The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 05, 2006
Filed:
Jul. 26, 2002
Hin Yiu Chung, Elchingen, DE;
Georg Roters, Dülmen, DE;
Hin Yiu Chung, Elchingen, DE;
Georg Roters, Dülmen, DE;
Abstract
A method of thermally treating a substrate that has multiple layers is provided. A substrate layer that is covered on opposite sides is oxidized from side edges thereof toward a center thereof such that, via the following steps, a defined central portion is not oxidized. The substrate is heated in a process chamber to a prescribed treatment temperature. A hydrogen-rich water vapor is introduced into the process chamber for a specified period of time, wherein such introduction is effected prior to, during and/or after the step of heating the substrate to the prescribed temperature. After conclusion of the specified period of time, introduced into the process chamber is one of the group consisting of: dry oxygen, namely pure oxygen in the form of at least one of atomic O, molecular Oand O; a mixture of oxygen and an inert gas that does not chemically react with the layers of the substrate; an oxygen-containing compound that contains no water; and an oxygen-rich water vapor.