Patents by Inventor Gregg A. Norris

Gregg A. Norris 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: 7663125
    Abstract: An ion beam current uniformity monitor, ion implanter and related method are disclosed. In one embodiment, the ion beam current uniformity monitor includes an ion beam current measurer including a plurality of measuring devices for measuring a current of an ion beam at a plurality of locations; and a controller for maintaining ion beam current uniformity based on the ion beam current measurements by the ion beam current measurer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: William G. Callahan, Morgan D. Evans, George M. Gammel, Norman E. Hussey, Gregg A. Norris, Joseph C. Olson
  • Patent number: 7564048
    Abstract: A Faraday sensor test system includes a Faraday sensor configured to intercept a quantity of ions incident on said Faraday sensor, a primary conductor and a test conductor coupled to said Faraday sensor, and a controller. The controller is configured to automatically provide a test current into the test conductor in response to a test condition. The controller is further configured to receive a return current from the primary conductor in response to the test current and to compare the return current to a value representative of the test current to determine a condition of a conductive path comprising the test conductor, the Faraday sensor, and the primary conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor E1quipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph P. Dzengeleski, Greg Gibilaro, Gregg Norris, David Olden, Tamer Onat
  • Patent number: 7453070
    Abstract: A beam density measurement system includes a shield, a beam sensor, and an actuator. The beam sensor is positioned downstream from the shield in a direction of travel of a beam. The beam sensor is configured to sense an intensity of the beam, and the beam sensor has a long dimension and a short dimension. The actuator translates the shield relative to the beam sensor, wherein the shield blocks at least a portion of the beam from the beam sensor as the shield is translated relative to the beam sensor, and wherein measured values of the intensity associated with changes in a position of the shield relative to the beam sensor are representative of a beam density distribution of the beam in a first direction defined by the long dimension of the beam sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Atul Gupta, Joseph C. Olson, Gregg A. Norris
  • Patent number: 7442944
    Abstract: An ion beam tuning method, system and program product for tuning an ion implanter system are disclosed. The invention obtains an ion beam profile of the ion beam by, for example, scanning the ion beam across a profiler that is within an implant chamber; and tunes the ion implanter system to maximize an estimated implant current based on the ion beam profile to simultaneously optimize total ion beam current and ion beam spot width, and maximize implant current. In addition, the tuning can also position the ion beam along a desired ion beam path based on the feedback of the spot beam center, which improves ion implanter system productivity and performance by reducing ion beam setup time and provides repeatable beam angle performance for each ion beam over many setups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Shengwu Chang, Antonella Cucchetti, Joseph P. Dzengeleski, Gregory R. Gibilaro, Rosario Mollica, Gregg A. Norris, Joseph C. Olson, Marie J. Welsch
  • Publication number: 20080073550
    Abstract: A beam density measurement system includes a shield, a beam sensor, and an actuator. The beam sensor is positioned downstream from the shield in a direction of travel of a beam. The beam sensor is configured to sense an intensity of the beam, and the beam sensor has a long dimension and a short dimension. The actuator translates the shield relative to the beam sensor, wherein the shield blocks at least a portion of the beam from the beam sensor as the shield is translated relative to the beam sensor, and wherein measured values of the intensity associated with changes in a position of the shield relative to the beam sensor are representative of a beam density distribution of the beam in a first direction defined by the long dimension of the beam sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Applicant: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Atul Gupta, Joseph C. Olson, Gregg A. Norris
  • Publication number: 20080073584
    Abstract: An ion beam current uniformity monitor, ion implanter and related method are disclosed. In one embodiment, the ion beam current uniformity monitor includes an ion beam current measurer including a plurality of measuring devices for measuring a current of an ion beam at a plurality of locations; and a controller for maintaining ion beam current uniformity based on the ion beam current measurements by the ion beam current measurer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Inventors: William G. Callahan, Morgan D. Evans, George M. Gammel, Norman E. Hussey, Gregg A. Norris, Joseph C. Olson
  • Publication number: 20080073551
    Abstract: A Faraday sensor test system includes a Faraday sensor configured to intercept a quantity of ions incident on said Faraday sensor, a primary conductor and a test conductor coupled to said Faraday sensor, and a controller. The controller is configured to automatically provide a test current into the test conductor in response to a test condition. The controller is further configured to receive a return current from the primary conductor in response to the test current and to compare the return current to a value representative of the test current to determine a condition of a conductive path comprising the test conductor, the Faraday sensor, and the primary conductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Applicant: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph P. Dzengeleski, Greg Gibilaro, Gregg Norris, David Olden
  • Publication number: 20060284114
    Abstract: A technique for uniformity tuning in an ion implanter system is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized as a method for ion beam uniformity tuning. The method may comprise generating an ion beam in an ion implanter system. The method may also comprise tuning one or more beam-line elements in the ion implanter system to reduce changes in a beam spot of the ion beam when the ion beam is scanned along a beam path. The method may further comprise adjusting a velocity profile for scanning the ion beam along the beam path such that the ion beam produces a substantially uniform ion beam profile along the beam path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Applicant: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Olson, Jonathan England, Morgan Evans, Douglas Fielder, Gregg Norris, Shengwu Chang, Damian Brennan, William Callahan
  • Publication number: 20060076510
    Abstract: An ion beam tuning method, system and program product for tuning an ion implanter system are disclosed. The invention obtains an ion beam profile of the ion beam by, for example, scanning the ion beam across a profiler that is within an implant chamber; and tunes the ion implanter system to maximize an estimated implant current based on the ion beam profile to simultaneously optimize total ion beam current and ion beam spot width, and maximize implant current. In addition, the tuning can also position the ion beam along a desired ion beam path based on the feedback of the spot beam center, which improves ion implanter system productivity and performance by reducing ion beam setup time and provides repeatable beam angle performance for each ion beam over many setups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2004
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Inventors: Shengwu Chang, Antonella Cucchetti, Joseph Dzengeleski, Gregory Gibilaro, Rosario Mollica, Gregg Norris, Joseph Olson, Marie Welsch