Utilizing Light-sensitive And/or Responsive Means Patents (Class 219/502)
  • Patent number: 7414223
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for monitoring safety glass production or controlling a treatment process, such as a tempering process. Information representing a load of glass panels is used in controlling a treatment process, such as heating of glass panels, or in monitoring production. The information, which includes at least one of the following: shape, size, and position, is read with one or more cameras (6). This is possible as glass is made visible by means of reflected light as high intensity light is applied to the glass surface. The line camera (6) is used for receiving low intensity background light radiation incident through the glass conveying plane, a substantial increase in its intensity, as light is reflected by glass, being deciphered as glass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Tamglass Ltd. Oy
    Inventor: Toivo Janhunen
  • Patent number: 7367138
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for reducing particle contamination of a surface of an object such as a reticle used in an EUV lithography system. An exemplary apparatus includes a thermophoresis device and an electrophoresis device. The thermophoresis device is situated relative to and spaced from the surface, and is configured to produce a thermophoretic force, in a gas flowing past and contacting the surface, sufficient to inhibit particles in the gas from contacting the surface. The electrophoresis device is situated relative to a region of the surface contacted by the gas and is configured to deflect particles, having an electrostatic charge, in the gas away from the region as the gas flows past the region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Michael R. Sogard
  • Patent number: 7235762
    Abstract: A warming appliance having factory preset temperature modes. The warming appliance comprises an enclosure having a wall. The enclosure defines an interior space having an opening. A drawer is configured to be reciprocally moved within the interior space. The drawer having a wall configured to close the opening. The heating apparatus is configured to change the temperature inside the drawer. The user interface is associated with the drawer and configured to control the heating apparatus. The temperature control apparatus is coupled to the heating apparatus and user interface. The temperature control apparatus is associated with the enclosure, wherein food stuff and objects contained in the drawer are maintained at a predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Western Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: John M. Gagas, Scott A. Jonovic, Daniel E. Stair, II
  • Patent number: 7211771
    Abstract: A circuit is disclosed for detecting and eliminating the buildup of snow and/or ice on the viewable face of an LED traffic signal lens. The circuit measures the ambient temperature within the LED signal, and when the temperature falls to a level where snow and/or ice accumulation can occur, the circuit begins looking for snow and/or ice buildup on the lens of the LED signal. An infrared LED transmits a signal which is reflected when snow or ice is present on the lens of the traffic signal. When the reflected signal is received by an infrared receiver, it sends a signal to a microcontroller, which analyzes the signal to determine if it is a valid signal. If it is, a heater is turned on until the ice and snow are removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Precision Solar Controls Inc.
    Inventors: David L. Smith, Steven M. Canan
  • Patent number: 7145108
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a heating pad controller incorporating a discrete ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) is provided which varies the duty cycle characteristics of a periodic signal during which power is applied to a heating pad heating element during a portion of the signal (“on” time). An oscillator circuit is used to produce a controlled duty cycle control signal for controlling the power applied to the heating pad by varying the on-time of the duty cycle. User control of the length of the on-time of the duty cycle is provided by way of a user controlled switch, thereby providing for a plurality of controller operating modes (e.g., WARM, LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH, etc.). To configure the duty cycle for each heat setting the heating pad controller utilizes switchable electrical components of varying impedance connected to the ASIC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Kaz, Incorporated
    Inventors: Christopher S. Kanel, Robert Sherwood
  • Patent number: 7120354
    Abstract: A gases delivery conduit for the supply of humidified medical gases as formed from an extruded plastic tube. The extruded plastic tube includes at least one heating element embedded within the wall of the tube. The heating element includes a pair of electrical conductors separated by a positive temperature coefficient material wherein the localised resistance of the material is positively related to the localised temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited
    Inventors: Scott Robert Mackie, Craig Karl White, Brett John Huddart, Daniel John Smith, Hussein Kadhum, Malcolm David Smith
  • Patent number: 6933475
    Abstract: An optical communication module includes an optical radiation source as well as control circuitry to control the temperature and the power emitted by he optical source. In order to permit soft start-up of the source while avoiding undesired wavelength variations, the optical source is pre-heated before being caused to emit optical radiation. This may be effected by initially heating the optical source to an initial temperature using the thermoelectrical conditioner associated therewith as a heater and subsequently causing a partly under-threshold current to flow through the source, thus causing the source to be heated while still emitting negligible optical power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Roberto Lano, Eduardo Augusto Miranda Sologuren
  • Patent number: 6911629
    Abstract: An optical communication module includes an optical radiation source as well as control circuitry to control the temperature and the power emitted by the optical source. In order to permit soft start-up of the source while avoiding undesired wavelength variations, the optical source is pre-heated before being caused to emit optical radiation. This may be effected by initially heating the optical source to an initial temperature using the thermoelectrical conditioner associated therewith as a heater and subsequently causing a partly under-threshold current to flow through the source, thus causing the source to be heated while still emitting negligible optical power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Roberto Lano, Eduardo Augusto Miranda Sologuren
  • Patent number: 6891124
    Abstract: A method and system for using transmission spectroscopy to measure a temperature of a substrate (135). By passing light through a substrate, the temperature of the substrate can be determined using the band-edge characteristics of the wafer. This in-situ method and system can be used as a feedback control in combination with a variable temperature substrate holder (182) to more accurately control the processing conditions of the substrate. By utilizing a multiplicity of measurement sites the variation of the temperature across the substrate (135) can also be measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Medona B. Denton, Wayne L. Johnson, Murray D. Sirkis
  • Patent number: 6864463
    Abstract: Emissivity of a substrate is measured at least before the substrate is heated, heating operation of the substrate is controlled under a heating condition corresponding to the emissivity, and the substrate is processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventor: Fumihide Ikeda
  • Patent number: 6864465
    Abstract: A sensor assembly for a glass-ceramic cooktop appliance having at least one burner assembly disposed under a glass-ceramic plate. The sensor assembly includes an optical detector arranged to receive radiation from the glass-ceramic plate and produce an output signal corresponding to a cooktop related property of the glass-ceramic plate. A controller is provided to receive the output signal from the optical detector. The controller includes means for making a correction to said output signal for corruptive flux incident on the optical detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ertugrul Berkcan, Emilie Thorbjorg Saulnier
  • Patent number: 6831258
    Abstract: A heating apparatus for performing heat treatment on a wafer applied with a resist before or after exposure includes a heating plate for heating a wafer which is placed on the heating plate, a light intensity detecting apparatus for irradiating light on the wafer to detect intensity of reflected light from the resist on the wafer, and a control section for controlling heating performed by the heating plate on the basis of the detected intensity of reflected light so that heating amount applied to a plurality of wafers becomes constant. Accordingly, the heating amount of the wafer can be controlled to be constant and variations in dimension of resist patterns can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kei Hayasaki, Shinichi Ito, Kenji Kawano
  • Patent number: 6797927
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a measuring system adapted for providing a measurement of an optical parameter of an optical device under test —DUT—, comprising a measuring instrument adapted to perform the measurement and to provide a measurement signal comprising a plurality of values of the measured optical parameter of the DUT over the time. To improve the measurement the measuring system is adapted to receive a temperature signal comprising a plurality of values of the measured temperature of the DUT over the time, and to provide an output signal wherein values of the measured temperature are associated to such values of the measured optical parameter of the DUT that correspond in time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick Ziegler
  • Patent number: 6794621
    Abstract: A status indicator (4) for a transparent ceramic glass cook top is disclosed which is able to display a range of colors. Typically such indications are used with red or smoked glass cooktops and are limited to red. The present invention is positioned directly underneath the transparent glass (22) which has an opaque layer (23) on the underside and wherein a portion (24) of the opaque layer has been removed thereby allowing the light source (2) to be visible directly above said cook top. The indicator may be used for a range of functions, including indicating the element is on and also that the heating region is too hot to be safely touched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Fisher & Paykel Limited
    Inventors: Simon Denzil Brown, Graeme Colin Fuller
  • Publication number: 20040099652
    Abstract: A sensor assembly for a glass-ceramic cooktop appliance having at least one burner assembly disposed under a glass-ceramic plate. The sensor assembly includes an optical detector arranged to receive radiation from the glass-ceramic plate and produce an output signal corresponding to a cooktop related property of the glass-ceramic plate. A controller is provided to receive the output signal from the optical detector. The controller includes means for making a correction to said output signal for corruptive flux incident on the optical detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ertugrul Berkcan, Emilie Thorbjorg Saulnier
  • Publication number: 20040089652
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a measuring system adapted for providing a measurement of an optical parameter of an optical device under test—DUT—, comprising a measuring instrument adapted to perform the measurement and to provide a measurement signal comprising a plurality of values of the measured optical parameter of the DUT over the time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Inventor: Patrick Ziegler
  • Publication number: 20040089651
    Abstract: A heating apparatus for performing heat treatment on a wafer applied with a resist before or after exposure includes a heating plate for heating a wafer which is placed on the heating plate, a light intensity detecting apparatus for irradiating light on the wafer to detect intensity of reflected light from the resist on the wafer, and a control section for controlling heating performed by the heating plate on the basis of the detected intensity of reflected light so that heating amount applied to a plurality of wafers becomes constant. Accordingly, the heating amount of the wafer can be controlled to be constant and variations in dimension of resist patterns can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kei Hayasaki, Shinichi Ito, Kenji Kawano
  • Patent number: 6730888
    Abstract: Method and device for controlling the grilling, or toasting, of a food product placed in a toaster or toaster oven that has heating elements, a heating chamber, a grilling selector for adjusting the level of browning of the food product, an element for stopping the supply of electricity to the heating elements when the level of toasting is achieved and a light-receiving system composed of at least one photo-resistive element of the LDR type disposed for detecting light reflected by the food product being grilled or toasted. The grilling or toasting is controlled by measuring the evolution in time of a signal G representative of the light reflectivity of the food product, and converting at least one characteristic of that evolution into at least one of the grilling or toasting states of the food product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: SEB S.A.
    Inventor: Claude Battu
  • Publication number: 20030230562
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a processing chamber which processes a substrate; a substrate supporting body which supports the substrate in the processing chamber; a heating member which heats the substrate and which is disposed on an opposite side from the substrate with respect to the substrate supporting body; a substrate temperature detecting device provided at a position opposed to a surface of the substrate; and a light-shielding member which shields stray light from the heating member and which is disposed around the substrate, wherein the light-shielding member has quartz members and an opaque member sandwiched between the quartz members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Publication date: December 18, 2003
    Inventor: Tomohiro Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 6649885
    Abstract: It is difficult to keep a wafer at a prescribed temperature in epitaxial growth and etching, leading to a possibility of variations in quality, but a thermal processing apparatus according to the present invention has a learning-modifying means in a controlling means to learn and modify an output s1 from a radiation thermometer based on the output s1 from the radiation thermometer, a supplied electric energy P to a heating means, and an output s2 from a radiation thermometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Sumitomo Mitsubishi Silicon Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Nakagawa, Shizuka Tateishi
  • Patent number: 6603101
    Abstract: A heating apparatus for performing heat treatment on a wafer applied with a resist before or after exposure includes a heating plate for heating a wafer which is placed on the heating plate, a light intensity detecting apparatus for irradiating light on the wafer to detect intensity of reflected light from the resist on the wafer, and a control section for controlling heating performed by the heating plate on the basis of the detected intensity of reflected light so that heating amount applied to a plurality of wafers becomes constant. Accordingly, the heating amount of the wafer can be controlled to be constant and variations in dimension of resist patterns can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kei Hayasaki, Shinichi Ito, Kenji Kawano
  • Patent number: 6577926
    Abstract: Faults occurring in the operation of a rapid thermal process system are detected and dynamically controlled in-situ. A data set is generated which represents the power applied to heating elements which are spatially arranged in a plurality of zones. The data is converted to a sequence of fractions respectively representing the power applied to each zone relative to the total applied power. The fractions are sequentially arranged and a least squares straight line fit for the fractions is calculated. The slope of the calculated straight line fit is used in a statistical process control system to determine whether a fault has occurred, and to make appropriate corrections in process control parameters, such as the length of time the process is carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shih Hui Chang, Kuo-Hsien Cheng, Cheng Kun Lin, Wen Zen Chiu
  • Patent number: 6563092
    Abstract: Methods and an apparatus for providing a non-contact probe for accurately measuring the temperature of a substrate in a process chamber are disclosed. One exemplary apparatus is a processing chamber, which includes a heating source, where the heating source heats the substrate. Also included is a window maintained at a substantially constant temperature. The window allows only a first wavelength spectrum of energy emitted from the heating source to pass. In addition, the window isolates the heating source from an internal region of the processing chamber. A probe configured to detect a second wavelength spectrum of energy emitted directly from the substrate is included. The energy emitted directly from the substrate corresponds to a temperature of the substrate, and the temperature of the substrate is provided to the controller, which adjusts an intensity of the heating source based on a set point temperature for the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Krishnan Shrinivasan, Arkadiy Shimanovich, Prasad N. Gadgil
  • Patent number: 6539846
    Abstract: A device for delivering meals at an appropriate temperature comprising: a transport cart equipped with at least one electric energy source, a plurality of plates fastened to said transport cart, each plate comprising at least one thermal energy transfer device operatively connected to the electric energy source, and a plurality of trays, each tray being removably associated to a plate of said plurality of plates and having at least one seat for housing a container or dish containing a meal to be delivered, the device being characterised in that each plate of said plurality of plates comprises means for automatic measuring of the container or dish temperature, which are operatively connected to the processing means for automatic activation of said at least one thermal energy transfer device respectively for heating or cooling when the temperature measured in the container or dish is respectively higher than a maximum value or lower than a minimum value out of a predetermined temperature range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Tecnhos S.r.l.
    Inventors: Valter Citterio, Arturo Lesca
  • Patent number: 6538238
    Abstract: A sensor assembly for glass-ceramic cooktop appliances includes an optical detector having an reference component and an active component. The active component is arranged to receive radiation from the glass-ceramic plate, and the reference component is insulated from radiation from the glass-ceramic plate. The sensor assembly further includes a temperature sensor and a heater located adjacent to the reference component and a controller having a first input connected to the optical detector and a second input connected to the temperature sensor. The controller is responsive to the optical detector and the temperature sensor to calibrate the sensor assembly. Calibration is accomplished by noting the temperature reading of the temperature sensor after the burner assembly has not been used for a predetermined period of time to obtain a first calibration point. Then, the burner assembly is activated so that the temperature of the glass-ceramic plate is raised, and the output of the optical detector is noted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ertugrul Berkcan, Emilie Thorbjorg Saulnier
  • Patent number: 6534752
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and system for producing a desired spatial temperature distribution across a workpiece. The method includes irradiating a plurality of areas on a surface of the workpiece to create localized heating of the workpiece in those areas, to produce the desired spatial temperature distribution in the workpiece, and the apparatus includes means for carrying out the method. The system includes a locator for locating the workpiece in a desired position relative to an energy source, and an irradiance system for carrying out the method. The system further includes a processor circuit in communication with the irradiance system, and a radiation-absorbing environment. The irradiance system includes a measuring system and at least one energy source for directing radiation to the surface of the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: Vortek Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: David Malcolm Camm, Marcel Edmond Lefrancois, Brendon James Hickson
  • Patent number: 6495807
    Abstract: Disclosed is a heat treating method for heating a target substrate by means of light irradiation, in which light irradiation treatment is applied to the target substrate such that the light irradiation regions of the target substrate do not overlap with each other, the light irradiation treatment being performed by using an irradiating light adjusted such that the distribution of the light intensity within the light irradiation region of the target substrate is rendered uniform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hideaki Sakurai, Shinichi Ito, Iwao Higashikawa, Akitoshi Kumagae
  • Publication number: 20020170907
    Abstract: A heating apparatus for performing heat treatment on a wafer applied with a resist before or after exposure includes a heating plate for heating a wafer which is placed on the heating plate, a light intensity detecting apparatus for irradiating light on the wafer to detect intensity of reflected light from the resist on the wafer, and a control section for controlling heating performed by the heating plate on the basis of the detected intensity of reflected light so that heating amount applied to a plurality of wafers becomes constant. Accordingly, the heating amount of the wafer can be controlled to be constant and variations in dimension of resist patterns can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Publication date: November 21, 2002
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kei Hayasaki, Shinichi Ito, Kenji Kawano
  • Patent number: 6479802
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a process for contact-less temperature regulation, in which the temperature is measured in a contact-less mode with a temperature measurement device and detected as an analog value and then digitized, wherein moreover there is provided a digital regulator which outputs a control value in dependence on the detected temperature and predetermined regulating parameters and a corresponding apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: IMPAC Electronic GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Gantz, Klaus Tzschaschel, Christian Schiewe
  • Patent number: 6479801
    Abstract: A temperature measuring method measures the temperature of an object of measurement placed in a multiple reflection environment by using a radiation thermometer that uses an effective emissivity &egr;eff for measurement. The effective emissivity &egr;eff is calculated by using an expression: &egr;eff=(1−&agr;)·&egr;+&agr;·&egr;/{1−F·r·(1−&egr;)} F: View factor &egr;: Emissivity of the object r: Reflectivity of a reflecting plate included in the radiation thermometer &agr;: Weighting factor for compensating effects of multiple reflection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takashi Shigeoka, Takeshi Sakuma
  • Patent number: 6467697
    Abstract: A temperature control system includes an integrated circuit that combines magnetic sensitive elements and infra red sensors to detect user temperature settings and measure temperature, respectively. Integration of the various sensors results in a very cost-effective and reliable temperature control system suitable for consumer applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Melexis NV
    Inventors: Roland Duchatelet, Vincent Hiligsmann, Roger Diels
  • Patent number: 6462315
    Abstract: An optical radiation measurement apparatus is provided. The apparatus has at least one radiation detector for measuring electromagnetic radiation emitted from at least two radiation sources. Separate radiation channels are provided in a channel member in order to provide a radiation path between the radiation sources and the radiation detector, which is common to all of the radiation sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Steag AST
    Inventor: Markus Hauf
  • Patent number: 6462316
    Abstract: A system for automatically controlling the temperature of the cooking surface of a cooking surface of a solid-surface cooktop and, consequently, the temperature of the cooking utensil on the cooking surface, by detecting cooking utensil-related properties through the solid-surface cooktop. The cooking utensil-related properties include presence/absence, removal/placement, and other physical properties such as utensil type, size, warpage, and temperature and load size. Automatic control is based on monitoring the heat transfer characteristics from the energy source to the cooktop and the utensil to infer the utensil properties. This is achieved by sensing or inferring a parameter indicative of the temperature of a monitored area that includes at least a portion of the cooktop or of the cooking utensil placed on the upper surface of a cooktop, as well as a parameter indicative of power applied to a controllable heat source, and detecting signal properties using an evolutionary algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ertugrul Berkcan, Vivek Venugopal Badami, Paul Randall Wilson, Emilie Thorbjorg Saulnier
  • Patent number: 6452136
    Abstract: An apparatus that determines properties of a cooktop is provided. The cooktop includes a cooktop surface and a vessel that is selectively placed on the cooktop surface. The apparatus comprises a radiation sensor positioned below the cooktop surface. The radiation sensor senses at least a portion of, at least one of reflected radiation and ambient radiation that are provided above the cooktop surface and that pass through the cooktop surface. The radiation sensor also generates a detected radiation signal based on the sensed radiation. A processor is connected to the radiation sensor, and the processor determines properties of the cooktop from analyzing the detected radiation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ertugrul Berkcan, Emilie Thorbjorg Saulnier
  • Patent number: 6441351
    Abstract: A heating apparatus for performing heat treatment on a wafer applied with a resist before or after exposure includes a heating plate for heating a wafer which is placed on the heating plate, a light intensity detecting apparatus for irradiating light on the wafer to detect intensity of reflected light from the resist on the wafer, and a control section for controlling heating performed by the heating plate on the basis of the detected intensity of reflected light so that heating amount applied to a plurality of wafers becomes constant. Accordingly, the heating amount of the wafer can be controlled to be constant and variations in dimension of resist patterns can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kei Hayasaki, Shinichi Ito, Kenji Kawano
  • Publication number: 20020070211
    Abstract: An apparatus that determines properties of a cooktop is provided. The cooktop includes a cooktop surface and a vessel that is selectively placed on the cooktop surface. The apparatus comprises a radiation sensor positioned below the cooktop surface. The radiation sensor senses at least a portion of, at least one of reflected radiation and ambient radiation that are provided above the cooktop surface and that pass through the cooktop surface. The radiation sensor also generates a detected radiation signal based on the sensed radiation. A processor is connected to the radiation sensor, and the processor determines properties of the cooktop from analyzing the detected radiation signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2000
    Publication date: June 13, 2002
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ertugrul Berkcan, Emilie Thorbjorg Saulnier
  • Patent number: 6403933
    Abstract: A support including a plate having a top surface and a receiving hole, a lift element having a contacting end disposed through the receiving hole, a sensor disposed in a bore in the contacting end of the lift element, and a support member adjacent the top surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy A. Strodtbeck, John S. Molebash, Bruce L. Hayes, Rex A. Smith, Shawn D. Davis
  • Publication number: 20020063123
    Abstract: Disclosed is a heat treating method for heating a target substrate by means of light irradiation, in which a light irradiation treatment is applied to the target substrate a plurality of times such that adjacent light irradiated regions on the target substrate partially overlap with each other and that the adjacent light irradiated regions do not overlap with each other in the light irradiating periods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2001
    Publication date: May 30, 2002
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hideaki Sakurai, Shinichi Ito, Iwao Higashikawa, Akitoshi Kumagae
  • Patent number: 6390668
    Abstract: A source of thermal radiation for calibrating or testing infrared thermometers or detectors, in which improved temperature uniformity of the radiation-emitting surface is achieved by supplying heat to that surface by condensation of a working fluid as in a heat pipe. With appropriate selection of the working fluid, a wide range of temperatures is possible. Air convection currents at the radiation-emitting opening of the device may be suppressed by creation of a transition region of heated air by a baffle and air heater, further improving the temperature uniformity of the radiation-emitting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Inventor: Peter Albert Materna
  • Patent number: 6376812
    Abstract: In a sake/milk heating process, the field of view of an infrared sensor is moved by a predetermined pattern in a heating chamber as an initial search. When the field of view is fixed after the initial search, if the temperature variation of an object within the field of view after a predetermined time has passed is equal to or lower than a specified value, various determinations are made, and the field of view of the infrared sensor is again moved in the heating chamber as a re-search. Thus, even if the field of view is fixed at a position where no food item is placed for some reason in the initial search, the field of view will not be fixed in the incorrect position and can be moved again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Morito Yamada, Kazuo Taino, Kiyoshi Hiejima, Haruo Sakai, Hiroyuki Uehashi
  • Patent number: 6355913
    Abstract: An overheating protection system for a spa and the spa's associated equipment. Elements include: a heating element for heating the spa's water, an infrared sensor for detecting the amount of infrared radiation emitted by the heating element, a heating element deactivation device electrically connected to the heating element and the infrared sensor, wherein the heating element deactivation device is for deactivating the heating element. In a preferred embodiment, the heating element deactivation device is an electric circuit comprising a comparator circuit and a control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Gecko Electronique, Inc.
    Inventors: Michel Authier, Benoit Laflamme
  • Publication number: 20020005402
    Abstract: A chafing or warming dish construction typically used for buffet serving of comestibles having user sensing means which automatically opens and closes an overlying cover depending upon the presence of the user at a serving table. In a disclosed embodiment, the cover is arranged for pivotal rotation about a pair of aligned pintles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2001
    Publication date: January 17, 2002
    Inventor: Robert Haber
  • Patent number: 6333493
    Abstract: Disclosed is a heat treating method for heating a target substrate by means of light irradiation, in which a light irradiation treatment is applied to the target substrate a plurality of times such that adjacent light irradiated regions on the target substrate partially overlap with each other and that the adjacent light irradiated regions do not overlap with each other in the light irradiating periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hideaki Sakurai, Shinichi Ito, Iwao Higashikawa, Akitoshi Kumagae
  • Publication number: 20010052517
    Abstract: It is difficult to keep a wafer at a prescribed temperature in epitaxial growth and etching, leading to a possibility of variations in quality, but a thermal processing apparatus according to the present invention has a learning-modifying means in a controlling means to learn and modify an output s1 from a radiation thermometer based on the output s1 from the radiation thermometer, a supplied electric energy P to a heating means, and an output s2 from a radiation thermometer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2001
    Publication date: December 20, 2001
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Nakagawa, Shizuka Tateishi
  • Publication number: 20010038005
    Abstract: An optical radiation measurement apparatus is provided. The apparatus has at least one radiation detector for measuring electromagnetic radiation emitted from at least two radiation sources. Separate radiation channels are provided in a channel member in order to provide a radiation path between the radiation sources and the radiation detector, which is common to all of the radiation sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 1998
    Publication date: November 8, 2001
    Applicant: Robert W. Becker
    Inventor: MARKUS HAUF
  • Patent number: 6279660
    Abstract: A well assembly for extracting production fluids from at least one production zone of at least one well includes a production pipe for transporting fluid downstream to a surface, a packer for defining the production zone, and a fiber optic sensor package disposed substantially adjacent to a downstream side of the packer. The fiber optic sensor package measures parameters of the production fluid and communicates these parameters to the surface to determine composition of the production fluid entering the production pipe through each production zone. The production pipe has a zone opening for allowing the production fluid to enter the production pipe and a control valve for controlling the amount of production fluid flowing downstream from each production zone. The production pipe control valve is adjusted to optimize fluid production from the particular production zone of the well based on fluid parameters measured by the fiber optic sensor package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Cidra Corporation
    Inventor: Arthur D. Hay
  • Patent number: 6259073
    Abstract: To provide a temperature control wherein a controller provided at a secondary side of a transformer can control a temperature of a heat roller which includes a heat generating sheet. An operational amplifier 161 compares a potential V with a reference potential Vr, and outputs a comparison result. The potential V corresponds to temperature of the heat roller which is detected by a thermistor 171. The reference potential Vr corresponds to a control signal received from a CPU 71 through photo-transistor-couplers PC1 to PCn. The comparison result is input to the CPU 71 through a photo-transistor-coupler 171. The CPU 71 controls ON/OFF of a fixing heater 15a through a photo-TRIAC-coupler 93. Because the photo-transistor-couplers and the photo-TRIAC-coupler can transmit signals without relying on electrical conductivity, the above temperature control can be performed while the fixing heater 15a, a TRIAC 95, and the thermistor are provided at a primary side of a transformer 121, and the CPU 71 at a secondary side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsumi Inukai
  • Publication number: 20010001463
    Abstract: A heating apparatus for performing heat treatment on a wafer applied with a resist before or after exposure includes a heating plate for heating a wafer which is placed on the heating plate, a light intensity detecting apparatus for irradiating light on the wafer to detect intensity of reflected light from the resist on the wafer, and a control section for controlling heating performed by the heating plate on the basis of the detected intensity of reflected light so that heating amount applied to a plurality of wafers becomes constant. Accordingly, the heating amount of the wafer can be controlled to be constant and variations in dimension of resist patterns can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2000
    Publication date: May 24, 2001
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Kei Hayasaki, Shinichi Ito, Kenji Kawano
  • Patent number: 6194691
    Abstract: This invention provides a method of manufacturing a wafer heating furnace having a desired heating distribution with less trials and errors by predicting heating distributions in the process of designing the heating furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Habuka, Toru Otsuka
  • Patent number: 6191392
    Abstract: A method is provide for measuring electromagnetic radiation radiated from a surface of an object that is irradiated by electromagnetic radiation given off by at least one radiation source. The radiation given off by the radiation source is determined by at least one first detector, and the radiation given off by the irradiated object is determined by at least one second detector that measures the radiation. The radiation from the at least one radiation source is actively modulated with at least one characteristic parameter. The radiation determined by the second detector is corrected with the radiation determined by the first detector to compensate for the radiation of the radiation source reflected from the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Steag AST Elektronik GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Hauf, Thomas Knarr, Heinrich Walk, Horst Balthasar, Uwe Müller