Sheet, Bar, And Plate Cleaners Patents (Class 15/77)
  • Patent number: 8109227
    Abstract: A tire dressing applicator comprises a support shaft mounted between the ends of a bracket and a plurality of tire dressing applicator foam rollers mounted on the shaft for rotation both with the shaft and in unison with one another and, as necessary when contacting a tire sidewall, relative to the shalt itself to prevent and/or reduce unnecessary roller wear. A drizzle-type system of dressing dispenser pipes drizzles dressing onto the outside surfaces of the rollers and a felt flap spreads the dressing and prevents waste which is characteristic of spray type systems. A quick-release mechanism associated with one end of the roller shaft where it is connected to the bracket permits the shaft to be released for the purpose of replacing worn rollers. Individual rollers are constructed using hard plastic cages which are adhesively bonded in toroidal foam volumes to prevent lateral scrunching or distortion of rollers during use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Belanger, Inc.
    Inventors: David L. Tognetti, Mark D. Morin, Michael J. Belanger
  • Patent number: 8099817
    Abstract: In a first aspect, an apparatus for cleaning a thin disk is provided. The apparatus includes a support roller for supporting a rotating wafer within a wafer cleaner. The support roller comprises a guide portion, for receiving an edge of a wafer, having an inclined surface comprising a low-friction material and adapted to allow the wafer edge to slide thereagainst; and an edge-trap portion for retaining the edge of the wafer and having a transverse surface comprising a high-friction material and adapted, when in communication with the edge of the wafer, to resist sliding thereagainst. Numerous other aspects are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Yudovsky, Anne-Douce Coulin, Leon Volfovski
  • Publication number: 20110277789
    Abstract: The present invention includes methods and materials for making a brush or pad for removing materials, particles, or chemicals from a substrate. The brush or pad includes a rotatable base for supporting a porous pad material. The base include an inner surface and an outer surface and a plurality of channels in the base for interlocking the porous pad material with the base. A porous pad material covers at least a portion of the outer surface of the base and is used for removing material from various substrates. The porous pad material fills one or more of the channels in the base and interlocks the porous pad material with the base. Preferably the channels fluidly connect said inner surface with the outer surface of the base and aid in the alignment of porous pad nodes and the distribution of fluid within the porous pad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: ENTEGRIS, INC.
    Inventor: Briant Enoch Benson
  • Patent number: 8051522
    Abstract: The present invention provides a substrate treatment apparatus for performing a substrate periphery cleaning process. The substrate treatment apparatus includes substrate holding mechanism which holds a substrate, a brush having a cleaning surface inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis thereof extending perpendicularly to a front surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding mechanism, brush moving mechanism which moves the brush along the longitudinal axis and along a lateral axis orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, load detecting unit which detects a load applied along the longitudinal axis to the brush, and first judging unit which judges, based on an output of the load detecting unit, whether or not the brush is located at a reference position serving as a reference for guiding the brush to a treatment position at which the brush is located in the cleaning process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akiyoshi Nakano, Koichi Mukaegaki, Yoshikazu Kago, Hiroyuki Ueno
  • Publication number: 20110265816
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for cleaning a substrate using a disk brush. One embodiment provides a substrate cleaner comprising a substrate chuck disposed in the processing volume, and a brush assembly disposed in the processing volume, wherein the brush assembly comprises a disk brush movably disposed opposing the substrate chuck, and a processing surface of the disk brush contacts a surface of the substrate on the substrate chuck.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Hui Chen, Allen L. D'Ambra, Sen-Hou Ko, Yufei Chen, Adrian Blank, Mario D. Silvetti, Gerald J. Alonzo, Lakshmanan Karuppiah
  • Patent number: 8034185
    Abstract: A disk cleaning scrub module comprising a scrub lane and a plurality of brushes that rotates and scrub washes a plurality of disks having a diameter D in the scrub lane, wherein a disk-to-disk center distance for scrub wash of the plurality of the disks is S and a ratio of S/D is greater than 1 and less than 1.6 is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Youmin Liu, Rito Ligutom, Kennith Pompliano, Young Bui, Jennifer Hou, James Tuman
  • Patent number: 8029740
    Abstract: Solutions for limiting the undesirable spread of pathogens by indirect contact are provided. The solutions involve event-controlled self-sterilization of contact surfaces on articles or fixtures. A self-sterilizing contact surface structure allows chemical sterilizing agents to controllably flow in response to a contact event, from within the article to exude upon a portion of the contact surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, LLC
    Inventors: Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Jordin T. Kare, Elizabeth A. Sweeney, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8029727
    Abstract: Solutions for limiting the undesirable spread of pathogens by indirect contact are provided. The solutions involve event-controlled self-sterilization of contact surfaces on articles or fixtures. A self-sterilizing contact surface structure allows chemical sterilizing agents to controllably flow in response to a contact event, from within the article to exude upon a portion of the contact surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, LLC
    Inventors: Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Jordin T. Kare, Elizabeth A. Sweeney, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8020240
    Abstract: A substrate treatment apparatus includes a substrate holding mechanism for holding a substrate, a brush made of an elastically deformable material and having a cleaning surface formed in a shape tapered toward one side in a perpendicular direction perpendicular to one surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding mechanism and inclined with respect to the perpendicular direction, a brush moving mechanism for moving the brush with respect to the substrate held by the substrate holding mechanism, and a control unit for controlling the brush moving mechanism so that the cleaning surface is pushed to a peripheral area on the one surface and a peripheral end face of the substrate held by the substrate holding mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyasu Hiraoka, Tsuyoshi Okumura, Akiyoshi Nakano
  • Patent number: 7998865
    Abstract: A system (500) removes wafer edge residue from a target wafer (508). A wafer holding mechanism (502) holds and rotates the target wafer (508). A residue remover mechanism (504) mechanically interacts or abrades an edge surface of the target wafer (508) and removes strongly adhered residue from the edge surface of the target wafer (508). The residue remover mechanism (504) controls coverage of the mechanical interaction and magnitude of the mechanical interaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Joe G. Tran, Brian K. Kirkpatrick, Alfred J. Griffin, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7984526
    Abstract: The present invention includes methods and materials for making a brush or pad for removing materials, particles, or chemicals from a substrate. The brush or pad includes a rotatable base for supporting a porous pad material. The base include an inner surface and an outer surface and a plurality of channels in the base for interlocking the porous pad material with the base. A porous pad material covers at least a portion of the outer surface of the base and is used for removing material from various substrates. The porous pad material fills one or more of the channels in the base and interlocks the porous pad material with the base. Preferably the channels fluidly connect said inner surface with the outer surface of the base and aid in the alignment of porous pad nodes and the distribution of fluid within the porous pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Entegris, Inc.
    Inventor: Briant Enoch Benson
  • Patent number: 7979942
    Abstract: A substrate treatment apparatus including a substrate holding mechanism for holding a substrate; a first brush made of an elastically deformable material and having a cleaning surface inclined with respect to a perpendicular direction perpendicular to one surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding mechanism; a first brush moving mechanism for moving the first brush with respect to the substrate held by the substrate holding mechanism; a controller for controlling the first brush moving mechanism so that the cleaning surface is made to contact with a peripheral area on the one surface and a peripheral end face of the substrate held by the substrate holding mechanism; and a first pushing pressure holding mechanism for holding a pushing pressure of the first brush in the perpendicular direction to the peripheral area on the one surface of the substrate at a preset pushing pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignees: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd., Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyasu Hiraoka, Tsuyoshi Okumura, Akiyoshi Nakano, Hajime Ugajin
  • Publication number: 20110154590
    Abstract: In a first aspect, an apparatus for cleaning a thin disk is provided. The apparatus includes a support roller for supporting a rotating wafer within a wafer cleaner. The support roller comprises a guide portion, for receiving an edge of a wafer, having an inclined surface comprising a low-friction material and adapted to allow the wafer edge to slide thereagainst; and an edge-trap portion for retaining the edge of the wafer and having a transverse surface comprising a high-friction material and adapted, when in communication with the edge of the wafer, to resist sliding thereagainst. Numerous other aspects are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Yudovsky, Anne-Douce Coulin, Leon Volfovski
  • Patent number: 7962989
    Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning a flat panel display and a roll brush used therein are provided. The apparatus includes an internal wall, hollow cylindrical joint parts, each of which is joined with the internal wall and having an opening therein, and roll brushes, each of which includes a rotation shaft passing through the opening of the hollow cylindrical joint part, a hollow cylindrical liquid blocking member integrated with the rotation shaft to have an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the joint part, and a brush.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Semes Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyung-Duk Jang, Eui-Sik In, Sung-Hee Lee
  • Patent number: 7962990
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for cleaning a substrate using scrubber brushes. One embodiment of the present invention provides a substrate cleaner comprises two scrubber brush assemblies movably disposed in a processing volume. The two scrubber brush assemblies are configured to contact and clean opposite surfaces of a substrate disposed in the processing volume. The substrate cleaner also comprises a positioning assembly configured to simultaneously adjust positions of the two scrubber brush assemblies, wherein the positioning assembly makes substantially the same amount of adjustment to the first and second scrubber brush assemblies in mirror symmetry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Hui (Fred) Chen, Joseph Yudovsky, Allen L. D'Ambra
  • Publication number: 20110138553
    Abstract: A wafer on which a CMP processing is completed is rotated. A front surface cleaning brush and a rear surface cleaning brush are made contact both surfaces of the wafer while being rotated. After the front surface cleaning brush and the rear surface cleaning brush are made to contact the wafer, both end portions of the front surface cleaning brush and the rear surface cleaning brush are deformed by means of pressurizing both ends of the front surface cleaning brush and the rear surface cleaning brush by pressure portions. That is, the both end portions of the front surface cleaning brush and the rear surface cleaning brush are compressed to enlarge diameters in the both end portions. As a consequence, the entire front surface of the wafer is made to contact the front surface cleaning brush substantially evenly, even if the wafer is warped into a shape of a mound. Therefore, a cleaning efficiency of the outer peripheral portion of the wafer improves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
    Inventor: Naoki IDANI
  • Publication number: 20110094537
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for conditioning a processing surface of a cylindrical roller disposed in a brush box is described. In one embodiment, a brush box is described. The brush box includes a tank having an interior volume and a pair of cylindrical rollers at least partially disposed in the interior volume, each of the cylindrical rollers being rotatable about a respective axis, an actuator assembly coupled to each of the cylindrical rollers to move the respective cylindrical roller between a first position where the cylindrical rollers are in proximity and a second position where the cylindrical rollers are spaced away from each other, and a conditioning device for each of the cylindrical rollers, each conditioning device including a conditioner disposed in the interior volume, the conditioner contacting an outer surface of each of the cylindrical rollers when the rollers are in the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Sen-Hou Ko, Lakshmanan Karuppiah
  • Publication number: 20110079245
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to an apparatus and method for a roller assembly that may be utilized in a brush cleaning module. In one embodiment, a roller assembly is described. The roller assembly includes an annular groove having at least two substantially parallel opposing sidewalls adapted to contact the major surfaces of a substrate along a periphery of the substrate, each of the opposing sidewalls comprising a compressible material having a pre-compressed dimension that is less than a thickness of the periphery of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2009
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Lakshmanan Karuppiah, Dan Zhang, Simon Yavelberg, Jim K. Atkinson, Hung Chih Chen, Noel Manto, Jonathan Domin
  • Patent number: 7913346
    Abstract: A substrate treatment apparatus includes a substrate holding mechanism which holds a substrate, a scrub brush for scrubbing a surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding mechanism to remove foreign matter from the substrate surface, a treatment liquid supplying mechanism which supplies an alkaline treatment liquid to the substrate surface when the substrate is scrubbed with the scrub brush, and an alkaline fluid supplying mechanism which supplies an alkaline fluid to a surface of the scrub brush in a standby period during which no substrate is scrubbed with the scrub brush.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Iwami, Soichi Nadahara
  • Patent number: 7908698
    Abstract: A wafer on which a CMP processing is completed is rotated. A front surface cleaning brush and a rear surface cleaning brush are made contact both surfaces of the wafer while being rotated. After the front surface cleaning brush and the rear surface cleaning brush are made to contact the wafer, both end portions of the front surface cleaning brush and the rear surface cleaning brush are deformed by means of pressurizing both ends of the front surface cleaning brush and the rear surface cleaning brush by pressure portions. That is, the both end portions of the front surface cleaning brush and the rear surface cleaning brush are compressed to enlarge diameters in the both end portions. As a consequence, the entire front surface of the wafer is made to contact the front surface cleaning brush substantially evenly, even if the wafer is warped into a shape of a mound. Therefore, a cleaning efficiency of the outer peripheral portion of the wafer improves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventor: Naoki Idani
  • Patent number: 7900311
    Abstract: In a first aspect, an apparatus for cleaning a thin disk is provided. The apparatus includes a support roller for supporting a rotating wafer within a wafer cleaner. The support roller comprises a guide portion, for receiving an edge of a wafer, having an inclined surface comprising a low-friction material and adapted to allow the wafer edge to slide thereagainst; and an edge-trap portion for retaining the edge of the wafer and having a transverse surface comprising a high-friction material and adapted, when in communication with the edge of the wafer, to resist sliding thereagainst. Numerous other aspects are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Yudovsky, Anne-Douce Coulin, Leon Volfovski
  • Publication number: 20110030727
    Abstract: Mat washing device, method of using the mat washing device, and method of washing mats. The mat washing device includes a system that may be transported on a flat bed trailer from one location to another. The mat washing device includes conveying systems, brush systems, rails systems and control mechanisms. The mat washing device may be used by placing mat, on edge, on a conveying system and conveying the mat to a first brushing system and a second brushing system. In one aspect the first brushing system includes a cable brush having a bolt secured at the end of a cable in order to beat or brush material from the mat when the cable brush is spun.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Inventors: Randall D. Rubenzer, Robert M. Simons
  • Patent number: 7841035
    Abstract: A disc cleaning mechanism or device has a rotary brush having a rotary shaft on which a plurality of brushes are mounted and, between adjacent brushes of which a plurality of discs is inserted, and a disc revolution stopper for preventing the discs inserted between the brushes from revolving about the rotary shaft by rotation of the rotary brush and allowing the discs to rotate. The disc cleaning mechanism includes a core roller having an uneven inner peripheral portion of the brush as a core of the brush and an uneven outer peripheral portion and a rotary shaft on which a plurality of the core rollers are mounted. The brush and the core rollers constitute a spline joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Noritake Shizawa, Toshimitsu Shiraishi, Tatsuo Kaneko
  • Patent number: 7823241
    Abstract: A system for cleaning a wafer. At least one first chuck roller is connected to a first roller base and includes a first annular groove. A second roller base opposes the first roller base. At least one second chuck roller is connected to the second roller base and includes a second annular groove. A sensing chuck roller is connected to the second roller base and includes a third annular groove corresponding to the first and second annular grooves. A cleaning member covers the third annular groove. A circumferential edge of the wafer is positioned in the first and second annular grooves and abuts the cleaning member. The first and second chuck rollers rotate the wafer, enabling the circumferential edge thereof to rub against the cleaning member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tien-Chen Hu, Chih-Ming Hsieh, Chien-Chang Lai, Wen-Jin Lee, Da-Hsiang Chen
  • Patent number: 7803231
    Abstract: A substrate edge part cleaning apparatus judging a cleaning degree of glass substrates when cleaning edge parts of the glass substrates used for liquid crystal display. The substrate edge part cleaning apparatus 100 having a cleaning head wiping an edge part of a substrate for display A while moving rectilinearly, and having a camera 117 capturing images of the proximity of an edge of a color filter which is placed on the substrate, by moving together with the cleaning head. The camera 117 obtains surface status information of the substrate part which has been cleaned, and the substrate edge part cleaning apparatus 100 further includes a cleaning degree judgment unit 306 judging a cleaning degree based on the surface status information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Ryouichirou Katano, Shinjiro Tsuji
  • Patent number: 7803230
    Abstract: In a substrate cleaning method and a substrate cleaning method according to the present invention, a brush 3 is brought into contact with a substrate W while rotating the same, and a cleaning position Sb of the brush 3 is moved relative to the substrate W from a center part of the substrate W toward a peripheral part thereof. A process fluid formed of liquid droplets and a gas is sprayed by a two-fluid nozzle 5 onto the substrate W, and a cleaning position Sn of the two-fluid nozzle 5 is moved relative to the substrate W from a center part of the substrate W toward a peripheral part thereof. During the movement of the cleaning position Sb of the brush 3 from the center part of the substrate W toward the peripheral part thereof, the cleaning position Sb of the two-fluid nozzle is positioned nearer to a center P0 than the cleaning position Sb of the brush 3. Since contaminations of the brush are prevented from adhering again to the wafer, it can be avoided that the wafer W is contaminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masaru Amai, Kenji Sekiguchi, Takehiko Orii, Hiroki Ohno, Satoru Tanaka, Takuya Mori
  • Patent number: 7774887
    Abstract: A scrubber box is provided that includes a tank adapted to receive a substrate for cleaning, supports outside of the tank and adapted to couple to ends of scrubber brushes disposed within the tank, a motor mounted to each of the supports and adapted to rotate the scrubber brushes, a base to which the supports are pivotally mounted via spherical bearings adapted to permit toe-in of the scrubber brushes, a brush gap actuator adapted, via a crank and rocker mechanism, to substantially simultaneously pivot the supports toward or away from each other so as to permit the scrubber brushes to substantially simultaneously achieve or break contact with the substrate, and a toe-in actuator adapted to move two of the spherical bearings toward or away from each other so as to adjust a toe-in angle between the scrubber brushes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Yudovsky, Avi Tepman, Kenneth R. Reynolds, Younes Achkire, Dan A. Marohl, Steve G. Ghanayem, Alexander S. Polyak, Gary Ettinger, Haochuan Zhang, Hui Chen
  • Publication number: 20100186180
    Abstract: Apparatuses for supporting a workpiece are disclosed. In one example, the apparatus includes a plurality of shaft supports. The apparatus further includes a shaft defined between the shaft supports, the shaft extending through an aperture defined in each of the plurality of shaft supports. Further included in the apparatus is a plurality of rollers defined to rotate about the shaft, the rollers defined between the plurality of shaft supports.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2009
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Inventor: Kenneth C. Miller
  • Patent number: 7758404
    Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for cleaning a substrate edge include a composite applicator that cleans bevel polymers deposited on wafer edges using frictional contact in the presence of fluids. The composite applicator includes a support material and a plurality of abrasive particles distributed within and throughout the support material. The composite applicator cleans the edge of the wafer by allowing frictional contact of the plurality of abrasive particles with the edge of the wafer in the presence of fluids, such as liquid chemicals, to cut, rip and tear the bevel polymer from the edge of the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Jason A. Ryder, Ji Zhu, Mark Wilcoxson, Fritz Redeker, John P. Parks, Charles Ditmore, Jeffrey G. Gasparitsch
  • Patent number: 7743449
    Abstract: A system and a method for cleaning and rinsing a wafer includes at least three rollers that are capable of supporting a wafer by an edge of the wafer. At least one of the rollers is driven and thereby capable of rotating the wafer. At least one of the rollers is a movable roller mounted on an actuator. The system and method also includes a first movable scrubbing roller capable of being moved away from and alternatively to the first side of the wafer. A second movable scrubbing roller capable of being moved away from and alternatively to a second side of the wafer is also included. The second side of the wafer opposes the first side of the wafer. The system and method also includes at least one first side nozzle directed toward the first side of the wafer and at least one second side nozzle directed toward the second side of the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Katrina Mikhaylichenko, Michael Ravkin, John deLarios
  • Patent number: 7727336
    Abstract: A glass sheet washing machine with a broken glass removal system includes a support, a liquid container or reservoir, a pump, a liquid applicator, and a liquid permeable member. The support supports a glass sheet being washed. The liquid reservoir is positioned below the support. The pump is coupled to the liquid reservoir. The liquid applicator is coupled to the pump. The liquid applicator applies the liquid from the liquid reservoir to wash the glass sheet. Excess liquid falls into the reservoir. The liquid permeable member is positioned between the support and the liquid reservoir to catch pieces of glass to inhibit the pieces of broken glass from falling into the liquid reservoir and is moved to remove the pieces from the glass washing machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: GED Integrated Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Brett Robert Dickerson, Timothy Robert Hall, Robert R. Sheperd, Diana Patricia Foltz, Michael Steven Misura
  • Patent number: 7725975
    Abstract: A device for cleaning a liquid crystal display panel including at least one pad part cleaning brush removing foreign matters from a pad part of the liquid crystal display panel, a holder holding the pad part cleaning brush, a driving shaft rotating the holder, and a driving motor providing a rotating force to the driving shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Choong Un Lee
  • Patent number: 7717253
    Abstract: An arrangement for processing disks provides a continuous loop, such as a roller drive chain, to which a plurality of disk securing elements, such as chain fingers, are attached at varying distances from one another. The chain fingers have a center line on an outwardly extending portion that is non-perpendicular with respect to the plane of the roller drive chain when viewed in a top view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: James W. Lord
  • Publication number: 20100083984
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cleaning workpieces (5) using two pairs of substantially vertical rotating roller brushes (15) at each brush station whereby rotation of said brushes (15) propel workpieces (5) from one brush station to the next. Workpieces (5) are held for a predetermined period of time at each station by edgewheels (30, 31) which also rotate the workpieces (5). Cleaning fluid is sprayed onto workpieces (5) as they rotate to assist in removing particulate contamination. Method involves inserting a single workpiece (5) in between two pairs of rotating roller brushes (15) which scrub said workpiece as it is rotated by a pair of edgewheels (30, 31). There may be a divider shield (9) in between each brush station to prevent a large proportion of particulate matter and used cleaning fluid from traveling between the brush stations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Applicant: Invenpro (M) Sdn. BGhd
    Inventors: Kae Jeng Ng, Kien Hui Liang, Kien Yew Liang
  • Patent number: 7685667
    Abstract: A method and system for cleaning the wafer after CMP is disclosed. A brush module having at least two brushes placed adjacent to each other and having the wafer placed in between. A dummy roller is in contact with an edge of the wafer and follows a rotation of the wafer, wherein when the wafer is rotated, the brushes clean both sides of the wafer, and the dummy roller detects a rotation speed and a rotation direction of the wafer for adjusting the rotation of the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bih-tiao Lin, Jin Lung Linh
  • Publication number: 20100043158
    Abstract: An apparatus for deburring boards includes a platform, on which first and second guiding rail units perpendicular to each other are fixed, a deburring unit mounted on the first guiding rail unit, a carrying unit adapted for carrying the boards and mounted movably on the second guiding rail unit perpendicular to the first guiding rail unit, and a driving unit disposed on the platform and operable to drive the carrying unit to move between a loading/unloading zone, where the carrying unit is spaced apart from the deburring unit, and a processing zone, where the carrying unit is disposed between opposite deburring members of the deburring unit so that opposite deburred edges of each board contact respectively the deburring members. The driving unit further drives the carrying unit to move back and forth within the processing zone a predetermined number of times, thereby deburring the boards.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Inventor: Yushan SUN
  • Patent number: 7666262
    Abstract: This invention relates to cleaning large format movie screens, such as vinyl screens and painted screens. There are different variations of the basic concept of using a cleaning head, cables, pulleys, an upper mounting bracket and a winch. In one instance a track may be used instead of a cable. The winch is connected to the cleaning head using cables and is used to move the cleaning head vertically across the screen through pulleys and other arrangements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: 1570 Cinema Services, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Thomas Brown, Michael Anthony Quaranto
  • Publication number: 20090314311
    Abstract: To provide a substrate cleaning apparatus capable of effectively removing deposits adhering to at least an end surface of a substrate by means of a sponge-like brush. A substrate cleaning apparatus includes: a spin chuck 3 configured to rotatably hold a substrate W; a motor 4 configured to rotate the substrate W held by the spin chuck 3; a cleaning-liquid supply mechanism 10 configured to supply a cleaning liquid to the substrate W held by the spin chuck 3. The cleaning mechanism includes: a brush 21 made of a sponge-like resin, which is brought into contact with at least an end surface of the wafer W during the cleaning; and a brush compressing mechanism 23a, 23b, and 24 configured to compress the brush 21. The brush 21 is compressed by the compressing mechanism 23a, 23b, and 24, and cleans at least the end surface of the substrate W.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Nobuhiko MOURI, Satoru Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20090313776
    Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate cleaning apparatus capable of efficiently removing extraneous matters attached on a periphery of the substrate with a brush. The substrate cleaning apparatus includes a spin chuck to rotatably hold a wafer a motor to rotate the wafer held by the spin chuck, a cleaning liquid supplying device to supply cleaning liquid to the wafer held by the spin chuck, and a cleaning device including a brush, a rotating device and a pressing device. The brush includes a periphery cleaning part in contact with a periphery of the wafer during cleaning. The rotating device rotates the brush, and the pressing device pushes the brush to the wafer. The periphery cleaning part includes a changing part. The property of the changing part is changed along a diameter of the periphery cleaning part to distribute cleaning performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2009
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Nobuhiko MOURI, Satoru TANAKA
  • Patent number: 7625452
    Abstract: A method for cleaning a substrate is provided. The method includes providing foam to a surface of the substrate, brush scrubbing the surface of the substrate, providing pressure to the foam, and channeling the pressured foam to produce jammed foam, the channeling including channeling the pressured foam into a gap, the gap being defined by a space between a surface of a brush enclosure and the surface of the substrate. The brush scrubbing of the surface of the substrate and the channeling of the pressured foam across the surface of the substrate facilitate particle removal from the surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: John M. de Larios, Aleksander Owczarz, Alan Schoepp, Fritz Redeker
  • Publication number: 20090276970
    Abstract: A dust remover includes a rotary brush which removes dust attached to a workpiece, a workpiece carrying section which carries the workpiece in a direction crossing the axial direction of the rotary brush, a brush rotating section which rotates the rotary brush around the axial center of the rotary brush, and a brush back-and-forth movement section which moves the rotary brush back and forth in the axial direction of the rotary brush. The dust remover also includes a motor which is a common driving source for both the brush rotating section and the brush back-and-forth movement section. The brush rotating section has a power transmitting section which transmits the power of the motor to the rotary brush as a rotation of the rotary brush, and the brush back-and-forth movement section has a power transmitting section which converts the power of the motor into a back-and-forth movement of the rotary brush to transmit the back-and-forth movement to the rotary brush.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2006
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Applicant: NIX, INC.
    Inventors: Atsunori Nakata, Junji Oyama
  • Patent number: 7614108
    Abstract: Provided is a pan cleaner, comprising a cleaning portion, a brush sweeping portion having a cleaning component and a driving portion; wherein the cleaning portion provides cleaning fluid for a pan, the cleaning component is contacted with an inner surface of the pan, so as to brush the inner surface of the pan, and the driving portion is connected to and drives the brush sweeping portion. The pan cleaner of the invention can effectively remove residues in a pan, and thus decreases labor intensity of a chef and increases hygiene quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Inventor: Jianbo Wang
  • Patent number: 7610645
    Abstract: A filter cartridge cleaning apparatus includes a housing, a brush mechanism for cleaning a filter cartridge passing through the housing, a guiding mechanism for feeding the filter cartridge toward a filter cartridge outlet of the housing, a water supply mechanism for supplying water to the filter cartridge, and a transmission mechanism for driving the brush mechanism and the guiding mechanism. The housing has a drain for draining sewage resulting from the cleaning process. The filter cartridge cleaning apparatus may be used with a water recycling apparatus to eliminate waste of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Inventor: Ji-Ding Gau
  • Patent number: 7531044
    Abstract: A glass sheet washing machine with a broken glass removal system includes a support, a liquid container or reservoir, a pump, a liquid applicator, and a liquid permeable member. The support supports a glass sheet being washed. The liquid reservoir is positioned below the support. The pump is coupled to the liquid reservoir. The liquid applicator is coupled to the pump. The liquid applicator applies the liquid from the liquid reservoir to wash the glass sheet. Excess liquid falls into the reservoir. The liquid permeable member is positioned between the support and the liquid reservoir to catch pieces of glass to inhibit the pieces of broken glass from falling into the liquid reservoir and is moved to remove the pieces from the glass washing machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: GED Integrated Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Brett Robert Dickerson, Timothy Robert Hall, Robert R. Shepherd, II, Diana Patricia Foltz, Michael Steven Misura
  • Publication number: 20090113656
    Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for cleaning a substrate edge include a bristle brush unit that cleans bevel polymers deposited on substrate edges using frictional contact in the presence of cleaning chemistry. The bristle brush unit is made up of a plurality of outwardly extending vanes and is mounted on a rotating shaft. An abrasive material is distributed throughout and within the outwardly extending vanes of the bristle brush unit to provide the frictional contact. The bristle brush unit cleans the edge of the substrate by allowing frictional contact of the plurality of abrasive particles with the edge of the substrate in the presence of fluids, such as cleaning chemistry, to cut, rip and tear the bevel polymer from the edge of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2006
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Applicant: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hyungsuk Alexander Yoon, Andrew D. Bailey, III, Jason A. Ryder, Mark H. Wilcoxson, Jeffrey G. Gasparitsch, Randy Johnson, Stephan P. Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 7516507
    Abstract: Substrate preparation systems comprising multi-zone cascade brush scrubbers having sonic assemblies disposed between one or more of the scrubber zones for cleaning of disk-shaped substrates, including silicon wafers and disks for data storage devices, such as hard disk drives (HDD), compact discs (CD) and digital video discs (DVD). The system method combines a sonic particle dislodgement/removal assembly into a cascade brush scrubber line comprising a longi-tudinal array of brush pairs in which the substrates process through preparation zones defined by each pair of brushes, the substrates being transited longitudinally through the zones while rotating on an axis normal to their faces. Piezoelectric transducer arrays transmit sound energy to one or both face(s) of the substrate to dislodge and/or remove particles, and the scrubber simultaneously or thereafter sweeps away the particulates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Xyratex Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Michael Oxsen, Scott Petersen, Yassin Mehmandoust
  • Patent number: 7507296
    Abstract: In a scrubber adapted to clean a semiconductor wafer, the torque of a brush rotation motor is monitored while a scrubber brush is in contact with the wafer and is being rotated by the motor. The position of the brush relative to the wafer may be adjusted based on the monitored torque to regulate the pressure applied to the wafer by the brush. Open loop positioning or closed loop control may be employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael N. Sugarman, Vladimir Galburt
  • Patent number: 7503090
    Abstract: A glass sheet washing machine comprising a conveyor for moving a glass sheet along a path of travel at a controlled linear speed and a brush rotatable at a controlled rotational speed positioned along said path of travel such that said brush contacts the glass sheet moves along said path of travel wherein the linear speed of the conveyor and the rotational speed of the brush are variable and one of the linear speed and the rotational speed is dependent on any other of the linear speed and the rotational speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: GED Integrated Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael S. Misura, Robert R. Shepherd
  • Publication number: 20090044831
    Abstract: In a first aspect, a method of cleaning an edge of a wafer is provided. The method comprises providing an edge cleaning roller having a first inclined frictional surface for cleaning an edge corner of a wafer rotating within a first plane; and causing the edge cleaning roller to rotate within a second plane at an angle to the first plane while the inclined frictional surface contacts and cleans the edge corner. Numerous other aspects are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2008
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Inventors: Joseph Yudovsky, Anne-Douce Coulin, Leon Volfovski
  • Publication number: 20090031511
    Abstract: In a first aspect, an apparatus for cleaning a thin disk is provided. The apparatus includes a support roller for supporting a rotating wafer within a wafer cleaner. The support roller comprises a guide portion, for receiving an edge of a wafer, having an inclined surface comprising a low-friction material and adapted to allow the wafer edge to slide thereagainst; and an edge-trap portion for retaining the edge of the wafer and having a transverse surface comprising a high-friction material and adapted, when in communication with the edge of the wafer, to resist sliding thereagainst. Numerous other aspects are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventors: Joseph Yudovsky, Anne-Douce Coulin, Leon Volfovski