Patents by Inventor Chad J. Voelkers

Chad J. Voelkers 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).

  • Vacuum system coupled to a wafer chuck for holding wet wafers
    Patent number: 6241226
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a vacuum system for reliably holding wafers exposed to effluents in a wafer chuck. A vacuum pump generates a vacuum communicated to a wafer chuck through a tank. The tank has a baffle for converting vapor effluent to liquid effluent from the air sucked into the vacuum system. The tank stores the liquid effluent to prevent the effluent from fouling the vacuum pump and other components. A pressure transducer is connected to the tank to detect a loss in vacuum that may indicate a lost wafer condition. A trap is placed between the tank and the vacuum pump to detect if excessive effluents have escaped from the tank and to signal that corrective action may need to be taken.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: SpeedFam-IPEC Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory A. Olsen, Christopher J. Lichner, Phillip Rayer, II, Chad J. Voelkers