808 results about "Microwave electromagnetic radiation" patented technology

An ultraviolet (UV) cure chamber enables curing a dielectric material disposed on a substrate and in situ cleaning thereof. A tandem process chamber provides two separate and adjacent process regions defined by a body covered with a lid having windows aligned respectively above each process region. One or more UV bulbs per process region that are covered by housings coupled to the lid emit UV light directed through the windows onto substrates located within the process regions. The UV bulbs can be an array of light emitting diodes or bulbs utilizing a source such as microwave or radio frequency. The UV light can be pulsed during a cure process. Using oxygen radical / ozone generated remotely and / or in-situ accomplishes cleaning of the chamber. Use of lamp arrays, relative motion of the substrate and lamp head, and real-time modification of lamp reflector shape and / or position can enhance uniformity of substrate illumination.

An apparatus and method for ablating tissue is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a source of microwave radiation (1), a probe (5) for directing the microwave radiation into tissue, one or more detectors for detecting the power and phase of the microwave radiation and an impedance adjuster (50) for adjusting impedance so as to minimize the amount of microwave radiation which reflected back through the probe. The detector or detectors use a local oscillator (230) to derive the phase information. A modulator for modulating the microwave radiation to a cutting frequency is also disclosed.

Devices and methods for cooling microwave antennas are disclosed herein. The cooling systems can be used with various types of microwave antennas. One variation generally comprises a handle portion with an elongate outer jacket extending from the handle portion. A microwave antenna is positioned within the handle and outer jacket such that cooling fluid pumped into the handle comes into contact directly along a portion of the length, or a majority of the length, or the entire length of the antenna to allow for direct convective cooling. Other variations include cooling sheaths which form defined cooling channels around a portion of the antenna. Yet another variation includes passively-cooled systems which utilize expandable balloons to urge tissue away from the surface of the microwave antenna as well as cooling sheaths which are cooled through endothermic chemical reactions. Furthermore, the microwave antennas themselves can have cooling lumens integrated directly therethrough.

This microwave plasma processing apparatus has, as a gas introduction mechanism for introducing a working gas inside a chamber (10), electrical discharge prevention members (96(1) to 96(8)), each of which is provided to a plurality of dielectric window gas passages (94(1) to (94(8)) through which a dielectric window (54) passes. Each electrical discharge prevention member (96(n)), a portion (114) of which protrudes only a height h, which is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance H, upward from the rear surface of a dielectric window (52) on the inlet side, passes through an opening (54a) of a slot plate (54), and inserts into a branched gas supply path (92(n)) of a gas branch part (90). The gas branch part (90), spring coils (116) and the slot plate (54), which surround the protruding portion (114) of each electrical discharge prevention member (96(n)), constitute an enclosing conductor (118).

Resonance can be surely provided under any plasma condition in such a manner that an antenna (3) is arranged in an opening of an upper part of a chamber (1) to produce an electromagnetic field generated by a microwave, a top plate (4) for sealing the opening of the chamber (1) is provided under the antenna (3), a ring-shaped ridge (41) is provided on a lower surface of the top plate (4) such that a thickness thereof in a diameter direction is tapered so as to be varied sequentially. Thus, only one kind of top plate has the same effect as a top plate having various thicknesses, so that absorption efficiency to the plasma can be considerably improved and the plasma can be generated stably over a range from a high pressure to a low pressure.

A plasma processing apparatus includes an antenna unit for generating plasma by using microwaves as a plasma source in such a way that a first region having a relatively high electron temperature of plasma, and a second region having a lower electron temperature of plasma than the first region are formed in a chamber, a first arranging means for arranging a semiconductor substrate W in the first region, a second arranging means for arranging the semiconductor substrate in the second region, and a plasma generation stopping means for stopping the generation of plasma of a plasma generating means, while the semiconductor substrate is arranged in the second region.

A microwave resonance plasma generating apparatus, a plasma processing system having the same and a method of generating a microwave resonance plasma are provided. The apparatus includes a microwave generating unit which generates a microwave, and a plasma producing unit which produces electrons and photons of high energy using the microwave generated from the microwave generating unit. The plasma producing unit includes a coaxial waveguide having an inner electrode disposed adjacent to the microwave generating unit, an outer electrode connected to the microwave generating unit and disposed to coaxially surround a portion of the inner electrode, the outer electrode being shorter than the inner electrode, and a dielectric tube disposed between the inner electrode and the outer electrode to insulate between the inner electrode and the outer electrode. The coaxial waveguide utilizes a principle of “cut or truncated electrode of coaxial waveguide” and a resonance phenomenon of Langmiur.

A cell necrosis apparatus for delivering thermal microwave energy to a specific site in a body, including: a. a microwave generator, b. a coolant delivery system for delivering and circulating a quantity of cooled liquid coolant via inlet and return passageways, c. a probe including a probe handle and a probe body having a proximal portion coupled to the probe handle and a distal portion, d. a microwave antenna in the distal portion of the probe body for applying thermal microwave energy to a specific site in cell necrosis treatment, and e. a microwave transmission line extending from the microwave generator to and through the probe handle and to and through the probe body to the microwave antenna and electrically coupled thereto, where the inlet and return coolant flow passageways extend from the coolant delivery system to and through the probe handle and thence extend coaxially about the microwave transmission line and along the length thereof within the probe body, and extend coaxially about the antenna and long the length thereof within the probe body, and where a first of the inlet and return coolant flow passageways is radially outward of and immediately adjacent the microwave transmission line and the antenna within the probe body and the other of the inlet flow passageways is radially outward of the first flow passageway.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising an input port and a dynamic impedance matching network capable of determining a mismatch at the input port and dynamically changing the RF match by using at least one matching element that includes at least one voltage tunable dielectric capacitor. The matching network may be a “Pi”, a “T”, or “ladder” type network and the apparatus may further comprise at least one directional coupler capable of signal collection by sampling a portion of an incident signal, a reflected signal or both. In an embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus may also include a control and power control & logic unit (PC LU) to convert input analog signals into digital signals and sensing VSWR phase and magnitude and processing the digital signals using an algorithm to give it a voltage value and wherein the voltage values may be compared to values coming from the coupler and once compared and matched, the values may be passed to a Hi Voltage Application Specific Integrated Circuit (HV ASIC) to transfer and distribute compensatory voltages to the matching network elements.

Devices and methods for cooling microwave antennas are disclosed herein. The cooling systems can be used with various types of microwave antennas. One variation generally comprises a handle portion with an elongate outer jacket extending from the handle portion. A microwave antenna is positioned within the handle and outer jacket such that cooling fluid pumped into the handle comes into contact directly along a portion of the length, or a majority of the length, or the entire length of the antenna to allow for direct convective cooling. Other variations include cooling sheaths which form defined cooling channels around a portion of the antenna. Yet another variation includes passively-cooled systems which utilize expandable balloons to urge tissue away from the surface of the microwave antenna as well as cooling sheaths which are cooled through endothermic chemical reactions. Furthermore, the microwave antennas themselves can have cooling lumens integrated directly therethrough.

A semiconductor device manufacturing method, the method including: forming an insulation layer having a protruding portion, the insulation layer having a surface and a rising surface that protrudes upward from the surface, on a semiconductor substrate; forming a conductive layer to cover the insulation layer having the protruding portion; and removing a predetermined region of the conductive layer by patterning the predetermined region according to an etching process using microwave plasma, which uses a microwave as a plasma source, while applying bias power of 70 mW / cm2 or above on the semiconductor substrate, under a high pressure condition of 85 mTorr or above.

Devices and methods for treating tissue with microwave energy used in applications such as destroying a soft tissue by microwave ablation and / or creating point, line, area or volumetric lesions. Various embodiments of flexible, low-profile devices are also disclosed where such device can be inserted non-invasively or minimally invasively near or into the target tissue such as cardiac tissue. The devices disclosed herein comprise antennas wherein the field profile generated by an antenna is tailored and optimized for a particular clinical application. The antennas use unique properties of microwaves such as interaction of a microwave field with one or more conductive or non-conductive shaping elements to shape or redistribute the microwave field.

A dipole microwave applicator emits microwave radiation into tissue to be treated. The applicator is formed from a thin coax cable having an inner conductor surrounded by an insulator, which is surrounded by an outer conductor. A portion of the inner conductor extends beyond the insulator and the outer conductor. A ferrule at the end of the outer conductor has a step and a sleeve that surrounds a portion of the extended inner conductor. A tuning washer is attached to the end of the extended inner conductor. A dielectric tip encloses the tuning washer, the extended inner conductor, and the sleeve of the ferrule. The sleeve of the ferrule and the extended inner conductor operate as the two arms of the dipole microwave antenna. The tuning washer faces the step in the ferrule, and is sized and shaped to cooperate with the step in balancing and tuning the applicator.

An ultraviolet (UV) cure chamber enables curing a dielectric material disposed on a substrate and in situ cleaning thereof. A tandem process chamber provides two separate and adjacent process regions defined by a body covered with a lid having windows aligned respectively above each process region. One or more UV bulbs per process region that are covered by housings coupled to the lid emit UV light directed through the windows onto substrates located within the process regions. The UV bulbs can be an array of light emitting diodes or bulbs utilizing a source such as microwave or radio frequency. The UV light can be pulsed during a cure process. Using oxygen radical / ozone generated remotely and / or in-situ accomplishes cleaning of the chamber. Use of lamp arrays, relative motion of the substrate and lamp head, and real-time modification of lamp reflector shape and / or position can enhance uniformity of substrate illumination.

Methods and apparatus for treatment of layered tissue defects such as a patent foramen ovale provide for applying energy to tissues adjacent to the PFO with a closure device that substantially closes the PFO. Apparatus generally includes an elongate flexible member having a proximal end and a distal end and an energy transmission member deployable from the elongate flexible member. The energy transmission member applies energy to the layered tissue defect at a first position and a second position adjacent to the first position so as to substantially close the layered tissue defect along at least a portion of the defect. Applied energy may be monopolar or bipolar radiofrequency energy or any other suitable energy, such as laser, microwave, ultrasound, resistive heating, direct heat energy, cryogenic or the like. PFO closure via energy-based approaches of the invention may help prevent stroke, treat migraine headache, and possibly treat or prevent other medical conditions.

A biopsy probe includes an impedance probe slidably disposed within a biopsy needle.

A process for utilizing microwaves to heat H2O within a subterranean region wherein the heated H2O contacts heavy oil in the subterranean region to lower the viscosity of the heavy oil and improve production of the heavy oil.

An antennae system for a detector. The antennae system includes a two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter array that has an x number of transmitter elements, and a two-dimensional electro-magnetic receiver array that has a y number of receiver elements. The two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter and receiver arrays have a spatial relationship such that at least one subset of the two-dimensional electro-magnetic transmitter and receiver arrays forms a regular array of spatial displacements of z pairwise combinations of transmitter and receiver elements, where z is greater than the sum of x and y.

A compact plasma generating apparatus providing high efficiency of plasma excitation is presented. A plasma generating apparatus (100) comprises a microwave generating apparatus (10) for generating microwaves, a coaxial waveguide (20) having a coaxial structure comprising an inner tube (20a) and an outer tube (20b), a monopole antenna (21) being attached to one end of said inner tube (20a), for directing the microwaves generated by said microwave generating apparatus (10) to the monopole antenna (21), a resonator (22) composed of dielectric material for holding the monopole antenna (21), and a chamber (23) in which a specific process gas is fed for plasma excitation. The chamber (23) has an open surface and the resonator (22) is placed on this open surface, and the process gas is excited by the microwaves radiated from the monopole antenna (21) through the resonator (22) into the interior of the chamber (23) to generate plasma.

A method and apparatus for debris removal from a reflecting surface of an EUV collector in an EUV light source is disclosed which may comprise the reflecting surface comprises a first material and the debris comprises a second material and / or compounds of the second material, the system and method may comprise a controlled sputtering ion source which may comprise a gas comprising the atoms of the sputtering ion material; and a stimulating mechanism exciting the atoms of the sputtering ion material into an ionized state, the ionized state being selected to have a distribution around a selected energy peak that has a high probability of sputtering the second material and a very low probability of sputtering the first material. The stimulating mechanism may comprise an RF or microwave induction mechanism.

The present invention generally relates to magnetic devices used in memory and information processing applications, such as giant magneto-resistance (GMR) devices and tunneling magneto-resistance devices. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a single ferromagnetic layer device in which an electrical current is used to control and change magnetic configurations as well as induce high frequency magnetization dynamics. The magnetic layer includes full spin-polarized magnetic material, which may also have non-uniform magnetization. The non-uniform magnetization is achieved by varying the shape or roughness of the magnetic material. The present invention may be used in memory cells, as well as high frequency electronics, such as compact microwave sources, detectors, mixers and phase shifters.

The present invention discloses a method for determining the position and / or orientation of a catheter or other interventional access device or surgical probe using phase patterns in a magnetic resonance (MR) signal. In the method of the invention, global two-dimensional correlations are used to identify the phase pattern and orientation of individual microcoils, which is unique for each microcoil's position and orientation. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, tracking of interventional devices is performed by one integrated phase image projected onto the axial plane and a second image in an oblique plane through the center of the coil and normal to the coil plane. In another preferred embodiment, the position and orientation of a catheter tip can be reliably tracked using low resolution MR scans clinically useful for real-time interventional MRI applications. In a further preferred embodiment, the invention provides real-time computer control to track the position of endovascular access devices and interventional treatment systems, including surgical tools and tissue manipulators, devices for in vivo delivery of drugs, angioplasty devices, biopsy and sampling devices, devices for delivery of RF, thermal, microwave or laser energy or ionizing radiation, and internal illumination and imaging devices, such as catheters, endoscopes, laparoscopes, and related instruments.

An apparatus for ablating tissue, the apparatus having first and second opposing jaws operative to compress tissue to be ablated therebetween, the first jaw having a first ablation surface directing ablative energy into the tissue and the second jaw having a second ablation surface reflecting incident ablative energy into the tissue. The ablative energy may be ultrasonic, microwave, cryoablation, radio-frequency, photodynamic, laser, and cautery energy. The instrument may also have a pointed tip for piercing tissue, allowing the instrument to clamp the tissue wall of a hollow organ before ablation. Alternately, the instrument may clamp two or more tissue layers of a hollow organ without piercing prior to clamping an ablation.

A method for sintering ceramic materials using a microwave hybrid heating system includes the steps of providing a ceramic member to be sintered, providing a microwave furnace, providing a thermal containment box comprising a material that is virtually transparent to microwave energy, providing at least one susceptor comprising a material that directly couples to microwave energy at room temperature substantially immediately within the thermal containment box, positioning the ceramic member within the thermal containment chamber proximate the susceptor, and irradiating the thermal containment box with microwave energy. The susceptor couples to the microwave energy and generates heat within the thermal containment box and the temperature of the ceramic member increases to the microwave coupling-trigger temperature, at which time the ceramic member couples directly to the microwave energy and is directly sintered by the microwave energy in cooperation with radiant energy from the one susceptor.

The invention described herein generally pertains to utilization of high power density microwave energy to reduce organic compounds to carbon and their constituents, primarily in a gaseous state. The process includes, but is not limited to, scrap tires, plastics, asphalt roofing shingles, computer waste, medical waste, municipal solid waste, construction waste, shale oil, and PCB / PAH / HCB-laden materials. The process includes the steps of feeding organic material into a microwave applicator and exposing the material to microwave energy fed from at least two linear polarized sources in non-parallel alignment to each other, and collecting the material. The at least two sources of microwave energy are from a bifurcated waveguide assembly, whose outputs are perpendicular to each other and fed through waveguide of proper impedance, such that the microwave sources are physically and electrically 90° out of phase to each other. The microwave frequency is between 894 and 1000 MHz, preferably approximately 915 MHz.

Microwave generating and detection portions of a electronic circuit is improved in efficiency and reduced in size. A microwave generating element A comprises a lower electrode 1, a layer 3 formed on the lower electrode 1 in an island shape, forming a magnetoresistance element, an insulator 7 formed on the lower electrode 1 in such a manner as to surround the layer 3 forming the magnetoresistance element, and an upper electrode 5 formed on the insulator 7 and the layer 3 forming the magnetoresistance element. The layer 3 forming the magnetoresistance element includes, in order from the side of the lower electrode 1, a magnetization fixed layer 3a, an intermediate layer 3b, and a magnetization free layer 3c. The magnetization free layer 3c, which is required to produce resonance oscillation based on a current, preferably is dimensioned to be equal to or smaller than 200 nm square in a cross-sectional area and on the order of 1 to 5 nm in film thickness, for example. The magnetization fixed layer 3a, when made of a single material, is required to have a thickness 10 times or more of the thickness of the magnetization free layer 3c. The magnetization fixed layer 3a may be comprised of a magnetic metal multilayer film that utilizes antiferromagnetic coupling.

A high-frequency heating device including: a solid-state oscillator that generates a microwave; an amplifier that amplifies the microwave generated by the solid-state oscillator; an isolator that is connected to a stage subsequent to the amplifier and blocks a reflected wave directed from an object exposed with the microwave; an antenna that irradiates the microwave toward the object; and a metal cavity that traps therein the microwave irradiated to the object.

The invention includes atomic layer deposition methods and chemical vapor deposition methods. In a particular aspect of the invention, a source of microwave radiation is provided proximate a reaction chamber. At least a fragment of a precursor material is chemisorbed on a substrate within the reaction chamber while not exposing the precursor material to microwave radiation from the source. Excess precursor material is removed from the chamber, and the chemisorbed material is subsequently exposed to microwave radiation from the source within the reaction chamber.

A method and system for examining biological tissue includes the steps of radiating a tissue region with a plurality of microwave radiation pulses. The microwave pulses are swept across a range of microwave frequencies. In response to the swept frequency microwave pulses, the tissue region emits a plurality of thermoacoustic signals. At least one image of the tissue region is formed from the plurality of thermoacoustic signals. The signals can be ultrawideband signals.