Patents by Inventor Donald E. Routh

Donald E. Routh 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: 4437961
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for sequentially processing multi-level interconnections for microelectronic circuits are disclosed which includes a vacuum system having a vacuum chamber 12 in which wafers 20 are processed on rotating turntables 16 and 18. The vacuum chamber is provided with an RF sputtering system 24 and a DC magnetron sputtering system 28. A gas inlet 34 is provided in the chamber for the introduction of various gases to the vacuum chamber and the creation of various gas plasma during the sputtering steps. The rotating turntables 16, 18 insure that the respective wafers are present under the sputtering guns for an average amount of time such that consistency in sputtering and deposition is achieved. By continuous and sequential processing of the wafers in a common vacuum chamber without removal, the adverse affects of exposure to atmospheric conditions are eliminated providing higher quality circuit contacts and functional device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 20, 1984
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Donald E. Routh, Gian C. Sharma
  • Patent number: 4156309
    Abstract: The method of constructing a high voltage, low power, multi-cell solar array wherein a solar cell base region is formed in a substrate such as but not limited to that of silicon or on a substrate of sapphire, and then by the steps of application of a protective coating on the base, patterned etching of the coating and base to thereby form discrete base regions, forming a semi-conductive junction and upper active region in each base region defined by photolithography, and thus forming discrete cells which are interconnected by metallic electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1979
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Donald E. Routh, Ben R. Hollis, William R. Feltner
  • Patent number: 4111775
    Abstract: An improved method of constructing a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) device having multiple layers of metal deposited by D.C. magnetron sputtering at low D.C. voltages and low substrate temperatures provides multilevel interconnections and cross over between individual circuit elements in integrated circuits without significantly reducing the reliability or seriously affecting the yield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1978
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Ben R. Hollis, Jr., William R. Feltner, David L. Bouldin, Donald E. Routh