Patents by Inventor Robert Small

Robert Small 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: 20100083840
    Abstract: A device for dispensing an infusible substance, and a method for using the device are disclosed. The device may include a bag for holding the infusible substance. A cord may be attached to the bag for manipulating the bag. The bag and cord may be sealed in a pouch to maintain the infusible substance fresh. The device may be used by opening an upper portion and a lower portion of the pouch such that the cord extends out the top and the bag extends below the pouch. The bag may be placed in a liquid to dispense the infusible substance. The bag may then be drawn into the pouch with the cord and the pouch may be squeezed to compress excess fluid out of the bag. The bag may be discarded inside the pouch to further enhance the cleanliness of the dispensing procedure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Inventor: Robert Small
  • Publication number: 20080094844
    Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for enhancing the aesthetic appearance of lamps. A support structure may be provided for attaching to the lamp. The support structure may be attached in a manner such that the support structure may be hidden from view by the lamp shade. The support structure may be versatile to be attached to lamps of various different configurations. One or more decorative ornaments may be attached to the support structure for enhancing the appearance of the lamp. The ornaments may be removed and interchanged with other decorations such that the lamp may be decorated differently for different occasions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2007
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Inventor: Robert Small
  • Publication number: 20070135321
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions for treating a surface of a substrate by foam technology that includes at least one treatment chemical. The invention more particularly relates to the removal of undesired matter from the surface of substrates with small features, where such undesired matter may comprise organic and inorganic compounds such as particles, films from photoresist material, and traces of any other impurities such as metals deposited during planarization or etching. A method according to the present invention for treating a surface of a substrate comprises generating a foam from a liquid composition, wherein the liquid composition comprises a gas; a surfactant; and at least one component selected from the group consisting of a fluoride, a hydroxylamine, an amine and periodic acid; contacting the foam with the surface of a substrate; and, removing the undesired matter from the surface of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2006
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Inventors: Bakul Patel, Mihaela Cernat, Robert Small
  • Publication number: 20070078074
    Abstract: A composition for removing resists and etching residue from substrates containing at least one nucleophilic amine compound having oxidation and reduction potentials, at least one organic solvent, water and, optionally, a chelating agent is described. The chelating agent is preferred to be included since it provides added stability and activity to the cleaning composition so that the composition has long term effectiveness. If a chelating agent is not present, the composition, while providing for adequate stripping and cleaning upon initial use of the composition following mixing, has only short term stability. In this latter instance, the nucleophilic amine compound and organic solvent components of the composition preferably are maintained separate from each other until it is desired to use the composition. Thereafter, the components are combined. Following use of the composition, the non-used portion of the composition can be disposed of or be reactivated by the addition of a chelating agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Publication date: April 5, 2007
    Inventors: Wai Lee, Charles Pittman, Robert Small
  • Publication number: 20060289034
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of cleaning the surface of a substrate to remove post-etch residue or post chemical mechanical polishing residues from the surface of a substrate. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method of post-CMP or post-etch cleaning. The method involves contacting the surface of a substrate with a CMP composition or an etching composition, that contains free radicals, and subsequently contacting the surface of the substrate with a composition that comprises a free radical quencher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Inventors: Robert Small, Christopher Hayden
  • Publication number: 20060234509
    Abstract: The use of mixed cerium-containing synthetic solid abrasive materials in chemical mechanical polishing slurries can provide better selectivity, better substrate removal rates, or lower defect rates than conventional ceria slurries. The slurries have abrasive particles that include a plurality of solid cerium-containing phases selected from CeO2, Ce2O3, cerium-nitride material, cerium-fluoride material, and cerium-sulfide material, where different cerium-containing materials are present in different particles or on the same particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Publication date: October 19, 2006
    Inventors: Robert Small, Christopher Hayden
  • Publication number: 20060183654
    Abstract: A method of cleaning a substrate includes contacting a surface of a semiconductor substrate with a composition comprising an ionic liquid. The semiconductor substrate may be a wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Publication date: August 17, 2006
    Inventor: Robert Small
  • Publication number: 20060180788
    Abstract: The present invention provides a composition for chemical-mechanical polishing which comprises at least one abrasive particle having a surface at least partially coated by a activator. The activator comprises a metal other than a metal of Group 4(b), Group 5(b) or Group 6(b). The composition further comprises at least one oxidizing agent. The composition is believed to be effective by virtue of the interaction between the activator coated on the surface of the abrasive particles and the oxidizing agent, at the activator surface, to form free radicals. The invention further provides a method that employs the composition in the polishing of a feature or layer, such as a metal film, on a substrate surface. The invention additionally provides a substrate produced this method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Publication date: August 17, 2006
    Inventors: Brandon Scott, Robert Small
  • Publication number: 20060183248
    Abstract: A method of cleaning a substrate includes contacting a surface of a semiconductor substrate with a composition comprising a superacid. The semiconductor substrate may be a wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Publication date: August 17, 2006
    Inventor: Robert Small
  • Publication number: 20060117667
    Abstract: A CMP composition having: a fluid comprising water and at least one oxidizing compound that produces free radicals when contacted with an activator; and a plurality of particles having a surface and comprising at least one activator selected from ions or compounds of Cu, Fe, Mn, Ti, or mixtures thereof disposed on said surface, wherein at least a portion of said surface comprises a stabilizer. Preferred activators are selected from inorganic oxygen-containing compounds of B, W, Al, and P, for example borate, tungstate, aluminate, and phosphate. The activators are preferably ions of Cu or Fe. Surprisingly, as little as 0.2 ppm and 12 ppm of activator is useful, if the activator-containing particles are suspended in the fluid as a slurry. Advantageously, certain organic acids, and especially dihydroxy enolic acids, are included in an amount less than about 4000 ppm. Advantageously, activator is coated onto abrasive particles after the particles have been coated with stabilizer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Inventors: Junaid Siddiqui, Robert Small, Daniel Castillo
  • Publication number: 20060008368
    Abstract: Portions of the drive system for a piece of rotating equipment are pre-assembled into a subassembly. The subassembly can be held together by a carrier that is fabricated to accept the components in a proper alignment so that the carrier can be installed as a unit. In the preferred embodiment the carrier becomes a gearbox housing component that is installed saving the need for individual component alignment. Using the modular approach. The modular approach allows an assembly having a single part number to apply to a given compressor unit and further allows standardization of air ends of compressors with specific impellers and inlets added to meet requirements of a specific application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2004
    Publication date: January 12, 2006
    Inventors: Edward Czechowski, Robert Small, John Battershell, Robert Kolodziej
  • Publication number: 20060003909
    Abstract: A composition for removing resists and etching residue from substrates containing at least one nucleophilic amine compound having oxidation and reduction potentials, at least one organic solvent, water and, optionally, a chelating agent is described. The chelating agent is preferred to be included since it provides added stability and activity to the cleaning composition so that the composition has long term effectiveness. If a chelating agent is not present, the composition, while providing for adequate stripping and cleaning upon initial use of the composition following mixing, has only short term stability. In this latter instance, the nucleophilic amine compound and organic solvent components of the composition preferably are maintained separate from each other until it is desired to use the composition. Thereafter, the components are combined. Following use of the composition, the non-used portion of the composition can be disposed of or be reactivated by the addition of a chelating agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Publication date: January 5, 2006
    Inventors: Wai Lee, Charles Pittman, Robert Small
  • Publication number: 20050266689
    Abstract: A composition for chemical mechanical polishing includes a slurry. A sufficient amount of a selectively oxidizing and reducing compound is provided in the composition to produce a differential removal of a metal and a dielectric material. A pH adjusting compound adjusts the pH of the composition to provide a pH that makes the selectively oxidizing and reducing compound provide the differential removal of the metal and the dielectric material. A composition for chemical mechanical polishing is improved by including an effective amount for chemical mechanical polishing of a hydroxylamine compound, ammonium persulfate, a compound which is an indirect source of hydrogen peroxide, a peracetic acid or periodic acid. A method for chemical mechanical polishing comprises applying a slurry to a metal and dielectric material surface to produce mechanical removal of the metal and the dielectric material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2005
    Publication date: December 1, 2005
    Inventors: Robert Small, Laurence McGhee, David Maloney, Maria Peterson
  • Publication number: 20050250329
    Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions for the chemical mechanical planarization (“CMP”) of barrier/adhesion layers, particularly Ta/TaN barrier/adhesion layers as occur in the manufacture of integrated circuits. CMP compositions comprise an aqueous solution of oxidizer and colloidal silica abrasive. Oxidizers include hydroxylamine nitrate, nitric acid, benzotriazole, ammonium nitrate, aluminum nitrate, hydrazine and mixtures thereof in aqueous solution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Publication date: November 10, 2005
    Inventors: Robert Small, Maria Peterson, Tuan Truong, Melvin Carter, Lily Yao
  • Publication number: 20050202987
    Abstract: A composition for the stripping of photoresist and the cleaning of residues from substrates, and for silicon oxide etch, comprising from about 0.01 percent by weight to about 10 percent by weight of one or more fluoride compounds, from about 10 percent by weight to about 95% by weight of a sulfoxide or sulfone solvent, and from about 20 percent by weight to about 50 percent by weight water. The composition may contain corrosion inhibitors, chelating agents, co-solvents, basic amine compounds, surfactants, acids and bases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2004
    Publication date: September 15, 2005
    Inventors: Robert Small, Bakul Patel, Wai Mun Lee, Douglas Holmes, Jerome Daviot, Chris Reid
  • Publication number: 20050178742
    Abstract: This invention relates to compositions and methods for removing overfilled substrates, preferably at a relatively high removal rates. Advantageously, a composition according to the invention can contain an oxidizer, preferably a per-type oxidizer such as a peroxide, periodic acid, and peracetic acid, and may also optionally contain an abrasive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2004
    Publication date: August 18, 2005
    Inventors: Philippe Chelle, Robert Small
  • Publication number: 20050091990
    Abstract: This invention relates to the use of welds to provide improved thermal and mechanical connections in a cryogenic vacuum vessel. Welds provide strong, reliable connections in this environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Publication date: May 5, 2005
    Inventors: Charles Carter, James McCambridge, Robert Small
  • Publication number: 20050090109
    Abstract: The invention relates to chemical mechanical polishing of substrates using an abrasive and a fluid composition, wherein certain organosulfonic acid compounds are used as oxidizers, and particularly relates to a method of polishing substrates comprising copper, tungsten, titanium, and/or polysilicon using a chemical-mechanical polishing system comprising organosulfonic acids having an electrochemical oxidation potential greater than 0.2V as an oxidizer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2003
    Publication date: April 28, 2005
    Inventors: Melvin Carter, Robert Small, Xiaowei Shang, Donald Frey
  • Publication number: 20050076581
    Abstract: The invention generally relates to compositions and methods for chemically mechanically polishing a substrate, including a polishing accelerator, which is normally one or more oxidizers, an abrasive material, and chelating particles and/or metal-absorbent clay material. In addition, the invention can also involve methods of forming chelator particles and methods of separating metal-containing ions from polishing and/or etching solutions after polishing and/or etching.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2003
    Publication date: April 14, 2005
    Inventors: Robert Small, Donald Frey, Bruce Tredinnick, Christopher Hayden
  • Publication number: 20050014890
    Abstract: A composition for chemical-mechanical polishing, comprising an aqueous solution and an abrasive that comprises polymer particles, is described. The polymer particles carry an electrical charge, such that nearby particles repel one another. Accordingly, aggregation of polymer particles may be reduced, minimized or eliminated. The composition may additionally comprise an oxidizing agent. A method of using the composition to polish a substrate surface, such as a substrate surface having a metal surface feature or layer, is also described. A substrate so polished may exhibit good surface characteristics, such as a relatively smooth surface or a reduced number of, or a lack of, microscratches on the surface of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2003
    Publication date: January 20, 2005
    Inventors: Robert Small, Zhefei Chen