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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7370834 | Apparatus and methods for in-space satellite operations Apparatus and methods for performing satellite proximity operations such as inspection, recovery and life extension of a target satellite through operation of a “Satellite Inspection Recovery and Extension” (“SIRE”) spacecraft which can be operated in the fo... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7333191 | Scanning probe microscope and measurement method using the same A scanning probe microscope has a cantilever with a probe facing a sample and a measurement section for measuring a physical quantity occurring between the probe and the sample when the probe scans a surface of the sample, holding the physical quantity constant to m... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7315360 | Surface coordinate system A method for creating a reference for a first position on a substrate edge. A first reference point is selected relative to a circumference of the substrate edge, and a second reference point is selected relative to a bevel of the substrate edge. A first distance al... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7312861 | Method and apparatus for measuring the angular orientation between two surfaces A device and method are disclosed that measure the relative angular orientation between two surfaces. Two frames are mounted on the two surfaces to be measured. One frame has a collimated light source and a measuring scale. The other frame has a mirror. The collimat... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7305747 | Tap process for hard workpieces A process and apparatus for producing screw threads in hard material workpieces with a series of taps. The present invention employs a threaded bore formed in a bracket assembly to align and position multiple taps on a rotary machine. The taps are used in sequence t... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7293338 | Tap process for hard workpieces A process and apparatus for producing screw threads in hard material workpieces with a series of taps. The present invention employs a threaded bore formed in a bracket assembly to align and position multiple taps on a rotary machine. The taps are used in sequence t... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7280200 | Detection of a wafer edge using collimated light A system and method of inspecting a semiconductor wafer that may be employed to detect and to characterize defects occurring on an edge of the wafer. The wafer inspection system includes an optical module for providing a light source to scan the wafer edge, a light ... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7277155 | Exposure apparatus and method A production method of a semiconductor device which includes the steps of exposing a resist coated on a substrate of a semiconductor device by projecting a first light pattern on the substrate of the semiconductor device the first light pattern being formed by passi... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7239399 | Pick and place machine with component placement inspection Improved component placement inspection and verification is performed by a pick and place machine. Improvements include stereovision imaging of the intended placement location; enhanced illumination to facilitate the provision of relatively high-power illumination i... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7238935 | Light detection device A light detection device for detecting an optical path position of invisible light. The detection device includes a main body and a light guide. The light guide includes a distal end functioning as a light incident portion through which the detected light enters and... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7207525 | Apparatus for grasping objects in space A remotely controlled apparatus for grasping an object such as a satellite in space includes a free-flying grasper unit connected by a selectively extendable cable to an orbital platform. The orbital platform and the grasper unit are preferably each independently pr... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7188348 | Optical disc drive apparatus and method An optical pickup unit (OPU) includes a moveable structure that is moved by a voice coil motor component in response to an input signal. The moveable structure includes a pattern that is moved corresponding to the input signal. An encoder reads the pattern to genera... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7187305 | Encoder for a motor controller An encoder in a motor system measures radial movement and translational movement of a disk with a single integrated sensor disposed on a microprocessor chip. The encoder measures position information and eccentric movement of the disk by the integrated sensor. The m... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7099000 | Laser leveling apparatus A laser levelling apparatus includes a platform, a base assembly, a body assembly, a head assembly and a laser assembly. The body assembly is rotatable about a body axis relative to the base assembly, the head assembly is rotatably supported by the body and rotatabl... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7077001 | Measurement of coupled aerodynamic stability and damping derivatives in a wind tunnel An apparatus for measuring coupled aerodynamic stability and damping derivatives of an object, such as a missile, towed decoy, etc. in a wind tunnel. The object is mounted on a bearing in the wind tunnel and contains an instrumentation package which provides a plura... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7001830 | System and method of pattern recognition and metrology structure for an X-initiative layout design The present invention relates to inspection methods and systems utilized to provide a best means for inspection of a wafer. The methods and systems include wafer-to-reticle alignment, layer-to-layer alignment and wafer surface feature inspection. The wafer-to-reticl... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6969030 | Spacecraft docking mechanism The present invention provides a docking mechanism that is capable of interfacing with Apogee Boost Motors (ABM) including Liquid Apogee Motors (LAM) of the satellite being captured to allow a servicing spacecraft to dock with a satellite that has no special docking... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6948898 | Alignment of semiconductor wafers and other articles A wafer or some other article is aligned while being held by an end-effector. ... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6935830 | Alignment of semiconductor wafers and other articles A wafer or some other article is aligned while being held by an end-effector. ... | 08/30/2005 |
| 6932672 | APPARATUS FOR IN-SITU OPTICAL ENDPOINTING ON WEB-FORMAT PLANARIZING MACHINES IN MECHANICAL OR CHEMICAL-MECHANICAL PLANARIZATION OF MICROELECTRONIC-DEVICE SUBSTRATE ASSEMBLIES AND METHODS FOR MAKING AND USING SAME Polishing pads, planarizing machines and methods for mechanical and/or chemical-mechanical planarization of microelectronic-device substrate assemblies. The polishing pads, for example, can be web-format pads, and the planarizing machines can be web-format machines.... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6922483 | Methods for measuring DMD low frequency spatial uniformity Methods for measuring the low spatial reflectivity uniformity of a DMD spatial light modulator. These methods are unique since they compensate for the non-uniformities introduced by the tilt angle of the DMD mirrors in addition to the normal system non-uniformities ... | 07/26/2005 |
| 6909515 | Multiple source alignment sensor with improved optics Features of the present invention provide an optical layout that can accommodate the relatively strict enclosure requirements for compact component alignment sensor. Specifically, aspects of the present invention provide a single optical component that reduces the d... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6901682 | Rotation angle detecting apparatus and its rotary disc A rotary disc made of synthetic resin has a fixed portion fixed to a rotary shaft, a cylindrical portion extending in the thrust direction from the outer peripheral edge of the fixed portion, and a disc main body portion extending in the radial direction from the lo... | 06/07/2005 |
| 6867854 | Liquid to solid angle of contact measurement A liquid to solid material surface contact angle measurement system operating by way of detecting a transition in the behavior of a liquid sample with the solid material in a changing angular confinement environment along with use of a mathematical algorithm to then... | 03/15/2005 |
| 6765662 | Surface analysis A method and apparatus for estimating the adhesion properties of a surface of an article by holding the article so that the surface is facing downwards and placing a droplet of liquid against the surface. The volume of the droplet is incremented until the droplet re... | 07/20/2004 |
| 6674521 | Optical method and system for rapidly measuring relative angular alignment of flat surfaces A reconfigurable optical method and system for rapidly measuring relative angular alignment of flat surfaces are provided. The method and system can be used to rapidly and simultaneously measure the relative angular alignment of machined flat surfaces of ... | 01/06/2004 |
| 6628378 | Methods and apparatus for aligning rolls Apparatus and methods for aligning rolls, wherein a first structure, for being associated with a first roll, and a second structure, for being associated with a second roll are provided. A laser is associated with one of the two structures and a target is... | 09/30/2003 |
| 6612702 | Projection display device The invention accurately sets a polarization direction of a polarization element, and prevents deterioration of the usage efficiency of the light and a reduction in image contrast. Field lenses are provided on a projection display device. A polarizer is p... | 09/02/2003 |
| 6559955 | Straightness measuring apparatus for moving stage An apparatus for measuring rectilinear motion and rotation angle errors of a rectilinearly moving body having a horizontal, parallel two-surface mirror positioned in a horizontal plane and including two reflection mirrors whose reflection surfaces face ea... | 05/06/2003 |
| 6476914 | Process and device for ascertaining whether two successive shafts are in alignment The effectiveness of a method for checking for exact alignment of two successive shafts, axles or the like is improved by the fact the no measures with respect to linearization or temperature compensation are necessary any longer by using a light-sensitiv... | 11/05/2002 |
| 6407806 | Angle compensation method An angle compensation method compensates for the angle of the light-receiving surface of a photodiode disposed in an inclination detection device. The light-receiving surface is divided into four parts by an a-axis and a b-axis disposed perpendicular to e... | 06/18/2002 |
| 6404485 | Rotation amount detecting system of deflection mirror for optical disc drive Disclosed is a rotation amount detecting system for detecting a rotation amount of a deflection mirror, which is rotatable about an rotation axis, employed in an optical disc drive. The rotation amount detecting system is provided with a light emitting sy... | 06/11/2002 |
| 6351313 | Device for detecting the position of two bodies A device for detecting six components of the relative motion of two bodies during a primarily two-dimensional translatory basic motion is described. The device has a plate which is provided with a two-dimensional, optical grating, and which is equipped wi... | 02/26/2002 |
| 5861946 | System for performing contact angle measurements of a substrate A system is provided for positioning a substrate having a surface required to be characterized with a contact angle measurement. The system includes a stage which supports the substrate and a dispenser assembly having a dispensing tip through which a liqu... | 01/19/1999 |
| 5852300 | Device for sensing a flat zone of a wafer for use in a wafer probe tester A sensing device, for installation in a wafer probe tester for sorting wafers according to the quality thereof, includes a main body for mounting on the wafer probe tester, an upper member and a lower member extending from the main body to define an open ... | 12/22/1998 |
| 5838445 | Method and apparatus for determining surface roughness A method for monitoring surface roughness by applying a controlled amount of liquid onto a specimen surface to form a liquid protrusion. The diameter or area of the a liquid protrusion is measured and correlated to surface roughness. In an alternative emb... | 11/17/1998 |
| 5815256 | Apparatus and method for measuring in-plane distribution of surface free energy In an apparatus and method for measuring in-plane distribution of surface free energy, a target substrate is immersed in a liquid, and a parameter representing a state of meniscus to be formed at an intersection area of a target surface with a surface of ... | 09/29/1998 |
| 5659389 | Non-intrusive throttle body calibration A system for calibrating production throttle bodies in which a throttle body (18) is mounted in a fixture (16) and light is transmitted by a light source (12) through the throttle body main bore (20) onto a translucent screen (22). A camera (14) senses th... | 08/19/1997 |
| 5648847 | Method and apparatus for normalizing a laser beam to a reflective surface In an etch monitor system, a method and apparatus for adjusting the angle of incidence to normal between a laser beam and a reflective surface, such as a silicon wafer, includes a rotatable mirror having a pinhole formed therethrough, the rotatable mirror... | 07/15/1997 |
| 5644400 | Method and apparatus for determining the center and orientation of a wafer-like object A device and method for determining the center and orientation of a circular workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer. A beam of light from a light emitting diode is nearly collimated by a collimation lens before being reflected by a conical mirror. After ... | 07/01/1997 |
