Patents by Inventor Lance Reinke

Lance Reinke 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).

  • Patent number: 6532715
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for installing a plurality of facilities conduits in a wafer fabrication facility for subsequent coupling to a wafer-processing tool. The apparatus comprises a facilities integration plate and a gauge fixture removably inserted within the facilities integration plate. The method comprises the steps of determining a location where the wafer-processing tool is positioned in the wafer fabrication facility, forming a cutout in a floor of the fabrication facility, and providing the plurality of facilities conduits through the cutout in the floor. The facilities integration plate is mounted within the cutout in the floor, and the gauge fixture is disposed within the facilities integration plate. The facilities conduits are sized to a length defined by the gauge fixture and the wafer-processing tool is coupled to the plurality of facilities conduits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Lance Reinke, Glenn Lattig
  • Publication number: 20020116882
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for installing a plurality of facilities conduits in a wafer fabrication facility for subsequent coupling to a wafer-processing tool. The apparatus comprises a facilities integration plate and a gauge fixture removably inserted within the facilities integration plate. The method comprises the steps of determining a location where the wafer-processing tool is positioned in the wafer fabrication facility, forming a cutout in a floor of the fabrication facility, and providing the plurality of facilities conduits through the cutout in the floor. The facilities integration plate is mounted within the cutout in the floor, and the gauge fixture is disposed within the facilities integration plate. The facilities conduits are sized to a length defined by the gauge fixture and the wafer-processing tool is coupled to the plurality of facilities conduits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2001
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Lance Reinke, Glenn Lattig
  • Patent number: 5980194
    Abstract: A wafer position error detection and correction system determines the presence of a wafer on a wafer transport robot blade. The system also determines a wafer position error by monitoring the position of the wafer with respect to the blade with one sensor which is located proximate to each entrance of a process chamber. When a wafer position error is detected, the system determines the extent of the misalignment and corrects such misalignment if correctable by the wafer transport robot or alerts an operator for operator intervention. The system incorporates a transparent cover on the surface of the wafer handling chamber and four optical detection sensors disposed on the surface of the transparent cover, in which each sensor is placed proximate to the entrance of the process chamber. In addition, an I/O sensor is placed adjacent the I/O slit valve to detect and correct wafer position errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederik W. Freerks, Lloyd M. Berken, M. Uenia Crithfield, David Schott, Michael Rice, Michael Holtzman, William Reams, Richard Giljum, Lance Reinke, John S. Booth