Integrated Circuit Production Or Semiconductor Fabrication Patents (Class 700/121)
  • Patent number: 11501989
    Abstract: A system and method include receiving, by a processing device of a manufacturing execution system (MES), a target profile associated with products, wherein the target profile comprises an identifier of a block of steps in a process to make the products and a target work-in-progress (WIP) value representing a target number of parts waiting to be processed by a group of machines used in the block of steps to make the products, identifying a move list or an assignment list that, when issued, causes the group of machines to operate to maintain a number of parts waiting for processing to match the target WIP value of the target profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Inventor: Weiping Shi
  • Patent number: 11498277
    Abstract: Disclosed is direct ink write (DIW) print extrusion head for 3D printing of viscous elastomers. The disclosed print extrusion head comprises a mixer assembly, comprising a fluid distribution cap coupled to a carrier, an in-line mixer coupled to the fluid distribution cap. A cooling jacket surrounds the in-line mixer. A nozzle is coupled to the in-line mixer and protrudes below the cooling jacket over a work surface. The position of the nozzle relative to the work surface is changeable. At least one heat source is on the chassis and disposed adjacent to the fluid distribution cap. The at least one heat source comprises a heat guiding element to direct heat to a region onto the work surface below the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Oregon State University
    Inventors: Osman Dogan Yirmibesoglu, Yi{hacek over (g)}it Mengüç
  • Patent number: 11495570
    Abstract: A method of forming a wire loop in connection with a semiconductor package is provided. The method includes the steps of: (1) providing package data related to the semiconductor package to a wire bonding machine; (2) providing at least one looping control value related to a desired wire loop to the wire bonding machine, the at least one looping control value including at least a loop height value related to the desired wire loop; (3) deriving looping parameters, using an algorithm, for forming the desired wire loop; (4) forming a first wire loop on the wire bonding machine using the looping parameters derived in step (3); (5) measuring actual looping control values of the first wire loop formed in step (4) corresponding to the at least one looping control value; and (6) comparing the actual looping control values measured in step (5) to the at least one looping control value provided in step (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Ivy Wei Qin, Ray L. Cathcart, Cuong Huynh, Deepak Sood, Paul W. Sucro, Joseph O. DeAngelo
  • Patent number: 11481725
    Abstract: The disclosure discloses an apparatus, method and system for controlling logistics, and a non-transitory computer readable medium, where the apparatus includes a processor configured to execute readable program codes stored in a memory to: obtain a logistics communication state corresponding to each material feeding port of each device; pair every two material feeding ports among material feeding ports of each device into a group, and determine a logistics communication state corresponding to each group of material feeding ports of each device; determine a handling priority corresponding to each device according to the determined logistics communication state corresponding to each group of material feeding ports of each device; and control a handling component to select one group of material feeding ports of a device with a highest handling priority to execute a handling command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignees: Chongqing BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing BOE Technology Development Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bing Li, Baibing Liu
  • Patent number: 11481531
    Abstract: A method includes, for a first tool-log variable of a set of tool-log variables, comparing a first tool-log variable result from a first integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing recipe to a first tool-log variable result from a second IC manufacturing recipe. The set of tool-log variables corresponds to one or more tool-logs generated from execution of the first IC manufacturing recipe and the second IC manufacturing recipe on an IC manufacturing tool. Based on the comparison, performing an operation of generating instructions to add one of the first IC manufacturing recipe or the second IC manufacturing recipe to an IC manufacturing recipe library, or performing an operation of generating a defense report for one of the first IC manufacturing recipe or the second IC manufacturing recipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kang-Heng Ma, Ching-Hsi Nan
  • Patent number: 11482287
    Abstract: A memory system includes a memory and a controller. The memory includes at least a first memory cell and a second memory cell. The controller can determine a first stress type that the first memory cell received or a second stress type that the second memory cell received based on a change amount between a first read threshold voltage to read data from the first memory cell when having received stress, and a second read threshold voltage to read data from the first memory cell when having received no stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: KIOXIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki Komatsu, Katsuyuki Shimada
  • Patent number: 11474134
    Abstract: A gateless P-N junction metrolog includes: a junction member including: a p-interface; and an n-interface disposed laterally and adjacent to the p-interface; and a p-n junction disposed at where the p-interface and n-interface contact; a drain electrode disposed on the junction member; a source electrode disposed on the junction member such that the source electrode is spaced apart from and opposing the drain electrode; an n-polymer disposed on the n-interface of the junction member; a p-polymer disposed on the p-interface of the junction member such that the n-polymer is interposed between the p-polymer and the n-interface; a mediation polymer disposed on the p-polymer such that the p-polymer is interposed between the mediation polymer and the junction member; and a mediator disposed in the mediation polymer and that receives electrons from the junction member in forming the p-interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
    Inventor: Albert Felix Rigosi
  • Patent number: 11454950
    Abstract: A machining control system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: a program storage unit which stores a machining program including a plurality of data blocks; a program cache unit which temporarily stores a part of the machining program; a schedule storage unit which stores schedule information specifying a transmission sequence to the program cache unit of the plurality of data blocks; a transmission control unit which controls transmission of the data blocks to the program cache unit from the program storage unit, based on the schedule information; and a machining processing unit which reads out the data blocks from the program cache unit and performs processing required in machining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11455797
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of automated configuration in a bioprocess system (10) and to verify a process defined by a flow path representation. The method comprises the steps of: —capturing one image of the bioprocess system (10) comprising tubing (50) for the fluid communication between units of the bioprocess system (10); —analyzing the captured image to identify the tubing (50) connecting units of the bioprocess system (10); —producing a processed representation from the captured image wherein at least a part of the tubing (50) is identified; and —comparing the processed representation with the flow path representation to verify their functional concordance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Cytiva Sweden AB
    Inventors: Petra Bangtsson, Johan Arthursson, Key Hyckenberg, Lotta Hedkvist
  • Patent number: 11452652
    Abstract: Systems, methods and computer-readable media are provided for determining the modality for transferring, lifting, or repositioning (TLR) a human patient in a health care setting contexts. In some cases, a model-based recursive partitioning and Bradley-Terry regression is applied, which may be optionally parallelized so as to determine statistical associations with various factors, such as caregiver attributes, care venue, and patient attributes. One embodiment determines a Bradley-Terry regression model from the recursive partitioning which may be incorporated into a TLR selection decision-support tool or otherwise utilized to identify the optimal modality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: CERNER INNOVATION, INC.
    Inventor: Douglas S. McNair
  • Patent number: 11449028
    Abstract: An industrial development hub (IDH) supports industrial development and testing capabilities that are offered as a cloud-based service. The IDH comprises an enhanced storage platform and associated design tools that serve as a repository on which customers can store control project code, device configurations, and other digital aspects of an industrial automation project. The IDH system can facilitate discovery and management of digital content associated with control systems, and can be used for system backup and restore, code conversion, and version management.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott A Miller, Nathan Reynolds, Christopher Wayne Como, Nathaniel S Sandler, Ryan P Dunn, Bruce T McCleave, Jr., Kyle Reissner, Stephen C Briant
  • Patent number: 11443265
    Abstract: A cause of work loss in a factory that produces high-mix low-volume products is extracted. The analysis system includes: a calculation unit; a storage unit; and an input and output unit. The storage unit stores record information related to operation time of an activity for producing a product, and threshold information for determining whether the activity of producing the product is abnormal based on the operation time. The calculation unit is configured to determine the operation time and non-operation time for each case extracted from the record information, determine abnormality for each case based on the operation time for each case and the threshold information, and output information of comparing the operation time of a case determined to be abnormal with the operation time of a case not determined to be abnormal to the input and output unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Masataka Tanaka, Yoshio Mitsuishi, Fumiya Shimizu, Yuma Shiho, Naoaki Kawashima
  • Patent number: 11442440
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method and an apparatus of handling a control wafer, a method of testing by using a control wafer, a computer-readable storage medium and an electronic device, and relates to the technical field of semiconductor equipment. The method of handling a control wafer includes: setting different identification numbers for multiple reaction chambers; determining slot numbers of control wafers according to the identification numbers of the reaction chambers; and distributing the control wafers according to the slot numbers of the control wafers and the identification numbers of the reaction chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: CHANGXIN MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: San-Chen Chen
  • Patent number: 11431976
    Abstract: A sample characterization system is disclosed. In embodiments, the sample characterization system includes a controller communicatively coupled to an inspection sub-system, the controller including one or more processors configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in memory, the set of program instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to: acquire one or more target image frames of a sample; generate a target tensor with the one or more acquired target image frames; perform a first set of one or more decomposition processes on the target tensor to generate one or more reference tensors including one or more reference image frames; identify one or more differences between the one or more target image frames and the one or more reference image frames; and determine one or more characteristics of the sample based on the one or more identified differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: KLA Corporation
    Inventors: Nurmohammed Patwary, Richard Wallingford, James A. Smith, Xiaochun Li, Vladimir Tumakov, Bjorn Brauer
  • Patent number: 11429409
    Abstract: A software emulation system for a gas delivery system of a substrate processing system includes an input/output bus and an emulator bus. An input/output bus adapter includes a switch configured to route data packets from a system controller for the substrate processing system to one of the input/output bus and the emulator bus. A gas delivery system emulator in communication with the emulator bus is configured to receive the data packets from the input/output bus adapter via the emulator bus and perform software-based emulation of a plurality of hardware components of the gas delivery system that are interconnected. The plurality of hardware components are modelled using one or more software models and include a gas source and at least one of a valve and a mass flow controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Bostjan Pust, Tom Trinh, Chung-Ho Huang
  • Patent number: 11422095
    Abstract: A metrology system may receive a model for measuring one or more selected attributes of a target including features distributed in a selected pattern based on regression of spectroscopic scatterometry data from a scatterometry tool for a range of wavelengths. The metrology system may further generate a weighting function for the model to de-emphasize portions of the spectroscopic scatterometry data associated with wavelengths at which light captured by the scatterometry tool when measuring the target is predicted to include undesired diffraction orders. The metrology system may further direct the spectroscopic scatterometry tool to generate scatterometry data of one or more measurement targets including fabricated features distributed in the selected pattern. The metrology system may further measure the selected attributes for the one or more measurement targets based on regression of the scatterometry data of the one or more measurement targets to the model weighted by the weighting function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: KLA Corporation
    Inventors: Phillip Atkins, Liequan Lee, Shankar Krishnan, David C. S. Wu, Emily Chiu
  • Patent number: 11413121
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for generating computer 3D models of an object, by registering two or more scans of physical models of an object. The scans may be 3D scans registered by a curve-based registration process. A method is provided for generating a 3D model of a portion of a patient's oral anatomy for use in dental restoration design. Also provided are scanning workflows for scanning physical models of an object to obtain a 3D model. A scanner is provided for scanning physical models of a patient's dentition to obtain scans for generating a 3D model of a patient's dentition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: James R. Glidewell Dental Ceramics, Inc.
    Inventors: Dan Uri Lior, Sergei Azernikov, Sergey Vladimirovich Nikolskiy, Steve Edward Benson, Shawn Andrews Ramirez
  • Patent number: 11416683
    Abstract: A natural language generating apparatus includes: a receiver configured to receive semantic expression information for generating a natural language sentence; and a controller configured to: generate a dependency tree representing a syntax structure of at least one word determined based on the received semantic expression information, based on a trained neural network model, and to generate the natural language sentence based on the generated dependency tree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Youngmin Park, Seona Kim, Jeong-Eom Lee
  • Patent number: 11401860
    Abstract: A method of using an exhaust system includes activating an oscillating assembly connected to an exhaust line, wherein the oscillating assembly is configured to vibrate the exhaust line. The method further includes measuring a value indicating a flow of particles through the exhaust line. The method further includes comparing the value with a predetermined threshold value. The method further includes increasing a rate of vibration of the exhaust line in response to the value being below the predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Po-Hsuan Huang, Tung-Lin Yang
  • Patent number: 11404331
    Abstract: A system for determining the cause of an abnormality in a semiconductor manufacturing process includes an abnormality mode determination module, a selection module, and a root cause analysis module. The abnormality mode determination module is used to determine the similarity between wafer bin maps containing the abnormal data. When the similarity among the wafer maps is higher than a reference value, the selection module executes the steps of: determining a bad lot based on the wafer maps where the similarity is higher than the reference value; determining a time span within which the bad lot is generated; selecting other bad lots occurring in the time span and satisfying a failure model; selecting a good lot based on a fixed lot interval. The root cause analysis module is used to execute the steps of calculating the correlation among data to obtain confidence indexes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Syuan-Rong Huang, Chien-Huei Yang, Chun-Fu Tung, Hua-Ming Wang, Yung-Cheng Chang
  • Patent number: 11397425
    Abstract: A dispatch management method for Pilot-run on a computer and applicable to chemical mechanical polishing machines includes: generating initialization work schedules; filtering the initialization work schedules according to respective adaptability parameters to generate intermediate work schedules; performing crossing operations on the intermediate work schedules to generate M sets of crossed work schedules; performing mutation calculations on contents of the intermediate work schedules and the M sets of crossed work schedules to generate mutated work schedules; performing optimization calculations on the intermediate work schedules, the crossed work schedules and the mutated work schedules to generate a target work schedule; and automatically performing dispatch on the CMP machines according to the target work schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: United Semiconductor (Xiamen) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhen Yu Sui, You Sheng Yin, Bing Xin Xu, Tao Liu, Wen Yi Tan
  • Patent number: 11396234
    Abstract: A battery system for an electric vehicle. The electric vehicle includes a plurality of serially interconnected battery modules, each battery module having at least two battery cells interconnected in parallel, a master control unit for supervising the battery modules, and a slave control unit for supervising the battery modules. A master supervision unit having master sensors for detecting measured values of the battery cells and of the battery module and a slave supervision unit having slave sensors for detecting measured values of the battery cells and of the battery module are assigned to each battery module. The master supervision units communicate with the master control unit, the slave supervision units communicate with the slave control unit, and the master control unit communicates with the slave control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Alexander Schmidt, Christoph Woll
  • Patent number: 11389922
    Abstract: The present embodiments provide a mechanism for computing a thickness of a scanned wafer shape to determine a profile, and computing a delta correction value and a polishing end point time by using a computed PV value by the profile and a set predicted PV value and reflecting the same on the polishing time of each wafer which is under polishing. Accordingly, excellent flatness of a wafer surface can be achieved and simultaneously, a plurality of controllers can be controlled simultaneously to reduce equipment cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: SK Siltron Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kee Yun Han, Suk Jin Jung
  • Patent number: 11385630
    Abstract: A method of producing a workpiece which is successively loaded onto two or more machine tools and one or more machining operations are performed to produce one or more features of the workpiece on each machine tool. After the machining operations on both or all of the machine tools, the workpiece is passed to a common dimensional inspection station. At the common dimensional inspection station, dimensions of the features of the workpiece produced by the machining operations on the two or more machine tools are measured. Based on the results of measuring the dimensions of the features, two or more output signals are produced which respectively relate to the performance of the two or more machine tools which performed the machining operations. Each of the output signals is fed back to the machine tool which performed the respective operation, to adjust the production process of each corresponding machine tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: RENISHAW PLC
    Inventor: Kevyn Barry Jonas
  • Patent number: 11386509
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a system for determining a hybrid-manufacturing plan for manufacturing an object. During operation, the system can obtain a set of hybrid-manufacturing constraints for manufacturing the object. The set of hybrid-manufacturing constraints can include a set of primitives, a set of atoms, and an atom end-state vector. An atom can correspond to a unit of spatial volume of the object. A primitive can represent an additive or a subtractive manufacturing process corresponding to one or more atoms of the object. Next, the system can determine a plurality of feasible hybrid-manufacturing plans based on the set of hybrid-manufacturing constraints. Each feasible hybrid-manufacturing plan can represent an ordering of the set of primitives that satisfies the atom end-state vector. The system can then determine costs for manufacturing the object using the plurality feasible hybrid-manufacturing plans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Aleksandar B. Feldman, Morad Behandish, Johan de Kleer, Ion Matei, Saigopal Nelaturi
  • Patent number: 11387988
    Abstract: An application system includes a plurality of objects, one of which has one of a plurality of object types. A first object associated with a first message in a plurality of messages in the application system is determined from the plurality of objects, the first message being generated based on the first object. A second object type having a dependency on a first object type of the first object is acquired based on a type dependency between a set of object types in the plurality of object types. The plurality of messages are searched for a second message generated based on a second object of the second object type. The first message and the second message are displayed associatively. Associated messages in a plurality of messages may be acquired, and then the plurality of messages are presented more clearly and more effectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: EMC IP Holding Company LLC
    Inventors: Qian Wu, Bo Hu, Jing Ye
  • Patent number: 11383377
    Abstract: Systems and methods for Bot automation lifecycle management are disclosed. According to one embodiment, in an information processing apparatus comprising at least one computer processor, a method for Bot automation lifecycle management may include: (1) receiving information on a proposed automation process; (2) using the information, calculating a complexity score, an automation time requirement, an automation cost, an automation efficiency, and a Bot requirement; (3) calculating a feasibility score based on the complexity score, the automation time requirement, the automation cost, the automation efficiency, and the Bot requirement; (4) generating a feasibility report based on the feasibility score; (5) exporting the proposed automation process to a build process; and (6) confirming the build process as complete and assessing an actual complexity score, an actual automation time requirement, an actual automation cost, an actual automation efficiency, and an actual Bot requirement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
    Inventors: Shamanth Murthy, Sanjay Saran Garg, Vikash Kumar Jangid, Vikramaditya Singh Rathore
  • Patent number: 11355368
    Abstract: An electronics manufacturing system includes a first substrate transfer via having position detection sensors to detect a position of a substrate in the first substrate transfer via and flow-controlled valves to inject inert gas through a floor and move the substrate in a predetermined direction with reference to the position within the first substrate transfer via by adjusting a pressure of the inert gas underneath the substrate. A processing chamber is coupled to the first substrate transfer via and having a pedestal with apertures and flow-controlled devices to inject inert gas through the apertures to receive the substrate from the first substrate transfer via and move the substrate into a second substrate transfer via after processing of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventor: Scott Gregory Lloyd
  • Patent number: 11348813
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and non-transitory computer readable medium are provided for correcting component failures in ion implant semiconductor manufacturing tool. A method includes receiving, from sensors associated with an ion implant tool, current sensor data corresponding to features; performing feature analysis to generate additional features for the current sensor data; providing the additional features as input to a trained machine learning model; obtaining one or more outputs from the trained machine learning model, where the one or more outputs are indicative of a level of confidence of a predicted window; predicting, based on the level of confidence of the predicted window, whether one or more components of the ion implant tool are within a pre-failure window; and responsive to predicting that the one or more components are within the pre-failure window, performing a corrective action associated with the ion implant tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Tianqing Liao, Sima Didari, Harikrishnan Rajagopal
  • Patent number: 11347150
    Abstract: A method, involving determining a first distribution of a first parameter associated with an error or residual in performing a device manufacturing process; determining a second distribution of a second parameter associated with an error or residual in performing the device manufacturing process; and determining a distribution of a parameter of interest associated with the device manufacturing process using a function operating on the first and second distributions. The function may include a correlation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Wim Tjibbo Tel, Bart Peter Bert Segers, Everhardus Cornelis Mos, Emil Peter Schmitt-Weaver, Yichen Zhang, Petrus Gerardus Van Rhee, Xing Lan Liu, Maria Kilitziraki, Reiner Maria Jungblut, Hyunwoo Yu
  • Patent number: 11314164
    Abstract: The structure and methods of a reticle pod are provided. A reticle pod includes a base configured to support a reticle and a cover detachably coupled to the base. The cover includes a window that allows radiation at a wavelength between about 400 nm and about 700 nm to pass through with a transmittance of greater than 70%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Wang Cheng Shih, Hao-Ming Chang, Chung-Yang Huang, Cheng-Ming Lin
  • Patent number: 11300935
    Abstract: A module for a process engineering system having process engineering hardware for carrying out a process engineering sub-process, a control system for local control of the process engineering hardware, the control system being set up to control the process engineering hardware independently and bring it to a number of specific defined states, and an external interface of the control system, the external interface being able to receive a number of defined commands which correspond to the specific defined states of the process engineering hardware. In addition, a method is claimed for controlling a process engineering system which is made up of a plurality of modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: WAGO Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH
    Inventors: Michael Obst, Thomas Holm, Jörg Malken, Sven Kreft
  • Patent number: 11287785
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for distributing master recipes for process control systems comprising storing a single master recipe on a server having an enterprise database and communicating said single master recipe to each of a plurality of manufacturing units. Control recipes are seamlessly created using common master recipes across multiple process plants to deliver consistent product quality with enough flexibility and interoperability in accordance with ISA S88 batch standards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Sivanarayana Onteddu, Senthilkumar Dhanagopalan, Alicia C. Kempf, Muslim Gulam Kanji
  • Patent number: 11259450
    Abstract: A method of determining disposition of a component supply unit including a component reel obtained by winding a component accommodating tape accommodating a component and a tape feeder that supplies the component accommodating tape drawn out from the component reel, for determining component supply unit disposition in which the component supply unit is disposed in a holding unit that holds the component supply unit, includes acquiring component supply unit information including information on the number of the component reel and constraint condition information including information related to a layout that is capable of being selected when the component supply unit is disposed in the holding unit, and determining the component supply unit disposition, based on the constraint condition information and the information on the number of the component reel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryouji Eguchi, Hiroki Kobayashi, Daisuke Mizokami, Takaaki Yokoi
  • Patent number: 11244873
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining wafer measurements of a characteristic of a semiconductor wafer at each of a plurality of process steps during a semiconductor wafer fabrication process, where each of the wafer measurements is associated with a spatial location on the semiconductor wafer from which the measurement is obtained. The method may further include creating a process step fingerprint from the obtained wafer measurements for each process step. The method may further include correlating the process step fingerprint of one of the plurality of process steps to the process step fingerprint of another one of the plurality of process steps to produce a transfer function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Carlos A. Fonseca, Nathan Ip
  • Patent number: 11244098
    Abstract: A method may designing electronic circuits is provided. The method may include generating a first user interface for displaying, at a client, a plurality of graphical elements for creating a state diagram. A scaffold may be added to the state diagram in response to the scaffold being selected from the plurality of graphical elements. A first state bubble may be attached to the scaffold in response to the first state bubble being selected from the plurality of graphical elements. A dimension of the scaffold and/or a position of the first state bubble on the scaffold may be adjusted in response to a second state bubble being added and/or removed from the state diagram. A second user interface may be generated for displaying, at the client, the state diagram. Related systems and articles of manufacture, including computer program products, are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: StarSystems, Inc.
    Inventor: Fletcher McBeth
  • Patent number: 11239099
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a system for monitoring a tool is provided. The system includes a tool monitoring device, a transporting system and an external apparatus. The tool monitoring device is configured to monitor an environmental parameter of a load port of a tool. The tool monitoring device includes a wafer pod and a monitoring module disposed in the wafer pod. The monitoring module includes at least one sensor, a computer coupled to the at least one sensor, a power supply electrically coupled to the at least one sensor and the computer, and a wireless unit coupled to the computer. The transporting system is configured to transfer the tool monitoring device from one load port to another load port. The external apparatus is coupled to the tool monitoring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hom-Chung Lin, Chi-Ying Chang, Jih-Churng Twu, Chin-Yun Chen, Yi-Ting Chang, Feng-Yu Chen
  • Patent number: 11215450
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of calculating a thickness of an ultra-thin film having a nm-order thickness based on measuring a thickness of each of ultra-thin films having different thicknesses by using a first thickness measurement method with length-unit traceability and separately measuring the thickness of each of the ultra-thin films having different thicknesses by using a second thickness measurement method with offset traceability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science
    Inventors: Kyung Joong Kim, Tae Gun Kim
  • Patent number: 11209728
    Abstract: Present disclosure provide a method for fabricating a mask, including obtaining a target pattern to be imaged onto a substrate, providing a first scattering bar and a second scattering bar adjacent to consecutive edges of the target pattern, identifying a first length of the first scattering bar and a second length of the second scattering bar, connecting the first scattering bar and the second scattering bar when any of the first length and the second length is smaller than a predetermined value, identifying a separation between the first scattering bar and the second scattering bar subsequent to identifying the first length and the second length, disposing the first scattering bar and the second scattering bar in a first fashion when the separation is equal to zero, and disposing the first scattering bar and the second scattering bar in a second fashion when the separation is greater than zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Huang-Ming Wu, Jiun-Hao Lin, Jia-Guei Jou, Chi-Ta Lu, Chi-Ming Tsai
  • Patent number: 11182688
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for producing a formulation based on a prior distribution of a number of ingredients used in the formulation includes grouping a set of energy functions based on a number of ingredients used in a formulation, generating a probability distribution using the set of energy functions, obtaining at least one sample of the formulation by sampling from the probability distribution based on a previous sample, and triggering fabrication of the formulation in accordance with the at least one sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Yachiko Obara, Tetsuro Morimura, Hiroki Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 11182532
    Abstract: The current disclosure describes techniques for managing planarization of features formed on a semiconductor wafer. The disclosed techniques achieve relative planarization of micro bump structures formed on a wafer surface by adjusting the pattern density of the micro bumps formed within various regions on the wafer surface. The surface area size of a micro bump formed within a given wafer surface region may be enlarged or reduced to change the pattern density. A dummy micro bump may be inserted into a given wafer surface region to increase the pattern density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Venkata Sripathi Sasanka Pratapa, Jyun-Hong Chen, Wen-Hao Cheng
  • Patent number: 11169122
    Abstract: Generation of feedback for a part production process based on vibrational testing of parts produced by the part production process. A response characteristic may be identified from vibrational data regarding the parts that is correlated to a process variable of the part production process. The response characteristic may relate to a state of the process variable such that identification of the response characteristic may allow for generation of feedback regarding adjustment of a process control. Such response characteristic may relate to a vibrational metric regarding vibrational data and may comprise identifying a trend in data between a plurality of parts. Also presented are approaches to evaluation of parts, including batch evaluation of parts in which collective vibrational data regarding a plurality of parts belonging to a batch are analyzed. The process control aspects may be performed independently or in combination with part evaluation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Vibrant Corporation
    Inventors: Leanne Jauriqui, Lemna J. Hunter, Greg Weaver
  • Patent number: 11162702
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for validating the installation and operation of a fault detection and diagnostic module that monitors a component of an HVAC system. A remote diagnostic server is in operative communication with the HVAC system, and with the fault detection and diagnostic module. A user device communicates data to the remote diagnostic server that defines an association between the fault detection and diagnostic module and the HVAC system. The remote diagnostic server initiates an installation validation by sending a command to the HVAC system that causes the monitored component to initiate an event that is expected to be reported by the fault detection and diagnostic module. For example, a fan motor is turned on. If correctly installed, the fault detection and diagnostic module senses the event, and reports the event to the remote diagnostic server, which confirms the association. The remote diagnostic server sends a message to the user device indicating the result of the validation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Trane International Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel John Blair, Drew Whitehurst, Carl L. Garrett, Christopher Blake Smith, Bradley T. Wilson, James W. Barnard
  • Patent number: 11156989
    Abstract: A material management apparatus (management computer) includes a production plan acquirer that acquires production plan information including a type of a material (cream solder) for bonding a component to a substrate, the material being used for production of a mounting substrate obtained by mounting the component on the substrate; a material status acquirer that acquires material status information on the material preserved in a material preservatory which preserves an accommodating portion (solder pot) in which the material is accommodated; and a material preparation instructor that creates and transmits an instruction to prepare the accommodating portion to be put out from the material preservatory, based on the production plan information and the material status information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsushi Oohori, Toshihide Otsuka, Ryo Senoo
  • Patent number: 11126948
    Abstract: An analysis method performed by a computer analyzes analysis data acquired from a system which includes a plurality of devices to manufacture a product. The computer manages a set of values of each field of the analysis data as a column, analyzes a correspondence from a value belonging to a first target column to a value belonging to a second target column, specifies a surjection column pair which is a set of the first target column and the second target column which have a surjective correspondence, generates graph information to manage a graph of tree structure indicating a connection relation of the column by connecting a graph which has nodes of the first target column and the second target column of the surjection column pair, and performs a yield analysis to specify a parameter affecting an evaluation value using the graph information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventor: Keiro Muro
  • Patent number: 11114297
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for forming a crystallized semiconductor film having a specific grain size on a substrate includes: forming a seed layer on the substrate accommodated in a processing container; vacuuming an interior of the processing container to a medium vacuum or less in a state in which the substrate, on which the seed layer is formed, is accommodated in the processing container; forming an amorphous semiconductor film on the seed layer after vacuuming the interior of the processing container; and crystallizing the amorphous semiconductor film by heat processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Rui Kanemura, Keita Kumagai, Keisuke Fujita
  • Patent number: 11102919
    Abstract: A management apparatus is connected to a mount substrate manufacturing line including a print apparatus, a component mounting apparatus, and a reflow apparatus, through a network. The management apparatus instructs at least one of apparatuses that are at a more upstream side than a reflow apparatus in a mount substrate manufacturing line to start production of the mount substrate, based on first data relating to the period of time necessary to complete preparation for the performing of a process by the reflow apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hachiro Nakatsuji, Kenji Okamoto, Yuji Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11061387
    Abstract: A dispatcher system associated with a manufacture execution system (MES) of a plant, where the MES uses a production database storing a table containing state information of a plurality machines in the plant to manage operation of the plurality of machines, the dispatcher system including a cache device to store a random accessible data sheet mapped to the table; and a processing device to provide a user interface to receive a dispatch application constructed based on a plurality of dispatch rules, the dispatch application comprising a database command directed to access the state information stored in the production database, convert the database command into a key-based search instruction in a target programming language, execute the key-based search instruction using a key to access the random accessible data sheet to generate a production plan, and issue the production plan to the MES to manage the operation of the plurality of machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: SMARTFABS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Weiping Shi
  • Patent number: 11051438
    Abstract: A method of determining disposition of a component reel, for determining component reel disposition in which the component reel obtained by winding a component accommodating tape is disposed in a holding unit, includes: acquiring component reel information including information for identifying the component reel, holding unit information including information related to a layout that is capable of being selected when the component reel is disposed in the holding unit, disposition information of the component supply device supplying the component accommodating tape drawn out from the component reel disposed in the holding unit, and constraint condition information related to the component supply device and the component accommodating tape to be supplied to the component supply device; and determining the component reel disposition in which one component reel firstly used by the component supply device among a plurality of the component reels and a next component reel used next by the component supply device am
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryouji Eguchi, Hiroki Kobayashi, Daisuke Mizokami, Takaaki Yokoi
  • Patent number: 11023306
    Abstract: User-to-software-application-instance-pairings are created. Each of the pairings is a unique relationship between one of the users and one of the instances of the software applications. Identifiers for the user-to-software-application-instance-pairings are received. There is a separate identifier for each of the user-to-software-application-instance-pairings. One of the log creation facilities is associated with each of the user-to-software-application-instance-pairings. Log files are created at corresponding ones of the log creation facilities in response to detecting errors during execution of the instances of the software applications. The log files are categorized based on error categories. A request for a post error analysis report is received. The request specifies one of the error categories. A subset of the log files is determined based on the specified error category specified in the request. The subset of the log files is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Prasad V V Vedurumudi, Praveen Morusupalli