Patents by Inventor Robert D. Dible

Robert D. Dible 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: 6411490
    Abstract: A power delivery system for providing energy to sustain a plasma in a plasma processing chamber configured for processing substrates. The power delivery system includes a metallic enclosure having an input port, a first output port, a second output port, and a third output port. There is further included a power distribution box disposed within the enclosure. The power distribution box includes a first AC input port for receiving AC power from external of the metallic enclosure through the input port and for providing AC power to AC loads external to the metallic enclosure via the first output port. There is also included a DC power supply electrically coupled to the power distribution box. The DC power supply is configured to receive the AC power from the power distribution box and to output DC power. The DC power supply is disposed within the metallic enclosure. The DC power is supplied to DC loads external of the metallic enclosure via the second output port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventor: Robert D. Dible
  • Publication number: 20010014003
    Abstract: A power delivery system for providing energy to sustain a plasma in a plasma processing chamber configured for processing substrates. The power delivery system includes a metallic enclosure having an input port, a first output port, a second output port, and a third output port. There is further included a power distribution box disposed within the enclosure. The power distribution box includes a first AC input port for receiving AC power from external of the metallic enclosure through the input port and for providing AC power to AC loads external to the metallic enclosure via the first output port. There is also included a DC power supply electrically coupled to the power distribution box. The DC power supply is configured to receive the AC power from the power distribution box and to output DC power. The DC power supply is disposed within the metallic enclosure. The DC power is supplied to DC loads external of the metallic enclosure via the second output port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2001
    Publication date: August 16, 2001
    Inventor: Robert D. Dible
  • Patent number: 6239403
    Abstract: A power segmented electrode useful as part of an upper electrode and/or substrate support for supporting a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer in a plasma reaction chamber such as a single wafer etcher. The power segmented electrode includes a plurality of electrodes which are supplied radiofrequency power in a manner which provides uniform processing of the substrate. The power to the electrodes can be supplied through a circuit incorporating interelectrode gap capacitance, one or more variable capacitors, one or more current sensors, a power splitter, one or more DC biasing sources, and/or power amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Robert D. Dible, Eric H. Lenz, Albert M. Lambson
  • Patent number: 6222718
    Abstract: A power delivery system for providing energy to sustain a plasma in a plasma processing chamber configured for processing substrates. The power delivery system includes a metallic enclosure having an input port, a first output port, a second output port, and a third output port. There is further included a power distribution box disposed within the enclosure. The power distribution box includes a first AC input port for receiving AC power from external of the metallic enclosure through the input port and for providing AC power to AC loads external to the metallic enclosure via the first output port. There is also included a DC power supply electrically coupled to the power distribution box. The DC power supply is configured to receive the AC power from the power distribution box and to output DC power. The DC power supply is disposed within the metallic enclosure. The DC power is supplied to DC loads external of the metallic enclosure via the second output port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventor: Robert D. Dible
  • Patent number: 6042686
    Abstract: A power segmented electrode useful as part of an upper electrode and/or substrate support for supporting a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer in a plasma reaction chamber such as a single wafer etcher. The power segmented electrode includes a plurality of electrodes which are supplied radiofrequency power in a manner which provides uniform processing of the substrate. The power to the electrodes can be supplied through a circuit incorporating interelectrode gap capacitance, one or more variable capacitors, one or more current sensors, a power splitter, one or more DC biasing sources, and/or power amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Robert D. Dible, Eric H. Lenz, Albert M. Lambson
  • Patent number: 5824606
    Abstract: A method in a plasma processing system for modifying a phase difference between a first radio frequency (RF) signal and a second RF signal. The first RF signal is supplied by a first RF power source to a first electrode and the second RF signal is supplied by a second RF power source to a second electrode of a plasma processing system. The second RF power source is coupled to the first RF power source as a slave RF power source in a master-and-slave configuration. The method includes the step of ascertaining a phase difference between a phase of the first RF signal and a phase of the second RF signal. The method further includes the step of comparing the phase difference with a phase control set point signal to output a control signal to the second RF power source, whereby the second RF power source, responsive to the control signal, modifies the phase of the second RF signal to cause the phase difference to approximate a phase difference value represented by the phase control set point signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Robert D. Dible, Stephen G. Bradley, Seyed Jafar Jafarian-Tehrani
  • Patent number: 5573595
    Abstract: A device for generating plasma for use in semiconductor fabrication, which includes a first radio frequency excitation source for outputting a first excitation current having a first phase and a first amplitude. The device further includes a second radio frequency excitation source for outputting a second excitation current having a second phase and a second amplitude and a plasma generating element having a first end and a second end for receiving respectively the first excitation current and the second excitation current. Moreover, the inventive device includes a control circuit having a control input for receiving a user-variable signal indicative of a desired phase difference between the first phase and the second phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1996
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventor: Robert D. Dible
  • Patent number: 5534751
    Abstract: Plasma etching apparatus includes a stack of quartz rings that are spaced apart to form slots therebetween and that are positioned to surround an interaction space between two electrodes of the apparatus where a plasma is formed during operation of the apparatus. The dimensions of the slots are chosen to insure that charged particles of spent gases in the plasma exiting the interaction space are neutralized by wall collisions as they exit the slots. Two voltage sources of different frequencies are used to apply voltages to the electrodes in a fashion that isolates each source from the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Eric H. Lenz, Robert D. Dible