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:
Jul. 18, 2006
Filed:
Mar. 21, 2001
Garry Holcomb, Boulder, CO (US);
Youfan Gu, Superior, CO (US);
James Stafford, Golden, CO (US);
James M. Mueller, Lafayette, CO (US);
Stacy Wade, Boulder, CO (US);
Garry Holcomb, Boulder, CO (US);
Youfan Gu, Superior, CO (US);
James Stafford, Golden, CO (US);
James M. Mueller, Lafayette, CO (US);
Stacy Wade, Boulder, CO (US);
MKS Instruments, Inc., Wilmington, MA (US);
Abstract
A pirani absolute pressure sensor for sensing absolute pressure in a load lock in a range from 100 to 10torr and a differential pressure sensor for sensing a pressure difference between ambient atmospheric pressure and pressure in the load lock chamber are combined together in a module with a manifold and common circuit components to provide a pressure transducer that is capable of producing not only analog output for absolute pressure measurements, but also control signals at settable absolute and differential pressure values for opening interior and exterior doors of a load lock used to shuttle wafers and other devices into and out of a vacuum processing chamber. The transducer can also produce signals to control transition from slow to fast vacuum pumping of the load lock chamber at a settable threshold pressure.