Did You Know...
...that the video game, Pong, was invented by a guy who graduated at the bottom of his engineering class? Nolan Bushnell spent more time running the games at a local amusement park than he did on his studies at the University of Utah. His dreams of working for Disney's amusement empire were dashed when the company wouldn't hire him. Taking a boring job, Nolan daydreamed about electronic versions of popular games. He invented Pong, the first video game, and went on to found Atari Co.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 5966162 | Method and apparatus for masking the effects of latency in an interactive information distribution system A method and apparatus for masking the effects of latency within an information distribution system. The apparatus comprises a set top terminal that requests and receives information from an information server within the information distribution system. T... | 10/12/1999 |
| 5942042 | Apparatus for improved power coupling through a workpiece in a semiconductor wafer processing system Apparatus for supporting a wafer in a semiconductor wafer processing system. The apparatus contains a pedestal assembly, a ring assembly circumscribing the pedestal and an insulator between the pedestal assembly and ring assembly. The insulator electrical... | 08/24/1999 |
| 5928389 | Method and apparatus for priority based scheduling of wafer processing within a multiple chamber semiconductor wafer processing tool Apparatus and concomitant method for performing priority based scheduling of wafer processing within a multiple chamber semiconductor wafer processing system (cluster tool). The sequencer assigns priority values to the chambers in a cluster tool, then mov... | 07/27/1999 |
| 5923891 | System for minimizing disk access using the computer maximum seek time between two furthest apart addresses to control the wait period of the processing element A method and apparatus for minimizing the cumulative seek time required to complete a plurality of sequential disk accesses within a parallel processing computer system. The method and apparatus orders the disk access requests in an order that ensures tha... | 07/13/1999 |
| 5923521 | Method and apparatus for balancing an electrostatic force produced by an electrostatic chuck An electrostatic chuck containing apparatus, and a concomitant method, for balancing the electrostatic force that the chuck imparts upon a workpiece. More specifically, the electrostatic chuck contains a chuck body having a pair of coplanar electrodes emb... | 07/13/1999 |
| 5921716 | Apparatus and method for forming a barrier wall A method and apparatus forming a subterranean barrier wall that is substantially impervious to liquids. The barrier wall and method of forming the same comprises interlocking a plurality of sheet piles. Each sheet pile has interlocking edges that form a s... | 07/13/1999 |
| 5909355 | Ceramic electrostatic chuck and method of fabricating same Multi-layered, ceramic electrostatic chuck for retaining a substrate in a process chamber is provided. The chuck comprises a first layer having a top surface, a second layer disposed on the top surface of the first layer, and a third layer disposed on top... | 06/01/1999 |
| 5907820 | System for acquiring and analyzing a two-dimensional array of data A system for acquiring and displaying which represents a two-dimensional array of data in an intuitive graphical display, where the graphical display is controlled through a plurality of display interfaces. Specifically, the system acquires data represent... | 05/25/1999 |
| 5901751 | Restrictor shield having a variable effective throughout area Apparatus, positioned at an inlet port to a pump, for shielding the pump from a process chamber of a semiconductor wafer processing system, where the apparatus has a variable effective throughput area. Specifically, the apparatus is a restrictor shield ha... | 05/11/1999 |
| 5886866 | Electrostatic chuck having a combination electrode structure for substrate chucking, heating and biasing An electrostatic chuck including a body of ceramic material, a pair of electrodes embedded in the body of ceramic material, and two feedthroughs connected to each of the electrodes for receiving DC chucking voltage, RF biasing power, and electric heating ... | 03/23/1999 |
| 5886865 | Method and apparatus for predicting failure of an eletrostatic chuck A method and apparatus for determining the state of contamination of an electrostatic chuck. The method consists of applying a voltage to at least one of the chuck electrodes and measuring a leakage current to any of the chuck electrodes. The measured cur... | 03/23/1999 |
| 5885428 | Method and apparatus for both mechanically and electrostatically clamping a wafer to a pedestal within a semiconductor wafer processing system Method and apparatus for retaining a workpiece in a process chamber of a semiconductor wafer processing system. The apparatus has a mechanical clamp for clamping the periphery of the workpiece to a pedestal and an electrostatic clamp for clamping the cent... | 03/23/1999 |
| 5874361 | Method of processing a wafer within a reaction chamber A method of dechucking a workpiece from an electrostatic chuck. The method adaptively produces a dechucking voltage for canceling any unpredictable residual electrostatic fields between a workpiece and the electrostatic chuck. The method contains the step... | 02/23/1999 |
| 5870187 | Method for aligning semiconductor wafer surface scans and identifying added and removed particles resulting from wafer handling or processing An automated method for aligning wafer surface scan maps and locating defects such as particle contaminant distributions on a wafer surface. More specifically, the invention is an automated method for locating added and removed contaminants and other defe... | 02/09/1999 |
| 5863396 | Method and apparatus for fabricating a wafer spacing mask on a substrate support chuck A method and apparatus for fabricating a wafer spacing mask on a workpiece support chuck. Such apparatus is a plate containing a plurality of apertures that is positioned atop the workpiece support chuck while material is deposited onto the plate and thro... | 01/26/1999 |
| 5863340 | Deposition ring anti-rotation apparatus Apparatus for limiting the rotation of a deposition ring relative to a substrate support. Specifically, the deposition ring is rotatably affixed to the substrate support. In a first embodiment of the apparatus, an anti-rotation pin is affixed to a deposit... | 01/26/1999 |
| 5851299 | Passive shield for CVD wafer processing which provides frontside edge exclusion and prevents backside depositions An improved apparatus for CVD processing is described wherein a wafer mounted on a vertically movable susceptor beneath a gas outlet or showerhead is raised into contact with a shield ring which normally rests on a ring support in the chamber. The shield ... | 12/22/1998 |
| 5825607 | Insulated wafer spacing mask for a substrate support chuck and method of fabricating same An insulated wafer spacing mask for supporting a workpiece in a spaced apart relation to a workpiece support chuck. More specifically, the wafer spacing mask contains a plurality of support members deposited upon an insulating material located between the... | 10/20/1998 |
| 5815648 | Apparatus and method for changing the cache mode dynamically in a storage array system A method for changing the cache mode of a volume in response to user commands or detection of a failure within the storage system. Specifically, the method applies the new cache mode to all newly issued I/O requests, while retaining the old cache mode for... | 09/29/1998 |
| 5812057 | Device for finding concealed studs A detector device for finding concealed studs in partitioning includes a pair of plates which are supplied with ac via resistors. Amplifiers produce outputs representing the sum and difference respectively of the signals imposed on the plates. The sum sig... | 09/22/1998 |
| 5792127 | Urine collection and drainage device A urine collection and drainage device comprising a chamber that contains a baffle. The device minimizes noises generated from sloshing urine in the chamber. Furthermore, when secured in a horizontal orientation relative to an individual's leg, the device... | 08/11/1998 |
| 5790365 | Method and apparatus for releasing a workpiece from and electrostatic chuck An apparatus and concomitant method that applies an oscillating voltage to at least one electrode of an electrostatic chuck. The apparatus is a switching circuit connected between the electrostatic chuck power supply and an electrode or electrodes of an e... | 08/04/1998 |
| 5781227 | Method and apparatus for masking the effects of latency in an interactive information distribution system A method and apparatus for masking the effects of latency within an information distribution system. The apparatus comprises a set top terminal that requests and receives information from an information server within the information distribution system. T... | 07/14/1998 |
| 5775808 | Apparatus for real-time, in situ measurement of temperature and a method of fabricating and using same Apparatus having a plurality of temperature sensors (probes) positioned at a number of locations upon a platform such as a placebo or dummy wafer and a method of fabricating and using the apparatus. The temperature sensors are photoemissive temperature se... | 07/07/1998 |
| 5771303 | Microphone mounting and control system The system is a microphone mounting and control system for the hands-free operation of a microphone of a two-way radio by a driver of a vehicle. The system comprises a universal microphone holder, a flexible support member mounted to the interior roof of ... | 06/23/1998 |
| 5764471 | Method and apparatus for balancing an electrostatic force produced by an electrostatic chuck An electrostatic chuck containing apparatus, and a concomitant method, for balancing the electrostatic force that the chuck imparts upon a workpiece. More specifically, the electrostatic chuck contains a chuck body having a pair of coplanar electrodes emb... | 06/09/1998 |
| 5752543 | Drum containment dolly A drum containment dolly for liquid waste containment drums. The drum containment dolly has a containment vessel having a volume that is greater than the volume of the containment drum carried by the dolly. As such, should a leak form in the drum, the dol... | 05/19/1998 |
| 5748435 | Apparatus for controlling backside gas pressure beneath a semiconductor wafer Apparatus for providing self-regulated gas flow between a wafer and a wafer support surface of a wafer support in a semiconductor wafer processing system. The apparatus consists of a gas inlet port extending through the wafer support for supplying gas to ... | 05/05/1998 |
| 5745332 | Monopolar electrostatic chuck having an electrode in contact with a workpiece A monopolar electrostatic chuck having a conductive pedestal base with a dielectric layer deposited thereupon. Upon the top surface of the dielectric layer is deposited a wafer spacing mask fabricated from a conduction material. The wafer spacing mask con... | 04/28/1998 |
| 5740009 | Apparatus for improving wafer and chuck edge protection Apparatus for retaining a wafer having improved wafer and chuck edge protection, contains an protection ring that circumscribes a pedestal and is biased to be in constant contact with the backside of the wafer. A biasing element uniformly biases the prote... | 04/14/1998 |
| 5737177 | Apparatus and method for actively controlling the DC potential of a cathode pedestal A method and apparatus for actively controlling the DC cathode potential of a wafer support pedestal within a semiconductor wafer processing system. The apparatus contains a variable DC power supply coupled through an RF filter to a cathode pedestal. The ... | 04/07/1998 |
| 5735339 | Semiconductor processing apparatus for promoting heat transfer between isolated volumes Apparatus for promoting heat transfer between a first volume (chamber volume) and a second volume (expandable, substrate support platform volume). Specifically, the apparatus comprises: a chamber defining a chamber volume that contains a chamber atmospher... | 04/07/1998 |
| 5730356 | Method and system for improving the efficiency of a boiler power generation system A system and method for recovering heat from waste fluids and gases and for improving the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels and the heat transfer within a boiler. The system comprises a controller, a distribution manifold, a plurality of heat recovery modul... | 03/24/1998 |
| 5699564 | Detachable organizing apparatus for children furniture A detachable organizing apparatus which is mounted to children furniture for holding and providing easy access to a plurality of children accessories. The detachable organizing apparatus is easily adaptable to a number of different children furniture such... | 12/23/1997 |
| 5697427 | Apparatus and method for cooling a substrate Apparatus and a concomitant method of supporting a substrate while providing effective backside cooling for the substrate. The apparatus comprises a platen having support pins, attached to the platen, for supporting a substrate in a spaced apart relation ... | 12/16/1997 |
| 5687390 | Hierarchical queues within a storage array (RAID) controller A queuing architecture within a RAID controller that manages a multi-threaded SCSI environment. The architecture resides within a RAID controller that communicates with a plurality of independent, SCSI disk drives (or other storage elements). The RAID con... | 11/11/1997 |
| 5684722 | Apparatus and method for generating a control signal for a tactile sensation generator A control system that is responsive to an audio signal generated by an audio source such as a computer, video game console, stereo system and the like. The control system converts the audio signal into a control signal for a tactile sensation generator su... | 11/04/1997 |
| 5684669 | Method for dechucking a workpiece from an electrostatic chuck A method of dechucking a workpiece from an electrostatic chuck. The method adaptively produces a dechucking voltage for canceling any unpredictable residual electrostatic fields between a workpiece and the electrostatic chuck. The method contains the step... | 11/04/1997 |
| 5674321 | Method and apparatus for producing plasma uniformity in a magnetic field-enhanced plasma reactor A magnetic field enhanced plasma etch reactor system for generating a radially-directed magnetic field within a reaction chamber. The reactor system comprises a reaction chamber for containing a plasma and a plurality of electromagnetic coils disposed abo... | 10/07/1997 |
| 5669818 | Seat-based tactile sensation generator A seat-based tactile sensation generator capable of producing tactile sensation to a video game player corresponding to activity portrayed in a video game. Specifically, in response to signals produced by the video game, a control circuit generator produc... | 09/23/1997 |
