Patents by Inventor Blake Koelmel

Blake Koelmel 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: 7754518
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for thermally processing a substrate is provided. A substrate is disposed within a processing chamber configured for thermal processing by directing electromagnetic energy toward a surface of the substrate. An energy blocker is provided to block at least a portion of the energy directed toward the substrate. The blocker prevents damage to the substrate from thermal stresses as the incident energy approaches an edge of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Blake Koelmel, Robert C. McIntosh, David D L Larmagnac, Alexander N. Lerner, Abhilash J. Mayur, Joseph Yudovsky
  • Publication number: 20100003020
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus and method for reducing heating source radiation influence in temperature measurement during thermal processing. In one embodiment of the present invention, background radiant energy, such as an energy source of a thermal processing chamber, is marked within a selected spectrum, a characteristic of the background is then determined by measuring radiant energy at a reference wavelength within the selected spectrum and a comparing wavelength just outside the selected spectrum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph M. Ranish, Blake Koelmel, Aaron Hunter
  • Publication number: 20090296774
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method and an apparatus for detecting the temperature of a substrate surface. In one embodiment, a method for measuring the temperature is provided which includes exposing the surface of the substrate to a laser beam radiating from a laser source, radiating emitted light from a portion of the surface of the substrate, through the shadow ring, and towards a thermal sensor, and determining the temperature of the portion of the surface of the substrate from the emitted light. The substrate may be disposed on a substrate support within a treatment region and a shadow ring may be disposed between the laser source and the surface of the substrate. The shadow ring may be selectively opaque to the laser beam and transparent to the emitted light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Blake Koelmel, Abhilash J. Mayur
  • Publication number: 20090277894
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus and method for reducing noises in temperature measurement during thermal processing. One embodiment of the present invention provides a chamber for processing a substrate comprising a chamber enclosure defining a processing volume, an energy source configured to direct radiant energy toward the processing volume, a spectral device configured to treat the radiant energy directed from the energy source towards the processing volume, a substrate support disposed in the processing volume and configured to support the substrate during processing, and a sensor assembly configured to measure temperature of the substrate being processed by sensing radiation from the substrate within a selected spectrum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Inventors: BLAKE KOELMEL, Joseph Michael Ranish, Aaron Hunter
  • Publication number: 20090209112
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for thermally processing a substrate is provided. A substrate is disposed within a processing chamber configured for thermal processing by directing electromagnetic energy toward a surface of the substrate. An energy blocker is provided to block at least a portion of the energy directed toward the substrate. The blocker prevents damage to the substrate from thermal stresses as the incident energy approaches an edge of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Inventors: Blake Koelmel, Robert C. McIntosh, David DL Larmagnac, Alexander N. Lerner, Abhilash J. Mayur, Joseph Yudovsky
  • Publication number: 20090179365
    Abstract: A vacuum chuck and a process chamber equipped with the same are provided. The vacuum chuck assembly comprises a support body, a plurality of protrusions, a plurality of channels, at least one support member supporting the support body, at least one resilient member coupled with the support member, a hollow shaft supporting the support body, at least one electrical connector disposed through the hollow shaft, and an air-cooling apparatus. The support body has a support surface for holding a substrate (such as a wafer) thereon. The protrusions are formed on and project from the support surface for creating a gap between the substrate and the support surface. The channels are formed on the support surface for generating reduced pressure in the gap. The air-cooling apparatus is used for providing air cooling in the vicinity of the electrical connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Inventors: Alexander N. Lerner, Blake Koelmel, Mehran Behdjat
  • Publication number: 20090181553
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention contemplate a method, apparatus and system that are used to support and position a substrate on a surface that is at a different temperature than the initial, or incoming, substrate temperature. Embodiments of the invention may also include a method of controlling the transfer of heat between a substrate and substrate support positioned in a processing chamber. The apparatus and methods described herein generally may also provide an inexpensive and simple way of accurately positioning a substrate on a substrate support that is positioned in a semiconductor processing chamber. Substrate processing chambers that can benefit from the various embodiments described herein include, but are not limited to RTP, CVD, PVD, ALD, plasma etching, and/or laser annealing chambers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Inventors: Blake Koelmel, Abhilash J. Mayur, Kai Ma, Alexander N. Lerner
  • Publication number: 20080280453
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention contemplate a method, apparatus and system that are used to support, position, and rotate a substrate during processing. Embodiments of the invention may also include a method of controlling the transfer of heat between a substrate and substrate support positioned in a processing chamber. The apparatus and methods described herein remove the need for complex, costly and often unreliable components that would be required to accurately position and rotate a substrate during one or more processing steps, such as an rapid thermal processing (RTP) process, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, dry etching process, wet clean, and/or laser annealing process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2008
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: Blake KOELMEL, Alexander N. LERNER, Joseph M. RANISH, Kedarnath SANGAM, Khurshed SORABJI
  • Publication number: 20080276864
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for supporting, positioning and rotating a substrate are provided. In one embodiment, a support assembly for supporting a substrate includes an upper base plate and a lower base plate. The substrate is floated on a thin layer of air over the upper base plate. A positioning assembly includes a plurality of air bearing edge rollers or air flow pockets used to position the substrate in a desired orientation inside above the upper base plate. A plurality of slanted apertures or air flow pockets are configured in the upper base plate for flowing gas therethrough to rotate the substrate to ensure uniform heating during processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: BLAKE KOELMEL, Alexander N. Lerner, Joseph M. Ranish, Kedarnath Sangam, Khurshed Sorabji