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).

  • Publication number: 20160148822
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Phillip Criminale, Justin Phi, Dan A. Marohl, Sergio Fukuda Shoji, Brad L. Mays
  • Patent number: 9338871
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Chetan Mahadeswaraswamy, Walter R. Merry, Sergio Fukuda Shoji, Chunlei Zhang, Yashaswini B. Pattar, Duy D. Nguyen, Tina Tsong, Shane C. Nevil, Douglas A. Buchberger, Jr., Fernando M. Silveira, Brad L. Mays, Kartik Ramaswamy, Hamid Noorbakhsh
  • Patent number: 9214315
    Abstract: 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, temperature control is based at least in part on a feedforward control signal derived from a plasma power input into the processing chamber. In further embodiments, fluid levels in each of a hot and cold reservoir coupled to the temperature controlled component are maintained in part by a passive leveling pipe coupling the two reservoirs. In another embodiment, digital heat transfer fluid flow control valves are opened with pulse widths dependent on a heating/cooling duty cycle value and a proportioning cycle having a duration that has been found to provide good temperature control performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Fernando M. Silveira, Hamid Tavassoli, Xiaoping Zhou, Shane C. Nevil, Douglas A. Buchberger, Brad L. Mays, Tina Tsong, Chetan Mahadeswaraswamy, Yashaswini B. Pattar, Duy D. Nguyen, Walter R. Merry
  • Publication number: 20150316941
    Abstract: 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, temperature control is based at least in part on a feedforward control signal derived from a plasma power input into the processing chamber. In further embodiments, fluid levels in each of a hot and cold reservoir coupled to the temperature controlled component are maintained in part by a passive leveling pipe coupling the two reservoirs. In another embodiment, digital heat transfer fluid flow control valves are opened with pulse widths dependent on a heating/cooling duty cycle value and a proportioning cycle having a duration that has been found to provide good temperature control performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Inventors: Fernando M. SILVEIRA, Hamid Tavassoli, Xiaoping Zhou, Shane C. Nevil, Douglas A. Buchberger, Brad L. Mays, Tina Tsong, Chetan Mahadeswaraswamy, Yashaswini B. Pattar, Duy D. Nguyen, Walter R. Merry
  • Patent number: 8916793
    Abstract: 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, temperature control is based at least in part on a feedforward control signal derived from a plasma power input into the processing chamber. In further embodiments, fluid levels in each of a hot and cold reservoir coupled to the temperature controlled component are maintained in part by a passive leveling pipe coupling the two reservoirs. In another embodiment, digital heat transfer fluid flow control valves are opened with pulse widths dependent on a heating/cooling duty cycle value and a proportioning cycle having a duration that has been found to provide good temperature control performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Fernando M. Silveira, Hamid Tavassoli, Xiaoping Zhou, Shane C. Nevil, Douglas A. Buchberger, Brad L. Mays, Tina Tsong, Chetan Mahadeswaraswamy, Yashaswini B. Pattar, Duy D. Nguyen, Walter R. Merry
  • Publication number: 20140334060
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Vijay D. Parkhe, Konstantin Makhratchev, Jason Della Rosa, Hamid Noorbakhsh, Brad L. Mays, Douglas A. Buchberger, JR.
  • Publication number: 20130105081
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2012
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Inventors: Fernando SILVEIRA, Brad L. MAYS
  • Publication number: 20120132397
    Abstract: 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, temperature control is based at least in part on a feedforward control signal derived from a plasma power input into the processing chamber. In further embodiments, fluid levels in each of a hot and cold reservoir coupled to the temperature controlled component are maintained in part by a passive leveling pipe coupling the two reservoirs. In another embodiment, digital heat transfer fluid flow control valves are opened with pulse widths dependent on a heating/cooling duty cycle value and a proportioning cycle having a duration that has been found to provide good temperature control performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Fernando M. Silveira, Hamid Tavassoli, Xiaoping Zhou, Shane C. Nevil, Douglas A. Buchberger, Brad L. Mays, Tina Tsong, Chetan Mahadeswaraswamy, Yashaswini B. Pattar, Duy D. Nguyen, Walter R. Merry
  • Publication number: 20110186545
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Chetan MAHADESWARASWAMY, Walter R. MERRY, Sergio Fukuda SHOJI, Chunlei ZHANG, Yashaswini B. PATTAR, Duy D. NGUYEN, Tina TSONG, Shane C. NEVIL, Douglas A. BUCHBERGER, JR., Fernando M. SILVEIRA, Brad L. MAYS, Kartik RAMASWAMY, Hamid NOORBAKHSH