Coating By Vapor, Gas, Or Smoke Patents (Class 427/248.1)
  • Patent number: 11236021
    Abstract: Systems for and methods of manufacturing a ceramic matrix composite include introducing a gaseous precursor into an inlet portion of a reaction furnace having a chamber comprising the inlet portion and an outlet portion that is downstream of the inlet portion, and delivering a mitigation agent, such as water vapor or ammonia, into an exhaust conduit in fluid communication with and downstream of the outlet portion of the reaction chamber so as to control chemical reactions occurring with the exhaust chamber. Introducing the gaseous precursor densities a porous preform, and introducing the mitigation agent shifts the reaction equilibrium to disfavor the formation of harmful and/or pyrophoric byproduct deposits within the exhaust conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventors: Ying She, Naveen Menon, Gavin Charles Richards, Zissis A. Dardas, Thomas P. Filburn
  • Patent number: 11233248
    Abstract: The method for coating a separator for a fuel cell according to one form of the present disclosure includes the steps of: vaporizing a metal nitride precursor to obtain a precursor gas; introducing a metal nitride coating layer-forming gas containing the precursor gas and a reactive gas to a reaction chamber; applying a voltage to the reaction chamber so that the precursor gas and reactive gas may be converted into a plasma state, thereby forming a metal nitride coating layer on a substrate; introducing a carbon layer-forming gas containing a carbonaceous gas to the reaction chamber; and applying a voltage to the reaction chamber so that the carbonaceous gas may be converted into a plasma state, thereby forming a carbon coating layer on the metal nitride coating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kwang Hoon Choi, Woong Pyo Hong, Chi Seung Lee, Hyun Dal Park, Bokyung Kim, Jungyeon Park, In Woong Lyo, Jiyoun Seo
  • Patent number: 11220432
    Abstract: A method for producing a carbon nanostructure according to an aspect of the present invention is a method in which a carbon nanostructure is produced between a base body and a separable body while the separable body is relatively moved away from the base body, the base body including a carburizable metal that is a principal constituent, the separable body including a carburizable metal that is a principal constituent, the separable body being joined to or in contact with the base body in a linear or strip-like shape. The method includes a carburizing gas feed step, an oxidizing gas feed step, a heating step in which the portion of the base body at which the base body and the separable body are joined to or in contact with each other is heated, and a separation step in which the separable body is relatively moved away from the base body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Hikata, Soichiro Okubo, Ryusuke Nakai, Daisuke Tanioka
  • Patent number: 11193361
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices to enhance fracturing fluid delivery to subsurface formations to enhance hydrocarbon production from the subsurface formations may include providing a manifold coupling having a manifold coupling passage with a manifold coupling axis. The manifold coupling may include a first inlet passage positioned to provide fluid flow between a first fracturing fluid output and the manifold coupling passage, and a second inlet passage positioned opposite the first inlet passage to provide fluid flow between a second fracturing fluid output and the manifold coupling passage. The first inlet passage may have a first inlet passage cross-section at least partially defining a first inlet axis extending transverse relative to the manifold coupling axis. The second inlet passage may have a second inlet passage cross-section at least partially defining a second inlet axis extending transverse relative to the manifold coupling axis and not being co-linear with the first inlet axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: BJ Energy Solutions, LLC
    Inventors: Tony Yeung, Nicholas Tew, William Nieuwenburg
  • Patent number: 11193360
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices to enhance fracturing fluid delivery to subsurface formations to enhance hydrocarbon production from the subsurface formations may include providing a manifold coupling having a manifold coupling passage with a manifold coupling axis. The manifold coupling may include a first inlet passage positioned to provide fluid flow between a first fracturing fluid output and the manifold coupling passage, and a second inlet passage positioned opposite the first inlet passage to provide fluid flow between a second fracturing fluid output and the manifold coupling passage. The first inlet passage may have a first inlet passage cross-section at least partially defining a first inlet axis extending transverse relative to the manifold coupling axis. The second inlet passage may have a second inlet passage cross-section at least partially defining a second inlet axis extending transverse relative to the manifold coupling axis and not being co-linear with the first inlet axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: BJ Energy Solutions, LLC
    Inventors: Tony Yeung, Nicholas Tew, William Nieuwenburg
  • Patent number: 11180850
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for controlling precursor flow in a semiconductor processing tool are disclosed. A method may include flowing gas through a gas line, opening an ampoule valve(s), before a dose step, to start a flow of precursor from the ampoule to a process chamber through the gas line, closing the ampoule valve(s) to stop the precursor from flowing out of the ampoule, opening a process chamber valve, at the beginning of the dose step, to allow the flow of precursor to enter the process chamber, and closing the process chamber valve, at the end of the dose step, to stop the flow of precursor from entering the process chamber. A controller may include at least one memory and at least one processor and the at least one memory may store instructions for controlling the at least one processor to control precursor flow in a semiconductor processing tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Purushottam Kumar, Adrien LaVoie, Jun Qian, Hu Kang, Ishtak Karim, Fung Suong Ou
  • Patent number: 11174550
    Abstract: Methods are provided for selectively depositing a material on a first metal or metallic surface of a substrate relative to a second, dielectric surface of the substrate, or for selectively depositing metal oxides on a first metal oxide surface of a substrate relative to a second silicon oxide surface. The selectively deposited material can be, for example, a metal, metal oxide, metal nitride, metal silicide, metal carbide and/or dielectric material. In some embodiments a substrate comprising a first metal or metallic surface and a second dielectric surface is alternately and sequentially contacted with a first vapor-phase metal halide reactant and a second reactant. In some embodiments a substrate comprising a first metal oxide surface and a second silicon oxide surface is alternately and sequentially contacted with a first vapor phase metal fluoride or chloride reactant and water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: ASM IP HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Suvi P. Haukka, Raija H. Matero, Elina Färm, Tom E. Blomberg
  • Patent number: 11149584
    Abstract: Containment assemblies and methods for forming containment assemblies of gas turbine engines are provided. For example, a containment assembly comprises a containment case including a plurality of coated fibers. Each coated fiber comprises a fiber surrounded by a ceramic material such that the ceramic material coats the fiber. As another example, a containment assembly comprises an inner case and a containment case comprising a plurality of coated fibers. Each coated fiber comprises a fiber surrounded by a ceramic material such that the ceramic material coats the fiber. The containment case includes a greater proportion of the coated fibers at an inner surface of a layer of the containment case than at a location within the containment case that is radially outward from the inner surface. Methods for forming a containment assembly of a gas turbine engine are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David William Crall, Nicholas Joseph Kray, Scott Roger Finn, Wendy Wenling Lin
  • Patent number: 11118837
    Abstract: A system for treatment of a first material with at least one hazardous material, the system comprising a manufacturing room configured according to safety standards to hold at least one hazardous material. The manufacturing room is configured for the treatment of the first material using the at least one hazardous material as a solvent. A holding room is not configured according to the safety standards and is separated from the manufacturing room by a wall common to the manufacturing room and the holding room. A vacuum oven is embedded in the wall, and has a rear portion in the manufacturing room and a front portion in the holding room. The front door of the oven is configured to be opened from the holding room for removing the first material from the inner cavity following removal of the at least one hazardous material from the first material and from the inner cavity and no electrical components of the vacuum oven extend into the manufacturing room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Inventor: Alexander Edward Joseph Barsky
  • Patent number: 11084912
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a novel non-conjugated radical polymer film with high electrical conductivity, and methods of making and using the novel non-conjugated radical polymer film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation
    Inventors: Bryan W Boudouris, Brett M. Savoie, Varad Agarkar, Yongho Joo, Seunghyun Sung
  • Patent number: 11081321
    Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a chamber in which a target substrate is accommodated; a first gas supply part configured to supply a gas containing a first monomer, and a gas containing a second monomer, which forms a polymer through a polymerization reaction with the first monomer, into the chamber so as to form a film of the polymer on the target substrate; an exhaust device configured to exhaust a gas inside the chamber; a first exhaust pipe configured to connect the chamber and the exhaust device; and an energy supply device configured to supply an energy with respect to a gas flowing through the first exhaust pipe so as to cause an unreacted component of at least one of the first monomer and the second monomer contained in the gas exhausted from the chamber to be reduced in a molecular weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Syuji Nozawa, Yoji Iizuka, Tatsuya Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11060178
    Abstract: Method for producing a thermal barrier system on a metal substrate (1) of a turbo engine part, such as a high-pressure turbine blade, the thermal barrier system comprising at least one columnar ceramic layer (31, . . . , 3i, . . . , 3n), characterised in that the method comprises a step of compressing at least one of said at least one columnar ceramic layer (31, . . . 3i, . . . , 3n).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: SAFRAN
    Inventors: Nihad Ben Salah, Jawad Badreddine, Aurélian Joulia
  • Patent number: 11046055
    Abstract: An air-floating thin film bonding apparatus and its air-floating roller is provided. The apparatus is composed of an air-floating rollers, which can blow out airflow at a specific angle to be applied to the base film with three-dimensional obstacles. The positive pressure provided by the airflow can be utilized to fill the gap space caused by the three-dimensional obstacles. Therefore, the base film can bond to the bonding film tightly to overcome the wrinkles and defects caused by the three-dimensional obstacle and the problem of unflatness of the film-bonding can be solved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignees: PROLOGIUM TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., Prologium Holding Inc.
    Inventors: Szu-Nan Yang, Ching-Ho Wang
  • Patent number: 11041238
    Abstract: A process of atomic layer deposition for the deposition of silicon oxide on a substrate, performed at room temperature, involving at least three precursors, being silicon tetrachloride, water and one Lewis base agent, being in various instances ammonia. The process comprises the steps of exposing on the substrate during an exposure time (a) the one Lewis base agent, (b) the silicon tetrachloride, and (c) the water. The process is remarkable in that at least one step of purge with nitrogen gas is performed after each of the steps (a), (b) and (c) during a purge time. Additionally, a film of silicon oxide which is remarkable in that it comprises a low level of chlorine contaminant and a significant degree of porosity with pores, the pores being in various instances micropores, mesopores or nanopores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
    Inventors: Didier Arl, Noureddine Adjeroud, Damien Lenoble
  • Patent number: 11011488
    Abstract: A microelectronic device has bump bond structures on input/output (I/O) pads. The bump bond structures include copper-containing pillars, a barrier layer including cobalt and zinc on the copper-containing pillars, and tin-containing solder on the barrier layer. The barrier layer includes 0.1 weight percent to 50 weight percent cobalt and an amount of zinc equivalent to a layer of pure zinc 0.05 microns to 0.5 microns thick. A lead frame has a copper-containing member with a similar barrier layer in an area for a solder joint. Methods of forming the microelectronic device are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Nazila Dadvand, Christopher Daniel Manack, Salvatore Frank Pavone
  • Patent number: 10998172
    Abstract: Embodiments of process chambers are provided herein. In some embodiments, a process chamber includes: a chamber wall defining an inner volume within the process chamber; a substrate support disposed in the inner volume having a support surface to support a substrate, wherein the inner volume includes a processing volume disposed above the support surface and a non-processing volume disposed at least partially below the support surface; a gas supply plenum fluidly coupled to the processing volume via a gas supply channel disposed above the support surface; a pumping plenum fluidly coupled to the processing volume via an exhaust channel disposed above the support surface; and a sealing apparatus configured to fluidly isolate the processing volume from the non-processing volume when the substrate support is in a processing position, wherein the processing volume and the non-processing volume are fluidly coupled when the substrate support is in a non-processing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Ilya Lavitsky, Keith A. Miller, John Mazzocco
  • Patent number: 10995268
    Abstract: A silicon nitride etching composition effective to selectively etch a silicon nitride film contains an inorganic acid; a silicon-based compound; from 0.01 to 1 wt%, based on total weight of the etching composition, of an ammonium-based compound composed of ammonium acetic acid; and water. The silicon-based compound may be represented by Chemical Formula 1 below or Chemical Formula 2 below, (R1)3-Si-R2-Si-(R1)3??Chemical Formula 1, (R3)3-Si-R4-Si-(R3)3??Chemicl Formula 2. A method of etching a silicon nitride film includes providing the etching composition; and wet etching the silicon nitride film in the etching composition at an etching rate that is at least 200 times faster than a corresponding silicon oxide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: LTCAM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sok Ho Lee, Jung Hwan Song, Seong Sik Jeon, Sung Il Jo, Byeoung Tak Kim, Ah Hyeon Lim, Junwoo Lee
  • Patent number: 10985013
    Abstract: Described herein is an apparatus comprising a plurality of silicon-containing layers wherein the silicon-containing layers are selected from a silicon oxide and a silicon nitride layer or film. Also described herein are methods for forming the apparatus to be used, for example, as 3D vertical NAND flash memory stacks. In one particular aspect or the apparatus, the silicon oxide layer comprises slightly compressive stress and good thermal stability. In this or other aspects of the apparatus, the silicon nitride layer comprises slightly tensile stress and less than 300 MPa stress change after up to about 800° C. thermal treatment. In this or other aspects of the apparatus, the silicon nitride layer etches much faster than the silicon oxide layer in hot H3PO4, showing good etch selectivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Versum Materials US, LLC
    Inventors: Jianheng Li, Robert G. Ridgeway, Xinjian Lei, Raymond N. Vrtis, Bing Han, Madhukar B. Rao
  • Patent number: 10982325
    Abstract: A thin-film deposition apparatus, related systems and methods are provided. The thin-film deposition apparatus 200 comprises a reaction chamber 201 for accommodating substrates 10 arranged with their side faces adjacent to each other and a fluid distribution device 100 with an expansion region 101 into which precursor fluid(s) enter via a number of inlets 103, and a transition region 102 for mixing said fluids. From the transition region, fluidic flow is directed into the reaction chamber 201 to propagate between the substrates 10 in a strictly laminar manner. By the invention, uniformity of precursor distribution on the substrates can be markedly improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: PICOSUN OY
    Inventors: Juhana Kostamo, Timo Vähä-Ojala, Tom Blomberg, Marko Pudas
  • Patent number: 10985284
    Abstract: High-voltage, gallium-nitride Schottky diodes are described that are capable of withstanding reverse-bias voltages of up to and in excess of 2000 V with reverse current leakage as low as 0.4 microamp/millimeter. A Schottky diode may comprise a lateral geometry having an anode located between two cathodes, where the anode-to-cathode spacing can be less than about 20 microns. A diode may include at least one field plate connected to the anode that extends above and beyond the anode towards the cathodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: MACOM TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Timothy E. Boles, Douglas Carlson, Anthony Kaleta
  • Patent number: 10978275
    Abstract: There is provision of a showerhead assembly including a plate provided with multiple gas holes. Each of the gas holes has a first opening, a second opening, and a gas passage disposed between the first opening and the second opening. The gas passage has a first portion communicating with the first opening and a second portion communicating with the second opening. The second portion has a funnel-like shape or a bell-like shape, and an edge of the second opening is rounded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takaaki Nezu, Yoshitaka Tamura
  • Patent number: 10971357
    Abstract: A method of modifying a layer in a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes depositing a low quality film on a semiconductor substrate, and exposing a surface of the low quality film to a first process gas comprising helium while the substrate is heated to a first temperature, and exposing a surface of the low quality film to a second process gas comprising oxygen gas while the substrate is heated to a second temperature that is different than the first temperature. The electrical properties of the film are improved by undergoing the aforementioned processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Liu, Theresa Kramer Guarini, Linlin Wang, Malcolm Bevan, Johanes S. Swenberg, Vladimir Nagorny, Bernard L. Hwang, Kin Pong Lo, Lara Hawrylchak, Rene George
  • Patent number: 10968516
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for fabricating polymer-based imprint lithography templates having thin metallic or oxide coated patterning surfaces. Such templates show enhanced fluid spreading and filling (even in absence of purging gases), good release properties, and longevity of use. Methods and systems for fabricating oxide coated versions, in particular, can be performed under atmospheric pressure conditions, allowing for lower cost processing and enhanced throughput.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Molecular Imprints, Inc.
    Inventors: Se-Hyun Ahn, Byung-Jin Choi, Frank Y. Xu
  • Patent number: 10964531
    Abstract: There is provided a technique that includes: substrate mounting plate where substrates are arranged circumferentially; rotator rotating the substrate mounting plate; gas supply structure disposed above the substrate mounting plate from center to outer periphery thereof; gas supplier including the gas supply structure and controlling supply amount of gas supplied from the gas supply structure; gas exhaust structure installed above the substrate mounting plate at downstream side of the gas supply structure in rotation direction; gas exhauster including the gas exhaust structure and controlling exhaust amount of gas exhausted from the gas exhaust structure; and gas main component amount controller including the gas supplier and the gas exhauster and controlling gas main component amount in the gas supplied from the gas supply structure to the substrates and the gas main component amount in the gas supplied to the substrates from the center to the outer periphery of the mounting plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Nakagawa, Yoshiro Hirose, Naofumi Ohashi, Tadashi Takasaki
  • Patent number: 10960435
    Abstract: A film forming apparatus includes: a film forming gas discharge part; an exhaust port; a rotation mechanism; a heating part configured to heat the interior of a reaction container to a temperature lower than a temperature of a film forming gas discharged from the film forming gas discharge part; first gas discharge holes opened, in the film forming gas discharge part, toward a gas temperature reducing member so that the film forming gas is cooled by colliding with the gas temperature reducing member inside the reaction container before the film forming gas is supplied to substrates; and second gas discharge holes opened, in the film forming gas discharge part, in a direction differing from an opening direction of the first gas discharge holes so that the film forming gas does not collide with the gas temperature reducing member before the film forming gas is supplied to the substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Makoto Fujikawa, Reiji Niino, Hiroyuki Hashimoto, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Syuji Nozawa
  • Patent number: 10907244
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the production of materials. In particular the invention relates to nanostructured materials, and an apparatus and method for the production thereof. In accordance with the invention nanostructured materials are produced by the subsequent steps of producing nanoparticles; transporting the nanoparticles into, and optionally through, a porous carrier by a gas flow; and depositing the nanoparticles onto the surface of said porous carrier in an essentially isotropic manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: VSPARTICLE HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Tobias Vincent Pfeiffer, Aaike Willem Van Vugt, Andreas Schmidt-Ott
  • Patent number: 10906205
    Abstract: A shaping tooling for chemical vapor infiltration of a fiber preform includes a structural enclosure formed by supports each provided with a multiply-perforated zone. Each of the supports has in its inside face an uncased zone that includes the multiply-perforated zone. The shaping tooling further includes first and second shaping mold functional elements, each present in a respective one of the uncased zones of the support. Each shaping mold functional element has a first face of a determined shape corresponding to the shape of the part that is to be made and a second face that is held facing the inside face of a support. Each functional element has a plurality of perforations and presents a number of perforations, a size of perforations, or a shape of perforations that differs from the number, the size, or the shape of the perforations present in the facing support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: SAFRAN CERAMICS
    Inventors: Simon Thibaud, Adrien Delcamp, Sébastien Bertrand, Stéphane Goujard
  • Patent number: 10900120
    Abstract: Passivation layers to inhibit vapor deposition can be used on reactor surfaces to minimize deposits while depositing on a substrate housed therein, or on particular substrate surfaces, such as metallic surfaces on semiconductor substrates to facilitate selective deposition on adjacent dielectric surfaces. Passivation agents that are smaller than typical self-assembled monolayer precursors can have hydrophobic or non-reactive ends and facilitate more dense passivation layers more quickly than self-assembled monolayers, particularly over complex three-dimensional structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: ASM IP HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Varun Sharma, Eva Tois
  • Patent number: 10886468
    Abstract: In a manufacturing method for an organic EL display device according to an embodiment, a support substrate is mounted on a surface of a vapor deposition mask (S3) which surface faces a vapor deposition source and has been subjected to a modification treatment (S2), and a desired organic material is evaporated to the vapor deposition mask, so as to deposit an organic layer formed of multiple layers in a desired area on the support substrate (S4), and further a second electrode is formed on the organic layer (S8). An exposed surface of the vapor deposition mask or an exposed surface of the organic layer formed on the vapor deposition mask is modified at at least one timing among: before depositing the organic layer formed of the multiple layers; before or after depositing each organic layer of the multiple layers forming the organic layer; and before forming the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Sakai Display Products Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuhiko Kishimoto
  • Patent number: 10875774
    Abstract: Aluminum (Al) hydrocarbon precursor compositions are provided that can be used for vapor deposition of transition metal carbide thin films, for example aluminum-doped transition metal carbide thin films such as Al-doped titanium carbide thin films. In some embodiments, the precursor compositions comprise one or more isomers of tritertbutyl aluminum (TTBA). In some embodiments the precursor compositions comprise at least 50% of Isomer 1 of TTBA, at least 50% of Isomer 2 of TTBA, or at least 20% of a combination of Isomer 1 and Isomer 2, where Isomer 1 has the formula Al(tert-Bu)2(iso-Bu) and Isomer 2 has the formula Al(tert-Bu)(iso-Bu)2. A container containing a precursor composition comprising at least 50% of Isomer 1 or Isomer 2 or at least 20% of a combination of Isomer 1 and 2 of TTBA can be attached to a vapor deposition reactor and used to deposit transition metal carbide thin films such as Al-doped titanium carbide thin films by atomic layer deposition or chemical vapor deposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: ASM IP HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Eric J. Shero, Mohith E. Verghese
  • Patent number: 10872764
    Abstract: Disclosed is a film forming method including forming a metal oxide film on a base film by alternately supplying a metal-containing gas and a plasmatized oxidizing gas. The metal-containing gas is changed from a first metal-containing gas having no halogen to a second metal-containing gas different from the first metal-containing gas during the film forming of the metal oxide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shinya Iwashita, Takamichi Kikuchi, Naotaka Noro, Toshio Hasegawa, Tsuyoshi Moriya
  • Patent number: 10867787
    Abstract: A plasma processing system and a method for controlling a plasma in semiconductor fabrication are provided. The system includes a remote plasma module configured to generate a plasma. The system further includes a compound mixing member configured to receive the plasma. The system also includes a processing chamber configured to receive the plasma from the compound mixing member for processing. In addition, the system includes a detection module configured to monitor the plasma in the compound mixing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Cheng-Tsung Wu, Po-Hsiung Leu, Ding-I Liu, Si-Wen Liao, Hsiang-Sheng Kung
  • Patent number: 10843223
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes a rinse liquid supplying step of supplying a rinse liquid containing water to a major surface of a substrate, a rotating step of rotating the substrate around a rotation axis passing through a central portion of the major surface of the substrate, and a hydrophobizing agent supplying step of supplying a hydrophobizing agent containing a first dissolving agent to the major surface of the substrate to replace a liquid held on the major surface of the substrate with the hydrophobizing agent in parallel with the rotating step after the rinse liquid supplying step is performed, and the hydrophobizing agent supplying step includes a hydrophobizing agent discharging step of discharging a continuous flow of the hydrophobizing agent from a discharge port of a nozzle toward the major surface of the substrate held by a substrate holding unit with a Reynolds number at the discharge port being not more than 1500.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayoshi Tanaka, Tetsuya Emoto, Akira Oato, Yuta Nakano, Teppei Nakano, Takashi Akiyama, Yuya Tsuchihashi, Reo Tamura, Atsuro Eitoku, Tomomi Iwata
  • Patent number: 10840405
    Abstract: A process and apparatus is provided to generate and introduce hydrogen from an inductively coupled plasma system into a type II superlattice wafer. The type II superlattice wafer can contain a number of detectors formed on one of its faces. The process can use hydrogen plasma with a total chamber pressure of 20-300 mTorr, a hydrogen gas flow of 50-100 sccm, an ICP power of 100-900 W, a secondary RF power of 15-90 W, and a process duration adjusted to maximize the benefit of hydrogenation (typically between several tens and several hundreds of seconds). The process can introduce a secondary gas to facilitate the plasma ignition, hydrogen ionization and recombination processes or hydrogen diffusion and impingement onto the type II superlattice wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Sivananthan Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Boieriu, Christoph H Grein
  • Patent number: 10833263
    Abstract: Provided are novel compositions of current compliance layers (CCLs) as well as novel methods of fabricating such CCLs and novel architectures of arranging CCLs and memory cells in memory arrays. A CCL may comprise one of sulfur (S), selenium (Se), and tellurium (Te). The CCL may further comprise one of germanium (Ge) and silicon (Si). CCLs may be fabricated as amorphous structure and remain amorphous when heated to 400° C. or 450° C. and above. In some embodiments, CCLs have crystallization temperatures of greater than 400° C. and, in some embodiments, glass transition temperatures of greater than 400° C. CCLs may be fabricated using atomic layer deposition (ALD) as a nanolaminate of layers having different compositions. The composition, number, and arrangement of the layers in the nanolaminate is specifically selected to yield a desired composition of CCL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: INTERMOLECULAR, INC.
    Inventors: Tony Chiang, Sergey V. Barabash, Karl Littau, Vijay Kris Narasimhan, Stephen Weeks
  • Patent number: 10825680
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods and related apparatus that facilitate patterning by performing highly non-conformal (directional) deposition on patterned structures. The methods involve depositing films on a patterned structure, such as a hard mask. The deposition may be both substrate-selective such that the films have high etch selectivity with respect to an underlying material to be etched and pattern-selective such that the films are directionally deposited to replicate the pattern of the patterned structure. In some embodiments, the deposition is performed in the same chamber as a subsequent etch is performed. In some embodiments, the deposition may be performed in a separate chamber (e.g., a PECVD deposition chamber) that is connected to the etch chamber by a vacuum transfer chamber. The deposition may be performed prior to or at selected intermittences during at etch process. In some embodiments, the deposition involves multiple cycles of a deposition and treatment process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Kabansky, Samantha Tan, Jeffrey Marks, Yang Pan
  • Patent number: 10801353
    Abstract: A component for a gas turbine engine includes a surface adjacent a flow of hot gases. A plurality of cavities is in a portion of the surface. The plurality of cavities have a first group of cavities with a first cross-section and a second group of cavities with a second cross-section different from the first cross-section. The first and second groups of cavities are arranged such that there is no straight line across the portion of the surface that does not intersect one of the plurality of cavities. A thermal barrier coating is over the surface and fills each of the plurality of cavities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Paul M. Lutjen, Christopher W. Strock, Jose R. Paulino
  • Patent number: 10768525
    Abstract: An imprint apparatus forms a pattern by curing a radical polymerizable imprint material by irradiating the imprint material with light in a state in which a mold is brought into contact with the imprint material. The apparatus includes an irradiator configured to irradiate the imprint material with light, and a controller configured to control the irradiator. Letting Ic be an illuminance of the light with which the imprint material is irradiated, tc be a time during which the imprint material is irradiated with the light, k be a coefficient, and PD be a target degree of photopolymerization of the imprint material subjected to irradiation with the light, the controller determines the irradiation time in accordance with: PD=k×(?Ic)×tc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akiko Iimura, Toshiki Ito
  • Patent number: 10766780
    Abstract: As disclosed herein, the viscoelastic performance of boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) materials may be enhanced and made into useful formats by utilizing purified BNNTs, aligned BNNTs, isotopically enhanced BNNTs, and density controlled BNNT material. Minimizing the amounts of boron particles, a-BN particles, and h-BN nanocages, and optimizing the h-BN nanosheets has the effect of maximizing the amount of BNNT surface area present that may interact with BNNTs themselves and thereby create the nanotube-to-nanotube friction that generates the viscoelastic behavior over temperatures from near absolute zero to near 1900 K. Aligning the BNNT molecular strands with each other within the BNNT material also generates enhanced friction surfaces. The transport of phonons along the BNNT molecules may be further enhanced by utilizing isotopically enhanced BNNTs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: BNNT, LLC
    Inventors: R. Roy Whitney, Thomas G. Dushatinski, Thomas W. Henneberg, Kevin C. Jordan, Diego Pedrazzoli, Jonathan C. Stevens, Michael W. Smith
  • Patent number: 10767262
    Abstract: A gas supply apparatus for forming a film by supplying a source gas, a substitution gas, and a reaction gas to a substrate in a processing chamber includes a source gas flow passage; a reaction gas flow passage; a first and second carrier gas flow passages connected to the source gas flow passage and the reaction gas flow passage; a substitution gas flow passage configured to supply the substitution gas into the processing chamber through a supply control device; a gas storage part installed in the substitution gas flow passage, and configured to store the substitution gas; a valve installed in the substitution gas flow passage, and installed in a downstream side of the gas storage part; and a control unit configured to control opening/closing of the valve such that the substitution gas is stored in the gas storage part to increase an internal pressure of the gas storage part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shigeyuki Okura, Yu Nunoshige
  • Patent number: 10750577
    Abstract: A fluidic chip comprising: a sealing layer having an upper surface and a lower surface; and a formed part comprising a generally planar body having a lower surface sealed with the upper surface of the sealing layer, the generally planar body having a number of through holes and a number of wells in fluid communication with the number of through holes, wherein together with the upper surface of the sealing layer, the number of through holes and the number of wells respectively define a number of fluid inlets and a number of fluid chambers in fluid connection with each other in the fluidic chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: CELL ID PTE LTD
    Inventor: Lye Hock Sim
  • Patent number: 10739503
    Abstract: The present invention is a method of coating uniformly shaped and sized articles. The method includes providing a reactor having an arrayed inner surface, positioning the articles within the reactor, and coating the articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Andrew J. Ouderkirk, Max Powers, Nicholas T. Gabriel, Bill H. Dodge, Erin A. McDowell, Robert R. Kieschke, Arokiaraj Jesudoss
  • Patent number: 10734309
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The semiconductor device includes a first interlayer insulating layer including a first trench, on a substrate a first liner layer formed along a side wall and a bottom surface of the first trench and including noble metal, the noble metal belonging to one of a fifth period and a sixth period of a periodic chart that follows numbering of International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and belonging to one of eighth to tenth groups of the periodic chart, and a first metal wire filling the first trench on the first liner layer, a top surface of the first metal wire having a convex shape toward a bottom surface of the first trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-Nam Kim, Tsukasa Matsuda, Rak-Hwan Kim, Byung-Hee Kim, Nae-In Lee, Jong-Jin Lee
  • Patent number: 10717054
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a chabazite zeolite membrane with a controlled pore size and a production method thereof, wherein the sizes of pore space and pore mouth of the chabazite zeolite membrane are finely controlled through chemical vapor deposition. Through the chemical vapor deposition, defects present in the chabazite zeolite membrane are eliminated, and the pore size is effectively controlled. Thus, unlike hydrophilic membranes showing excellent CO2/N2 separation performance under a dry condition, the chabazite zeolite membrane with a controlled pore size according to the present invention has a hydrophobic surface, and thus can maintain excellent CO2/N2 separation performance even under a wet condition. Accordingly, the chabazite zeolite membrane of the present invention can effectively capture carbon dioxide from nitrogen under various environmental conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: KOREA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND BUSINESS FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Jungkyu Choi, Eun-Joo Kim
  • Patent number: 10718050
    Abstract: Provided is a concentration control apparatus that, without reducing maintainability, can shorten piping to improve responsiveness. The concentration control apparatus is one adapted to introduce carrier gas into a storage tank storing a material, and control the concentration of material gas that is led out of the storage tank as mixed gas with the carrier gas and results from vaporization of the material. Also, the concentration control apparatus includes: a first unit that controls the flow rate of the carrier gas to be introduced into the storage tank; and a second unit that detects the concentration of the material gas led out of the storage tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: HORIBA STEC, CO., LTD
    Inventors: Toru Shimizu, Masakazu Minami
  • Patent number: 10714315
    Abstract: A showerhead including a body having an opening, a first plate positioned within the opening and having a plurality of slots, a second plate positioned within the opening and having a plurality of slots, and wherein each of the first plate plurality of slots are concentrically aligned with the second plate plurality of slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: ASM IP Holdings B.V.
    Inventors: Carl White, Todd Dunn, Eric Shero, Kyle Fondurulia
  • Patent number: 10714316
    Abstract: There is provided a technique that includes supplying a first process gas to a process space where a substrate is accommodated, and using an inert gas as a carrier gas of the first process gas; and supplying plasma of a second process gas to the process space where the substrate is accommodated, and using an active auxiliary gas as a carrier gas of the second process gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsukasa Kamakura, Kazuhiro Morimitsu, Hideharu Itatani, Eisuke Nishitani, Shun Matsui
  • Patent number: 10689405
    Abstract: Titanium-containing film forming compositions comprising titanium halide-containing precursors are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of synthesizing and using the disclosed precursors to deposit Titanium-containing films on one or more substrates via vapor deposition processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
    Inventors: Antonio Sanchez, Jean-Marc Girard, Grigory Nikiforov, Nicolas Blasco
  • Patent number: 10684126
    Abstract: A measuring assembly and method for layer thickness measurement of a layer applied to a substrate by means of a vapor deposition method includes a measuring head which is provided with at least one vibration plate, an extraction line which can be coupled in a gas-conducting or vapor-conducting manner with a first end having a vacuum chamber for the vapor deposition method and which can be coupled in a gas-conducting or vapor-conducting manner with an opposite second end having the measuring head, wherein the extraction line includes at least one heating section or at least one cooling section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: NICE SOLAR ENERGY GMBH
    Inventors: Matthias Gang, Michael Pisch, Michael Schafer, Jens Schuster, Ralf Sorgenfrei, Georg Voorwinden
  • Patent number: 10679848
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for depositing films in high aspect ratio features and trenches using a post-dose treatment operation during atomic layer deposition are provided. Post-dose treatment operations are performed after adsorbing precursors onto the substrate to remove adsorbed precursors at the tops of features prior to converting the adsorbed precursors to a silicon-containing film. Post-dose treatments include exposure to non-oxidizing gas, exposure to non-oxidizing plasma, and exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Purushottam Kumar, Adrien LaVoie, Ishtak Karim, Jun Qian, Frank L. Pasquale, Bart J. van Schravendijk