The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 06, 2004
Filed:
Jul. 16, 2001
Applicant:
Inventors:
Assignee:
MKS Instruments, Inc., Andover, MA (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01L 9/12 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G01L 9/12 ;
Abstract
Transducer apparatus and method combining both an absolute pressure sensor for sensing absolute pressure in the load lock chamber and a differential pressure sensor for sensing a pressure difference between ambient atmospheric pressure and pressure in a load lock chamber and provides control signals for opening an interior door from the load lock chamber into a vacuum processing chamber and for opening an exterior door between ambient atmosphere and the load lock chamber. The transducer can also produce signals to control transition from slow to fast vacuum pump-down of load lock chamber pressure at a predetermined pressure set point.