Patents by Inventor John M. White

John M. White 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: 10410899
    Abstract: Described herein are an electrostatic chuck and method for using the same. In one example, an electrostatic chuck is provided that includes a plurality of independently replaceable electrostatic chuck assemblies mounted in an array across a chuck body. The electrostatic chuck assemblies define a substrate support surface suitable for supporting a large area substrate. At least a first electrostatic chuck assembly of the plurality of electrostatic chuck assemblies is operable independent of an operation of a second electrostatic chuck assembly of the plurality of electrostatic chuck assemblies. In yet another example, a method for chucking a substrate is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: John M. White, Shreesha Y. Rao
  • Publication number: 20190198217
    Abstract: In large area plasma processing systems, process gases may be introduced to the chamber via the showerhead assembly which may be driven as an RF electrode. The gas feed tube, which is grounded, is electrically isolated from the showerhead. The gas feed tube may provide not only process gases, but also cleaning gases from a remote plasma source to the process chamber. The inside of the gas feed tube may remain at either a low RF field or a zero RF field to avoid premature gas breakdown within the gas feed tube that may lead to parasitic plasma formation between the gas source and the showerhead. By feeding the gas through an RF choke, the RF field and the processing gas may be introduced to the processing chamber through a common location and thus simplify the chamber design.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Jozef KUDELA, Carl A. SORENSEN, John M. WHITE
  • Publication number: 20190189328
    Abstract: In large area plasma processing systems, process gases may be introduced to the chamber via the showerhead assembly which may be driven as an RF electrode. The gas feed tube, which is grounded, is electrically isolated from the showerhead. The gas feed tube may provide not only process gases, but also cleaning gases from a remote plasma source to the process chamber. The inside of the gas feed tube may remain at either a low RF field or a zero RF field to avoid premature gas breakdown within the gas feed tube that may lead to parasitic plasma formation between the gas source and the showerhead. By feeding the gas through an RF choke, the RF field and the processing gas may be introduced to the processing chamber through a common location and thus simplify the chamber design.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Jozef KUDELA, Carl A. SORENSEN, John M. WHITE
  • Patent number: 10312058
    Abstract: Embodiments of a method of depositing a thin film on a substrate is provided that includes placing a substrate on a substrate support that is mounted in a processing region of a processing chamber, flowing a process fluid through a plurality of gas passages in a diffuser plate toward the substrate supported on the substrate support, wherein the diffuser plate has an upstream side and a downstream side and the downstream side has a substantially concave curvature, and each of the gas passages are formed between the upstream side and the downstream side, and creating a plasma between the downstream side of the diffuser plate and the substrate support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Soo Young Choi, John M. White, Qunhua Wang, Li Hou, Ki Woon Kim, Shinichi Kurita, Tae Kyung Won, Suhail Anwar, Beom Soo Park, Robin L. Tiner
  • Patent number: 10304713
    Abstract: A substrate carrier adapted to use in a processing system includes an electrode assembly and a support base. The electrode assembly is configured to generate an electrostatic chucking force for securing a substrate to the substrate carrier. The support base has a heating/cooling reservoir formed therein. The electrode assembly and the support base form an unitary body configured for transport within a processing system. A quick disconnect is coupled to the body and configured to trap a heat regulating medium in the reservoir heating/cooling reservoir when the body is decoupled from a source of heat regulating medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: John M. White, Zuoqian Wang
  • Patent number: 10304607
    Abstract: In large area plasma processing systems, process gases may be introduced to the chamber via the showerhead assembly which may be driven as an RF electrode. The gas feed tube, which is grounded, is electrically isolated from the showerhead. The gas feed tube may provide not only process gases, but also cleaning gases from a remote plasma source to the process chamber. The inside of the gas feed tube may remain at either a low RF field or a zero RF field to avoid premature gas breakdown within the gas feed tube that may lead to parasitic plasma formation between the gas source and the showerhead. By feeding the gas through an RF choke, the RF field and the processing gas may be introduced to the processing chamber through a common location and thus simplify the chamber design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Jozef Kudela, Carl A. Sorensen, John M. White
  • Patent number: 10297483
    Abstract: A substrate carrier adapted to use in a processing system includes an electrode assembly and a support base. The electrode assembly is configured to generate an electrostatic chucking force for securing a substrate to the substrate carrier. The support base has a heating/cooling reservoir formed therein. The electrode assembly and the support base form an unitary body configured for transport within a processing system. A quick disconnect is coupled to the body and configured to trap a heat regulating medium in the reservoir heating/cooling reservoir when the body is decoupled from a source of heat regulating medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: John M. White, Zuoqian Wang
  • Publication number: 20190131909
    Abstract: A method of controlling an electric motor includes determining a PWM control signal, analyzing the PWM control signal to determine if components of the PWM signal are within a threshold amount of each other, applying duty-cycle blanking to the PWM control signal, if the components of the PWM control signal are within the threshold amount of each other, to generate an adjusted PWM control signal, and controlling the electric motor with the adjusted the PWM signal to limit parasitic effects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Sayeed A. Mir, John D. Neely, Stanley L. Seely, John M. White
  • Patent number: 10262837
    Abstract: Embodiments of a gas diffuser plate for distributing gas in a processing chamber are provided. The gas distribution plate includes a diffuser plate having an upstream side and a downstream side, and a plurality of gas passages passing between the upstream and downstream sides of the diffuser plate. The gas passages include hollow cathode cavities at the downstream side to enhance plasma ionization. The depths, the diameters, the surface area and density of hollow cathode cavities of the gas passages that extend to the downstream end can be gradually increased from the center to the edge of the diffuser plate to improve the film thickness and property uniformity across the substrate. The increasing diameters, depths and surface areas from the center to the edge of the diffuser plate can be created by bending the diffuser plate toward downstream side, followed by machining out the convex downstream side. Bending the diffuser plate can be accomplished by a thermal process or a vacuum process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Soo Young Choi, John M. White, Qunhua Wang, Li Hou, Ki Woon Kim, Shinichi Kurita, Tae Kyung Won, Suhail Anwar, Beom Soo Park, Robin L. Tiner
  • Patent number: 10256382
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to light field displays and methods of displaying images with light field arrays. In one example, the present disclosure relates to pixel arrangements for use in light field displays. Each pixel includes a plurality of LEDs, such as micro LEDs, positioned adjacent respective micro-lenses of each pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: John M. White, Christopher Dennis Bencher, Manivannan Thothadri, Robert Jan Visser
  • Patent number: 10190693
    Abstract: Vacuum chambers having inflatable slit valve opening seals are described herein. In one example, a vacuum chamber includes a chamber body, a first inflatable seal, and a first slit valve door. The chamber body has a top, a bottom, and sidewalls. A first slit valve opening is formed in the sidewalls. The first inflatable seal is sealingly coupled to the sidewall and circumscribes the first slit valve opening. The first inflatable seal has a base coupled to the sidewall and a hollow tubular portion that can move laterally relative to the base. The first slit valve door is moveable between a close state that contacts the first inflatable seal to provide a vacuum seal between the first slit valve door and chamber body, and an open state that positions the first slit valve door clear of the first slit valve opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: John M. White
  • Patent number: 10184179
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for an atomic layer deposition (ALD) processing chamber for device fabrication and methods for replacing a gas distribution plate and mask of the same. The ALD processing chamber has a slit valve configured to allow removal and replacement of a gas distribution plate and mask. The ALD processing chamber may also have actuators operable to move the gas distribution plate to and from a process position and a substrate support assembly operable to move the mask to and from a process position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Shinichi Kurita, Jozef Kudela, John M. White, Dieter Haas
  • Publication number: 20190019840
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide for light field displays and methods of forming light field displays where micro-LED arrays are each configured to provide at least a macro-pixel of effective native hardware resolution, where each macro-pixel provides single pixel of spatial resolution and plurality of pixels of angular resolution, and where each pixel of angular resolution includes a plurality of sub-pixels each provided by a directional collimating micro-LED device described herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Inventors: Manivannan THOTHADRI, Christopher Dennis BENCHER, Robert Jan VISSER, John M. WHITE
  • Patent number: 10153191
    Abstract: A substrate carrier system is provided. The substrate carrier system includes a substrate carrier body, an electrode assembly, a support base, and a controller. The substrate carrier body has a substrate supporting surface, and an electrode assembly is disposed in the substrate carrier body. The electrode assembly includes a plurality of laterally spaced apart electrode sets. Each electrode set includes a first electrode interleaved with a second electrode. The support base supports the substrate carrier body. The controller is configured to: select a first group of the electrode sets and a second group of the electrode sets from the plurality of the electrode sets; operate the first group of the electrode sets in a first chucking mode; simultaneously operate the second group of the electrode sets in a second chucking mode; and selectively switch at least one electrode set from the first group to the second group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Zuoqian Wang, John M. White
  • Patent number: 10126790
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally relate to a temperature control system for a substrate support assembly disposed in a substrate processing system. In one embodiment, a temperature control system is disclosed herein. The temperature control system includes a remote fluid source and a main frame system. The remote fluid source includes a first reservoir and a second reservoir. The main frame system includes a first fluid loop and a second fluid loop. The first fluid loop is coupled to, and configured to receive a first fluid from, the first reservoir. The second fluid loop is coupled to and configured to receive a second fluid from the second reservoir. The first proportioning valve has a first inlet in communication with the first fluid loop and a second inlet in communication with the second fluid loop. The first proportioning valve has an outlet configured to flow a third fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventor: John M. White
  • Patent number: 10096509
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a substrate carrier system suitable for clamping a substrate and optionally a mask, the substrate carrier system having a stack of removable protective layers. In one embodiment, substrate carrier system is provide that includes a substrate carrier body having a protective layer stack disposed an outer mounting surface of the substrate carrier body. The substrate carrier body is configured to be transported into and out of a processing chamber. The protective layer stack has a plurality of removable protective layers which can be removed as needed to expose a “new” surface for chucking a substrate thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Zuoqian Wang, John M. White
  • Publication number: 20180277343
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an apparatus configured for sputter deposition on a substrate. The apparatus includes a cylindrical sputter cathode rotatable around a rotational axis, and a magnet assembly configured to provide a first plasma racetrack and a second plasma racetrack on opposite sides of the cylindrical sputter cathode, wherein the magnet assembly includes two, three or four magnets each having two poles and one or more sub-magnets, wherein the two, three or four magnets are configured for generating both the first plasma racetrack and the second plasma racetrack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventor: John M. WHITE
  • Publication number: 20180277351
    Abstract: RF power is coupled to one or more RF drive points (50-56) on an electrode (20-28) of a plasma chamber such that the level of RF power coupled to the RF drive points (51-52,55-56) on the half (61) of the electrode that is closer to the workpiece passageway (12) exceeds the level of RF power coupled to the RF drive points (53-54), if any, on the other half (62) of the electrode. Alternatively, RF power is coupled to one or more RF drive points on an electrode of a plasma chamber such that the weighted mean of the drive point positions is between the center (60) of the electrode and the workpiece passageway. The weighted mean is based on weighting each drive point position by the time-averaged level of RF power coupled to that drive point position. The invention offsets an increase in plasma density that otherwise would exist adjacent the end of the electrode closest to the passageway.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jozef Kudela, Carl A. Sorensen, Soo Young Choi, John M. White
  • Publication number: 20180265965
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an apparatus for loading a substrate into a vacuum processing module. The apparatus includes a Bernoulli-type holder having a surface configured to face the substrate, and a gas supply configured to direct a stream of gas between the surface and the substrate, wherein the Bernoulli-type holder is configured to provide a pressure between the substrate and the surface configured for levitation of the substrate. The substrate is a large area substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventor: John M. WHITE
  • Publication number: 20180258519
    Abstract: An apparatus for vacuum deposition on a substrate is provided. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber having a deposition area, one or more deposition sources in the deposition area and configured for vacuum deposition on the substrate while the substrate is transported along a transport direction past the one or more deposition sources, and a masking arrangement in the deposition area and configured for masking at least one of a first edge portion and a second edge portion of the substrate while the substrate passes the masking arrangement and the one or more deposition sources. The first edge portion and the second edge portion are opposite edge portions of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventor: John M. WHITE