Patents by Inventor Lee LaBlanc

Lee LaBlanc 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: 10550464
    Abstract: A circular PVD chamber has a plurality of sputtering targets mounted on a top wall of the chamber. A pallet in the chamber is coupled to a motor for rotating the pallet about its center axis. The pallet has a diameter less than the diameter of the circular chamber. The pallet is also shiftable in an XY direction to move the center of the pallet beneath any of the targets so all areas of a workpiece supported by the pallet can be positioned directly below any one of the targets. A scanning magnet is in back of each target and is moved, via a programmed controller, to only be above portions of the workpiece so that no sputtered material is wasted. For depositing a material onto small workpieces, a cooling backside gas volume is created between the pallet and the underside of sticky tape supporting the workpieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Tango Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Ravi Mullapudi, Harish Varma Penmethsa, Harshal T. Vasa, Srikanth Dasaradhi, Lee LaBlanc
  • Publication number: 20180202040
    Abstract: A circular PVD chamber has a plurality of sputtering targets mounted on a top wall of the chamber. A pallet in the chamber is coupled to a motor for rotating the pallet about its center axis. The pallet has a diameter less than the diameter of the circular chamber. The pallet is also shiftable in an XY direction to move the center of the pallet beneath any of the targets so all areas of a workpiece supported by the pallet can be positioned directly below any one of the targets. A scanning magnet is in back of each target and is moved, via a programmed controller, to only be above portions of the workpiece so that no sputtered material is wasted. For depositing a material onto small workpieces, a cooling backside gas volume is created between the pallet and the underside of sticky tape supporting the workpieces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventors: Ravi Mullapudi, Harish Varma Penmethsa, Harshal T. Vasa, Srikanth Dasaradhi, Lee LaBlanc
  • Patent number: 9957606
    Abstract: A circular PVD chamber has a plurality of sputtering targets mounted on a top wall of the chamber. A pallet in the chamber is coupled to a motor for rotating the pallet about its center axis. The pallet has a diameter less than the diameter of the circular chamber. The pallet is also shiftable in an XY direction to move the center of the pallet beneath any of the targets so all areas of a workpiece supported by the pallet can be positioned directly below any one of the targets. A scanning magnet is in back of each target and is moved, via a programmed controller, to only be above portions of the workpiece so that no sputtered material is wasted. For depositing a material onto small workpieces, a cooling backside gas volume is created between the pallet and the underside of sticky tape supporting the workpieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Tango Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Ravi Mullapudi, Srikanth Dasaradhi, Lee LaBlanc, Suresh Palanisamy, Venkata Dora Chowdary Kakarla
  • Publication number: 20170114449
    Abstract: A circular PVD chamber has a plurality of sputtering targets mounted on a top wall of the chamber. A pallet in the chamber is coupled to a motor for rotating the pallet about its center axis. The pallet has a diameter less than the diameter of the circular chamber. The pallet is also shiftable in an XY direction to move the center of the pallet beneath any of the targets so all areas of a workpiece supported by the pallet can be positioned directly below any one of the targets. A scanning magnet is in back of each target and is moved, via a programmed controller, to only be above portions of the workpiece so that no sputtered material is wasted. For depositing a material onto small workpieces, a cooling backside gas volume is created between the pallet and the underside of sticky tape supporting the workpieces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Ravi Mullapudi, Srikanth Dasaradhi, Lee LaBlanc, Suresh Palanisamy, Venkata Dora Chowdary Kakarla
  • Publication number: 20170114448
    Abstract: A circular PVD chamber has a plurality of sputtering targets mounted on a top wall of the chamber. A pallet in the chamber is coupled to a motor for rotating the pallet about its center axis. The pallet has a diameter less than the diameter of the circular chamber. The pallet is also shiftable in an XY direction to move the center of the pallet beneath any of the targets so all areas of a workpiece supported by the pallet can be positioned directly below any one of the targets. A scanning magnet is in back of each target and is moved, via a programmed controller, to only be above portions of the workpiece so that no sputtered material is wasted. For depositing a material onto small workpieces, a cooling backside gas volume is created between the pallet and the underside of sticky tape supporting the workpieces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Ravi Mullapudi, Harish Varma Penmethsa, Harshal T. Vasa, Srikanth Dasaradhi, Lee LaBlanc
  • Patent number: 6879870
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for routing harmonic energy within a plasma to ground in a plasma enhanced semiconductor wafer processing reactor. A model of the chamber is used to determine the pathway for RF power and the harmonic energy of that RF power through the chamber. From this model, the placement and design of a harmonic routing circuit is determined to shunt the harmonic energy to ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Inventors: Steven C. Shannon, Daniel J. Hoffman, Michael Barnes, Lee LaBlanc
  • Publication number: 20030192475
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for routing harmonic energy within a plasma to ground in a plasma enhanced semiconductor wafer processing reactor. A model of the chamber is used to determine the pathway for RF power and the harmonic energy of that RF power through the chamber. From this model, the placement and design of a harmonic routing circuit is determined to shunt the harmonic energy to ground.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2002
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven C. Shannon, Daniel J. Hoffman, Michael Barnes, Lee LaBlanc