Patents by Inventor Ramesh Gopalan

Ramesh Gopalan 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: 20190137415
    Abstract: The implementations described herein generally relate to a sensing device for use in the semiconducting industry, which sense process parameters to control semiconductor processes. More specifically, the implementations relate to packaging for a surface acoustic wave (SAW) based devices or wireless or RF-responsive sensors for use in the harsh processing environments of a semiconductor processing chamber such that the neither the sensor and its components nor the chamber components interfere with or contaminate one another. The sensor packaging may include various packaging layers with or without protective coatings and a waveguide. The packaging may have a thickness chosen such that the thickness is less than the electromagnetic wavelength of a SAW sensor radio wave. The sensing devices may be disposed in cavities of the chamber, the processing volume, on chamber components, and/or on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventors: Ramesh GOPALAN, Simon YAVELBERG, Zubin HUANG
  • Publication number: 20180342377
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a reactive species source, a spectral measurement volume, a light source to emit a light beam into the spectral measurement volume, a spectrometer to receive the light beam from the spectral measurement volume. The apparatus includes an a controller configured to, when a reactive species is present in the spectral measurement volume, control the light source to emit the light beam into the spectral measurement volume and the spectrometer to determine an environment spectrum using the light beam, and when the reactive species is not present in the spectral measurement volume, control the light source to emit the light beam into the spectral measurement volume and the spectrometer to determine a baseline spectrum using the light beam, calculate a net spectrum based on a difference between the environment spectrum and the baseline spectrum, and estimate a concentration of the reactive species based on the net spectrum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Publication date: November 29, 2018
    Inventors: Ramesh GOPALAN, Tom K. CHO, George ALAJAJIAN, Michael J. MARK
  • Patent number: 10094788
    Abstract: The implementations described herein generally relate to a sensing device for use in the semiconducting industry which sense process parameters to control semiconductor processes. More specifically, the implementations relate to packaging for a surface acoustic wave (SAW) based devices or wireless or RF-responsive sensors for use in the harsh processing environments of a semiconductor processing chamber such that the neither the sensor and its components nor the chamber components interfere with or contaminate one another. The sensor packaging may include various packaging layers with or without protective coatings and a waveguide. The packaging may have a thickness chosen such that the thickness is less than the electromagnetic wavelength of a SAW sensor radio wave. The sensing devices may be disposed in cavities of the chamber, the processing volume, on chamber components, and/or on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Ramesh Gopalan, Simon Yavelberg, Zubin Huang
  • Publication number: 20180209151
    Abstract: An improved skylight is described that includes a plurality of compound parabolic concentrator like structures into the functional layers of the skylight to provide more visual light transmittance with less solar heat gain—more light with less heat—to wider areas of building interiors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Inventor: Ramesh Gopalan
  • Publication number: 20180071889
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of substrates. In one embodiment, a carrier head for a CMP apparatus is disclosed herein. The carrier head includes a body, a retaining ring, and a sensor assembly. The retaining ring is coupled to the body. The sensor assembly is positioned at least partially in the body. The sensor assembly includes a transmitter, an antenna, and a vibrational sensor. The transmitter has a first end and a second end. The antenna is coupled to the first end of the transmitter. The vibrational sensor is coupled to the second end. The vibrational sensor is configured to detect vibration during chemical mechanical processes with respect to radial, azimuthal, and angular axes of the carrier head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventors: Zubin HUANG, Stephen A. WELLS, Ramesh GOPALAN, Gangadhar SHEELAVANT, Simon YAVELBERG
  • Publication number: 20170176349
    Abstract: The implementations described herein generally relate to a sensing device for use in the semiconducting industry which sense process parameters to control semiconductor processes. More specifically, the implementations relate to packaging for a surface acoustic wave (SAW) based devices or wireless or RF-responsive sensors for use in the harsh processing environments of a semiconductor processing chamber such that the neither the sensor and its components nor the chamber components interfere with or contaminate one another. The sensor packaging may include various packaging layers with or without protective coatings and a waveguide. The packaging may have a thickness chosen such that the thickness is less than the electromagnetic wavelength of a SAW sensor radio wave. The sensing devices may be disposed in cavities of the chamber, the processing volume, on chamber components, and/or on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: Ramesh GOPALAN, Simon YAVELBERG, Zubin HUANG
  • Publication number: 20170056935
    Abstract: Embodiment disclosed herein generally relate to a method for removing aluminum fluoride contamination from semiconductor processing equipment. A method for cleaning semiconductor processing equipment is disclosed herein. The method includes maintaining a container of water at a temperature of between 50 degrees Celsius and 100 degrees Celsius and soaking a semiconductor processing equipment having surface contamination comprising aluminum fluoride in the water, wherein the semiconductor processing equipment is comprised of a material having a solubility directly related to the temperature of the water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Ramesh GOPALAN, Yogita PAREEK, Jianqi WANG, Sio On LO, Kevin A. PAPKE
  • Publication number: 20160155657
    Abstract: Examples of the disclosure generally relate to a component for use in a semiconductor process chamber includes a body having machined surfaces including a processing facing surface configured to face a processing region of the semiconductor process chamber, and a profile disposed on the plasma facing surface wherein the profile increases the surface area of the processing facing surface without increasing a base surface area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Inventors: Ramesh GOPALAN, Simon YAVELBERG
  • Patent number: 7690966
    Abstract: A method for planarizing a semiconductor substrate is provided. The method initiates with tracking a signal corresponding to a thickness of a conductive film disposed on the semiconductor substrate. Then, a second derivative is calculated from data representing the tracked signal. Next, the onset of planarization is identified based upon a change in the second derivative. A CMP system configured to identify a transition between stages of the CMP operation is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Ramesh Gopalan, Sridharan Srivatsan, Katgenhalli Y. Ramanujam, Tom Ni, Conan Chiang
  • Patent number: 7413988
    Abstract: A method for planarizing a semiconductor substrate is provided. The method initiates with tracking a signal corresponding to a thickness of a conductive film disposed on the semiconductor substrate. Then, a second derivative is calculated from data representing the tracked signal. Next, the onset of planarization is identified based upon a change in the second derivative. A CMP system configured to identify a transition between stages of the CMP operation is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Ramesh Gopalan, Sridharan Srivatsan, Katgenhalli Y. Ramanujam, Tom Ni, Conan Chiang
  • Publication number: 20070198516
    Abstract: The present invention organizes unsorted information into structured information and presents the structured information so that users are able to perform research efficiently and effectively. The present invention includes developing a parameterized template which is used to organize the unstructured data. Editors, with the help of a data analysis application, search through the unstructured information and organize the information using the parameterized template. After the information is properly organized, it is presented to users in a user-friendly format that enables users to quickly and easily search for specific elements in the information. Furthermore, the information is also presented to allow other tasks to be performed on the organized data such as comparisons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Inventors: Palamadai Ganapathy, Sandeep Shroff, Nitin Gupta, Ramesh Gopalan, Basab Pradhan
  • Patent number: 7040952
    Abstract: A method for preventing de-lamination of semiconductor wafer film stacks during a linear belt-type chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process is provided. The method implements a pulsed polishing head rotation during a CMP process to maintain a slurry distribution across the width of a belt pad. The slurry distribution is maintained in a manner that prevents de-lamination of a wafer film having weak adhesion characteristics. Thus, the pulsed polishing head rotation implemented by the method reduces de-lamination of low-K material film layers during the CMP process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Sridharan Srivatsan, Ramesh Gopalan, K. Y. Ramanujam