Patents by Inventor Kenneth P. Regan
Kenneth P. Regan 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).
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Patent number: 8169769Abstract: A detection circuit is provided for a power supply for an electrostatic chuck generating a trapezoidal waveform with approximately flat tops and minimal dead-time between phase reversals. The detection circuit includes an amplifying circuit which receives inputs from a secondary winding of a transformer of the power supply and produces an amplified buffered signal. A chucking detect circuit receives the signal from the amplifying circuit and is configured to produce a first signal indicative of a substrate on the electrostatic chuck and a second signal indicative of an electrostatic chuck without a substrate. A chucking quality circuit receives the signal from the amplifying circuit and produces a signal indicative of a quality of the chucking of the substrate. A movement detection circuit receives the signal from the amplifying circuit and produces a signal indicative of movement of the substrate on the electrostatic chuck.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2010Date of Patent: May 1, 2012Assignee: TEL Epion Inc.Inventor: Kenneth P. Regan
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Publication number: 20110240602Abstract: The invention includes a high-voltage gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) processing system for treating a workpiece using a gas cluster ion beam. The high-voltage GCIB processing system includes a high-voltage (HV) source system that includes a high-voltage (HV) source chamber having a high-voltage (HV) nozzle subassembly, a nozzle element, and a high-voltage (HV) skimmer subassembly therein. The high-voltage gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) processing system includes a high-voltage (HV) power supply coupled to the HV nozzle subassembly and the HV skimmer subassembly. A high-voltage (HV) ionization chamber can be coupled to the HV source chamber and can include an ionizer coupled to the chamber wall by an isolation structure. In addition, a grounded GCIB processing chamber can be coupled to the HV ionization chamber by an isolation structure and can include a scanable workpiece holder.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2010Publication date: October 6, 2011Applicant: TEL Epion Inc.Inventors: Robert K. Becker, Matthew C. Gwinn, Kenneth P. Regan
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Patent number: 7948734Abstract: A power supply is provided for an electrostatic chuck. A signal generating circuit of the power supply is configured to generate a square wave signal. An amplifying circuit is electrically connected to the square wave circuit and configured to amplify the square wave signal. A transformer has a primary and a secondary winding. The primary winding is electrically connected to the amplifying circuit and the secondary winding is configured to be electrically connected to the electrostatic chuck. The secondary winding produces a signal for the electrostatic chuck. A voltage divider circuit is electrically connected to the secondary winding and to the amplifying circuit. The voltage divider circuit is configured to reduce the voltage of the signal for the electrostatic chuck and feed back the reduced voltage signal to the amplifying circuit. The signal from the secondary winding is a trapezoidal waveform with approximately flat tops and minimal dead-time between phase reversals.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2008Date of Patent: May 24, 2011Assignee: TEL Epion Inc.Inventor: Kenneth P. Regan
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Patent number: 7834327Abstract: A load circuit device having a self-biasing active load circuit, and a related high voltage power supply configured to bias an optical element in a charged particle beam processing system, such as a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) processing system. The high voltage power supply comprises a variable voltage supply having a load terminal at a load potential and a reference terminal at a reference potential, and a self-biasing active load circuit connected between the load terminal and the reference terminal, and configured to sustain a variable voltage drop between the load potential and the reference potential while maintaining a substantially constant current.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2008Date of Patent: November 16, 2010Assignee: TEL Epion Inc.Inventor: Kenneth P. Regan
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Publication number: 20100182036Abstract: A detection circuit is provided for a power supply for an electrostatic chuck generating a trapezoidal waveform with approximately flat tops and minimal dead-time between phase reversals. The detection circuit includes an amplifying circuit which receives inputs from a secondary winding of a transformer of the power supply and produces an amplified buffered signal. A chucking detect circuit receives the signal from the amplifying circuit and is configured to produce a first signal indicative of a substrate on the electrostatic chuck and a second signal indicative of an electrostatic chuck without a substrate. A chucking quality circuit receives the signal from the amplifying circuit and produces a signal indicative of a quality of the chucking of the substrate. A movement detection circuit receives the signal from the amplifying circuit and produces a signal indicative of movement of the substrate on the electrostatic chuck.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2010Publication date: July 22, 2010Applicant: TEL EPION INC.Inventor: Kenneth P. Regan
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Publication number: 20100072393Abstract: A load circuit device having a self-biasing active load circuit, and a related high voltage power supply configured to bias an optical element in a charged particle beam processing system, such as a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) processing system. The high voltage power supply comprises a variable voltage supply having a load terminal at a load potential and a reference terminal at a reference potential, and a self-biasing active load circuit connected between the load terminal and the reference terminal, and configured to sustain a variable voltage drop between the load potential and the reference potential while maintaining a substantially constant current.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2008Publication date: March 25, 2010Applicant: TEL EPION INC.Inventor: Kenneth P. Regan
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Publication number: 20100061033Abstract: A power supply is provided for an electrostatic chuck. A signal generating circuit of the power supply is configured to generate a square wave signal. An amplifying circuit is electrically connected to the square wave circuit and configured to amplify the square wave signal. A transformer has a primary and a secondary winding. The primary winding is electrically connected to the amplifying circuit and the secondary winding is configured to be electrically connected to the electrostatic chuck. The secondary winding produces a signal for the electrostatic chuck. A voltage divider circuit is electrically connected to the secondary winding and to the amplifying circuit. The voltage divider circuit is configured to reduce the voltage of the signal for the electrostatic chuck and feed back the reduced voltage signal to the amplifying circuit. The signal from the secondary winding is a trapezoidal waveform with approximately flat tops and minimal dead-time between phase reversals.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2008Publication date: March 11, 2010Applicant: TEL EPION INC.Inventor: Kenneth P. Regan
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Patent number: 7345856Abstract: In an ion bean acceleration system, transient electrical arc suppression and ion beam accelerator biasing circuitry. Two-terminal circuitry, connectable in series, for suppressing arcs by automatically sensing arc conditions and switch from at least a first operating state providing a relatively low resistance electrical pathway for current between source and load terminals to at least a second, relatively high resistance electrical pathway. Selection of circuit component characteristics permits controlling the delay in returning from the second state to the first state after the arc has been suppressed.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2005Date of Patent: March 18, 2008Assignee: TEL Epion Inc.Inventor: Kenneth P. Regan