Patents by Inventor Michael T. NICHOLS

Michael T. NICHOLS 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: 20250087461
    Abstract: Embodiments provided herein generally include apparatus, plasma processing systems and methods for controlling plasma initiation and maintenance. Some embodiments are directed to an apparatus for processing a substrate in a plasma processing system. The apparatus generally includes: a pulsed voltage (PV) signal generator configured to provide a bias signal to a plasma load to initiate a plasma in a plasma chamber, wherein the bias signal comprises a first burst having a first duration, the first burst including a series of pulses; and a radio frequency (RF) signal generator configured to provide an RF signal to the plasma load for a second duration, wherein the first duration is less than 10% of the second duration, and wherein the first burst occurs at a beginning of the second duration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2024
    Publication date: March 13, 2025
    Inventors: Shreeram Jyoti DASH, Michael T. NICHOLS
  • Publication number: 20250014878
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally related to a substrate processing apparatus. In one embodiment, a process kit for a substrate processing chamber disclosed herein. The process kit includes a ring having a first ring component and a second ring component, a sliding ring, and an actuating mechanism. The first ring component is interfaced with the second ring component such that the second ring component is movable relative to the first ring component forming a gap therebetween. The sliding ring is positioned beneath the ring and contacts a bottom surface of the second ring component. A top surface of the sliding ring contacts the second ring component. The actuating mechanism is interfaced with the bottom surface of the sliding ring. The actuating mechanism is configured to actuate the sliding ring such that the gap between the first ring component and the second ring component varies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2023
    Publication date: January 9, 2025
    Inventors: Andreas SCHMID, Sahiti NALLAGONDA, Peter MURAOKA, Michael T. NICHOLS, Denis Martin KOOSAU, Stephen D. PROUTY, Sunil SRINIVASAN, Pranav BADOLE