Abstract: A blower has a blower housing of clamshell construction, including two housing members having a scroll back wall molded with radial draft, an impeller and a motor within the housing, and a static tap connected to the housing. The impeller has a backplate with a backplate back surface region of substantially the same radially converging shape as that of a front surface region of the scroll back wall formed by the radial draft, providing a substantially uniform axial gap between the backplate back surface region and the scroll back wall. The impeller has a ring connected by a skirt to the back plate to define a stepped area behind the ring. The impeller includes impeller blades extending forwardly from the impeller backplate and the ring and back fins extending rearwardly from the ring. The blower has a scroll width of about twice an impeller exhaust width.

Abstract: A blower has a blower housing of clamshell construction, including two housing members having a scroll back wall molded with radial draft, an impeller and a motor within the housing, and a static tap connected to the housing. The impeller has a backplate with a backplate back surface region of substantially the same radially converging shape as that of a front surface region of the scroll back wall formed by the radial draft, providing a substantially uniform axial gap between the backplate back surface region and the scroll back wall. The impeller has a ring connected by a skirt to the back plate to define a stepped area behind the ring. The impeller includes impeller blades extending forwardly from the impeller backplate and the ring and back fins extending rearwardly from the ring. The blower has a scroll width of about twice an impeller exhaust width.

Abstract: A blower has a blower housing of clamshell construction, including two housing members having a scroll back wall molded with radial draft, an impeller and a motor within the housing, and a static tap connected to the housing. The impeller has a backplate with a backplate back surface region of substantially the same radially converging shape as that of a front surface region of the scroll back wall formed by the radial draft, providing a substantially uniform axial gap between the backplate back surface region and the scroll back wall. The impeller has a ring connected by a skirt to the back plate to define a stepped area behind the ring. The impeller includes impeller blades extending forwardly from the impeller backplate and the ring and back fins extending rearwardly from the ring. The blower has a scroll width of about twice an impeller exhaust width.

Abstract: A blower has a blower housing of clamshell construction, including two housing members having a scroll back wall molded with radial draft, an impeller and a motor within the housing, and a static tap connected to the housing. The impeller has a backplate with a backplate back surface region of substantially the same radially converging shape as that of a front surface region of the scroll back wall formed by the radial draft, providing a substantially uniform axial gap between the backplate back surface region and the scroll back wall. The impeller has a ring connected by a skirt to the back plate to define a stepped area behind the ring. The impeller includes impeller blades extending forwardly from the impeller backplate and the ring and back fins extending rearwardly from the ring. The blower has a scroll width of about twice an impeller exhaust width.

Abstract: A furnace assembly comprising a non-condensing furnace with a draft inducer. The draft inducer includes a permanent magnet electrically commutated motor and a draft inducer blower fan. The motor includes a stator, a rotor, a motor cooling fan, and a controller. The rotor being rotatable relative to the stator, the fan being operatively coupled to the rotor such that rotation of the rotor causes rotation of the fan, the controller being configured to selectively operate the motor in first and second different torque ranges of the rotor, with the first and second torque range operating within a fixed percentage and within a fixed percentage of each other. The controller being configured such during normal operation, the motor is not operable at any torques between the first torque range and the second torque range except during transitionary periods.

Abstract: A furnace assembly comprising a non-condensing furnace with a draft inducer. The draft inducer includes a permanent magnet electrically commutated motor and a draft inducer blower fan. The motor includes a stator, a rotor, a motor cooling fan, and a controller. The rotor being rotatable relative to the stator, the fan being operatively coupled to the rotor such that rotation of the rotor causes rotation of the fan, the controller being configured to selectively operate the motor in first and second different torque ranges of the rotor, with the first and second torque range operating within a fixed percentage and within a fixed percentage of each other. The controller being configured such during normal operation, the motor is not operable at any torques between the first torque range and the second torque range except during transitionary periods.

Abstract: A furnace assembly comprising a non-condensing furnace with a draft inducer. The draft inducer includes a permanent magnet electrically commutated motor and a draft inducer blower fan. The motor includes a stator, a rotor, a motor cooling fan, and a controller. The rotor being rotatable relative to the stator, the fan being operatively coupled to the rotor such that rotation of the rotor causes rotation of the fan, the controller being configured to selectively operate the motor in first and second different torque ranges of the rotor, with the first and second torque range operating within a fixed percentage and within a fixed percentage of each other. The controller being configured such during normal operation, the motor is not operable at any torques between the first torque range and the second torque range except during transitionary periods.

Abstract: A furnace assembly comprising a non-condensing furnace with a draft inducer. The draft inducer includes a permanent magnet electrically commutated motor and a draft inducer blower fan. The motor includes a stator, a rotor, a motor cooling fan, and a controller. The rotor being rotatable relative to the stator, the fan being operatively coupled to the rotor such that rotation of the rotor causes rotation of the fan, the controller being configured to selectively operate the motor in first and second different torque ranges of the rotor, with the first and second torque range operating within a fixed percentage and within a fixed percentage of each other. The controller being configured such during normal operation, the motor is not operable at any torques between the first torque range and the second torque range except during transitionary periods.

Abstract: A method for characterizing the performance of an electrostatic chuck prior to installing the chuck in the vacuum chamber of a semiconductor processing system in a production line. One or more characteristics of the electrostatic chuck are measured and compared with the known characteristics of a reference chuck. The comparison indicates the performance of the chuck and projects the performance of the chuck in an actual operating environment. The characteristics that are measured include the chuck impedance, the current-voltage characteristic of the chuck, the local plasma density proximate the support surface of the chuck, and the cooling or heating rate of the chuck.

Abstract: A case retained external capacitor that can be installed onto the motor sleeve of an electric motor. The case retained capacitor includes a capacitor case having a mounting clip formed along its inner wall. The mounting clip is sized to be retained within an attachment slot stamped from the motor sleeve. The capacitor case receives a capacitor having lead wires that extend out of the capacitor case and into the interior defined by the motor sleeve. During construction of a motor utilizing the case retained capacitor of the present invention, the capacitor case is installed along the motor sleeve by sliding the mounting clip into the attachment slot formed in the motor sleeve. Once the capacitor case is in place, the end plate of the motor is installed to prevent separation of the capacitor case from the motor sleeve.

Abstract: A method for characterizing the performance of an electrostatic chuck prior to installing the chuck in the vacuum chamber of a semiconductor processing system in a production line. One or more characteristics of the electrostatic chuck are measured and compared with the known characteristics of a reference chuck. The comparison indicates the performance of the chuck and projects the performance of the chuck in an actual operating environment. The characteristics that are measured include the chuck impedance, the current-voltage characteristic of the chuck, the local plasma density proximate the support surface of the chuck, and the cooling or heating rate of the chuck.

Abstract: A case retained external capacitor that can be installed onto the motor sleeve of an electric motor. The case retained capacitor includes a capacitor case having a mounting clip formed along its inner wall. The mounting clip is sized to be retained within an attachment slot stamped from the motor sleeve. The capacitor case receives a capacitor having lead wires that extend out of the capacitor case and into the interior defined by the motor sleeve. During construction of a motor utilizing the case retained capacitor of the present invention, the capacitor case is installed along the motor sleeve by sliding the mounting clip into the attachment slot formed in the motor sleeve. Once the capacitor case is in place, the end plate of the motor is installed to prevent separation of the capacitor case from the motor sleeve.