Patents by Inventor Scott Tice

Scott Tice 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: 10473396
    Abstract: Wafers on a first wafer carrier in a tank are lifted from the first wafer carrier and a bath in the tank so as to accomplish Marangoni drying of the wafers. The lifted dry wafers are positioned on a second wafer carrier in a chamber and shifted to an offset position. A barrier, which can be a wall of the chamber with or without a sweeping flow of gas, impedes the passage of deposits to the wafers arising during drying of the first wafer carrier. Static electricity can be discharged from wafer supports in the offset position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: MEI Wet Processing Systems & Services LLC
    Inventor: Scott Tice
  • Patent number: 10056271
    Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods of etching material from the surface of a wafer are provided. In one representative embodiment, an apparatus comprises a fluid reservoir configured to receive a fluid including an etchant and one or more wafers in a cassette. The apparatus can further comprise a roller member in the fluid reservoir to frictionally engage the one or more wafers and to displace the one or more wafers with respect to a bottom portion of the cassette when the cassette is in the fluid reservoir. The apparatus can further comprise a motor outside the fluid reservoir and magnetically coupled to the roller member such that activation of the motor causes corresponding rotation of the roller member, and thereby rotation of the one or more wafers when the roller member is in frictional engagement with the one or more wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: MEI, LLC
    Inventors: Scott Tice, Jeffrey M. Wagner
  • Publication number: 20180031317
    Abstract: Wafers on a first wafer carrier in a tank are lifted from the first wafer carrier and a bath in the tank so as to accomplish Marangoni drying of the wafers. The lifted dry wafers are positioned on a second wafer carrier in a chamber and shifted to an offset position. A barrier, which can be a wall of the chamber with or without a sweeping flow of gas, impedes the passage of deposits to the wafers arising during drying of the first wafer carrier. Static electricity can be discharged from wafer supports in the offset position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Applicant: MEI, LLC
    Inventor: Scott Tice
  • Patent number: 9829249
    Abstract: Wafers on a first wafer carrier in a tank are lifted from the first wafer carrier and a bath in the tank so as to accomplish Marangoni drying of the wafers. The lifted dry wafers are positioned on a second wafer carrier in a chamber and shifted to an offset position. A barrier, which can be a wall of the chamber with or without a sweeping flow of gas, impedes the passage of deposits to the wafers arising during drying of the first wafer carrier. Static electricity can be discharged from wafer supports in the offset position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: MEI, LLC
    Inventor: Scott Tice
  • Publication number: 20170117167
    Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods of etching material from the surface of a wafer are provided. In one representative embodiment, an apparatus comprises a fluid reservoir configured to receive a fluid including an etchant and one or more wafers in a cassette. The apparatus can further comprise a roller member in the fluid reservoir to frictionally engage the one or more wafers and to displace the one or more wafers with respect to a bottom portion of the cassette when the cassette is in the fluid reservoir. The apparatus can further comprise a motor outside the fluid reservoir and magnetically coupled to the roller member such that activation of the motor causes corresponding rotation of the roller member, and thereby rotation of the one or more wafers when the roller member is in frictional engagement with the one or more wafers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2017
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Applicant: MEI, LLC
    Inventors: Scott Tice, Jeffrey M. Wagner
  • Publication number: 20170110346
    Abstract: In certain embodiments the metal liftoff tool comprises an immersion tank for receiving a wafer cassette with wafers therein, the immersion tank including an inner weir, a lifting and lowering mechanism capable of raising and lowering the wafer cassette while submerged in fluid in the immersion tank, low pressure high velocity primary spray jets for stripping the metal, the primary spray jets positioned at opposing sides of the immersion tank parallel to the wafer surfaces planes, and secondary spray jets for pressure equalization force, positioned at the bottom of the immersion tank. A wafer lift insert is positioned at the bottom of the immersion tank to receive and periodically lift the wafers within the cassette.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Applicant: MEI, LLC
    Inventor: Scott Tice
  • Patent number: 9562291
    Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods of etching material from the surface of a wafer are provided. In one representative embodiment, an apparatus comprises a fluid reservoir configured to receive a fluid including an etchant and one or more wafers in a cassette. The apparatus can further comprise a roller member in the fluid reservoir to frictionally engage the one or more wafers and to displace the one or more wafers with respect to a bottom portion of the cassette when the cassette is in the fluid reservoir. The apparatus can further comprise a motor outside the fluid reservoir and magnetically coupled to the roller member such that activation of the motor causes corresponding rotation of the roller member, and thereby rotation of the one or more wafers when the roller member is in frictional engagement with the one or more wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: MEI, LLC
    Inventors: Scott Tice, Jeffrey M. Wagner
  • Patent number: 9553005
    Abstract: In certain embodiments the metal liftoff tool comprises an immersion tank for receiving a wafer cassette with wafers therein, the immersion tank including an inner weir, a lifting and lowering mechanism capable of raising and lowering the wafer cassette while submerged in fluid in the immersion tank, low pressure high velocity primary spray jets for stripping the metal, the primary spray jets positioned at opposing sides of the immersion tank parallel to the wafer surfaces planes, and secondary spray jets for pressure equalization force, positioned at the bottom of the immersion tank. A wafer lift insert is positioned at the bottom of the immersion tank to receive and periodically lift the wafers within the cassette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: MEI, LLC
    Inventor: Scott Tice
  • Publication number: 20160265846
    Abstract: Wafers on a first wafer carrier in a tank are lifted from the first wafer carrier and a bath in the tank so as to accomplish Marangoni drying of the wafers. The lifted dry wafers are positioned on a second wafer carrier in a chamber and shifted to an offset position. A barrier, which can be a wall of the chamber with or without a sweeping flow of gas, impedes the passage of deposits to the wafers arising during drying of the first wafer carrier. Static electricity can be discharged from wafer supports in the offset position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Applicant: MEI, LLC
    Inventor: Scott Tice
  • Publication number: 20150279701
    Abstract: In certain embodiments the metal liftoff tool comprises an immersion tank for receiving a wafer cassette with wafers therein, the immersion tank including an inner weir, a lifting and lowering mechanism capable of raising and lowering the wafer cassette while submerged in fluid in the immersion tank, low pressure high velocity primary spray jets for stripping the metal, the primary spray jets positioned at opposing sides of the immersion tank parallel to the wafer surfaces planes, and secondary spray jets for pressure equalization force, positioned at the bottom of the immersion tank. A wafer lift insert is positioned at the bottom of the immersion tank to receive and periodically lift the wafers within the cassette.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: MEI, LLC
    Inventor: Scott Tice
  • Publication number: 20150197861
    Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods of etching material from the surface of a wafer are provided. In one representative embodiment, an apparatus comprises a fluid reservoir configured to receive a fluid including an etchant and one or more wafers in a cassette. The apparatus can further comprise a roller member in the fluid reservoir to frictionally engage the one or more wafers and to displace the one or more wafers with respect to a bottom portion of the cassette when the cassette is in the fluid reservoir. The apparatus can further comprise a motor outside the fluid reservoir and magnetically coupled to the roller member such that activation of the motor causes corresponding rotation of the roller member, and thereby rotation of the one or more wafers when the roller member is in frictional engagement with the one or more wafers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Publication date: July 16, 2015
    Applicant: MEI, LLC
    Inventors: Scott Tice, Jeffrey M. Wagner
  • Patent number: 9070631
    Abstract: In certain embodiments the metal liftoff tool comprises an immersion tank for receiving a wafer cassette with wafers therein, the immersion tank including an inner weir, a lifting and lowering mechanism capable of raising and lowering the wafer cassette while submerged in fluid in the immersion tank, low pressure high velocity primary spray jets for stripping the metal, the primary spray jets positioned at opposing sides of the immersion tank parallel to the wafer surfaces planes, and secondary spray jets for pressure equalization force, positioned at the bottom of the immersion tank. A wafer lift insert is positioned at the bottom of the immersion tank to receive and periodically lift the wafers within the cassette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: MEI LLC
    Inventor: Scott Tice
  • Publication number: 20140273500
    Abstract: In certain embodiments the metal liftoff tool comprises an immersion tank for receiving a wafer cassette with wafers therein, the immersion tank including an inner weir, a lifting and lowering mechanism capable of raising and lowering the wafer cassette while submerged in fluid in the immersion tank, low pressure high velocity primary spray jets for stripping the metal, the primary spray jets positioned at opposing sides of the immersion tank parallel to the wafer surfaces planes, and secondary spray jets for pressure equalization force, positioned at the bottom of the immersion tank. A wafer lift insert is positioned at the bottom of the immersion tank to receive and periodically lift the wafers within the cassette.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: MEI, LLC
    Inventor: Scott Tice