Patents by Inventor Kirby Floyd

Kirby Floyd 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: 7790229
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a spacing of a leveling plate from a chamber body comprises attaching a mounting stud that includes a stud threaded surface to the chamber body. An adjustment screw is provided that has a first threaded surface threadingly engaged with the stud threaded surface. A bushing is provided that has a bushing threaded surface threadingly engaged with a second threaded surface of the adjustment screw. The bushing is movably coupled to the leveling plate. Coarse adjustment of the spacing between the leveling plate and the chamber body is made by rotating the adjustment screw with respect to the mounting stud. The bushing is fixed to the leveling plate. Fine adjustment of the spacing between the leveling plate and the chamber body is made by rotating the adjustment screw with respect to the mounting stud and the bushing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Kirby Floyd
  • Patent number: 7754282
    Abstract: A method of adjusting a spacing between a gas distribution member and a substrate support includes forming a layer on a substrate disposed on the substrate support; measuring a thickness of the layer on the substrate; and calculating differences in thickness between a reference location on the substrate and a plurality of remaining locations on the substrate. The method further comprises computing spacing adjustment amounts for the remaining locations relative to the reference location based on the differences in thickness between the reference location and the remaining locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kirby Floyd, Adrian Q. Montgomery, Jennifer Gonzales, Won Bang, Rong Pan, Amna Mohammed, Yen-Kun Victor Wang
  • Patent number: 7572340
    Abstract: A device for adjusting a spacing between a chamber body such as a chamber body and a leveling plate such as a leveling plate comprises a mounting stud configured to be mounted to the chamber body. The mounting stud includes a stud threaded surface. A bushing is capable of being fixed to the leveling plate, and includes a bushing threaded surface. An adjustment screw has a first threaded surface threadingly engaged with the stud threaded surface of the mounting stud, and a second threaded surface threadingly engaged with the bushing threaded surface of the bushing. The threaded surfaces are configured, when the bushing is fixed to the leveling plate and the adjustment screw is turned, to cause the adjustment screw to move in a first direction with respect to the mounting stud at a first rate and the bushing to move in a second direction opposite from the first direction with respect to the adjustment screw at a second rate which is different from the first rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Kirby Floyd
  • Publication number: 20090031957
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a spacing of a leveling plate from a chamber body comprises attaching a mounting stud that includes a stud threaded surface to the chamber body. An adjustment screw is provided that has a first threaded surface threadingly engaged with the stud threaded surface. A bushing is provided that has a bushing threaded surface threadingly engaged with a second threaded surface of the adjustment screw. The bushing is movably coupled to the leveling plate. Coarse adjustment of the spacing between the leveling plate and the chamber body is made by rotating the adjustment screw with respect to the mounting stud. The bushing is fixed to the leveling plate. Fine adjustment of the spacing between the leveling plate and the chamber body is made by rotating the adjustment screw with respect to the mounting stud and the bushing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: Applies Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Kirby Floyd
  • Publication number: 20080286444
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to adjusting the spacing between the substrate support and the faceplate of the gas distribution member to achieve improved uniformity of the layer formed on the substrate. One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method of adjusting a spacing between a gas distribution member and a substrate support disposed generally opposite from the gas distribution member, wherein the substrate support is configured to support a substrate on which to form a layer with improved thickness uniformity. The method comprises forming a layer on the substrate disposed on the substrate support; measuring a thickness of the layer on the substrate; and calculating differences in thickness between a reference location on the substrate and a plurality of remaining locations on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kirby Floyd, Adrian Q. Montgomery, Jennifer Gonzales, Won Bang, Rong Pan, Amna Mohammed, Yen-Kung Victor Wang
  • Patent number: 7413612
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to adjusting the spacing between the substrate support and the faceplate of the gas distribution member to achieve improved uniformity of the layer formed on the substrate. One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method of adjusting a spacing between a gas distribution member and a substrate support disposed generally opposite from the gas distribution member, wherein the substrate support is configured to support a substrate on which to form a layer with improved thickness uniformity. The method comprises forming a layer on the substrate disposed on the substrate support; measuring a thickness of the layer on the substrate; and calculating differences in thickness between a reference location on the substrate and a plurality of remaining locations on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kirby Floyd, Adrian Q. Montgomery, Jennifer Gonzales, Won Bang, Rong Pan, Amna Mohammed, Yen-Kung Victor Wang
  • Publication number: 20060112884
    Abstract: A device for adjusting a spacing between a chamber body such as a chamber body and a leveling plate such as a leveling plate comprises a mounting stud configured to be mounted to the chamber body. The mounting stud includes a stud threaded surface. A bushing is capable of being fixed to the leveling plate, and includes a bushing threaded surface. An adjustment screw has a first threaded surface threadingly engaged with the stud threaded surface of the mounting stud, and a second threaded surface threadingly engaged with the bushing threaded surface of the bushing. The threaded surfaces are configured, when the bushing is fixed to the leveling plate and the adjustment screw is turned, to cause the adjustment screw to move in a first direction with respect to the mounting stud at a first rate and the bushing to move in a second direction opposite from the first direction with respect to the adjustment screw at a second rate which is different from the first rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2005
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Kirby Floyd
  • Patent number: 7037376
    Abstract: A processing chamber may be effectively cleaned by a remote plasma flowed through the chamber in a direction opposite to the direction of gas flowed during wafer processing. Specifically, the remotely generated plasma may be introduced directly into the chamber through a processing gas exhaust or other port, and then be exhausted from the chamber by traveling through the gas distribution shower head to the foreline. In one embodiment of the present invention, this reverse flow of remote cleaning plasma is maintained for the duration of the chamber cleaning step. In an alternative embodiment, the direction of flow of the remote cleaning plasma through the chamber is alternated between this reverse flow and a conventional forward flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Applied Materials Inc.
    Inventors: Keith Harvey, Karthik Janakiraman, Kirby Floyd
  • Publication number: 20050006556
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to adjusting the spacing between the substrate support and the faceplate of the gas distribution member to achieve improved uniformity of the layer formed on the substrate. One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method of adjusting a spacing between a gas distribution member and a substrate support disposed generally opposite from the gas distribution member, wherein the substrate support is configured to support a substrate on which to form a layer with improved thickness uniformity. The method comprises forming a layer on the substrate disposed on the substrate support; measuring a thickness of the layer on the substrate; and calculating differences in thickness between a reference location on the substrate and a plurality of remaining locations on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Publication date: January 13, 2005
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Kirby Floyd, Adrian Montgomery, Jennifer Gonzales, Won Bang, Rong Pan, Amna Mohammed, Yen-Kung Wang
  • Publication number: 20040200499
    Abstract: A processing chamber may be effectively cleaned by a remote plasma flowed through the chamber in a direction opposite to the direction of gas flowed during wafer processing. Specifically, the remotely generated plasma may be introduced directly into the chamber through a processing gas exhaust or other port, and then be exhausted from the chamber by traveling through the gas distribution shower head to the foreline. In one embodiment of the present invention, this reverse flow of remote cleaning plasma is maintained for the duration of the chamber cleaning step. In an alternative embodiment, the direction of flow of the remote cleaning plasma through the chamber is alternated between this reverse flow and a conventional forward flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith Harvey, Karthik Janakiraman, Kirby Floyd