Abstract: A hydrodynamic bearing fault prediction, detection, diagnosis, and response system for combustion ignition engines, machines and/or coupled components of a combustion ignition engine and/or machine; a plurality of transducers, each disposed proximally or about each of the engine/machine components or engine itself; with at least one transducer with capacitance sensing abilities, each of the transducers disposed to react to changes in the dielectric constant of a nanosuspension circulated about the monitored component.

Abstract: Polishing pad conditioning system. The system includes a first rotatable platen supporting a polishing pad containing asperities having a radius of curvature. A second rotatable platen supports a disk of bulk material having holes therethrough, the second rotatable platen supported for translation as well as rotation. Means are provided for pushing the polishing pad and bulk material into contact at an interface during rotation and translation and means are provided for passing a slurry through the holes in the bulk material to the interface whereby the radius of curvature of the pad asperities is increased. Water may be delivered to the bulk material for cooling. A process for conditioning a polishing pad is also disclosed.

Abstract: Polishing pad conditioning system. The system includes a first rotatable platen supporting a polishing pad containing asperities having a radius of curvature. A second rotatable platen supports a disk of bulk material having holes therethrough, the second rotatable platen supported for translation as well as rotation. Means are provided for pushing the polishing pad and bulk material into contact at an interface during rotation and translation and means are provided for passing a slurry through the holes in the bulk material to the interface whereby the radius of curvature of the pad asperities is increased. Water may be delivered to the bulk material for cooling. A process for conditioning a polishing pad is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing in-situ monitoring of the removal of materials in localized regions on a semiconductor wafer or substrate during chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is provided. In particular, the method and apparatus of the present invention provides for detecting the differences in reflectance between the different materials within certain localized regions or zones on the surface of the wafer. The differences in reflectance are used to indicate the rate or progression of material removal in each of the certain localized zones.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of forming fluxless solder balls includes forming solder balls from a supply of solder. A coating is formed on the solder balls for limiting naturally occurring oxide growth on the solder balls before significant natural oxide growth on the solder balls has occurred. The coating allows the solder balls to be soldered without using flux.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing in-situ monitoring of the removal of materials in localized regions on a semiconductor wafer or substrate during chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is provided. In particular, the method and apparatus of the present invention provides for detecting the differences in reflectance between the different materials within certain localized regions or zones on the surface of the wafer. The differences in reflectance are used to indicate the rate or progression of material removal in each of the certain localized zones.

Abstract: In the Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process employed for microelectronics manufacturing, three contact regimes between the wafer surface and the polishing pad may be proposed: direct contact, mixed or partial contact, and hydroplaning. However, an effective in situ method for characterizing the wafer/pad contact and a systematic way of relating contact conditions to the process parameters are still lacking. In this work, the interfacial friction force, measured by a load sensor on the wafer carrier, has been employed to characterize the contact conditions. Models that relate the friction coefficient to the applied pressure, relative velocity, and slurry viscosity are developed and verified by experiments. Additionally, a correlation between friction coefficient and the material removal rate (MR) is established and the effects of process parameters on the Preston constant are investigated.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for forming oxide coatings on bodies of aluminum and aluminum alloys are described. The process includes forming an electrolyte bath in an inert container. At least two reactive metal bodies are suspended in the bath. The bodies are connected to electrodes which, in turn, are connected to a multiphase AC circuit. A multiphase power (preferably three-phase between three bodies) potential is imposed between each of the bodies. The bodies are moved in the electrolyte bath relative to each other until micro-arcs occur on the surfaces of the bodies, whereby to commence oxidation of the bodies. The imposition of the potential between each of the bodies is continued until the desired thickness of oxide is formed on the bodies.

Abstract: A liquid metal/solid metal interface detecting device comprises in general a radiation source for generating gamma radiation, which is directed to pass through a strand extruded from a continuous casting mold. A detector detects the gamma radiation passing through the partially solidified strand to determine a spatial profile for a liquid metal/solid metal interface by relying on the different gamma radiation attenuation characteristics of the solid metal and the liquid metal. Preferably, the gamma radiation is at energies of greater than one million electron volts. In some embodiments, a movable support carries the radiation source and the detector and moves the radiation source and detector along and around the ingot enabling generation of a three-dimensional profile of the liquid metal/solid metal interface by utilizing tomographic imaging techniques.

Abstract: A liquid metal/solid metal interface detecting device comprises in general a radiation source for generating gamma radiation, which is directed to pass through a strand extruded from a continuous casting mold. A detector detects the gamma radiation passing through the partially solidified strand to determine a spatial profile for a liquid metal/solid metal interface by relying on the different gamma radiation attenuation characteristics of the solid metal and the liquid metal. Preferably, the gamma radiation is at energies of greater than one million electron volts. In some embodiments, a movable support carries the radiation source and the detector and moves the radiation source and detector along and around the ingot enabling generation of a three-dimensional profile of the liquid metal/solid metal interface by utilizing tomographic imaging techniques.

Abstract: A pair of elements for providing slidable electrical contact therebetween wherein the contact surface of at least one of the elements comprises a plurality of contact portions and a plurality of depressed portions in between the contact portions so that wear particles which are generated between their contact surfaces as the elements are moved relative to each other are effectively swept from between the contact surfaces into the depressed portions where they are entrapped. Such operation tends to maintain a low electrical resistance between the elements over many cycles of use.