Patents by Inventor Nicholas A. Wieber

Nicholas A. Wieber 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).

  • Contaminant detection tools including nebulizer and related methods
    Patent number: 11742230
    Abstract: A method of contaminant detection comprises exposing a wafer comprising one or more contaminants to microdroplets of an oxidizer to form an oxide on a surface of the wafer, exposing the oxide to an etchant to remove the oxide and leave the one or more contaminants on the surface of the wafer, and determining a composition of the one or more contaminants. Additional methods and related tools are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: David Palsulich, Nicholas A. Wieber
  • CONTAMINANT DETECTION TOOLS AND RELATED METHODS
    Publication number: 20220084858
    Abstract: A method of contaminant detection comprises exposing a wafer comprising one or more contaminants to microdroplets of an oxidizer to form an oxide on a surface of the wafer, exposing the oxide to an etchant to remove the oxide and leave the one or more contaminants on the surface of the wafer, and determining a composition of the one or more contaminants. Additional methods and related tools are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Inventors: David Palsulich, Nicholas A. Wieber
  • Contaminant detection tools and related methods
    Patent number: 11211272
    Abstract: A method of contaminant detection comprises exposing a wafer comprising one or more contaminants to microdroplets of an oxidizer to form an oxide on a surface of the wafer, exposing the oxide to an etchant to remove the oxide and leave the one or more contaminants on the surface of the wafer, and determining a composition of the one or more contaminants. Additional methods and related tools are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: David Palsulich, Nicholas A. Wieber
  • CONTAMINANT DETECTION TOOLS AND RELATED METHODS
    Publication number: 20210090920
    Abstract: A method of contaminant detection comprises exposing a wafer comprising one or more contaminants to microdroplets of an oxidizer to form an oxide on a surface of the wafer, exposing the oxide to an etchant to remove the oxide and leave the one or more contaminants on the surface of the wafer, and determining a composition of the one or more contaminants. Additional methods and related tools are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: David Palsulich, Nicholas A. Wieber