Patents by Inventor James C. Oswalt

James C. Oswalt 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: 6200412
    Abstract: A plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system includes a number of process gas injection tubes and at least one dedicated clean gas injection tube. A plasma is used to periodically clean the interior surfaces of the deposition chamber. The cleaning is made more rapid and effective by introducing the clean gas through the dedicated clean gas injection tube. In this manner the clean gas can be introduced at a relatively high flow rate without detracting from the cleaning of the interior surfaces of the process gas injection tubes. As a separate aspect of this invention, a high-frequency signal is applied to both terminals of the coil during the cleaning process. This produces a plasma, mainly by capacitive coupling, which has a shape and uniformity that are well-suited to cleaning the surfaces of the deposition chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Kilgore, Wilbert G. M. van den Hoek, Christopher J. Rau, Bart J. van Schravendijk, Jeffrey A. Tobin, Thomas W. Mountsier, James C. Oswalt