Patents Examined by Quan Nguyen
  • Patent number: 5831249
    Abstract: A secondary measurement of rapid thermal annealer temperature is provided. The secondary measurement allows a primary temperature measuring device to be monitored for proper operation in real time. A rapid thermal annealer system is provided having a heating chamber configured to receive and anneal a silicon wafer. Several halogen light sources are provided for heating the silicon wafer. An optical pyrometer measures temperature of the silicon wafer as it is heated by the halogen lamps. A thin silicon ring is provided with an s-type thermalcouple attached thereto. The silicon ring is positioned so that its inner edge is aligned closely with an outer edge of the silicon wafer. An s-type amplifier is connected to the s-type thermalcouple wherein the combination generates a signal indicative of the ring temperature. The ring temperature is compared against the wafer temperature as a measured by the pyrometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Don Rohner, Hassan Kobeissi
  • Patent number: 5821564
    Abstract: A PMOS thin film transistor (TFT) with self-align offset region for SRAM application is described. A source and a drain regions are above the gate region. A channel region is formed offset from the gate. An offset region is formed in the channel region having a length of 0.3 to 0.4 .mu.m. The key point of the present invention is the novel offset design of PMOS-TFT as load elements in an SRAM cell. Unlike the conventional offset design which is outside the gate, the offset region of the present invention is a disconnection region inside the gate which can be easily formed by so called self-align technique. Since the gate has a disconnected portion in the offset region, the trench-like profile of the offset region makes the load resistance in the offset region much higher to effectively reduce the leakage current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Mosel Vitelic Inc.
    Inventors: Hsiao-Chia Wu, Jung-Cheng Kao, Thomas Chang
  • Patent number: 5805856
    Abstract: A heating system includes an electric heater having coupled thereto a temperature controller and a power activation relay switch coupled to the temperature controller and a meter system coupled to a power terminal on the electric heater to provide an interruptible supplemental heating system for use in residential or commercial buildings. The heating system provides electrically generated heat to supplement a primary heating system which generates heat using fuel oil, fuel gas such as natural gas, propane gas, or other fossil fuels. The electric heater can be an electric resistance heater coupled in series with a primary furnace powered by fossil fuel. When the electric resistance heater is activated, the heat contributed by the heater reduces the required heat output of the primary furnace by a corresponding amount of thermal energy. In one embodiment, an electric utility provides electric power to the electric resistance heater at a reduced cost on an as available, fully interruptible basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Jeffrey H. Hanson
    Inventor: Jeffrey H. Hanson
  • Patent number: 5804799
    Abstract: A snow and ice melting system including a foldable heating cover dimensioned for covering a vehicle. A storage cart is dimensioned for receiving the heating cover in a folded configuration. A pair of cooperating cords are disposed within the storage cart. The pair of cooperating cords are in electrical communication with each other. The pair of cooperating cords include a first cord and a second cord. The first cord has a free end coupled with the heating cover. The second cord has a free end couplable with an electrical outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Inventor: Pamela E. Stewart
  • Patent number: 5804795
    Abstract: A soldering tip and heat accumulator therefor are disclosed in which the heat accumulator is essentially a hollow cylinder which is disposed over both a cylindrical heater and a major portion of the metal soldering tip. The accumulator is deeply slotted both from its rear and front ends whereby although before assembly it has radial clearance over both, when compressed during assembly by an outer retaining sleeve, the accumulator snugly engages both and provides a very high degree of thermal coupling between the heater and the soldering tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Inventor: William S. Fortune
  • Patent number: 5787229
    Abstract: An electric hot water heater tank is fitted with a plurality of separators that divide the tank into a plurality of chambers surrounding the tank axis and extending between the top and bottom walls. The adjacent chambers communicate alternately in a direction radially outwardly with respect to the axis proximate to the top wall and proximate to the bottom wall such that water flows through the adjacent chambers in opposite directions generally parallel to the axis. An electric heating element is received in the innermost chamber, and a cold water supply inlet conduit leads from outside the tank into the innermost chamber. A hot water outlet conduit leads from the outermost chamber to outside the tank. An optional venturi injector draws water from one of the chambers radially inward from the outermost chamber and injects it into the outlet conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: South Breeze Corporation
    Inventor: Leif Liljegren
  • Patent number: 5783801
    Abstract: A sheathed element for a heater plug for diesel engines includes a hollow metal sheath that is open at one end, has a closed opposite end, and defines a cavity. A heating element is positioned in the cavity and the cavity is filled with insulating powder. An elastomeric seal is positioned in the open end of the sheath. The seal has an annular projection that projects from a surface of the seal and establishes a sealing contact with a respective seat of the sheath so that, when the seal is inserted into the seat, the projection removes particles present on an internal wall of the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: Cooper Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Gianfranco Riti, Claudio Tonelli