Patents by Inventor Andrew H. Breninger
Andrew H. Breninger 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).
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Publication number: 20230099332Abstract: An apparatus includes a lift pinto raise and lower a semiconductor substrate relative to a substrate support assembly in a processing chamber. The lift pin includes a top end having a conical shape tapering downwardly and a bottom end having a cylindrical shape. The apparatus comprises a lift pin holder to hold the bottom end of the lift pin.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2021Publication date: March 30, 2023Inventors: Andrew H. Breninger, Xinyi CHEN, Tu HONG
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Publication number: 20230002891Abstract: Forming a protective coating ex situ in an atomic layer deposition process to coat one or more chamber components subsequently installed in a reaction chamber provides a number of benefits over more conventional coating methods such as in situ deposition of an undercoat. In certain cases the protective coating may have a particular composition such as aluminum oxide, aluminum fluoride, aluminum nitride, yttrium oxide, and/or yttrium fluoride. The protective coating may help reduce contamination on wafers processed using the coated chamber component. Further, the protective coating may act to stabilize the processing conditions within the reaction chamber, thereby achieving very stable/uniform processing results over the course of processing many batches of wafers, and minimizing radical loss. Also described are a number of techniques that may be used to restore the protective coating after the coated chamber component is used to process semiconductor wafers.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2022Publication date: January 5, 2023Inventors: Damodar Rajaram SHANBHAG, Guangbi YUAN, Thadeous BAMFORD, Curtis Warren BAILEY, Tony KAUSHAL, Krishna BIRRU, William SCHLOSSER, Bo GONG, Huatan QIU, Fengyuan LAI, Leonard Wai Fung KHO, Anand CHANDRASHEKAR, Andrew H. BRENINGER, Chen-Hua HSU, Geoffrey HOHN, Gang LIU, Rohit KHARE
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Publication number: 20220406645Abstract: A first lift pin holder assembly includes a base portion and a stem portion including a ball lock mechanism to hold a lift pin. A second lift pin holder assembly includes a base portion and a stem portion including a fork lock mechanism to hold a lift pin. A slotted ring with coin-slot type slots is arranged on abase of a substrate support assembly. A plurality of the first or second lift pin holder assemblies are retained in the slots using retainers that surround the base portions of the lift pin holder assemblies. Each slot includes an aperture in which a T-shaped retainer is inserted. The top portion of the T-shaped retainer prevents the retainer and the lift pin holder assembly from sliding out of the slot. The lift pin, the lift pin holder assemblies, the retainers, the T-shaped retainer, and the slotted ring are made of ceramic materials.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2020Publication date: December 22, 2022Inventors: Aleksey V. ALTECOR, Andrew h. BRENINGER
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Publication number: 20220301835Abstract: Plasma viewports for high-temperature environments in semiconductor processing equipment are disclosed; such view-ports may use a triple-window design, with each window providing particular functionality.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 21, 2020Publication date: September 22, 2022Inventors: Bin Luo, Andrew H. Breninger, John Michael Wiltse, Brian Lewis Ratliff, David James Shusteric
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Publication number: 20220275504Abstract: Forming a protective coating ex situ in an atomic layer deposition process to coat one or more chamber components subsequently installed in a reaction chamber provides a number of benefits over more conventional coating methods such as in situ deposition of an undercoat. In certain cases the protective coating may have a particular composition such as aluminum oxide, aluminum fluoride, aluminum nitride, yttrium oxide, and/or yttrium fluoride. The protective coating may help reduce contamination on wafers processed using the coated chamber component. Further, the protective coating may act to stabilize the processing conditions within the reaction chamber, thereby achieving very stable/uniform processing results over the course of processing many batches of wafers, and minimizing radical loss. Also described are a number of techniques that may be used to restore the protective coating after the coated chamber component is used to process semiconductor wafers.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2022Publication date: September 1, 2022Inventors: Damodar Rajaram SHANBHAG, Guangbi YUAN, Thadeous BAMFORD, Curtis Warren BAILEY, Tony KAUSHAL, Krishna BIRRU, William SCHLOSSER, Bo GONG, Huatan QIU, Fengyuan LAI, Leonard Wai Fung KHO, Anand CHANDRASHEKAR, Andrew H. BRENINGER, Chen-Hua HSU, Geoffrey HOHN, Gang LIU, Rohit KHARE
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Patent number: 11365479Abstract: Forming a protective coating ex situ in an atomic layer deposition process to coat one or more chamber components subsequently installed in a reaction chamber provides a number of benefits over more conventional coating methods such as in situ deposition of an undercoat. In certain cases the protective coating may have a particular composition such as aluminum oxide, aluminum fluoride, aluminum nitride, yttrium oxide, and/or yttrium fluoride. The protective coating may help reduce contamination on wafers processed using the coated chamber component. Further, the protective coating may act to stabilize the processing conditions within the reaction chamber, thereby achieving very stable/uniform processing results over the course of processing many batches of wafers, and minimizing radical loss. Also described are a number of techniques that may be used to restore the protective coating after the coated chamber component is used to process semiconductor wafers.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2020Date of Patent: June 21, 2022Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Damodar Shanbhag, Guangbi Yuan, Thadeous Bamford, Curtis Warren Bailey, Tony Kaushal, Krishna Birru, William Schlosser, Bo Gong, Huatan Qiu, Fengyuan Lai, Leonard Wai Fung Kho, Anand Chandrashekar, Andrew H. Breninger, Chen-Hua Hsu, Geoffrey Hohn, Gang Liu, Rohit Khare
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Publication number: 20220028662Abstract: A processing tool, comprising a processing chamber for processing a work piece, the processing chamber including at least one component part that is coated with multi-layer protective coating including (a) an aluminum layer formed on the at least one component part and (b) a ceramic coating formed on the aluminum layer. In various embodiments, the multi-layer protective coating can be applied to at least one component part prior to assembly of the processing chamber or at least partially in situ the processing chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2019Publication date: January 27, 2022Inventors: Paul KONKOLA, Ramesh CHANDRASEKHARAN, Andrew H. BRENINGER, Tony Shaleen KAUSHAL
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Publication number: 20200347497Abstract: Forming a protective coating ex situ in an atomic layer deposition process to coat one or more chamber components subsequently installed in a reaction chamber provides a number of benefits over more conventional coating methods such as in situ deposition of an undercoat. In certain cases the protective coating may have a particular composition such as aluminum oxide, aluminum fluoride, aluminum nitride, yttrium oxide, and/or yttrium fluoride. The protective coating may help reduce contamination on wafers processed using the coated chamber component. Further, the protective coating may act to stabilize the processing conditions within the reaction chamber, thereby achieving very stable/uniform processing results over the course of processing many batches of wafers, and minimizing radical loss. Also described are a number of techniques that may be used to restore the protective coating after the coated chamber component is used to process semiconductor wafers.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2020Publication date: November 5, 2020Inventors: Damodar Shanbhag, Guangbi Yuan, Thadeous Bamford, Curtis Warren Bailey, Tony Kaushal, Krishna Birru, William Schlosser, Bo Gong, Huatan Qiu, Fengyuan Lai, Leonard Wai Fung Kho, Anand Chandrashekar, Andrew H. Breninger, Chen-Hua Hsu, Geoffrey Hohn, Gang Liu, Rohit Khare
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Patent number: 10760158Abstract: Forming a protective coating ex situ in an atomic layer deposition process to coat one or more chamber components subsequently installed in a reaction chamber provides a number of benefits over more conventional coating methods such as in situ deposition of an undercoat. In certain cases the protective coating may have a particular composition such as aluminum oxide, aluminum fluoride, aluminum nitride, yttrium oxide, and/or yttrium fluoride. The protective coating may help reduce contamination on wafers processed using the coated chamber component. Further, the protective coating may act to stabilize the processing conditions within the reaction chamber, thereby achieving very stable/uniform processing results over the course of processing many batches of wafers, and minimizing radical loss. Also described are a number of techniques that may be used to restore the protective coating after the coated chamber component is used to process semiconductor wafers.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2018Date of Patent: September 1, 2020Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Damodar Shanbhag, Guangbi Yuan, Thadeous Bamford, Curtis Warren Bailey, Tony Kaushal, Krishna Birru, William Schlosser, Bo Gong, Fengyuan Lai, Leonard Wai Fung Kho, Anand Chandrashekar, Andrew H. Breninger, Chen-Hua Hsu, Geoffrey Hohn, Gang Liu, Rohit Khare, Huatan Qiu
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Patent number: 10460977Abstract: A lift pin holder assembly includes a lift pin holder including a central bore defining a first groove arranged on a radially inner surface of the central bore. The lift pin holder is made of a non-metallic material. A lift pin includes a second groove arranged on a radially outer surface thereof. A spring is at least partially arranged in the first groove of the lift pin holder and the second groove of the lift pin to retain the lift pin in the lift pin holder.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2016Date of Patent: October 29, 2019Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATIONInventors: Andrew H. Breninger, Gary Lind
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Publication number: 20190185999Abstract: Forming a protective coating ex situ in an atomic layer deposition process to coat one or more chamber components subsequently installed in a reaction chamber provides a number of benefits over more conventional coating methods such as in situ deposition of an undercoat. In certain cases the protective coating may have a particular composition such as aluminum oxide, aluminum fluoride, aluminum nitride, yttrium oxide, and/or yttrium fluoride. The protective coating may help reduce contamination on wafers processed using the coated chamber component. Further, the protective coating may act to stabilize the processing conditions within the reaction chamber, thereby achieving very stable/uniform processing results over the course of processing many batches of wafers, and minimizing radical loss. Also described are a number of techniques that may be used to restore the protective coating after the coated chamber component is used to process semiconductor wafers.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2018Publication date: June 20, 2019Inventors: Damodar Shanbhag, Guangbi Yuan, Thadeous Bamford, Curtis Warren Bailey, Tony Kaushal, Krishna Birru, William Schlosser, Bo Gong, Huatan Qiu, Fengyuan Lai, Leonard Wai Fung Kho, Anand Chandrashekar, Andrew H. Breninger, Chen-Hua Hsu, Geoffrey Hohn, Gang Liu, Rohit Khare
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Publication number: 20180090363Abstract: A lift pin holder assembly includes a lift pin holder including a central bore defining a first groove arranged on a radially inner surface of the central bore. The lift pin holder is made of a non-metallic material. A lift pin includes a second groove arranged on a radially outer surface thereof. A spring is at least partially arranged in the first groove of the lift pin holder and the second groove of the lift pin to retain the lift pin in the lift pin holder.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2016Publication date: March 29, 2018Inventors: Andrew H. Breninger, Gary Lind
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Publication number: 20040156049Abstract: Purging of a light beam path in an effective manner that minimizes the affect of the purging requirement on system throughput. In one embodiment, the invention is incorporated into a birefringence measurement system that has several components for directing light through a sample optical element and thereafter detecting and analyzing the light. The segment of the beam path through the sample is isolated to reduce the volume that requires continual purging.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 10, 2003Publication date: August 12, 2004Applicant: Hinds Instruments, Inc.Inventors: Andrew H. Breninger, Christopher O. Griffiths, Douglas C. Mark, Artemiy Mikheyev, Baoliang Wang
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Patent number: 6765734Abstract: A holder for optical elements, or samples, in an optical setup. The holder is readily adjustments to accommodate samples of various sizes, such as cylindrical shaped samples of various diameters. The holder provides stable support for the sample, irrespective of the size of the sample and maximizes the area of the sample through which a light beam may pass as part of the analysis of the optical properties of the sample.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2003Date of Patent: July 20, 2004Assignee: Hinds Instruments, Inc.Inventors: Christopher O. Griffiths, Andrew H. Breninger