Patents by Inventor Gregory John FREEMAN
Gregory John FREEMAN 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: 12148647Abstract: An apparatus includes a substrate holder, a first actuator to rotate the substrate holder, a second actuator to move the substrate holder linearly, a first sensor to generate one or more first measurements or images of the substrate, a second sensor to generate one or more second measurements of target positions on the substrate, and a processing device. The processing device estimates a position of the substrate on the substrate holder and causes the first actuator to rotate the substrate holder about a first axis. The rotation causes an offset between a field of view of the second sensor and a target position on the substrate due to the substrate not being centered on the substrate holder. The processing device causes the second actuator to move the substrate holder linearly along a second axis to correct the offset. The processing device determines a profile across a surface of the substrate based on the one or more second measurements of the target positions.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2022Date of Patent: November 19, 2024Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Patricia Schulze, Gregory John Freeman, Michael Kutney, Arunkumar Ramachandraiah, Chih Chung Chou, Zhaozhao Zhu, Ozkan Celik
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Publication number: 20240339347Abstract: An optical measurement device comprises a substrate holder to secure a substrate, a plurality of actuators to move the substrate holder relative to a plurality of axes, a first sensor to generate one or more first measurements or images of a first plurality of target positions on the substrate, and a second sensor to generate one or more second measurements of a second plurality of target positions on the substrate. The optical measurement device further comprises a plate, wherein the substrate holder, the plurality of actuators, the first sensor and the second sensor are each mounted to the plate, and wherein the plate provides vibration isolation from a factory interface to which the optical measurement device mounts. The optical measurement device further comprises a processing device that executes instructions to control the plurality of actuators and process the first measurements or images and the second measurements.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2024Publication date: October 10, 2024Inventors: Patricia Schulze, Gregory John Freeman, Michael Kutney, Arunkumar Ramachandraiah, Chih Chung Chou, Zhaozhao Zhu, Ozkan Celik
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Publication number: 20230238266Abstract: An apparatus includes a substrate holder, a first actuator to rotate the substrate holder, a second actuator to move the substrate holder linearly, a first sensor to generate one or more first measurements or images of the substrate, a second sensor to generate one or more second measurements of target positions on the substrate, and a processing device. The processing device estimates a position of the substrate on the substrate holder and causes the first actuator to rotate the substrate holder about a first axis. The rotation causes an offset between a field of view of the second sensor and a target position on the substrate due to the substrate not being centered on the substrate holder. The processing device causes the second actuator to move the substrate holder linearly along a second axis to correct the offset. The processing device determines a profile across a surface of the substrate based on the one or more second measurements of the target positions.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2022Publication date: July 27, 2023Inventors: Patricia Schulze, Gregory John Freeman, Michael Kutney, Arunkumar Ramachandraiah, Chih Chung Chou, Zhaozhao Zhu, Ozkan Celik
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Patent number: 11673267Abstract: A system includes a robot with a robot arm having multiple joints and an end effector to carry a substrate. A processing device is to build, with respect to a joint space for the multiple joints and the end effector, a graph of reachable positions and sub-paths between the reachable positions, wherein the reachable positions and the sub-paths satisfy Cartesian limits within the joint space. The processing device is to determine, by executing a graph optimization algorithm on the graph, multiple paths, each made up of a group of the sub-paths and having one of a shortest distance or a lowest cost between a start point and an end point of the end effector. The processing device is to select a path, of the multiple paths, through the graph that minimizes a move time of the end effector between the start point and the end point.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2022Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Omar Abdul-hadi, Adam Christopher Cranmer, Gregory John Freeman
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Publication number: 20230032418Abstract: A system includes a robot with a robot arm having multiple joints and an end effector to carry a substrate. A processing device is to build, with respect to a joint space for the multiple joints and the end effector, a graph of reachable positions and sub-paths between the reachable positions, wherein the reachable positions and the sub-paths satisfy Cartesian limits within the joint space. The processing device is to determine, by executing a graph optimization algorithm on the graph, multiple paths, each made up of a group of the sub-paths and having one of a shortest distance or a lowest cost between a start point and an end point of the end effector. The processing device is to select a path, of the multiple paths, through the graph that minimizes a move time of the end effector between the start point and the end point.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2022Publication date: February 2, 2023Inventors: Omar Abdul-hadi, Adam Christopher Cranmer, Gregory John Freeman
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Patent number: 11498213Abstract: A system includes a robot arm with multiple joints and one or more end effector to carry a substrate. A processing device determines, within joint space of the robot arm, start/end points of the one or more end effector for a complete movement. The processing device builds, in joint space for the multiple joints and the one or more end effector, a graph of reachable positions and sub-paths between the reachable positions that satisfy Cartesian limits. The reachable positions are identified at a granularity that divides the complete movement into multiple sub-movements. The processing device executes a graph optimization algorithm on the graph to determine multiple paths, each a group of the sub-paths, that have one of shortest distances or lowest costs between the start/end points, and selects a path thereof that minimizes move time of the one or more end effector between the start/end points.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2020Date of Patent: November 15, 2022Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Omar Abdul-hadi, Adam Christopher Cranmer, Gregory John Freeman
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Publication number: 20220088780Abstract: A system includes a robot arm with multiple joints and one or more end effector to carry a substrate. A processing device determines, within joint space of the robot arm, start/end points of the one or more end effector for a complete movement. The processing device builds, in joint space for the multiple joints and the one or more end effector, a graph of reachable positions and sub-paths between the reachable positions that satisfy Cartesian limits. The reachable positions are identified at a granularity that divides the complete movement into multiple sub-movements. The processing device executes a graph optimization algorithm on the graph to determine multiple paths, each a group of the sub-paths, that have one of shortest distances or lowest costs between the start/end points, and selects a path thereof that minimizes move time of the one or more end effector between the start/end points.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2020Publication date: March 24, 2022Inventors: Omar Abdul-hadi, Adam Christopher Cranmer, Gregory John Freeman
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Patent number: 10854491Abstract: A method and apparatus for of improving processing results in a processing chamber by orienting a substrate support relative to a surface within the processing chamber. The method comprising orienting a supporting surface of a substrate support in a first orientation relative to an output surface of a showerhead, where the first orientation of the supporting surface relative to the output surface is not coplanar, and depositing a first layer of material on a substrate disposed on the supporting surface that is oriented in the first orientation.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2019Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Jason M. Schaller, Michael Rohrer, Tuan Anh Nguyen, William Tyler Weaver, Gregory John Freeman, Robert Brent Vopat
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Publication number: 20190229004Abstract: A method and apparatus for of improving processing results in a processing chamber by orienting a substrate support relative to a surface within the processing chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2019Publication date: July 25, 2019Inventors: Jason M. SCHALLER, Michael ROHRER, Tuan Anh NGUYEN, William Tyler WEAVER, Gregory John FREEMAN, Robert Brent VOPAT
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Patent number: 10249525Abstract: A method and apparatus for of improving processing results in a processing chamber by orienting a substrate support relative to a surface within the processing chamber. The method comprising orienting a supporting surface of a substrate support in a first orientation relative to an output surface of a showerhead, where the first orientation of the supporting surface relative to the output surface is not coplanar, and depositing a first layer of material on a substrate disposed on the supporting surface that is oriented in the first orientation.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2017Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Jason M. Schaller, Michael Paul Rohrer, Tuan Anh Nguyen, William Tyler Weaver, Gregory John Freeman, Robert Brent Vopat
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Publication number: 20180096874Abstract: A method and apparatus for of improving processing results in a processing chamber by orienting a substrate support relative to a surface within the processing chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2017Publication date: April 5, 2018Inventors: Jason M. SCHALLER, Michael Paul ROHRER, Tuan Anh NGUYEN, William Tyler WEAVER, Gregory John FREEMAN, Robert Brent VOPAT