476results about "Furnaces without endless core" patented technology

A substrate tray, a susceptor assembly including a substrate tray, and a reactor including a substrate tray and / or susceptor assembly are disclosed. The substrate tray is configured to retain a substrate during processing and can be formed of a substantially non-reactive material. The substrate tray can be received by a susceptor, formed of another material, to form the susceptor assembly.

Disclosed is a heat treatment system for semiconductor devices. The heat treatment system is used in a heat treatment process for semiconductor devices, such as a crystallization process for an amorphous silicon thin film or a dopant activation process for a poly-crystalline silicon thin film formed on a surface of a glass substrate of a flat display panel including a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light emitting device (OLED). The heat treatment system transfers a semiconductor device after uniformly preheating the semiconductor device in order to prevent deformation of the semiconductor device during the heat treatment process, rapidly performs the heat treatment process under the high temperature condition by heating the semiconductor device using a lamp heater and induction heat derived from induced electromotive force, and unloads the semiconductor device after uniformly cooling the semiconductor device such that the semiconductor device is prevented from being deformed when the heat treatment process has been finished. The heat treatment system rapidly performs the heat treatment process while preventing deformation of the semiconductor device by gradually heating or cooling the semiconductor device.

A series of noble metal organometallic complexes of the general formula (I): MLaXb(FBC)c, wherein M is a noble metal such as iridium, ruthenium or osmium, and L is a neutral ligand such as carbonyl, alkene or diene; X is an anionic ligand such as chloride, bromide, iodide and trifluoroacetate group; and FBC is a fluorinated bidentate chelate ligand such as beta diketonate, beta-ketoiminate, amino-alcoholate and amino-alcoholate ligand, wherein a is an integer of from zero (0) to three (3), b is an integer of from zero (0) to one (1) and c is an 10 integer of from one (1) to three (3). The resulting noble metal complexes possess enhanced volatility and thermal stability characteristics, and are suitable for chemical vapor deposition(CVD) applications. The corresponding noble metal complex is formed by treatment of the FBC ligand with a less volatile metal halide. Also disclosed are CVD methods for using the noble metal complexes as source reagents for deposition of noble metal-containing films such as Ir, Ru and Os, or even metal oxide film materials IrO2, OsO2 and RuO2.

A single source precursor for depositing ternary I-III-VI2 chalcopyrite materials useful as semiconductors. The single source precursor has the I-III-VI2 stoichiometry “built into” a single precursor molecular structure which degrades on heating or pyrolysis to yield the desired I-III-VI2 ternary chalcopyrite. The single source precursors effectively degrade to yield the ternary chalcopyrite at low temperature, e.g. below 500° C., and are useful to deposit thin film ternary chalcopyrite layers via a spray CVD technique. The ternary single source precursors according to the invention can be used to provide nanocrystallite structures useful as quantum dots. A method of making the ternary single source precursors is also provided.

The present invention relates to improved methods and apparatus for atomic layer deposition (ALD) of thin films on substrates such as wafers and flat panel displays. The invention provides an ALD reactor comprising a first temperature regulating system to control the temperature of the substrate and a second temperature regulating system to independently control the temperature of the reaction chamber walls. The invention also provides a method for ALD of a film onto a substrate in a reaction chamber, in which the temperature of the substrate is maintained to maximize ALD on the substrate while the temperature of the reaction chamber walls is set to minimize film growth thereon, whether by ALD, condensation, physisorption or thermal decomposition. The temperature of the walls may be maintained at the same temperature as the substrate, or higher or lower than the substrate temperature, depending upon the particular reaction being used.

Methods and apparatus for controlling and delivering a vaporous element or compound, for example, selenium or sulfur, from a solid source to a work piece are provided. The methods and apparatus may be used in photovoltaic cell manufacturing. The apparatus may comprise a treatment chamber, for example, a box furnace or a tube furnace. The chamber may include an inner enclosure, an outer enclosure, and heating sources capable of independent thermal control, for example, in compliance with a predetermined heating schedule. The apparatus include devices and mechanisms for isolating the treatment chambers from the ambient environment. The methods and apparatus may be adapted to control metalloid vapor delivery in photovoltaic cell processing, for example, the processing of CIGS and CIGSS photovoltaic cells.

A low-hydrogen photovoltaic cell is disclosed. The photovoltaic cell may contain less than 5% hydrogen. In one aspect, the photovoltaic cell may contain substantially no hydrogen, that is, the photovoltaic cell may be substantially hydrogen free. The photovoltaic cell includes a substrate and an absorber deposited on to the substrate. The absorber may typically include elements from group 11, group 12, and group 13 of the Periodic Table, for example, copper, indium, and gallium. The absorber may be treated with selenium and / or sulfur to produce a CIGS or CIGSS-type photovoltaic cell. The low-hydrogen photovoltaic cell may fabricated by a method and apparatus adapted to control metalloid vapor delivery, for example, in a low-hydrogen or hydrogen free atmosphere.

The present rice cooker includes: a follower magnet integrally formed in a rotational mixing blade to rotate and drive a rotational mixing blade; a driver magnet coupled to the follower magnet in a non-contact manner to transmit driving force; a motor for rotating the driver magnet; and a cylindrical cover having a shape of cylinder surrounding the driver magnet and engaged with a protrusion of an inner bowl for positioning. By employing such a configuration, there can be provided a rice cooker having a structure which is free from clogging with grains of rice in the case where the rotational mixing blade is provided in the inner bowl and which is capable of preventing the rotational mixing blade from falling from the inner bowl when the inner bowl is inverted.

Nanopowder synthesis systems in which a pulsed magnetic field is applied to electrodes of precursor material, in close proximity to an electrical discharge arc that is formed between the electrodes, to attain increased yields of nanopowder. A magnet insert of a coating precursor material is used to coat the nanopowder and thereby reduce nanoparticle agglomeration.

Disclosed is a heat treatment system for semiconductor devices. The heat treatment system is used in a heat treatment process for semiconductor devices, such as a crystallization process for an amorphous silicon thin film or a dopant activation process for a poly-crystalline silicon thin film formed on a surface of a glass substrate of a flat display panel including a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light emitting device (OLED). The heat treatment system transfers a semiconductor device after uniformly preheating the semiconductor device in order to prevent deformation of the semiconductor device during the heat treatment process, rapidly performs the heat treatment process under the high temperature condition by heating the semiconductor device using a lamp heater and induction heat derived from induced electromotive force, and unloads the semiconductor device after uniformly cooling the semiconductor device such that the semiconductor device is prevented from being deformed when the heat treatment process has been finished. The heat treatment system rapidly performs the heat treatment process while preventing deformation of the semiconductor device by gradually heating or cooling the semiconductor device.

A method and apparatus are provided for formation of a composite material on a substrate. The composite material includes carbon nanotubes and / or nanofibers, and composite intrinsic and doped silicon structures. In one embodiment, the substrates are in the form of an elongated sheet or web of material, and the apparatus includes supply and take-up rolls to support the web prior to and after formation of the composite materials. The web is guided through various processing chambers to form the composite materials. In another embodiment, the large scale substrates comprise discrete substrates. The discrete substrates are supported on a conveyor system or, alternatively, are handled by robots that route the substrates through the processing chambers to form the composite materials on the substrates. The composite materials are useful in the formation of energy storage devices and / or photovoltaic devices.

A substrate processing system is provided with a housing defining a process chamber. A substrate holder is disposed within the process chamber and configured to support a substrate during substrate processing. A gas delivery system is configured to introduce a gas into the process chamber. A pressure-control system is provided for maintaining a selected pressure within the process chamber. A high-density-plasma generating system is operatively coupled with the process chamber and includes a coil for inductively coupling energy into a plasma formed within the process chamber. It also includes magneto-dielectric material proximate the coil for concentrating a magnetic field generated by the coil. A controller is also provided for controlling the gas-delivery system, the pressure-control system, and the high-density-plasma generating system.

The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for heat treatment of semiconductor films upon thermally susceptible non-conducting substrates at a minimum thermal budget are required, and more particularly, to a polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors (poly-Si TFTs) and PN diodes on glass substrates for various applications of liquid crystal displays (LCDs), organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), and solar cells. According to the methods and apparatus of the present invention, the semiconductor films can be heat-treated without damaging the thermally susceptible substrates; e.g., crystallization of amorphous silicon films at the minimum thermal budget acceptable for the use of glass, enhancing kinetics of dopant activation at the minimum thermal budget acceptable for the use of glass.

The present invention relates to a method of forming an intermediate film and a hard cabon film over the inner surface of a cylindrical member having a bore, such as a bushing or a cylinder, with the hard carbon film being formed on the intermediate film with a uniform thickness, greatly enhancing of abrasion resistance of the inner surface. The cylindrical member is placed in a vacuum vessel, an auxiliary electrode of an intermediate film forming material, such as a titanium-silicon alloy or the like, is inserted in the bore of the cylindrical member, a sputtering gas is supplied into the vacuum vessel, a voltage is applied to the auxiliary electrode to produce a plasma around the auxiliary electrode in order that the intermediate film forming material is sputtered from the auxiliary electrode and an intermediate film is formed over the inner surface of the cylindrical member. Subsequently, a gas containing carbon, such as methane gas or the like, is supplied into the vacuum vessel, and a voltage is applied to the cylindrical member to produce a plasma in the vacuum vessel in order that a hard carbon film (DLC film) is formed on the previously formed intermediate film over the inner surface of the cylindrical member.

A susceptor connection system and an associated apparatus and method are provided. The susceptor connection system includes at least one shoe that can be urged against a peripheral edge portion of the susceptors by a compression device. In this regard, each shoe can urge the edge portions of the susceptors together to achieve electrical contact therebetween, e.g., so that an induced current can flow between the susceptors to heat the susceptors and a workpiece. In addition, each shoe can define a passage for circulating a coolant to cool the edge portions and thereby reduce the oxidation and contact resistance between the susceptors.

An induction heating and control system and method have enhanced reliability and advanced performance features for use with induction cooking devices, such as induction heating ranges. Enhanced performance is facilitated via the use of an induction heating system which integrates voltage management, power management, thermal management, digital control sensing and regulation systems, and protection systems management.

The invention relates to a method for coating a substrate with a layer of a material, such as a metal, in which a quantity of electrically conductive material is vaporized in a space with a low background pressure and energy is supplied to the material which is to be vaporized in order to vaporize this material. According to the invention, the material which is to be vaporized, while it is being vaporized, is kept floating, without support, in the space and is enclosed in an alternating electromagnetic field, the alternating electromagnetic field being generated with the aid of a high-frequency alternating current. The invention also relates to a device for coating a substrate and to a substrate.

A method to grow a boule of silicon carbide is described. The method may include flowing a silicon-containing precursor and a carbon-containing precursor proximate to a heated filament array and forming the silicon carbide boule on a substrate from reactions of the heated silicon-containing and carbon-containing precursors. Also, an apparatus for growing a silicon carbide boule is described. The apparatus may include a deposition chamber to deposit silicon carbide on a substrate, and a precursor transport system for introducing silicon-containing and carbon-containing precursors into the deposition chamber. The apparatus may also include at least one filament or filament segment capable of being heated to a temperature that can activate the precursors, and a substrate pedestal to hold a deposition substrate upon which the silicon carbide boule is grown. The pedestal may be operable to change the distance between the substrate and the filament as the silicon carbide boule is grown.

A melting furnace for insulating materials is provided with a cooled crucible (10) having continuous metal side malls, a partitioned and cooled bottom (12) and at least one induction coil (28) placed under the bottom which serves as the sole heating means. The depth of the melting bath contained in the crucible and the excitation frequency of the induction coil are selected so that the depth and half of the inside radius of the crucible are less than the skin thickness of the bath.

A pusher furnace includes furnace sections having respective susceptors, a slide rail extending through the furnace sections for sliding pusher plates thereon and an alignment assembly for aligning the susceptors and slide rails of adjacent furnace sections. A support structure spaces the susceptors from insulation therebelow to protect the insulation from degradation from contact with the susceptors. The susceptors are slidably mounted on the support structure to accommodate thermal expansion and shrinkage of the susceptor. The upstream end of the slide rails have beveled upper edges to help prevent the pusher plates from catching thereon. The upstream ends are also laterally tapered to reduce the degree of force encountered should a pusher plate catch thereon. Adjacent insulation members have expansion joints filled with a refractory felt. The susceptors slidably and sealingly engage exhaust ports to allow for thermal expansion and shrinkage of the susceptor without damaging the exhaust port.

A system and method inductively heats and stress relieves a weld joint area having a stress induced zone. A susceptor assembly is positioned over the stress induced zone. The susceptor assembly includes susceptor sheets manufactured to operate at different, preselected Curie temperatures. A housing is mounted over the susceptor assembly including an induction coil positioned adjacent to the susceptor assembly. An alternating electric current is applied to the induction coil. The alternating electric current causes the induction coil to generate a plurality of magnetic flux lines. The invention provides the advantage that the magnetic flux lines passing through the susceptor assembly heat the susceptor assembly providing localized and controlled temperature heat to the weld joint area to stress relieve the stress induced zone.

Apparatus and method are provided for electric induction heating and / or stirring of a molten electrically conductive composition in a containment vessel with the apparatus being removably insertable in the molten composition. An induction coil embedded in refractory or a coating is submerged in the composition and used to heat and / or stir the molten composition either externally or internally to the refractory or coating.

A method for producing Group 8 (VIII) metallocene or metallocene-like compounds employs a compound that includes a Cp′ anion, such as found, together with a counterion, in a cyclopentadienide or cyclopentadienide-like salt. In one embodiment, the method includes reacting a metal salt, a (Cp) compound, such as a substituted or unsubstituted cyclopentadiene or indene, and a ligand (L) to form an intermediate compound and reacting the intermediate compound with a Cp′ compound, eg., a cyclopentadienide or cyclopentadienide-like salt, where the metal salt can be is a ruthenium, an osmium or an iron halide or nitrate and L is an electron pair donor. Unsubstituted, mono-substituted as well as symmetrically or asymmetrically di- or multi-substituted metallocenes or metallocene-like compounds can be produced. In another embodiment, unsubstituted or symmetrically substituted metallocenes are formed by reacting MX2(PPh3)m with a Cp′ compound, where m=3 or 4. The method can be used to form precursors for chemical vapor deposition of thin films.

Tantalum precursors suitable for chemical vapor deposition of tantalum-containing material, e.g., tantalum, TaN, TaSiN, etc., on substrates. The tantalum precursors are substituted cyclopentadienyl tantalum compounds. In one aspect of the invention, such compounds are silylated to constitute tantalum / silicon source reagents. The precursors of the invention are advantageously employed in semiconductor manufacturing applications to form diffusion barriers in connection with copper metallization of the semiconductor device structure.