Tencor Instruments

Somnus Medical Technologies, Inc.

Other

Somnus Medical Technology, Inc.

Franklin R Koenig

Robin B Bek

Bruno Strul

Armand P Neukermans

Boris Klots

George J Kren

Gautam Bhargava

Peter Ham

John L Vaught

Radhakrishna Hari

Gerry Perham

David Wills

Herman F Keldermann

A load balancing technology segregates various inventory types (e.g., potatoes vs. milk, vs. pretzels, vs. tissue paper, etc.) based upon how frequently they are ordered in a distribution center. Inventory types that are ordered at the slowest rate are not 'replicated' over multiple pods in the distribution center. Rather, they are constrained to reside at a single pod within the distribution center. Items that are ordered somewhat more frequently than those in the slowest group are replicated in multiple pods across the distribution center. In other words, these items are separately stocked at locations on more than one pod in the distribution center. This means that a container passing through the distribution center can obtain each of the items in the second group of item types at multiple pods in the distribution center. Thus, these items do not create a bottleneck in the order fulfillment process. Inventory types in a third group, the fastest movers, are segregated from items in the first two groups. They are stored in a separate type of pod that fulfills orders even faster than the other type of pods.

Inventory replication based upon order fulfillment rates

Method and apparatus for impedance measurement in a multi-channel electro-surgical generator

Dual processor architecture for electro generator

Method and apparatus for power measurement in radio frequency electro-surgical generators

A method and apparatus for delivery of energy by an electro-surgical instrument to a surgical site is disclosed. The apparatus delivers power to electrodes of an electro-surgical instrument during an operation performed at a surgical site. The apparatus includes a processor and a plurality of power delivery channels. The processor signals the onset of an impedance interval and a heating interval. The processor determines a target value of a control parameter to be delivered to a corresponding one of the electrodes. The plurality of power delivery channels are each coupled to the processor and to a corresponding electrode. Each of the power delivery channels responsive to signaling from the processor transitions between the impedance interval and the heating interval. Each of the power delivery channels measures, during the impedance interval, an impedance associated with a delivery of energy to the surgical site by a corresponding electrode. Each of the power delivery channels, during the heating interval, minimizes a difference between a measured value of a control parameter and the target value of the control parameter determined by the processor, to deliver the energy to the surgical site. In an alternate embodiment of the invention a method for controlling power delivery in an electro-surgical instrument is disclosed. In an alternate embodiment of the invention a method for controlling power delivery in an electro-surgical instrument is disclosed. In an alternate embodiment of the invention a method for controlling power delivery in an electro-surgical instrument is disclosed.

Linear power control with digital phase lock

A particle detection on a periodic patterned surface is achieved in a method and apparatus using a single light beam scanning at a shallow angle over the surface. The surface contains a plurality of identical die with streets between die. The beam scans parallel to a street direction, while a light collection system collects light scattered from the surface with a constant solid angle. The position of the collection system as well as the polarization of the light beam and collected scattered light may be arranged to maximize the particle signal compared to the pattern signal. A detector produces an electrical signal corresponding to the intensity of scattered light that is colelcted. A processor constructs templates from the electrical signal corresponding to individual die and compares the templates to identify particles. A reference template is constantly updated so that comparisons are between adjacent die. In one embodiment, the templates are made up of registered positions where the signal crosses a threshold, and the comparison is between corresponding positions to eliminate periodic pattern features, leaving only positions representing particles.

Particle detection on patterned wafers and the like

A system for finding the orientation of a substantially circular disk shaped wafer with at least one flat region on an edge thereof, in which the wafer is spun one 360 degree turn on a chuck and the edge position is measured by a linear array to obtain a set of data points at various wafer orientations. The rotation axis may differ from the wafer center by an unknown eccentricity. The flat angle is found by fitting a cosine curve to the data, subtracting the expected data derived from the cosine curve from the actual data to obtain a deviation. The angle of maximum deviation of the data from the cosine curve is a first estimate of the flat angle. The estimate may be corrected for errors due to a finite number of data points and wafer eccentricity by calculating an adjustment angle from data points on the wafer flat. After determining the flat angle, the wafer is spun to the desired orientation. The wafer eccentricity may be calculated from four of the data points located away from the flat edge region, and the wafer is then centered.

Edge finding in wafers

A gauge for measuring variations in distance of a surface relative to a reference by means of phase shifts in a zone of high acoustic impedance. A gauge head is provided with a first orifice for emitting acoustic waves, driven by a reference signal, toward a surface positioned very close to the gauge head, forming a high impedance zone. A second orifice in the gauge head picks up acoustic waves subjected to the zone and these waves are converted to electrical signals for comparison to the reference signal in a phase detector. The phase error between the two signals is indicative of surface distance variations.

Acoustic method and apparatus for measuring micron and submicron

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Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Franklin R Koenig