Patents by Inventor Thomas Windhorn

Thomas Windhorn 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).

  • Method and apparatus for monitoring the condition of plasma equipment
    Patent number: 7227624
    Abstract: An apparatus (100) senses a degree of cleanliness of a plasma reactor having a chamber (102) containing a plasma (103) that emits light (104) during a process conducted in the chamber (102). The apparatus (100) also has a light sensing element (180), configured to sense an intensity of the light (104) emitted by the plasma (103) after the light (104) passes through a film (135) that accrues in the chamber (102) during the process, and to provide a light intensity indication signal, and an electronics assembly (170) configured to receive the light intensity indication signal and to provide an indication of the degree of cleanliness of the plasma reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Steven T. Fink, Thomas Windhorn
  • Method and apparatus for monitoring the condition of plasma equipment
    Publication number: 20040184028
    Abstract: An apparatus (100) senses a degree of cleanliness of a plasma reactor having a chamber (102) containing a plasma (103) that emits light (104) during a process conducted in the chamber (102). The apparatus (100) also has a light sensing element (180), configured to sense an intensity of the light (104) emitted by the plasma (103) after the light (104) passes through a film (135) that accrues in the chamber (102) during the process, and to provide a light intensity indication signal, and an electronics assembly (170) configured to receive the light intensity indication signal and to provide an indication of the degree of cleanliness of the plasma reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2004
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Inventors: Steven T. Fink, Thomas Windhorn