Patents by Inventor Brad L. MAYS
Brad L. MAYS 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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Patent number: 11615973Abstract: A substrate carrier is described that uses a proportional thermal fluid delivery system. In one example the apparatus includes a heat exchanger to provide a thermal fluid to a fluid channel of a substrate carrier and to receive the thermal fluid from the fluid channel, the thermal fluid in the fluid channel to control the temperature of the carrier during substrate processing. A proportional valve controls the rate of flow of thermal fluid from the heat exchanger to the fluid channel. A temperature controller receives a measured temperature from a thermal sensor of the carrier and controls the proportional valve in response to the measured temperature to adjust the rate of flow.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2019Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Phillip Criminale, Justin Phi, Dan A. Marohl, Sergio Fukuda Shoji, Brad L. Mays
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Patent number: 11088005Abstract: A substrate support assembly includes a ceramic puck and a thermally conductive base having an upper surface that is bonded to the ceramic puck. The thermally conductive base includes a plurality of thermal zones and a thermally managed material embedded in the thermally conductive base at the upper surface of the thermally conductive base in one or more of the plurality of thermal zones. The thermally managed material has different thermal conductive properties along a first direction and a second direction. The thermally conductive base further includes a plurality of thermal isolators that extend from the upper surface of the thermally conductive base towards a lower surface of the thermally conductive base between two or more of the plurality of thermal zones without contacting the lower surface of the thermally conductive base. Each of the plurality of thermal isolators provides a degree of thermal isolation.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2019Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Vijay D. Parkhe, Konstantin Makhratchev, Jason Della Rosa, Hamid Noobakhsh, Brad L. Mays, Douglas A. Buchberger, Jr.
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Patent number: 10928145Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling temperatures in plasma processing chamber via pulsed application of heating power and pulsed application of cooling power. In an embodiment, fluid levels in each of a hot and cold reservoir coupled to the temperature controlled component are maintained in part by a coupling each of the reservoirs to a common secondary reservoir. Heat transfer fluid is pumped from the secondary reservoir to either the hot or cold reservoir in response to a low level sensed in the reservoir. In an embodiment, both the hot and cold reservoirs are contained in a same platform as the secondary reservoir with the hot and cold reservoirs disposed above the secondary reservoir to permit the secondary reservoir to catch gravity driven overflow from either the hot or cold reservoir.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2019Date of Patent: February 23, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Fernando Silveira, Brad L. Mays
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Patent number: 10854425Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling temperatures in plasma processing chamber with reduced controller response times and increased stability. Temperature control is based at least in part on a feedforward control signal derived from a plasma power input into the processing chamber. A feedforward control signal compensating disturbances in the temperature attributable to the plasma power may be combined with a feedback control signal counteracting error between a measured and desired temperature.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2016Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Chetan Mahadeswaraswamy, Walter R Merry, Sergio Fukuda Shoji, Chunlei Zhang, Yashaswini Pattar, Duy D Nguyen, Tina Tsong, Shane C Nevil, Douglas A Buchberger, Jr., Fernando M Silveira, Brad L Mays, Kartik Ramaswamy, Hamid Noorbakhsh
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Patent number: 10745807Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a showerhead assembly for use in a processing chamber. The showerhead assembly includes a porous insert disposed in a space defined between a gas distribution plate and a base plate to moderate the corrosive radicals resulting from plasma ignition to reduce particle issues and metal contamination in the chamber. The porous insert is a conductive material, such as metal, used to reduce the gap electrical field strength, or may be a dielectric material such as ceramic, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyamide-imide, or other materials with a low dielectric loss and high electrical field strength under conditions of high frequency and strong electric fields. As such, the electrical breakdown threshold is enhanced. The porous insert may reduce and/or eliminate showerhead backside plasma ignition and may include multiple concentric narrow rings that cover gas holes of the gas distribution plate.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2019Date of Patent: August 18, 2020Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Haitao Wang, Hamid Noorbakhsh, Chunlei Zhang, Sergio Fukuda Shoji, Kartik Ramaswamy, Roland Smith, Brad L. Mays
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Publication number: 20200051839Abstract: A substrate carrier is described that uses a proportional thermal fluid delivery system. In one example the apparatus includes a heat exchanger to provide a thermal fluid to a fluid channel of a substrate carrier and to receive the thermal fluid from the fluid channel, the thermal fluid in the fluid channel to control the temperature of the carrier during substrate processing. A proportional valve controls the rate of flow of thermal fluid from the heat exchanger to the fluid channel. A temperature controller receives a measured temperature from a thermal sensor of the carrier and controls the proportional valve in response to the measured temperature to adjust the rate of flow.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 17, 2019Publication date: February 13, 2020Inventors: Phillip Criminale, Justin Phi, Dan A. Marohl, Sergio Fukuda Shoji, Brad L. Mays
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Patent number: 10546731Abstract: A method, apparatus and system for dechucking a processing object from a surface of an electrostatic chuck (ESC) in a processing chamber can include applying to the ESC for a first time interval, a first dechuck voltage having a substantially equal magnitude and opposite polarity of a chuck voltage chucking the processing object to the surface of the ESC, selecting a second dechuck voltage having an opposite polarity as the first dechuck voltage, linearly sweeping the ESC voltage from the first dechuck voltage to the second dechuck voltage over a second time interval, monitoring the ESC current during the second time interval until a current spike in the ESC current above a threshold is detected, communicating a command to move support pins up to remove the processing object from the ESC surface, and maintaining the second dechuck voltage until the processing object is separated from the surface of the ESC.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2018Date of Patent: January 28, 2020Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Haitao Wang, Michael G. Chafin, Kartik Ramaswamy, Yue Guo, Valentin Todorow, Kenny Doan, Sergio F. Shoji, Brad L. Mays, Usama Dadu
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Patent number: 10490429Abstract: A substrate carrier is described that uses a proportional thermal fluid delivery system. In one example the apparatus includes a heat exchanger to provide a thermal fluid to a fluid channel of a substrate carrier and to receive the thermal fluid from the fluid channel, the thermal fluid in the fluid channel to control the temperature of the carrier during substrate processing. A proportional valve controls the rate of flow of thermal fluid from the heat exchanger to the fluid channel. A temperature controller receives a measured temperature from a thermal sensor of the carrier and controls the proportional valve in response to the measured temperature to adjust the rate of flow.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2014Date of Patent: November 26, 2019Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Phillip Criminale, Justin Phi, Dan A. Marohl, Sergio Fukuda Shoji, Brad L. Mays
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Publication number: 20190279893Abstract: A substrate support assembly includes a ceramic puck and a thermally conductive base having an upper surface that is bonded to the ceramic puck. The thermally conductive base includes a plurality of thermal zones and a thermally managed material embedded in the thermally conductive base at the upper surface of the thermally conductive base in one or more of the plurality of thermal zones. The thermally managed material has different thermal conductive properties along a first direction and a second direction. The thermally conductive base further includes a plurality of thermal isolators that extend from the upper surface of the thermally conductive base towards a lower surface of the thermally conductive base between two or more of the plurality of thermal zones without contacting the lower surface of the thermally conductive base. Each of the plurality of thermal isolators provides a degree of thermal isolation.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 23, 2019Publication date: September 12, 2019Inventors: Vijay D. Parkhe, Konstantin Makhratchev, Jason Della Rosa, Hamid Noobakhsh, Brad L. Mays, Douglas A. Buchberger, JR.
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Publication number: 20190271082Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a showerhead assembly for use in a processing chamber. The showerhead assembly includes a porous insert disposed in a space defined between a gas distribution plate and a base plate to moderate the corrosive radicals resulting from plasma ignition to reduce particle issues and metal contamination in the chamber. The porous insert is a conductive material, such as metal, used to reduce the gap electrical field strength, or may be a dielectric material such as ceramic, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyamide-imide, or other materials with a low dielectric loss and high electrical field strength under conditions of high frequency and strong electric fields. As such, the electrical breakdown threshold is enhanced. The porous insert may reduce and/or eliminate showerhead backside plasma ignition and may include multiple concentric narrow rings that cover gas holes of the gas distribution plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2019Publication date: September 5, 2019Inventors: Haitao WANG, Hamid NOORBAKHSH, Chunlei ZHANG, Sergio Fukuda SHOJI, Kartik RAMASWAMY, Roland SMITH, Brad L. MAYS
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Patent number: 10378108Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a showerhead assembly for use in a processing chamber. The showerhead assembly includes a porous insert disposed in a space defined between a gas distribution plate and a base plate to moderate the corrosive radicals resulting from plasma ignition to reduce particle issues and metal contamination in the chamber. The porous insert is a conductive material, such as metal, used to reduce the gap electrical field strength, or may be a dielectric material such as ceramic, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyamide-imide, or other materials with a low dielectric loss and high electrical field strength under conditions of high frequency and strong electric fields. As such, the electrical breakdown threshold is enhanced. The porous insert may reduce and/or eliminate showerhead backside plasma ignition and may include multiple concentric narrow rings that cover gas holes of the gas distribution plate.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2016Date of Patent: August 13, 2019Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Haitao Wang, Hamid Noorbakhsh, Chunlei Zhang, Sergio Fukuda Shoji, Kartik Ramaswamy, Roland Smith, Brad L. Mays
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Publication number: 20190204032Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling temperatures in plasma processing chamber via pulsed application of heating power and pulsed application of cooling power. In an embodiment, fluid levels in each of a hot and cold reservoir coupled to the temperature controlled component are maintained in part by a coupling each of the reservoirs to a common secondary reservoir. Heat transfer fluid is pumped from the secondary reservoir to either the hot or cold reservoir in response to a low level sensed in the reservoir. In an embodiment, both the hot and cold reservoirs are contained in a same platform as the secondary reservoir with the hot and cold reservoirs disposed above the secondary reservoir to permit the secondary reservoir to catch gravity driven overflow from either the hot or cold reservoir.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2019Publication date: July 4, 2019Inventors: Fernando Silveira, Brad L. Mays
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Patent number: 10304715Abstract: A substrate support assembly includes a ceramic puck and a thermally conductive base having an upper surface that is bonded to a lower surface of the ceramic puck. Trenches are formed in the thermally conductive base approximately concentric around a center of the thermally conductive base. The trenches extend from the upper surface towards a lower surface of the thermally conductive base without contacting the lower surface of the thermally conductive base. The thermally conductive base includes thermal zones. The substrate support assembly further includes a thermally insulating material disposed in the trenches. The thermally insulating material in a trench of the trenches provides a degree of thermal isolation between two of the thermal zones separated by the trench at the upper surface of the thermally conductive base.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2018Date of Patent: May 28, 2019Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Vijay D. Parkhe, Konstantin Makhratchev, Jason Della Rosa, Hamid Noorbakhsh, Brad L. Mays, Douglas A. Buchberger, Jr.
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Patent number: 10274270Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling temperatures in plasma processing chamber via pulsed application of heating power and pulsed application of cooling power. In an embodiment, fluid levels in each of a hot and cold reservoir coupled to the temperature controlled component are maintained in part by a coupling each of the reservoirs to a common secondary reservoir. Heat transfer fluid is pumped from the secondary reservoir to either the hot or cold reservoir in response to a low level sensed in the reservoir. In an embodiment, both the hot and cold reservoirs are contained in a same platform as the secondary reservoir with the hot and cold reservoirs disposed above the secondary reservoir to permit the secondary reservoir to catch gravity driven overflow from either the hot or cold reservoir.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2012Date of Patent: April 30, 2019Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Fernando Silveira, Brad L. Mays
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Publication number: 20180269098Abstract: A substrate support assembly includes a ceramic puck and a thermally conductive base having an upper surface that is bonded to a lower surface of the ceramic puck. Trenches are formed in the thermally conductive base approximately concentric around a center of the thermally conductive base. The trenches extend from the upper surface towards a lower surface of the thermally conductive base without contacting the lower surface of the thermally conductive base. The thermally conductive base includes thermal zones. The substrate support assembly further includes a thermally insulating material disposed in the trenches. The thermally insulating material in a trench of the trenches provides a degree of thermal isolation between two of the thermal zones separated by the trench at the upper surface of the thermally conductive base.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 11, 2018Publication date: September 20, 2018Inventors: Vijay D. Parkhe, Konstantin Makhratchev, Jason Della Rosa, Hamid Noorbakhsh, Brad L. Mays, Douglas A. Buchberger, JR.
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Patent number: 9991148Abstract: A substrate support assembly includes a ceramic puck and a thermally conductive base having an upper surface that is bonded to a lower surface of the ceramic puck. The thermally conductive base includes a plurality of thermal zones and a plurality of thermal isolators that extend from the upper surface of the thermally conductive base towards a lower surface of the thermally conductive base, wherein each of the plurality of thermal isolators provides approximate thermal isolation between two of the plurality of thermal zones at the upper surface of the thermally conductive base.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2017Date of Patent: June 5, 2018Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Vijay D. Parkhe, Konstantin Makhratchev, Jason Della Rosa, Hamid Noorbakhsh, Brad L. Mays, Douglas A. Buchberger, Jr.
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Publication number: 20170250100Abstract: A substrate support assembly includes a ceramic puck and a thermally conductive base having an upper surface that is bonded to a lower surface of the ceramic puck. The thermally conductive base includes a plurality of thermal zones and a plurality of thermal isolators that extend from the upper surface of the thermally conductive base towards a lower surface of the thermally conductive base, wherein each of the plurality of thermal isolators provides approximate thermal isolation between two of the plurality of thermal zones at the upper surface of the thermally conductive base.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2017Publication date: August 31, 2017Inventors: Vijay D. Parkhe, Konstantin Makhratchev, Jason Della Rosa, Hamid Noorbakhsh, Brad L. Mays, Douglas A. Buchberger, JR.
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Patent number: 9666466Abstract: A substrate support assembly includes a ceramic puck and a thermally conductive base having an upper surface that is bonded to a lower surface of the ceramic puck. The thermally conductive base includes a plurality of thermal zones and a plurality of thermal isolators that extend from the upper surface of the thermally conductive base towards a lower surface of the thermally conductive base, wherein each of the plurality of thermal isolators provides approximate thermal isolation between two of the plurality of thermal zones at the upper surface of the thermally conductive base.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2014Date of Patent: May 30, 2017Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Vijay D. Parkhe, Konstantin Makhratchev, Jason Della Rosa, Hamid Noorbakhsh, Brad L. Mays, Douglas A. Buchberger, Jr.
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Publication number: 20170101713Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a showerhead assembly for use in a processing chamber. The showerhead assembly includes a porous insert disposed in a space defined between a gas distribution plate and a base plate to moderate the corrosive radicals resulting from plasma ignition to reduce particle issues and metal contamination in the chamber. The porous insert is a conductive material, such as metal, used to reduce the gap electrical field strength, or may be a dielectric material such as ceramic, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyamide-imide, or other materials with a low dielectric loss and high electrical field strength under conditions of high frequency and strong electric fields. As such, the electrical breakdown threshold is enhanced. The porous insert may reduce and/or eliminate showerhead backside plasma ignition and may include multiple concentric narrow rings that cover gas holes of the gas distribution plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2016Publication date: April 13, 2017Inventors: Haitao WANG, Hamid NOORBAKHSH, Chunlei ZHANG, Sergio Fukuda SHOJI, Kartik RAMASWAMY, Roland SMITH, Brad L. MAYS
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Publication number: 20160155612Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling temperatures in plasma processing chamber with reduced controller response times and increased stability. Temperature control is based at least in part on a feedforward control signal derived from a plasma power input into the processing chamber. A feedforward control signal compensating disturbances in the temperature attributable to the plasma power may be combined with a feedback control signal counteracting error between a measured and desired temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 2, 2016Publication date: June 2, 2016Inventors: Chetan MAHADESWARASWAMY, Walter R. MERRY, Sergio Fukuda SHOJI, Chunlei ZHANG, Yashaswini PATTAR, Duy D. NGUYEN, Tina TSONG, Shane C. NEVIL, Douglas A. BUCHBERGER, JR., Fernando M. SILVEIRA, Brad L. MAYS, Kartik RAMASWAMY, Hamid NOORBAKHSH