Michael H Cates

US Patent:

6414979, Jul 2, 2002

Filed:

Jan 23, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/768753

Inventors:

Richard C. Ujazdowski - San Diego CA
Michael C. Cates - Escondido CA
Richard G. Morton - San Diego CA
Jean-Marc Hueber - La Jolla CA
Ross H. Winnick - San Diego CA

Assignee:

Cymer, Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

H01S 3097

US Classification:

372 87, 372 58, 372 57

Abstract:

A gas discharge laser having a laser chamber with two elongated erodable electrode elements, at least one of said electrode element having a generally blunt blade-shaped portion comprised of a material having high electrical conductivity with a flow shaping dielectric fairing positioned on each of two sides of said blunt blade-shaped portion. A pulse power system provides electrical pulses at rates of at least 1 KHz. A blower circulates laser gas between the electrodes at speeds of at least 10 m/s and a heat exchanger is provided to remove heat produced by the blower and the discharges.

US Patent:

6456383, Sep 24, 2002

Filed:

Nov 3, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/705847

Inventors:

Dennis D. Earl - Knoxville TN
Stephen W. Allison - Knoxville TN
Michael R. Cates - Oak Ridge TN
Alvin J. Sanders - Knoxville TN

Assignee:

UT Battelle, LLC - Oak Ridge TN
The University of Tennessee Research Corporation - Knoxville TN

International Classification:

G01D 1114

US Classification:

356614, 356498

Abstract:

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for making absolute distance or ranging measurements using Fresnel diffraction. The invention employs a source of electromagnetic radiation having a known wavelength or wavelength distribution, which sends a beam of electromagnetic radiation through a screen at least partially opaque at the wavelength. The screen has an aperture sized so as to produce a Fresnel diffraction pattern. A portion of the beam travels through the aperture to a detector spaced some distance from the screen. The detector detects the central intensity of the beam as well as a set of intensities displaced from a center of the aperture. The distance from the source to the target can then be calculated based upon the known wavelength, aperture radius, and beam intensity.

US Patent:

6466602, Oct 15, 2002

Filed:

Jun 9, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/590961

Inventors:

Vladimir B. Fleurov - Escondido CA
Michael C. Cates - Escondido CA
Michael DuLyea - Lakeside CA
Igor V. Fomenkov - San Diego CA
Dmitri V. Gaidarenko - Poway CA
Jean-Marc Hueber - La Jolla CA
Richard G. Morton - San Diego CA
Eckehard D. Onkels - San Diego CA
Robert A. Shannon - Ramona CA
Ross H. Winnick - San Diego CA

Assignee:

Cymer, Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

H01S 3097

US Classification:

372 87, 372 57, 372 59

Abstract:

A gas discharge laser having a laser chamber with two elongated erodable electrode elements, each having an erodable section and an electrode with support configured to minimize discharge region laser gas turbulence and with the electrode elements being configured to permit gradual erosion over more than 8 billion pulses without causing substantial changes in the shape of electrical discharges between the electrode elements. A pulse power system provides electrical pulses of at least 2J at rates of at least 2 KHz. A blower circulates laser gas between the electrodes at speeds of at least 2 m/s and a heat exchanger is provided to remove heat produced by the blower and the discharges.

US Patent:

6654403, Nov 25, 2003

Filed:

Dec 22, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/748317

Inventors:

Richard C. Ujazdowski - San Diego CA
Michael C. Cates - Escondido CA
Richard G. Morton - San Diego CA

Assignee:

Cymer, Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

H01S 3097

US Classification:

372 87, 372 58

Abstract:

An excimer laser with a laser chamber containing a circulating laser gas containing fluorine and a set of long life electrode structures. At least one of the electrode structures has an erosion pad and a cross section shape designed to provide in conjunction with other chamber structure a gradual increasing flow cross section between the discharge region and the circulating tangential fan blade. In a preferred embodiment, electrode lifetime is increased by annealing the erosion rod after it is are machined. This annealing relieves the surface stress caused by the machining operation and reduces the exposed metallic grain boundary length per unit area on the surface of the electrodes, which provides substantial reduction in erosion caused by fluorine chemical attack. Annealing after machining also reduces the stress throughout the bulk of the electrode material. In preferred embodiments the anode is a copper-aluminum alloy and the cathode is a copper-zinc alloy.

US Patent:

52045170, Apr 20, 1993

Filed:

Dec 24, 1991

Appl. No.:

7/813865

Inventors:

Michael C. Cates - Solana Beach CA
Richard R. Hamm - San Diego CA
John D. Hoogerwerf - San Diego CA

Assignee:

Maxwell Laboratories, Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

G01J 132

US Classification:

250205

Abstract:

A method for removing material from a structure, comprising the steps of: (1) generating a light beam; (2) irradiating the surface material of a structure with the light beam having an intensity sufficient to ablate the surface material and to cause the surface material to generate spectral emission signals having intensities; (3) scanning the structure with the light beam at a scan speed; (4) monitoring the spectral emissions to detect a selected one of the spectral emission signals having a selected wavelength and generating an electronic output signal representative of the intensity of a selected one of the spectral emission signals in response to detecting the selected one of the spectral emission signals; (5) determining an updated scan speed functionally related to the electronic output signal; and (6) directing the scan speed to be equal to the updated scan speed. A second embodiment determines the updated scan speed based on the intensity of spectral emission signals detected during predetermined intervals while the structure is illuminated by the light source. A third embodiment determines an updated scan speed based on the intensity of spectral emission signals resulting from a laser pulse irradiating the structure when the output of the light beam is approximately at a minimum.

US Patent:

53285174, Jul 12, 1994

Filed:

Dec 24, 1991

Appl. No.:

7/813872

Inventors:

Michael C. Cates - Solana Beach CA
Richard R. Hamm - San Diego CA
Michael W. Lewis - Wichita KS
Wayne N. Schmitz - St. Louis MO

Assignee:

McDonnell Douglas Corporation - St. Louis MO
Maxwell Laboratories, Inc. - San Diego CA
Cold Jet, Inc. - Loveland OH

International Classification:

B08B 700

US Classification:

134 7

Abstract:

A method is provided for removing material from a structure having at least one layer of material formed on a substrate. The method includes the steps of irradiating a target area of a structure with radiant energy sufficient to break or weaken chemical bonds in the material, and impinging the target area with a particle stream to remove the pyrolyzed material from the structure. The method may be implemented by a system comprising a housing having a window; a radiant energy source mounted in the housing for irradiating the target area of the structure with the radiant energy; and a nozzle mounted to the exterior of the housing for directing the stream of particles at the target area.

US Patent:

59300272, Jul 27, 1999

Filed:

Feb 12, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/022980

Inventors:

Carl A. Mentzer - Poway CA
Michael C. Cates - Mesa AZ
Henry B. Morris - Mesa AZ

Assignee:

McDonnell Douglas Corporation - St. Louis MO

International Classification:

G02B 2608

US Classification:

359298

Abstract:

A fiber optic spatial light modulation system which includes a light source which produces source light, an optical fiber bundle which includes a plurality of individual optical fibers, and a spatial light modulator which is interposed between the light source and the optical fiber bundle, and which selectively modulates the amount of the source light coupled into each of the individual optical fibers, wherein the amount of the source light coupled into different ones of the individual optical fibers can be unequal. In the disclosed embodiment, the spatial light modulator is a digital micromirror device which includes an array of micromirrors, a semiconductor memory which includes an array of memory cells, wherein each of the memory cells is associated with a respective one of the micromirrors and stores a bit of binary data, and the system employs a digital microprocessor which executes a desired control algorithm and sends the binary data to appropriate ones of the memory cells to selectively drive the micromirrors into an on position or an off position in accordance with the binary value of the binary data. Each of the individual optical fibers has associated therewith a plurality of micromirrors which are each oriented to couple the source light into the corresponding individual optical fiber when in the on position and to not couple the source light into the corresponding individual optical fiber when in the off position.

US Patent:

56135092, Mar 25, 1997

Filed:

Jun 2, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/460732

Inventors:

Alan C. Kolb - Rancho Santa Fe CA
Leonard W. Braverman - New Fairfield CT
Cyril J. Silberman - Minnetonka MN
Richard R. Hamm - San Diego CA
Michael C. Cates - Del Mar CA

Assignee:

Maxwell Laboratories, Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

B08B 312

US Classification:

134 56R

Abstract:

An improved system and method are provided for removing material coatings or contaminants such as paints from a structure. The system and method include a radiant energy source, such as a flashlamp, for irradiating the target area of the structure with the radiant energy sufficient to initiate the pyrolysis and/or ablation of the coating or contaminant and a low temperature carbon dioxide stream which is directed at the target area to disperse the material from the structure, clean the exposed surface and cool the underlying substrate. The low temperature carbon dioxide stream is formed from a liquid carbon dioxide from a liquid carbon dioxide source which undergoes phase transition to yield a predetermined amount of low temperature carbon dioxide gas and carbon dioxide snow. The system and method eliminate the need for a carbon dioxide pelletizer, a carbon dioxide pellet transport hopper, and a compressed carrier gas which are used in related systems.