Patents Assigned to MKS Instruments
  • Publication number: 20050219875
    Abstract: A control circuit for a switching power supply reacts to an over current condition in the switching power supply to bring its operating point to a safe condition. The control circuit senses both the direction and the magnitude of the load current in the switching power supply, and then uses this sensed information to control the active power switches in the switching power supply. In an over current condition, the switches are controlled to actively drive the load current toward zero, even if the sensed information is delayed or heavily filtered, or the switch signals from the control circuit are delayed in reaching the switches. The resulting operation of the switching power supply is more resistant to abnormal load conditions and is maintained in the presence of transient short circuits or arcs. The switching power supply hardware is also better protected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2005
    Publication date: October 6, 2005
    Applicant: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan Millner, Ilya Bystryak
  • Patent number: 6948508
    Abstract: A mass flow controller includes a mass flow sensor and a calibrator configured to perform a self-calibration on the mass flow controller. The calibrator generates flow measurements that are used as “standards” and flow measurements from the mass flow sensor are correlated to flow measurements from the calibrator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Ali Shajii, Nicholas Kottenstette, Jesse Ambrosina, John A. Smith
  • Patent number: 6948504
    Abstract: The invention features an apparatus and a method for supplying ozonated water to more than one process tool. Ozonated water of a first concentration received from an ozonated water generator and water received from a source are mixed to produce ozonated water of a second concentration. The ozonated water of a second concentration is supplied to a first process tool. Ozonated water from the ozonated water generator is supplied to a second process tool while supplying the ozonated water of the second concentration to the first process tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Jens Fittkau, Johannes Seiwert, Christiane Gottschalk
  • Patent number: 6932098
    Abstract: A mass flow controller includes a thermal mass flow sensor in combination with a pressure sensor to provide a mass flow controller that is relatively insensitive to fluctuations in input pressure. The pressure sensor and thermal sensor respectively provide signals to an electronic controller indicating the measured inlet flow rate and the pressure within the dead volume. The electronic controller employs the measured pressure to compensate the measured inlet flow rate and to thereby produce a compensated measure of the outlet flow rate, which may be used to operate a mass flow controller control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Ali Shajii, Nicholas Kottenstette, Jesse Ambrosina, Donald K. Smith, William R. Clark
  • Patent number: 6918295
    Abstract: A sensing apparatus for use in a mass flow rate sensor for measuring a fluid flow rate includes a main conduit for containing a fluid flow, and a capillary tube for tapping a portion of the fluid flow from the main conduit at a first location, and returning the portion of the fluid flow to the conduit at a second location. The capillary tube is disposed about a centerline, and includes an inner wall defined by an inside radius measured from the centerline. The inside radius varies periodically, preferably sinusoidally, along the centerline for at least a portion of the capillary tube, thereby forming a turbulated surface on the inner wall. The turbulated inner wall increases wall surface area, and fluid mixing. The resulting increased heat transfer rate decreases the error in sensor output from nonlinear behavior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Ali Shajii, Paul Meneghini, Leonard Myatt
  • Publication number: 20050145173
    Abstract: Plasma ignition and cooling apparatus and methods for plasma systems are described. An apparatus can include a vessel and at least one ignition electrode adjacent to the vessel. A total length of a dimension of the at least one ignition electrode is greater than 10% of a length of the vessel's channel. The apparatus can include a dielectric toroidal vessel, a heat sink having multiple segments urged toward the vessel by a spring-loaded mechanism, and a thermal interface between the vessel and the heat sink. A method can include providing a gas having a flow rate and a pressure and directing a portion of the flow rate of the gas into a vessel channel. The gas is ignited in the channel while the remaining portion of the flow rate is directed away from the channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2005
    Publication date: July 7, 2005
    Applicant: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: William Holber, Xing Chen, Andrew Cowe, Matthew Besen, Ronald Collins, Susan Trulli, Shouqian Shao
  • Patent number: 6909975
    Abstract: A method and apparatus integrates differential pressure measurements and absolute pressure measurements to provide virtual absolute pressure measurements over a wide range of pressures on a single integrated scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Dozoretz, Youfan Gu, Garry Holcomb, Ole Wenzel
  • Patent number: 6895178
    Abstract: The present invention provides a vapor delivery system and method for efficiently producing water vapor on demand. More particularly, the present invention produces low-temperature water vapor, without the formation of ice, by maintaining a sufficient volume of water at a sufficient temperature within a vaporizer chamber when the pressure in the vaporizer chamber is lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Youfan Gu, Paul Dozoretz, Benjamin Goss, David Neumeister, James Mueller, Donald W. Higgins
  • Patent number: 6894254
    Abstract: A heater control system that utilizes electronic temperature control at each of a number of interconnected heaters is provided for monitoring and operating heaters within a narrow temperature range. In one embodiment, a heater control system is provided that is adapted for controlling a number of heaters positioned on pipe and components of a piping system from a remote location. The heater control system includes satellite controllers mounted on each heater connected daisy chain fashion and includes a monitoring station with a user interface for allowing a user to monitor and to remotely control the operating status or temperature of each heater in the heater control system. To satisfy the user's space requirements, the size of each controller is maintained at a small form factor and a single cord is used to provide power and communications lines to and between the controllers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventor: Dana S. Hauschulz
  • Patent number: 6885812
    Abstract: A system for heating a flow path including at least a solid or vapor source vessel connected by a conduit to a valve. The system includes at least one tubular adapter of heat conductive material for receipt along at least a portion of the flow path. The adapter has inner dimensions substantially corresponding to outer dimensions of the portion of the flow path and an outer dimension which is substantially constant along a length of the adapter. The system also includes at least one tubular heater apparatus received over the adapter and having an inner dimension that is substantially constant along a length of the heater apparatus and substantial corresponds to the outer dimension of the adapter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard C. Groom
  • Patent number: 6879140
    Abstract: A power holdup circuit including a monitoring circuit and a power holdup circuit. The monitoring circuit includes an average voltage comparator and an absolute voltage comparator which cooperate to detect a voltage drop in the voltage supplied by the power supply. The monitoring circuit also includes a timer to determine the time period of the voltage dropout. If a predetermined voltage dropout event occurs, the monitoring circuit generates a control signal to a switching component which activates a holdup power source. The holdup power source includes an energy storage device that stores energy to maintain the supply voltage during dropout periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Igor Elkin, Ilya Bystryak, Jack Schuss, Tung M. Huynh, Vadim Lubomirsky
  • Patent number: 6868723
    Abstract: A mass flow measurement apparatus including a flow path defined by a tubular side wall, a probe extending through the side wall into the flow path so that a first portion of the probe is located in the flow path and a second portion of the probe, extends out of the side wall, a heater element secured to the probe, and a seal preventing fluid flowing through the flow path from contacting the heater element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Ali Shajii, Nicholas Eugene Kottenstette, R. Leonard Myatt, Jeffrey Vincent Anastas
  • Patent number: 6868862
    Abstract: A mass flow controller includes an electronic controller for which a plurality of closed loop control codes sets may be uploaded. In a dual processor embodiment, one processor may upload a plurality of codes sets for another, with the selection of codes sets determined by the uploading processor either autonomously or through user interaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Ali Shajii, Nicholas Kottenstette, Jesse Ambrosina
  • Patent number: 6863256
    Abstract: A valve assembly including a housing having a flow channel, a slide plate movable between a closed position and an opened position, and a seal ring surrounding the flow channel and engaging the slide plate in the closed position and disengaging the slide plate in the opened position. The seal ring has a plurality of bores aligned, respectively, with holes formed in an adjacent surface of the housing. Each bore includes an undercut defining a lip. A plurality of fasteners are arranged in the holes of the annular surface of the housing and extend into the corresponding bores of the seal ring. Side walls of the fasteners include slots, which catch on the lips of the bores of the seal ring when the fasteners are inserted into the bores of the seal ring, and the seal ring is rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul D. Lucas
  • Patent number: 6857323
    Abstract: A method and system is presented for accurately measuring the two phase flow rate of a fluid mixture that includes two different phase components. Capacitance tomography measurements are made in order to determine the concentration ratio of the different phase components within the fluid. Approximate flow measurements are made by transmitting, for example, ultrasound waves through the fluid mixture, and measuring the different speeds of propagation of the ultrasound waves through the different phase components of the fluid mixture. The exact flow rate of the fluid mixture is determined using the concentration ratio obtained from the tomographic measurements, and the approximate flow measurements made, for example, by ultrasound sensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Ali Shajii, Siddharth P. Nagarkatti, John A. Smith
  • Publication number: 20040246649
    Abstract: Solenoid devices that include magnetic field sensors and methods for operating the devices are described. A device includes a magnetic field generator that generates a magnetic flux that extends through a magnetic flux circuit member formed at least in part from a ferromagnetic material and defining a gap that is effectively free of any ferromagnetic material. A magnetic flux sensor is disposed to sense a portion of the magnetic flux that extends across the gap. A device can be implemented as a fluid flow control valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2003
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Applicant: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventor: Matthew M. Besen
  • Patent number: 6813943
    Abstract: An apparatus for conditioning a gas flow to improve a measurement of rate of pressure change associated with the gas flow includes a measurement chamber having an interior portion characterized by an internal volume, and an inlet port for receiving the gas flow. The apparatus includes a pressure sensor and a signal processor. The signal processor receives and samples the pressure signal from the sensor, and calculates a time derivative of the pressure signal. The apparatus also includes an inlet damper disposed at the inlet port, so that the gas flow passes through the inlet damper prior to passing into the measurement chamber. The inlet damper modifies the gas flow according to a damper transfer function. The chamber volume and the damper transfer function are selected so as to the frequencies associated with variations of the pressure in the measurement chamber to a predetermined fraction of the sampling frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Smith, Ali Shajii
  • Publication number: 20040211262
    Abstract: A pressure sensor includes a pressure sensor house assembly which contains a reference cavity, in which a vacuum exists, and a getter capable of being thermally activated. The getter is activated by directly contacting the getter with an exterior heated body, conducting heat from the exterior heated body, maintaining the exterior heated body in direct contact with the getter for a predetermined period of time, and removing the exterior heated body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2004
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Applicant: MKS Instruments Inc.
    Inventor: Staffan Jonsson
  • Patent number: 6810308
    Abstract: A mass flow controller includes a network interface port and interface software that provide direct access to the mass flow controller. The mass flow controller also includes diagnostic software that permits a technician to execute diagnostics through the network interface port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Ali Shajii, Nicholas Kottenstette, Jesse Ambrosina
  • Patent number: 6790258
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for trapping AlCl3 from an aluminum etch effluent includes a housing containing disposable trapping medium with a first trapping stage and a second trapping media positioned radially outward and axially downward, respectively, from the strap inlet at respective distances to take advantage of differences in heat exchange efficiencies between the trapping media and solid AlCl3 build-up on the trapping media and of resulting changes in partial vapor pressure of AlCl3 adjacent condensation surfaces as solid AlCl3 build-up occurs to initially induce condensation and build-up near the inlet, but then preferentially flow vapor to more distant trapping media as build-up occurs before the build-up clogs the inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventor: Youfan Gu