Patents by Inventor David Brinkley
David Brinkley 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: 8741067Abstract: Methods for cleaning a surface of a photomask and for increasing the useable lifetime of the photomask are disclosed. One method includes, a first wafer print processing using a photomask and a pellicle disposed across the photomask, and cleaning the photomask. The cleaning the photomask includes directing a laser beam through the pellicle toward the photomask, the laser beam having a wavelength that is substantially equal to a local maximum of an absorption spectrum of the photomask, heating the photomask with the laser beam, and transferring heat from the photomask to a contaminant disposed on the photomask, thereby thermally decomposing the contaminant.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2013Date of Patent: June 3, 2014Assignee: Rave, LLCInventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Publication number: 20140130215Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of fabricating a scanning probe microscopy probe including positioning a pattern probe over a mold substrate; indenting the pattern probe into the mold substrate material to form a mold pit; depositing a film onto the mold substrate including the mold pit; removing a portion of the deposited film to form a probe, and releasing the probe from the mold substrate material.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2012Publication date: May 8, 2014Applicant: RAVE, LLCInventors: David Brinkley, Roy L. White
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Publication number: 20140069457Abstract: Methods for cleaning a surface of a photomask and for increasing the useable lifetime of the photomask are disclosed. One method includes, a first wafer print processing using a photomask and a pellicle disposed across the photomask, and cleaning the photomask. The cleaning the photomask includes directing a laser beam through the pellicle toward the photomask, the laser beam having a wavelength that is substantially equal to a local maximum of an absorption spectrum of the photomask, heating the photomask with the laser beam, and transferring heat from the photomask to a contaminant disposed on the photomask, thereby thermally decomposing the contaminant.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 11, 2013Publication date: March 13, 2014Applicant: Rave, LLCInventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Patent number: 8613803Abstract: Methods for cleaning a surface of a substrate and for increasing the useable lifetime of a photomask substrate are provided. In one method, the surface of a substrate having a contaminating particulate disposed thereon is cleaned by directing a laser towards the substrate, generating a temperature increase in the substrate and transferring thermal energy from the substrate to the particulate to decompose the particulate. The laser has a wavelength that is substantially the same as a local maximum of the substrate absorption spectrum.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2012Date of Patent: December 24, 2013Assignee: Rave, LLCInventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Publication number: 20130276818Abstract: Methods for cleaning a surface of a substrate and for increasing the useable lifetime of a photomask substrate are provided. In one method, the surface of a substrate having a contaminating particulate disposed thereon is cleaned by directing a laser towards the substrate, generating a temperature increase in the substrate and transferring thermal energy from the substrate to the particulate to decompose the particulate. The laser has a wavelength that is substantially the same as a local maximum of the substrate absorption spectrum.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 22, 2012Publication date: October 24, 2013Inventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Patent number: 8562749Abstract: A wafer fabrication process with removal of haze formation from a pellicalized photomask surface is provided. The wafer fabrication process includes pre-print wafer processing, wafer print processing using at least one photomask having a pellicle, photomask clean processing, wafer print processing using the photomask, and post-print wafer processing. The photomask clean processing step includes directing a laser through the pellicle towards an inorganic particle disposed on the photomask to remove the particle from the photomask by thermal decomposition.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2012Date of Patent: October 22, 2013Assignee: Rave LLCInventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Patent number: 8293019Abstract: Methods for cleaning a surface of a substrate and for increasing the useable lifetime of a photomask substrate are provided. In one method, a substrate has at least one radiation-produced particle disposed thereon, and a laser that has a wavelength that substantially coincides with a high absorption coefficient of the substrate is directed towards the substrate. A thermal increase is generated in the substrate, and the radiation-produced particle is removed from the substrate by transferring thermal energy from the substrate to the radiation-produced particle until the radiation-produced particle decomposes.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2008Date of Patent: October 23, 2012Assignee: Rave, LLCInventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Publication number: 20120231397Abstract: A wafer fabrication process with removal of haze formation from a pellicalized photomask surface is provided. The wafer fabrication process includes pre-print wafer processing, wafer print processing using at least one photomask having a pellicle, photomask clean processing, wafer print processing using the photomask, and post-print wafer processing. The photomask clean processing step includes directing a laser through the pellicle towards an inorganic particle disposed on the photomask to remove the particle from the photomask by thermal decomposition.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2012Publication date: September 13, 2012Applicant: RAVE LLCInventors: Jeffrey E. Le Claire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Patent number: 8182609Abstract: The present invention provides a method for cleaning a surface of a substrate that includes directing a laser towards at least one radiation-produced particle disposed on a substrate, generating a thermal increase in the particle and removing the particle from the substrate by thermal decomposition. The laser has a wavelength that substantially coincides with a high absorption coefficient of the particle.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2008Date of Patent: May 22, 2012Assignee: Rave, LLCInventors: Jeffrey E. Le Claire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Patent number: 7993464Abstract: A method for laser surface cleaning of a target surface that has limited or no access to the environment directly above the surface to be cleaned. The method includes the ability to clean the surface with a reduced risk of substrate damage. The method includes direct laser excitation of a contaminated substrate surface and thermal transfer from the substrate to the contaminating particulate or contamination layer. The method also includes producing a thermally based removal and reducing a risk of substrate damage by keeping the temperature required to produce surface cleaning below the thermal damage level of the substrate material. In addition, the method includes reducing the risk of substrate damage by utilizing relatively long pulse-widths, providing for improved removal of small contaminants/particles, and directing the beam through a material disposed relative to the surface that is part of the substrates environmental enclosure.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2008Date of Patent: August 9, 2011Assignee: Rave, LLCInventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth Gilbert Roessler, David Brinkley
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Patent number: 7829360Abstract: A method of nanomachining is provided. The method includes plunging a nanometer-scaled tip into a surface of a substrate at a first location in a first direction that is substantially perpendicular to the surface, thereby displacing a first portion of the substrate with the tip. The method also includes withdrawing the tip from the substrate in a second direction that is substantially opposite to the first direction. The method further includes moving at least one of the tip and the substrate laterally relative to each other. In addition, the method also includes plunging the tip into the substrate at a second location in a third direction that is substantially parallel to the first direction, thereby displacing a second portion of the substrate with the tip and withdrawing the tip from the substrate in a fourth direction that is substantially opposite to the third direction.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2007Date of Patent: November 9, 2010Assignee: Rave, LLCInventors: Bernabe J. Arruza, Ronald Bozak, Kenneth Gilbert Roessler, Andrew Dinsdale, Tod Evan Robinson, David Brinkley
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Publication number: 20090070979Abstract: A method of nanomachining is provided. The method includes plunging a nanometer-scaled tip into a surface of a substrate at a first location in a first direction that is substantially perpendicular to the surface, thereby displacing a first portion of the substrate with the tip. The method also includes withdrawing the tip from the substrate in a second direction that is substantially opposite to the first direction. The method further includes moving at least one of the tip and the substrate laterally relative to each other. In addition, the method also includes plunging the tip into the substrate at a second location in a third direction that is substantially parallel to the first direction, thereby displacing a second portion of the substrate with the tip and withdrawing the tip from the substrate in a fourth direction that is substantially opposite to the third direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2007Publication date: March 19, 2009Inventors: Bernabe J. Arruza, Ronald Bozak, Kenneth Gilbert Roessler, Andrew Dinsdale, Tod Evan Robinson, David Brinkley
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Publication number: 20090065024Abstract: Methods for cleaning a surface of a substrate and for increasing the useable lifetime of a photomask substrate are provided. In one method, a substrate has at least one radiation-produced particle disposed thereon, and a laser that has a wavelength that substantially coincides with a high absorption coefficient of the substrate is directed towards the substrate. A thermal increase is generated in the substrate, and the radiation-produced particle is removed from the substrate by transferring thermal energy from the substrate to the radiation-produced particle until the radiation-produced particle decomposes.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 24, 2008Publication date: March 12, 2009Inventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth Gilbert Roessler, David Brinkley
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Publication number: 20090038637Abstract: A method for laser surface cleaning of a target surface that has limited or no access to the environment directly above the surface to be cleaned. The method includes the ability to clean the surface with a reduced risk of substrate damage. The method includes direct laser excitation of a contaminated substrate surface and thermal transfer from the substrate to the contaminating particulate or contamination layer. The method also includes producing a thermally based removal and reducing a risk of substrate damage by keeping the temperature required to produce surface cleaning below the thermal damage level of the substrate material. In addition, the method includes reducing the risk of substrate damage by utilizing relatively long pulse-widths, providing for improved removal of small contaminants/particles, and directing the beam through a material disposed relative to the surface that is part of the substrates environmental enclosure.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2008Publication date: February 12, 2009Applicant: RAV, LLCInventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth Gilbert Roessler, David Brinkley