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: 7145286Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 16, 2005Date of Patent: December 5, 2006Assignee: Product Systems IncorporatedInventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck, Raymond Y. Lillard, Eric G. Liebscher
-
Patent number: 7141917Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 10, 2005Date of Patent: November 28, 2006Assignee: Product Systems IncorporatedInventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck
-
Patent number: 7105985Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 26, 2001Date of Patent: September 12, 2006Assignee: Product Systems IncorporatedInventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck
-
Patent number: 6946774Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 13, 2004Date of Patent: September 20, 2005Assignee: Product Systems IncorporatedInventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck, Raymond Y. Lillard, Eric G. Liebscher
-
Patent number: 6904921Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 27, 2002Date of Patent: June 14, 2005Assignee: Product Systems IncorporatedInventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck
-
Patent number: 6882087Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 8, 2004Date of Patent: April 19, 2005Assignee: Product Systems IncorporatedInventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck, Raymond Y. Lillard, Eric G. Liebscher
-
Patent number: 6791242Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 1, 2002Date of Patent: September 14, 2004Assignee: Product Systems IncorporatedInventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck, Raymond Y. Lillard, Eric G. Liebscher
-
Patent number: 6722379Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 23, 2001Date of Patent: April 20, 2004Assignee: Product Systems IncorporatedInventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck
-
Publication number: 20030168946Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 1, 2002Publication date: September 11, 2003Applicant: Product systems IncorporatedInventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck, Raymond Y. Lillard, Eric G. Liebscher
-
Publication number: 20020190608Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 27, 2002Publication date: December 19, 2002Applicant: Product Systems IncorporatedInventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck
-
Publication number: 20020153806Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2001Publication date: October 24, 2002Applicant: Product Systems IncorporatedInventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck
-
Publication number: 20020050768Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 2001Publication date: May 2, 2002Inventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck
-
Patent number: 6222305Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 5, 2000Date of Patent: April 24, 2001Assignee: Product Systems IncorporatedInventors: Mark J. Beck, Richard B. Vennerbeck
-
Patent number: 6188162Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 27, 1999Date of Patent: February 13, 2001Assignee: Product Systems IncorporatedInventor: Richard B. Vennerbeck