Patents Examined by M. Rachuba
  • Patent number: 6755722
    Abstract: Minute and uniform line marks can be formed on the surface of a glass substrate for a magnetic disk by pressing a woven cloth tape comprising plastic fibers preferably by a rubber roller with hardness greater than 60 and causing it to run thereover while supplying a suspension containing abrading particles and a solution which contains hydroxyl groups such as a KOH solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Nihon Microcoating Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Horie, Takabumi Marukawa, Kanichi Endo
  • Patent number: 6755718
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for conditioning and monitoring a planarizing medium used for planarizing a microelectronic substrate. In one embodiment, the apparatus can include a conditioning body having a conditioning surface that engages a planarizing surface of the planarizing medium and is movable relative to the planarizing medium. A force sensor is coupled to the conditioning body to detect a frictional force imparted to the conditioning body by the planarizing medium when the conditioning body and the planarizing medium are moved relative to each other. The apparatus can further include a feedback device that controls the motion, position, or force between the conditioning body and the planarizing medium to control the conditioning of the planarizing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott E. Moore
  • Patent number: 6752696
    Abstract: A method of producing rolling elements for a rolling bearing comprises mixing to process rounded elements made of steel balls and spherical rolling elements having outer diameter portion portion becoming a rolling contact face. The rolling contact face has curvatures in an axial direction and a radial direction normal to the axial direction, and has at least one plane. The thus mixed elements are placed and processed in a space between two processing boards opposing each other via the determined space. Thereby, the surfaces of the rounded balls and the rolling elements are processed to be rounded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Murai, Katsuhiro Yamazaki, Haruki Tsutsui
  • Patent number: 6752139
    Abstract: A worktable, which is incorporated with a cutting machine, includes a table body and a cutting end support. The table body has at least a guiding rail formed on an upper surface for guiding a cutting pathway of a saw blade wherein the guiding rail has an opening end portion extended from an edge of the table body. The cutting end support is mounted on the table body at the opening end portion of the guiding rail. The saw blade is adapted to cut through the cutting end support to form a cutting groove when the saw blade is suspendedly slid along the opening end portion of the guiding rail. Therefore, a bottom side of an edge portion of the work piece is substantially supported by the cutting end support when the saw blade cuts the edge portion of the work piece through the cutting groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Inventor: Wy Peron Lee
  • Patent number: 6752046
    Abstract: A ratchet wrench having a positioning structure includes a wrench body, a cover mounted on the driving head of the wrench body, an elastic plate mounted between the driving head and the cover, and a push plate mounted between the driving head and the cover. The push plate is formed with an arcuate portion having an outer side rested on the elastic plate and an inner side extended into the opening of the cover. Thus, by combination of the elastic plate and the push plate, the socket is combined with the driving head integrally without detachment, thereby facilitating the user operating the ratchet wrench and the socket. In addition, the socket is detached from the driving head easily and conveniently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Inventor: Yi Min Lee
  • Patent number: 6752692
    Abstract: A method is suitable for cleaning substrates, after polishing, that require a high degree of cleanliness, such as semiconductor wafers, glass substrates, or liquid crystal displays. The method includes polishing a substrate using an abrasive liquid containing abrasive particles, and cleaning a polished surface of the substrate by supplying a cleaning liquid having substantially the same pH as the abrasive liquid or similar pH to the abrasive liquid so that a pH of the abrasive liquid attached to the polished surface of the substrate is not rapidly changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Yutaka Wada, Hirokuni Hiyama, Norio Kimura
  • Patent number: 6748660
    Abstract: For a power cut-off saw, a debris-collection device pivotably mountable to the cut-off saw. The device has a collection chamber with a top slot and a front slot in communication with the top slot. Both slots are adapted to receive the cut-off saw blade; the front slot is adapted to capture dust from the cut. A debris-control component may, but need not, cover the top slot and permits entry of the saw blade but prevents dust from escaping. A discharge arm on the top of the collection chamber has a hollow channel which communicates with the collection chamber and facilitates the discharge of dust from the collection chamber by an externally connected vacuum source which suctions out the collected dust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Inventors: John P. Buser, Terry R. Alley
  • Patent number: 6749495
    Abstract: A machine tool comprises a working area, closed by walls and a roof covering, in which a device for receiving a work piece is arranged, and a headstock with a main spindle is arranged, into which tools for machining the work piece can be clamped. Device and headstock are movable relatively to each other. In a front wall an opening lockable by a door leads into the working area. At least one part of the roof covering is movable between two positions in such a way that it locks the working area to the top in a first position and releases same to the top for loading in a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Stama Maschinenfabrik GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Grund, Siegfried Schmid, Pavel Blazek, Walter Niederberger
  • Patent number: 6746318
    Abstract: A carrier with adjustable pressure zones and adjustable barriers between zones for distributing the pressure on the backside of a wafer. The pressure zones may be created using an elastic web diaphragm. One or more grooves are formed in the surface of the diaphragm to relieve vacuum formed between the diaphragm and wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Speedfam-IPEC Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel S. Mallery, Sean S. Logan, James F. Lee
  • Patent number: 6743074
    Abstract: A system (10) for manufacturing a photocathode includes a support (12) and a polishing pad (14) disposed adjacent the support (12). The polishing pad (14) is operable to polish the photocathode in response to movable contact of the photocathode relative to the polishing pad (14). The system (10) also includes a rinsing system (16) coupled to the support (12). The rinsing system (16) is operable to deliver a rinsing agent to the polishing pad (14). The system (10) further includes a control system (62) operable to automatically regulate delivery of the rinsing agent to the rinsing system (16) at a predetermined time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: James D. Pruet, David G. Couch
  • Patent number: 6743075
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining rapidly and accurately the polishing time of a chemical mechanical polishing process for polishing target wafers to avoid any problems of under-polishing or over-polishing. An aspect of the present invention is directed to a method for determining a chemical mechanical polishing time for removing a target polishing thickness H from an uneven surface of a target wafer. The method comprises polishing a control wafer by a chemical mechanical polishing to obtain a progressive relationship of polishing thickness and respective polishing time therefor. A first polishing time T1 is determined for removing a first thickness H1 from the target wafer, in which the first thickness H1 with substantially the uneven surface removed is smaller than the target polishing thickness H of the target wafer to be removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Mosel Vitelic, Inc.
    Inventors: Chun-Te Lin, Shan-An Liu, Chung-Ru Wu, Ming-Hsien Lu
  • Patent number: 6739218
    Abstract: A hammer adapted to its head and handle at least with a resilient swivel pivoted joint so to swing with the swivel point as the pivot in the same direction as that of the striking to release the counter force instantaneously generated as the hammer strikes a work piece, so to avoid hurting the user's fingers and limbs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Inventor: Tai-Her Yang
  • Patent number: 6736031
    Abstract: A pair of pliers for disassembling a pipe-fastening clamp has two control members respectively having through holes. A control device is connected with the two control members and has two control tubular lines each inserted with a steel wire having one end inserted through the through hole of each control member. Each tubular line has one end provided with a positioning block and the other end fixed with a push member and the other end combined with two clamping blocks facing each other. The steel wire has one end fitted with a fixing member. Thus, the two clamping blocks are controlled to expand open the pipe fastening clamp for facilitating disassembling pipes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Inventor: Hsin Fa Kang
  • Patent number: 6736709
    Abstract: An improved pad and process for polishing metal damascene structures on a semiconductor wafer. The process includes the steps of pressing the wafer against the surface of a polymer sheet in combination with an aqueous-based liquid that optionally contains sub-micron particles and providing a means for relative motion of wafer and polishing, pad under pressure so that the moving pressurized contact results in planar removal of the surface of said wafer, wherein the polishing pad has a low elastic recovery when said load is removed, so that the mechanical response of the sheet is largely anelastic. The improved pad is characterized by a high energy dissipation coupled with a high pad stiffness. The pad also exhibits a stable morphology that can be reproduced easily and consistently. The pad surface has macro-texture that includes perforations as well as surface groove designs The surface groove designs have specific relationships between groove depth and overall pad thickness and groove.area and land area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Rodel Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: David B. James, Arun Vishwanathan, Lee Melbourne Cook, Peter A. Burke, David Shidner, Joseph K. So, John V. H. Roberts
  • Patent number: 6736696
    Abstract: A method of improving uniformity control in chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). A CMP apparatus is provided with at least a platen, a polishing pad disposed on the platen and at least a polishing carrier installed over the platen. The platen rotates in a first rotating direction, and the polishing carrier is used to press a wafer on the polishing pad and drive the wafer to rotate. First, in a first-CMP step, the polishing carrier rotates in a second rotating direction. Then, in a second-CMP step, the polishing carrier rotates in a third rotating direction different from the second rotating direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: ProMOS Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Cheng-An Peng, Guan-Jiun Yi
  • Patent number: 6733363
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for conditioning and monitoring a planarizing medium used for planarizing a microelectronic substrate. In one embodiment, the apparatus can include a conditioning body having a conditioning surface that engages a planarizing surface of the planarizing medium and is movable relative to the planarizing medium. A force sensor is coupled to the conditioning body to detect a frictional force imparted to the conditioning body by the planarizing medium when the conditioning body and the planarizing medium are moved relative to each other. The apparatus can further include a feedback device that controls the motion, position, or force between the conditioning body and the planarizing medium to control the conditioning of the planarizing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.,
    Inventor: Scott E. Moore
  • Patent number: 6729216
    Abstract: A sheet processing machine receives sheets from a sheet feeder. The sheets are inspected and their trailing ends are trimmed. Subsequently, the sheets are turned and are split into a plurality of partial sheets or sheet pieces. The now trailing ends of the sheet pieces are trimmed. The sheet pieces are separated axially and are delivered to a sheet receiving device where the individual sheet pieces are deposited in various stacks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: Koenig & Bauer Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Johannes Georg Schaede
  • Patent number: 6726542
    Abstract: The invention relates to a grinding wheel for grinding a blade, on the surface of which ions are deposited by means of a plasma-supported method and containing silicon carbide as abrasive medium with a grain size ranging from 100 to 500 mesh, said material being deposited in a ceramic based binding agent with aluminum silicate. The abrasive medium grains are thermally hardened and bonded in the porous aluminum silicate bond. Abrasive medium concentration in the grinding wheel is higher than 1 volume %. Said grinding wheel is used in a grinding system for rough grinding the blade. Polishing is then cared out with a second grinding wheel containing pure corundum as abrasive medium with a grain size ranging from 400 to 800 mesh, which is deposited a in multicomponent synthetic resin, preferably a phenol resin based resin with a concentration of more than 1 volume %, preferably 30 to 50%. The abrasive medium contains polishing-active filling materials with a volume fraction ranging between 3% and 10%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Jagenberg Papiertechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Schoof, Stefan Reimann, Bernd Reh
  • Patent number: 6726526
    Abstract: A cutting machine includes two cutting means. In a front half of a housing, a chucking zone is located in a widthwise center. A cassette placing zone is located on one side of the chucking zone, and a cleaning zone is located on the other side of the chucking zone. In a latter half of the housing, a cutting zone is disposed in a widthwise center. Rotating shafts of the two cutting means extend straightly in a width direction in the rear half of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Disco Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuma Sekiya, Naoki Ohmiya
  • Patent number: 6726525
    Abstract: A double side grinding apparatus comprises a pair of grinding wheels (4), work rotating device (1) and moving device (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignees: Shin-Estu Handotai Co., Ltd., Koy Machine Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadahiro Kato, Shunichi Ikeda, Kenji Ohkura