Patents by Inventor James Sternbergh

James Sternbergh 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).

  • Method and apparatus for monitoring optical characteristics of thin films in a deposition process
    Patent number: 7008518
    Abstract: The present invention is directed at least in part to methods and apparatus for optically monitoring selected optical characteristics of coatings formed on substrates during the deposition process and controlling the deposition process responsive thereto. In one aspect, the system includes a retroreflector for reflecting an electromagnetic beam transmitted by the coating and substrate back through the substrate and coating before selected properties of the retroreflected beam are measured. The system and method improve the signal to noise properties of the measured beam. The present invention may be used in systems for coating one or an array of substrates, and is particularly suitable for deposition processes where the substrates are translated past the sources of material to be deposited, and wherein the angle of incidence of a monitor beam on the substrate changes as the substrate translates past the beam source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Deposition Sciences, Inc.
    Inventors: James Sternbergh, Eric M. Krisl, Norm L. Boling
  • Method and apparatus for monitoring optical characteristics of thin films in a deposition process
    Publication number: 20050167264
    Abstract: The present invention is directed at least in part to methods and apparatus for optically monitoring selected optical characteristics of coatings formed on substrates during the deposition process and controlling the deposition process responsive thereto. In one aspect, the system includes a retroreflector for reflecting an electromagnetic beam transmitted by the coating and substrate back through the substrate and coating before selected properties of the retroreflected beam are measured. The system and method improve the signal to noise properties of the measured beam. The present invention may be used in systems for coating one or an array of substrates, and is particularly suitable for deposition processes where the substrates are translated past the sources of material to be deposited, and wherein the angle of incidence of a monitor beam on the substrate changes as the substrate translates past the beam source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2005
    Publication date: August 4, 2005
    Inventors: James Sternbergh, Eric Krisl, Norm Boling