Patents by Inventor C. Randall Harwood

C. Randall Harwood has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Rinse water recycling in CMP apparatus
    Patent number: 5755614
    Abstract: Recycled slurry is continuously blended with the slurry in use to provide a consistent polishing rate while consuming or discarding a small fraction of the slurry flowing continuously across the polishing pad. The slurry is recovered in a catch ring and fed to a recycle loop to blend the recovered slurry with fresh slurry, rejuvenating chemicals, or water; test the blend; filter the blend; and return the blend to the polishing pad. The volume returned to the pad slightly exceeds the volume recovered, causing the catch ring to overflow. Rinse water is recycled in the same fashion to keep the polishing pad wet between polishing cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Integrated Process Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: John A. Adams, Gerald A. Krulik, C. Randall Harwood
  • Slurry recycling in CMP apparatus
    Patent number: 5664990
    Abstract: Recycled slurry is continuously blended with the slurry in use to provide a consistent polishing rate while consuming or discarding a small fraction of the slurry flowing continuously across the polishing pad. The slurry is recovered in a catch ring and fed to a recycle loop to blend the recovered slurry with fresh slurry, rejuvenating chemicals, or water; test the blend; filter the blend; and return the blend to the polishing pad. The volume returned to the pad slightly exceeds the volume recovered, causing the catch ring to overflow. Rinse water is recycled in the same fashion to keep the polishing pad wet between polishing cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: Integrated Process Equipment Corp.
    Inventors: John A. Adams, Gerald A. Krulik, C. Randall Harwood