Sheet, Bar, And Plate Cleaners Patents (Class 15/102)
  • Patent number: 11590335
    Abstract: Devices and methods for sterilizing the outer and inner surfaces of a working end-site of a medical device such as a catheter hub, luer connector, luer component, needleless access site, and/or access port are discussed. The sterilizing device can include a housing, a sterilizing element including an antipathogenic agent configured for sterilizing the working end-site of a medical device, and a cap hingedly coupled to the housing and configured to hermetically seal the sterilizing element within the housing. One or more features on the cap and housing serve to hermetically seal the cap to the housing prior to use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: 1WORLDVISTA MEDICAL, INC.
    Inventor: Michael J. Ferlic
  • Patent number: 11424138
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus comprises a substrate holding roller and an edge cleaner. The substrate holding roller is configured to hold and rotate a substrate to be processed. The edge cleaner is in contact with an edge portion of the substrate to be processed and includes resin material containing fluororesin particles at least in a portion in contact with the substrate to be processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomoatsu Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 11280152
    Abstract: The pipe wiper assembly of the present invention assists with wiping the pipe as the pipe is removed from the hole (“tripped out”). The pipe passes through the two pipe apertures of the pipe wiper assembly during the removal. Two upper containment arms adjust between an open position and a closed position within the housing to form the upper pipe aperture. The lower containment lip forms the lower piper aperture. The upper containment arms and lower containment lip partially enclose the housing to prevent the wiper from exiting the wiper storage. The containment arms slideably adjust to eliminate the need for hinges. The removal of the hinges provides for easier storage and transportation of the pipe wiper assembly. The removal of hinges also reduces manufacturing costs of the pipe wiper assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: PRUITT TOOL & SUPPLY CO.
    Inventors: Grant Pruitt, Cris Braun
  • Patent number: 11241083
    Abstract: A cleansing brush head for a facial brush is described. The brush head has connector to couple the brush head to a brush body, and radially symmetric ribbons forming ribbons and channels out of silicone or a similar material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Chirp Products, LLC
    Inventors: Steven D. Powell, Joshua D. Nelson
  • Patent number: 11110492
    Abstract: A system and method for cleaning a media transport device includes a cleaning card having a first end portion and a second end portion. The system may also include a handled cleaning card holder. The handled cleaning card holder is configured to secure the cleaning card at a first end portion and allow access to the second end portion of the cleaning card for use in cleaning. The cleaning card may configured to be rotatable at least 180° within or upon the handled cleaning card holder, or it may be rotated by hand to be used in at least two directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: KICTEAM, INC.
    Inventors: Glen Bailey, Geoffrey Scott Caron, Ian McCormick, John Condon, Byron Mehl Kern, II, Kenneth Monroe Pedersen, III
  • Patent number: 11096769
    Abstract: A specialized battery powered device that has a rotating sponge tip that can dispense mouthwash on demand while in use. The sponge tip can be rotated by a battery-powered motor at different RPM. The present invention also includes a step-by-step process for using the device and achieving an extremely clean mouth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Inventor: Mary Ellen Hoye
  • Patent number: 11017996
    Abstract: A foreign particle removal system for removing a particle from a surface of a fragile object has a tool gripper which grips a particle removal tool. A force sensing device determines a cleaning position of the particle removal tool relative to the surface whereat a threshold force is exerted on the surface, the threshold force being a force that is exerted by the particle removal tool on the surface that would pick up the foreign particle but would not damage the object. The particle removal tool is conveyed over a location of the foreign particle and is moved towards the surface to the cleaning position whereat the threshold force is exerted on the surface. The particle removal tool is then lifted away from the surface together with the foreign particle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: ASM TECHNOLOGY SINGAPORE PTE LTD
    Inventors: Gang Shu, Chin Tiong Ong, Keng Yew Song, Qing Le Tan
  • Patent number: 10974285
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a device for cleaning a protective film to be attached to an outer surface of a laminate during a lamination process of heating and pressing the laminate of electrodes and a separator to produce an electrode assembly of a battery cell, including a feed roll configured to supply the protective film, at least one guide roll configured to guide a progress of the protective film supplied from the feed roll, a cleaning roll located between the feed roll and a winding roll and configured to remove foreign substances remaining on the protective film supplied from the feed roll, and the winding roll configured to wind the protective film from which foreign substances have been removed by the cleaning roll, wherein a nano thin film is formed on an outer surface of the cleaning roll to adsorb and remove the foreign substances remaining on the protective film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Sang Youn Park, Jin Hak Kong, Kyu Hyun Choi
  • Patent number: 10954599
    Abstract: The present invention is a washing assembly having at least one washing chamber at which at least one sheet metal passing through for producing copper-coated double-layer steel pipe. The washing assembly comprises at least one pair of wiper pair accommodated by the washing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: NET BORU SANAYI VE DIS TICARET KOLLEKTIF SIRKETI BORA SAMAN VE ORTAGI
    Inventor: Bora Saman
  • Patent number: 10870132
    Abstract: A sponge roller is made of a polyvinyl acetal porous resin material having elasticity in a wet state, includes a roller in an approximate cylinder form and a plurality of protrusions formed integrally on an outer peripheral surface of the roller, and rotates the multiple protrusions to make contact with a surface to be cleaned so as to clean the surface. The polyvinyl acetal porous resin material constituting the sponge roller contains a cationic functional group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Inventors: Yuuichi Shimazaki, Tadashi Kawaguchi, Hidehiko Tsukada
  • Patent number: 10864557
    Abstract: A system for performing a Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process is provided. The system includes a CMP module configured to polish a semiconductor wafer. The system further includes a cleaning brush assembly configured to clean the semiconductor wafer. The cleaning brush includes a rotation shaft and a brush member surrounding a segment of the rotation shaft. The system also includes an agitation transducer arranged to be distant from the brush member and configured to produce an agitated cleaning liquid to clean the cleaning brush assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chia-Ying Tien, Chia-Lin Hsueh
  • Patent number: 10847388
    Abstract: A guard that receives a processing liquid removed off a substrate, is disposed so as to surround a substrate holding unit and a facing member in plan view. The guard forms, together with the substrate and the facing member having a facing surface facing an upper surface of the substrate, a space isolated from an ambient atmosphere. An inert gas supplying unit supplies an inert gas to the space to replace an atmosphere inside the space by the inert gas. A processing liquid supplying nozzle, which extends from an inner wall of the guard so as to be disposed inside the space in a state where the space is formed, supplies the processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Inventor: Takeshi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10774610
    Abstract: The pipe wiper assembly of the present invention assists with wiping the pipe as the pipe is removed from the hole (“tripped out”). The pipe passes through the two pipe apertures of the pipe wiper assembly during the removal. Two upper containment arms adjust between an open position and a closed position within the housing to form the upper pipe aperture. The lower containment lip forms the lower piper aperture. The upper containment arms and lower containment lip partially enclose the housing to prevent the wiper from exiting the wiper storage. The containment arms slideably adjust to eliminate the need for hinges. The removal of the hinges provides for easier storage and transportation of the pipe wiper assembly. The removal of hinges also reduces manufacturing costs of the pipe wiper assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: PRUITT TOOL & SUPPLY CO.
    Inventors: Grant Pruitt, Cris Braun
  • Patent number: 10734254
    Abstract: A method of processing a wafer is disclosed. The method includes, in some embodiments, causing a relative movement between a cleaning brush and a wafer. During the relative movement, a planar cleaning surface of the cleaning brush is brought into contact with a surface of the wafer to remove contaminants from the surface of the wafer. A first size of the cleaning brush, in a plan view, is larger than a second size of the wafer in the plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chang-Sheng Lin, Hsin-Hsien Lu
  • Patent number: 10717618
    Abstract: Novel materials and devices can remove small defects from long rolls of flexible electronics material while they are in continuous motion. The cleaning materials are designed to remove small particles without transferring defects or damaging the flexible electronics. The device generally consists of variable speed, motor-driven cylinders mounted on movable brackets. The cylinders are capable of matching the speed of the cleaning material such that the cleaning material is always in contact with the web roll to be cleaned. The brackets are capable of rotating so the same material can be used more than once. Another material is used to remove debris from the cleaning material. A similar device consisting of motor-driven cylinders and movable is used to apply the debris removal film to the cleaning film, allowing the cleaning film to be used multiple times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL TEST SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Mark M. Stark, Alan E. Humphrey
  • Patent number: 10643865
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus includes a substrate holding unit, a brush, an arm, a discharge portion and a guide member. The substrate holding unit is configured to hold a substrate rotatably. The brush has a main body, a cleaning body provided at a lower portion of the main body and configured to be pressed onto the substrate, and a hollow portion formed in the main body and provided with an open top and an open bottom. The arm is configured to rotatably support the main body with a spindle therebetween. The discharge portion is provided at the arm, and plural kinds of processing liquids are discharged from the discharge portion while being switched. The guide member is provided between the discharge portion and the brush, and is configured to receive the processing liquid discharged from the discharge portion and guide the received processing liquid into the hollow portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Amano, Yuki Ito, Kento Kurusu
  • Patent number: 10625308
    Abstract: A cleaning device, according to one embodiment, for cleaning a substrate by being rotated, includes: a cleaning member configured to clean a substrate; and a sleeve configured to be provided along a circumference of the cleaning member, a lower part of the sleeve being divided into a plurality of chucking claws each of which holds a portion of a side face of the cleaning member, wherein at inside of each of the plurality of chucking claws, a plurality of protrusions are provided substantially parallel to a rotation direction of the cleaning member, an end of each of the plurality of protrusions is configured to contact the side face of the cleaning member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoatsu Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 10618141
    Abstract: Implementations described herein generally relate to polishing articles and methods of manufacturing polishing articles used in polishing processes and cleaning processes. More particularly, implementations disclosed herein relate to composite polishing articles having graded properties. In one implementation, a polishing article is provided. The polishing article comprises one or more exposed first regions formed from a first material and having a first zeta potential and one or more second exposed regions formed from a second material and having a second zeta potential, wherein the first zeta potential is different from the second zeta potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Ashwin Chockalingam, Mahendra C. Orilall, Mayu Yamamura, Boyi Fu, Rajeev Bajaj, Daniel Redfield
  • Patent number: 10589954
    Abstract: A paper sheet recycling and printing apparatus includes a paper sheet recycling section which manufactures a recycled paper sheet; a printing section which prints recording information on a recording target medium including the recycled paper sheet; a plurality of recycled paper sheet storage sections including a first recycled paper sheet storage section and a second recycled paper sheet storage section in which the recycled paper sheet is stored; a recycled paper sheet supply section which supplies the recycled paper sheet from the paper sheet recycling section to the recycled paper sheet storage section; and a transport section which transports the recording target medium to the printing section. The transport section transports the recycled paper sheet stored in the first recycled paper sheet storage section to the printing section, and the recycled paper sheet supply section supplies the recycled paper sheet to the second recycled paper sheet storage section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yasumasa Nakajima
  • Patent number: 10546763
    Abstract: In parallel with a lower-side scrub cleaning step where a brush is contacted with a lower surface inclined portion of a substrate, a center-side spray cleaning step is performed where a collision position of liquid droplets with respect to an upper surface of the substrate is moved between the center of the substrate and the middle of the substrate while the liquid droplets collide with the upper surface of the substrate. Thereafter, in parallel with an upper-side scrub cleaning step where the brush is contacted with an upper surface inclined portion of the substrate, an outer circumference-side spray cleaning step is performed where the collision position of the liquid droplets with respect to the upper surface of the substrate is moved between the middle of the substrate and the outer circumference of the substrate while the liquid droplets collide with the upper surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shotaro Tsuda, Junichi Ishii
  • Patent number: 10515833
    Abstract: Embodiments of a wafer cleaning system and method are provided. A brush element is configured to clean a backside of the wafer. The backside has a clear area and an unclear area, and some contaminants are located in the unclear area. A control device performs a first cleaning process to the brush element when the brush element is located at the clear area, and the control device performs a second cleaning process when the brush element is located at the unclear area. The contaminants are cleaned by an enhanced cleaning process. Since the contaminants are cleaned, the backside of the wafer is flatter, and quality of the exposed photoresist on the wafer is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD
    Inventors: Kuo-Shu Tseng, Yao-Yuan Shang, You-Feng Chen
  • Patent number: 10361101
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus for bringing an elongated roll cleaning member into sliding contact with a flat plate type substrate to perform cleaning processing on the substrate includes a roll holder for supporting the roll cleaning member so that the roll cleaning member is rotatable, an elevating mechanism that has a linking member for supporting the roll holder, and moves the roll holder up and down so that the roll cleaning member applies a predetermined roll load to the substrate, a sensor member that is provided to the linking member and measures frictional force between the roll cleaning member and the substrate, and a controller for performing feedback control on the frictional force between the roll cleaning member and the substrate based on a measured value of the sensor member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Kitagawa, Hisajiro Nakano, Junji Kunisawa
  • Patent number: 10315232
    Abstract: A cleaning member 10, for use in cleaning a substrate W, comprises: a tip surface 13 configured to be in contact with the substrate W when cleaning the substrate W, and the tip surface 13 being not covered with a skin layer 11; and a circumferential part having a covered part 16, which is disposed on the base end side and a circumferential surface of which is covered with the skin layer 11, and an exposed part 17, which is disposed on the tip end side and a circumferential surface of which is not covered with the skin layer 11.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomoatsu Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 10269555
    Abstract: A method includes performing a first post Chemical Mechanical Polish (CMP) cleaning on a wafer using a first brush. The first brush rotates to clean the wafer. The method further includes performing a second post-CMP cleaning on the wafer using a second brush. The second brush rotates to clean the wafer. The first post-CMP cleaning and the second post-CMP cleaning are performed simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Fu-Ming Huang, Liang-Guang Chen, Ting-Kui Chang, Chun-Chieh Lin
  • Patent number: 10163664
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus (50) that cleans a substrate (S) includes: circumference supporting members (51) that support and rotate the substrate (S); a sponge (541) having a cleaning surface that is brought into contact with the surface to be cleaned of the substrate (S) being rotated by the circumference supporting members (51), and cleans the surface to be cleaned; an arm (53) that moves the sponge (541) in a radial direction of the substrate (S) while maintaining the cleaning surface in contact with the surface to be cleaned; and a controller (60) that controls the contact pressure of the cleaning surface on the surface to be cleaned. When the sponge (541) is located near the edge of the substrate (S), the controller (60) adjusts the contact pressure to a smaller value than that of when the sponge (541) is located near the center of the substrate (S).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomoatsu Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 10040226
    Abstract: The present invention includes methods and materials for cleaning materials, particles, or chemicals from a substrate with a brush or pad. The method comprising: engaging a surface of a rotating wafer with an outer circumferential surface of a rotating cylindrical foam roller, the cylindrical foam roller having a plurality of circumferentially and outwardly extending spaced apart nodules extending from the outer surface, each nodule defining a height extending from the outer surface of the cylindrical foam roller to a substrate engagement surface of the nodule, the substrate engagement surface of one or more of the nodules having a rounded configuration; and positioning the cylindrical foam roller on the substrate such that the one or more nodules are positioned to have only the rounded substrate engagement surface contact the substrate such that no linear surface of the one or more nodules contacts the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Entegris, Inc.
    Inventor: Briant Enoch Benson
  • Patent number: 10024129
    Abstract: The pipe wiper assembly of the present invention assists with wiping the pipe as the pipe is removed from the hole (“tripped out”). The pipe passes through the two pipe apertures of the pipe wiper assembly during the removal. Two upper containment arms adjust between an open position and a closed position within the housing to form the upper pipe aperture. The lower containment lip forms the lower piper aperture. The upper containment arms and lower containment lip partially enclose the housing to prevent the wiper from exiting the wiper storage. The containment arms slideably adjust to eliminate the need for hinges. The removal of the hinges provides for easier storage and transportation of the pipe wiper assembly. The removal of hinges also reduces manufacturing costs of the pipe wiper assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: PRUITT TOOL & SUPPLY CO.
    Inventors: Grant Pruitt, Cris Braun
  • Patent number: 10002778
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus includes outer circumference supporting members 32 that support the outer circumference of a rotating substrate W, a swing cleaning member 34 that swings between a first peripheral position B and a second peripheral position B? of the substrate W while passing a center portion A of the substrate W to clean a front surface of the rotating substrate W, and an elongated supporting member 36 that extends long from a third peripheral position C to a fourth peripheral position C? of the substrate W so as to pass the center portion A and supports the rear surface of the rotating substrate W. The first peripheral position B is disposed between a position D of the outer circumference supporting member 32 of the plurality of outer circumference supporting members 32 and closest to the third peripheral position C and the third peripheral position C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomoatsu Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 9947555
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a wafer retaining module configured to retain a wafer by a chuck pin and to rotate the wafer. The apparatus further includes a wafer cleaning module configured to retain a cleaning member for cleaning a surface of the wafer and to rotate the cleaning member around a first rotation axis that is perpendicular to the surface of the wafer, the wafer cleaning module cleaning the surface of the wafer by moving the cleaning member on the surface of the wafer while the cleaning member contacts the wafer and rotates. The wafer cleaning module retains and rotates the cleaning member so that the first rotation axis does not pass through a contact region of the cleaning member with respect to the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Watanabe, Takayuki Nakayama, Jun Takayasu
  • Patent number: 9808836
    Abstract: There is disclosed a substrate processing apparatus which is capable of detecting whether a substrate, such as a wafer, supported by a fluid is properly present in a predetermined processing position or not. The substrate processing apparatus includes at least one distance sensor configured to measure a distance between a scrubber and a hydrostatic support structure; and a processing controller configured to calculate a gap between the hydrostatic support structure and the surface of the substrate from a measured value of the distance and determine whether the gap falls within a predetermined range or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuji Togawa, Kenya Ito, Yu Ishii, Keisuke Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 9782866
    Abstract: The present invention provides an improved online burr removing device for a wheel. When the device is used, equal rotating speeds of the inner brush and the outer brush can be realized by using one driving motor, thereby avoiding the problem that the linear speed is low in the center but high at the outer edge when an integrated brush rotates at the same angle; meanwhile, the device has the characteristics of high automation degree, advanced process, simple structure and high safety and stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: CITIC Dicastal Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bowen Xue, Haiping Chang, Jiandong Guo
  • Patent number: 9748090
    Abstract: A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a first cleaner and a second cleaner. The first cleaner polishes a semiconductor substrate or a polishing target material on the semiconductor substrate with an abrasive and then cleans a top face of the semiconductor substrate or of the polishing target material while the semiconductor substrate is rotated. The second cleaner rubs an end portion of the semiconductor substrate with a physical contact according to rotation of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinichi Hirasawa, Dai Fukushima
  • Patent number: 9704728
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus performs scrub cleaning of a surface of a substrate with an elongated cylindrical roll cleaning member. The substrate cleaning apparatus includes a roll holder for supporting the cleaning member and rotate the roll cleaning member, a vertical movement mechanism for vertically moving the roll holder so that the roll cleaning member applies a roll load to the substrate at the time of cleaning the substrate by actuation of an actuator having a regulating device, a load cell for measuring the roll load, and a controller for performing feedback control of the roll load through the regulating device based on the measured value of the load cell. The substrate cleaning apparatus further includes a monitor unit for monitoring whether an operation amount of the regulating device falls outside an allowable range of a preset reference value of an operation amount corresponding to a preset roll load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Maeda, Soichi Isobe, Hiroshi Shimomoto, Hideaki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9687885
    Abstract: Methods for cleaning a wafer in semiconductor fabrication are provided. The method includes providing a wafer. The method further includes cleaning the wafer in a first cleaning cycle by supplying a cleaning solution and supplying a first washing liquid mixed with a purge gas in sequence. The method also includes cleaning the wafer in a second cleaning cycle by supplying the cleaning solution and a second washing liquid mixed with the purge gas in sequence. The second cleaning cycle is initiated after the first cleaning cycle is finished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ying-Jie Cai, Bo-Wei Chou, Shih-Hsing Kao, Shin-Hsien Yang, Tzu-Min Lee, Tai-Yung Yu, Wen-Cheng Lien
  • Patent number: 9573387
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a removal portion that removes attached materials attached to a printing surface by coming in contact with the printing surface of a printing medium; a pressing portion that presses the printing surface with which the removal portion is in contact; and a liquid ejecting portion that performs printing by ejecting a liquid with respect to the printing surface pressed by the pressing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoki Shinoda, Kazuyuki Fujioka, Keiji Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9522782
    Abstract: An automatic rubbing roller storage system includes a roller storing device, a roller transport track, a roller transport platform and a positioning device; the roller storing device includes a rotatable roller storing portion, the roller storing portion has one end provided with a first damper and the other end provided with a second damper, and the roller is held therebetween; the roller transport platform includes a sliding base and a roller placement platform; a transmission device is disposed between the roller transport track and the sliding base. The automatic rubbing roller storage system can achieve automatic roller pick-and-place operation, improve the efficiency, save a large number of human labors and reduce the production and maintenance cost. An automatic rubbing roller pick-and-place method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignees: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD., HEFEI XINSHENG OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wenhao Wang, Zhubing Huang, Yanping Hong
  • Patent number: 9517524
    Abstract: The welding wire spool support wherein the housing is formed from a single sheet of material, the housing being attached to a base, wherein the base includes a spindle support extending upward therefrom, wherein the spindle is mounted on the spindle support; and wherein a wire feeder assembly is supported on the base and adapted to draw wire from the spool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Lincoln Global, Inc.
    Inventor: Victor Miller
  • Patent number: 9483001
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable fixing member provided in a fixing area where an unfixed image on surface of a medium is fixed, the fixing member including at least a thermoplastic surface layer that softens at a temperature below a fixing temperature at which the image is fixed; and a cleaning member provided on a downstream side with respect to the fixing area in a direction of rotation of the fixing member and that cleans the fixing member while coming into contact with a hardened portion of the fixing member in a cleaning area, the cleaning area being at a temperature below the temperature at which the thermoplastic surface layer of the fixing member softens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Yokoyama, Mitsuhiro Matsumoto, Keitaro Mori, Masayo Higashimura
  • Patent number: 9339851
    Abstract: A system for cleaning a component of a machine is provided. The system includes a cleaning head having a first reel and a second reel to store a cloth. The cleaning head also includes a first idler and a second idler placed in a spaced apart arrangement. The first idler and the second idler are configured to receive the cloth from the first reel. The second reel is configured to store the cloth received from the first idler and the second idler. A spray nozzle is provided to spray a cleaning agent on to the cloth. A robotic arm is attached to the cleaning head. A controller is configured to position the cleaning head relative to the component, activate a movement of the first reel and the second reel to effectuate a dry cleaning cycle, and selectively activate the spray nozzle to effectuate a wet cleaning cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: William L. Blair, James McGrew, Adam Barriger
  • Patent number: 9058977
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus performs scrub cleaning of a surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. The substrate cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning member having a lower-end contact surface, and a cleaning liquid supply nozzle configured to supply a cleaning liquid to the surface of the substrate. The cleaning member is configured to scrub-clean the surface of the substrate by moving the cleaning member in one direction while the cleaning member is being rotated about its rotational axis and by rubbing the lower-end contact surface of the cleaning member against the surface of the substrate which is being rotated horizontally in the presence of the cleaning liquid. The cleaning member has an inverted truncated-cone shape wherein the angle ? between the lower-end contact surface and a straight line on an outer circumferential surface of the cleaning member is larger than 90° and is not more than 150°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomoatsu Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 8992727
    Abstract: A device for removing a protective film off a sheet such as tickets or the like is described. The device has at least one removal or scraping roll of the protective film and at least one drawing or pulling roll of the sheet opposite the scraping roll and between which the sheet passes. The device also has a base and a roll unit mobile or removable with respect to the base and including the scraping roll and the drawing roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Everex S.r.l.
    Inventor: Marco Laghi
  • Patent number: 8973199
    Abstract: A photomask cleaning device includes a stage, a fluid dispenser, a scrubbing unit, a cover and a fixing unit. The fluid dispenser includes a direct dispensing unit disposed correspondingly to the scrubbing unit, and an oblique dispensing unit obliquely spraying water onto a photomask. Majority of the particles can be removed with the combined application of the oblique dispensing unit and the scrubbing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Gudeng Precision Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yung-Chin Pan
  • Publication number: 20150027489
    Abstract: Embodiments of mechanisms for cleaning a wafer are provided. A method for cleaning a wafer includes cleaning a wafer by using a wafer scrubber and cleaning the wafer scrubber in a scrubber cleaning module. An agitated cleaning liquid is applied on the wafer scrubber to clean the wafer scrubber. The method also includes cleaning the wafer or a second wafer by the wafer scrubber after the wafer scrubber is cleaned by the agitated cleaning liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tai-Liang LYU, Shao-Yen KU, Tzu-Yang CHUNG, Chia-Ming TAI, Chao-Hui KUO
  • Publication number: 20150027492
    Abstract: There are provided first and second cleaning members which are configured to clean a central zone in a rear surface of a wafer when the wafer held by an absorption pad is horizontally held, and configured to clean a peripheral zone in the rear surface of the wafer when the wafer is held by the spin chuck. Due to the provision of the first and second cleaning members, detergency can be improved as compared with a case in which only one cleaning member is used. The first and second cleaning members are configured to be horizontally turned by a common turning shaft. When the central zone in the rear surface of the wafer is cleaned, the turning shaft is located to be overlapped with the wafer. Since the turning shaft is located by using the moving area of the wafer, a size of an apparatus can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Yasushi TAKIGUCHI, Taro YAMAMOTO, Hideharu KYOUDA, Koshi MUTA
  • Publication number: 20150027491
    Abstract: A buff module and method for using the same are provided. In one embodiment, a buff module includes housing having an interior volume, a plurality of drive rollers and a pair of buff heads. The drive rollers are arranged to rotate a substrate within the interior volume on a substantially horizontal axis. The buff heads are disposed in the housing, each buff head rotatable on an axis substantially aligned with the horizontal axis and movable to a position substantially parallel with the horizontal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Clinton SAKATA, Hui CHEN, Jim K. ATKINSON, Tomohiko KITAJIMA, Brian J. BROWN
  • Patent number: 8932407
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning method is used for performing scrub cleaning of a surface of a substrate. The substrate cleaning method includes rotating a roll cleaning member and a substrate respectively in one direction while keeping the roll cleaning member in contact with the substrate in a cleaning area, and supplying a cleaning liquid to a surface of the substrate to scrub-clean the surface of the substrate in the presence of the cleaning liquid in the cleaning area. The cleaning liquid is supplied initially to an inverse-direction cleaning area of the cleaning area where the relative rotational velocity between the roll cleaning member and the substrate is relatively high, and thereafter to a forward-direction cleaning area of the cleaning area where the relative rotational velocity between the roll cleaning member and the substrate is relatively low while the substrate makes one revolution on a central axis thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoatsu Ishibashi
  • Publication number: 20150000056
    Abstract: There is disclosed a substrate processing apparatus which is capable of detecting whether a substrate, such as a wafer, supported by a fluid is properly present in a predetermined processing position or not. The substrate processing apparatus includes at least one distance sensor configured to measure a distance between a scrubber and a hydrostatic support structure; and a processing controller configured to calculate a gap between the hydrostatic support structure and the surface of the substrate from a measured value of the distance and determine whether the gap falls within a predetermined range or not.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Tetsuji TOGAWA, Kenya ITO, Yu ISHII, Keisuke UCHIYAMA
  • Patent number: 8898845
    Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning substrates is provided. The cleaning device includes a generally cylindrically-shaped brush mandrel and a cylindrical brush. The brush mandrel has a body section with an outer surface positioned about a central axis. The outer surface is interrupted by an engagement member having primary features adjacent secondary features. The brush has a hollow bore formed around the brush mandrel with an inner surface interrupted by a second engagement member which mates the first engagement member. The primary features flow in a direction generally perpendicular to a rotational direction of the brush mandrel around the central axis and include a first surface which is generally perpendicular to the outer surface. The secondary features include a second surface which flows in a direction generally perpendicular to the first surface and along the central axis. No primary feature includes a radially obstructing feature formed over any secondary feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Llinois Tool Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Willis, Bradley S. Withers
  • Patent number: 8857001
    Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning substrates is provided. The cleaning device includes a generally cylindrically-shaped brush mandrel and a cylindrical brush. The brush mandrel has a body section with an outer surface positioned about a central axis. The outer surface is interrupted by an engagement member having primary features adjacent secondary features. The brush has a hollow bore formed around the brush mandrel with an inner surface interrupted by a second engagement member which mates the first engagement member. The primary features flow in a direction generally perpendicular to a rotational direction of the brush mandrel around the central axis and include a first surface which is generally perpendicular to the outer surface. The secondary features include a second surface which flows in a direction generally perpendicular to the first surface and along the central axis. No primary feature includes a radially obstructing feature formed over any secondary feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Llinois Tool Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Willis, Bradley S. Withers
  • Patent number: 8813293
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for conditioning a processing surface of a cylindrical roller disposed in a brush box is described. In one embodiment, a brush box is described. The brush box includes a tank having an interior volume and a pair of cylindrical rollers at least partially disposed in the interior volume, each of the cylindrical rollers being rotatable about a respective axis, an actuator assembly coupled to each of the cylindrical rollers to move the respective cylindrical roller between a first position where the cylindrical rollers are in proximity and a second position where the cylindrical rollers are spaced away from each other, and a conditioning device for each of the cylindrical rollers, each conditioning device including a conditioner disposed in the interior volume, the conditioner contacting an outer surface of each of the cylindrical rollers when the rollers are in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Sen-Hou Ko, Lakshmanan Karuppiah