US Patent Class 117
SINGLE-CRYSTAL, ORIENTED-CRYSTAL, AND EPITAXY GROWTH PROCESSES; NON-COATING APPARATUS THEREFOR




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Current as of: June, 1999
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  DF  CLASS NOTES
1  DF  PROCESSES JOINING INDEPENDENT CRYSTALS
2  DF  PROCESSES OF GROWTH WITH A SUBSEQUENT STEP ACTING ON THE CRYSTAL TO ADJUST THE IMPURITY AMOUNT (E.G., DIFFUSING, DOPING, GETTERING, IMPLANTING)
3  DF  PROCESSES OF GROWTH WITH A SUBSEQUENT STEP OF HEAT TREATING OR DELIBERATE CONTROLLED COOLING OF THE SINGLE-CRYSTAL
4  DF  PROCESSES OF GROWTH FROM SOLID OR GEL STATE (E.G., SOLID PHASE RECRYSTALLIZATION)
5  DF  .~ Organic product
6  DF  .~ At pressure above 1 atmosphere
7  DF  .~ Using heat (e.g., strain annealing)
8  DF  .~.~ Of amorphous precursor
9  DF  .~.~ Epitaxy formation
10  DF  .~.~ Using temperature gradient (e.g., moving zone recrystallization)
11  DF  PROCESSES OF GROWTH FROM LIQUID OR SUPERCRITICAL STATE
12  DF  .~ Crucibleless process having movement of discrete droplets or solid particles to thin-film precursor (e.g., Verneuil method)
13  DF  .~ Having pulling during growth (e.g., Czochralski method, zone drawing)
14  DF  .~.~ With a step of measuring, testing, or sensing (e.g., using TV, photo, or X-ray detector or weight changes)
15  DF  .~.~.~ With responsive control
16  DF  .~.~.~.~ Shape defined by a solid member other than seed or product (e.g., edge-defined film-fed growth, Stepanov method)
17  DF  .~.~ With contact with an immiscible liquid (e.g., LEC)
18  DF  .~.~.~ Using a sectioned crucible or providing replenishment of precursor
19  DF  .~.~ Forming an intended mixture (excluding mixed crystal) (e.g., doped)
20  DF  .~.~.~ Comprising a silicon crystal with oxygen containing impurity
21  DF  .~.~.~ Comprising a semiconductor with a charge carrier impurity
22  DF  .~.~.~.~ Forming adjoining crystals of different compositions (e.g., junction)
23  DF  .~.~ Shape defined by a solid member other than seed or product (e.g., edge-defined film-fed growth, Stepanov method)
24  DF  .~.~.~ Embedded in product (e.g., string-stabilized web)
25  DF  .~.~.~ Defines a product with a hollow structure (e.g., tube)
26  DF  .~.~.~ Defines a flat product
27  DF  .~.~.~.~ Pulling includes a horizontal component
28  DF  .~.~ Including non-coincident axes of rotation (e.g., relative eccentric)
29  DF  .~.~ Passing non-induced electric current through a crystal-liquid interface (e.g., Peltier)
30  DF  .~.~ With liquid flow control or manipulation during growth (e.g., mixing, replenishing, magnetic levitation, stabilization, convection control, baffle)
31  DF  .~.~.~ Including a sectioned crucible (e.g., double crucible, baffle)
32  DF  .~.~.~ Using a magnetic field
33  DF  .~.~.~ Replenishing of precursor during growth (e.g., continuous method, zone pulling)
34  DF  .~.~.~.~ Including significant cooling or heating detail
35  DF  .~.~ With a significant technique for (a) preliminary preparation or growth starting or (b) product handling or growth ending (e.g., arrangement of or crystallography of seed)
36  DF  .~.~ Precursor intentionally contains an excess component or a non-product appearing component (e.g., solvent, flux, crystal lattice modifier)
37  DF  .~ Having moving solid-liquid-solid region
38  DF  .~.~ Including a step of measuring, testing, or sensing
39  DF  .~.~.~ With responsive control
40  DF  .~.~ Liquid precursor penetrating only a portion of a single-crystal, thereby liquefying it, and single-crystal formation therefrom which adjoins the never-liquefied portion of the single-crystal (e.g., liquid wire migration)
41  DF  .~.~ Precursor composition intentionally different from product (e.g., excess component, non-product forming component, dopant, non-stoichiometric precursor, travelling solvent, flux)
42  DF  .~.~.~ Product has an element in common with the unusable residual portion
43  DF  .~.~ Distinctly layered product (e.g., twin, SOI, epitaxial crystallization)
44  DF  .~.~.~ Adjacent single-crystal product regions separately formed (e.g., multiple non-coextensive passes of a scanning laser)
45  DF  .~.~.~ Non-planar crystal grown (e.g., ELO)
46  DF  .~.~ Movement includes a horizontal component
47  DF  .~.~ Flat, free-standing (i.e., substrate-free) product (e.g., ribbon, film, sheet)
48  DF  .~.~ Solid heating means contacting the liquid (e.g., immersed)
49  DF  .~.~ Liquid zone contacts only precursor and product solids (e.g., crucibleless, liquid encapsulant, float zone)
50  DF  .~.~.~ Liquefying by energy from an electromagnetic wave or electromagnetic particle or arc or plasma (e.g., radiant heat)
51  DF  .~.~.~.~ Electromagnetic induction
52  DF  .~.~.~.~.~ With liquid control (e.g., vibration damping, stabilizing, melt levitation focusing coil)
53  DF  .~ Forming a single-crystal region by liquefying a region of a single-crystal and adjusting the composition of the liquid (e.g., alloying, regrowth)
54  DF  .~ Liquid phase epitaxial growth (LPE)
55  DF  .~.~ With a step of measuring, testing, or sensing
56  DF  .~.~ Including change in a growth-influencing parameter (e.g., composition, temperature, concentration, flow rate) during growth (e.g., multilayer or junction or superlattice growing)
57  DF  .~.~.~ Including a sliding boat system
58  DF  .~.~ With pretreatment of epitaxy substrate (e.g., autodoping control, cleaning, polishing, leveling, masking)
59  DF  .~.~ Including a tipping system (e.g., rotation, pivoting)
60  DF  .~.~ Including a vertical dipping system
61  DF  .~.~ Including a sliding boat system
62  DF  .~.~ Electric current controlled or induced growth
63  DF  .~.~ Characterized by specified crystallography of the substrate
64  DF  .~.~ Precursor composition intentionally contains an excess component or a non-product appearing component (e.g., solvent, flux)
65  DF  .~.~.~ Having an element in common
66  DF  .~.~.~.~ Excess component or non-product appearing component contains an oxygen atom (e.g., hydrothermal)
67  DF  .~.~.~.~ Excess component or non-product appearing component contains a metal atom
68  DF  .~ Having growth from a solution comprising a solvent which is liquid at or below 20 degrees Celsius (e.g., aqueous solution)
69  DF  .~.~ With a step of measuring, testing, or sensing
70  DF  .~.~ Growth accompanied by material removal (other than the product) from solution (e.g., solvent evaporation, osmosis)
71  DF  .~.~ At pressure above 1 atmosphere (e.g., hydrothermal processes)
72  DF  .~.~.~ Quartz (SiO2) product
73  DF  .~ Havin growth from molten state (e.g., solution melt)
74  DF  .~.~ Including change in a growth-influencing parameter (e.g., composition, temperature, concentration, flow rate) during growth (e.g., multilayer or junction or superlattice growing)
75  DF  .~.~ Forming a platelet shape or a small diameter, elongate, generally cylindrical shape (e.g., whisker, fiber, needle, filament) (e.g., VLS method)
76  DF  .~.~ Using a scavenger agent (e.g., remove, add, deplete, or redistribute impurity or dopant)
77  DF  .~.~ Gas or vapor state precursor or overpressure
78  DF  .~.~ Precursor composition intentionally different from product (e.g., excess component, non-product forming component, dopant, non-stoichiometric precursor, solvent, flux)
79  DF  .~.~.~ Unusable portion contains a metal atom (e.g., diamond or CBN growth in metal solvent)
80  DF  .~.~.~ Unusable portion contains an oxygen atom (e.g., oxide flux)
81  DF  .~.~ Growth confined by a solid member other than seed or product (e.g., Bridgman-Stockbarger method)
82  DF  .~.~.~ Including vertical precursor-product interface (e.g., horizontal Bridgman)
83  DF  .~.~.~ Having bottom-up crystallization (e.g., VFG, VGF)
84  DF  FORMING FROM VAPOR OR GASEOUS STATE (E.G., VPE, SUBLIMATION)
85  DF  .~ With a step of measuring, testing, or sensing
86  DF  .~.~ With responsive control
87  DF  .~ Forming a platelet shape or a small diameter, elongate, generally cylindrical shape (e.g., whisker, fiber, needle, filament)
88  DF  .~ With decomposition of a precursor (except impurity or dopant precursor) composed of diverse atoms (e.g., CVD)
89  DF  .~.~ Including change in a growth-influencing parameter (e.g., composition, temperature, concentration, flow rate) during growth (e.g., multilayer or junction or superlattice growing)
90  DF  .~.~.~ With pretreatment of substrate (e.g., coacting ablating)
91  DF  .~.~.~ With a chemical reaction (except ionization) in a disparate zone to form a precursor
92  DF  .~.~.~ Using an energy beam or field, a particle beam or field, or a plasma (e.g., ionization, PECVD, CBE, MOMBE, RF induction, laser)
93  DF  .~.~.~ With significant flow manipulation or condition, other than merely specifying the components or their sequence or both
94  DF  .~.~ With pretreatment or preparation of a base (e.g., annealing)
95  DF  .~.~.~ Coating (e.g., masking, implanting)
96  DF  .~.~.~.~ For autodoping control
97  DF  .~.~.~ Material removal (e.g., etching, cleaning, polishing)
98  DF  .~.~ With a movement of substrate or vapor or gas supply means during growth (e.g., substrate rotation)
99  DF  .~.~ With a chemical reaction (except ionization) in a disparate zone to form a precursor (e.g., transport processes)
100  DF  .~.~.~ Fully-sealed or vacuum-maintained chamber (e.g., ampoule)
101  DF  .~.~ Characterized by specified crystallography or arrangement of substrate (e.g., wafer cassette, Miller index)
102  DF  .~.~ With significant flow manipulation or condition, other than merely specifying the components or their sequence or both
103  DF  .~.~ Using an energy beam or field, a particle beam or field, or a plasma (e.g., ionization, PECVD, CBE, MOMBE, RF induction, laser)
104  DF  .~.~ Using an organic precursor (e.g., propane, metal-organic, MOCVD, MOVPE)
105  DF  .~ Including change in a growth-influencing parameter (e.g., composition, temperature, concentration, flow rate) during growth (e.g., multilayer or junction or superlattice growing)
106  DF  .~ With pretreatment or preparation of a base (e.g., annealing)
107  DF  .~ With movement of substrate or vapor or gas supply means during growth
108  DF  .~ Using an energy beam or field, a particle beam or field, or a plasma (e.g., MBE)
109  DF  .~ Fully-sealed or vacuum-maintained chamber (e.g., ampoule)
200  DF  APPARATUS
201  DF  .~ With means for measuring, testing, or sensing
202  DF  .~.~ With responsive control means
203  DF  .~.~ With a window or port for visual observation or examination
204  DF  .~ With means for treating single-crystal (e.g., heat treating)
205  DF  .~ For forming a platelet shape or a small diameter, elongate, generally cylindrical shape (e.g., whisker, fiber, needle, filament)
206  DF  .~ For crystallization from liquid or supercritical state
207  DF  .~.~ Crucibleless apparatus having means providing movement of discrete droplets or solid particles to thin-film precursor (e.g., Verneuil method)
208  DF  .~.~ Seed pulling
209  DF  .~.~.~ Including solid member shaping means other than seed or product (e.g., EDFG die)
210  DF  .~.~.~.~ Means for forming a hollow structure (e.g., tube, polygon)
211  DF  .~.~.~.~ Including means forming a flat shape (e.g., ribbon)
212  DF  .~.~.~.~.~ Pulling includes a horizontal component
213  DF  .~.~.~ Including a sectioned crucible (e.g., double crucible, baffle)
214  DF  .~.~.~ Including details of precursor replenishment
215  DF  .~.~.~ Including sealing means details
216  DF  .~.~.~ Including a fully-sealed or vacuum-maintained crystallization chamber (e.g., ampoule)
217  DF  .~.~.~ Including heating or cooling details (e.g., shield configuration)
218  DF  .~.~.~ Including details of means providing product movement (e.g., shaft guides, servo means)
219  DF  .~.~ Having means for producing a moving solid-liquid-solid zone
220  DF  .~.~.~ Includin a solid member other than seed or product contacting the liquid (e.g., crucible, immersed heating element)
221  DF  .~.~.~ Havind details of a stabilizing feature
222  DF  .~.~.~ Including heating or cooling details
223  DF  .~.~ Shape defined by a solid member other than seed or product (e.g., Bridgman-Stockbarger)
224  DF  .~.~ Including pressurized crystallization means (e.g., hydrothermal)
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CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS Note. Where there is an IPC subclass (or EPO-modified IPC subclass) which substantially encompasses the subject matter of an art collection, even though it may encompass other subject matter as well, it is noted in brackets, {}.
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900  DF  APPARATUS CHARACTERIZED BY COMPOSITION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (E.G., SURFACE FINISH, SURFACE COATING)
901  DF  LEVITATION, REDUCED GRAVITY, MICROGRAVITY, SPACE
902  DF  SPECIFIED ORIENTATION, SHAPE, CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, OR SIZE OF SEED OR SUBSTRATE
903  DF  DENDRITE OR WEB OR CAGE TECHNIQUE
904  DF  LASER BEAM
905  DF  ELECTRON BEAM
906  DF  SPECIAL ATMOSPHERE OTHER THAN VACUUM OR INERT
907  DF  .~ Refluxing atmosphere
910  DF  DOWNWARD PULLING
911  DF  SEED OR ROD HOLDERS
912  DF  REPLENISHING LIQUID PRECURSOR, OTHER THAN A MOVING ZONE
913  DF  GRAPHOEPITAXY OR SURFACE MODIFICATION TO ENHANCE EPITAXY
914  DF  CRYSTALLIZATION ON A CONTINUOUS MOVING SUBSTRATE OR COOLING SURFACE (E.G., WHEEL, CYLINDER, BELT)
915  DF  SEPARATING FROM SUBSTRATE
916  DF  OXYGEN TESTING
917  DF  MAGNETIC
918  DF  SINGLE-CRYSTAL WAVEGUIDE
919  DF  .~ Organic
920  DF  SINGLE-CRYSTALS HAVING A HOLLOW (E.G., TUBE, CONCAVO-CONVEX) {C30B 29/66}
921  DF  SMALL DIAMETER, ELONGATE, GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL SINGLE-CRYSTAL (E.G., WHISKERS, NEEDLES, FILAMENTS, FIBERS, WIRES) {C30B 29/62}
922  DF  FREE-STANDING, FLAT SINGLE-CRYSTAL (E.G., PLATELET, PLATE, STRIP, DISK, TAPE, SHEET, RIBBON) {C30B 29/64}
923  DF  SINGLE-CRYSTAL OF COMPLEX GEOMETRY (E.G., PATTERNED, ELO) {C30B 29/66}
924  DF  HOMOGENEOUS COMPOSITION PRODUCT WITH ENLARGED CRYSTALS OR ORIENTED-CRYSTALS (E.G., COLUMNAR)
925  DF  ORGANIC COMPOUND CONTAINING SINGLE-CRYSTAL {C30B 29/54}
926  DF  .~ Tartrate containing (e.g., Rochelle salt) {C30B 29/56}
927  DF  .~ Macromolecular compound containing (i.e., more than about 100 atoms) {C30B 29/58}
928  DF  SINGLE-CRYSTAL OF PURE OR INTENTIONALLY DOPED ELEMENT {C30B 29/02}
929  DF  .~ Carbon (e.g., diamond) {C30B 29/04}
930  DF  .~ Silicon from solid or gel state {C30B 29/06}
931  DF  .~ Silicon from liquid or supercritical state {C30B 29/06}
932  DF  .~.~ By pulling {C30B 29/06}
933  DF  .~.~ By moving zone (not Verneuil) {C30B 29/06}
934  DF  .~.~ By liquid phase epitaxy {C30B 29/06}
935  DF  .~ Silicon from vapor or gaseous state {C30B 29/06}
936  DF  .~ Germanium {C30B 29/08}
937  DF  INORGANIC CONTAINING SINGLE-CRYSTAL (E.G., COMPOUND, MIXTURE, COMPOSITE) {C30B 29/10}
938  DF  .~ Gold, silver, or platinum containing {C30B 29/52}
939  DF  .~ Free metal or intermetallic compound or silicon-metal compound based, except arsenic (e.g., alloys, SiGe, InSb) {C30B 29/40, 29/52}
940  DF  .~ Halide containing (e.g., fluorphlogopite, fluor-mica) {C30B 29/12}
941  DF  .~ Phosphorus-oxygen bond containing (e.g., phosphate (PO4)) {C30B 29/14}
942  DF  .~ Silicon-oxygen bond containing (e.g., emerald, beryl, garnet, mica) {C30B 29/16}
943  DF  .~.~ Quartz (SiO2) {C30B 29/18}
944  DF  .~ Oxygen compound containing (e.g., yttria stabilized zirconia) {C30B 29/16}
945  DF  .~.~ Containing A3Me5O12 (1.5(A2O3):2.5(Me2O3)), wherein A is trivalent and selected from the group Sc, Y, La, Hf, or a rare earth metal and Me is trivalent and selected from the group Fe, Ga, Sc, Cr, Co, or Al (e.g., non-silicate garnets) {C30B 29/28}
946  DF  .~.~ Containing AMe2O4 (AO:(Me2O3)), wherein A is divalent and selected from the group Mg, Ni, Co, Mn, Zn, or Cd and Me is trivalent and selected from the group Fe, Ga, Sc, Cr, Co, or Al (e.g., spinels) {C30B 29/26}
947  DF  .~.~ Containg AMeO3 ((A2O3):(Me2O3)), wherein A is trivalent and selected from the group Sc, Y, La, Hf, or a rare earth metal and Me is trivalent and selected from the group Fe, Ga, Sc, Cr, Co, or Al (e.g., Perovskite structure, ortho-ferrites) {C30B29/24}
948  DF  .~.~ Niobate, vanadate, or tantalate containing {C30B 29/30}
949  DF  .~.~ Titanate, germanate, molybdate, or tungstate containing {C30B 29/32}
950  DF  .~.~ Aluminum containing (e.g., AL2O3, ruby, corundum, sapphire, chrysoberyl) {C30B 29/20}
951  DF  .~ Carbide containing (e.g., SiC) {C30B 29/36}
952  DF  .~ Nitride containing (e.g., GaN, cBN) {C30B 29/38}
953  DF  .~ {B,Al,Ga,In,Tl}{P,As,Sb,Bi} compound containing, except intermetallics thereof (i.e., except {Al,Ga,In,Tl}{Sb,Bi}) {C30B 29/40}
954  DF  .~.~ Gallium arsenide containing (e.g., GaAlAs, GaAs) {C30B 29/42}
955  DF  .~.~ Gallium phosphide containing {C30B 29/44}
956  DF  .~ {Zn,Cd,Hg}{S,Se,Te} compound containing {C30B 29/46}
957  DF  .~.~ CdHgTe containing {C30B 29/48}
958  DF  .~.~ Cadmium sulfide containing (e.g., ZnCdS) {C30B 29/50}