Michael E Meadows

Title: Michael E. Meadows and His Patent for Polishing-Pad Conditioning

Introduction

Michael E. Meadows is an inventor associated with Boise, Idaho, and Micron Technology Incorporated. His patent work concerns equipment for conditioning polishing pads used in the processing of microfeature workpieces.

Latest Patents

The provided information lists one patent for Meadows: Systems and Methods for Actuating End Effectors to Condition Polishing Pads Used for Polishing Microfeature Workpieces. The patent describes a rotatable end effector with a conditioning surface and a driver that rotates it without using a flexible, continuous belt. One example uses a motor-driven worm meshed with a worm gear. The system may also use a forcing element to apply a force approximately normal to the end effector’s conditioning surface. The patent lists 1 patent for Meadows.

Career Highlights

Meadows’s listed invention addresses the actuation and positioning of end effectors used to condition polishing media. The disclosed design combines rotational drive with a mechanism for applying force, offering an approach to maintaining polishing-pad surfaces.

Collaborations

The provided information identifies Charles K. Dringle and Brett A. Mayes as Meadows’s coworkers. It does not specify their roles in the patent or describe particular collaborations.

Conclusion

Michael E. Meadows’s listed patent reflects work on mechanisms for conditioning polishing pads used in microfeature manufacturing. His invention describes a belt-free drive and a force-applying element for operating the end effector.