Patents by Inventor Thomas Joel Blackburn

Thomas Joel Blackburn 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: 20210202209
    Abstract: Plasma processing systems and power delivery methods are disclosed. A system may comprise at least one modulating supply that modulates plasma properties where the modulation of the plasma properties has a repetition period, T. Electrical characteristics of an output of the modulating supply are monitored and provided to a controller where the electrical characteristics are analyzed. Characteristics of a waveform with the repetition period T are communicated to at least one piece of equipment connected to plasma processing system to enable synchronization of pieces of equipment connected to the plasma processing system. And in addition, instructions are relayed to the modulating supply and a match network, based on the analyzing of the electrical characteristics, enabling simultaneous tuning of the modulating supply and the match network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: Gideon Van Zyl, Thomas Joel Blackburn, Thomas McIntyre, Fernando Gustavo Tomasel
  • Patent number: 9478397
    Abstract: The present disclosure discusses a power delivery system, and methods of operation, configured to monitor characteristics of a generator, a match network, and a plasma load, via one or more sensors, and control these components via a local controller in order to improve power delivery accuracy and consistency to the plasma load. Control can be based on a unified monitoring of power characteristics in the power delivery system as well as variations between components and even non-electrical characteristics such as plasma density, end point, and spectral components of plasma light emission, to name a few.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Joel Blackburn, Thomas McIntyre, Fernando Gustavo Tomasel
  • Publication number: 20150279625
    Abstract: The present disclosure discusses a power delivery system, and methods of operation, configured to monitor characteristics of a generator, a match network, and a plasma load, via one or more sensors, and control these components via a local controller in order to improve power delivery accuracy and consistency to the plasma load. Control can be based on a unified monitoring of power characteristics in the power delivery system as well as variations between components and even non-electrical characteristics such as plasma density, end point, and spectral components of plasma light emission, to name a few.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: Thomas Joel Blackburn, Thomas McIntyre, Fernando Gustavo Tomasel
  • Patent number: 9088267
    Abstract: The present disclosure discusses a power delivery system, and methods of operation, configured to monitor characteristics of a generator, a match network, and a plasma load, via one or more sensors, and control these components via a local controller in order to improve power delivery accuracy and consistency to the plasma load. Control can be based on a unified monitoring of power characteristics in the power delivery system as well as variations between components and even non-electrical characteristics such as plasma density, end point, and spectral components of plasma light emission, to name a few.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Joel Blackburn, Thomas McIntyre, Fernando Gustavo Tomasel
  • Publication number: 20130002136
    Abstract: The present disclosure discusses a power delivery system, and methods of operation, configured to monitor characteristics of a generator, a match network, and a plasma load, via one or more sensors, and control these components via a local controller in order to improve power delivery accuracy and consistency to the plasma load. Control can be based on a unified monitoring of power characteristics in the power delivery system as well as variations between components and even non-electrical characteristics such as plasma density, end point, and spectral components of plasma light emission, to name a few.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: ADVANCED ENERGY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas Joel Blackburn, Thomas McIntyre, Fernando Gustavo Tomasel
  • Patent number: 7049751
    Abstract: There is provided a secondary reactive termination circuit connected between the output of the RF power generator and the input of the plasma chamber to allow the tight regulation or limiting of the voltage and current components of the secondary frequencies within the process plasma. The secondary reactive circuit controls the impedance of the match network designed primarily to operate at the fundamental frequency of the RF power generator as seen by secondary frequencies in the system. Power delivery components are measured at the connection point of the termination circuit and used as feedback signals to control variable values of the termination circuit components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Advanced Energy Industries, Inc
    Inventors: Thomas Joel Blackburn, Christopher C. Mason
  • Patent number: 6888313
    Abstract: There is provided a secondary reactive termination circuit connected between the output of the RF power generator and the input of the plasma chamber to allow the tight regulation or limiting of the voltage and current components of the secondary frequencies within the process plasma. The secondary reactive circuit controls the impedance of the match network designed primarily to operate at the fundamental frequency of the RF power generator as seen by secondary frequencies in the system. A variable capacitor gives the operator the advantage of being able to tightly regulate the voltage, current, and power within a process at discrete frequencies without concern for impedance variability induced by other components in the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Joel Blackburn, Christopher C. Mason