Abstract: A compliance system for design and testing of web services, having an artifact repository storing a set of artifacts and coupled to a runtime engine. The runtime engine includes a rules engine, a results processor and a manager interface, wherein the runtime engine applies a set of encoding requirements to the set of artifacts and a conformance output is generated.

Abstract: Information that is encoded in different character sets can be combined within a single package without having to perform character set-to-character set encodings, either by interleaving the data or by referencing the data.

Abstract: A modular sorter is disclosed in which modular sections maybe easily added and removed to add and remove load port assemblies as required by a particular wafer fabrication run. In one embodiment, a modular sorter according to the present invention include a two-wide modular section defining a minienvironment for the sorter, a wafer handling robot a pair of aligners and a centralized controller. The modular section of this embodiment includes a pair of side-by-side load port assemblies for receiving a container or open cassette and presenting the cassette to the minienvironment of the sorter for processing of the wafers therein. The present invention further includes a removable end panel. When it is desired to add additional modular sections to the sorter, the end panel is removed and replaced by a connector frame. The connector frame allows additional modular sections, including either one load port assembly or two load port assemblies, to be attached to the original modular section.

Abstract: A dual paddle end effector robot is disclosed which is capable of parallel processing of workpieces. The end effector includes a lower paddle rotatably coupled to an end of the distal link, and an upper paddle rotatably coupled to the lower paddle. The lower paddle supports a drive assembly capable of rotating the upper paddle with respect to the lower paddle. In one embodiment of the present invention, the dual paddle end effector robot may be used within a wafer sorter to perform parallel processing of workpieces on a pair of aligners within the sorter. In such an embodiment, the robot may first acquire a pair of workpieces from adjacent shelves within the workpiece cassette. After withdrawing from the cassette, the respective paddles on the end effector may fan out and transfer the wafers to the chucks of the respective aligners.

Abstract: An LCD heater includes a substantially transparent conductive heater layer (e.g. ITO) deposited on a transparent sheet. Attached to the conductive layer are a pair of tin coated bus bars, each of which is adhered to the conductive layer via a Z-axis conductive adhesive that reduces thermal stresses induced on solder connections between the bus bars and wires soldered thereto.