Abstract: A wafer alignment apparatus includes a light source, a light detection device, and a rotation device configured to rotate a first wafer and a second wafer. The light source is configured to provide a first light directed to the first wafer and a second light directed to the second wafer. The light detection device is configured to detect reflected light intensity from the first wafer to find a position of at least one wafer alignment mark of the first wafer and to detect reflected light intensity from the second wafer to find a position of at least one wafer alignment mark of the second wafer.

Abstract: A wafer alignment apparatus includes a light source, a light detection device, and a rotation device configured to rotate a wafer. The light source is configured to provide light directed to the wafer. The light detection device is configured to detect reflected light intensity from the wafer to locate at least one wafer alignment mark of wafer alignment marks separated by a plurality of angles. At least two of those angles are equal.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a wafer chuck configured to provide a uniform photoresist layer on a workpiece. In some embodiments, the wafer chuck comprises a plurality of vacuum holes. The plurality of vacuum holes (i.e., more than one) are in fluid communication with a cavity that continuously extends along the top surface between the vacuum holes. A vacuum source, connected to each vacuum hole, is configured to remove gas molecules from the cavity located below the workpiece leaving behind a low pressure vacuum. The use of a plurality of vacuum holes increase the uniformity of the vacuum, thereby preventing the formation of high vacuum areas in close proximity to any specific vacuum hole. The reduction of high vacuum areas reduces wafer bending associated with the high vacuum areas.

Abstract: A wafer alignment apparatus includes a light source, a light detection device, and a rotation device configured to rotate a wafer. The light source is configured to provide light directed to a backside of the wafer. The light detection device is configured to detect reflected light intensity from the backside of the wafer to find a position of at least one wafer alignment mark formed on the back side of the wafer.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a wafer chuck configured to provide a uniform photoresist layer on a workpiece. In some embodiments, the wafer chuck comprises a plurality of vacuum holes. The plurality of vacuum holes (i.e., more than one) are in fluid communication with a cavity that continuously extends along the top surface between the vacuum holes. A vacuum source, connected to each vacuum hole, is configured to remove gas molecules from the cavity located below the workpiece leaving behind a low pressure vacuum. The use of a plurality of vacuum holes increase the uniformity of the vacuum, thereby preventing the formation of high vacuum areas in close proximity to any specific vacuum hole. The reduction of high vacuum areas reduces wafer bending associated with the high vacuum areas.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for optical storage medium writing. First, raw data is transferred from a host to a primary memory. The primary memory is then read to obtain read-out data. A series of encoding steps are then carried out simultaneously to generate formatted data according to the read-out data. Finally, the formatted data is directly written to an optical storage medium without accessing the primary memory again.

Abstract: A weighted defect estimating apparatus and a related method for determining a defect estimation value are disclosed. The weighted defect detecting apparatus includes: a defect detecting unit for generating a defect value when a defect in a predetermined region of an optical disc is detected; a weighting circuit, electrically connected to the defect detecting unit, to generate a weighted defect value according to the defect value and a weighting factor corresponding to a location of the defect on the optical disc; and a computing module, electrically connected to the weighting circuit, for computing the defect estimation value according to a plurality of weighted defect values corresponding to the predetermined region.

Abstract: An EFM/EFM+ encoder and a method thereof, performing digital sum value (DSV) protection in an Eight-to-Fourteen/Eight-to-Fourteen Plus (EFM/EFM+) encoding system to generate a data frame to be recorded on a recording medium. The method comprises modulating source data to the data frame having a predetermined number of channel bits, determining merging bits and DSV based on the channel bits, and changing the predetermined number of the channel bits in the data frame based on the DSV and the merging bits. The changing the predetermined number of the channel bits comprises inserting or removing a channel bit at the end of the data frame.

Abstract: A weighted defect estimating apparatus and a related method for determining a defect estimation value are disclosed. The weighted defect detecting apparatus includes: a defect detecting unit for generating a defect value when a defect in a predetermined region of an optical disc is detected; a weighting circuit, electrically connected to the defect detecting unit, to generate a weighted defect value according to the defect value and a weighting factor corresponding to a location of the defect on the optical disc; and a computing module, electrically connected to the weighting circuit, for computing the defect estimation value according to a plurality of weighted defect values corresponding to the predetermined region.

Abstract: An information recording device and a related method are disclosed. The information recording device and the related method are capable of adjusting a phase error between a first synchronization signal and a second synchronization signal, where the first synchronization signal is synchronous to a location on a recording medium, the second synchronization signal is synchronous to a data pattern to be written onto the recording medium, and the data pattern comprise a sync pattern and a non-sync pattern. The information recording device includes a phase detector for detecting the phase error between the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal; and a controller, electrically connected to the phase detector, for adjusting the length of the non-sync pattern of the data pattern according to the phase error, thereby making the second synchronization signal substantially synchronized with the first synchronization signal.

Abstract: An information recording device and related method are disclosed. The information recording device is capable of adjusting a phase difference between a first synchronization signal and a second synchronization signal. The information recording device includes an encoder for generating a run-length of an encoded data; a phase detector for detecting the phase difference between the first and the second synchronous signals; a shift offset controller, electrically connected to the phase detector, for generating a shift information according to the phase difference; and a write pulse generator, electrically connected to the encoder and the shift offset controller, for generating a write pulse signal according to the run-length of the encoded data and the shift information, thereby making the first synchronous signal synchronized with the second synchronous signal.