Patents by Inventor Mark Gahagan

Mark Gahagan 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).

  • Prevention of particle adders when contacting a liquid meniscus over a substrate
    Patent number: 8997684
    Abstract: A method for meniscus processing a substrate is provided. The method initiates with generating a meniscus spanning at least a length of the substrate. A pre-wetting liquid or vapor is dispensed. A substrate is moved through the dispensed pre-wetting liquid or vapor and the meniscus. The dispensed pre-wetting vapor condenses a pre-wetting liquid over a region of the substrate adjacent to a region of the substrate where the meniscus is generated. The pre-wetting liquid is deposited without substantially generating surface flow of the pre-wetting liquid on the substrate, and the pre-wetting liquid prevents the leading edge of the meniscus from contacting a dry surface region of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Enrico Magni, Suresh Gupta, Mark Gahagan, Eric Lenz, Mike Ravkin
  • PREVENTION OF PARTICLE ADDERS WHEN CONTACTING A LIQUID MENISCUS OVER A SUBSTRATE
    Publication number: 20130084392
    Abstract: A method for meniscus processing a substrate is provided. The method initiates with generating a meniscus spanning at least a length of the substrate. A pre-wetting liquid or vapor is dispensed. A substrate is moved through the dispensed pre-wetting liquid or vapor and the meniscus. The dispensed pre-wetting vapor condenses a pre-wetting liquid over a region of the substrate adjacent to a region of the substrate where the meniscus is generated. The pre-wetting liquid is deposited without substantially generating surface flow of the pre-wetting liquid on the substrate, and the pre-wetting liquid prevents the leading edge of the meniscus from contacting a dry surface region of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: Lam Research Corp.
    Inventors: Enrico Magni, Suresh Gupta, Mark Gahagan, Eric Lenz, Mike Ravkin