Patents Examined by Charles Capozzi
  • Patent number: 12194485
    Abstract: A method and associated paint finishing system are disclosed for performing predictive maintenance on equipment used for delivering liquid paint in a paint finishing facility. The method comprises: identifying a set of components of the equipment and associated maintenance requirements; for each of the components, providing a set of operating parameters (401-404) that affect useful service life of the component; for each component, providing an algorithm (410) relating the operating parameters to a remaining time by when a maintenance operation on the component is to be performed; monitoring each of the operating parameters (401-404) during operation of the paint finishing facility; for each component, applying the algorithm (410) with the monitored operating parameters (401-404) to calculate the remaining time for the component (420); and for each component providing to a maintenance operative an alert indication relating to the remaining time for the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Inventor: Nigel Wood
  • Patent number: 12179222
    Abstract: A nozzle arrangement for applying fluids to a substrate has a connection body that is connectable to a distributor mounting region and has a spray nozzle that is connectable to the connection body. The spray nozzle has a nozzle body that longitudinally extends and has a first fluid channel for the fluid to be applied to the substrate. The spray nozzle has a nozzle housing in which the nozzle body is received. Second fluid channels for shaping air are formed between a lateral surface and inner of the nozzle body. The second fluid channels extend in the direction of a nozzle outlet opening of the nozzle body such that, by way of the shaping air dispensed from the second fluid channels at the nozzle outlet region, a spiral-shaped deflection of the fluid dispensed from the nozzle outlet opening of the nozzle body is created.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventor: Andreas Pahl
  • Patent number: 12163229
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to apparatus and methods for semiconductor processing, more particularly, to a thermal process chamber. The thermal process chamber includes a substrate support, a first plurality of heating elements disposed over or below the substrate support, and a spot heating module disposed over the substrate support. The spot heating module is utilized to provide local heating of cold regions on a substrate disposed on the substrate support during processing. Localized heating of the substrate improves temperature profile, which in turn improves deposition uniformity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Shu-Kwan Lau, Koji Nakanishi, Toshiyuki Nakagawa, Zuoming Zhu, Zhiyuan Ye, Joseph M. Ranish, Nyi Oo Myo, Errol Antonio C. Sanchez, Schubert S. Chu
  • Patent number: 12145333
    Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus includes: a stage, which reciprocates in forward and reverse directions opposite to each other and has a target substrate disposed thereon; an inspection device including a film disposed outside the stage and a measurement unit which measures an inspection pattern provided on the film; and a head assembly, which moves along one direction crossing the forward direction and has a plurality of heads which supplies a liquid composition to the target substrate. The head assembly moves in the one direction to overlap the film and sprays the composition onto the film to form an inspection pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jinho Hyun, Heechang Yoon, Hyoung Sub Lee, Hyemin Lee
  • Patent number: 12140168
    Abstract: A mask frame support unit includes a case, a protruding body extending below the case, and a station having a flat head disposed above the case. The protruding body includes a tapered region and a cylindrical region. The tapered region includes a first end having a first diameter coupled to the case and comprising a second end having a second diameter opposite the first end. The second diameter is less than the first diameter, and the tapered region is coupled to the cylindrical region at the second end. The case houses a number of components including an upper receiving plate in contact with the station, a lower receiving plate disposed underneath the upper receiving plate, a flat head unit movement support mechanism disposed between the lower receiving plate and the body, and a centering component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Hassan Yousefi, Ganesh Babu Chandrasekaran, Robin L. Tiner, Jianhua Zhou, Isami Iguchi
  • Patent number: 12080523
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a vacuum processing apparatus. The vacuum processing apparatus includes a processing container capable of maintaining an inside thereof in a vacuum atmosphere, a stage provided in the processing container and on which a substrate is placed, a support member passing through an opening formed at a bottom of the processing container to support the stage from below, a holder part located outside the processing container, a flange part arranged around the opening on the outside of the processing container, and a sealing part configured to be expandable and contractible and provided inside the spherical bearing along the circumferential direction of the opening so as to airtightly seal at least a space between the flange part and the holder part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Mori
  • Patent number: 12082344
    Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for dispensing underfill to components on a printed circuit board. The apparatus, system and method may include an underfill chamber having an input through which the printed circuit board is received; at least one dispensing robot capable of dispensing the underfill to the components; a lower heater suitable to substantially evenly heat at least half of or the entirety of an underside of the printed circuit board once the printed circuit board is within the underfill chamber; and an overhead heater capable of heating up to half of a topside of the printed circuit board once the printed circuit board is within the underfill chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Inventors: Mark Tudman, Rayce Loftin
  • Patent number: 12068138
    Abstract: A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a heating part, a first electrode, a first insulating part, a gas supply part, a second electrode, and a second insulating part. The heating part is arranged to be in one surface side of a substrate. The first electrode is arranged around the heating part. The gas supply part is arranged to be in another surface side of the substrate. The second electrode is arranged around the gas supply part. The first electrode and the second electrode are arranged to overlap with an outer edge portion of the substrate, which is a region existing from an outer peripheral end of the substrate to a position inside by a predetermined length, in a direction in which the first electrode and the second electrode face each other. The first electrode is arranged to be in contact with part of the outer edge portion on the one surface side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
    Inventor: Higenyi Ismail Wamusango
  • Patent number: 12064979
    Abstract: A method comprises processing a substrate in a gas enclosure to form a film on one or more portions of the substrate. The method further comprises, while processing the substrate, circulating gas along a circulation path through the gas enclosure. Circulating the gas may comprise flowing gas through an exhaust housing enclosing a printhead assembly housed in the gas enclosure and filtering the gas flowing downstream of the printhead assembly from the exhaust housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Justin Mauck, Alexander Sou-Kang Ko, Eliyahu Vronsky, Shandon Alderson, Alexey Stepanov
  • Patent number: 12068473
    Abstract: An electrode manufacturing system includes: a doping unit; a cleaning unit: and a conveyor unit. The doping unit performs a process of doping an active material in a strip-shaped electrode with an alkali metal, the strip-shaped electrode including an active material layer formed portion in which an active material layer including the active material is formed, and an active material layer unformed portion in which the active material layer is not formed. The cleaning unit cleans the active material layer unformed portion that is adjacent to the active material layer formed portion. The conveyor unit conveys the electrode from the doping unit to the cleaning unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: MUSASHI ENERGY SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaya Naoi, Kazunari Aita
  • Patent number: 12057327
    Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing apparatus comprising a liquid amount detecting part configured to detect a liquid amount of a liquid film formed on a substrate; and a coating state detecting part configured to detect a coating state of the substrate with the liquid film formed thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Masataka Gosho, Yuichi Douki, Satoshi Biwa, Satoshi Okamura, Katsuhiro Ookawa, Yuichiro Kunugimoto
  • Patent number: 12053796
    Abstract: A multi-slot die coater which can improve a problem of structural vulnerability to deformation and torsion. The multi-slot die coater including a lower slot and an upper slot includes a lower die block; an intermediate die block disposed on the lower die block to form the lower slot therebetween; and an upper die block disposed on the intermediate die block to form the upper slot therebetween, wherein at least one of the lower die block, the intermediate die block, and the upper die block includes a metal coating layer on a ceramic body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: LG Energy Solution, Ltd.
    Inventors: Taek-Soo Lee, Young-Gon Kim, Shin-Wook Jeon, Sang-Hoon Choy
  • Patent number: 12057333
    Abstract: Metrology slot plates, processing chamber lids and processing chambers having metrology slot plates are described. Each of the metrology slot plates independently comprises one or more of a plate blank, a reflectometer, a capacitance sensor, a gas flow meter, a manometer, a pyrometer, a distance sensor (laser) or an emissometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Brian Doering, Vivek B. Shah, Ashutosh Agarwal, Sanjeev Baluja, Shrihari Sampathkumar, Chunlei Zhang
  • Patent number: 12049691
    Abstract: A temperature-controlled shield for an evaporation source is described. The temperature-controlled shield is configured to provide a pre-heating zone or a post-cooling zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Andreas Lopp, Stefan Bangert
  • Patent number: 12043889
    Abstract: The present application provides mask plate, fabrication method thereof, and mask plate assembly. The mask plate includes two opening areas being respectively on different sides of mask pattern area along first direction, and two welding areas. One welding area is on a side of one opening area away from the mask pattern area along first direction, and the other welding area is on a side of the other opening area away from mask pattern area along first direction. Evaporation holes are arranged in mask unit, buffer holes are arranged in each opening area, and ratio of maximum dimension of buffer hole in any direction in plane where the mask plate is located to maximum dimension of evaporation hole in the direction is greater than 100. Buffer holes are distributed at equal intervals along a second direction, and second direction is in the plane and is perpendicular to first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignees: Chengdu BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd., BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yong Zheng, Shuai Du, Wenbiao Ding, Junxiu Dai, Chunyan Gao
  • Patent number: 12043584
    Abstract: A method and system for treating calcium-based stone having a surface to be treated for corrosion and stain resistance is provided. The system comprises a sanding unit to sand the surface of the calcium-based stone with a grit size of 40 to 100 to promote coating adhesion. The system further comprises a coating unit to coat the surface of the calcium-based stone with a predetermined amount of a coating material for corrosion and stain resistance defining an uncured coating on the surface. The system further comprises a curing unit to cure the uncured coating on the surface with a photo-initiator defining a cured coating on the surface. The system further comprises a polishing unit to polish the cured coating on the surface with a grit size of 1000 to 3000. The system further comprises a buffing unit to buff the cured coating on the surface with a fabric defining a treated surface of the calcium-based stone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: MORE SURFACE CARE, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Deskur, Steven Wolf
  • Patent number: 12023734
    Abstract: A technique for improving cold spray deposition conditions for cold spray additive manufacture of parts involves providing an in-situ temperature feedback controller with a remote instantaneous temperature sensor supplying surface temperature measurements of the deposition surface, and a (preferably long pulse) laser for heating. Temperature feedback allows for control over deposition conditions yielding predictable deposition properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Inventors: Eric Irissou, Jean-Gabriel Legoux, Cristian Victor Cojocaru, Florin Ilinca, Sylvain Bournival
  • Patent number: 12012656
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for cooling a hot-dip plated steel sheet, the apparatus being capable of reducing comb-pattern surface defects occurring on the edge portion of the hot-dip plated steel sheet. The apparatus includes: a gas knife for spraying wiping gas to a steel sheet that has passed through a plating bath, thereby adjusting the plating thickness thereof; a defect prevention portion installed downstream of the gas knife so as to spray cooling gas to the steel sheet, thereby cooling same; and a moving portion for driving the defect prevention portion such that same moves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: POSCO CO., LTD
    Inventor: Yong-Hun Kweon
  • Patent number: 11996540
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for making a lithium-ion electrochemical cell component by advancing a substrate for a lithium ion cell between opposing first and second calendering rolls, depositing by atmospheric plasma deposition particles of electrode material comprising an active electrode material and a metal into a gap between a first side of the substrate and the first calendering roll, wherein the metal is surface-activated by the atmospheric plasma; and pressing the deposited particles of the active electrode material and the metal particles between the first and second calendering rolls into an electrode layer on the first side of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: INTECELLS, INC.
    Inventor: Xiaohong Gayden
  • Patent number: 11992852
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a process and device for preparing laser PVC. The device includes an upper transmission roller, a support mechanism, a spraying mechanism, an impurity removal mechanism, and a lower transmission roller; the upper transmission roller is disposed above the lower transmission roller, and the two are configured to implement delivery of a PVC film at a station for preparing a laser layer by spraying; the support mechanism is disposed between the upper transmission roller and the lower transmission roller and is in contact with a back surface of the PVC film, and the spraying mechanism is disposed opposite to the support mechanism; and a curing mechanism is disposed in a fitting manner at the coating position; and the impurity removal mechanism is disposed at a front end of the spraying mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Sichuan Huili Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shicai Xiao, Wanling Lan, Daiguo Zhao, Yan Jiang, Daiqun Yuan, Jinzhi Bai