Patents by Inventor Silvio Decker
Silvio Decker 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).
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Patent number: 12540874Abstract: A sniffer probe for a gas leak detector, which gas leak detector has a vacuum pump for drawing in gas through the sniffer probe in accordance with the sniffing principle and a gas detector for analyzing the gas flow drawn in, the sniffer probe comprising: a gas inlet for the gas flow drawn in, a gas outlet, which can be connected to the gas leak detector, and a channel, which gas-conductingly connects the gas inlet to the gas outlet, is characterized in that the sniffer probe has a bypass opening, which gas-conductingly connects a portion of the channel located between the gas inlet and the gas outlet to the outer environment of the sniffer probe, the bypass opening having an actuatable closure for selectively opening and closing the bypass opening.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2021Date of Patent: February 3, 2026Assignee: INFICON GmbHInventors: Silvio Decker, Sebastian Weiss
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Publication number: 20250369866Abstract: A system for particle detection within a chamber includes a transmitter configured to generate a beam of light, one of a multipass configuration and beam shaping optics associated with the laser for generating a beam area within the chamber, the beam area configured to be arranged at an oblique angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the chamber and substantially confined to an imaging plane, and a detector configured to detect particles illuminated by the beam of light at the imaging plane. A method for detecting and measuring particles previously deposited on a surface of a semiconductor manufacturing chamber is also described.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2025Publication date: December 4, 2025Inventors: Michael Haggmark, Silvio Decker
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Patent number: 12436058Abstract: The invention relates to a sniffer probe (10) for drawing in gas when searching for gas leaks, the sniffer probe having at least one sniffer tip (11), and an intake opening (16) being provided which is connected via a connecting line to a main sniffer line which can be connected to a gas leak detector. The sniffer tip (11) is provided in the region of the intake opening (16) with flexible elongated shielding elements (30) which project from the sniffer tip (11) in such a way that the intake opening (16) is shielded from the exterior environment (38) of the sniffer probe (10) on all sides.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2021Date of Patent: October 7, 2025Assignee: INFICON GMBHInventors: Jochen Puchalla-König, Erik Rolff, Silvio Decker
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Publication number: 20250058284Abstract: A vacuum leak detector has a housing enclosing a suction chamber, a vacuum pump evacuating the suction chamber, and a gas detector connected to the suction chamber. The housing has a test leak with a selectively gas-permeable membrane. The test leak connects the outer atmosphere of the housing with the suction chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2022Publication date: February 20, 2025Applicant: INFICON GMBHInventors: Daniel WETZIG, Jochen PUCHALLA-KÖNIG, Silvio DECKER, Sebastian WEISS
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Publication number: 20240310234Abstract: A leak detection device for combined integral and localizing leak detection, comprising a test specimen port (14), a test specimen high vacuum pump (16), the inlet of which is connected with the test specimen port (14), at least one pre-vacuum pump (20), the inlet of which is connected via a test specimen line (18) with the outlet (19) of the test specimen high vacuum pump (16), and a gas detector (32) connected with the pre-vacuum pump (20), which is connected via at least a first gas line (28) with the test specimen high vacuum pump (16), the test specimen line (18) and/or the specimen port (14) such that gas from the test specimen port (14) is supplied to the gas detector (32) via the gas line (28) for gas analysis, characterized in that a gas pressure measuring volume (22) connected with a gas pressure sensor is configured in the test specimen line (18) such that, during the gas measurement with the gas detector (32), an integral leak detection can be carried out by measuring the pressure profile in the gType: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2022Publication date: September 19, 2024Inventors: Silvio Decker, Simon Mathioudakis, Randolf Paul Rolff
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Publication number: 20240288329Abstract: The invention relates to an automated leak detection method using a robotic gas leak detector (56), characterized by the steps of: a) moving the probe tip (25) of a probe (22) guided by a robot (32) to a test site (20) to be examined, using a robot (32); b) recording a measurement signal from gas recorded by the probe tip (25) by means of a gas detector (24); c) detecting at least one first measurement value of the measurement signal at at least one first measurement time; d) detecting the first measurement time and assigning the first measurement time to the first measurement value; e) detecting and assigning a first measurement position of the probe (22) corresponding to the first measurement time; f) repeating steps a)-e) for at least one subsequent second measurement time; g) correlating the measurement values with each of the measurement positions of the probe (22) in order to be able to use the measurement values to assess at which measurement position an extreme value of the measurement signal, whicType: ApplicationFiled: July 25, 2022Publication date: August 29, 2024Inventors: Daniel Wetzig, Silvio Decker, Jochen Puchalla-König, Erik Rolff, Volker Trieb
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Publication number: 20240159641Abstract: A particle detector includes at least one throttling element which defines an aerodynamic aperture. A light source illuminates a region of the aerodynamic aperture at about a focal point of an aerodynamic lens. A detector is configured to receive a light scattered from one or more particles which traverse the aerodynamic aperture. A method for detecting and measuring particles previously deposited on a surface of a semiconductor manufacturing chamber is also described.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2023Publication date: May 16, 2024Applicant: Inficon, LLCInventors: Shawn Briglin, Nathan Graff, Silvio Decker, Michael Haggmark
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Publication number: 20240044737Abstract: A device for leak detection on a test specimen, comprising a mass spectrometer (12), an at least three-stage turbomolecular pump (14), the input stage (18) of which is connected to the mass spectrometer (12) and which has a first intermediate gas inlet arranged between the input pump stage and the intermediate pump stage (26) and a second intermediate gas inlet arranged between the intermediate pump stage (26) and the output pump stage (24), an at least two-stage booster pump, the input pump stage (46) of which can be connected to the test specimen to be examined and which has an intermediate gas outlet (54) arranged between the input pump stage (46) and the output pump stage (48) and a pre-vacuum pump (22) which is connected to the outlet (20) of the output pump stage (24) of the turbomolecular pump (14) and is configured to generate a pre-vacuum pressure of less than 50 mbar at the outlet (20) of the turbomolecular pump (14) and to evacuate it against atmospheric pressure, characterized in that the intermedType: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2021Publication date: February 8, 2024Applicant: INFICON GMBHInventors: Silvio DECKER, Simon MATHIOUDAKIS
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Publication number: 20240019336Abstract: A gas leak detection device for identifying a gas leak in a test object, comprising a connector (20) for the test object or a test chamber accommodating the test object, a vacuum pump (16, 18) connected to the connector (20) for evacuating the test object or the test chamber, a gas detector (12) connected to the vacuum pump (16, 18) and the connector (20) and configured for detection of a first test gas and for integral leak detection or for localized leak detection of a gas leak in the test object according to the spraying principle during continuous operation of the vacuum pump (16, 18), a gas pressure sensor (24) connected to the vacuum pump (16, 18) and the connector (20) and configured for integral measurement of the total pressure increase at the connector (20) according to the pressure increase method and/or the partial pressure increase of at least one second test gas different from the first test gas at the connector (20) according to the partial pressure increase method, and a blocking device (26) cType: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2021Publication date: January 18, 2024Applicant: INFICON GMBHInventors: Daniel WETZIG, Marcel RUTH, Silvio DECKER, Thomas GRELLMANN
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Patent number: 11841300Abstract: A sniffer probe for a gas analyzer is provided herein, the sniffer probe designed to suction gas and can be connected to the gas analyzer and includes a sniffer tip with a suction opening, such that gas is suctioned through the suction opening along a central perpendicular to the suction opening, and the sniffer tip has at least one elongate gas-guiding element, which is arranged substantially parallel to the central perpendicular and distally protrudes beyond the suction opening.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2017Date of Patent: December 12, 2023Assignee: INFICON GmbHInventor: Silvio Decker
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Publication number: 20230296466Abstract: A sniffer probe for a gas leak detector, which gas leak detector has a vacuum pump for drawing in gas through the sniffer probe in accordance with the sniffing principle and a gas detector for analyzing the gas flow drawn in, the sniffer probe comprising: a gas inlet for the gas flow drawn in, a gas outlet, which can be connected to the gas leak detector, and a channel, which gas-conductingly connects the gas inlet to the gas outlet, is characterized in that the sniffer probe has a bypass opening, which gas-conductingly connects a portion of the channel located between the gas inlet and the gas outlet to the outer environment of the sniffer probe, the bypass opening having an actuatable closure for selectively opening and closing the bypass opening.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 8, 2021Publication date: September 21, 2023Inventors: Silvio Decker, Sebastian Weiss
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Publication number: 20230204552Abstract: In a method for the detection of gas using a gas-selective membrane, a temperature device that is designed to change the temperature of the membrane, and a detector that is designed to acquire a measurement signal on the basis of the amount of gas passing through the membrane, provision is made for the following steps: changing the temperature of the membrane using the temperature device, acquiring at least one first measuring value (Hn, Hn+1, Hn+2) using the detector at a time at which the membrane temperature adopts a first temperature value, acquiring at least one second measuring value (Ln, Ln+1) using the detector at a time at which the membrane temperature adopts a second temperature value different from the first temperature value, calculating the difference between the two measuring values, and using the difference to assess whether a gas to be detected is present.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2021Publication date: June 29, 2023Applicant: INFICON GMBHInventor: Silvio DECKER
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Publication number: 20230080807Abstract: The invention relates to a sniffer probe (10) for drawing in gas when searching for gas leaks, the sniffer probe having at least one sniffer tip (11), and an intake opening (16) being provided which is connected via a connecting line to a main sniffer line which can be connected to a gas leak detector. The sniffer tip (11) is provided in the region of the intake opening (16) with flexible elongated shielding elements (30) which project from the sniffer tip (11) in such a way that the intake opening (16) is shielded from the exterior environment (38) of the sniffer probe (10) on all sides.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2021Publication date: March 16, 2023Inventors: Jochen PUCHALLA-KÖNIG, Erik ROLFF, Silvio DECKER
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Publication number: 20230020261Abstract: A test gas applicator (10) for administering test gas to a test object to be tested for the presence of a leak, comprising a housing (12) surrounding a test gas volume (14) and having a test gas outlet (24) with a membrane material (28) through which the test gas diffuses and/or permeates.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2020Publication date: January 19, 2023Inventor: Silvio DECKER
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Patent number: 11320337Abstract: Method for testing a test piece for the presence of a leak using a foil chamber, wherein the foil chamber has walls having at least one flexible wall region to which a measurement volume adjoins and is arranged on that side of the flexible wall region opposite the foil chamber volume and is hermetically separated from the foil chamber volume, having the following steps: placing the test piece in the foil chamber, closing the foil chamber, evacuating the foil chamber and monitoring the measurement volume during evacuation of the foil chamber, using the result of the monitoring to reach a conclusion regarding the magnitude of a leak, characterized in that a venting valve connecting the measurement volume to the atmosphere is closed when the pressure in the measurement volume is below a predefined threshold value, and is opened as soon as the pressure exceeds the threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2018Date of Patent: May 3, 2022Assignee: INFICON GmbHInventors: Norbert Rolff, Silvio Decker
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Patent number: 11199468Abstract: A method for performing a leak-tightness test on a test object (16) in a foil chamber (10) which has at least one flexible wall region (12, 14), having the steps: using a gas or gas constituent contained in the test object as test gas for the leak-tightness test, introducing the test object into the foil chamber, evacuating the foil chamber to a pressure lower than the test gas pressure within the test object and than atmospheric pressure, introducing a carrier gas into the foil chamber into the region outside the test object, and measuring the test gas concentration of the gas mixture that forms in the foil chamber in the region outside the test object.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2015Date of Patent: December 14, 2021Assignee: Inficon GmbHInventors: Daniel Wetzig, Silvio Decker
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Patent number: 11022515Abstract: A sniffer leak detector is provided herein, including a sniffer probe and a vacuum pump which are connected to each other by a gas flow path, a gas analyzer arranged along the gas flow path and analyzes the gas taken in by the vacuum pump through the sniffer probe. The sniffer leak detector further includes a distance sensor that detects the distance between the sniffer probe and the test object, and a control is linked to the distance sensor. The control is designed to vary the carrier gas flow transported along the gas flow path, depending on the measured distance.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2017Date of Patent: June 1, 2021Assignee: INFICON GmbHInventor: Silvio Decker
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Patent number: 10900862Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the gross leak measurement of an at least partially incompressible test object (18) in a film chamber (12) that comprises at least one flexible wall region and is connected, in a gas-conducting manner, to a pressure sensor (30), a vacuum pump (26) and, by way of a calibration valve (34), to a calibration chamber (36) enclosing a calibration volume (37), comprising the steps of evacuating the film chamber (12), measuring the pressure curve within the film chamber (12) after the evacuation is completed, connecting, in a gas-conducting manner, the calibration volume (37) to the inner volume of the film chamber (12) during the measurement of the pressure curve, the pressure being measured before the gas-conducting connection is established, and with the gas-conducting connection established, to the film chamber (12), and the pressure in the calibration chamber (36) prior to the connection to the film chamber (12) being higher or lower than the pressure in the film chamber (12Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2016Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: INFICON GmbHInventors: Silvio Decker, Norbert Rolff
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Publication number: 20200378862Abstract: Method for testing a test piece for the presence of a leak using a foil chamber, wherein the foil chamber has walls having at least one flexible wall region to which a measurement volume adjoins and is arranged on that side of the flexible wall region opposite the foil chamber volume and is hermetically separated from the foil chamber volume, having the following steps: placing the test piece in the foil chamber, closing the foil chamber, evacuating the foil chamber and monitoring the measurement volume during evacuation of the foil chamber, using the result of the monitoring to reach a conclusion regarding the magnitude of a leak, characterized in that a venting valve connecting the measurement volume to the atmosphere is closed when the pressure in the measurement volume is below a predefined threshold value, and is opened as soon as the pressure exceeds the threshold value.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 6, 2018Publication date: December 3, 2020Inventors: Norbert Rolff, Silvio Decker
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Patent number: 10852212Abstract: The invention relates to a method for leakage detection on at least one flexible test piece in a film chamber, including inserting the at least one test piece into a film chamber, lowering the pressure in the film chamber outside the at least one test piece, and detecting a leakage in the at least one test piece by observing the spatial change of the film of the film chamber. The outer contour of the at least one test piece is transferred to at least one section of the film by the lowering of the pressure in the film chamber. The contour of the film is recorded with an image recording system, and the recorded images of the contour are compared with reference images of said contour in the event of a tight test piece.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2017Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: INFICON GmbHInventors: Daniel Wetzig, Silvio Decker, Jochen Puchalla-König