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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7776229 | Glass substrate provided with transparent electrodes and process for its production An object is to provide a process for producing a glass substrate provided with transparent electrodes, whereby in the case of producing a glass substrate provided with transparent electrodes by a laser patterning method, no scratches are formed on the surface of th... | 08/17/2010 |
| 7481945 | Polishing progress monitoring method and device thereof, polishing device, semiconductor device production method, and semiconductor device During the polishing of a wafer 2, the wafer 2 is illuminated with measuring light emitted from a light source 21, and the spectroscopic intensity of the reflected light is detected by a linear sensor 31. The signal processing part 11 | 01/27/2009 |
| 7371686 | Method and apparatus for polishing a semiconductor device A method and an apparatus for polishing a semiconductor wafer are provided. An initial thickness of the semiconductor wafer is actually measured to obtain a measured initial thickness value. First and second inter-positions are then set or determined with reference ... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7361600 | Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having a built-in inspection apparatus and a device manufacturing method using said manufacturing apparatus According to the present invention, a chemical and mechanical polishing apparatus (100) for a sample such as a wafer includes a built-in inspection apparatus (25) incorporated therein. The polishing apparatus (100) further comprises a load unit ... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7361601 | Chemical mechanical polish process and method for improving accuracy of determining polish endpoint thereof A method for improving accuracy of determining polish endpoint of chemical mechanical polish (CMP) process is provided. The method is performed before the CMP process. First, a test wafer with a to-be-polished layer and a material layer under the to-be-polished laye... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7354733 | Method for sorting and separating living cells We disclose methods of sorting or separating mixtures of living cells (e.g., eukaryotic, prokaryotic, mammalian, pathogenic, bacterial, viral, etc.). We perform our methods by activating cell-selective photophoric labels, which photosensitize and chemically reduce a... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7351349 | Method and apparatus for real-time dynamic chemical analysis Methods and apparatus for real-time dynamic analysis of a chemical etching process are provided. The apparatus comprises an optical element (36) operative to pass a beam of electromagnetic radiation at least at two points in time through a liquid phase (42... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7351348 | Evaporation control using coating A novel arrangement and method for depositing evaporation control agents so as to coat immersion lithographic solutions which are employed on the surface of semiconductor wafers in connection with the etching of the surfaces of the wafer through the intermediary of ... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7341502 | Methods and systems for planarizing workpieces, e.g., microelectronic workpieces Planarizing workpieces, e.g., microelectronic workpieces, can employ a process indicator which is adapted to change an optical property in response to a planarizing condition. This process indicator may, for example, change color in response to reaching a particular... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7332438 | Methods and systems for monitoring a parameter of a measurement device during polishing, damage to a specimen during polishing, or a characteristic of a polishing pad or tool Methods and systems for monitoring a parameter of a measurement device during polishing, damage to a specimen during polishing, a characteristic of a polishing pad, or a characteristic of a polishing tool are provided. One method includes scanning a specimen with a ... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7315642 | System and method for measuring thin film thickness variations and for compensating for the variations A method for measuring thin film thickness variations of inspected wafer that includes an upper non-opaque thin film. The method including (i) scanning the wafer and obtain wafer image that includes die images each of which composed of pixels, (ii) identifying regio... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7312154 | Method of polishing a semiconductor-on-insulator structure A method of polishing a semiconductor layer formed on a transparent substrate is described, the method including measuring the thickness of the semiconductor from the substrate side of the semiconductor layer simultaneously with the polishing, and using the thicknes... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7279425 | Polishing method A polishing technique wherein scratches, peeling, dishing and erosion are suppressed, a complex cleaning process and slurry supply/processing equipment are not required, and the cost of consumable items such as slurries and polishing pads is reduced. A metal film fo... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7229566 | Position detecting method and apparatus A two-dimensional image of an alignment mark 30 is acquired by an alignment scope 15 at step S61, and the two-dimensional image acquired at step S61 is converted to a light-intensity signal line by line at step S62. A selection as ... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7220164 | Advanced finishing control An apparatus and method of using an in situ finishing information for finishing workpieces and semiconductor wafers are described. The method uses operative sensors such as friction sensors for detecting and improving control during finishing. The method can aid con... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7217371 | Optical control interface between controller and process chamber The present invention relates to interfacing new sensors to incumbent controls. In particular, it relates to optically interfacing a new sensor, such as a spectrometer with plasma generator, to an incumbent electro-optical sensor. Logic and resources to control acti... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7199053 | Method for detecting end-point of chemical mechanical polishing process Disclosed is a method for detecting an end-point of a CMP process of a semiconductor device. More specifically, when all polishing processes are performed using a nitride film as a polishing barrier film, a buffer layer including nitrogen is formed on the nitride fi... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7196011 | Apparatus and method for treating substrates The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish, and more particularly to a polishing apparatus having a workpiece transfer robot for transferring a workpiece from one operation t... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7182669 | Methods and systems for planarizing workpieces, e.g., microelectronic workpieces Planarizing workpieces, e.g., microelectronic workpieces, can employ a process indicator that is adapted to change an optical property in response to a planarizing condition. This process indicator may, for example, change color in response to reaching a particular ... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7177019 | Apparatus for imaging metrology This invention is an apparatus for imaging metrology, which in particular embodiments may be integrated with a processor station such that a metrology station is apart from but coupled to a process station. The metrology station is provided with a first imaging came... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7174077 | Fiber coupled laser diodes with even illumination pattern An optical fiber for evenly illuminating a target. The optical fiber is coupled to a laser emitting diode and receives laser light. The laser light travels through the fiber optic and exits at an exit end. The exit end has a diffractive optical pattern formed thereo... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7165560 | Etching method, etching apparatus, and method for manufacturing semiconductor device In order to reliably remove, by wet etching, a compound containing a metal and silicon, e.g., a silicate (101a) containing hafnium metal, the silicate (101a) is oxidized and then the oxidized silicate (101a) is wet-etched. | 01/23/2007 |
| 7161689 | Apparatus and method for processing a microelectronic workpiece using metrology A processing apparatus for processing a microelectronic workpiece includes a metrology unit and a control, signal-connected to the metrology unit. The control can modify a process recipe or a process sequence of the processing apparatus based on a feed forward or a ... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7160479 | Method and apparatus for evaluating panel drip tests The apparatus for quantifying effectiveness of solvent to clean a coating from a substrate using a drip test includes a test stand, a drip test device, and a computer associated with the stand and test device. The test stand is adapted to support a glass panel at a ... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7156717 | situ finishing aid control A method of using finishing aids for advanced finishing control is described. A finishing surface is used generally to induce frictional wear. The finishing aids with preferred in situ control can improve control of the coefficient of friction, the tangential force ... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7141179 | Monitoring semiconductor wafer defects below one nanometer The invention describes a method to facilitate the use of low-sensitivity monitoring equipment for detecting and monitoring defects on the surface of semiconductor wafers. The method includes the use of a hydrofluoric acid solution for increasing the dimensions of a... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7132367 | Polishing method A polishing technique wherein scratches, peeling, dishing and erosion are suppressed, a complex cleaning process and slurry supply/processing equipment are not required, and the cost of consumable items such as slurries and polishing pads is reduced A metal film for... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7131890 | In situ finishing control An apparatus and method of using a in situ finishing information for finishing semiconductor wafers is described. The method uses operative sensors such as friction sensors for detecting and improving control during finishing. The method can aid control of finishing... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7083741 | Process and device for the wet-chemical treatment of silicon A device and process for the wet-chemical treatment of silicon using an etching liquid that contains water, nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid. The etching liquid is activated by introducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) into the etching liquid, before being used f... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7077974 | Fine-dimension masks and related processes A method of making, and the resultant mask, comprises developing resist layers over surfaces of a masking layer to transfer significantly reduced sized openings within glass masters attached to the surfaces of the masking layer into the resist layers. These signific... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7070702 | Pattern formation method using light-induced suppression of etching A method of selectively etching a substrate (1) comprises applying etchant (4) at a surface of the substrate and illuminating an area of the surface with light from a light source (7), whereby etching is at least partially inhibited in the illum... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7066788 | Electronic die positioning device and method An autocollimator is relied upon to orient an electronic die such that its frontside is parallel to a polishing surface. The polishing device is configured such that a beam of light that is projected by the autocollimator is able to reflect off of the backside surfa... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7063747 | Coating control system for use on a spherical object A coating control system and method for monitoring and potentially adjusting system at least one spray property at various stages of the painting process, thereby also providing an efficient set-up and monitoring process involving less manual labor, less waste, and ... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7042564 | Wafer inspection methods and an optical inspection tool A method of inspecting a plurality of wafers in an optical inspection tool. The method includes the steps of generating a reference wafer and polishing the reference wafer in a chemical mechanical polishing process following a metal deposition process such that the ... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7042580 | Apparatus for imaging metrology This invention is an apparatus for imaging metrology, which in particular embodiments may be integrated with a processor station such that a metrology station is apart from but coupled to a process station. The metrology station is provided with a first imaging came... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7026255 | Method and device for photo-electrochemically etching a semiconductor sample, especially gallium nitride In a method for photo-electrochemical etching of a semiconductor sample, the semiconductor sample is brought in contact with an electrolyte liquid. The contact area formed thereby is illuminated through the electrolyte liquid with UV light. The photo-current created... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7019850 | Method and system for thin film characterization A method and system are presented for optical measurements in multi-layer structures to determine the properties of at least some of the layers. The structure is patterned by removing layer materials within a measurement site of the structure from the top layer to t... | 03/28/2006 |
| 7016790 | In-line hot-wire sensor for slurry monitoring An in-line hot-wire sensor for monitoring the mixing and the flow rate of slurry is disclosed. The hot-wire sensor may include a number of resistors organized into a Wheatstone bridge, as well as a frequency-domain transform mechanism. The resistors include a hot-wi... | 03/21/2006 |
| 7007950 | Paper feeding apparatus for image forming apparatus and controlling method thereof An apparatus and method feed paper in an image forming apparatus. The paper feeding apparatus in an image forming apparatus includes: a pick-up roller rotated by a pick-up motor, to pick up a paper; a driving roller and a feeding roller rotated respectively by a lin... | 03/07/2006 |
| 7008300 | Advanced wafer refining A refining apparatus having magnetically responsive refining elements that can be smaller than the workpiece being refined are disclosed. The refining apparatus can supply a parallel refining motion to the refining element(s) through magnetic coupling forces. The re... | 03/07/2006 |
