International Business Machines Corporation

John A Rudy

David Clifford Long

Raschid Jose Bezama

Jason Scott Miller

William W Harkins

Benjamin Paul Tongue

Christopher E Pepe

Rebekah M Keyser

Brian J Wazewski

Ronald M Rothkranz

A method of controlling a quantity of non-process of record (POR) process limiting yield (PLY) inspections in wafer processing includes setting aside planned capacity for non-POR work, upon receipt of a request for non-POR work, estimating a time required for completion of the request and comparing the estimated time against a remainder of the set aside planned capacity, approving the request in an event the comparison indicates that the estimated time is available in the set aside planned capacity and rejecting the request in an event the comparison indicates that the estimated time is not available in the set aside planned capacity.

Controlling non-process of record (POR) process limiting yield (PLY) inspection work

A method and apparatus for the rapid cooling of screen masks used in the fabrication of semiconductor components is provided. The method and apparatus use a specially designed cooling plate which is contacted with a mask frame holding the screening mask. After a heated cleaning step which cleans the mask frame and screening mask of metal paste used in the screening operation, the cooling plate having one or more concave lower surfaces contacts the upper surfaces of the mask frame and bends the mask frame in the shape of the concave surfaces. This ensures intimate contact between the cooling plate and mask frame and enhances the thermal efficiency of the cooling step.

Method and apparatus for rapid cooling of metal screening masks

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Port Chester, NY, United States of America

John A Rudy