Patents by Inventor Thomas J. Horback

Thomas J. Horback 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).

  • Universal backplane assembly and methods
    Patent number: 6645344
    Abstract: A backplane assembly for a substrate processing system that is selectively configurable to provide an effective thermal contact with substrates of differing sizes. The backplane assembly includes a backplane base installed in a vacuum chamber of the substrate processing system and plural faceplates which are removably mountable to the backplane base. The backplane assembly is operable for regulating the temperature of the substrate and include elements that promote the efficient transfer of heat between the backplane base and the faceplate to perform the temperature regulation during processing. Each of the faceplates has a contact surface dimensioned and configured to engage a correspondingly dimensioned and/or configured type of substrate. The faceplates are readily demountable from the backplane base for exchange to accommodate a change in the dimension and/or configuration of the substrates being processed by the substrate processing system without removing the backplane base from the vacuum chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Doug Caldwell, Albert Garcia, Jr., Thomas J. Horback, Michael James Lombardi, Mark McNicholas, Dean Mize, Gon Wang
  • Universal backplane assembly and methods
    Publication number: 20020172764
    Abstract: A backplane assembly for a substrate processing system that is selectively configurable to provide an effective thermal contact with substrates of differing sizes. The backplane assembly includes a backplane base installed in a vacuum chamber of the substrate processing system and plural faceplates which are removably mountable to the backplane base. The backplane assembly is operable for regulating the temperature of the substrate and include elements that promote the efficient transfer of heat between the backplane base and the faceplate to perform the temperature regulation during processing. Each of the faceplates has a contact surface dimensioned and configured to engage a correspondingly dimensioned and/or configured type of substrate. The faceplates are readily demountable from the backplane base for exchange to accommodate a change in the dimension and/or configuration of the substrates being processed by the substrate processing system without removing the backplane base from the vacuum chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2001
    Publication date: November 21, 2002
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited of TBS Broadcast Center
    Inventors: Doug Caldwell, Albert Garcia, Thomas J. Horback, Michael James Lombardi, Mark McNicholas, Dean Mize, Gon Wang