Porthouse
J. David Porthouse, Chesterfield, MO US
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20100139541 | Boat Docking and Cleaning Device - A docking and cleaning device comprising a frame having scrubbers affixed thereto for cleaning a boat hull at a horizontal section, such as the waterline. The frame comprises a movable elongated member so that when the frame is in an “open” position, the elongated members provide an opening through which a boat may pass, entering into a docking area formed by the frame. The elongated member is moved so that the frame is in a “closed” position where the frame substantially conforms to the shape of the boat hull. Wave motion acting on the boat and the frame allow the scrubbers to frictionally contact and clean the boat hull at the waterline. | 06-10-2010 |
Keith B. Porthouse, Sunnyvale, CA US
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20110116900 | SUBSTRATE ALIGNMENT APPARATUS - Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an apparatus and method for accurately aligning a plurality of substrates arranged in a planar array for batch processing. In one embodiment, the substrate alignment apparatus includes an array of oversized, recessed pockets for receiving the plurality of substrates. The substrate alignment apparatus may pick up the plurality of substrates from a location in which each substrate is not accurately positioned. Each pocket is configured at an angle from horizontal such that each substrate slides to a predefined corner of the pocket resulting in accurate alignment of each substrate. A vibration, tilting, directional brushes, or gas cushion may be provided to the substrate alignment apparatus to aid in low friction alignment of each substrate within its respective pocket. In one embodiment, the substrate alignment apparatus is an end effector for use on a transfer robot for use in a cluster-type processing system. In another embodiment, the substrate alignment apparatus is an alignment table for use in an in-line processing system. | 05-19-2011 |
20110245957 | ADVANCED PLATFORM FOR PROCESSING CRYSTALLINE SILICON SOLAR CELLS - The present invention generally provides a batch substrate processing system for in-situ processing of a film stack used to form regions of a solar cell device. The batch processing system is configured to process an array of substrates positioned on a substrate carrier. The batch processing system includes a substrate transport interface that provides loading an unloading of the array of substrates in a production line environment. The substrate transport interface may include one or more of a substrate carrier cleaning module, a substrate carrier cooling module, and a substrate carrier buffer module. | 10-06-2011 |
Keith Brian Porthouse, Sunnyvale, CA US
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20100087028 | ADVANCED PLATFORM FOR PROCESSING CRYSTALLINE SILICON SOLAR CELLS - The present invention generally provides a batch substrate processing system, or cluster tool, for in-situ processing of a film stack used to form regions of a solar cell device. In one configuration, the film stack formed on each of the substrates in the batch contains one or more silicon-containing layers and one or more metal layers that are deposited and further processed within the various chambers contained in the substrate processing system. The processing chambers may be, for example, physical vapor deposition (PVD) or sputtering chambers, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) chambers, low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) chambers, hot wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) chambers, plasma nitridation (DPN) chambers, ion implant/doping chambers, atomic layer deposition (ALD) chambers, plasma etching chambers, annealing chambers, rapid thermal oxidation (RTO) chambers, rapid thermal annealing (RTA) chambers, substrate reorientation chambers, laser annealing chambers, and/or plasma cleaning stations. In one embodiment, a batch of solar cell substrates is simultaneously transferred in a vacuum or inert environment to prevent contamination from affecting the solar cell formation process. | 04-08-2010 |
20130018500 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING SUBSTRATES USING MODEL-BASED CONTROLAANM PORTHOUSE; KEITH BRIANAACI SunnyvaleAAST CAAACO USAAGP PORTHOUSE; KEITH BRIAN Sunnyvale CA USAANM LANE; JOHN W.AACI San JoseAAST CAAACO USAAGP LANE; JOHN W. San Jose CA USAANM GREGOR; MARIUSCHAACI GilroyAAST CAAACO USAAGP GREGOR; MARIUSCH Gilroy CA USAANM MERRY; NIRAACI Mountain ViewAAST CAAACO USAAGP MERRY; NIR Mountain View CA USAANM RICE; MICHAEL R.AACI PleasantonAAST CAAACO USAAGP RICE; MICHAEL R. Pleasanton CA USAANM MINKOVICH; ALEXAACI CampbellAAST CAAACO USAAGP MINKOVICH; ALEX Campbell CA USAANM LI; HONGBINAACI Mountain ViewAAST CAAACO USAAGP LI; HONGBIN Mountain View CA USAANM DZILNO; DMITRY A.AACI SunnyvaleAAST CAAACO USAAGP DZILNO; DMITRY A. Sunnyvale CA US - Methods and apparatus are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, methods of controlling process chambers may include predetermining a relationship between pressure in a processing volume and a position of an exhaust valve as a function of a process parameter; setting the process chamber to a first state having a first pressure in the processing volume and a first value of the process parameter, wherein the exhaust valve is set to a first position based on the predetermined relationship to produce the first pressure at the first value; determining a pressure control profile to control the pressure as the process chamber is changed to a second state having a second pressure and a second process parameter value from the first state; and applying the pressure control profile to control the pressure by varying the position of the exhaust valve while changing the process chamber to the second state. | 01-17-2013 |
William Porthouse, Oviedo, FL US
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20100085186 | Tamperproof Non-Contact Switch - A non-defeatable magnetically actuatable switch device is shown and described for restricting access to industrial controls. The non-contact switch device employs one or more non-contact access switches, and an access key removably disposed in close proximity to each access switch. Removal or installation of an access key alters the electrical state of a corresponding access switch. A connected control unit determines a mode of operation, or grants permissions, based on the combination of access keys that are present or absent from the device. A lockable or sealable cover is provided over the access keys to limit unauthorized access. A tamper detection switch is also provided for the sole purpose of identifying foreign magnetic sources in the vicinity of the access switches to ensure that the device is non-defeatable. Furthermore, all access and tamper detection switches are magnetically actuatable and thus provide a completely contact-free means of securing and restricting access to sensitive controls and parameters. | 04-08-2010 |