Patents by Inventor Kenneth A. Collins

Kenneth A. Collins 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).

  • Publication number: 20060235496
    Abstract: An intravenous heat exchange catheter and/or an external cooling pad/bladder can be used to maintain hypothermia in, e.g., a cardiac arrest patient, but to accelerate the cooling process the patient first can be infused with cold saline before the opportunity arises to connect the catheter or pad to the patient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2006
    Publication date: October 19, 2006
    Inventors: Kenneth Collins, William Worthen
  • Publication number: 20060200215
    Abstract: A closed loop heat exchange catheter can be placed in a patient suffering from cardiac arrest or myocardial infarction to cool the patient. Or, a heat exchange pad can be placed against the patient's skin to cool the patient. Magnesium sulfate is infused into the patient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2005
    Publication date: September 7, 2006
    Inventor: Kenneth Collins
  • Patent number: 7070612
    Abstract: An intravenous heat exchange catheter and/or an external cooling pad/bladder can be used to maintain hypothermia in, e.g., a cardiac arrest patient, but to accelerate the cooling process the patient first can be infused with cold saline before the opportunity arises to connect the catheter or pad to the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Alsius Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth A. Collins, William J. Worthen
  • Publication number: 20060132119
    Abstract: The configurable interface device (CID) is a modular, high-density, high-performance electronic test interface that includes a circuit card assembly and mechanical interface. The mechanical interface provides proper alignment to an interface test adapter (ITA), and electrical engagement, or disengagement. The circuit card assembly routes external high-speed electrical stimulus and response signals to sockets where configurable interconnections re-route these signals to an interface test adapter, and are carried through to the device under test (DUT).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2004
    Publication date: June 22, 2006
    Inventors: Kenneth Collins, Allen Baldvins
  • Publication number: 20060088655
    Abstract: A method of measuring ion dose in a plasma immersion ion implantation reactor during ion implantation of a selected species into a workpiece includes placing the workpiece on a pedestal in the reactor and feeding into the reactor a process gas comprising a species to be implanted into the workpiece, and then coupling RF plasma source power to a plasma in the reactor. It further includes coupling RF bias power to the workpiece by an RF bias power generator that is coupled to the workpiece through a bias feedpoint of the reactor and measuring RF current at the feedpoint to generate a current-related value, and then integrating the current-related over time to produce an ion implantation dose-related value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2004
    Publication date: April 27, 2006
    Inventors: Kenneth Collins, Hiroji Hanawa, Kartik Ramaswamy, Amir Al-Bayati, Andrew Nguyen, Biagio Gallo
  • Publication number: 20060081558
    Abstract: A method of processing a workpiece includes placing the workpiece on a workpiece support pedestal in a main chamber with a gas distribution showerhead, introducing a process gas into a remote plasma source chamber and generating a plasma in the remote plasma source chamber, transporting plasma-generated species from the remote plasma source chamber to the gas distribution showerhead so as to distribute the plasma-generated species into the main chamber through the gas distribution showerhead, and applying plasma RF power into the main chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Inventors: Kenneth Collins, Hiroji Hanawa, Kartik Ramaswamy, Andrew Nguyen, Amir Al-Bayati, Biagio Gallo
  • Publication number: 20060073683
    Abstract: A method of ion implanting a species in a workpiece to a selected ion implantation profile depth includes placing a workpiece having a semiconductor material on an electrostatic chuck in or near a processing region of a plasma reactor chamber and applying a chucking voltage to the electrostatic chuck. The method further includes introducing into the chamber a precursor gas including a species to be ion implanted in the workpiece and applying an RF bias to the electrostatic chuck, the RF bias having a bias level corresponding to the ion implantation profile depth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2005
    Publication date: April 6, 2006
    Inventors: Kenneth Collins, Hiroji Hanawa, Kartik Ramaswamy, Andrew Nguyen, Amir Al-Bayati, Biagio Gallo, Gonzalo Monroy
  • Publication number: 20060064146
    Abstract: A cooling system for an indwelling heat exchange catheter includes a heat exchange bath that is configured to receive a conduit that carries saline to and from the catheter. A heating/cooling fluid is in the bath and exchanges heat with the saline. A pump circulates the patient coolant to and from the catheter. The bath is kept at a minimum temperature and the pump stopped, with the pump being started immediately upon receiving a signal indicating that the patient's temperature is rising above a desired setpoint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2004
    Publication date: March 23, 2006
    Inventor: Kenneth Collins
  • Publication number: 20060054729
    Abstract: A retracting tether apparatus is disclosed comprising a retractor housing having a locking post on its outside surface. The apparatus also includes an attachment mechanism, such as a belt clip, for attaching to a body and a retaining section, the attachment mechanism being integral to the retaining section. The retaining section has a retaining section hole sized to mate with the locking post and the locking post has a mechanism for holding the post in the retaining section hole. The inside surface of the retaining section hole rides on an outside surface of the locking post to provide for smooth rotation of the retractor housing in relation to the retaining section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventors: John Salentine, Kenneth Collin
  • Publication number: 20060043065
    Abstract: A method of electrostatically chucking a wafer while removing heat from the wafer in a plasma reactor includes providing a polished generally continuous surface on a puck, placing the wafer on the polished surface of the puck and cooling the puck. A chucking voltage is applied to an electrode within the puck to electrostatically pull the wafer onto the surface of the puck with sufficient force to attain a selected heat transfer coefficient between contacting surfaces of the puck and wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2004
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Inventors: Douglas Buchberger, Daniel Hoffman, Kartik Ramaswamy, Andrew Nguyen, Hiorji Hanawa, Kenneth Collins, Amir Al-Bayati
  • Publication number: 20060019039
    Abstract: A plasma immersion ion implantation process for implanting a selected species at a desired ion implantation depth profile in a workpiece is carried out in a reactor chamber having a set of plural parallel ion shower grids that divide the chamber into an upper ion generation region and a lower process region, each of the ion shower grids having plural orifices in mutual registration from grid to grid, the plural orifices oriented in a non-parallel direction relative to a surface plane of the respective ion shower grid. The process includes placing a workpiece in the process region, the workpiece having a workpiece surface generally facing the surface plane of the closest one of the plural ion shower grids, and furnishing the selected species into the ion generation region. The process further includes evacuating the process region, and applying plasma source power to generate a plasma of the selected species in the ion generation region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2004
    Publication date: January 26, 2006
    Inventors: Hiroji Hanawa, Tsutomu Tanaka, Kenneth Collins, Amir Al-Bayati, Kartik Ramaswamy, Andrew Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20060019477
    Abstract: A plasma immersion ion implantation process for implanting a selected species at a desired ion implantation depth profile in a workpiece is carried out in a reactor chamber with an ion shower grid that divides the chamber into an upper ion generation region and a lower process region, the ion shower grid having plural elongate orifices oriented in a non-parallel direction relative to a surface plane of the ion shower grid. The process includes placing a workpiece in the process region, the workpiece having a workpiece surface generally facing the surface plane of the ion shower grid, and furnishing the selected species into the ion generation region in gaseous, molecular or atomic form and evacuating the process region at an evacuation rate sufficient to create a pressure drop across the ion shower grid from the ion generation region to the process region of about a factor of at least four.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2004
    Publication date: January 26, 2006
    Inventors: Hiroji Hanawa, Tsutomu Tanaka, Kenneth Collins, Amir Al-Bayati, Kartik Ramaswamy, Andrew Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20050232728
    Abstract: In a first aspect, a programmable transfer device is provided for transferring conductive pieces to electrode pads of a target substrate. The programmable transfer device includes (1) a transfer substrate; and (2) a plurality of individually addressable electrodes formed on the transfer substrate. Each electrode is adapted to selectively attract and hold a conductive piece during transfer of the conductive piece to an electrode pad of a target substrate. Numerous other aspects are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Publication date: October 20, 2005
    Inventors: Michael Rice, Claes Bjorkman, Jun Zhao, Kenneth Collins, Thomas Miu
  • Publication number: 20050230047
    Abstract: A plasma reactor for performing plasma immersion ion implantation, dopant deposition or surface material enhancement, includes a vacuum chamber, a wafer support pedestal or electrostatic chuck having an insulated electrode underlying a wafer support surface within said chamber, a chucking voltage source coupled to the insulated electrode, a thermal sink coupled to the electrostatic chuck, an RF bias power generator coupled to said electrostatic chuck, and a process gas supply and gas inlet ports coupled to the chamber and coupled to the gas supply. The process gas supply contains either (a) a gas containing a dopant species to be ion implanted in a semiconductive material of workpiece, (b) a gas containing a dopant species to be deposited on a surface of a semiconductive material of a workpiece, or (c) a gas containing a material enhancement species to be ion implanted into a workpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Publication date: October 20, 2005
    Inventors: Kenneth Collins, Hiroji Hanawa, Kartik Ramaswamy, Andrew Nguyen, Amir Al-Bayati, Biagio Gallo
  • Publication number: 20050211170
    Abstract: A plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor workpiece includes a reactor chamber and a set of plural parallel ion shower grids that divide the chamber into an upper ion generation region and a lower reactor region, each of the ion shower grids having plural orifices in mutual registration from grid to grid, each orifice being oriented in a non-parallel direction relative to a surface plane of the respective ion shower grid. A workpiece support in the process region faces the lowermost one of the ion shower grids. A reactive species source furnishes into the ion generation region a chemical vapor deposition precursor species. The reactor further includes a vacuum pump coupled to the reactor region, a plasma source power applicator for generating a plasma in the ion generation region and a grid potential source coupled to the set of ion shower grids.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Publication date: September 29, 2005
    Inventors: Hiroji Hanawa, Tsutomu Tanaka, Kenneth Collins, Amir Al-Bayati, Kartik Ramaswamy, Andrew Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20050211546
    Abstract: A reactive sputter deposition process is carried out in a reactor chamber having an ion shower grid that divides the chamber into an upper ion generation region and a lower process region, the ion shower grid having a plural orifices oriented in a non-parallel direction relative to a surface plane of the ion shower grid. A workpiece is placed in the process region, the workpiece having a workpiece surface generally facing the surface plane of the ion shower grid. The process includes sputtering deposition precursor species from a sputter target comprising a semiconductor species in the ion generation region, applying RF plasma source power to the ion generation region so as to generate a plasma from deposition precursor species sputtered from the target, applying a grid potential to the ion shower grid to create a flux of ions through the grid, and furnishing a gas species into the reactor chamber for combining with the semiconductor atoms to form molecules that deposit on the workpiece surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Publication date: September 29, 2005
    Inventors: Hiroji Hanawa, Tsutomu Tanaka, Kenneth Collins, Amir Al-bayati, Kartik Ramaswamy, Andrew Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20050211547
    Abstract: A reactive sputter deposition process is carried out in a reactor chamber having a set of plural parallel ion shower grids that divide the chamber into an upper ion generation region and a lower process region, each of the ion shower grids having plural orifices in mutual registration from grid to grid, each orifice being oriented in a non-parallel direction relative to a surface plane of the respective grid. A workpiece is placed in the process region, the workpiece having a workpiece surface generally facing the surface plane of nearest one of the ion shower grids.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Publication date: September 29, 2005
    Inventors: Hiroji Hanawa, Tsutomu Tanaka, Kenneth Collins, Amir Al-Bayati, Kartik Ramaswamy, Andrew Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20050211171
    Abstract: A plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor workpiece includes a reactor chamber and an ion shower grid dividing the chamber into an upper ion generation region and a lower process region, the ion shower grid having plural orifices oriented in a non-parallel direction relative to a surface plane of the grid. A workpiece support in the process region has a workpiece support surface in facing relationship to the ion shower grid. The reactor further includes a reactive species source for introducing into the ion generation region a chemical vapor deposition precursor species, a vacuum pump coupled to the process region, a plasma source power applicator for generating a plasma in the ion generation region and a grid potential source coupled to the ion shower grid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Publication date: September 29, 2005
    Inventors: Hiroji Hanawa, Tsutomu Tanaka, Kenneth Collins, Amir Al-Bayati, Kartik Ramaswamy, Andrew Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20050214477
    Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition process is carried out in a reactor chamber with an ion shower grid that divides the chamber into an upper ion generation region and a lower process region, the ion shower grid having plural orifices oriented in a non-parallel direction relative to a surface plane of the ion shower grid. A workpiece is placed in the process region facing the ion shower grid, the workpiece having a workpiece surface generally facing the surface plane of the ion shower grid. A gas mixture is furnished comprising deposition precursor species into the ion generation region and the process region is evacuated at an evacuation rate sufficient to create a pressure drop across the ion shower grid from the ion generation region to the process region whereby the pressure in the ion generation region is at least several times the pressure in the process region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Publication date: September 29, 2005
    Inventors: Hiroji Hanawa, Tsutomu Tanaka, Kenneth Collins, Amir Al-Bayati, Kartik Ramaswamy, Andrew Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20050214478
    Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition process is carried out in a reactor chamber having a set of plural parallel ion shower grids that divide the chamber into an upper ion generation region and a lower process region, each of the ion shower grids having plural orifices in mutual registration from grid to grid, each orifice being oriented in a non-parallel direction relative to a surface plane of the respective ion shower grid. A workpiece is placed in the process region, so that a workpiece surface of the workpiece is generally facing a surface plane of the nearest one of the ion shower grids, and a gas mixture comprising a deposition precursor species is furnished into the ion generation region. The process region is evacuated at an evacuation rate sufficient to create a pressure drop across the plural ion shower grids between the ion generation and process regions whereby the pressure in the ion generation region is several times the pressure in the process region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Publication date: September 29, 2005
    Inventors: Hiroji Hanawa, Tsutomu Tanaka, Kenneth Collins, Amir Al-Bayati, Kartik Ramaswamy, Andrew Nguyen