Responsive To Attribute, Absence Or Presence Of Work Patents (Class 118/668)
  • Patent number: 11693309
    Abstract: Provided is an imprint apparatus advantageous in terms of throughput. An imprint apparatus which brings an imprint material on a mold substrate into contact with a mold and forms a pattern made of the imprint material includes: a mold holding unit which holds the mold; a substrate holding unit which holds the substrate; a detecting unit which detects the occurrence of abnormality in a holding operation in the mold holding unit or the substrate holding unit and a position of the mold or the substrate; and a controller which performs at least one of the determination concerning whether or not a return process in which a state is returned from a state in which the abnormality of the holding operation has occurred to a normal state is possible and the execution of the return process on the basis of a result of the detection of the detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroki Echigo
  • Patent number: 11433420
    Abstract: A solution supply apparatus is for supplying a treatment solution to a treatment solution discharger which discharges the treatment solution to a treatment object. The solution supply apparatus includes: a supply pipe line connected to the treatment solution discharger; a filter provided on the supply pipe line which filters the treatment solution to remove foreign substances; and a controller. The controller performs a determination of a state of the treatment solution to be supplied to a primary side of the filter and, when the state of the treatment solution is determined to be bad, outputs a control signal for restricting supply of the treatment solution to the primary side of the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Ryouichirou Naitou, Masato Hayashi, Hideo Shite, Hiroyuki Ide, Yosuke Kameda, Seiya Totsuka, Atsumu Maita, Takami Satoh, Hirofumi Araki, Kentaro Yoshihara
  • Patent number: 11413648
    Abstract: Provided is a slot die with variable manifolds and a controlling method thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: SUNG AN MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yong Sung Kim, Jin Woo Seong, Young Jin Kim
  • Patent number: 11378728
    Abstract: A coating processing apparatus that applies a coating liquid containing an optical material includes a substrate holder that holds a substrate, a coating nozzle that ejects the coating liquid to the substrate held by the substrate holder, and a moving mechanism that relatively moves the substrate holder and the coating nozzle in an orthogonal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Fumihiko Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11311906
    Abstract: A coating method includes a first step for spraying, onto an inner area of an opening part of a cylindrical body having a bottom and arranged horizontally, a first coating material of synthetic resin containing non-volatile components while rotating the cylindrical body around a central axis thereof. After the first step, a second step is performed for spraying, onto an inner area of a barrel part of the cylindrical body, a second coating material of synthetic resin containing a lower proportion of non-volatile components than that of the first coating material while continuing to rotate the cylindrical body. After the second step is performed and before the volatile components of the second coating material vaporizes, a third step is performed in which the rotation of the cylindrical body is stopped, the cylindrical body is placed vertically, and the volatile components of the second coating material are vaporized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignees: TMC JAPAN CO., LTD., G&P INC.
    Inventors: Ryosuke Kusubashi, Sho Ogiwara, Naoyuki Yaguchi
  • Patent number: 11309205
    Abstract: An electrostatic chuck and an electrostatic adsorption apparatus including the same are disclosed. The electrostatic chuck includes a base, a cushion layer on the base, an electrode layer on the cushion layer, and a dielectric layer on the electrode layer, the base, the cushion layer, the electrode layer, and the dielectric layer have through holes. The through holes each have a rectangular shape, and each corner region of the dielectric layer has a pair of the through holes, and the central axes of the pair of the through holes respectively intersect two adjacent sides of the dielectric layer at the respective corner region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Min Ho Bae, Hyok Keo Se Kwon, Tae Ho Youn
  • Patent number: 11189516
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for aligning masks with substrates are provided. A method can include receiving a carrier having a substrate disposed thereon at an alignment stage of an alignment module, transferring a mask from a mask cassette of a mask stocker of the alignment module to a position over the alignment stage, and positioning the mask on the carrier. The method can also include acquiring one or more images of the mask and the substrate, where the mask contains one or more alignment holes passing through the mask and the substrate contains one or more alignment dots disposed on an upper surface of the substrate, analyzing the one or more images to determine one or more differences between one or more alignment holes of the mask and one or more alignment dots on the substrate, and aligning the mask with the substrate based on the differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Greg Freeman, Patricia A. Schulze, Ozkan Celik, Alexander N. Lerner
  • Patent number: 11089819
    Abstract: A system for conveying electronic cigarette components, including: a guide including a stopping station; a carriage to slide along the guide; a retaining device for holding a component of an electronic cigarette; and a locking unit for locking the carriage relative to the guide at the stopping station. The locking unit includes: two abutment elements, mounted on the carriage and disposed at a predetermined mutual distance; and an inserting element which is: disposed at the stopping station; shaped such that first and second edges contact the abutment elements, respectively, when the carriage is at the stopping station; movable between a retracted position free from the abutment elements to allow the carriage to slide, and an advanced position contacting the abutment elements to prevent the carriage from sliding. Each abutment element is rotatable about its axis to facilitate movement of the inserting element between the two positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: G.D S.P.A.
    Inventors: Luca Testoni, Carlo Moretti, Paolo Degliesposti, Luca Lanzarini, Luca Federici
  • Patent number: 10481302
    Abstract: A lens coating apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a mechanical arm configured to receive and maintain lenses in a desired orientation, a loading station configured to receive and maintain the lenses within the enclosed area, and a combined washing and drying station including a spraying mechanism that directs an upward spray toward a bottom surface of the lens, and blowing devices configured to direct air toward the lens after the lens has been washed. The coating apparatus includes a coating station where liquid coating is sprayed toward the bottom surface of the lens and a curing station where the coated lens is exposed to the UV energy radiation. A programmable controller controls the mechanical arm to collect the lens from the loading station without operator intervention, and move along a linear track between the loading station and the combined washing and drying, coating and curing stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Jelight Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew J. Mackinnon, Andrew James Garcia, Marinko Jelic, Dick Amen
  • Patent number: 10429741
    Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed that includes a projection system, and a liquid confinement structure configured to at least partly confine immersion liquid to an immersion space defined by the projection system, the liquid confinement structure and a substrate and/or substrate table. Measures are taken in the lithographic apparatus, for example, to reduce the effect of droplets on the final element of the projection system or to substantially avoid such droplet formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Jeroen Peter Johannes Bruijstens, Richard Joseph Bruls, Hans Jansen, Siebe Landheer, Laurentius Catrinus Jorritsma, Arnout Johannes Meester, Bauke Jansen, Ivo Adam Johannes Thomas, Marcio Alexandre Cano Miranda, Maurice Martinus Johannes Van Der Lee, Gheorghe Tanasa, Lambertus Dominicus Noordam
  • Patent number: 10391766
    Abstract: In a method to active print nozzles of an inkjet printer including a print head having print nozzles and respective actuators associated with each of the print nozzles, one or more conveying pulses are generated to eject respective droplets of ink from the respective print nozzle; and the actuator is activated with one or more intermediate pulses having an amplitude and/or a duration that is less than an amplitude and/or a duration of the one or more conveying pulses. The one or more intermediate pulses can be configured such that no ink is ejected from the respective print nozzle with the one or more intermediate pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Océ Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Ulrich Stoeckle, Philippe Koerner
  • Patent number: 10292875
    Abstract: An absorbent article comprising a topsheet, a backsheet, an absorbent core comprising channels disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, and a printed adhesive layer disposed between the topsheet and the absorbent core such that the printed adhesive layer is visible through the topsheet. At least a portion of the adhesive layer forms a pattern of one or more pairs of contoured lines that run lengthwise in the machine direction of the absorbent article, each pair being symmetric to its compliment across an axis of the absorbent article drawn in the machine direction and at the center of its width. The distance between the innermost pair of contoured lines is from about 15 mm to about 25 mm or the amount of adhesive comprising the printed adhesive layer is such that the pattern coverage with the adhesive is from about 15% to about 30%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Ann Cecilia Tapp, Sarah Ann Sanborn, Rachael Eden Walther, Theodore Cory Fites, John Andrew Strasemeier
  • Patent number: 10100424
    Abstract: There is provided a method of adjusting a plating apparatus and a measuring apparatus that can obtain position adjustment amounts/a position adjustment amount of a substrate holder, an anode holder, a regulation plate, and/or a paddle without carrying out plating treatment. There is provided the method of adjusting the plating apparatus that has a plating bath configured to be able to hold the substrate holder, the anode holder, and an electric field adjusting plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jumpei Fujikata, Masashi Shimoyama, Yuji Araki, Mizuki Nagai
  • Patent number: 10035160
    Abstract: A decoration line including a conveyor of the products on which to apply the enamel, at least a first enamelling machine of the spray type actuated by piezoelectric-driven nozzles suitable for applying, on the products transiting on the conveyor, at least one first substantially full layer of enamel of the vitreous type in suspension in liquid suspending agent suitable for being processed in a digital decorative system for creating base or a covering layer on the products and at least a second enamelling machine, positioned downstream of said first machine, of the spray type actuated by piezoelectric-driven nozzles suitable for applying, on the products transiting on the conveyor, at least a second substantially discontinuous layer of enamel of the vitreous or pigmented type in suspension in liquid suspending agent suitable for being processed in a digital decorative system for creating decoration or finishing effects on the products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: PROJECTA ENGINEERING S.R.L.
    Inventor: Vincenzo Palumbo
  • Patent number: 9873132
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a spray module with at least one column of spray nozzles. Each spray nozzle is configured to deliver a processing substance on a semiconductor substrate during a process for semiconductor manufacturing as the semiconductor substrate moves past the spray module. The at least one column of spray nozzles is arranged with respect to a direction of travel of the semiconductor substrate so the semiconductor substrate passes the spray nozzles. A location module identifies a location of the semiconductor substrate with respect to the spray module. A spray pattern module determines a spray pattern of where a processing substance is to be delivered to the semiconductor substrate and a nozzle control module actuates each spray nozzle independently based on the spray pattern and a location of the semiconductor identified by the location module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: LENOVO ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: John Dangler, Brian L. Carlson, Roger Krabbenhoft, Kevin A. Splittstoesser, Jeffrey A. Taylor
  • Patent number: 9770866
    Abstract: An example multi-dimensional component building system includes a first chamber having at least one base disposed therein, a second chamber adjacent to and in fluid communication with the first chamber through a first door, and a third chamber adjacent to and in fluid communication with the second chamber through a second door. The second chamber is fluidly sealed from the first chamber if the first door is in a closed position. The second chamber is configured to receive the at least one base via a first transfer mechanism if the fluid parameters of the first chamber are approximately equal to the fluid parameters of the second chamber. The second chamber includes a directed heat source and a build-up material configured to form a component on the at least one base by melting or sintering. The third chamber is fluidly sealed from the second chamber if the first door is in a closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sergey Mironets, Agnes Klucha, Wendell V. Twelves, Jr., Benjamin T. Fisk
  • Patent number: 9627237
    Abstract: A substrate accommodating and processing apparatus is provided with a cassette mounting table, a processing part, a substrate transfer mechanism, a partition wall, a cassette stage, and a lid attaching/detaching mechanism. The lid attaching/detaching mechanism is provided with a key configured to be engaged with a key hole installed in the lid, and configured to switch a latch between locking and unlocking positions. The mechanism is also provided with a lid abnormality detecting sensor, a lid attaching/detaching mechanism closing sensor, a lid attaching/detaching mechanism opening sensor, a pressure sensor and a control part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Akihiro Matsumoto, Michiaki Matsushita, Satoru Shinto, Kazunori Kuratomi
  • Patent number: 9484235
    Abstract: In a substrate processing apparatus 1 which performs a process on a substrate W, each of multiple processing modules 2 includes at least a first processing member 21 and a second processing member 22, and substrate transfer devices 15 and 17 transfer substrates W into the multiple processing modules 2. Further, a controller 3 configured to control the substrate processing apparatus 1 stores member operating possibility information on whether it is possible to use the first processing member 21 and the second processing member 22 provided in each of the multiple processing modules 2, and the controller 3 creates, based on the member operating possibility information and process recipe information on processes to be performed on the substrates W, a transfer schedule in which the substrate transfer devices 15 and 17 transfer the substrates W into the multiple processing modules 2 in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kouichi Itou, Masahiro Nasu, Daisuke Honma
  • Patent number: 9072217
    Abstract: A vacuum planter exhaust filtration system for preventing seed treatment particles used in seed planting from entering the atmosphere. The vacuum planter exhaust filtration system generally includes an air filter fluidly positioned between the fan and the planting units of the vacuum planter. The air filter removes the particulate material prior to being exhausted into the surrounding environment by the fan. The air filter utilizes cyclonic separation to separate the particulate material from the contaminated air from the planting units. A particle container collects the removed particulate material and allows for environmentally friendly disposal of the particulate material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Inventor: John M. Kapphahn
  • Patent number: 9067272
    Abstract: Interconnect and/or reflow methods of the present disclosure achieve high aspect ratio interconnects, for example interconnects having an aspect ratio as high as 4, in addition to wider interconnect height tolerances among interconnects (for example, interconnects having a height variability of up to about 30%) while still achieving reliable electrical connections. Moreover, flip-chip interconnects configured in accordance with principles of the present disclosure can provide improved z-axis spacing between die-to-die and/or die-to-substrate flip chip stacks, for example z-axis spacing as large as 600 ?m. In this manner, additional spacing can be achieved for MEMS devices and/or similar components that are extendable and/or deformable out of the die plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University
    Inventors: Jemmy Sutanto, Jitendran Muthuswamy
  • Patent number: 9004005
    Abstract: An apparatus for aligning a dispenser includes a table having a first alignment mark, an alignment plate provided along at least one side of the table, at least one syringe supplying a dispensing material to the alignment plate through a nozzle provided at one end portion thereof to form a second alignment mark, a first image camera provided along a side of the syringe and detecting an image of the second alignment mark, a second image camera detecting an image of the first alignment mark, and an alignment control unit aligning the image of the second alignment mark and a first reference position, and aligning an image of the first alignment mark and a second reference position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Su Jung, Yong-Keun Kwak
  • Publication number: 20150059644
    Abstract: A coating film forming apparatus includes: a coating nozzle; a horizontal moving mechanism that relatively moves a substrate and the coating nozzle; a pressure regulating mechanism that regulates a pressure inside the coating nozzle; and a controller that changes an amount of the coating solution to be supplied from the coating nozzle, wherein the coating nozzle includes: a discharge port that is formed long in a direction perpendicular to a direction of the relative movement with respect to the substrate; and a storage chamber that communicates with the discharge port and stores the coating solution therein, and wherein while the coating solution is applied to the substrate, the pressure regulating mechanism is controlled according to a change in width of the substrate, to regulate the pressure inside the storage chamber to thereby change a discharge amount per unit time of the coating solution to be discharged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Shinjiro WATANABE, Michikazu NAKAMURA
  • Patent number: 8962082
    Abstract: A non-contact edge coating apparatus includes an applicator for applying a coating material on an edge of a solar cell substrate and a control system configured to drive the applicator. The control system may drive the applicator along an axis to maintain a distance with an edge of the substrate as the substrate is rotated to have the edge coated with a coating material. The applicator may include a recessed portion into which the edge of the substrate is received for edge coating. For example, the applicator may be a roller with a groove. Coating material may be introduced into the groove for application onto the edge of the substrate. A variety of coating materials may be employed with the apparatus including hot melt ink and UV curable plating resist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: SunPower Corporation
    Inventors: Luca Pavani, Emmanuel Abas
  • Patent number: 8916241
    Abstract: A can coating machine control system includes a coating control signal that functions as a go/no-go signal based on a plurality of monitored conditions such as can in position, vacuum pressure, gun in position, guard in position and speed condition. Local pressure regulation of the coating material in the spray gun is provided along with optional control of the material temperature. Local pressure regulation allows for optional spray weight control based on a wrap number derived from speed and gun spray durations. A CAN to CAN network buffer is provided as well for primary network isolation. A gun control circuit may be used to select specific gun drive signals and to adjust gun drive signals based on real-time feedback of the actual spray duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Nordson Corporation
    Inventors: James M. Khoury, Charles Nagy, Stephen G. Nemethy, Mark J. Ignatius
  • Patent number: 8893644
    Abstract: A wide slit nozzle having a slit as a discharge opening. The thickness of a lateral end part is set smaller than the thickness at a lateral center part. The thickness of the lateral center part is fixed. The thickness of the lateral end part changes linearly from opposite lateral ends of the lateral center part to the opposite lateral ends of the slit. Coating material is discharged from the slit while applied with pressure, so that the coating material is coated while expanded wider than the width of the slit. The coating material is discharged at 7 liter per minute, and a coating width of a first example is 100 mm, for example. A thickness increase of the overlapped part is +25% even when a width or an overlapped margin z of the overlapped part is 10 mm or 20 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Aisin Kako Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Nakamura, Akira Nonoyama, Shigeo Mori, Hisashi Kato
  • Patent number: 8893649
    Abstract: The imprint apparatus of the present invention includes a holding unit configured to hold a mold; a particle inspection unit configured to inspect whether or not particle is present on an imprint area, in which the resin pattern is formed, of the substrate; a dispenser configured to apply an uncured resin to the imprint area; a movable unit configured to move the imprint area with respect to the holding unit; and a controller. The movable unit is capable of moving the imprint area to each of an inspection position by means of the inspection unit, an application position by means of the dispenser, and a contacting position by means of the holding unit. Also, the controller causes the inspection unit to perform inspection of the imprint area in association with the movement of the imprint area by means of the movable unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Sato
  • Patent number: 8887657
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a film forming system includes: a stage including a placement surface on which an object to be coated is placed; a rotating mechanism rotating the stage in a rotational direction along the placement surface; an application nozzle discharging a material onto the object placed on the stage for application; a moving mechanism relatively moving the stage and the application nozzle along the placement surface in a cross direction crossing the rotational direction; a controller performing a control to rotate the stage on which the object is placed through the rotating mechanism while relatively moving the stage and application nozzle along the placement surface in the cross direction through the moving mechanism and applying the material to the object on the stage through the application nozzle; and a cleaning apparatus cleaning the application nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Chugai Ro Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Ooshiro, Tsuyoshi Sato, Takao Tokumoto, Sadao Natsu, Souichirou Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 8875652
    Abstract: A system for controlling a boundary of spreading liquid adhesive on a surface is disclosed. The system includes one or more ultra-violet (UV) sources configurable to emit UV light onto the liquid adhesive; and a control circuit coupled to the one or more UV sources and configured to control the one or more UV sources to selectively apply the UV light at selected locations on the liquid adhesive to cure the adhesive and prevent its further spread at those locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Casey J. Feinstein, Kuo-Hua Sung, Ralf Horstkemper
  • Publication number: 20140272105
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for improving optical qualities of transparent conductive films including a multilayer optical stack and conductive nanowires embedded therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Viktor Podolskiy, Michael A. Spaid, Jeffrey Wolk, Haixia Dai
  • Publication number: 20140261170
    Abstract: A detecting device includes an actuating unit for driving a transparent material, a light source for emitting light to the transparent material driven by the actuating unit, a light sensor for sensing the light emitted from the light source as an edge of the transparent material is moved to different positions relative to the light source so as to generate a corresponding optical intensity signal, a transforming circuit coupled to the light sensor for transforming the optical intensity signal into a transforming signal, and a processing unit coupled to the transforming circuit for determining whether the edge of the transparent material is moved to a position between the light source and the light sensor according to the transforming signal transmitted from the transforming circuit. And methods and systems for same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: HiTi Digital, Inc.
    Inventors: Tsung -Yueh CHEN, Chih Chieh Lin, Hui -Ting Yang
  • Patent number: 8785891
    Abstract: An observation window is provided for use with a spray booth during a spray coating process where the observation window is located in a position to permit an operator to observe the spray coating process. The observation window is controlled to provide light transmission in the window suitable for the specific spray process being performed. The control can be automatic or operator controlled. The window is adapted to have a different light transmission during different spray processes such as plasma spray and HVOF spray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: John E. Markowski
  • Patent number: 8752502
    Abstract: A device and a method for visual monitoring and stabilization of an elongated metallic strip during continuous transport of the strip in a transport direction along a predetermined transport path, wherein the strip has been coated with a metallic layer by the strip having continuously passed through a bath of molten metal. The device includes an electromagnetic stabilizing device with at least one first pair of electromagnetic stabilizing means arranged on each side of the predetermined transport path, and a wiping device for wiping off superfluous molten metal from the strip by applying an air current in a line transversely of the transport direction of the strip and across essentially the whole width of the strip. A first image-reading apparatus takes images of the actual position of the strip in relation to the predetermined transport path. A second and third image-reading apparatus take images of the surface of the strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Boo Eriksson, Mats Molander, Peter Lofgren
  • Patent number: 8747608
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a detector for detecting interference light of multiple wavelengths from a surface of a sample during processing, a pattern comparator for comparing actual deviation pattern data on the interference light obtained at a given time during processing and a plurality of standard deviation patterns corresponding to two or more thicknesses of the film, and calculating a deviation, the standard deviation patterns corresponding to interference light data of multiple wavelengths obtained, before the processing of the sample, for processing of another sample, a deviation comparator for comparing the deviation between the data and a predetermined deviation and outputting data on a thickness of the film of the sample at that time, a recorder for recording, as time series data, the data on the thickness of the film, and an endpoint decision unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Tatehito Usui, Kazuhiro Joo, Takashi Fujii
  • Patent number: 8726837
    Abstract: A system for monitoring a process inside a high temperature semiconductor process chamber by capturing images is disclosed. Images are captured through a borescope by a camera. The borescope is protected from high temperatures by a reflective sheath and an Infrared (IR) cut-off filter. Images can be viewed on a monitor and can be recorded by a video recording device. Images can also be processed by a machine vision system. The system can monitor the susceptor and a substrate on the susceptor and surrounding structures. Deviations from preferred geometries of the substrate and deviations from preferred positions of susceptor and the substrate can be detected. Actions based on the detections of deviations can be taken to improve the performance of the process. Illumination of a substrate by a laser for detecting deviations in substrate geometry and position is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kailash K. Patalay, Craig Metzner, David K. Carlson
  • Publication number: 20140099438
    Abstract: A nano-imprinting system may be configured to at least one of transport, emboss, coat and slit an optical media according to operational parameters. A control system may be configured to detect one or more attributes of the optical media that result from at least one of the embossing and coating of the optical media, and to adjust at least one of the operational parameters based on the detected one or more attributes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventor: Faramarz Mahnad
  • Patent number: 8692166
    Abstract: A device for heating a substrate with light from a flash lamp having a semiconductor switch connected in series to the flash lamp. After triggering of a trigger electrode of the flash lamp, a first drive signal and a second drive signal are output from a gate circuit. The time period when the semiconductor switch is on due to the second drive signal is longer than the time period that the semiconductor switch is on by the first drive signal. Then, the semiconductor switch is switched on and off by the first drive signal and the substrate temperature is increased to a temperature, which is lower than the desired temperature to be targeted, and is maintained a that temperature for a short time, after which the surface temperature of the substrate is increased to the desired target temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takehiko Yokomori
  • Patent number: 8685487
    Abstract: A coating method and a coating apparatus are used to apply coating material to struts of a medical device (e.g., stent) which bound openings. The method involves optically scanning the medical device to produce position information identifying positions of the struts, using the position information to calculate a predetermined position, setting an applying manner to apply the coating material based on the predetermined position, setting an applying path accommodating the applying manner, and relatively moving the medical device and an applicator head along the applying route and path while dispensing the coating material from the applicator head and applying the coating material to the struts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shori Kindaichi, Yasukazu Harada, Kazuyuki Takeda
  • Patent number: 8646404
    Abstract: A modular tire spraying system includes a downdraft spray booth for receiving a tire, a fluid delivery system disposed in the spray booth, a robot for transporting the tire to the spray booth, and a platform on which each of the spray booth, the fluid delivery system, and the robot is disposed. The fluid delivery system includes at least one spray gun for delivering a coating to the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Inventor: Todd E. Hendricks, Sr.
  • Patent number: 8613972
    Abstract: A counter roll (26) is positioned to engage a paper or board web (24) in a paper or board making machine along a contact line. A pressure-sensitive EMFi film (28) is disposed on the counter roll to measure the pressure profile of the web along the contact line. A coating apparatus (22) applies a coating to the web passing over the counter roll (26), and a pressure profile of the applied coating is measured by the pressure-sensitive film (28) on the counter roll (26). The pressure-sensitive film (28) may also be disposed to detect details of coating application in a curtain coater (30). Moreover, the film may be driven to provide adjustable vibration for cleaning the coater, or conditioning or controlling the coating flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Metso Paper, Inc.
    Inventors: Petteri Lannes, Tatu Markus Kristian Pitkänen
  • Publication number: 20130319612
    Abstract: This description relates to a plasma treatment apparatus including a vapor chamber, a gas supply and an upper electrode assembly. The upper electrode assembly includes a gas distribution plate having a plurality of holes in a bottom surface thereof and an upper electrode having at least one gas nozzle and at least one controllable valve connected to the at least one gas nozzle. The plasma treatment apparatus further includes a controller configured to generate a control signal. The at least one controllable valve is configured to be adjusted based on the control signal. A control system and a method of controlling a controllable valve are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yen-Shuo SU, Ying XIAO, Chin-Hsiang LIN
  • Publication number: 20130323424
    Abstract: In one example, an encoding station of a printing system forms a pattern of non-printed features onto flowing print media. The non-printed features are detected, and timing signals generated from the detected features. The timing signals cause the media to be printed at a desired resolution in the direction of the flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Inventors: Steven B. Elgee, Lonnie W. Adelman
  • Patent number: 8578878
    Abstract: A can coating machine control system includes a coating control signal that functions as a go/no-go signal based on a plurality of monitored conditions such as can in position, vacuum pressure, gun in position, guard in position and speed condition. Local pressure regulation of the coating material in the spray gun is provided along with optional control of the material temperature. Local pressure regulation allows for optional spray weight control based on a wrap number derived from speed and gun spray-durations. A CAN to CAN network buffer is provided as well for primary network isolation. A gun control circuit may be used to select specific gun drive signals and to adjust gun drive signals based on real-time feedback of the actual spray duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Nordson Corporation
    Inventors: James M. Khoury, Charles Nagy, Stephen G. Nemethy, Mark J. Ignatius
  • Patent number: 8574365
    Abstract: Apparatus for application of primer with the aid of vacuum, includes a reservoir (26) for liquid primer, an applicator nozzle (14) having an applicator chamber (16) and a suction chamber (18), a supply system (24, 26) for supplying primer from the reservoir (28) to the applicator chamber (16), a suction system (30, 32) for withdrawing air and primer from the suction chamber (18) and a separator (34) for separating primer from the withdrawn air and recirculating the separated primer into the reservoir (28), wherein the separator (34) is a cyclone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: düspohl Maschinenbau GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Wagner
  • Patent number: 8573150
    Abstract: An automated apparatus and method for coating medical devices such as an intravascular stent, are disclosed in the method, a 2-D image of a stent is processed to determine (1) paths along the stent skeletal elements by which a stent secured to a rotating support element can be traversed by a dispenser head whose relative motion with respect to the support element is along the support-element axis, such that some or all of the stent skeletal elements will be traversed (2) the relative speeds of the dispenser head and support element as the dispenser head travels along the paths, and (3), and positions of the dispenser head with respect to a centerline of the stent elements as the dispenser head travels along such paths The rotational speed of the support and relative linear speed of the dispenser are controlled to achieve the desired coating thickness and coating coverage on the upper surfaces, and optionally, the side surfaces, of the stent elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Biosensors International Group, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ivan Vecerina, Vinh Pham
  • Patent number: 8479682
    Abstract: An apparatus for applying adhesive to the surface of expanded resin panels by means of a gluing roller, comprising a conveyor for feeding a panel, which is arranged upstream of the gluing roller, and a conveyor for receiving the panel, which is arranged downstream of the gluing roller, the conveyors being mutually aligned on a supporting framework so as to have adjacent ends, and means for moving the conveyors between a lowered position and a raised position, the means being controlled by an element for detecting a panel conveyed by the feeding conveyor so as to lift or lower the conveyors to a level at which the surface of the gluing roller is substantially in tangent contact with the panel in order to apply thereon a layer of adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Resta S.R.L.
    Inventors: Roberto Resta, Paolo Resta
  • Publication number: 20130167771
    Abstract: A vapor phase growth apparatus with a measuring means which can measure the state of the warpage of a substrate, which is a rotation/revolution type vapor phase growth apparatus with a susceptor and a plurality of substrate retaining members in a chamber, wherein a measuring means comprising a laser source which continuously emits a laser light in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate which is retained in the substrate retaining member and is rotating/revolving by the rotation of the susceptor and a light receiving portion which receives a laser light reflected on the surface of the substrate is fixed on the outer surface of a laser transparent portion provided on the chamber; and a judging means which judges that the substrate is in an abnormal state when the variation of the reflected light received by the light receiving portion is larger than a preset variation is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: TAIYO NIPPON SANSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Yamaguchi, Akinori Ubukata
  • Patent number: 8476561
    Abstract: A device for heating a substrate with light from a flash lamp having a semiconductor switch connected in series to the flash lamp. After triggering of a trigger electrode of the flash lamp, a first drive signal and a second drive signal are output from a gate circuit. The time period when the semiconductor switch is on due to the second drive signal is longer than the time period that the semiconductor switch is on by the first drive signal. Then, the semiconductor switch is switched on and off by the first drive signal and the substrate temperature is increased to a temperature, which is lower than the desired temperature to be achieved, and is maintained a that temperature for a short time, after which the surface temperature of the substrate is increased to the desired target temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Ushiodenki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takehiko Yokomori
  • Patent number: 8424485
    Abstract: The invention aims to provide substrate treatment equipment that can automatically collect a substrate in a normal condition without needing manual operation. The equipment includes a substrate holder 26 for holding substrates 12 in a multistage manner and a substrate transfer unit 34 for transferring the substrates 12 into the substrate holder 26, wherein a substrate holding condition of the substrate holder 26 is sensed by a sensing section 60. The sensing section 60 has photo-sensors 64a, 64b, and sensing waveforms sensed by the photo-sensors 64a, 64b are compared with a normal waveform. A control section 66 is provided, which controls a substrate transfer unit 34 such that substrates 12 other than at least a substrate 12 that was determined to be abnormal are transferred by the unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventors: Makoto Hirano, Akihiro Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8389062
    Abstract: A system and method for spray gun or nozzle control wherein the spray gun liquid discharge pattern is dynamically varied to correspond to the dimensions of a moving target object or a portion of the moving target. The spray gun includes inputs for fan air, atomizing air, and liquid, as well as cylinder air. Upon detection of a target object approaching, such as on a conveyor belt, the fan air pressure, atomizing air pressure, liquid pressure, and cylinder air pressure are varied according to predefined or contemporaneously generated curves to provide a spray pattern that corresponds to the shape of the target object or portion of the target object, thus minimizing waste and inefficiency due to overspray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Spraying Systems Co.
    Inventor: Lieven Wulteputte
  • Patent number: 8371241
    Abstract: An electric circuit is applied to an object having a curved surface. The curved surface of the object is divided into sections, and the circuit is applied one section at a time. The circuit is formed between layers of dielectric material. The dielectric is applied by a computer-controlled device, which controls the position of a spray head and the rotation of the object, such that the spray head is held substantially perpendicular to the surface of the object at all times, and such that a controlled thickness of dielectric material can be deposited. The fine-featured circuits formed by the invention are rugged, and can be used on objects intended to be exposed to harsh environments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Max Levy Autograph, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald C. Sedberry, Derek S. Rollins, David S. Metzger