Patents by Inventor Sean Wilbur

Sean Wilbur 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: 11746435
    Abstract: An electroplating apparatus includes an electrode at the bottom of a chamber, an ionically resistive element with through holes arranged horizontally at the top of the chamber, with a membrane in the middle. One or more panels extend vertically and parallelly from the membrane to the element and extend linearly across the chamber, forming a plurality of regions between the membrane and the element. A substrate with a protuberance extending along a chord of the substrate and contacting a top surface of the element is arranged above a first region. An electrolyte flowed between the substrate and the element descends into the first region via the through holes on a first side of the protuberance and ascends from the first region via the through holes on a second side of the protuberance, forcing air bubbles out from a portion of the element associated with the first region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Stephen J. Banik, Bryan L. Buckalew, Gabriel Hay Graham, Alfred Bostick, Sean Wilbur, John Floyd Ostrowski
  • Publication number: 20220119977
    Abstract: An electroplating apparatus includes an electrode at the bottom of a chamber, an ionically resistive element with through holes arranged horizontally at the top of the chamber, with a membrane in the middle. One or more panels extend vertically and parallelly from the membrane to the element and extend linearly across the chamber, forming a plurality of regions between the membrane and the element. A substrate with a protuberance extending along a chord of the substrate and contacting a top surface of the element is arranged above a first region. An electrolyte flowed between the substrate and the element descends into the first region via the through holes on a first side of the protuberance and ascends from the first region via the through holes on a second side of the protuberance, forcing air bubbles out from a portion of the element associated with the first region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Stephen J. BANIK, Bryan L. BUCKALEW, Gabriel Hay GRAHAM, Alfred BOSTICK, Sean WILBUR, John Floyd OSTROWSKI
  • Patent number: 11214887
    Abstract: An electroplating apparatus includes an electrode at the bottom of a chamber, an ionically resistive element with through holes arranged horizontally at the top of the chamber, with a membrane in the middle. One or more panels extend vertically and parallelly from the membrane to the element and extend linearly across the chamber, forming a plurality of regions between the membrane and the element. A substrate with a protuberance extending along a chord of the substrate and contacting a top surface of the element is arranged above a first region. An electrolyte flowed between the substrate and the element descends into the first region via the through holes on a first side of the protuberance and ascends from the first region via the through holes on a second side of the protuberance, forcing air bubbles out from a portion of the element associated with the first region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Stephen J. Banik, Bryan L. Buckalew, Gabriel Hay Graham, Alfred Bostick, Sean Wilbur, John Floyd Ostrowski
  • Publication number: 20200270759
    Abstract: An electroplating apparatus includes an electrode at the bottom of a chamber, an ionically resistive element with through holes arranged horizontally at the top of the chamber, with a membrane in the middle. One or more panels extend vertically and parallelly from the membrane to the element and extend linearly across the chamber, forming a plurality of regions between the membrane and the element. A substrate with a protuberance extending along a chord of the substrate and contacting a top surface of the element is arranged above a first region. An electrolyte flowed between the substrate and the element descends into the first region via the through holes on a first side of the protuberance and ascends from the first region via the through holes on a second side of the protuberance, forcing air bubbles out from a portion of the element associated with the first region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Stephen J. BANIK, Bryan L. BUCKALEW, Gabriel Hay GRAHAM, Alfred BOSTICK, Sean WILBUR, John Floyd OSTROWSKI
  • Patent number: 10655240
    Abstract: An electroplating apparatus includes an electrode at the bottom of a chamber, an ionically resistive element with through holes arranged horizontally at the top of the chamber, with a membrane in the middle. One or more panels extend vertically and parallelly from the membrane to the element and extend linearly across the chamber, forming a plurality of regions between the membrane and the element. A substrate with a protuberance extending along a chord of the substrate and contacting a top surface of the element is arranged above a first region. An electrolyte flowed between the substrate and the element descends into the first region via the through holes on a first side of the protuberance and ascends from the first region via the through holes on a second side of the protuberance, forcing air bubbles out from a portion of the element associated with the first region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Stephen J. Banik, Bryan L. Buckalew, Gabriel Hay Graham, Alfred Bostick, Sean Wilbur, John Floyd Ostrowski
  • Publication number: 20190338440
    Abstract: An electroplating apparatus includes an electrode at the bottom of a chamber, an ionically resistive element with through holes arranged horizontally at the top of the chamber, with a membrane in the middle. One or more panels extend vertically and parallelly from the membrane to the element and extend linearly across the chamber, forming a plurality of regions between the membrane and the element. A substrate with a protuberance extending along a chord of the substrate and contacting a top surface of the element is arranged above a first region. An electrolyte flowed between the substrate and the element descends into the first region via the through holes on a first side of the protuberance and ascends from the first region via the through holes on a second side of the protuberance, forcing air bubbles out from a portion of the element associated with the first region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventors: Stephen J. Banik, Bryan L. Buckalew, Gabriel Hay Graham, Alfred Bostick, Sean Wilbur, John Floyd Ostrowski