Patents Examined by Joel D Crandall
  • Patent number: 11752594
    Abstract: Diamond-containing articles such as composite materials shaped as some specific article, can be engineered such that bodies that contact the article only contact diamond. In an embodiment, the article may be in the form of equipment for handling semiconductor wafers such as vacuum or electrostatic chucks. In one embodiment, the diamond-containing article can be a composite of diamond particulate reinforcing a Si/SiC body such as reaction-bonded SiC. Lapping the diamond-reinforced RBSC body with progressively finer diamond grit removes some of the SiC/Si matrix material, leaving diamond particles of uniform height “standing proud” above the rest of the surface of the formed article. Further, if the diamond-containing article is sufficiently electrically conductive, it may be machinable using electrical discharge machining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: II-VI DELAWARE, INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Mastrobattisto, Edward Gratrix, Prashant Karandikar, William Vance
  • Patent number: 11752591
    Abstract: A controller is provided for use in controlling a blade sharpening system that includes at least one grinding wheel operable to sharpen the blade. The controller includes a memory device, and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory device. The processor is configured to receive signals from at least one sensor, the at least one sensor operable to monitor rotation of the at least one grinding wheel. The processor is further configured to adjust a position of the at least one grinding wheel relative to the blade based on the received signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Rudolf P. Vasko, Maxim Mironau
  • Patent number: 11756814
    Abstract: A system for polishing a sample is provided. The system may comprise a motor. The system may also include a polishing element that is actuated by the motor. The system may also have a sample holder. The sample holder may hold a sample to be polished by the polishing element. In some examples, the sample holder has multiple degrees of movement in order to precisely polish, grind, or bevel the sample. In some examples, the system may further include an arm having a slurry dispenser, inlets for fluid, and a squeegee-like element to clean, wash, or brush off debris from the polishing element during a polishing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: META PLATFORMS, INC.
    Inventors: Sandeep Rekhi, Pradip Sairam Pichumani
  • Patent number: 11752589
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a platen having a top surface to hold a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a substrate against a polishing surface of the polishing pad during a polishing process, and a temperature monitoring system. The temperature monitoring system includes a non-contact thermal sensor positioned above the platen that has a field of view of a portion of the polishing pad on the platen. The sensor is rotatable by the motor around an axis of rotation so as to move the field of view across the polishing pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Hari Soundararajan, Shou-Sung Chang, Haosheng Wu, Jianshe Tang
  • Patent number: 11745306
    Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes a rotatable head body having a pressing surface, a retainer ring configured to press a polishing surface while rotating together with the head body, a stationary ring, local load applying devices configured to apply a local load to the stationary ring, and a controller. The local load applying devices include a first pressing member and a second pressing member connected to the stationary ring. The first pressing member is disposed in the upstream side of the retainer ring in the traveling direction of the polishing surface, and the second pressing member is disposed in the downstream side. The controller calculates the inclination angle of the stationary ring based on a measured value of the height of at least one of the first pressing member and the second pressing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoko Owada, Makoto Fukushima, Keisuke Namiki, Osamu Nabeya, Shingo Togashi, Satoru Yamaki, Yoshikazu Kato
  • Patent number: 11745309
    Abstract: A remotely operated abrasive blasting apparatus is provided. Systems incorporating the apparatus, and methods of treating surfaces using the apparatus and systems are also provided. The abrasive blasting apparatus eliminates the need for human operators to be present in the area being treated, and allows areas inaccessible to human operators to be treated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Michael Wade
  • Patent number: 11745307
    Abstract: An automatic grinding machine with positioning effect has a body, at least two positioning sets, and a processing set. The body has a base, a grinding mount, a drive device, and a fixture. The base has a chamber. The at least two positioning sets are connected to the body and each positioning set has a displacement device and an optical module. The displacement device is mounted in the chamber. The optical module is disposed on the displacement device and is moved relative to the grinding mount by the drive device to position locations of the grinding mount and a probe card. The processing set is electrically connected to the drive device and the fixture of the body and the displacement device and the optical module of each positioning set, and has a computer control interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: GLTTEK CO., LTD
    Inventors: Chiung Nan Chen, Hsun Hao Chan
  • Patent number: 11744427
    Abstract: A floor cleaning machine is provided. The floor cleaning machine includes a solution tank for a cleaning solution. A pre-canister sensor receives the cleaning solution and measures the concentration of any dissolved solids. A canister assembly receives a portion of the cleaning solution from the pre-canister sensor and dissolves portions of a solid chemical form into the cleaning solution thereby forming blended droplets. The canister assembly has a spray nozzle positioned vertically above the solid chemical form. A post-canister sensor receives a mixture of the cleaning solution from the pre-canister sensor and the blended droplets from the canister assembly. The post-canister sensor measures the concentration of any dissolved solids within the mixture of the cleaning solution from the pre-canister sensor and the blended droplets from the canister assembly. A comparison of the baseline and post-canister measurements outside of a desired range results in replacement of the solid chemical form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Betco Corporation
    Inventors: Jacob T. Weil, Thomas J. Quagliotto, Kyle S. Strait, Keith W. Kennedy, Eric Calhoun
  • Patent number: 11745472
    Abstract: An apparatus for finishing a cut edge of a glass laminate includes a support including a surface and an edge, a rail disposed adjacent the support and extending substantially parallel to the edge, a carrier coupled to the rail, and a finishing tool coupled to the carrier and including an abrasive surface positioned adjacent the edge. The carrier is translatable along the rail to translate the abrasive surface relative to the edge. A method includes securing a glass laminate to a support and contacting a cut edge of the glass laminate with an abrasive surface of a finishing tool coupled to a carrier. The carrier is translated along a rail to move the abrasive surface along the cut edge of the glass laminate and transform the cut edge into a finished edge. The glass laminate can have an edge strength of at least about 100 MPa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: CORNING INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Sun-Hwan Kong, Cheol Hee Park, Dong Keun Shin
  • Patent number: 11745304
    Abstract: A diamond special-shaped grinding wheel includes an upper base body, a lower base body, and a grinding ring. The upper base body is disposed at the upper end of the lower base body, and the upper base body and the lower base body are fixedly connected to form a grinding wheel body. The grinding ring is fixed to an outer ring of the grinding wheel body; the grinding wheel body is internally provided with one or two annular grooves communicated with the upper end face of the grinding wheel body. A plurality of mixed flow channels is formed in the grinding ring. One end of each mixed flow channel extends to an annular grinding opening of the grinding ring, the other end is communicated with one annular groove, and the annular grooves are communicated with an external negative pressure air source device. Also disclosed is a vertical machining cooling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: GUILIN CHAMPION UNION DIAMOND Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jingxin Song, Yuanpei Cai, Xinling Guo
  • Patent number: 11745308
    Abstract: To change the direction of water flowing toward a painted surface so as to flow toward the center side of a hood, a water deflecting member is provided that extends toward the center side of the hood while extending toward the painted surface as seen in a state where automatic wet sanding is performed. Thus, water bouncing off the painted surface is less likely to scatter over a wide area of the painted surface, and sanding dust is also less likely to scatter over a wide area of the painted surface. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the need for the troublesome task of wiping off sanding dust remaining on the painted surface, and to achieve a quality finish on the painted surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ryuji Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11738423
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method and apparatus to remove consumable (e.g., sacrificial) polishing pad layers from a multilayer polishing pad. For example, the method includes measuring a thickness profile of a top polishing pad layer of a multilayer polishing pad and comparing the thickness profile to a threshold. The method, in response to the thickness profile being above the threshold, rinses the top polishing pad layer of the multilayer polishing pad and removes, after the top polishing pad layer has been rinsed, the top polishing pad layer to expose an underlying polishing pad layer of the multilayer polishing pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Cheng-Chin Peng
  • Patent number: 11738435
    Abstract: A casing chisel system includes a two-sided casing chisel and one or more detailed chisels. The two-sided casing chisel has two chisel blades that are mirror images of each other to enable one tool for chiseling and cleaning the doorway casing on either side of the doorway. The two-sided tool simply has to be flipped around to allow cleaning of doorway casing on an opposing side of the doorway. The chisel blades may be coupled to a blade assembly that is detachably attachable to a handle assembly. The blade assembly may have a first end and second end each having a two-sided chisel blade or sanding ends with an abrasive material to allow sanding along a doorway casing. The detail chisel may be straight detail chisel having straight chisel blades or a curved detail chisel having curved chisel blades, that may extend in a radius of curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: EFFICIENCY PRODUCTS, LLC.
    Inventor: Jim E. Fulbrook
  • Patent number: 11738422
    Abstract: A management method of a machining system includes a chuck table, a machining unit, a transfer unit that transfers a wafer onto the chuck table, a camera unit that acquires an image containing a pattern formed on a side of a front surface of the wafer, and an information recording section. The management method is applied when the pattern is recorded in association with machining conditions in the information recording section; and records in the information recording section new machining conditions to be used when machining a new type of wafer, causes an automatic machining program, which automatically machines the new type of wafer, to start, forms an image, which contains a new pattern of the new type of wafer, by the camera unit, and records the new pattern in association with the new machining conditions in the information recording section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuma Sekiya
  • Patent number: 11731232
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for predicting irregular motions of one or more mechanical components of a semiconductor processing apparatus. A mechanical motion irregular prediction system includes one or more motion sensors that sense motion-related parameters associated with at least one mechanical component of a semiconductor processing apparatus. The one or more motion sensors output sensing signals based on the sensed motion-related parameters. Defect prediction circuitry predicts an irregular motion of the at least one mechanical component based on the sensing signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chunhung Chen, Yu Chi Tsai, Chin Wei Chuang, Bo-An Chen, Sheng-Chen Wang, Chen-Hua Tsai
  • Patent number: 11735411
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes chucking in which a semiconductor device wafer is attached to an upper surface of a chuck mechanism with its device surface down; and edge trimming performed after the chucking, wherein the edge trimming comprises: rotating the semiconductor device water horizontally by the chuck mechanism; rotating a rotating blade horizontally by a vertical spindle to which an ultrasonic wave is applied and trimming a circumferential side surface of the semiconductor device wafer by the rotating blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: OKAMOTO MACHINE TOOL WORKS, LTD.
    Inventors: Eiichi Yamamoto, Takahiko Mitsui, Tsubasa Bando
  • Patent number: 11731242
    Abstract: A method of treating a surface of a mold. A preliminary treatment of dry-ejecting an angular carbide powder against the surface of the mold so as to cause elemental carbon present within the carbide powder to be diffused into the surface of the mold. The carbide powder has particle diameters not larger than those of a 220 grit and the carbide powder being dry-ejected at an ejection pressure of 0.2 MPa or greater. An after-treatment of dry-ejecting a spherical powder against the surface of the mold to cause the spherical powder to impact the surface of the mold and form innumerable circular arc shaped fine depressions. The spherical powder has a hardness not less than the hardness of a base material of metal of the mold and particle diameters not larger than those of a 220 grit and dry-ejected at an ejection pressure of 0.2 MPa or greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: FUJI KIHAN CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshio Miyasaka
  • Patent number: 11731248
    Abstract: An attachment part for tightening joints includes an elongate housing including an upper housing part and a lower housing part, an input gear wheel for connection to an output shaft of a power wrench, arranged at a first end of the housing, an output gear wheel for connection to a joint to be tightened, arranged at a second end of the housing, and at least one intermediate gear wheel arranged inside the housing to transmit rotation of the input gear wheel to the output gear wheel, wherein each gear wheel has outer slanted teeth that connect the gear wheels and transmit said rotation there between.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: ATLAS COPCO INDUSTRIAL TECHNIQUE AB
    Inventors: Nils David Gustav Carlsson, Per Ingemar Forsberg, Alexander Reza Niawik
  • Patent number: 11731237
    Abstract: A precision squeegee grinder including a grinder assembly configured to grind an edge of a squeegee blade, a squeegee mounting assembly configured to hold the squeegee blade, a grinder assembly vertically alignable with respect to the squeegee mounting assembly, a latitudinal movement assembly connected to the grinder assembly, the latitudinal movement assembly configured to position the grinder assembly with respect to the squeegee blade in defined increments, a longitudinal movement assembly connected to the latitudinal movement, the longitudinal movement assembly configured to move the grinder assembly along a width of the squeegee blade, and a base assembly. The grinder assembly, the squeegee mounting assembly, the latitudinal movement assembly, and the longitudinal movement assembly are connected to the base assembly. The squeegee mounting assembly, the latitudinal movement assembly, and the longitudinal movement assembly enable triaxial alignment between the grinder assembly and the squeegee blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Jabil Inc.
    Inventor: Hadi Hayavi
  • Patent number: 11731231
    Abstract: A chemical-mechanical polishing system includes a rotatable head for mounting a wafer thereto, a polishing pad mounted to a rotatable platen, and a fluid dispenser for dispensing a fluid onto a surface of the polishing pad. The polishing pad includes an array of piezoelectric actuators. The chemical-mechanical polishing system includes a controller operably coupled to each piezoelectric actuator. The controller measures voltages output by the piezoelectric actuators of the array, determines, qualitatively, a topography of the wafer surface based on the measured voltages, and adjusts an aggressiveness of at least one portion of the polishing pad based on the determined topography. The controller adjusts the aggressiveness by inducing the piezoelectric effect or reverse piezoelectric effect in one or more piezoelectric actuators to adjust a surface topography of the polishing pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Swetha Barkam, Khiam-How Low, James A. Cultra