Patents Examined by Natasha N Campbell
  • Patent number: 11482429
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a holder that holds a substrate; a liquid supply that sequentially supplies a first processing liquid and a second processing liquid to a main surface of the substrate held by the holder; a friction body that comes into contact with and rub the main surface of the substrate during the supply of the first processing liquid and the second processing liquid; a mover that moves a contact position of the friction body in a first axial direction and a second axial direction; and a controller that controls the liquid supply and the mover to move the contact position of the friction body in one-side direction of the first axial direction during the supply of the first processing liquid, and move the contact position of the friction body in the other-side direction of the first axial direction during the supply of the second processing liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Takanori Obaru
  • Patent number: 11478580
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described to flush debris from a suction pipe network installed in a medical office. A filter, an amalgam separator and at least one flexible vacuum line are disconnected from a suction pipe network. The suction pipe network has a main trunk line, a downstream end, and at least one branch line. A neutral pH cleaning fluid solution is passed through the main trunk line from a location downstream of the at least one branch line to flush debris from the main trunk and the at least one branch line. The neutral pH cleaning fluid solution is collected subsequent to the neutral pH cleaning fluid solution being circulated through the main trunk line and the at least one branch line. Then, the filter, the amalgam separator and the at least one flexible vacuum line are reconnected to the suction pipe network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Inventor: Rodney A. Sandburg
  • Patent number: 11470955
    Abstract: An apparatus is used for cleaning and drying applicator tools, such as brushes, cosmetic applicators, or cosmetic tools. The apparatus according to various embodiments includes an applicator tool holder configured to hold multiple applicators of various sizes with the applicator heads facing down. The applicator tool cleaning apparatus has a cleaning chamber that can dispense liquid to saturate the applicator heads and contact the applicator heads with a textured surface to dislodge collected materials on the applicator heads and a drying chamber where drying mechanisms blow air or dissipate heat at the applicator heads until dried. The applicator tool holder may be moved vertically between the cleaning chamber and the drying chamber via a motor and drive mechanism. Alternatively, the applicator tool holder may be flipped such that the applicator heads are facing upwards and aligned with the drying mechanisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: KML LIFESTYLE, LLC
    Inventors: Keiri E. Munoz, Armen Gardabad Ohanian, Herach Ayvazian
  • Patent number: 11471013
    Abstract: Industrial vacuum cleaner configured for servicing at least one construction tool, said vacuum cleaner comprising a vacuum inlet, wherein said vacuum cleaner further comprises a controller and connected to said controller a wireless transceiver, a memory, and at least one location and/or orientation sensor configured for detection of vacuum cleaner location and/or localization of other objects in relation to the vacuum cleaner and wherein the vacuum cleaner further comprises means for propulsion controlled by said controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: HUSQVARNA AB
    Inventors: Joakim Ed, Lars Gustafsson, Simon Andersson, Rajinder Mehra, Tommy Olsson, Ulf Petersson, Richard Bälter
  • Patent number: 11469117
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus processes a substrate having an upper side and a rear side. The substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holder, a filler feeder, and a first cleaning liquid feeder. The substrate holder rotates the substrate while holding a central portion of the rear side of the substrate. The filler feeder feeds filler to the upper side of the substrate held by the substrate holder. The first cleaning liquid feeder feeds a cleaning liquid to the rear side of the substrate held by the substrate holder. The first cleaning liquid feeder feeds the cleaning liquid to an area, held by the substrate holder, of the rear side of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Inventors: Yasunori Kanematsu, Hitoshi Nakai, Manabu Okutani
  • Patent number: 11465595
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to automated or remotely controlled methods and apparatuses for cleaning and drying soiled external 2-D or 3-D image sensor surfaces such as objective lenses on Light Detection and Ranging (“LIDAR”) sensors when mounted in a configuration that is exposed to dirty environments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: DLHBOWLES, INC.
    Inventors: Chunling Zhao, Shridhar Gopalan
  • Patent number: 11440061
    Abstract: An adhering matter removing method for removing adhering matter on a surface of an article includes the step of immersing a target surface of the article into a fluidized bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Shirai, Hironobu Matsui
  • Patent number: 11439292
    Abstract: System and method for providing visual-aided placement recommendation includes obtaining images of a rack configured to hold objects inside a chamber, placement of the plurality of objects on the rack being subject to preset constraints corresponding to characteristics of respective objects of the plurality of objects relative to physical parameters of respective locations on the rack; analyzing the images to determine whether the preset constraints have been violated by placement of objects on the rack; and in accordance with a determination that at least one preset constraint has been violated, generating a first output providing a guidance on proper placement of the first object on the rack that complies with the one or more preset constraints, in accordance with the physical characteristics of the first object relative to the physical parameters of the respective locations on the rack, taking into account of other objects already placed on the rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Thanh Huy Ha, Yi Chen, Yunke Tian
  • Patent number: 11427906
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for cleaning a chamber, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for cleaning a chamber, which are capable of cleaning the chamber which is contaminated while depositing a thin film on a substrate. The chamber cleaning method in accordance with an exemplary embodiment is a method for cleaning a chamber configured to deposit a zinc oxide, the method comprising: supplying a chlorine (Cl)-containing gas and a hydrogen (H)-containing gas into a chamber; activating and reacting the separately supplied gases with each other inside the chamber to generate a reaction gas; and firstly cleaning the chamber with the reaction gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Inventors: Dong Hwan Lee, Jae Ho Kim, Hyun Il Kim, Ho Jin Yun, Jae Wan Lee, Byung Gwan Lim
  • Patent number: 11424138
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus comprises a substrate holding roller and an edge cleaner. The substrate holding roller is configured to hold and rotate a substrate to be processed. The edge cleaner is in contact with an edge portion of the substrate to be processed and includes resin material containing fluororesin particles at least in a portion in contact with the substrate to be processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomoatsu Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 11410003
    Abstract: A cleaning system for cleaning a media transport device includes a cleaning substrate sized and configured to be inserted within at least a portion of a media travel pathway of a media transport device. The cleaning substrate comprises a cleaning face, along with a handle extending from the cleaning face. The handle is positioned to remain outside of the media transport device while the cleaning face is within the media transport device. The cleaning face comprises a plurality of cleaning elements, each of which is positioned to align with a belt, a drive roller, an idle roller, a drive roller/idle roller pair, or a sensor of the media transport device when the cleaning substrate within the media travel pathway. Methods of using a handled cleaning substrate are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: KICTeam, Inc.
    Inventors: Glen Bailey, Geoffrey Scott Caron, Ian Mccormick, John Condon, Byron Mehl Kern, II, Kenneth Monroe Pedersen, III, Joshua Lee Larsen
  • Patent number: 11404294
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a liquid processing tank, a movement mechanism, an ejector, and a controller. The liquid processing tank stores a processing liquid. The movement mechanism moves a plurality of substrates immersed in the liquid processing tank to above the liquid surface of the processing liquid. The ejector ejects a vapor of an organic solvent toward portions of the plurality of substrates exposed from the liquid surfaces. The controller moves up the ejection position of the vapor of the organic solvent by the ejection unit as the plurality of substrates are moved up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuya Koyama, Kotaro Tsurusaki, Koji Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11398391
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus is provided. The substrate processing apparatus includes a plurality of holding members and at least a first injector. The plurality of holding members are configured to hold a substrate. The substrate includes a front surface and a back surface opposite to the front surface. The first injector is below the holding members and is configured to face the back surface of the substrate. The first injector is displaced from a projection of a center of the substrate from a top view perspective. A method for processing a substrate is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Po-Yuan Wang, Tzu Ang Chiang, Jian-Jou Lian, Yu Shih Wang, Chun-Neng Lin, Ming-Hsi Yeh
  • Patent number: 11371159
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for reducing the formation of insoluble deposits in semiconductor electrochemical plating equipment or a surface thereof during electrochemical plating, including: removing electrochemical plating equipment or a surface thereof from an electroplating solution, wherein residual electroplating solution is disposed atop the electrochemical plating equipment or a surface thereof, and wherein the residual electroplating solution has a first pH; contacting the residual electroplating solution with a rinse agent having a second pH similar to the first pH to form a rinsate; and removing the rinsate from the electrochemical plating equipment or a surface thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric J Bergman, Stuart Crane, Tricia A Youngbull, Timothy G Stolt
  • Patent number: 11361979
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holding portion which holds a substrate W. The substrate holding portion includes two movable holding pins and two fixed holding pins which sandwich the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus includes two support pins which support the substrate W held by the substrate holding portion from below. Each of the support pins has an inner portion which overlaps the substrate held by the substrate holding portion in a vertical direction. An upper end of the support pin is on a side below an overlapping portion of the substrate which overlaps the inner portion in the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Nishida, Nobuaki Okita
  • Patent number: 11355362
    Abstract: A washing method, a washing device, a storage medium, and a washing composition for enabling effective removal of a layer to be processed by decomposing or degenerating the layer to be processed at a higher temperature than conventionally. In a state where a substrate provided with a layer to be processed is heated, the substrate is supplied with vapor of a component that can decompose the layer to be processed, and thereafter the layer to be processed that has reacted with the component is removed from the substrate. As the component, a nitric acid or a sulfonic acid is preferable. As the sulfonic acid, a fluorinated alkyl sulfonic acid is preferable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignees: Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Isao Hirano, Shoichi Terada, Junji Nakamura, Takayuki Toshima
  • Patent number: 11342202
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes: spinning a wafer around an axis of rotation at a center of the wafer; applying a first stream of liquid along a line starting from an initial point on the wafer adjacent to the center of the wafer, through the center of the wafer, and ending at an edge of the wafer; applying a second stream of liquid to an inner third of the line starting at the initial point and ending at a boundary point; applying a third stream of liquid to a middle third of the line starting at the boundary point; applying a fourth stream of liquid to an outer third of the line ending at the edge of the wafer; applying a fifth stream of liquid along the line starting from the initial point and ending at the edge of the wafer; and applying a stream of gas along the line starting from the initial point and ending at the edge of the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chun-Yu Lee, Sen-Yeo Peng, Chui-Ya Peng
  • Patent number: 11331700
    Abstract: What is disclosed herein are embodiments of an enclosed manufacturing system configured to provide a controlled process environment for various articles of manufacture requiring a controlled process environment, and additionally to contain a process environment within the enclosure during periods of external access to the interior of the enclosed manufacturing system. Various embodiments of manufacturing systems of the present teaching can contain the environment within a manufacturing enclosure so as to minimize the interaction of an environment external to a manufacturing enclosure with the internal enclosure environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: KATEEVA, INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Sou-Kang Ko, Prahallad Iyengar, Robert Dennis Taff
  • Patent number: 11311918
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus includes a substrate holding mechanism holding the substrate, a rotation mechanism rotating the substrate held by the substrate holding mechanism, and a cleaning mechanism cleaning the substrate. The cleaning mechanism includes a support column, an arm extending from the support column and having a fixed height position, a cleaning tool supported by the arm and cleaning a surface of the substrate by contacting the surface, a lift mechanism moving the cleaning tool vertically with respect to the arm between an raised position separated from the substrate and a lowered position in contact with the substrate, and a controller controlling at least a speed at which the cleaning tool descends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventor: Hisajiro Nakano
  • Patent number: 11311919
    Abstract: A method cleans surfaces in an internal volume of an aircraft component through which a medium flows. The method includes: connecting the internal volume to be cleaned to a steam generator; generating a cleaning steam having a predetermined vapour pressure and temperature by the steam generator; applying the cleaning steam to the surfaces to be cleaned in the internal volume; maintaining the vapour pressure and the temperature within the internal volume for the duration of a predetermined condensation time; generating a pressure drop in the internal volume of the aircraft component, in order to vaporise the portion of the cleaning steam that condensed during the condensation time; and removing the cleaning steam from the internal volume via a discharge device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: LUFTHANSA TECHNIK AG
    Inventor: Matthias Balka