Patents by Inventor Michael L. Passow

Michael L. Passow 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: 10120103
    Abstract: A system for mapping a thermocline in a body of fluid includes a thermocline detection and monitoring module, a persistent data storage module; and a plurality of distributed sensors, including intelligent sensors, connected with the at least one thermocline detection and monitoring module and the persistent data storage module by one or more control-level programming and communication methods. The thennocline detection and monitoring module can monitor the thermocline at sampling intervals to collect and fuse measurement data from the plurality of sensors to capture thermocline changes as events, correlate measurement data and events, store measurement data in the persistent data storage module along with previously acquired measurement data for comparison and tracking, characterize the thermocline as a function of spatial location, depth, and time, create and maintain reports that describe the thermocline characteristics, status, trends, and provide multimodal notifications of events to different users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eli M. Dow, Michael Kelly, Harry R. Kolar, Michael L. Passow
  • Publication number: 20170192124
    Abstract: A system for mapping a thermocline in a body of fluid includes a thermocline detection and monitoring module, a persistent data storage module; and a plurality of distributed sensors, including intelligent sensors, connected with the at least one thermocline detection and monitoring module and the persistent data storage module by one or more control-level programming and communication methods. The thennocline detection and monitoring module can monitor the thermocline at sampling intervals to collect and fuse measurement data from the plurality of sensors to capture thermocline changes as events, correlate measurement data and events, store measurement data in the persistent data storage module along with previously acquired measurement data for comparison and tracking, characterize the thermocline as a function of spatial location, depth, and time, create and maintain reports that describe the thermocline characteristics, status, trends, and provide multimodal notifications of events to different users.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Inventors: HARRY R. KOLAR, MICHAEL KELLY, ELI M. DOW, MICHAEL L. PASSOW
  • Patent number: 9575554
    Abstract: An aspect of the disclosure includes a method, a system and a computer program product. The method includes measuring a first data with a sensor, the sensor and operatively coupled computing resources having at least two power states, an operating power state and a low power state, the low power state consuming less energy than the operating power state. A first time period is determined for measuring a second data, the first time period being based at least in part on the first data. The sensor is operated, and operatively coupled computing resources at the low power state during the first time period, wherein no data measurements are acquired during the first time period. The sensor is changed to the operating power state at an expiration of the first time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eli M. Dow, Michael R. Kelly, Harry R. Kolar, Michael L. Passow
  • Patent number: 9395219
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes arranging two or more sensor nodes into a ring monitor. Each sensor node of the ring monitor is coupled to a sensor and cross-monitors at least one other sensor node in the ring monitor. A request is received to add a new sensor node. A spatial partitioning of a plane is generated, by a computer processor, representing locations of the new sensor node and the two or more sensor nodes in the ring monitor. The spatial partitioning includes a plurality of regions, each region corresponding to a sensor node. Two or more adjacent sensor nodes are selected from the two or more sensor nodes in the ring monitor, based at least in part on the spatial partitioning. The two or more adjacent sensor nodes are instructed to monitor the new sensor node, which is instructed to monitor each of the two or more adjacent sensor nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eli M. Dow, Michael R. Kelly, Harry R. Kolar, Michael L. Passow
  • Publication number: 20100014748
    Abstract: An apparatus for collecting data during processing of a structure, such as a semiconductor wafer, which includes data collection devices or sensors positioned in a processing chamber for processing the wafer. The data collection sensors may operate at speeds of about 10 Hertz (Hz). A controller communicates and receives data from the data collection sensors. A data processing device communicates with the controller for receiving and processing the data, and the data processing device analyzes the data and determines at least one process response.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark L. Reath, Justin W. Wong, Steven Catlett, Michael L. Passow, Harry R. Kolar
  • Patent number: 7570174
    Abstract: A real time alarm classification system and method of use and, more particularly, to a residual gas analyzer configured to identify specific root causes of an abnormal condition such as, for example, contamination, undesirable process variability and equipment malfunction in wafer processing. The real-time alarm classification system comprises a computer infrastructure operable to: generate top contributors associated with an alarm triggered by sensed abnormal conditions; compare the top contributors to contributors of historic RGA (residual gas analyzer) alarms of known root causes that were generated by a validated model; and provide a probable root cause of the sensed abnormal conditions when a match is found between the top contributors and the contributors associated with the historic RGA alarms of known root causes. A method and computer readable medium is also contemplated to provide the processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Byrne, Harry D. Clark, Gary R. Moore, Michael L. Passow, Yiheng Xu
  • Publication number: 20080238699
    Abstract: A real time alarm classification system and method of use and, more particularly, to a residual gas analyzer configured to identify specific root causes of an abnormal condition such as, for example, contamination, undesirable process variability and equipment malfunction in wafer processing. The real-time alarm classification system comprises a computer infrastructure operable to: generate top contributors associated with an alarm triggered by sensed abnormal conditions; compare the top contributors to contributors of historic RGA (residual gas analyzer) alarms of known root causes that were generated by a validated model; and provide a probable root cause of the sensed abnormal conditions when a match is found between the top contributors and the contributors associated with the historic RGA alarms of known root causes. A method and computer readable medium is also contemplated to provide the processes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joseph Byrne, Harry D. Clark, Gary R. Moore, Michael L. Passow, Yiheng XU
  • Patent number: 6296717
    Abstract: An in-situ method for regenerating a chemical-mechanical polishing pad which includes the steps of: forming the polishing pad by dispensing liquid moldable material, such as wax, polymers or water, on a polishing surface and solidifying the liquid material by reducing the temperature, allowing the moldable material to harden; distributing slurry material on the polishing pad; polishing the surface of a semiconductor wafer with a combination of the slurry material and the polishing pad; and regenerating in-situ the polishing pad. This method quickly, easily and repeatably, resurfaces and refreshes the surface on which the a semiconductor wafer is polished. The polishing pad may also include abrasives embedded therein to enhance its polishing capabilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Adam D. Ticknor, Karl E. Boggs, Kenneth M. Davis, William F. Landers, Michael L. Passow
  • Patent number: 6268226
    Abstract: A process for estimating a critical dimension of a trench formed by etching a substrate. First, a regression model is constructed for estimating the critical dimension, in which principal component loadings and principal component scores are also calculated. Next, a substrate is etched and spectral data of the etching are collected. A new principal component score is then calculated using the spectral data and the principal component loadings. Finally, the critical dimension of the trench is estimated by applying the new principal component score to the regression model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David Angell, Stuart M. Burns, Waldemar W. Kocon, Michael L. Passow
  • Patent number: 6207353
    Abstract: A resist formulation minimizes blistering during reactive ion etching processes resulting in an increased amount of polymer by-product deposition. Such processes involve exciting a gaseous fluorocarbon etchant with sufficient energy to form a high-density plasma, and the use of an etchant having a carbon-to-fluorine ratio of at least 0.33. In addition to a conventional photoactive component, resists which minimize blistering under these conditions include a resin binder which is a terpolymer having: (a) units that contain acid-labile groups; (b) units that are free of reactive groups and hydroxyl groups; and (c) units that contribute to aqueous developability of the photoresist. After the photoresist is patterned on the silicon oxide layer and the high-density plasma is formed, the high-density plasma is introduced to the silicon oxide layer to etch at least one opening in the silicon oxide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. Armacost, Willard E. Conley, Tina J. Cotler-Wagner, Ronald A. DellaGuardia, David M. Dobuzinsky, Michael L. Passow, William C. Wille
  • Patent number: 6102776
    Abstract: A system for polishing a surface. The surface is positioned in contact with a rotating table having a polishing slurry or compound applied to a table surface. The pattern formed in the polishing compound as the table is rotated is monitored, and when the pattern dimensions reach a predetermined size, indicating a polished end point, the polisher ends polishing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Karl E. Boggs, Kenneth M. Davis, William F. Landers, Robert M. Merkling, Jr., Michael L. Passow, Jeremy K. Stephens
  • Patent number: 5811357
    Abstract: A dry etching process for etching an oxide layer on a substrate in which a plasma is created in a gaseous mixture containing C.sub.4 F.sub.8 and C.sub.2 F.sub.6. The dry etch process is useful for etching an oxide layer stopping on a silicon nitride layer on a semiconductor wafer of an integrated circuit structure as it eliminates resist blistering without sacrificing high selectivity to nitride, via wall angle, and/or etch uniformity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. Armacost, Tina J. Wagner, Michael L. Passow, Dominic J. Schepis, Matthew J. Sendelbach, William C. Wille
  • Patent number: 5534066
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing a layer on a workpiece includes a source of reactant fluid, a reaction chamber having a support for the workpiece and a fluid delivery apparatus for feeding an input fluid into the reaction chamber with the input fluid being utilized to process the material. An infrared sensor is adapted to cooperate with the fluid delivery apparatus for sensing the concentration of a component of the input fluid. The infrared sensor includes an infrared light source positioned to direct a beam of infrared light at an infrared light detector through the input fluid. The infrared light detector produces an electrical output signal indicative of the amount of light received by the detector and therefore not absorbed by the input fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James A. O'Neill, Michael L. Passow, Tina J. Cotler, Jonathan D. Chapple-Sokol, Richard A. Conti, Jyothi Singh
  • Patent number: 5492718
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing a layer on a workpiece includes a source of reactant fluid, a reaction chamber having a support for the workpiece and a fluid delivery apparatus for feeding an input fluid into the reaction chamber with the input fluid being utilized to process the material. An infrared sensor is adapted to cooperate with the fluid delivery apparatus for sensing the concentration of a component of the input fluid. The infrared sensor includes an infrared light source positioned to direct a beam of infrared light at an infrared light detector through the input fluid. The infrared light detector produces an electrical output signal indicative of the amount of light received by the detector and therefore not absorbed by the input fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1996
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James A. O'Neill, Michael L. Passow, Tina J. Cotler, Jonathan D. Chapple-Sokol, Richard A. Conti, Jyothi Singh
  • Patent number: 5308414
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining the time at which a plasma etching process should be terminated. The process generates at least one etch product species and a continuum plasma emission. The apparatus monitors the optical emission intensity of the plasma in a narrow band centered about a predetermined spectral line and generates a first signal indicative of the spectral intensity of the etch product species. The apparatus further monitors the optical emission intensity of the plasma in a wide band and generates a second signal indicative of the spectral intensity of the continuum plasma emission. The apparatus further monitors the magnitudes of the first and second signals and generates a termination signal when the magnitudes diverge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James A. O'Neill, Michael L. Passow, Jyothi Singh