Patents by Inventor Kevin Lai

Kevin Lai 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: 20030134571
    Abstract: A dual semiconductor wafer slippage, or loss, and water-resistant sensor holder for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) semiconductor fabrication equipment is disclosed. The holder has a body and a cover. The body is designed to hold two wafer slippage sensors at an angle to a vertical plane, such as substantially fifteen degrees, and has a window to allow the sensors to detect wafer slippage. The cover is situated over the window of the body to prevent slurry from spraying and drying onto the sensors during high-pressure rinse cleaning of a platen of the CMP semiconductor fabrication equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2002
    Publication date: July 17, 2003
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Rico Cheng, Kang-Yung Peng, Kevin Lai
  • Publication number: 20030119434
    Abstract: A cassette tub for holding at least one wafer cassette in a tilted position for accessing by a robot blade by utilizing a cassette tub pin assembly to ensure the tilt angle of the wafer cassette is described. The cassette tub is filled with water such that wafers during a chemical mechanical polishing process may be stored therein without any residual slurry solution solidified on the surface of the wafer, and thus eliminating the generation of any contaminating particles or abrasive particles which may cause severe scratching in a subsequent chemical mechanical polishing process. The cassette tub pin assembly is securely mounted to a mounting reel in the cassette tub such that the angle of the wafer cassette is ensured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kevin Lai, Yao-Hsiang Liang
  • Publication number: 20030092348
    Abstract: An interactive ride-on toy, having a stuffed toy horse's head which includes ears, a movable mouth and is connected to a stick. One or more buttons, each with an icon depicting an image, is positioned on one or both ears of the horse's head. An electronically programmed chip responds to activation of the button to operate a speaker and a mechanism for moving the horse's mouth, the speaker playing sounds relating to the image depicted on each button.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2002
    Publication date: May 15, 2003
    Inventors: Jack Horchler, Damian Mucaro, Kevin Lai
  • Patent number: 6524156
    Abstract: An interactive ride-on toy, having a stuffed toy horse's head which includes ears, a movable mouth and is connected to a stick. One or more buttons, each with an icon depicting an image, is positioned on one or both ears of the horse's head. An electronically programmed chip responds to activation of the button to operate a speaker and a mechanism for moving the horse's mouth, the speaker playing sounds relating to the image depicted on each button.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Tek Nek Toys International Inc.
    Inventors: Jack Horchler, Damian Mucaro, Kevin Lai
  • Patent number: 6251190
    Abstract: A gate electrode connection structure formed by deposition of a tungsten nitride barrier layer and a tungsten plug, where the tungsten nitride and tungsten deposition are accomplished in situ in the same chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber. The tungsten nitride deposition is performed by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) using a plasma containing hydrogen, nitrogen and tungsten hexafluoride. Before deposition the wafer is pretreated with a hydrogen plasma to improve adhesion. The tungsten deposition process may be done by CVD using tungsten hexafluoride and hydrogen. A tungsten nucleation step is included in which a process gas including a tungsten hexafluoride, diborane and hydrogen are flowed into a deposition zone of a substrate processing chamber. Following the nucleation step, the diborane is shut off while the pressure level and other process parameters are maintained at conditions suitable for bulk deposition of tungsten.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfred Mak, Kevin Lai, Cissy Leung, Steve G. Ghanayem, Thomas Wendling, Ping Jian
  • Patent number: 6206967
    Abstract: A multiple step chemical vapor deposition process for depositing a tungsten film on a substrate. A first step of the deposition process includes a nucleation step in which a process gas including a tungsten-containing source, a group III or V hydride and a reduction agent are flowed into a deposition zone of a substrate processing chamber while the deposition zone is maintained at or below a first pressure level. During this first deposition stage, other process variables are maintained at conditions suitable to deposit a first layer of the tungsten film over the substrate. Next, during a second deposition stage after the first stage, the flow of the group III or V hydride into the deposition zone is stopped, and afterwards, the pressure in the deposition zone is increased to a second pressure above the first pressure level and other process parameters are maintained at conditions suitable for depositing a second layer of the tungsten film on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfred Mak, Kevin Lai, Cissy Leung, Dennis Sauvage
  • Patent number: 6162715
    Abstract: A gate electrode connection structure formed by deposition of a tungsten nitride barrier layer and a tungsten plug, where the tungsten nitride and tungsten deposition are accomplished in situ in the same chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber. The tungsten nitride deposition is performed by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) using a plasma containing hydrogen, nitrogen and tungsten hexafluoride. Before deposition the wafer is pretreated with a hydrogen plasma to improve adhesion. The tungsten deposition process may be done by CVD using tungsten hexafluoride and hydrogen. A tungsten nucleation step is included in which a process gas including a tungsten hexafluoride, diborane and hydrogen are flowed into a deposition zone of a substrate processing chamber. Following the nucleation step, the diborane is shut off while the pressure level and other process parameters are maintained at conditions suitable for bulk deposition of tungsten.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2000
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfred Mak, Kevin Lai, Cissy Leung, Steve G. Ghanayem, Thomas Wendling, Ping Jian
  • Patent number: 6099904
    Abstract: A multiple step chemical vapor deposition process for depositing a tungsten film on a substrate. A first step of the deposition process includes a nucleation step in which a process gas including a tungsten-containing source, a group III or V hydride and a reduction agent are flowed into a deposition zone of a substrate processing chamber while the deposition zone is maintained at or below a first pressure level. During this first deposition stage, other process variables are maintained at conditions suitable to deposit a first layer of the tungsten film over the substrate. Next, during a second deposition stage after the first stage, the flow of the group III or V hydride into the deposition zone is stopped, and afterwards, the pressure in the deposition zone is increased to a second pressure above the first pressure level and other process parameters are maintained at conditions suitable for depositing a second layer of the tungsten film on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Alfred Mak, Kevin Lai, Cissy Leung, Dennis Sauvage
  • Patent number: D439352
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: Nonteen Innovative, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kevin Lai
  • Patent number: D470959
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Inventor: Kevin Lai
  • Patent number: D348009
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1994
    Assignee: Beare Design Collection Limited
    Inventor: Kevin Lai