Abstract: A method of operating a bonding machine is provided. The method includes the steps of: (a) carrying a semiconductor element with a transfer tool; and (b) transferring the semiconductor element from the transfer tool to a bonding tool of the bonding machine without the transfer tool and the bonding tool contacting the semiconductor element at the same time.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided. A bonding tool with a wire tail extending out of the tip thereof is lowered to bring the tip of the wire tail into contact with a bonding surface of the semiconductor device. Next, the bonding tool in a direction intersecting with the axial direction of the bonding tool (Z direction) is moved to bend the wire tail with the tip of the wire tail in contact with the bonding surface. Then the bonding tool is lowered to form the wire tail into a predetermined shape such that the tip of the wire tail points upward. And then, a wire looping step, a second bonding step and a wire cutting step are performed. This allows the wire tail to be formed easily and efficiently into a predetermined shape.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to methods of producing devices using modified multi-layer, multi-material electrochemical fabrication processes and/or using a laser cutting processes wherein individual layers or layer groups are formed and then stacked and bonded to produce prototypes or production parts. The methods can reduce the cost and lead time of prototyping when compared with previous multi-layer, multi-material electrochemical fabrication processes and can also reduce the lead time of production quantities, by allowing multiple layers of a multilayer device to be formed simultaneously, e.g. in parallel on the same wafer. Additionally, these methods may be used to extend the maximum height to which parts may practically be made. Finally, the methods allow geometries that are impossible, impractical or difficult to release (e.g. microfluidic devices such as pumps or parts with long, narrow channels) to be fabricated in multiple pieces and then joined after full or partial release.

Abstract: A martensitic stainless steel alloy is strengthened by copper-nucleated nitride precipitates. The alloy includes, in combination by weight percent, about 10.0 to about 12.5 Cr, about 2.0 to about 7.5 Ni, up to about 17.0 Co, about 0.6 to about 1.5 Mo, about 0.5 to about 2.3 Cu, up to about 0.6 Mn, up to about 0.4 Si, about 0.05 to about 0.15 V, up to about 0.10 N, up to about 0.035 C, up to about 0.01 W, and the balance Fe and incidental elements and impurities. The nitride precipitates may be enriched by one or more transition metals. A case hardened, corrosion resistant variant has a reduced weight percent of Ni, enabling increased use of Cr, and decreased Co.

Abstract: A fabrication method of a supporting unit supporting a substrate is provided. The fabrication method includes providing a supporting plate that is made of a non-conductive material and configured to support the substrate, providing a base plate that is disposed under the supporting plate and made of a material containing a conductive material, and forming a first metal film on a top surface of the base plate and bonding the supporting plate with the base plate through a brazing process.

Abstract: A welding robot comprising an arm having a wrist part and upper arm part rotatably connected to each other, a welding torch attached to the arm at the wrist part side, a wire feed device attached to the arm at the upper arm side, a welding cable connected to both of the wire feed device and the welding torch for holding a welding wire, a control part for controlling operation of the arm so that the welding torch is moved over a welding path, and a monitoring part for monitoring if the amount of flexure of the welding cable caused by operation of the wrist tilt axis located between the wrist part and upper arm part while the welding torch is moved over the welding path under the control of the control part is within an allowable range.

Abstract: An automated system provides automated manufacturing of photovoltaic standard power modules for utilization in a space solar array, in both rolled blanket and z-folded configurations. The automated system provides robotically controlled systems for CIC-ing, glassing, stringing, laydown and acceptance testing of interconnected photovoltaic devices. A method of manufacturing the photovoltaic standard power modules includes the steps of robotic positioning of diodes, interconnects and busbars onto a SPM stringing tray followed by the robotic positioning of bare cells into position adjacent to the diodes, interconnects and busbars to form strings. The SPM stringing tray is thereafter robotically positioned adjacent to an integral welder for welding of the front side of the string. Cover glass is thereafter robotically placed over the cells. The string is flipped and the backside of the string is robotically positioned for welding.

Abstract: A dual-walled ceramic matrix composite (CMC) component comprises: a CMC core having a hollow shape enclosing at least one interior channel; and a CMC outer layer overlying and spaced apart from the CMC core by a ceramic slurry-cast architecture positioned therebetween. Each of the CMC core and the CMC outer layer comprises ceramic fibers in a ceramic matrix. The CMC core further includes a plurality of through-thickness inner cooling holes in fluid communication with the at least one interior channel. The ceramic slurry-cast architecture defines a cooling fluid path over an outer surface of the CMC core that connects the interior channel(s) to an external environment of the dual-walled CMC component. The CMC outer layer may also include a plurality of through-thickness outer cooling holes in fluid communication with the cooling fluid path, thereby extending the cooling fluid path through the CMC outer layer.

Abstract: A wire bonding apparatus includes: a bonding tool 40 into and through a wire 42 passes; a control unit 80 that performs a movement process of the bonding tool 40 for cutting the wire 42 after forming a wire loop 90 between first and second bonding points of a bonding target 100; and a monitoring unit 70 that supplies a predetermined electric signal between the wire 42 through the bonding tool 40 and the bonding target 100, and monitors whether the wire 42 is cut or not based on an output of the supplied electric signal. The control unit 80 continues the movement process of the bonding tool 40 while the wire 42 is determined not to be cut, and stops the movement process of the bonding tool 40 when the wire 42 is determined to be cut, based on a monitoring result from the monitoring unit 70. This can shorten the operation time of the wire bonding, and improve the process efficiency of the wire bonding.

Abstract: An electrically conductive lead is formed using a bonding tool. After bonding the wire to a metal surface and extending a length of the wire beyond the bonding tool, the wire is clamped. Movement of the bonding tool imparts a kink to the wire at a location where the wire is fully separated from any metal element other than the bonding tool. A forming element, e.g., an edge or a blade skirt provided at an exterior surface of the bonding tool can help kink the wire. Optionally, twisting the wire while tensioning the wire using the bonding tool can cause the wire to break and define an end. The lead then extends from the metal surface to the end, and may exhibit a sign of the torsional force applied thereto.

Abstract: A friction welding tool having a main body and a first clamp for gripping a first weld component and a second clamp for gripping a second weld component, at least one of the clamps being movable with respect to the other to effect friction welding of the respective weld components. The friction welding tool includes a vibration damper arrangeable to absorb vibrations of the first weld component during the friction welding. The friction welding tool includes an anchor element arranged to couple the damper to the main body of the friction welding tool to transfer absorbed vibrations to the main body.

Abstract: A bearing component and a method to form a bearing component. The bearing component comprises a first and a second metallic material wherein the first material presents a first carbon content and the second material presents a second carbon content, wherein the first material and the second material have been joined by a diffusion welding process. The diffusion welding process has resulted in a transition zone with a varying carbon content between the first material and the second material. The varying carbon content in the transition zone is essentially within an interval, wherein the interval end points are defined by the carbon content of the first material and the second material.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a high-strength steel sheet includes, on a mass percent basis, 0.03%-0.10% C, 0.01%-0.5% Si, 0.001%-0.100% P, 0.001%-0.020% S, 0.01%-0.10% Al, 0.005%-0.012% N, the balance being Fe and incidental impurities, and microstructures that do not contain a pearlite microstructure, wherein, when Mnf=Mn [% by mass]?1.71×S [% by mass], Mnf is 0.3 to 0.6, including: forming a slab by vertical-bending type continuous casting or bow type continuous casting, wherein surface temperature of a slab corner in a region where the slab undergoes bending deformation or unbending deformation is 800° C. or lower, or 900° C. or higher; forming a steel sheet by hot-rolling the slab followed by cold rolling; annealing the steel sheet after the cold rolling; and skinpass rolling at a draft of 3% or less after the annealing.

Abstract: Catalyst extraction from polycrystalline diamond table may be achieved by treating with a halogen (in the gas phase or dissolved in a nonpolar organic solvent) to convert the catalyzing material to a salt. Then, polar organic solvents may optionally be used to leach the salt from the polycrystalline diamond table. The polycrystalline diamond (with the salt of the catalyzing material present or at least partially leached therefrom) may be brazed to a hard composite substrate to produce a cutter suitable for use in a matrix drill bit.

Abstract: A friction stir spot welding structure includes a pair configured of an upper side flange portion and a lower side flange portion that are friction stir spot welded together by being pressed by a rotating pin rotating from one thickness direction side at a mutually overlapping location. A pair of protruding portions that project out in a protruding shape from the upper side flange portion toward the lower side flange portion are formed to the upper side flange portion. A pair of engagement holes into which the pair of protruding portions are inserted are formed to the lower side flange portion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a wrought, quenched and tempered, fine-grained, with deep hardenability, high strength and low alloy steel having a sum of the alloying elements: nickel, molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium, titanium, and niobium in weight percent 1.0% to 1.60%. The air melted and hot forged steel of the present invention has hardness of HRC 55, an ultimate tensile strength of 300 ksi, a yield strength of 257 ksi, a total elongation of 9%, a reduction of area of 32%, and Charpy v-notch impact toughness energy of 15 ft-lb after normalizing, gas quenching, and tempering at 450° F.

Abstract: To provide a bonding device capable of adequately controlling a leading end of a capillary when a ball formed at a leading end of a wire is pressed and bonded to an electrode of a semiconductor chip with scrub vibration.

Abstract: Additive friction stir methods for repairing substrates, coating substrates, fabricating/adding/attaching ribs, joining substrates, stiffening and enhancing structures, surface modification, enhancing surface properties, welding, coating, and extrusion are described. An additive friction stir fabrication method and system is described which may be used to fabricate and join a rib to a substrate or to repair a defect in a substrate through extrusion. The method may be carried out with or without the addition of preformed ribs. One such method involves feeding a friction-stir tool with a consumable filler material such that interaction of the friction-stir tool with the substrate generates plastic deformation at an interface between the friction-stir tool and a substrate to bond the plasticized filler and substrate together and extrude this material through a forming cavity to form a rib joined to the substrate. Further described is a system for fabricating a rib joined to a substrate through extrusion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a high carbon hot rolled steel sheet having excellent material uniformity and a method for manufacturing the same, in which components and structure of the steel are precisely controlled and manufacturing conditions are adjusted to achieve excellence in material uniformity among hot rolled structures, thereby improving the dimensional precision of parts after formation, preventing defects during processing, and obtaining uniform structures and hardness distribution even after a final heat treatment process.

Abstract: Methods are provided forming a metallic nacelle inlet structure for a turbine engine aircraft propulsion system with an axis. The nacelle inlet structure includes an inlet lip portion and an outer barrel portion. One of the method may include steps of: forming the inlet lip portion; forming the outer barrel portion; arranging the inlet lip portion axially adjacent the outer barrel portion; and friction stir welding the inlet lip portion to the outer barrel portion to provide a circumferentially extending weld joint between the inlet lip portion and the outer barrel portion.