Abstract: A flotation slurry conditioning method based on controlling interfacial micro-nano bubbles includes steps of adding slurry and flotation reagents into a stirring equipment to make minerals evenly dispersed and fully interact with the flotation reagents; and conveying slurry mixture obtained into a flotation cell for flotation; during a conveying process of the slurry mixture, adjusting a fluid pressure in different conveying sections to make surfaces of minerals in the slurry mixture generating interfacial micro-nano bubbles. A flow velocity of the slurry mixture is increased by changing inner diameters of the different conveying sections to reduce the fluid pressure. Sizes and contact angles of the interfacial micro-nano bubbles generated on surfaces of the minerals are controlled by the change of flow velocity of the slurry mixture, so floatability of the minerals is selectively improved, and hydrophobic agglomeration of fine-grained minerals is promoted.

Abstract: A method for determining whether a first group of a product, a component or a system in reliability life testing has longer lifetime than a second group. This method is non-parametric and free from a pre-assumption of statistical distributions and can be applied to all kinds of data and distributions. Errors from goodness-of-fit of distribution fitting and parameter estimations are thus eliminated. After pre-check on bimodal, early failures, and the failure mechanisms, the method employs numerical solutions with good accuracy by the nonparametric approach. The data under consideration can be censored, interval or bimodal, and not limited to simple cases of complete type. The method can be used to determine multiplicities of reliability tests for all product types and at all levels. Based on a comparability index derived from integrating the weighted difference between the reliability functions of the two groups under comparison. Several indices are proposed for effectiveness of reliability comparability.

Abstract: A method is disclosed to determine whether a product, a component or a system (hereafter, we use “group” to simplify such wide scope though “product” is used for clarity in some places; hence, the first is refereed to as “group 1”) in reliability life testing has longer lifetime than the other (i.e., “group 2”). This method is free from the assumption on the form of distributions (i.e., it is a nonparametric method from statistics standpoint) and the proposed data analysis approach can be applied to all kinds of data and distributions. This method provides a more accurate solution than parametric methods, whose results may have certain errors from the goodness-of-fit at distribution fitting & parameter estimations. After the pre-check on bimodal, early failures, and the failure mechanisms, our invention employs numerical solutions with good accuracy by nonparametric approaches; the data under consideration can be censored, interval or bimodal, not limited to simple case of the complete type.

Abstract: Polishing pads are provided for a linear chemical mechanical polishing apparatus used in manufacturing integrated circuits. The polishing pads, which are attached to a polishing belt, are grooved in patterns to advantageously transport slurry from the point of introduction to the point at which semiconductor wafers are polished. The patterns include at least one set of multiple parallel grooves extending across the polishing pads. The grooves form an angle with the direction of travel of the belt that is unequal to zero.