With Work Handling Or Supporting Patents (Class 15/303)
  • Patent number: 11170998
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for forming a metal containing material onto a substrate with good film uniformity and stress profile across the substrate. In one embodiment, a method of sputter depositing a metal containing layer on a substrate includes supplying a gas mixture into a processing chamber, forming a first portion of a metal containing layer on a substrate, transferring the substrate from the processing chamber, rotating the substrate, transferring the substrate back to the processing chamber, and forming a second portion of the metal containing layer on the first portion of the metal containing layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Lizhong Sun, Xiaodong Yang, Mark Covington, Vivek Vinit, Vishal Agrawal
  • Patent number: 10831115
    Abstract: Disclosed are reticle management methods and semiconductor device fabrication methods. The reticle management method includes inspecting a reticle using a first inspection method, inspecting a reticle pod storing the reticle using a second inspection method different from the first inspection method, and cleaning the reticle pod when a particle is present on the reticle pod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yongseung Moon, Sungyong Cho
  • Patent number: 10436833
    Abstract: Provided is a technique capable of preventing occurrence of partial discharge. An evaluation apparatus includes a probe disposed on an undersurface of an upper component; a sidewall part disposed on the undersurface of the upper component and enclosing sides of the probe; and a first gas supplying part. The first gas supplying part is capable of supplying a gas to a to-be-measured object that is placed on a stage when the sidewall part comes in proximity to the stage, and to a space enclosed by the stage, the sidewall part, and the upper component when the sidewall part is in contact with the stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Okada, Kinya Yamashita, Masaki Ueno, Takaya Noguchi
  • Patent number: 10159399
    Abstract: There is provided a dust suction apparatus comprising: a base; a side frame wherein the base and frame defines a dust suction space; a dust suction panel disposed in the dust suction space; and a dust-collection device air-communicated with the dust suction panel, wherein the dust suction panel includes a plurality of dust suction panel modules, wherein the dust suction panel modules are mounted in the dust suction space in a modular fashion to allow the plurality of dust suction panel modules to be removed individually.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: DAESHIN MC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Young Hwan Choi, Changno Yoon
  • Patent number: 10049899
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus for removing particles adhered to a substrate includes a cleaning chamber for cleaning a substrate under a vacuum atmosphere, a mounting unit, provided in the cleaning chamber, for mounting the substrate thereon. The substrate cleaning apparatus further includes a nozzle unit for injecting a cleaning gas from an area of a higher pressure than an atmosphere in which the substrate is mounted toward the substrate in the cleaning chamber, generating a gas cluster as an aggregate of atoms or molecules of the cleaning gas by adiabatic expansion and irradiating the gas cluster to the substrate in a direction perpendicular thereto, a gas exhaust port for evacuating the cleaning chamber, and a moving unit for relatively moving the mounting unit and the nozzle unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kazuya Dobashi, Kensuke Inai
  • Patent number: 9737915
    Abstract: The present invention provides purge devices having micronozzles and operating methods thereof. The purge device having micronozzles are operated to clean pellicles used in semiconductor manufacturing. The purge devices having micronozzles comprises a base, at least one track configured on the base, a rotation platform, and a micronozzle array, in which the micronozzle array further comprises an air duct and a plurality of nozzles. Additionally, the rotation platform and the micronozzle array are able to move relatively to another along the at least one track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: GUDENG PRECISION INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yung-Chin Pan, Zhi-Huang Zhong, An-Pang Wang
  • Patent number: 9400794
    Abstract: There is provided a group management apparatus connected to a substrate processing apparatus configured to store at least a configuration file, the group management apparatus including a controller configured to: receive a command for generating a file group for the configuration file; receive the configuration file and at least one associated file related to the configuration file from the substrate processing apparatus according to the command for generating the file group; and generate the file group including the configuration file and the associated file received from the substrate processing apparatus and store the file group in a state where an output is possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventors: Kazuhide Asai, Osamu Ueda, Hiroyuki Iwakura
  • Patent number: 9129998
    Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning at least one object may include a cleaning chamber, an air-blowing unit, a rotating unit and a collecting unit. The at least one object may be received within the cleaning chamber. The air-blowing unit may be configured to blow air to the at least one object in the cleaning chamber to float particles from the at least one object. The rotating unit may be configured to rotate the at least one object to provide the at least one object with the air in at least two directions from the air-blowing unit. The collecting unit may be configured to collect the floated particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gwang-Sick Kim, Seung-Geun Kim, Sung-Soo Lee, Jae-Nam Lee
  • Publication number: 20150052702
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus for removing particles adhered to a substrate includes a cleaning chamber for cleaning a substrate under a vacuum atmosphere, a mounting unit, provided in the cleaning chamber, for mounting the substrate thereon. The substrate cleaning apparatus further includes a nozzle unit for injecting a cleaning gas from an area of a higher pressure than an atmosphere in which the substrate is mounted toward the substrate in the cleaning chamber, generating a gas cluster as an aggregate of atoms or molecules of the cleaning gas by adiabatic expansion and irradiating the gas cluster to the substrate in a direction perpendicular thereto, a gas exhaust port for evacuating the cleaning chamber, and a moving unit for relatively moving the mounting unit and the nozzle unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Kazuya DOBASHI, Kensuke INAI
  • Publication number: 20150027501
    Abstract: In order to remove the particles attached to the wafer W, the distance between a front end of a nozzle unit 4 and the wafer W is set to be in a range of from about 10 mm to about 100 mm, a pressure within a cleaning chamber 31 is set to be an adequate level, and then, a gas cluster is irradiated to a surface of the wafer W. Therefore, the particles are rapidly removed with high efficiency. Further, since the gas cluster is vertically irradiated to the surface of the wafer W from the nozzle unit 4, damage of a recess pattern is suppressed. Furthermore, by supplying a mixed gas containing a carbon dioxide gas and a helium gas to the nozzle unit 4 and generating the gas cluster, the particles are removed with high efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Kazuya Dobashi, Kensuke Inai
  • Publication number: 20150007858
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning method for removing particles adhered to a substrate includes: acquiring particle information including diameters of the particles adhered to the substrate; controlling, based on the acquired particle information, a factor related to sizes of gas clusters having aggregates of atoms or molecules of a cleaning gas; ejecting the cleaning gas, at a higher pressure than a processing atmosphere where the substrate is provided, to the processing atmosphere and generating the gas clusters by adiabatic expansion; and removing the particles by irradiating the gas clusters in a perpendicular direction to a surface of the substrate. As a result, even if recesses for a circuit pattern are formed on the surface of the substrate, the particles in the recesses can be removed at a high removal rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventors: Jiro Matsuo, Toshio Seki, Takaaki Aoki, Kazuya Dobashi, Kensuke Inai, Misako Saito
  • Publication number: 20140331441
    Abstract: A dust cleaning device includes a tray, a cover assembled to the tray, and an air nozzle. The tray defines recesses for receiving lens barrels. A bottom of each of the recesses defines a through hole communicating with the lens barrel. The cover includes a main body and an inlet tube. The main body includes a top wall, a bottom wall, sidewalls, guide passages between the top and bottom walls, an inlet passage, and outlet passages. The inlet tube extends from the top wall. The guide passages criss-cross and communicate with each other. The sidewalls shield the guide passages. The inlet passage communicates with an inside of the inlet tube and one of the guide passages. The outlet passages communicate with the guide passages and are exposed at the bottom wall. The outlet passages are aligned with the respective recesses. The air nozzle is mounted in the inlet tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: I-Thun LIN
  • Publication number: 20140224281
    Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning flip chip assemblies is provided. The apparatus comprises: a chuck assembly; a motor coupled to the chuck assembly by a spindle; at least one carrier for holding flip chips; at least one spray nozzle for directing DIW, a cleaning solution, a gas or a vapor. Apparatus of the invention further provides a method for cleaning flip chip assemblies. The method comprises: loading at least one flip chip to the flip chip carriers; rotating the chuck assembly at a rotation speed; flowing DIW for rinsing the flip chips; flowing a cleaning solution for removing the contaminants; applying ultrasonic/megasonic energy to the flip chips; blowing a gas or a vapor via the spray nozzles for drying the flip chips; bringing the flip chips out of the flip chip carriers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: ACM Research (Shanghai) Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaoyan Zhang, Fuping Chen, Hui Wang
  • Patent number: 8789236
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning plate, a vibration unit for vibrating the cleaning plate, a suction unit having an intake opening in the vicinity of a tip end portion of the cleaning plate, for sucking an upper surface of a substrate to be cleaned without being in contact with the substrate, and a moving mechanism for moving the cleaning plate relative to the substrate. In the substrate cleaning apparatus, the tip end portion of the cleaning plate is pressed against the upper surface of the substrate to cause the cleaning plate to be elastically deformed, and the cleaning plate moves relative to the substrate in the cleaning direction of the substrate, with the tip end portion of the cleaning plate being in line contact or surface contact with the upper surface of the substrate. Such a configuration allows the substrate to be cleaned stably while preventing scratching the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideshi Makita, Toru Tanigawa
  • Publication number: 20140158157
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a mask cleaner includes a cleaner support casing having a major surface with a recess formed therein, another major surface, and a gas supply hole and a gas exhaust hole extending through the cleaner support casing between the another major surface and the recess, a sticky layer support board attached to the cleaner support casing to block an opening of the recess of the cleaner support casing, and a sticky layer attached to a surface of the sticky layer support board remote from the cleaner support casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Inventor: Yoshihito KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20140144381
    Abstract: A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus component (101), to which a nitride semiconductor expressed by a general formula of AlxInyGa1-x-yN (provided that, x and y satisfy relationships of 0?x<1, 0?y<1, and 0?x+y<1) adheres, is disposed inside a washing apparatus (100) provided with a gas introducing pipe (104) and a gas discharging pipe (105). After the inside of the apparatus is set to a decompressed state, a halogen-containing gas is introduced from the gas introducing pipe (104) to set a pressure inside the apparatus to be equal to or more than 10 kPa and equal to or less than 90 kPa. Then, the halogen-containing gas is retained inside the apparatus to remove the nitride semiconductor adhered to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus component (101).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: FURUKAWA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Mizuta, Yuichi Yaguchi, Yutaka Nishikori
  • Publication number: 20140109934
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are an apparatus for removing particles from a printed circuit board and a method for removing particles from a printed circuit board. The apparatus includes: a vibration generating unit vibrating a printed circuit board; a vacuum sucking unit formed over the printed circuit board and removing the particles from the printed circuit board; and a controlling unit controlling the vibration generating unit and the vacuum sucking unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Young Kwan LEE
  • Publication number: 20140020714
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a non-contact multi-transfer apparatus, including: an air module spraying and sucking air to an object to be transferred; a lower housing having an opening corresponding to the air module and mounting the air module thereon; an upper housing engaged with an upper portion of the lower housing and having a connection part on one side of an upper surface thereof; and a transfer guide part provided at both sides or one side of the upper housing or the lower housing for a transfer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Inventors: Yong Kwan Lee, Sun Kim, Hyun Su Kim
  • Patent number: 8585826
    Abstract: A method of web cleaning, particularly relatively soft polymeric webs, without using dipping baths or ultrasonic energy. The method includes conveying the web against a backup roller and spraying the web with a high pressure liquid while the web is supported by the backup roller. Thereafter, residual fluid from the high pressure stream is stripped from the web by a gas curtain while the web is supported by the backup roller. In many convenient embodiments, the web is contacted with a cleaning roller while the web is in contact with the backup roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Brian E. Schreiber, William B. Kolb, Keith R. Bruesewitz
  • Patent number: 8561252
    Abstract: A value document processing apparatus comprises an input for value documents to be processed, an output and/or a storage device for processed value documents, a transport device for singled transport of value documents from the input to the output or the storage device, a housing, a checking device arranged in the housing for checking value documents transported in singled form past it, and a suction conduit system for suction air which has a port for a suction unit for sucking air with dust out of the suction conduit system, and at least one hand cleaning portion connected to the port and having a suction opening movable in the area of the checking device, and/or at least two conduit portions connected to the port and having suction openings arranged at different portions of the transport path and directed onto the transport path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient GmbH
    Inventor: Erwin Demmeler
  • Patent number: 8555460
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus includes: a substrate entering guide unit for entering a substrate from outside in a proper direction; a foreign material removing unit for receiving the substrate from the substrate entering guide unit and removing debris formed on the substrate; a foreign material cleaning unit for receiving the substrate from the foreign material removing unit and cleaning to remove debris remaining on the substrate; and a position controller for controlling the position of the substrate carried out of the foreign material cleaning unit, wherein the foreign material cleaning unit includes: a manifold including a plurality of deionized water holes, suction holes and air holes; and a porous cleaning plate combined to the manifold by an upper fastening screw including a through hole communicating with the plurality of deionized water holes and suction holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Geon-Yong Kim, Eun-Ha Lee
  • Patent number: 8533901
    Abstract: A cleaning device for shoe soles is disclosed. The cleaning device provides a surface having a plurality of bristles designed to engage the sole of a shoe. The bristles are arranged such that one or more groups of bristles are reciprocated over the length of the surface to dislodge and remove debris on the shoe sole. The debris removed from the shoe sole is also directed away from the bristles and surface into a receptacle for later removal. Thus, the cleaning device provides for effortless removal of debris from shoe soles while cleaning any debris dislodged by the bristles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Inventor: Bennie E. Williams
  • Patent number: 8500914
    Abstract: With the device (1) according to the invention for blowing off impurities on bottle bottoms, in particular bottle inspection machines, a solution is to be created which makes it possible to achieve an optimum blow-off result at comparatively lower air volume flows. This is achieved according to the invention in that beneath the nozzle head (3) in the annular body (5) a channel (6) is provided, which is connected to a compressed air line (7), which in turn is linked to the compressed air feed line (9), wherein the channel (6) in the upper edge pointing to the nozzle head (3) forms an annular gap (14)—triggering the Venturi effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: KHS GmbH
    Inventor: Claas Fritsche
  • Patent number: 8443484
    Abstract: To automatically purge a transfer chamber by means of inert gas. There is provided a substrate processing apparatus including a controller that performs control so that a transfer chamber 102 connected to a processing chamber 202 for processing a substrate is purged by gas, the controller having a switching unit that switches a function of exhausting the gas in the transfer chamber 102 in a set direction, and a function of circulating the gas through the transfer chamber 102 in an inert gas atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventors: Yukio Ozaki, Teruo Yoshino, Satoru Takahata, Reizo Nunozawa
  • Patent number: 8356384
    Abstract: A clean and purge tool (CAPT) is provided and includes a nest assembly that stows an open hard disk drive (HDD). The nest assembly is rotated from an upward facing position to a downward facing position to dislodge particles from a media clamp of the HDD. The CAPT also includes a cover hingedly attached to the nest assembly and encloses the HDD. The CAPT also includes a spindle clamp assembly (SCA) mounted on the cover and has a vacuum tube configured to encapsulate the media clamp. The SCA includes an air purge nozzle extending into the vacuum tube. The CAPT dislodges particles from the media clamp when pulses of compressed gas are applied to the media clamp by a compressed gas source via the air purge nozzle and evacuates the particles from the vacuum tube when a vacuum is applied to the vacuum tube by a vacuum source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Andres G. Ferre, Sie Cheang Phuah, Lie Dhani Hastama, Mooi Hoon Lim, Dean A. Tarrant
  • Patent number: 8308469
    Abstract: In a spheronizer for transforming columnar granulated product, which is fed in a wet condition, into spherical shapes, irregularities on a top surface of a particle-regulating disc are easily clogged, in particular, in an outer circumference. In view of this, a cleaning device (32) is provided for rapidly and reliably removing wet powders adhering to the particle-regulating disc. The cleaning device (32) is provided with a cover (33) covered on a part of the outer circumference of a rotating particle-regulating disc. The cover (33) is formed with a nozzle (39). The nozzle (39) injects a fluid to a cleaning target surface covered with the cover (33). The fluid in a space formed between the cover (33) and the cleaning target surface is suctioned and discharged from a vacuum connection port (36) to the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Paudal Conmpany Limited
    Inventors: Ichiro Koizumi, Tadatoshi Yamamoto, Takashi Nakajima
  • Patent number: 7895704
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for cleaning a rubbing-cloth. The apparatus includes a rubbing-cloth fixing unit, a pile removing head, and a transferring unit. The rubbing-cloth fixing unit is fixed to a base body and fixes a rubbing-cloth that is substantially unfolded. The pile removing head is disposed on the rubbing-cloth fixing unit and sucks and removes the piles attached onto the rubbing-cloth. The transferring unit is fixed to the base body and transfers the pile removing head along an upper surface of the rubbing-cloth with respect to the rubbing-cloth fixing unit. Accordingly, particles that are generated when a rubbing-cloth is cut out from a fabric are quickly removed from the rubbing-cloth, so that scratches may be prevented from being generated on an alignment film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byoung Chul Choi, Chang Soo Na
  • Patent number: 7882591
    Abstract: A pre-wash device for dishes and/or utensils includes a vacuum chamber comprising a collection vessel open to the vacuum chamber, a food material collection pan exhausting into the vacuum chamber at a location where material from the collection pan falls into the collection vessel at an end of the collection vessel open to the vacuum chamber, and a blower having an intake in the vacuum chamber and an exhaust directed and focused to force food material on plates and/or utensils into the collection pan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Inventor: Mark T. Arnold
  • Publication number: 20100024618
    Abstract: A dust collecting mechanism is a dust collecting mechanism that sucks up and collects dust generated by a machining apparatus, including a suction section for sucking up the dust by exerting sucking force on a workpiece, a sucking force generating mechanism for generating sucking force acting on the suction section, and a suction pipe enabling communication between the suction section and the sucking force generating mechanism, wherein the suction pipe includes an opening section extending from the inside to the outside thereof and a shutter mechanism for opening and closing the opening section, and wherein the pressure inside the suction pipe can be switched between an atmospheric pressure state and a sucking force generating state by causing the shutter mechanism to open or close the opening section while sucking force is generated inside the suction pipe by operating the sucking force generating mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Gen Minemura, Koji Yamakami, Tadashi Inoue
  • Patent number: 7624471
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a mat vacuum cleaning machine in which a vacuum suction device is installed in a rear region of the machine and is adapted to vacuum suction and remove moisture, impurities, and bacteria in a washed mat so as to effect a rapid drying of the mat, and an electric heating device is installed near the vacuum suction device to heat the mat, which was inevitably deformed and wrinkled in the previous washing and drying processes, to a predetermined temperature from 30° C. to 60° C. so as to evenly smoothen the mat, resulting in an improvement in cleanness of the automotive passenger compartment using the mat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Inventor: Sang-Choi Bae
  • Publication number: 20090232977
    Abstract: A method of optical-film treatment in which coating troubles apt to occur in the formation of a functional layer, e.g., an antireflection layer, on a continuous film by coating fluid application, such as transverse thickness-difference lines, coating streaks, and tailing, are diminished. The method of optical-film treatment comprises wetting with a liquid a continuous film which is being continuously conveyed, continuously rubbing the continuous film with an elastomer, and then removing the liquid from the continuous-film surface, and is characterized in that the surface of the elastomer has a coefficient of static friction of 0.2-0.9.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Applicant: KONICA MONOLTA OPTO, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Morinaga, Takeshi Tanaka, Koji Nakashima, Takanobu Komura
  • Patent number: 7497221
    Abstract: A method for cleaning a tube-shaped chamber after performing at least one deposition process includes equipping a tube-shaped cleaner into a loading chamber, loading the tube-shaped cleaner into the tube-shaped chamber and injecting a cleaning gas, and cleaning the tube-shaped chamber using the tube-shaped cleaner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Woo-Seock Cheong
  • Patent number: 7478454
    Abstract: A detection/cleaning device for reticles employed in the production of electronic components, wherein the detection/cleaning device has a cleaning unit, in which a cleaning chamber is constructed. At least one gas feed for introducing a pressurized fluid cleaning medium opens into the cleaning chamber, and at least one suction means, by means of which the gas can be discharged from the cleaning chamber, leads from the cleaning chamber. The cleaning chamber has at least one first opening for introducing and removing a reticle. A detection unit for detecting contaminants on articles used in semiconductor production is provided. The detection unit has a detection means, into which a reticle can be introduced from one feed side of the detection unit. The first opening of the cleaning chamber and the feed side lie opposite each other. A feeding device is provided for exchanging a reticle between the cleaning unit and the detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Brooks Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Jakob Blattner, Rudy Federici
  • Patent number: 7360273
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning device is provided, which comprises a first cleaning room including a first cleaning portion for cleaning a substrate placed therein, and a second cleaning room including a second cleaning portion for cleaning a substrate provided therein. The first cleaning room is stacked on the second cleaning room so that at least a portion of the first cleaning room overlaps at least a portion of the second cleaning room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takenori Yoshizawa
  • Patent number: 7225819
    Abstract: The present invention is a method, apparatus and process for an improved substrate mounting and processing technique for various substrate treatments comprising cleaning, dicing, sawing, polishing, and planarization, among others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Inventor: David P Jackson
  • Patent number: 7165288
    Abstract: A twin-loop dust collector comprises: a case with an opening on the upper side thereof, being provided on a lateral side thereof with a vent hole; a net plate provided to cover the opening, one side of the net plate is pivotally connected with the case to allow lifting of the net plate. When the net plate covers the opening, the net plate is transversely mounted to divide the vent hole into two areas; thereby when in air suction, two loops for exhausting air are formed above and below the net plate respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Great Computer Corp.
    Inventor: Jin-Sheng Lai
  • Patent number: 7140066
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is inspected and cleaned by applying a vacuum to the area in which the semiconductor device is positioned. Micro-sized particulates that are brushed off the semiconductor device during cleaning are drawn off by the vacuum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Gray Murray, Bruce Alan Maass
  • Patent number: 7097714
    Abstract: The cleaning of particles from an electrostatic chuck. In one embodiment, a method of cleaning an electrostatic chuck in a processing chamber is disclosed. The method comprises directing a flow of gas across the electrostatic chuck to dislodge particles from the electrostatic chuck and removing the flow of gas and particles through an exhaust port in the processing chamber. In this embodiment, the vacuum integrity of the chamber is not compromised during the cleaning of the electrostatic chuck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventor: John J. Hackenberg
  • Patent number: 7067033
    Abstract: In this disclosure, air flow is formed above chemical liquid film and a move of the chemical liquid is generated by making the air flow into a contact with the surface of chemical liquid. Further, a negative pressure is generated in a space between a processing object substrate and a plate by rotating the plate. Consequently, uniformity of processing of chemical liquid is improved, so that liquid removing step can be carried out effectively. As a result, yield rate of chemical liquid treatment can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Shinichi Ito, Riichiro Takahashi, Tatsuhiko Ema, Katsuya Okamura
  • Patent number: 7005872
    Abstract: A test fixture for an electronic device is provided that removes debris from a socket of the test fixture using back side air blow off. In general, the test fixture includes a circuit board, a socket on a front side of the circuit board, and an air manifold on a back side of the circuit board. Pressurized air is provided to the air manifold through an air supply inlet coupling the air manifold to an external pressurized air supply. At least one via formed through the circuit board fluidly couples the air manifold on the back side of the circuit board to the socket on the front side of the circuit board. Accordingly, the pressurized air from the air manifold flows through the vias and up through the socket such that debris is removed from the socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: RF Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Lanowitz, James Migliaccio, Jerome Ferr, Jeffrey Read
  • Patent number: 6971139
    Abstract: A vacuum debris removal system for an integrated circuit manufacturing device is disclosed. The vacuum debris removal system comprises at least one vacuum tube. An opening is formed in the at least one vacuum tube at a selected location to cause air flow away from an element of the integrated circuit manufacturing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Sharone Gindel
  • Patent number: 6918422
    Abstract: An automated tinting film remover comprises a loading device for moving a vehicle window and locating it at a predetermined position, a securing device with which the properly located vehicle window can be firmly secured, and a removing device for eliminating a tinting film coated on the vehicle window. The removing device comprises a vapor emitting means for weakening the adhesive strength of the tinting film coated on the vehicle window, a cutting means having an electric conductive wire for cutting the tinting film, and a scraping means for peeling off the tinting film, whereby the removal of a tinting film coated on a vehicle window can be conducted in an automated manner with ease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Cheol Min Jin
  • Publication number: 20040221414
    Abstract: A twin-loop dust collector comprises: a case with an opening on the upper side thereof, being provided on a lateral side thereof with a vent hole; a net plate provided to cover the opening, one side of the net plate is pivotally connected with the case to allow lifting of the net plate. When the net plate covers the opening, the net plate is transversely mounted to divide the vent hole into two areas; thereby when in air suction, two loops for exhausting air are formed above and below the net plate respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Publication date: November 11, 2004
    Inventor: Jin-Sheng Lai
  • Patent number: 6783603
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for cleaning contact lens molds. The method comprises the steps of placing a contact lens mold within an enclosed or substantially enclosed area, directing an inflow of gas under pressure into the enclosed area against the contact lens mold, and providing an outflow of gas from the enclosed area, thereby dislodging and removing debris.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventor: Todd Aldridge Russell
  • Publication number: 20040139574
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning device is provided, which comprises a first cleaning room including a first cleaning portion for cleaning a substrate placed therein, and a second cleaning room including a second cleaning portion for cleaning a substrate provided therein. The first cleaning room is stacked on the second cleaning room so that at least a portion of the first cleaning room overlaps at least a portion of the second cleaning room.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Publication date: July 22, 2004
    Inventor: Takenori Yoshizawa
  • Patent number: 6763547
    Abstract: A device can clean hoses of varying dimensions and uses vacuum, wiping and jet spray to clean a hose. The device can be used to clean carpet cleaning hoses and can be transported on a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Inventors: Robert D. Brewer, James K. Watson
  • Publication number: 20040111823
    Abstract: A detection/cleaning device for reticles employed in the production of electronic components, wherein the detection/cleaning device has a cleaning unit, in which a cleaning chamber is constructed. At least one gas feed for introducing a pressurized fluid cleaning medium opens into the cleaning chamber, and at least one suction means, by means of which the gas can be discharged from the cleaning chamber, leads from the cleaning chamber. The cleaning chamber has at least one first opening for introducing and removing a reticle. A detection unit for detecting contaminants on articles used in semiconductor production is provided. The detection unit has a detection means, into which a reticle can be introduced from one feed side of the detection unit. The first opening of the cleaning chamber and the feed side lie opposite each other. A feeding device is provided for exchanging a reticle between the cleaning unit and the detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Inventors: Jakob Blattner, Rudy Federici
  • Patent number: 6745430
    Abstract: The invention is a cleaning apparatus for cleaning elongated and cylindrical filters, commonly referred to as pleated bag filters or pleated bag replacements for fabric sock filter bags, that are open on one end and closed on the other end. The filter is being rotated within a hermetically sealed cleaning chamber, air jets are reciprocated along the length of the filter in close proximity to a circumference of the cylindrical filter. The cleaning chamber is provided with a negative air pressure while the interior of the rotating filter is supplied with a positive air pressure. The air jets tend to loosen and remove the dirt from within the pleats of the filter which dirt is carried away by the negative pressure within the cleaning chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Inventors: Thomas M. Holman, Leon D. Saba
  • Publication number: 20040089330
    Abstract: Apparatus and washing and extracting head for an apparatus designed to wash microplates. The head is mobile above the microplate(s) in treating position and comprises an alignment of dispensing needles or tubes and suction needles or tubes associated in pairs, the number of the two types of needle pairs being equal to the number of wells per column or per row and the spacing between two adjacent pairs being equal to the spacing between two adjacent wells of the same column or row. The suction needles, and the parts of the consecutive suction and/or recovery circuit, have a passage cross sectional diameter not less than the largest transverse dimension of the sample supports present in the wells and the head comprises or co-operates with elements retaining the microplate to be washed or preventing it from being lifted, at least during the suction extraction phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Inventor: Franck Muller
  • Publication number: 20040064911
    Abstract: Please add the Abstract Of The Disclosure, as set forth on the separate accompanying sheet. That Abstract Of The Disclosure is essentially the same, in content, as the Abstract which is a part of the published PCT application WO 02/066212. No new matter is being added by the presentation of this Abstract Of The Disclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Publication date: April 8, 2004
    Inventors: Elmar Norbert Klupfel, Burkard Otto Herbert, Artur Wiesner