Abstract: An edge gripping device for a robot arm grips and ungrips substrates, such as semiconductor wafers. A base is fixed to an end of the robot arm. A blade, having a distal contact location thereon, and a pusher bar, having preferably two proximal contact locations thereon, are movably mounted to the base via a linkage mechanism. The linkage mechanism includes two four-bar linkages. The first four-bar linkage has a stationary link and three movable links connected in a parallelogram configuration. The pusher bar is fixed to one of the movable links of the first linkage for movement therewith. The second four-bar linkage has a stationary link and three movable links connected in a trapezoidal configuration. The blade is fixed to one of the movable links of the second linkage for movement therewith. The two linkages share a stationary pivot point.

Abstract: The present invention provides a wire lug arc vent barrier for protecting a wire lug in a molded case circuit breaker, with the circuit breaker having a housing with a terminal for a load connection and a terminal for a line connection. The wire lug/arc vent barrier comprises a body having a first end including a tang, a second end including an elongated finger and a middle portion between the first end and the second end defining a concave space, with an opening at each of the middle portion, wherein the body is mounted in the housing.

Abstract: A contact assembly for use in an electrical switching apparatus has an actuator. An enclosure comprises an interior space housing first and second stationary contacts fixedly mounted in spaced relation with one another in one of a normally closed position or a normally open position. A pusher is movably mounted in the enclosure and is selectively driven by the actuator to move between a normal position and an actuated position. The pusher comprises a top wall, a bottom wall and first and second side walls connected between the top wall and bottom wall to define an opening having respective first and second ends. First and second longitudinally spaced top ribs are on an inside of the top wall proximate the respective first and second side walls. First and second longitudinally spaced bottom ribs are in an inside of the bottom wall proximate the respective first and second side walls and laterally offset from the respective first and second top ribs. A movable contact is received in the opening.

Abstract: A circuit breaker having a trip mechanism and an electronic module having an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a control circuit, a composite circuit which generates a composite signal voltage, a residual circuit, the circuit breaker comprising a first power supply to provide a first voltage signal and a second power supply to provide a second voltage signal. An analog override circuit in the circuit breaker is configured to receive the first voltage signal from the first power supply, the second voltage signal from the second power supply and the composite signal voltage from the composite circuit. The analog override circuit provides an override signal to the ASIC which is coupled to a logic gate configured to receive a first trip signal from the control circuit and a second trip signal from the ASIC and provides a third trip signal to the trip mechanism.

Abstract: The invention features an apparatus for mounting a pellicle to a reticle. The apparatus includes: a base; a first holder coupled to the base and including two edges positioned to support a first object below its center of gravity and secure the first object in substantially vertical alignment with the base, the first object including one of the pellicle and the reticle; a second holder slidably coupled to the base and including two edges positioned to support a second object below its center of gravity and secure the second object in substantially vertical alignment with the base, the second object including the other of the pellicle and the reticle; and a pressure applicator assembly slidably coupled to the base to adjustably apply pressure to a periphery of the second object held in the second holder and drive it against a corresponding periphery of the first object held in the first holder. In additional embodiments, the apparatus provides automated mounted of the pellicle and reticle.

Abstract: An interlock for two circuit breakers, with the circuit breakers configured in the same electrical circuit and with each circuit breaker having a cross bar and contact assembly. The interlock comprises a pivot pin mounted a spaced distance from the two circuit breakers. An interlock yoke having two ends, with a notch proximate each end of the yoke and the yoke is coupled to the pivot pin. A first operator rod having a first end is configured to engage the cross bar and contact assembly of one circuit breaker and has a second end configured to engage the notch of the yoke. A second operator rod having a first end is configured to engage the cross bar and contact assembly of the other circuit breaker and has a second end configured to engage the notch of the yoke. When one operator rod is moved by the cross bar and contact assembly of one circuit breaker, that operator rod pivots the yoke, causing the other operator rod to block the operation of the other circuit breaker.

Abstract: A method for optimizing communication in a network involving wanted and unwanted network messages wherein a set of filters are configured to accept all wanted network messages and minimize the acceptance of unwanted messages in accordance with a selection criteria. A first filter is configured to receive all wanted messages. The first filter includes a defined bit and an undefined bit. Each defined bit is either in a first state or in a second state. A second filter is set equal to the first filter. The first filter and the second filter compose a first set of filters. Potential configurations of the first set of filters are determined wherein each potential configuration is capable of accepting all wanted network messages. The potential configurations are optimized wherein the optimized configuration ensures acceptance of all wanted messages and reduces the amount of accepted unwanted messages.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a factory process is disclosed. The factory process comprises a plurality of tasks. The method comprises displaying the factory process in real-time as a three-dimensional, free-camera, computer generated representation of the process as a whole, selectively displaying each of the tasks in real-time as a three-dimensional, free-camera, computer generated representation of the respective task.

Abstract: A handler for transporting planar substrates, in particular wafers, used in the semiconductor industry, between at least two stations. The handler includes a movable flat support arm for receiving a substrate and means for defining the location of the substrate in the area of a predetermined point on the support arm. A vibration generator for generating a longitudinal ultrasonic vibration is provided, that the vibration generator interacts with the support arm in such a way that a substantially stationary vibration with at least one antinode can be set on the flat support arm, which permits a levitation of a substrate placed thereon. A means for defining the location of the substrate provide a lateral positioning exclusively by an interaction with the edge area of a substrate.

Abstract: A rotary die cuter for a box making machine has an abrading cylinder mounted for rotation alongside the anvil for engaging and resurfacing the blanket of the anvil on a virtually continuous basis to smooth, level and even the surface of the blanket. This resurfacing occurs during normal operation of the rotary die cutter so no production is lost. The abrading cylinder has a sheet layer of abrasive material spirally wrapped on the surface of the cylinder and bonded thereto with adhesive material on the backside of the sheet layer. The abrading cylinder is movable towards or away from the anvil by a servo motor and gearbox. The position of the abrading cylinder relative to the anvil is determined by an encoder which sends the information to a computer or programmable controller which calculates the changing diameter of the blanket and the amount of speed change that must be imparted to the anvil to compensate for its changing diameter.

Abstract: This invention determines whether two logic level circuit models have equivalent functionality. The method allows difficult portions of the equivalent functionality check to be partitioned and concurrently solved in a distributed computing environment. This permits the user to use, in a scalable fashion, additional computing resources to rapidly solve difficult equivalent functionality checks. The method allows difficult checks to be solved using (1) a divide-and-conquer approach, (2) by a competitive approach in which many independent attempts are made to solve the same check, or (3) by allocating more resources to solve the difficult check.

Abstract: In a loading and unloading station for semiconductor processing installations, the object of the present invention is to ensure charging proceeding from containers under clean room conditions. These transporting containers under clean room conditions. These transporting containers themselves serve as magazines for disk-shaped objects and are open laterally. It should also be possible, optionally, to load and unload a greater quantity of such transporting containers, wherein the exchange of transporting containers must be effected under favorable ergonomic conditions. According to the invention, the transporting container for loading, unloading and reloading of disk-shaped objects is coupled in a stationary manner by the container cover with the closure by using an adhering engagement. The charging opening and transporting container are opened simultaneously in that the container cover and the closure are moved down jointy into the semiconductor processing installation.

Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a method for compensating for delays in a circuit of a serial encoder. The method includes determining at least one delay associated with the circuit of the serial encoder. The method also includes adjusting an internal clock signal received by a data receiving memory associated with the serial encoder to account for the at least one determined delay.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically loading trays includes a servo motor that is mechanically coupled to a plurality of elongated engagement members. The engagement members are coupled to the servo motor at a first end and include engagement elements at the second end of the engagement member. The engagement elements may be designed to uniquely operate with the type of tray to be lifted by the apparatus. In one embodiment where the apparatus is loading a disposable tray, the engagement member may be an auger-type bit that screws into the trays. The apparatus also includes a lifting mechanism by which the engagement assembly is vertically positioned. The apparatus mechanically engages and retains the tray and moves the tray into position over a carton or other shipping container. The apparatus is vertically displaced to lower the tray into the carton and the servo motor operated in a reverse direction to mechanically disengage the tray.

Abstract: A programmed computer generates descriptions of circuits (called “checkers”) that flag functional defects in a description of a circuit undergoing functional verification. The programmed computer automatically converts the circuit's description into a graph, automatically examines the graph for instances of a predetermined arrangement of nodes and connections, and automatically generates instructions that flag a behavior of a device represented by the instance in conformance with a known defective behavior. The checkers can be used during simulation or emulation of the circuit, or during operation of the circuit in a semiconductor die The circuit's description can be in Verilog or VHDL and the automatically generated checkers can also be described in Verilog or VHDL. Therefore, the checkers can co-simulate with the circuit, monitoring the simulated operation of the circuit and flagging detective behavior.

Abstract: An air induction system for an internal combustion engine utilizes localized heat generation to produce a desired acoustic profile that attenuates noise propagated through the air induction system. The noise propagated through the air induction system varies over time to form a variable noise profile. A heat generating mechanism, such as a laser array or electric spark generator, produces a predetermined amount of heat within a localized area adjacent to an inlet to the air duct housing. The predetermined amount of heat is an amount of heat sufficient to produce a desired acoustic energy as a result of rapid air expansion at the localized area. A controller varies the predetermined amount of heat over time to produce a desired acoustic profile that cancels the variable noise profile.