Patents Issued in November 21, 2017
  • Patent number: 9824830
    Abstract: A switch includes connection elements, connectable via a switching contact whose movable contact area is formed on a movable contact element which bears against the stationary contact area in the closed position. In order to achieve a design with improved positional accuracy, an embodiment of the invention proposes that the two connection elements and the movable contact element each have a planar flat side and all flat sides lie in a common plane. In an embodiment, the connection elements are arranged on one side of the common plane and the movable contact element is arranged on the other side; a subarea of the flat side of one connection element forms the stationary contact area; a subarea of the flat side of the other connection element forms a planar bearing area; and the movable contact element with its flat side bears movably against the bearing area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Franz Ness
  • Patent number: 9824831
    Abstract: A detachable keyswitch mechanism includes a base and a keyswitch. The base includes a bottom plate and a lateral plate bent from the bottom plate. The base further includes an opening structure disposed on the lateral plate, a first rotating portion disposed between the bottom plate and the lateral plate, and a constraining portion disposed on the bottom plate. The keyswitch includes a body rotatably disposed inside the opening structure, a second rotating portion disposed on an upper side of the body and pivotably connected to the first rotating portion, a recovering portion connected to a low side of the body, and an actuating portion disposed on a surface of the body. An end of the recovering portion opposite to the body contacts against the constraining portion. The actuating portion is adapted to actuate a switch disposed on the base when the keyswitch rotates relative to the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Wistron Corporation
    Inventors: Yu-Ju Liu, Che-Wen Liu
  • Patent number: 9824832
    Abstract: Contact unit for a tap changer including a contact ring having a central axis, a plurality of fixed contacts arranged at a distance from the contact ring in different radial directions, and a moving contact arranged rotatable about the central axis of the contact ring and adapted to electrically connect the fixed contacts one at a time with the contact ring. The moving contact includes two elongated contact elements. Each of the contact elements includes a first contact area for providing electrical contact with the fixed contacts and a second contact area for providing electrical contact with the contact ring. The moving contact is designed so an electric path is formed between the first and second contact area. The first and second contact areas are positioned on opposite sides of a plane orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the moving contact and including the central axis of the contact ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventor: Tommy Larsson
  • Patent number: 9824833
    Abstract: An appliance has an operating unit with an actuating element for triggering a pre-determined action. The actuating element is mechanically actuatable by force of a user. The actuating element is preferably a mechanically actuatable switch and/or key element. A touch-sensitive sensor is built into the actuating element, for detecting skin contact occurring as a result of the exertion of force for the mechanical actuation of the actuating element. The appliance is also embodied in such a way that, as a requirement for triggering the pre-determined actions, it is checked whether the actuating element is actuated and skin contact is detected by the touch-sensitive sensor. The appliance prevents defective actuations by associating touch-sensitive sensor technology with the mechanically actuatable actuating element. This ensures that mechanical actuation without skin contact does trigger the pre-determined action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Daniela Fertl, Fritjof Kaiser, Ines Steinke
  • Patent number: 9824834
    Abstract: An approach includes a method of fabricating a switch. The approach includes forming a first fixed electrode and a second fixed electrode, forming a first cantilevered electrode aligned vertically over the first fixed electrode and the second fixed electrode, and operable to directly contact the second fixed electrode upon an application of a voltage to the first fixed electrode, forming a second cantilevered electrode aligned vertically over the second fixed electrode, and which has an end that overlaps the first cantilevered electrode, and forming a hermetically sealed volume encapsulating the first fixed electrode, the second fixed electrode, the first cantilevered electrode, and the second cantilevered electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Stephen E. Luce, Anthony K. Stamper
  • Patent number: 9824835
    Abstract: A key-switch includes a keycap configured to be pressed down, a base member, and a link mechanism disposed between the keycap and the base member and configured to support the keycap such that the keycap is movable up and down relative to the base member, wherein the link mechanism includes four links arranged in a rectangular shape, and each of the links includes a sliding part configured to slide on the base member, a mounting part attached to the keycap, and joints connecting adjacent links among the four links together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU COMPONENT LIMITED
    Inventor: Kazuya Yoshimatsu
  • Patent number: 9824836
    Abstract: An input device for use with a first electronic device and a second electronic device includes a frame, a plurality of manually depressible input members supported by the frame, a communication module supported by the frame and operable to selectively communicate with the first electronic device and the second electronic device, and a switch supported by the frame and coupled to the communication module. The switch is operable to change whether the communication module communicates with the first electronic device or the second electronic device. The input device also includes a light source coupled to the switch and positioned at least partially within the frame. The light source is operable to provide a backlight for the plurality of input members. The backlight is modified in response to actuation of the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: ACCO Brands Corporation
    Inventors: Todd Robinson, Alex Klinkman
  • Patent number: 9824837
    Abstract: This service plug (1) has a connection terminal part (49), and the connection terminal part (49) has a pair of terminals (8) and an interlinking part (9) that is tailored to the spacing between the terminals (8) and joins the terminals (8) together. By removing the connection terminal part (49) from a power-supply circuit, the power-supply circuit is interrupted. The interlinking part (9) includes one or more thin interlinking plates (20) that are removably attached to the connection terminal part (49).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoya Ooishi, Yukihisa Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 9824838
    Abstract: A commutating circuit breaker that works by progressively inserting increasing resistance into a circuit. This is done via physical motion of a shuttle that is linked into the circuit by at least one set of sliding electrical contacts on the shuttle (“shuttle electrodes”) that connect the power through the moving shuttle to a sequence of different resistive paths with increasing resistance; the motion of the shuttle can be either linear or rotary. A feature of the commutating circuit breaker is that at no point are the shuttle electrodes separated from the matching stationary stator electrodes so as to generate a powerful arc, which minimizes damage to the electrodes. Instead, the current is commutated from one resistive path to the next with small enough changes in resistance at each step that arcing can be suppressed. The variable resistance can either be within the moving shuttle, or the shuttle can comprise a commutating shuttle that moves the current over a series of stationary resistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Alevo International, S.A.
    Inventor: Roger W. Faulkner
  • Patent number: 9824839
    Abstract: A circuit breaker neutral connector assembly is provided. Circuit breaker neutral connector assembly includes a neutral connector including a first side configured to make electrical connection with a neutral bar, a shield of an insulating material abutting a second side of the neutral connector opposite the first side, and a bias spring abutting the shield and configured to bias the neutral connector relative to a circuit breaker housing. Electronic circuit breakers including a circuit breaker neutral connector assembly and methods of making neutral connections are provided, as are other aspects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: SIEMENS INDUSTRY, INC.
    Inventor: Russell Thomas Watford
  • Patent number: 9824840
    Abstract: A circuit protection assembly (CPA) is disposed between a source of power and a circuit to be protected. The CPA comprises a mounting block having a bore extending therethrough and a recess cavity on a first surface of the mounting block. A post having a first end is disposed within the recess cavity and a body portion extends through the bore. The body portion configured to receive a terminal and the second end configured to receive a securing mechanism. A fuse having a centrally disposed aperture is configured to receive the body portion of the post and to receive the terminal for connection to a circuit to be protected. An insulator disposed on the terminal and disposed beneath the securing mechanism. The insulator configured to isolate the post from the terminal and the fuse while allowing the securing mechanism to apply an amount of torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Littelfuse, Inc.
    Inventors: Geoffrey Schwartz, Dana Scribner, Joe Thomas
  • Patent number: 9824841
    Abstract: A cable pull switch includes a polychotomous sensor configured to provide a reading of at least one of a plurality of values, the reading corresponding to a tension on a pull cable or a linear displacement of an end of a pull cable. A processing device is configured to receive the reading, determine whether a value of the reading is outside of a non-tripped value window, a limit edge being a pull threshold value, and responsively generate an output signal indicative of a cable pull event. Other features and improvements are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew L Tsang, Burt Sacherski, Steven Robert Tambeau, Arvind Ananthanarayanan, James Edward Dogul, Todd Bubar
  • Patent number: 9824842
    Abstract: A circuit protection device including a housing having a top section mounted to a bottom section, a first arc barrier extending from the bottom section, a second arc barrier extending from the top section, the top and bottom sections mounted together to define a cavity between the first arc barrier separated a distance from the second arc barrier, a first terminal and a second terminal secured to the bottom section, and a fuse element comprising a body of metallic material arranged in one of a plurality of geometric configurations mounted within the top section and the bottom section of the housing, extending through the first arc barrier and the second arc barrier and connected to the first and second terminals, wherein the first and second arc barriers resist arcing upon activation of the fuse and the fuse element melts upon occurrence of an overcurrent condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Littelfuse, Inc.
    Inventors: Redante Abad, Edwin Aberin, Ped Peterson Bruan
  • Patent number: 9824843
    Abstract: An emitter has a basic unit with at least one emission surface. Accordingly, the basic unit has deep structuring in a region of the at least one emission surface. More specifically, the basic unit has the deep structuring on both a front side and on a rear side in the region of the emission surface for improving emission properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventor: Christian Riedl
  • Patent number: 9824844
    Abstract: A transmission mode photocathode comprises: an optically transparent substrate having an outside face to which light is incident, and an inside face from which the light incident to the outside face side is output; a photoelectric conversion layer disposed on the inside face side of the optically transparent substrate and configured to convert the light output from the inside face into a photoelectron or photoelectrons; and an optically-transparent electroconductive layer comprising graphene, and disposed between the optically transparent substrate and the photoelectric conversion layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Takaaki Nagata, Yasumasa Hamana, Kimitsugu Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9824845
    Abstract: A field emission device is configured as a heat engine, wherein the configuration of the heat engine is variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: ELWHA LLC
    Inventors: Jesse R. Cheatham, III, Philip Andrew Eckhoff, William Gates, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Jordin T. Kare, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Tony S. Pan, Robert C. Petroski, Clarence T. Tegreene, David B. Tuckerman, Charles Whitmer, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., Victoria Y. H. Wood, Roderick A. Hyde
  • Patent number: 9824846
    Abstract: The IHC ion source comprises an ion source chamber having a cathode and a repeller on opposite ends. The repeller is made of two discrete parts, each comprising a different material. The repeller includes a repeller head, which may be a disc shaped component, and a stem to support the head. The repeller head is made from a conductive material having a higher thermal conductivity than the stem. In this way, the temperature of the repeller head is maintained at a higher temperature than would otherwise be possible. The higher temperature limits the build-up of material on the repeller head, which improves the performance of the IHC ion source. In certain embodiments, the repeller head and the stem are connected using a press fit. Differences in the coefficient of thermal expansion of the repeller head and the stem may cause the press fit to become tighter at higher temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: William Davis Lee, Alexander S. Perel, David P. Sporleder
  • Patent number: 9824847
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an X-ray tube includes a cathode, an anode target and an envelope. The cathode includes an insulating member, a conductive line, a pin assembly, a filament, a focusing electrode, and a terminal assembly. The conductive line is formed on the insulating member. The pin assembly includes a pin and a first sleeve. The terminal assembly is fixed to the insulating member, is supporting the filament, and is electrically connecting the filament to the conductive line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Toshiba Electron Tubes & Devices Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Kato
  • Patent number: 9824848
    Abstract: An X-ray generating tube includes: an anode including a target and an anode member electrically connected to the target; a cathode including an electron emitting source and a cathode member electrically connected to the electron emitting source; and an insulating tube joined at one end to the anode member and joined at the other end to the cathode member so that the target and the electron emitting portion face each other, in which an inner circumferential conductive film is formed on an inner surface of the insulating tube; an end surface conductive film extends from one edge of the inner circumferential conductive film on the one end side onto a surface of the one end of the insulating tube; and the end surface conductive film is sandwiched between the end surface and the anode member to be electrically connected to the anode member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoichi Ikarashi
  • Patent number: 9824849
    Abstract: A charged particle beam writing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes an emission unit to emit a charged particle beam, an electron lens to converge the charged particle beam, a blanking deflector, arranged backward of the electron lens with respect to a direction of an optical axis, to deflect the charged particle beam in the case of performing a blanking control of switching between beam-on and beam-off, a blanking aperture member, arranged backward of the blanking deflector with respect to the direction of the optical axis, to block the charged particle beam having been deflected to be in a beam-off state, and a magnet coil, arranged in a center height position of the blanking deflector, to deflect the charged particle beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Takahito Nakayama, Takanao Touya
  • Patent number: 9824850
    Abstract: A deceleration apparatus capable of decelerating a short spot beam or a tall ribbon beam is disclosed. In either case, effects tending to degrade the shape of the beam profile are controlled. Caps to shield the ion beam from external potentials are provided. Electrodes whose position and potentials are adjustable are provided, on opposite sides of the beam, to ensure that the shape of the decelerating and deflecting electric fields does not significantly deviate from the optimum shape, even in the presence of the significant space-charge of high current low-energy beams of heavy ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Advanced Ion Beam Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas White, Zhimin Wan, Erik Collart
  • Patent number: 9824851
    Abstract: A system and method associated with a charge drain coating are disclosed. The charge drain coating may be applied to surfaces of an electron-optical device to drain electrons that come into contact with the charge drain coating so that the performance of the electron-optical device will not be hindered by electron charge build-up. The charge drain coating may include a doping material that coalesces into clusters that are embedded within a high dielectric insulating material. The charge drain coating may be deposited onto the inner surfaces of lenslets of the electron-optical device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Inventors: William M. Tong, Alan D. Brodie, Jeffrey Elam, Anil Mane
  • Patent number: 9824852
    Abstract: A Critical Dimensions Scanning Electron Microscope (CD-SEM) is described that comprises a unit for performing CD-SEM measurements of a semiconductor wafer, a BSE imaging unit for obtaining a Grey Level image (GL) of the wafer, and a unit for GL analysis and for processing the GL analysis results with reference to results of the CD-measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Applied Materials Israel Ltd
    Inventors: Roman Kris, Yakov Weinberg, Yan Ivanchenko, Ishai Schwarzband, Dan Lange, Arbel Englander, Efrat Noifeld, Ran Goldman, Ori Shoval
  • Patent number: 9824853
    Abstract: In order to enable high-speed imaging of a wide-field image, the imaging method using the electron microscope comprises: irradiating and scanning a wide-field region of the sample with a low-dose amount of electron beam, and acquiring a wide-field image of the sample; setting, from this wide-field image, a narrow-field region; irradiating and scanning this narrow-field region with a high-dose amount of the electron beam, and acquiring a narrow-field image of the sample; determining the noise-removal parameters for the acquired wide-field image and narrow-field image; performing image quality improvement processing on the wide-field image and the narrow-field image; performing drift correction on the narrow-field image undergone the image quality improvement processing; and combining the narrow-field image undergone this drift correction and the wide-field image in such a manner that the visibility of each is at the same level throughout the entirety of the combined image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsutoshi Kobayashi, Kenji Nakahira, Maki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9824854
    Abstract: Provided is a charged particle beam device capable of observing the interior and the surface of a sample in a simple manner. This charged particle beam device operates in a transmitted charged particle image mode and a secondary charged particle image mode. In the transmitted charged particle image mode, a transmitted charged particle image is produced on the basis of a detection signal (512) associated with light emitted from a light-emitting member (500) that emits light upon being irradiated with transmitted charged particles transmitted through the interior of a sample (6). In the secondary charged particle image mode, a secondary charged particle image is produced on the basis of a detection signal (518) caused by reflected charged particles or secondary charged particles (517) from the sample (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Ominami, Junichi Katane, Shinsuke Kawanishi, Sukehiro Ito
  • Patent number: 9824855
    Abstract: In order to solve the problem that information indicating three or more points on a contour of a figure drawn by an electron beam writer cannot be more precisely acquired, an information processing apparatus includes: an accepting unit that accepts pattern information indicating a pattern figure, and actually observed contour information acquired using an image obtained by capturing an image of a figure drawn by an electron beam writer; a transforming information acquiring unit that acquires transforming information, which is information that minimizes the sum of squares of differences between convolution values corresponding to three or more corrected contour points of a given point spread function in a region indicated by the pattern figure indicated by the pattern information and a threshold regarding the convolution values; a corrected contour point acquiring unit that acquires corrected contour point information, which is information indicating three or more corrected contour points respectively correspo
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Nippon Control System Corporation
    Inventor: Dai Tsunoda
  • Patent number: 9824856
    Abstract: A deposition method is implemented in a focused ion beam system that supplies a compound gas to a specimen, and applies an ion beam to the specimen to deposit a deposition film, the deposition method including: a first deposition film-depositing step that deposits a first deposition film on the specimen using the ion beam that is defocused with respect to the specimen; and a second deposition film-depositing step that deposits a second deposition film on the first deposition film using the ion beam that is smaller in defocus amount than that used in the first deposition film-depositing step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: JEOL Ltd.
    Inventor: Misumi Kadoi
  • Patent number: 9824857
    Abstract: An ion implanter may include an electrostatic clamp to hold a substrate; a plasma flood gun generating a flux of electrons impinging upon the substrate; and a controller coupled to the plasma flood gun and including a component generating a control signal responsive to a measurement signal, the control signal to adjust operation of the plasma flood gun to a target operating level. At the target operating level the flux of electrons may comprise a stabilizing dose of electrons, the stabilizing concentration of electrons, the stabilizing concentration reducing a clamp current variation in the electrostatic clamp to a target value, the target value being less than a second value of clamp current variation when the plasma flood gun is not operating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael W. Osborne, David E. Suuronen, Julian G. Blake
  • Patent number: 9824858
    Abstract: A de-coating method includes: exposing a coated body in which a coating made of an inorganic material is formed on a surface of the metal body to ion flows to peel off the coating from the metal body, wherein the coated body is placed at an ion flow-concentrated portion where two or more ion flows overlap each other, and is exposed to the ion flows without addition of a positive or negative bias to the coated body. As gases for use in generating ions from plasma, oxygen and CF4 that promote de-coating through a chemical reaction are preferably used in addition to Ar that performs de-coating under the physical action of ion collision and stabilizes plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: SHINMAYWA INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kensuke Uemura, G. Alexey Remnev
  • Patent number: 9824859
    Abstract: Methods, devices and systems for targeted, maskless modification of material on or in a substrate using charged particle beams. Electrostatically-deflected charged particle beam columns can be targeted in direct dependence on the design layout database to perform direct and knock-on ion implantation, producing patterned material modifications with selected chemical and 3D-structural profiles. The number of required process steps is reduced, reducing manufacturing cycle time and increasing yield by lowering the probability of defect introduction. Local gas and photon injectors and detectors are local to corresponding individual columns, and support superior, highly-configurable process execution and control. Targeted implantation can be used to prepare the substrate for patterned blanket etch; patterned ALD can be used to prepare the substrate for patterned blanket deposition; neither process requiring photomasks or resist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Inventors: Michael C. Smayling, Kevin M. Monahan, David K. Lam, Theodore A. Prescop
  • Patent number: 9824860
    Abstract: The invention relates to a charged particle beam exposure apparatus configured to expose cut patterns or via patterns on a substrate having a plurality of line patterns 81a arranged on an upper surface of the substrate at a constant pitch by irradiating the substrate with a plurality of charged particle beams B1 to Bn while moving a one-dimensional array beam A1 in an X direction parallel to the line patterns 81a, the one-dimensional array beam A1 being a beam in which the charged particle beams B1 to Bn are arranged in an Y direction orthogonal to the line patterns 81a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Advantest Corp.
    Inventor: Akio Yamada
  • Patent number: 9824861
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes at least one process module configured to process first substrates. A position detector is configured to detect first positions of the first substrates. A control unit is configured to control the position detector so as to measure a second position of a second substrate selected from the first substrates to be processed in a same process module depending on a measurement interval set for the same process module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masahiro Numakura, Yoshikazu Ishikawa, Toshihiko Hamada, Junya Sato, Toshiyuki Kobayashi, Shouichi Otake
  • Patent number: 9824862
    Abstract: The disclosure pertains to a capacitively coupled plasma source in which VHF power is applied through an impedance-matching coaxial resonator having a symmetrical power distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kartik Ramaswamy, Igor Markovsky, Zhigang Chen, James D. Carducci, Kenneth S. Collins, Shahid Rauf, Nipun Misra, Leonid Dorf, Zheng John Ye
  • Patent number: 9824863
    Abstract: A plasma technique in which a plasma generation technique frequently used in various fields including a semiconductor manufacturing process is used, and generation of plasma instability (high-speed impedance change of plasma) can efficiently be suppressed and controlled in order to manufacture stable products. An apparatus includes a processing chamber, a surrounding member disposed so as to surround the processing chamber, an RF induction coil disposed above the top surface, a direct-current magnetic field generator for supplying a direct-current magnetic field to the inner space, and an RF cut filter connected to a direct current (DC) power supply and connected to the direct-current magnetic field generator. The RF cut filter includes a first capacitor connected to a positive terminal of the DC power supply and to ground, and a second capacitor connected to a negative terminal of the DC power supply and to ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Takumasa Nishida, Shu Nakajima
  • Patent number: 9824864
    Abstract: In a plasma processing of generating plasma of different processing gases within a processing vessel in sequence, a setting of a high frequency power can be changed at an appropriate time point after the processing gas output from a gas supply system is changed. A power level of a second high frequency power is increased at a time point when a first parameter which reflects impedance of plasma exceeds a first threshold value after the processing gas is changed while a first high frequency power is being supplied to a first electrode or a second electrode. Further, a power level of the first high frequency power is increased at a time point when a second parameter which reflects impedance of plasma exceeds a second threshold value after the processing gas is changed while the second high frequency power is being supplied to the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Koichi Nagami
  • Patent number: 9824865
    Abstract: A system and method for a waferless cleaning method for a capacitive coupled plasma system. The method includes forming a protective layer on a top surface of an electrostatic chuck, volatilizing etch byproducts deposited on one or more inner surfaces of the plasma process chamber, removing volatilized etch byproducts from the plasma process chamber and removing the protective layer from the top surface of the electrostatic chuck. A capacitive coupled plasma system including a waferless cleaning recipe is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Shijian Li, David Carman, Chander Radhakrishnan
  • Patent number: 9824866
    Abstract: Method for carrying out plasma processing on a wafer under Run-to-Run control by using a plasma processing apparatus having a plasma processing chamber, a process monitor which monitors a condition in the plasma processing chamber, and an actuator which controls parameters which are constituent elements of a plasma processing condition. The method includes the steps of making one of the parameters a (N?1)th manipulated variable, calculating a first difference between a process monitor value in the plasma processing obtained by the process monitor and a desired value of the process monitor value in the plasma processing, calculating a correction amount of the (N?1)th manipulated variable on the basis of the first difference and a previously obtained correlation between the process monitor value in the plasma processing and the (N?1)th manipulated variable, wherein N is a natural number equal to or larger than 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Kagoshima, Daisuke Shiraishi, Yuji Nagatani
  • Patent number: 9824867
    Abstract: Provided is a plasma generation apparatus capable of generating uniform plasma over a wide range. The plasma generation apparatus includes two oppositely arranged plasma guns each injecting a discharge gas to be ionized, and having a cathode for emitting electrons, and a converging coil for forming a magnetic flux to guide the emitted electrons, and polarities of the converging coils with respect to the cathodes in the two plasma guns are opposite to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: CHUGAI RO CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Eiji Furuya
  • Patent number: 9824868
    Abstract: A sputtering target which is made of a magnesium oxide sintered body having a purity of not less than 99.99% or not less than 99.995% by mass %, a relative density of not less than 98%, and an average grain size of not more than 8 ?m. The average grain size of the sputtering target is preferably not more than 5 ?m, more preferably not more than 2 ?m. A sputtered film having an excellent insulation resistance and an excellent homogeneity can be obtained by using the sputtering target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Ferrotec Ceramics Corporation
    Inventors: Ken Okamoto, Tadahisa Arahori, Akishige Sato, Sachio Miyashita, Eiji Kusano, Muneaki Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 9824869
    Abstract: Provided is a zinc oxide-based sputtering target that enables production of a zinc oxide-based sputtered film having higher transparency and electrical conductivity. The zinc oxide-based sputtering target of the present invention is composed of a zinc oxide-based sintered body including zinc oxide crystal grains as a main phase and spinel phases as a dopant-containing grain boundary phase, and the zinc oxide-based sputtering target has a degree of (002) orientation of ZnO of 80% or greater at a sputtering surface, a density of the zinc oxide-based sintered body of 5.50 g/cm3 or greater, the number of the spinel phases per area of 20 counts/100 ?m2 or greater, and a spinel phase distribution index of 0.40 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Yoshikawa, Hirofumi Yamaguchi, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • Patent number: 9824870
    Abstract: A system that integrates several technologies into a single, portable medical diagnostic apparatus for analyzing a sample body fluid (liquid and/or gas): (1) a mechanism to capture airborne microdroplets and to separate the body fluid into a first fluid component (primarily gas) and a second fluid component (primarily liquid); (2) a volatilizer to convert a portion of the second fluid component into a third fluid component that is primarily a gas; (3) a functionalized nanostructure (NS) array configured to receive, identify, and estimate concentration of at least one constituent in the first and/or third fluid components; (4) a miniaturized differential mobility spectrometer (DMS) module; and (5) a biomarker sensor, to detect volatile and non-volatile molecules in a sample fluid, which may contain one or more components of blood, breath, perspiration, saliva, and urine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventors: Tore Straume, David J. Loftus, Jing Li, Cristina E. Davis, Anup K. Singh, Matthew A. Coleman
  • Patent number: 9824871
    Abstract: A hybrid mass spectrometer design and architecture, and methods of operating mass spectrometers are disclosed. According to one operating method, an analysis time is determined for each one of a plurality of ion species to be analyzed in an ordered sequence, and an injection time is calculated for at least some of the ion species based on an analysis time of a preceding ion species in the ordered list. The method enables more efficient utilization of analyzer time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Thermo Finnigan LLC
    Inventors: Michael W. Senko, Justin Blethrow, Shannon Eliuk Dixon, Tonya Second, Vladimir Zabrouskov, Eric Hemenway
  • Patent number: 9824872
    Abstract: A multiplex system and method for achieving high throughput analysis of samples using solvent assisted ionization inlet includes an ionizing system with a heated inlet channel and a pressure differential across the inlet channel, pipet tips serially aligned with the inlet to a mass spectrometer, and a system of mapping data generated by mass spectrometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Wayne State University
    Inventor: Sarah Trimpin
  • Patent number: 9824873
    Abstract: The invention relates to an ionization chamber for connection to a mass spectrometer. The ionization chamber has a temperature-control block with a gas inlet and a gas channel which starts at the gas inlet and leads into a gas outlet. A temperature-control device is positioned along the gas channel and ensures that a gas flowing in the gas channel is brought to a specific temperature, i.e. it is heated or cooled, before it enters the ionization chamber. The temperature-control block has a formed part into which a structure of the gas channel is incorporated and which is fabricated by means of a sol-gel process, for example out of a glass or ceramic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Inventors: Andreas Brekenfeld, Martin Engel
  • Patent number: 9824874
    Abstract: An ion funnel device is disclosed. A first pair of electrodes is positioned in a first direction. A second pair of electrodes is positioned in a second direction. The device includes an RF voltage source and a DC voltage source. A RF voltage with a superimposed DC voltage gradient is applied to the first pair of electrodes, and a DC voltage gradient is applied to the second pair of electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
    Inventors: Yehia M. Ibrahim, Tsung-Chi Chen, Marques B. Harrer, Keqi Tang, Richard D. Smith
  • Patent number: 9824875
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and device to generate a chemical signature for a mixture of analytes. The present invention involves using a SPME surface to one or both absorb and adsorb the mixture of analytes. In an embodiment of the invention, the surface is then exposed to different temperature ionizing species chosen with appropriate spatial resolution to desorb a chemical signature for the mixture of analytes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: IONSENSE, INC.
    Inventor: Brian D Musselman
  • Patent number: 9824876
    Abstract: Certain embodiments described herein are directed to injector inserts and injector assemblies. In some examples, an injector insert that includes an inlet comprising a substantially inert metal is described. In other examples, an injector that includes a major amount of a substantially inert metal in a fluid flow path is disclosed. Devices and systems using the injectors inserts and injectors are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: PerkinElmer Health Sciences, Inc.
    Inventors: Rosario Mannino, William Goodman
  • Patent number: 9824877
    Abstract: Ions having a restricted range of mass to charge ratios are transmitted to the acceleration region of a Time of Flight mass analyser. A control system applies a first extraction pulse to an acceleration electrode in order to accelerate a first group of ions into the time of flight region at a first time T1, wherein ions having the lowest mass to charge ratio in the first group of ions have a time of flight ?T1min through the time of flight region and ions having the highest mass to charge ratio in the first group of ions have a time of flight ?T1max through the time of flight region. The control system applies a second extraction pulse to the acceleration electrode at a subsequent second time T2, wherein ?T1max??T1min?T2?T1<?T1max.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Micromass UK Limited
    Inventors: Martin Raymond Green, Daniel James Kenny, Jason Lee Wildgoose
  • Patent number: 9824878
    Abstract: A ceramic metal halide lamp includes a luminous tube; an illuminating arrangement having at least two illuminators serially connected with each other and deposed inside the luminous tube; and at least one retainer having at least contacting one end being contacted with an inner surface of the luminous tube to support the illuminators being stability located at a predetermined position inside said luminous tube, wherein the two illuminators are serially connected with each other along a central line of said luminous tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Inventor: Robert Su
  • Patent number: 9824879
    Abstract: In a light source device, a control unit causes an energy density of a laser light in a lighting start region RS when a laser support light is maintained to be lower than an energy density of the laser light in the lighting start region RS when the laser support light is put on. For this reason, when the laser support light is maintained, a laser light L is radiated to the lighting start region RS at an energy density of a degree where sputtering does not occur. Therefore, in the light source device, because sputtering in a light emission sealing body can be suppressed, a sufficiently long life can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Akinori Asai, Kenshi Fukumitsu