Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.

Applied Materials, Inc.

Hitachi Metals, Ltd.

Justin Mauck

Fernando Gustavo Tomasel

Juan Jose Gonzalez

Steve Dillon

Andrew Shabalin

Edward Ng

Joseph Arthur Kraus

Edward R Dykes

Brian Johnson

Alexei V Smirnov

Denis M Shaw

R Mike McDonald

One embodiment of the present invention involves a thermal sensor and a method of using the same. One thermal sensor is adapted to output a signal which is unaffected by external longitudinal and orthogonal thermal gradients. In one embodiment, the mass flow controller thermal sensor comprises a capillary tube having an upstream tube portion, a tube bend portion, and a downstream tube portion, the downstream portion being substantially parallel to the upstream portion. A distance between the upstream tube portion and the downstream tube portion in one embodiment is no greater than half the upstream portion and downstream portion lengths, a first pair of thermal sensing elements are coupled to the upstream tube portion and a second pair of thermal sensing elements are coupled to the downstream tube portion.

Mass flow controller having a first pair of thermal sensing elements opposing a second pair of thermal sensing elements

A system and method for preventing formation of a plasma-inhibiting substance within a plasma chamber is provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus that includes a barrier component configured to be disposed within a plasma chamber. The barrier component includes a wall that defines a plasma formation region where a chemically-reducing species is formed from a fluid. A portion of the wall is formed of a substance that is substantially inert to the chemically-reducing species. The wall prevents the chemically-reducing species from interacting with an inner surface of the plasma chamber to form a conductive substance. The barrier component also includes an opening in fluid communication with the plasma formation region. The fluid is introduced into the plasma formation region via the opening.

Method and apparatus for preventing the formation of a plasma-inhibiting substance

A system and method for providing a vapor are described. In one variation, liquid is placed in a containment vessel, and a pressure in the containment vessel is reduced below atmospheric pressure. The pressure in the vessel is monitored and the liquid is heated in response to the sensed pressure falling below a desired level. When needed, the vapor is delivered from the liquid containment vessel to the external system.

System and method for delivering vapor

A method and apparatus are described for making a coldplate. A first component of, for example copper, is explosion welded to a second component of, for example aluminum. The first metal component has a top surface opposite the second metal component and at least one channel proximate the top surface adapted to carry a cooling fluid. The coldplate can be used as an interior wall for a plasma chamber.

Explosion welded design for cooling components

In one aspect of the invention is a method to construct plasma chambers with improved wall resistance to deterioration. In one embodiment of the invention, a chamber is made of an aluminum alloy having low concentrations of elements that form non-soluble, intermetallic particles to address coating/substrate issues, has swaged-in cooling tubes to reduce thermal stress by improving thermal resistance, and has a plurality of dielectric gaps to decrease ion bombardment.

Deterioration resistant chambers for inductively coupled plasma production

A method and apparatus are described for inserting a cooling tube into a metal component to remove heat generated at the surface by flowing fluid through the tube, thereby cooling the metal component. A cooling tube is placed into a groove of a metal component having first and second surfaces, where the width of the groove at the surfaces is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the cooling tube. The metal component also has two ridges: a first ridge on one end of the groove at the first surface of the metal component, and a second ridge on the other end of the groove at the second surface of the metal component. After the cooling tube is placed in the groove of the metal component, the cooling tube is swaged into the groove of the metal component by applying pressure to the first and second ridges until the first ridge, second ridge, and cooling tube are flush with the top surface.

Swage method for cooling pipes

In a first aspect, a valve/sensor assembly is provided that includes a door assembly. The door assembly has (1) a first position adapted to seal an opening of a chamber; (2) a second position adapted to allow at least a blade of a substrate handler to extend through the opening of the chamber; and (3) a mounting mechanism adapted to couple the door assembly to the chamber. The valve/sensor assembly also includes a sensor system having a transmitter and a receiver adapted to detect a presence of a substrate and to communicate through at least a portion of the door assembly. Systems, methods and computer program products are provided in accordance with this and other aspects.

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Fort Collins, CO, United States of America

Justin Mauck