Patents Examined by Alexander Markoff
  • Patent number: 11158497
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus with efficient drying includes a chamber body having an upper opening, a chamber cover having a lower opening, and a shield plate disposed in a cover internal space of the chamber cover. With the upper opening of the chamber body covered by the chamber cover, a chamber is formed. In the cover internal space, a scanning nozzle for discharging a processing liquid toward a substrate is disposed and an inert gas is supplied and a gas is exhausted from the inside. When the processing liquid is supplied onto the substrate, the discharge part is disposed at a discharge position, and when the discharge part is dried while no processing liquid is supplied onto the substrate, the discharge part is disposed at a waiting position and the lower opening is closed by the shield plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Inventors: Takeshi Yoshida, Hiroaki Takahashi, Kazuki Inoue
  • Patent number: 11154913
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes a vapor atmosphere filling step of filling surroundings of a liquid film of a processing liquid with a vapor atmosphere containing a vapor of a low surface tension liquid that has a lower surface tension than the processing liquid, a dry region forming step of forming a dry region in the liquid film of the processing liquid by partially excluding the processing liquid while spraying a gas containing the vapor of the low surface tension liquid onto the liquid film of the processing liquid in parallel with the vapor atmosphere filling step, and a dry region expanding step of expanding the dry region toward an outer periphery of a substrate while rotating the substrate in parallel with the vapor atmosphere filling step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Inventor: Masayuki Otsuji
  • Patent number: 11152204
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes an intermediate processing step of processing the pattern forming surface by the intermediate processing liquid after a chemical liquid processing step, a filler discharging step of discharging a filler after the intermediate processing step, a filler spreading step of spreading the filler, a solidified film forming step of solidifying the filler, a lower position disposing step of making a blocking member be disposed at a lower position prior to start of the chemical liquid processing step, and a blocking member elevating step of starting elevation of the blocking member toward an upper position in a state where the pattern forming surface is covered with the intermediate processing liquid. The chemical liquid is discharged from a central nozzle. Spreading of the filler is started in a state where the blocking member is positioned at the upper position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Inventors: Hitoshi Nakai, Tsutomu Osuka, Naohiko Yoshihara, Yasunori Kanematsu, Manabu Okutani, Kenji Amahisa, Masayuki Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11135775
    Abstract: According to an example, an apparatus may include a printhead to deliver a printing liquid from firing chambers through a plurality of bores arranged along a surface of the printhead. The apparatus may also include a cleaning system to apply a pressurized cleaning fluid onto the surface of the printhead while preventing application of the pressurized cleaning fluid into the firing chambers through the plurality of bores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Ning Ge, Steven J. Simske, Jun Zeng
  • Patent number: 11107693
    Abstract: A method for removing photoresist, an oxidation layer, or both from a semiconductor substrate is disclosed. The method includes placing a substrate in a processing chamber, the processing chamber separate from a plasma chamber for generating a non-oxidizing plasma to be used in treating the substrate; generating a first non-oxidizing plasma from a first reactant gas and a first carrier gas in the plasma chamber, wherein the first non-oxidizing plasma comprises from about 10% to about 40% of the first reactant gas, wherein the first reactant gas has a flow rate of from about 100 standard cubic centimeters per minute to about 15,000 standard cubic centimeters per minute, and wherein the first carrier gas has a flow rate of from about 500 standard cubic centimeters per minute to about 20,000 standard cubic centimeters per minute; and treating the substrate by exposing the substrate to the first non-oxidizing plasma in the processing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignees: Beijing E-Town Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd., Mattson Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Li Diao, Robert George Elliston, David Gilbert, Chan-Yun Lee, James Paris, HaiAu PhanVu, Tom Tillery, Vijay Matthew Vaniapura
  • Patent number: 11102889
    Abstract: Provided are a desmearing method and a desmearing device which are able to reliably remove a smear derived from any of an inorganic substance and an organic substance, and eliminate the need to use a chemical that requires a waste liquid treatment. The desmearing method of the present invention is directed to a desmearing method for a wiring substrate material that is a laminated body of insulating layers made from resin containing a filler and a conductive layer, and includes an ultraviolet irradiation treatment step for irradiating the wiring substrate material with ultraviolet beams with a wavelength of 220 nm or less, and a physical vibration treatment step for applying physical vibrations to the wiring substrate material which has undergone the ultraviolet irradiation treatment step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: USHIO DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenichi Hirose, Hiroki Horibe, Tomoyuki Habu, Shinichi Endo
  • Patent number: 11090700
    Abstract: A spraying system and method is provided for more efficiently accessing the interior of a container having an access opening to the container that is offset from or in angular relationship to the center and/or rotational axis of the container to contact the interior walls and surfaces of the container with a medium, such as a liquid, mixture, solution or suspension. The spraying system and method includes a non-linear boom that is elevated by a support structure, where the non-linear boom includes at its front end a plurality of spray nozzles. In one example, the support structure is a movable support structure that includes a guide mechanism where the guide mechanism is mounted on the moveable support structure at an angle relative to the surface supporting the moveable support structure to allow access to the interior of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Core Insight Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles Anthony Camell
  • Patent number: 11084069
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a chuck cleaner includes a support, an adhesive layer, and a support substrate. The support includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion provided between the first portion and the second portion. The support substrate is provided between the support and the adhesive layer. The support substrate includes a first region fixed to the first portion, a second region fixed to the second portion, a third region provided between the first region and the second region and having variable distance from the third portion, a fourth region provided between the first region and the third region and separated from the support, and a fifth region provided between the second region and the third region and separated from the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: KIOXIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihito Kobayashi, Masamitsu Ito
  • Patent number: 11053596
    Abstract: Pickling a plurality of steel strips (2) having initial material properties (ME) on a pickling line: A computer (5) defines a number of sequences (Gi), which each contain the number of strips (2) to be pickled. For each of the defined sequences (Gi), the computer (5) determines an optimized mode of operation of the pickling line and, on the basis of the mode of operation, at least one measure (M), by means of a model (9) of the pickling line based on mathematical physical equations and by using the initial material properties (ME) of the strips. As long as a termination criterion (K) is not met, the computer (5) varies the defined sequences (Gi) and determines respective optimized modes of operation of the pickling line and associated measures (M) anew.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Inventors: Alexander Thekale, Samuel Walter
  • Patent number: 11045064
    Abstract: A flat mop cover for mop-cover holder, where the flat mop cover comprises an elongate basic body. The basic body has a first elongate surface and a second elongate surface, which lie opposite one another. At least one foam-material layer is disposed between the elongate surfaces, and the two elongate surfaces are each configured to be cleaning surfaces. The two elongate surfaces are disposed such that a plate-shaped carrying element of a mop-cover holder is configured to be disposed in a sandwich-like manner between the two surfaces. The basic body is configured to absorb in a reversible manner at least four times, and at most twenty times, its dry weight in liquid, and wherein the foam-material layer has no fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: CARL FREUDENBERG KG
    Inventors: Dennis Smeijer, Thomas Caruso, Leo Gubenko, Joseph Seifts
  • Patent number: 11043399
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a storage; processors; a liquid supply which supplies, into the storage, at least a first liquid composed of a processing liquid or source liquids for composing the processing liquid; a detector which detects a value of a parameter indicating a state of the first liquid supplied into the storage or a state of the processing liquid in the storage; and a controller which controls the processors to perform a liquid processing in sequence. The controller determines, based on a detection result of the value of the parameter, whether it is possible to supply the processing liquid continuously into a preset number of processors concurrently under a condition requested by the processors, and, if not, the controller performs a simultaneous processing restricting control of reducing a number of processors which are supposed to perform the liquid processing concurrently to be lower than the preset number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Tomiyasu Maezono, Sadamichi Mori, Kouji Takuma, Chikara Nobukuni, Keigo Satake, Shinji Sugahara, Masahiro Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11040379
    Abstract: A debris collection and metrology system for collecting and analyzing debris from a tip used in nanomachining processes, the system including an irradiation source, an irradiation detector, an actuator, and a controller. The irradiation source is operable to direct incident irradiation onto the tip, and the irradiation detector is operable to receive a sample irradiation from the tip, the sample irradiation being generated as a result of the direct incident irradiation being applied onto the tip. The controller is operatively coupled to an actuator system and the irradiation detector, and the controller is operable to receive a first signal based on a first response of the irradiation detector to the sample irradiation, and the controller is operable to effect relative motion between the tip and at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector based on the first signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Bruker Nano, Inc.
    Inventors: Tod Evan Robinson, Bernabe Arruza, Kenneth Gilbert Roessler, David Brinkley, Jeffrey E. LeClaire
  • Patent number: 11018621
    Abstract: The disclosure herein includes one or more methods for cleaning photovoltaic panels, which includes using cleaning assemblies for photovoltaic panels that may each include: 1) a track coupled to the photovoltaic panel; 2) a housing coupled to the photovoltaic panel; 3) a drive motor coupled to the housing; 4) a drive wheel coupled to the drive motor, wherein the wheel is capable of rolling on the track; 5) a vacuum pump having a suction head coupled to the housing; and/or 6) an air pump having an ionizing electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Inventor: Posey Parker
  • Patent number: 11006795
    Abstract: A robot cleaner includes a body to travel on a floor; an obstacle sensing unit to sense an obstacle approaching the body; an auxiliary cleaning unit pivotably mounted to a bottom of the body, to be extendable and retractable; and a control unit to control extension or retraction of the auxiliary cleaning unit based on a pivot angle formed by the auxiliary cleaning unit with respect to a travel direction of the body when the obstacle is sensed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sang Sik Yoon, Byung Chan Kim, Byoung In Lee, Jun Hwa Lee, Jae Young Jung
  • Patent number: 11006802
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner capable of recording an abnormality immediately upon occurrence of the abnormality. The vacuum cleaner has a main casing. The vacuum cleaner has driving wheels for enabling the main casing to travel. The vacuum cleaner has a control unit for controlling drive of the driving wheels to make the main casing autonomously travel. The control unit has a function as an abnormality sensor for detecting an abnormality. The vacuum cleaner has a camera for picking up an image. The control unit has a cleaning mode for cleaning a cleaning-object surface, an image pickup mode for performing image pickup with the camera, and a standby mode applied during a standby state. Upon detection of an abnormality during the cleaning mode, the control unit is switched over to the image pickup mode to perform image pickup with the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA LIFESTYLE PRODUCTS & SERVICES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kota Watanabe, Hirokazu Izawa, Kazuhiro Furuta, Yuuki Marutani, Yuki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10994706
    Abstract: A method of controlling wash equipment in an automated vehicle wash system having a conveyor includes, measuring one or more contours of a vehicle as the vehicle moves thorough an entry area of the automated vehicle wash system on the conveyor; tracking the distance a fixed point relative to the conveyor moves; associating the one or more contours of the vehicle with the position of the fixed point; determining, based on the one or more contours of the vehicle and the position of the fixed point, commands for operating the wash equipment; delivering the commands to the wash equipment; and operating the wash equipment in accordance with the commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Innovative Control Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin Detrick
  • Patent number: 10981345
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method and apparatus for cleaning a workpiece, and a method and apparatus for cleaning a ventless tire segment mold. The method for cleaning a workpiece comprises: heating the workpiece to a preset temperature; and applying a cleaning solution onto the workpiece so that the cleaning solution is vaporized instantaneously to form a micro-explosion at each shocking point, thereby peeling dirt off the workpiece and achieving the purpose of workpiece cleaning. The apparatus for cleaning a workpiece comprises: a heating device for heating the workpiece into a preset temperature range, and a cleaning device for applying a cleaning solution onto the workpiece so that the cleaning solution is vaporized instantaneously to form a micro-explosion at each shocking point, thereby peeling dirt off the workpiece and achieving the purpose of workpiece cleaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: HIMILE MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (SHANDONG) CO., LTD
    Inventors: Ren Zhang, Haibo Ma, Jungang Xue, Wei Zhang, Xiaodong Wang, Jiqiang Shan
  • Patent number: 10967408
    Abstract: A rodder assembly to be moved through an underground conduit includes a tube adapted to receive fluid under pressure. In some embodiments the rodder assembly includes at least one rigid rod, and a nozzle is attached to the tube to discharge fluid from the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: WESCO DISTRIBUTION, INC.
    Inventor: Jerry L. Allen
  • Patent number: 10960855
    Abstract: A robotic wheel cleaner configured for performing a cleaning operation on a wheel is disclosed. The robotic wheel cleaner comprises a selectively moveable arm that is operatively connected to a body portion at a first end thereof. A cleaning tool is operatively connected to a second end of the moveable arm. The cleaning tool further comprises cleaning pad configured for selectively engaging at least a first predetermined location of a wheel. The cleaning tool is selectively movable along a first predetermined pathway to clean at least a predetermined portion of the wheel. The robotic wheel cleaner can further be actuated to move the cleaning tool to position the cleaning pad at least a second predetermined location of the wheel and to selectively move the cleaning pad along a second predetermined pathway to clean at least a second predetermined portion of the wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL WHEEL AND TIRE, INC.
    Inventor: Kevin R. Kerwin
  • Patent number: 10935896
    Abstract: Disclosed are a cleaning solution mixing system, a tool and a method of operation thereof, including an ultrapure water source for providing ultrapure water; an ammonia filter for filtering ammonia in gas form; a hydrogen peroxide filter for filtering hydrogen peroxide in gas form; an ammonia re-gas membrane for dissolving the ammonia in the ultrapure water and forming ultra-dilute ammoniated water; a hydrogen peroxide re-gas membrane for dissolving the hydrogen peroxide in the ultrapure water and forming ultra-dilute hydrogenated water; and a mixer for forming an ultra-dilute cleaning solution by mixing the ultra-dilute ammoniated water and the ultra-dilute hydrogenated water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Abbas Rastegar