Patents Examined by George B. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 10994443
    Abstract: Method for cutting crystal boules using diamond wire, wherein this boule is driven about a main axis, a cutting wire is held taut and driven through a temporary drum immobilising each boule in position with respect to the main axis throughout the entire cutting operation, this temporary drum being made by overmoulding a coating material on at least one boule bonded onto a sacrificial core, the cutting being followed by the slicing of cut rings from which are detached, particularly using heat, crystalline plates with parallel faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: COMADUR S.A.
    Inventors: Naser Berisha, Roland Dechant-Wagner, Christian Russi
  • Patent number: 10998182
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer has a base material. The semiconductor wafer may have an edge support ring. A grinding phase of a surface of the semiconductor wafer removes a portion of the base material. The grinder is removed from or lifted off the surface of the semiconductor wafer during a separation phase. The surface of the semiconductor wafer and under the grinder is rinsed during the grinding phase and separation phase to remove particles. A rinsing solution is dispensed from a rinsing solution source to rinse the surface of the semiconductor wafer. The rinsing solution source can move in position while dispensing the rinsing solution to rinse the surface of the semiconductor wafer. The grinding phase and separation phase are repeated during the entire grinding operation, when grinding conductive TSVs, or during the final grinding stages, until the final thickness of the semiconductor wafer is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Michael J. Seddon
  • Patent number: 10981258
    Abstract: An adjustable stroke mechanism for a random orbital machine including a housing having a wall enclosing a cavity, an adjuster ring surrounding the housing and having a first set of gear teeth along a first portion of an inner surface, and a second set of gear teeth along a second portion of the inner surface, a counterweight having gear teeth on an exterior surface disposed within the housing, and a bearing carriage having gear teeth disposed within the housing. At least one counterweight gear that meshes with the gear teeth of the counterweight and the first set of gear teeth of the adjuster ring, and at least one bearing carriage gear that meshes with the gear teeth of the bearing carriage and the second set of gear teeth of the adjuster ring, so that movement of the adjuster ring causes movement of both the counterweight and the bearing carriage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Lake Country Tool, LLC
    Inventors: Scott S. McLain, Mark Snyker
  • Patent number: 10981259
    Abstract: A waterjet system is provided, including a pump configured to pump fluid, an electric motor configured to drive the pump; a hopper configured to store abrasive, a mixing chamber configured to mix abrasive from the hopper and the fluid from the pump to produce a slurry, where the fluid entering the mixing chamber is at a pressure between 2000 psi and 8000 psi, a cutting bed configured to receive a workpiece to be cut, and a cutting head, including an outlet nozzle, in downstream fluid communication from the mixing chamber, the cutting head configured to expel the slurry through the outlet nozzle as a high-velocity jet into the cutting bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: WAZER INC.
    Inventors: Nisan Lerea, Matthew Nowicki, Daniel Meana, Christian Moore
  • Patent number: 10974366
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a chemical mechanical planarization system that includes a pad on a rotating platen, a wafer carrier configured to hold the wafer surface against the pad and apply pressure to the wafer, a slurry dispenser configured to dispense slurry on the pad, and a conditioning wheel configured to condition the pad. The conditioning wheel further includes a base and one or more flexible structures attached to the base with each flexible structure having an elastic body configured to exert a downforce on a feature of the pad, where the downforce is proportional to the height of the feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chun-Hsi Huang
  • Patent number: 10967477
    Abstract: A surface treating apparatus for treating an inner surface of a bore containing a shaft may include a body connectable to a drive apparatus and configured to movably receive a shaft extending through a bore, and at least one surface treating member connected to and movable with the body relative to the shaft, the at least one surface treating member sized to be inserted within an annular gap formed between the shaft and an inner surface of the bore and to bear against the inner surface of the bore when the shaft is received by the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Atomic Energy Of Canada Limited / Energie Atomique Du Canada Limitee
    Inventors: Howard Jessup, Fabrice M. Guerout
  • Patent number: 10967478
    Abstract: A polishing platform of a polishing apparatus includes a platen, a polishing pad, and an electric field element disposed between the platen and the polishing pad. The polishing apparatus further includes a controller configured to apply voltages to the electric field element. A first voltage is applied to the electric field element to attract charged particles of a polishing slurry toward the polishing pad. The attracted particles reduce overall topographic variation of a polishing surface presented to a workpiece for polishing. A second voltage is applied to the electric field element to attract additional charged particles of the polishing slurry toward the polishing pad. The additional attracted particles further reduce overall topographic variation of the polishing surface presented to the workpiece. A third voltage is applied to the electric field element to repel charged particles of the polishing slurry away from the polishing pad for improved cleaning thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shich-Chang Suen, Liang-Guang Chen, Kei-Wei Chen
  • Patent number: 10967479
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) pad, and an associated method to perform a CMP process. In some embodiments, the CMP pad comprises a polishing layer having a front surface with protruding asperities while a back surface being planar. A film electrode is attached to the back surface of the polishing layer and is isolated from the front surface of the polishing layer. The CMP pad further comprises an insulating layer covering sidewall and bottom surfaces of the film electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chin-Wei Liang, Hsun-Chung Kuang, Yen-Chang Chu
  • Patent number: 10960514
    Abstract: The present invention is a centrifugal projector (1) for projecting projection material (2) toward a processing target, comprising a side plate (11), a plurality of blades (3) attached to the side plate, a rotary shaft (14) for rotating the side plate and the blades, and an introducing part (32) for introducing the projection material between the blades; wherein the blades (3) includes a projection surface (3a) for projecting the projection material, and the projection surface (3a) has a first part (3b) being a radial inner part of the blade and a second part (3c) being a radial outer part of the blade; the first part (3b) is formed to be pitched so that a radial outer side (3e) of the first part is positioned to a rear in the rotational direction (R1) compared to a radial inner side (3f) of the first part, and the second part (3c) of the blade is formed to be positioned to a front in the rotational direction (R1) of an imaginary line (L1) which extends the first part (3b) of the blade toward a radial outer s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: SINTOKOGIO, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Suzuki, Masato Umeoka
  • Patent number: 10964576
    Abstract: An electrostatic attachment chuck includes: a substrate; a synthetic resin sheet joined to one main surface of the substrate; and at least a pair of electrodes disposed in the synthetic resin sheet. The synthetic resin sheet includes a planarized and ground surface serving as a surface on which a semiconductor wafer is abutted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: OKAMOTO MACHINE TOOL WORKS, LTD.
    Inventors: Eiichi Yamamoto, Yoshihiro Terakubo, Takahiko Mitsui, Toshihiro Ito
  • Patent number: 10950469
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a polishing table configured to hold a polishing pad, a polishing head configured to hold a substrate to be polished by the polishing pad, and a polishing liquid feeder configured to feed a polishing liquid to the polishing pad. The apparatus further includes a heat exchanger configured to be placed on the polishing pad and control temperatures of the polishing pad and the polishing liquid, and one or more protruding portions provided on a side face or a bottom face of the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Takagi, Shinichi Hirasawa
  • Patent number: 10946495
    Abstract: Low density polishing pads and methods of fabricating low density polishing pads are described. In an example, a polishing pad for polishing a substrate includes a polishing body having a density approximately in the range of 0.4-0.55 g/cc. The polishing body includes a thermoset polyurethane material and a plurality of closed cell pores dispersed in the thermoset polyurethane material. Each of the plurality of closed cell pores has a shell composed of an acrylic co-polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: CMC Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Ping Huang, William C. Allison, Richard Frentzel, Paul Andre Lefevre, Robert Kerprich, Diane Scott
  • Patent number: 10940570
    Abstract: A jig for finishing a workpiece with a handheld router or other handheld motor-driven rotational tool assembly is provided. The jig includes a baseplate that is precisely aligned and attached to a router. Guides, including a main guide and a support guide, are provided. The main guide is configured to precisely align with and fasten to the base plate in several different jig configurations. Right-angle adaptors attach to the guides and precisely align with and attach to the guides and the base plate to form several different jig configurations. Side plates secure the workpiece therebetween and provide a surface along which the main guide may slide to facilitate finishing operations on the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Inventors: Charles Chang, Emil Chao
  • Patent number: 10933510
    Abstract: The abrasive unit contains a carrying disc (A) with a hub (1) set off in the central zone, having a coaxial hole (2) reinforced with a steel flange sleeve (3) for mounting the abrasive unit on the spindle of the angular hand grinder. The lower edges of numerous abrasive flaps (B) are fixed with glue binders (5) on the ring surface of the near-edge zone (4), the abrasive flaps subsequently overlapping one another in the circumferential direction so that their rear edges are exposed. The wheel of the carrying disc (A) is a layered polymer composite with reinforcement consisting of at least two meshes of glass fibre situated on both frontal surfaces of the carrying disc (A).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: PRZEDSIEBIORSTWO PENTAR STANISLAW ROG
    Inventor: Stanislaw Rog
  • Patent number: 10933502
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a polishing system (100) for providing a polishing finish to a concrete surface, said system comprises a pad lock (2) which, one a second surface (6) thereof, comprises a number of protrusions (32) which are able to enter into engagement with a voids (16) arranged on a first surface (12) of a pad (10) placed between a fixing ring and said pad lock. The use of such a system provides a higher degree of integrity during use of said polishing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: BECO HOLDING LIMITED
    Inventor: Kenneth Olsen
  • Patent number: 10926379
    Abstract: Described is an apparatus for finishing metallic and non-metallic surfaces by abrasion techniques. Described is an apparatus configured for finishing a zone on the surface of a bladed article of manufacture, wherein the apparatus comprises one or more channels having a cross-sectional profile including at least one finishing area to finish an operative zone of the article that optimizes a clearance portion of the article, wherein an angle of each finishing area of the cross-sectional profile is substantively the same as an optimal clearance angle of the article, wherein the apparatus is configured to position the operable zone of the article along the angle of the finishing area during sharpening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Inventor: Larry P. Bleier
  • Patent number: 10926377
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sanding pad for a sander, such as an eccentric sander, which sanding pad includes a disc-shaped body with a rotation axis. The disc-shaped body has a first and second side extending substantially radially from the rotation axis and a third peripheral side extending between the first and second side. The sanding pad includes a coupling arranged on the first side, concentrically with the rotation axis, for coupling to a sander, a disc-shaped flexible plate which is arranged concentrically with the rotation axis and which lies with a first side against the second side of the disc-shaped body, where the disc-shaped flexible plate extends beyond the peripheral side as seen in radial direction; and attaching means for attaching a sanding layer arranged on a second side of the disc-shaped flexible plate opposite the first side of the plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Inventor: Quintin James Broussard
  • Patent number: 10926378
    Abstract: Abrasive disk sheet articles having raised islands coated with abrasive have a flexible disk polymer backing. The top flat surfaces of the raised islands are coated with a liquid controlled-thickness slurry mixture of abrasive particles and a polymeric adhesive by use of a magnetic precision-thickness coating-control font sheet having individual open holes that are slightly smaller than the respective raised islands. The magnetic coater font sheet is placed in flat-surfaced contact with the raised island surfaces where each individual font sheet open hole is aligned with a respective island surface. A magnet placed on the non-island surface of the disk polymer backing urges the magnetic coater font sheet into conformal contact with the island surfaces. A squeegee device moved along the font sheet fills and level coats the island tops with a uniform-thickness abrasive slurry mixture. After coating, the font sheet is removed and the abrasive slurry is solidified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Inventors: Wayne O. Duescher, Cameron M. Duescher
  • Patent number: 10926372
    Abstract: Provided is an automatic polishing system that allows a polishing treatment of an article while circumventing a polishing averting portion of the article. A polisher is attached to a leading end portion of a movable arm of a work robot. A control device controls the work robot and the polisher, based on position information of a polishing target surface of an article, so that the polisher is moved along the polishing target surface by a movement of the work robot while providing a polishing action on the polishing target surface at the same time. An image of the article including an image of an area demarcation marker annexed to the article for demarcating the area of the polishing target surface is captured by a three-dimensional image capturing machine. The control device produces the position information of the polishing target surface by determining the position of the area demarcation marker based on image data of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Taikisha Ltd.
    Inventors: Genji Nakayama, Yoshio Higashi, Yoshikazu Hayashi, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Shun Akimoto, Yoshifumi Kawai
  • Patent number: 10919122
    Abstract: Grinding and/or erosion machine (10) for machining a chip-cutting rotary tool including a tool body (18) and several cutting plates (19) per existing pitch (TR). A control device (25) activates an axis arrangement (11) to move a machine tool (12) and the rotary tool (13) to be machined relative to each other. An interface device (26) triggers a data import function for reading-in the position data of the cutting plates (19). The position data (P) describe at least one angular value (?1, ?2), a first length value (z1) and a second length value (z2). The control device (25) imports the position data (P) in chaotic order and allocates the position data (P) of each cutting plate (19) in the imported machine data set (M) to respectively one separate virtual pitch (TV), independent of whether the cutting plates (19) belong to a common pitch of the rotary tool (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: WALTER Maschinenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Siegfried Hegele, Ulrich Braendle