Patents by Inventor David W. Weyburne

David W. Weyburne 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: 6331260
    Abstract: This invention is a process and apparatus for producing single crystal, polycrystal or amorphous stand-alone films. The process has two steps: First, thin layers of the desired materials are deposited by VD onto a hot foreign single crystal substrate wafer held by a substrate platter in a pocket formed in such. The second step is to chemically etch away the substrate while still being held by the substrate platter while the film-substrate is still hot. The etch is stopped as soon as all of the foreign substrate is consumed. This leaves just the thin film which is then cooled down to room temperature. The bottom surface of this pocket has a plurality of channels for carrying an etching gas which is input by a central channel in the substrate platter. The reactants that form the stand-alone film are input through an actively cooled effusion cell having a plenum for receiving the reactant gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2001
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: David W. Weyburne, Brian S. Ahern
  • Patent number: 6048742
    Abstract: The invention works by taking optical reflectance measurements on the deposited layers at different wavelengths and fitting the measured results to extract the thicknesses and compositions. The process of the present invention simultaneously measures the thicknesses of elemental and binary semiconductors' layers and the thicknesses and composition of ternary layers. Highly precise thickness and composition estimates and wafer maps of the growth rates and composition are provided by (1) measuring in a wavelength range at which the index of refractions are rapidly varying and (2) growing a special high reflectance test structure consisting of alternating layers of the materials to be measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: David W. Weyburne, Qing S. Paduano
  • Patent number: 5387331
    Abstract: A wafer cutting device has a plurality of individually highly tensioned diamond impregnated wires that are mounted in a translatable head. Each wire has a tension monitor connected thereto for the purpose of insuring uniform tension and also alerting to breakage. Further, a differential DC voltage is applied to the wires and the crystal with the assistance of electrolytes to improve the removal of material for minimizing damage to the surfaces. The crystal is mounted on a two dimensional stage. During normal cutting the crystal is moved vertically into the cutting wire. The vertical cutting rate is adjusted due to the configuration of the crystal. At the end of cutting, the crystal is moved laterally so as to place a notch in the wafers for the purpose of removing the wafer in a clean break.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1995
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Brian S. Ahern, David W. Weyburne, Gerald W. Iseler, Harry R. Clark, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5252366
    Abstract: An actively cooled effuser for a vapor deposition reactor is placed in very close proximity to a substrate. The actively cooled effuser has combinations of gas directing plates, cooling plates and isolation plates attached together. Reactants and coolant are input into the stack of plates so formed. Selective heating of the substrate surface may occur through the use of heating lamps. Multiple units of the actively cooled effuser and heating lamps may be used in the reactor to form multiple layers on the substrate. The cooling plate has a cooling channel within a few thousandths of an inch of the output side of the stack. The presence of the cooling plates allows the effuser to be placed in very close proximity to the selectively heated substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1993
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Brian S. Ahern, David W. Weyburne
  • Patent number: 5136978
    Abstract: The present invention is a heat pipe susceptor for use in a vapor deposition system. The multi-layered refractory material susceptor provides a highly uniform heated surface upon which wafers are placed for heating by a radio frequency (RF) source. Because of the highly uniform surface temperature, susceptors are able to hold a plurality of inch sized diameter wafers and the shape of the surfaces can be designed as the need arises. A cylindrically shaped top and a multi-faced frustum shaped top are examples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by The Secretary Of The Air Force
    Inventors: Brian S. Ahern, David W. Weyburne
  • Patent number: 5129360
    Abstract: An actively cooled effuser for a vapor deposition reactor is placed in very close proximity to a substrate. The actively cooled effuser has combinations of gas directing plates, cooling plates and isolation plates attached together. Reactants and coolant are input into the stack of plates so formed. Selective heating of the substrate surface may occur through the use of heating lamps. Multiple units of the actively cooled effuser and heating lamps may be used in the reactor to form multiple layers on the substrate. The cooling plate has a cooling channel within a few thousandths of an inch of the output side of the stack. The presence of the cooling plates allows the effuser to be placed in very close proximity to the selectively heated substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Brian S. Ahern, David W. Weyburne
  • Patent number: 4916356
    Abstract: A high emissivity cold cathode has alternating cylindrical tube layers, deposited by vapor deposition, of a refractory metal such as niobium and a refractory insulating material such as alumina. The metal layers have a thickness of less than or about 1,000 angstroms such that the electric field strength at the exposed end is sufficient, in combination with a low work function metal to emit electrons when a voltage of about 2,000 volts is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Brian S. Ahern, David W. Weyburne
  • Patent number: 4864575
    Abstract: A static periodic field device for a free electron laser has a plurality of holes therethrough to allow the interaction of electrons flowing therethrough to interact with either an electric or a magnetic fields as desired. The device is composed of a plurality of conducting layers separated by insulating layers and appropriately connected to provide either an electric or a magnetic field therein. The separation of the conducting layers determines the raidated energy wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1989
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Brian S. Ahern, David W. Weyburne
  • Patent number: 4736705
    Abstract: A metal organic chemical vapor deposition reactor 10 which includes a flat plate flow channel gas delivery system 18. The gas delivery system comprises slotted rods 40, 42 which pass through an assembly 46 of seal plates 52 and gas directing plates 50. Gas directing plates 52 provide separate flow channels for reactant gases in rods 40 and 42. Reactants are directly jetted from the gas directing plates onto a substrate 20 prior to mixing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1988
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: David W. Weyburne