: Over a front surface of a silicon semiconductor wafer is deposited a high dielectric constant film with a silicon oxide film, serving as an interface layer, provided between the semiconductor wafer and the high dielectric constant film. After a chamber houses the semiconductor wafer, a chamber's pressure is reduced to be lower than atmospheric pressure. Subsequently, a gaseous mixture of ammonia and nitrogen gas is supplied into the chamber to return the pressure to ordinary pressure, and the front surface is irradiated with a flash light, thereby performing post deposition annealing (PDA) on the high dielectric constant film. Since the pressure is reduced once to be lower than atmospheric pressure and then returned to ordinary pressure, a chamber's oxygen concentration is lowered remarkably during the PDA. This restricts an increase in thickness of the silicon oxide film underlying the high dielectric constant film by oxygen taken in during the PDA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Aoyama, Hikaru Kawarazaki, Masashi Furukawa, Shinichi Kato, Kazuhiko Fuse, Hideaki Tanimura
  • Patent number: 10064775
    Abstract: An incubator is provided that prevents damage to the arm of an operator when an arm abuts against the upper end segment of a baby guard relatively hard while inserting the arm into an infant accommodation space. The walls of the baby guards around the infant accommodation space have bent segments that are sufficiently strong to serve as a guard structure on the periphery of the infant accommodation space. Each of the bent segments in the upper end segments of the walls includes an inclined segment and a substantially horizontal segment integrally connected to a distal end of the inclined segment. At least some of the walls can pivot between upward and downward positions, thereby closing or revealing cassette trays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Atom Medical Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Matsubara, Terumi Matsubara, Masato Honda, Yutaka Sekiguchi, Keisuke Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 9788367
    Abstract: Power feed connections and sauna heating panels include a power feed having a first insulated conductor electrically coupled to a first terminal and a second insulated conductor electrically coupled to a second terminal. The first and second terminals are electrically coupled with at least one heating element. In some cases the power feed includes a supply portion, a connection portion, and an extension portion. The extension portion has one or more conductors in a twisted configuration extending away from the first and second terminals. In some cases the power feed includes an extension conductor portion coupled to a return conductor portion in a twisted configuration. The extension portion extends away from a second terminal past a second connection point and the return portion returns back to and connects to the second connection point at the second terminal. Methods for providing power connections to heating panels are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: TyloHelo Inc.
    Inventors: Steven J. Benda, Ragis H. C. Kao
  • Patent number: 9741576
    Abstract: A metal film is deposited on a front surface of a semiconductor wafer of silicon. After the semiconductor wafer is received in a chamber, the pressure in the chamber is reduced to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. Thereafter, nitrogen gas is supplied into the chamber to return the pressure in the chamber to ordinary pressure, and the front surface of the semiconductor wafer is irradiated with a flash of light, so that a silicide that is a compound of the metal film and silicon is formed. The oxygen concentration in the chamber is significantly lowered during the formation of the silicide because the pressure in the chamber is reduced once to the pressure lower than atmospheric pressure and then returned to the ordinary pressure. This suppresses the increase in resistance of the silicide resulting from the entry of oxygen in the atmosphere in the chamber into defects near the interface between the metal film and a base material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Aoyama, Hikaru Kawarazaki, Masashi Furukawa, Kazuhiko Fuse, Hideaki Tanimura, Shinichi Kato
  • Patent number: 9734993
    Abstract: A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is capable of reducing power consumption. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a processing chamber 2 that has a top surface 2a and forms a processing space S therein; a mounting table 3 provided in the processing space S; an upper electrode 20 provided above the mounting table 3 to face the mounting table 3; heaters 35 and 36 provided around the upper electrode 20 and below the top surface 2a of the processing chamber 2 and configured to heat the upper electrode 20; and a heat insulating unit 50, mounted on the top surface 2a of the processing chamber 2, having a plate-shaped member 51 and a heat insulating member 52 that is provided on one main surface 51a of the plate-shaped member 51.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Atsushi Kobayashi, Kazuyuki Miura, Akira Yasumuro
  • Patent number: 9709647
    Abstract: A method for operating a mobile magnetic resonance tomography system having magnets and/or coils generating a magnetic field and a shield surrounding the magnets and/or coils is intended to enable an optimal image quality during the examination and at the same time have a small space requirement. For this purpose, a temperature is measured at a plurality of points on the shield by a temperature measuring system, where measured data of the temperature measuring system is sent to a compensation system, and where effects of temperature differences on the homogeneity of the magnetic field are compensated by the compensation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andrew Dewdney, Matthias Drobnitzky, Ralf Ladebeck
  • Patent number: 9644847
    Abstract: A connected oven, including a set of in-cavity sensors and a processor configured to automatically identify foodstuff within the cooking cavity, based on the sensor measurements; and automatically operate the heating element based on the foodstuff identity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: June Life, Inc.
    Inventors: Nikhil Bhogal, Matthew Van Horn, Seunghoon Park, Ravishankar Sivalingam, Christopher Russell Clark
  • Patent number: 9449849
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using a heating device capable of suppressing shearing of a holder due to thermal deformation of the heating element included in the heating device. The method includes: loading a substrate into a process chamber surrounded by a heating device including a heating element; and increasing temperature of the heating element including a mountain part and a valley part alternately connected in plurality to form a meander shape with both ends thereof being fixed to an insulating body installed at an outer circumference of the heating element wherein the heating element is fixed to the insulating body by a holding body disposed in a holding body receiving part installed at end of the valley part having a cutout part having a width larger than that of the valley part to heat the substrate in the process chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Murata, Tetsuya Kosugi, Shinobu Sugiura
  • Patent number: 9390947
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer with (100) plane orientation has two orthogonal cleavage directions. A notch is provided so as to indicate one of these directions. During irradiation with a flash, the semiconductor wafer warps about one of two radii at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the cleavage directions such that the upper surface thereof becomes convex, and the opposite ends of the other radii become the lowest position. Eight support pins in total are provided in upright position on the upper surface of a holding plate of a susceptor while being spaced at intervals of 45 degrees along the same circumference. The semiconductor wafer is placed on the susceptor such that any of the support pins supports a radius at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to a cleavage direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshio Ito
  • Patent number: 9379270
    Abstract: Bifacial crystalline solar cells and associated solar panel systems are provided. The cells include a p-type crystalline silicon layer and a barrier layer. The panels include at least two rows of cells. The cells in each row are connected to one another in series. The rows are connected in parallel. A reflector is used to reflect light towards the underside of the panel. A long axis of the reflector is arranged to be parallel to the rows of cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Bakersun
    Inventor: Ivan I. Scheulov
  • Patent number: 9379269
    Abstract: Bifacial crystalline solar cells and associated solar panel systems are provided. The cells include a p-type crystalline silicon layer and a barrier layer. The panels include at least two rows of cells. The cells in each row are connected to one another in series. The rows are connected in parallel. A reflector is used to reflect light towards the underside of the panel. A long axis of the reflector is arranged to be parallel to the rows of cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Bakersun
    Inventor: Ivan Scheulov
  • Patent number: 9349623
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method and a system for processing wafers in fabricating a semiconductor device where disposing chemicals and wafer heating are needed for chemical reaction. A wafer is placed above a wafer heater such that a second surface faces the wafer heater, and heated from the second surface. A chemical layer is formed on an opposing first surface. The wafer heater is sized and configured to be capable of heating the entire second surface, and adapted to produce a locally differential temperature profile if needed. During heating, an actual temperature profile on the wafer may be monitored and transmitted to a computing system, which may generate a target temperature profile and control the wafer heater to adjust local temperatures on the wafer according to the target temperature profile. A supplemental heater for heating the chemicals may be used for finer control of the wafer temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ying-Hsueh Chang Chien, Chi-Ming Yang
  • Patent number: 9251615
    Abstract: Animation of a thermal image captured by a thermal imager that includes automatically changing particular aspects of the presentation of the image. The coloring of the thermal image may automatically change through two or more color presentations. The colors which may automatically change or be “animated” may be any colors in the usual rainbow of color or in the grayscale. The animation may include a series of small, stepwise incremental changes that gradually change the image. If timed correctly and if the increments are sufficiently small, the transitions of the image may appear smooth, in the manner of a movie or cartoon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Fluke Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew F. Schmidt, Jordan B. Schlichting, Thomas Heinke
  • Patent number: 9240341
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure 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: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Oleg Serebryanov, Joseph M. Ranish, Aaron Muir Hunter
  • Patent number: 9239192
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for rapid thermal heat treatment of semiconductor and other substrates is provided. A number of heat lamps arranged in an array or other configuration produce light and heat radiation. The light and heat radiation is directed through a heat slot that forms a radiation beam of high intensity light and heat. The radiation beam is directed to a platen that includes multiple substrates. The apparatus and method include a controller that controls rotational and translational motion of the platen relative to the heat slot and also controls the power individually and collectively supplied to the heat lamps. A program is executed which maneuvers the platen such that all portions of all substrates receive the desired thermal treatment, i.e. attain a desired temperature for a desired time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nai-Han Cheng, Chi-Ming Yang
  • Patent number: 9207665
    Abstract: The heat treatment apparatus that increases a temperature of a processing object and performs a heat treatment in a constant temperature, the heat treatment apparatus includes: a processing chamber which accommodates the processing object; a heating unit which heats the processing object accommodated in the processing chamber; a memory unit which stores two or more temperature control models that are previously created, a temperature controller which controls a temperature of the heating unit; and an apparatus controller which controls the temperature controller and the memory unit, wherein the apparatus controller selects a temperature control model among the two or more temperature control models according to desired heat treatment conditions, and wherein the temperature controller reads out the selected temperature control model from the memory unit to control the heating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Goro Takahashi, Takahito Kasai, Takanori Saito, Wenling Wang, Koji Yoshii, Tatsuya Yamaguchi