Patents by Inventor Richard B. Vennerbeck

Richard B. Vennerbeck 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: 7145286
    Abstract: A transducer comprising an acoustic energy generating means and a resonator. The acoustic energy generating means generates acoustic energy and is adapted for delivering an approximately uniform amount of acoustic energy to each unit of surface area on a substrate in a given time period when the substrate is rotating. The acoustic energy generating means has a surface area that is less than the surface area of the substrate, and may comprise two or more piezoelectric crystal segments that are separately controllable with respect to power and/or time. When assembled, the two more piezoelectric crystal segments give the acoustic energy generating means a rectangular shape, a wedge shape or a triangle shape. The resonator is attached to the acoustic energy generating means for transmitting the acoustic energy to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Product Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck, Raymond Y. Lillard, Eric G. Liebscher
  • Patent number: 7141917
    Abstract: An acoustic transducer comprised of a resonator, an acoustic energy generating means, such as one or more piezoelectric crystals, and a bonding layer comprised of indium or tin for attaching the acoustic energy generating means to the resonator. The resonator comprises a material selected from the group consisting of quartz, sapphire, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum, ceramics and stainless steel. The resonator may form a detachable part of a container or the acoustic energy generating means may be attached directly to a side or to the bottom of the container, in which case a part of the container acts as the resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Product Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck
  • Patent number: 7105985
    Abstract: A transducer comprised of a resonator and a piezoelectric crystal for cleaning single items such as semiconductor wafers and flat panel displays. The resonator is an elongated piece of material having a cross section that is trapezoidal in shape. The parallel sides of the trapezoid form the top and bottom ends of the resonator and the nonparallel sides of the trapezoid focus the acoustic energy on the bottom end of the resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Product Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck
  • Patent number: 6946774
    Abstract: A transducer comprising an acoustic energy generating means and a resonator. The acoustic energy generating means generates acoustic energy and is adapted for delivering an approximately uniform amount of acoustic energy to each unit of surface area on a substrate in a given time period when the substrate is rotating. The acoustic energy generating means has a surface area that is less than the surface area of the substrate, and may comprise two or more piezoelectric crystal segments that are separately controllable with respect to power and/or time. When assembled, the two more piezoelectric crystal segments give the acoustic energy generating means a rectangular shape, a wedge shape or a triangle shape. The resonator is attached to the acoustic energy generating means for transmitting the acoustic energy to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Product Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck, Raymond Y. Lillard, Eric G. Liebscher
  • Patent number: 6904921
    Abstract: A megasonic cleaning system comprised of a container, a resonator, one or more piezoelectric crystals and a bonding layer comprised of indium or tin for attaching the piezoelectric crystal to the resonator. The resonator comprises a material selected from the group consisting of quartz, sapphire, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum, ceramics and stainless steel. The piezoelectric crystal may be attached directly to a side or to the bottom of the container, in which case the container acts as the resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Product Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck
  • Patent number: 6882087
    Abstract: A transducer comprising an acoustic energy generating means and a resonator. The acoustic energy generating means generates acoustic energy and is adapted for delivering an approximately uniform amount of acoustic energy to each unit of surface area on a substrate in a given time period when the substrate is rotating. The acoustic energy generating means has a surface area that is less than the surface area of the substrate, and may comprise a wedge shaped piezoelectric crystal. A resonator is attached to the acoustic energy generating means for transmitting the acoustic energy to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Product Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck, Raymond Y. Lillard, Eric G. Liebscher
  • Patent number: 6791242
    Abstract: A transducer comprising an acoustic energy generating means and a resonator. The acoustic energy generating means generates acoustic energy in the frequency range of 0.4 to 2.0 MHz, and is adapted for delivering an approximately uniform amount of acoustic energy to each unit of surface area on a substrate in a given time period when the substrate is rotating. The acoustic energy generating means has a surface area that is less than the surface area of the substrate, and may comprise a wedge shaped piezoelectric crystal. A resonator is attached to the acoustic energy generating means for transmitting the acoustic energy to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Product Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck, Raymond Y. Lillard, Eric G. Liebscher
  • Patent number: 6722379
    Abstract: A megasonic cleaning system comprised of a one-piece cleaning tank, one or more piezoelectric crystals and an indium layer for attaching the piezoelectric crystals to the cleaning tank. The tank comprises a material selected from the group consisting of quartz, sapphire, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, ceramics and stainless steel. The piezoelectric crystals are attached directly to a side or to the bottom of the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Product Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck
  • Publication number: 20030168946
    Abstract: A transducer comprising an acoustic energy generating means and a resonator. The acoustic energy generating means generates acoustic energy in the frequency range of 0.4 to 2.0 MHz, and is adapted for delivering an approximately uniform amount of acoustic energy to each unit of surface area on a substrate in a given time period when the substrate is rotating. The acoustic energy generating means has a surface area that is less than the surface area of the substrate, and may comprise a wedge shaped piezoelectric crystal. A resonator is attached to the acoustic energy generating means for transmitting the acoustic energy to the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2002
    Publication date: September 11, 2003
    Applicant: Product systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck, Raymond Y. Lillard, Eric G. Liebscher
  • Publication number: 20020190608
    Abstract: A megasonic cleaning system comprised of a container, a resonator, one or more piezoelectric crystals and a bonding layer comprised of indium or tin for attaching the piezoelectric crystal to the resonator. The resonator comprises a material selected from the group consisting of quartz, sapphire, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum, ceramics and stainless steel. The piezoelectric crystal may be attached directly to a side or to the bottom of the container, in which case the container acts as the resonator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Applicant: Product Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck
  • Publication number: 20020153806
    Abstract: A transducer comprised of a resonator and a piezoelectric crystal for cleaning single items such as semiconductor wafers and flat panel displays. The resonator is an elongated piece of material having a cross section that is trapezoidal in shape. The parallel sides of the trapezoid form the top and bottom ends of the resonator and the nonparallel sides of the trapezoid focus the acoustic energy on the bottom end of the resonator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2001
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Applicant: Product Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck
  • Publication number: 20020050768
    Abstract: A megasonic cleaning system comprised of a one-piece cleaning tank, one or more piezoelectric crystals and an indium layer for attaching the piezoelectric crystals to the cleaning tank. The tank comprises a material selected from the group consisting of quartz, sapphire, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, ceramics and stainless steel. The piezoelectric crystals are attached directly to a side or to the bottom of the tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2001
    Publication date: May 2, 2002
    Inventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck
  • Patent number: 6222305
    Abstract: A megasonic cleaning system comprised of a container, a resonator, a piezoelectric crystal and an indium layer for attaching the resonator to the piezoelectric crystal. The container includes a fluid chamber for holding a volume of cleaning solution. The resonator is selected from the group consisting of sapphire, quartz, silicon carbide, silicon nitride and ceramic. The resonator forms the bottom of the container and has an interface surface which abuts the fluid chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Product Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck
  • Patent number: 6188162
    Abstract: A megasonic transducer comprised of a stainless steel plate attached to a piezoelectric crystal by an indium attachment layer. To facilitate the attachment, a chromium layer and a silver layer are positioned between the stainless steel plate and the indium layer. Similarly, silver and chromium layers are positioned between the indium layer and the piezoelectric crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Product Systems Incorporated
    Inventor: Richard B. Vennerbeck