Patents by Inventor Robert P. Hartlage

Robert P. Hartlage 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: 20020100557
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus that provides efficient heating of a dielectric structure without compromising the dielectric properties of the structure. A heating assembly is adapted to fit a circularly shaped dielectric lid of a plasma processing vacuum chamber. The heating assembly is placed between the RF coil and the atmospheric side of the dielectric lid. Although the active heating structure portion (a resistive heating wire or a thermal working fluid or both, per alternate embodiments) of the heating assembly is transparent to the electromagnetic fields produced by the coil, the conductive portion of the heating assembly takes on the role of shaping the electric field. The result of this averaging is the minimization of detrimental effects of electromagnetic potentials that are too high (e.g., sputtering of the dielectric by the plasma) and of electromagnetic potentials that are too low (e.g., heavy by-product depositions on the dielectric lid).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2001
    Publication date: August 1, 2002
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Maocheng Li, John Holland, Valentin N. Todorov, Patrick Leahey, Robert P. Hartlage, Hoan Hai Nguyen
  • Patent number: 5574410
    Abstract: The disclosure discusses impedance matching circuits based on parallel-resonant L-C tank circuits, and describes a low-loss design for an adjustable inductance element suitable for use in these parallel tank circuits. The application of an impedance matching circuit to a plasma process is also disclosed; in this context, a local impedance transformation circuit is used to improve power transfer to the plasma source antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1996
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Collins, John Trow, Craig A. Roderick, Jay D. Pinson, II, Douglas A. Buchberger, II, Robert P. Hartlage, Viktor Shel
  • Patent number: 5572170
    Abstract: A plasma processing system including a plasma processing chamber; an antenna circuit including a source antenna positioned relative to the processing chamber so as to couple energy into a plasma within the chamber during processing, the antenna circuit having a first terminal and a second terminal with the source antenna electrically coupled between the first and second terminals; and a local impedance transforming network connected to the antenna circuit, the local impedance transforming network including a first capacitor connected between the first terminal and a grounded node, and a second capacitor connected between the second terminal and the grounded node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1996
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Collins, John Trow, Craig A. Roderick, Jay D. Pinson, II, Douglas A. Buchberger, II, Robert P. Hartlage, Viktor Shel
  • Patent number: 5392018
    Abstract: The disclosure discusses impedance matching circuits based on parallel-resonant L-C tank circuits, and describes a low-loss design for an adjustable inductance element suitable for use in these parallel tank circuits. The application of an impedance matching circuit to a plasma process is also disclosed; in this context, a local impedance transformation circuit is used to improve power transfer to the plasma source antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1995
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Collins, John Trow, Craig A. Roderick, Jay D. Pinson, II, Douglas A. Buchberger, II, Robert P. Hartlage, Viktor Shel
  • Patent number: 4927485
    Abstract: A laser end point detector incorporating adjustable-focus, variable-orientation detection optics for monitoring different types of structures such as laser-transparent thin films, isolated trenches or holes and patterned arrays of trenches or holes is disclosed. A collector lens package comprising a laser and a focusing lens are mounted in a hole in a collector lens which is pivotally mounted for selectively focusing zero, first and higher orders of diffractions reflected from the wafer onto an associated detector to monitor the etching of different types of structures. For example, zero order diffraction signals are used to monitor the etching of large target areas in transparent thin films or of non-patterned trenches or holes. First order (or higher) diffraction signals are used for monitoring the etching of patterned features which effect a two-dimensional diffraction grating, such as the capacitor holes in dynamic random access memories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: David Cheng, Robert P. Hartlage, Wesley W. Zhang