Did You Know...
...that the inventor of the electric motor was a blacksmith named Thomas Davenport? Described as "a brilliantly unsuccessful inventor", Davenport invented the first rotary electric motor. In 1836 he headed out -- on foot -- from his Vermont home to file a patent application at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. By the time he got there, he had squandered away his money and couldn't afford the $30 filing fee so he turned around and went home. When he later mailed in his application with money he'd raised, the Patent office was destroyed in a fire. He did finally get credit for his invention on Feb. 5, 1837.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8182660 | Power supply apparatus and deposition method using the power supply apparatus A power supply apparatus includes a power supply mechanism which supplies, from an external power supply, electric power to be supplied to an electrostatic chuck. The power supply mechanism includes a first conductive annular member fixed to the end portion of a str... | 05/22/2012 |
| 8088263 | Phased magnetic cathode The present invention is a device for controlling sputter coating deposition to at least one surface of at least one substrate. The device includes a magnetic structure having a plurality of electrically isolated and magnetically coupled magnetic pole piece structur... | 01/03/2012 |
| 8083911 | Apparatus for treating a substrate This invention relates to an apparatus (1) for treating, e.g. coating, a substrate (35, 39) in a vacuum chamber (2). In this vacuum chamber (2) there are arranged n cathodes (7-10) and n+1 anodes (28-32), each ... | 12/27/2011 |
| 8070925 | Physical vapor deposition reactor with circularly symmetric RF feed and DC feed to the sputter target In a PVD reactor having a sputter target at the ceiling, a conductive housing enclosing the rotating magnet assembly has a central port for the rotating magnet axle. A conductive hollow cylinder of the housing surrounds an external portion of the spindle. RF power i... | 12/06/2011 |
| 7544276 | Biased pulse DC reactive sputtering of oxide films A biased pulse DC reactor for sputtering of oxide films is presented. The biased pulse DC reactor couples pulsed DC at a particular frequency to the target through a filter which filters out the effects of a bias power applied to the substrate, protecting the pulsed... | 06/09/2009 |
| 7531070 | Sputtering power-supply unit A sputtering power-supply unit comprises a voltage generation section which generates a sputtering voltage between a negative electrode output terminal and a positive electrode output terminal, and a circuit section which reduces fluctuation in a sputtering current ... | 05/12/2009 |
| 7517437 | RF powered target for increasing deposition uniformity in sputtering systems A method and apparatus for sputter depositing a film on a substrate is disclosed. By providing a superimposed RF bias over a DC bias, plasma ionization is increased. In order to increase the resistive load across the substrate, an impedance circuit is provided betwe... | 04/14/2009 |
| 7455755 | Vacuum plasma generator The invention relates to a vacuum plasma generator for providing a plasma discharge (10) for treating work pieces (5) by way of a pulsed plasma process in a vacuum chamber (2). Said vacuum plasma generator comprises a generator output (9, 9 | 11/25/2008 |
| 7422664 | Method for plasma ignition A method for igniting a plasma in a semiconductor process chamber is provided herein. In one embodiment, a method for igniting a plasma in a semiconductor substrate process chamber having an electrically isolated anode, wherein the plasma has failed to ignite upon a... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7420182 | Combined radio frequency and hall effect ion source and plasma accelerator system This invention features a combined radio frequency (RF) and Hall Effect ion source and plasma accelerator system including a plasma accelerator having an anode and a discharge zone, the plasma accelerator for providing plasma discharge. A gas distributor introduces ... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7413639 | Energy and media connection for a coating installation comprising several chambers The invention relates to an energy and media connection module for coating installations. Said module serves for supplying with cooling water, compressed air, process gases, signal, control and cathode power. It can be moved from one coating chamber to another coati... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7374648 | Single piece coil support assemblies, coil constructions and methods of assembling coil constructions The invention includes a coil support assembly having an insulator interfacing a surface of a shield disposed within a processing chamber. The insulator has an extension which extends through the shield. A second insulator is disposed between the shield and a coil a... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7364644 | Silver selenide film stoichiometry and morphology control in sputter deposition A method of sputter depositing silver selenide and controlling the stoichiometry and nodular defect formations of a sputter deposited silver-selenide film. The method includes depositing silver-selenide using a sputter deposition process at a pressure of about 0.3 m... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7342754 | Bypass circuit to prevent arcing in a switching device A device is provided for preventing arcing between contacts of a switching device as the contacts of the switching device are opened. The device includes a coil suppression circuit connected in parallel with the coil. The coil suppression circuit dissipates the ener... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7309842 | Shielded monolithic microplasma source for prevention of continuous thin film formation A monolithic microplasma source includes a dielectric substrate having an outer surface that is exposed to a time varying electric field. A gap layer is positioned on an inner surface of the dielectric substrate. A shield including a slit is positioned on the gap la... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7305311 | Arc detection and handling in radio frequency power applications A radio frequency power delivery system comprises an RF power generator, arc detection circuitry, and control logic responsive to the arc detection circuitry. A dynamic boundary is computed about the measured value of a parameter representative of or related to the ... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7304872 | Power supply A modular, low weight impedance dropping power supply with battery backup is disclosed that can be connected to a high voltage AC source and provide electrical power at a lower voltage. The design can be scaled over a wide range of input voltages and over a wide ran... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7294404 | Graded photocatalytic coatings The invention provides graded photocatalytic coatings. In one aspect, the invention provides a substrate carrying a photocatalytic coating that includes a first graded film region and a second graded film region. The first graded film region has a substantially cont... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7268076 | Apparatus and method for metal plasma vapor deposition and re-sputter with source and bias power frequencies applied through the workpiece Physical vapor deposition and re-sputtering of a barrier layer in an integrated circuit is performed by providing a metal target near a ceiling of the chamber and a wafer support pedestal facing the target near a floor of the chamber. A process gas is introduced int... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7264485 | Power connectors and contacts The present invention relates to electrical connectors, and, in particular, to power connectors and to improved contact structures and methods related thereto. ... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7261797 | Passive bipolar arc control system and method A method and system for controlling arcs in a DC sputtering system with a passive circuit is presented. The arc control system includes a sputtering chamber that houses an anode and a sputtering target formed from a target material and serving as a cathode. A DC pow... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7253117 | Methods for use of pulsed voltage in a plasma reactor A method and apparatus for providing a positive voltage spike to a semiconductor substrate pedestal during a portion of a high voltage power bias oscillation cycle to reduce or eliminate the detrimental effects of feature charging during the operation of a plasma re... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7247221 | System and apparatus for control of sputter deposition process A method and apparatus for sputter deposition in which both a pulsed DC power supply and an RF power supply apply power to the target in the sputter deposition equipment. The pulsed DC power supply provides an on cycle where power is applied to the target, and an of... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7244343 | Sputtering apparatus A sputtering apparatus is provided with a DC power supply 1, an inverter 2 that converts DC voltage to AC voltage, a matching circuit 10 that transforms the AC voltage, a rectifier 4 that converts the transformed AC voltage to direct curr... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7244344 | Physical vapor deposition plasma reactor with VHF source power applied through the workpiece A physical vapor deposition plasma reactor includes a vacuum chamber including a sidewall, a ceiling and a wafer support pedestal near a floor of the chamber, and a vacuum pump coupled to the chamber, a process gas inlet coupled to the chamber and a process gas sour... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7235160 | Hollow cathode sputtering apparatus and related method The present invention provides an improved hollow cathode method for sputter coating a substrate. The method of the invention comprises providing a channel for gas to flow through, the channel defined by a channel defining surface wherein one or more portions of the... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7211179 | Dual anode AC supply for continuous deposition of a cathode material There is provided by this invention an apparatus for sputter deposition of an insulating material in a continuous mode of operation that utilizes at least two sputtering anodes and a cathode connected to a center tapped conductor to maintain the target cathode at a ... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7204921 | Vacuum apparatus and vacuum processing method A vacuum apparatus which can easily regenerate plasma is provided. A matching box used in the vacuum apparatus can vary the impedance thereof by varying the magnitudes of the inductance of variable inductance elements. Controlling the magnitude of direct current mak... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7199327 | Method and system for arc suppression in a plasma processing system An arc suppression system for plasma processing comprising at least one sensor coupled to the plasma processing system, and a controller coupled to the at least one sensor. The controller provides at least one algorithm for determining a state of plasma in contact w... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7186314 | Plasma processor and plasma processing method A plasma processor includes a table on which a target object is to be placed, a vessel which accommodates the table and in which a plasma is to be generated by a high-frequency electromagnetic field, a high-frequency oscillator (30) which generates a high-fre... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7179350 | Reactive sputtering of silicon nitride films by RF supported DC magnetron An asymmetric alternating voltage (preferably 40 KHz) is provided between a pair of targets having a coaxial (preferably frusto-conical) relationship to (1) deposit the material in a uniform thickness on the substrate surface (2) eliminate dielectric material from t... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7176634 | Coaxial type impedance matching device and impedance detecting method for plasma generation A plasma generating method generates plasma in a treating chamber by controlling a high-frequency generating unit to generate a high-frequency signal and by feeding the high-frequency signal to the treating chamber through an impedance matching device. The plasma ge... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7166199 | Magnetron sputtering systems including anodic gas distribution systems The present invention provides a magnetron sputtering system using a gas distribution system which also serves as a source of anodic charge to generate plasma field. The sputtering system is comprised of a vacuum chamber, a cathode target of sputterable material, a ... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7156960 | Method and device for continuous cold plasma deposition of metal coatings A method for the deposition of a metal layer on a substrate (1) uses a cold plasma inside an enclosure (7) heated to avoid the formation of a metal deposit at its surface. The enclosure has an inlet (21) and an outlet (22) for the substra... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7153410 | Methods and apparatus for electrochemical-mechanical processing of microelectronic workpieces Methods and apparatuses for electrochemical-mechanical processing of microelectronic workpieces. One embodiment of an electrochemical processing apparatus in accordance with the invention comprises a workpiece holder configured to receive a microelectronic workpiece... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7150805 | Plasma process device A plasma CVD system S includes: a matching circuit 16 that matches impedance of a RF generator 1 to impedance of a discharge electrode 2 so that incident power to become incident to the discharge electrode 2 from the RF generator 1... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7147759 | High-power pulsed magnetron sputtering Magnetically enhanced sputtering methods and apparatus are described. A magnetically enhanced sputtering source according to the present invention includes an anode and a cathode assembly having a target that is positioned adjacent to the anode. An ionization source... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7132040 | Matching unit for semiconductor plasma processing apparatus This matching unit is used for a semiconductor plasma processing apparatus supplying high-frequency power via feeding line to an electrode provided in a chamber, and includes first and second variable capacitors, and a distributed constant circuit, which is structur... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7095179 | Methods and apparatus for generating strongly-ionized plasmas with ionizational instabilities Methods and apparatus for generating strongly-ionized plasmas are disclosed. A strongly-ionized plasma generator according to one embodiment includes a chamber for confining a feed gas. An anode and a cathode assembly are positioned inside the chamber. A pulsed powe... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7094313 | Universal mid-frequency matching network A substrate processing system is provided with a processing chamber, an alternating voltage supply, and an impedance matching network. The processing chamber holds a substrate during processing and the alternating voltage supply is connected with the processing cham... | 08/22/2006 |
