Abstract: Grate lifters for moving grating assemblies relative to supporting structures within which the grating assemblies are installed. A grate lifter may include a main body having a first end and a second end longitudinally opposite to the first end. A grate lifter may also include at least one hook member operably engaged with the main body at the first end and configured to engage one of at least one surface bar of a grating assembly and at least one cross member of the grating assembly. A grate lifter may also include at least one tab operably engaged with the main body at the second end and configured to engage at least one lock bar of the grating assembly. The at least one tab may be configured to be adjustable from an initial position to a bent position to engage the at least one lock bar of the grating assembly.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for separating a workpiece from a common substrate. It includes the steps of providing the workpiece, generating, within a beam source, a beam of laser pulses configured to modify a portion of the workpiece, determining a depth for creating a modified region based upon a characteristic of the workpiece and modifying a plurality of regions within the workpiece to form a plurality of modified regions. Modifying the plurality of regions includes directing the beam of laser pulses from an output of the beam source onto the workpiece, causing relative motion between the workpiece and the output of the beam source while directing the beam of laser pulses onto workpiece, and modifying a characteristic of the pulses of the beam upon generating a number of pulses which generally correspond to creating the modified regions to the determined depth.

Abstract: Numerous embodiments of interactive control systems, methods of making the same, and devices incorporating the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes a light-resistant material; light-transmissive holes penetrating in a light-transmissive pattern through the light resistant material; and a lens disposed adjacent to the light-transmissive pattern.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for separating a workpiece from a common substrate. It includes the steps of providing the workpiece, generating, within a beam source, a beam of laser pulses configured to modify a portion of the workpiece, determining a depth for creating a modified region based upon a characteristic of the workpiece and modifying a plurality of regions within the workpiece to form a plurality of modified regions. Modifying the plurality of regions includes directing the beam of laser pulses from an output of the beam source onto the workpiece, causing relative motion between the workpiece and the output of the beam source while directing the beam of laser pulses onto workpiece, and modifying a characteristic of the pulses of the beam upon generating a number of pulses which generally correspond to creating the modified regions to the determined depth.

Abstract: Numerous embodiments of interactive control systems, methods of making the same, and devices incorporating the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes a light-resistant material; light-transmissive holes penetrating in a light-transmissive pattern through the light resistant material; and a lens disposed adjacent to the light-transmissive pattern.

Abstract: Numerous embodiments of methods and apparatus for marking articles are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of marking an article includes providing an article having a preliminary visual appearance; modifying a region of the article; and directing a plurality of optical pulses into the modified region of the article. The plurality of optical pulses can be configured to produce a visible mark on the article. Generally, the mark can be characterized as having a modified visual appearance different from the preliminary visual appearance.

Abstract: Disclosed is an interferometry analysis method that includes comparing information derivable from multiple interferometry signals corresponding to different surface locations of a test object to information corresponding to multiple models of the test object, wherein the multiple models are parameterized by a series of characteristics that relate to one or more under-resolved lateral features of the test object; and outputting information about the under-resolved surface feature based on the comparison.

Abstract: A method for inspecting objects such as semiconductor wafers. A staging platform and an optical platform are arranged so that the object may be staged and its surface scanned by optical equipment situated on the optical platform. During the scanning process, the surface is illuminated with light of a plurality of wavelengths, each strobed at a predetermined rate so that multiple images may be collected using time and frequency multiplexing. The multiple images are stored in a database for analysis, which includes processing selected ones of the multiple images according to one or more algorithms. The defect-detection algorithms used for each object are determined by referenced to a predetermined or calculated defect detection protocol, then a defect mask is created for each pixel in the images that is suspected to be defective. The defect mask is then compared to threshold parameters to determine which if any of the suspected defects should be reported.

Abstract: A MACs mitigation system includes a MACs film removal sub-system (14) and a wafer surface sustaining sub-system (16) for sustaining or maintaining the cleaned surface (18A) of a wafer (18) in a substantially MACs-free condition for some predetermined period of time, such as the typical amount of time required after MACs film removal to perform a desired measurement on the wafer using a metrology tool (12). The MACs film removal sub-system can comprise a source (14A) of microwave energy that beneficially both heats and dissociates the chemical constituents of the MACs film. The wafer surface sustaining sub-system can be co-located with a measurement stage portion of the metrology tool, and preferably includes an atmosphere provided by a source (20) of clean gas.