Patents by Inventor Gu LIU

Gu LIU 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: 12685095
    Abstract: Methods and systems for monitoring wafer processing results continuously and in real-time. In some embodiments, a system may comprise at least one non-active chamber with at least one feedthrough access port which is configured to interact with a metrology apparatus. The feedthrough access port has a surface exposed to an inner volume of the non-active chamber and has a fluorine-based coating covering the surface. The non-active chamber has a wafer access port to one or more other chambers. The metrology apparatus is positioned external to the non-active chamber and is oriented to detect metrology data through one of the feedthrough access ports. A data collection apparatus is connected to the metrology apparatus and configured to continuously receive data from the metrology apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2026
    Assignee: Applied Materials Inc.
    Inventors: Shuran Sheng, Eric Hollar, Sock Hoon Lim, Yu Yang, Ralph P. Antonio, Gu Liu
  • Patent number: 12564004
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for measuring a gap between a support surface for a substrate and an opposing upper surface of a processing chamber. The methods comprise: disposing a sensor substrate at a location spaced between the support surface and the upper surface, the sensor substrate comprising a body having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side facing the support surface and the second side facing the upper surface, the first side having a first sensor and the second side having a second sensor; measuring, using the first sensor, a first distance between the first side and the support surface; measuring, using the second sensor, a second distance between the second side and the upper surface; and determining a gap between the support surface and the upper surface using the first distance and the second distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2026
    Assignee: Applied Materials Inc.
    Inventors: Trung H. Dao, Sagir Bipin Kadiwala, Sam Kim, Minh Quoc Tran, Gu Liu
  • Publication number: 20250029862
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for measuring a gap between a support surface for a substrate and an opposing upper surface of a processing chamber. The methods comprise: disposing a sensor substrate at a location spaced between the support surface and the upper surface, the sensor substrate comprising a body having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side facing the support surface and the second side facing the upper surface, the first side having a first sensor and the second side having a second sensor; measuring, using the first sensor, a first distance between the first side and the support surface; measuring, using the second sensor, a second distance between the second side and the upper surface; and determining a gap between the support surface and the upper surface using the first distance and the second distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2023
    Publication date: January 23, 2025
    Inventors: Trung H. DAO, Sagir Bipin KADIWALA, Sam KIM, Minh Quoc TRAN, Gu LIU
  • Publication number: 20230378006
    Abstract: Methods and systems for monitoring wafer processing results continuously and in real-time. In some embodiments, a system may comprise at least one non-active chamber with at least one feedthrough access port which is configured to interact with a metrology apparatus. The feedthrough access port has a surface exposed to an inner volume of the non-active chamber and has a fluorine-based coating covering the surface. The non-active chamber has a wafer access port to one or more other chambers. The metrology apparatus is positioned external to the non-active chamber and is oriented to detect metrology data through one of the feedthrough access ports. A data collection apparatus is connected to the metrology apparatus and configured to continuously receive data from the metrology apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventors: Shuran SHENG, Eric HOLLAR, Sock Hoon LIM, Yu YANG, Ralph P. ANTONIO, Gu LIU