Plasma process apparatus
The plasma processing apparatus excites plasma in a container and processes an object in the plasma. This plasma processing apparatus includes: a gas supply system (A) that supplies a process gas required for exciting the plasma (B); an exhaustion system (C) that exhausts the process gas and evacuates the container; and a conductive stage (D) on which the object to be processed is placed. In this plasma processing apparatus, a DC voltage or high-frequency power (E) is applied to the conductive stage; and a cooling passage for cooling the object to be processed is disposed in the stage. The cooling passage is made of a material that has a high heat conductivity to transmit heat from the stage to a refrigerant. The unit also has a high electrical insulating strength to prevent the transmission of DC voltage or high-frequency power to the stage and to the refrigerant.
6,423,178 B1
July 23, 2002
Tahahiro Ohmi and Masaki Hirayam, of Tokyo Electron Limited (Tokyo)
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Filter package
A filter package—having a long shelf-life and containing substantially no contaminants—is comprised of a filter cartridge (A), a flexible bag surrounding the filter cartridge (B) that has walls comprising a polymeric material impervious to microorganisms and liquid water, a venting mechanism (C) formed in a wall of the flexible bag, and sanitized water (D) sealed inside the flexible bag and immersing substantially 100 percent of a volume of the filter cartridge. The filter is made of a porous filter medium that has pores through which a fluid can pass between an upstream side and a downstream side of the filter cartridge and the sanitized water substantially permeates the pores of the filter medium. The venting mechanism includes a vent filter that prevents the passage of microorganisms into the flexible bag.
6,423,226 B1
July 23, 2002
Scott D. Hopkins, Daniel W. Spencer and Joseph A. Peri, of Pall Corp. (East Hills, NY).
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Cleanable HEPA
The filter media includes a porous primary filtration layer (A). A first substrate layer (B) is attached to the primary filtration layer (C) maintaining the shape of the filter. The first substrate layer (B) includes a non-woven filtration media. A second substrate layer (D) is attached to the first substrate layer (B), and functions as a secondary filter in the event of damage to the primary filtration layer (C). The second substrate layer (D) includes a non-woven filtration media. The use of bonds (E) allows the filter to be durable. A filter cartridge (F) is intended for use in a vacuum for residential, industrial or commercial applications.
6,409,785 B1
June 25, 2002
Alan Smithies, James Roy Doehla and Anthony Joseph Thill, of BHA Technologies Inc. (Kansas City, MO).
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Hand-washing monitor
The invention is a hand-wash monitoring system that reminds personnel in food service and healthcare professions to wash their hands. A badge (A) worn by a person is outfitted with an identification-memory device (B) and a speaker (C) that when activated registers at least one visual, audible or tactile alarm by a beacon placed where contamination may occur when the badge enters the range of the beacon. The person must wash their hands according to visual and audible prompts issued by a base unit (D) in a wash area — furnished with a soap dispenser (E), a touch-free faucet (F) and touch-free dryer (G) — to clear the badge alarm.
6,426,701 B1
July 30, 2002
Allan Levy, James B. O'Maley and Francis J. Parker, of UltraClenz Engineering Group (Riviera Beach, FL).
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Pod and cleaning method
A pod for storing and carrying wafers consists of a pod body (A) and a cover (B). An inlet (C) and an outlet (D) are formed on one pod body and cover. The cover is tightly fitted to the pod body to close the inside of the pod body. A washing liquid passes through valves (E,F) into the pod through the inlet and is discharged through the outlet, thereby washing the inside of the pod with the pod itself serving as a washing tank. The pod moves through pod processing and wafer processing areas (G,H ). A washing cover is attached to the pod body when the inside of the pod body is washed. The unit also includes a cleaning apparatus connected to the washing cover (not pictured).
6,422,247
July 23, 2002
Noriaki Yoskikawa, Tadashi Yotsumoto, Terumi Muguruma, Yoshitaka, Hasegawa and Yuichi Kuroda, of Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Kawasaki, Japan).
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Send your inventions Information on the patents highlighted above was obtained through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Inventors who have been granted patents for new cleanroom and contamination technology are encouraged to submit them to CleanRooms magazine for publication. Send a brief description of the invention along with a detailed drawing to Mark A. DeSorbo, associate editor, CleanRooms, 98 Spit Brook Road, Nashua, NH 03062, or e-mail at [email protected].