[May 25, 2013] Cree Assigned Patent Tweet (Targeted News Service Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) By Targeted News Service ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 25 -- Cree, Durham, N.C., has been assigned a patent (8,445,386) developed by Davis Andrew McClure, Raleigh, N.C., and Nathaniel Mark Williams, Raleigh, N.C., for a "smoothing method for semiconductor material and wafers produced by same." The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: "A smoothing method for semiconductor material and semiconductor wafers produced by the method are disclosed. Semiconductor wafers with reduced atomic steps, as well with reduced scratches and subsurface defects can be produced. Such wafers feature an improved growth surface that can provide for the growth of an epilayer with reduced macroscopic defects and defect densities. A method of smoothing the surface of a wafer according to example embodiments of the invention includes planarizing the surface of a semiconductor wafer, and then oxidizing the wafer to achieve a specified thickness of oxide on the surface of the wafer. The oxide can then be stripped from the surface of the semiconductor wafer." The patent application was filed on May 27, 2010 (12/788,592). The full-text of the patent can be found at http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=8,445,386&OS=8,445,386&RS=8,445,386 Written by Satyaban Rath; edited by Hemanta Panigrahi. SR0525HP0525-881129 (c) 2013 Targeted News Service [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]