Applied Materials, Inc.

Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.

Ralph M Wadensweiler

Liang-Yuh Chen

Alain Duboust

Stan D Tsai

Paul D Butterfield

Rashid Mavliev

Manoocher Birang

Yan Wang

Christina J Shuh

Feng Quan Liu

Yuchun Wang

Antoine P Manens

Daniel A Carl

Shou-Sung Chang

Lizhong Sun

Donald J K Olgado

Siew Neo

Kyle R Miller

Yonqi Hu

Scott E Manzo

Ratson Morad

Yongqi Hu

Jeffrey A Smith

Glenn C Stante

Mark Palmer

Ming-Kuei Tseng

Markus Rheinwald

Paul J Floyd

Ben Schoettgen

Ajay Kumar

Lakshmanan Karuppiah

You Wang

Shashank C Deshmukh

Rick Endo

Rolf A Guenther

Jie Diao

Hubert Stein

Renhe Jia

Weinan Jiang

Alexander S Ko

Robert A Ewald

Liang-Yun Chen

Rosemary Cole

A support apparatus for a medical device includes a first sleeve, a second sleeve, and a flexible contact member. The first sleeve is configured to be coupled to a first tool member of an end effector assembly that includes the first tool member, a second tool member, and a clevis, in which the first and second tool members are each rotatably coupled to the clevis such that second tool member can be moved relative to the first tool member between a first and a second orientation. The second sleeve is configured to be coupled to the second tool member. The flexible contact member is coupled to the first sleeve and the second sleeve, and is configured be moved between a collapsed configuration when the second tool member is in the first orientation and an expanded configuration when the second tool member is in the second orientation.

Support apparatus for a medical retractor device

A surgical instrument comprises a pair of jaw members comprising a first jaw member comprising a groove along a length portion of the first jaw member, the groove extending from a gripping surface of the first jaw member in a first direction, and a slot along the length portion of the first jaw member and extending from the groove in a second direction, the second direction being different than the first direction. The instrument further comprises a cutting element comprising a first edge engaged with the groove and translatable along the groove; and a retaining feature coupled to the first edge of the cutting element and engaged with the slot, the retaining feature remains engaged with the slot throughout a range of translation of the cutting element. The cutting element is translatable along the groove independently from a movement of the pair of jaw members between open and closed positions.

Surgical instrument with retaining feature for cutting element

A medical device includes a clevis, a first blade, a second blade, and a tension member. The first and second blades are rotatably coupled to the clevis. The first blade includes a first coupling portion. The tension member is coupled to the first blade and applies a torque to the first blade to rotate the first blade about the clevis between a first, second, and third orientation. The second blade includes a second coupling portion. The second coupling portion is coupled to the first coupling portion such that A) the second blade remains in a fixed position relative to the clevis when the first blade is between the first and second orientation, and B) rotation of the first retractor blade between the second and third orientation transfers at least a portion of the torque to the second retractor blade causing rotation of the second blade about the clevis.

Medical devices having multiple blades and methods of use

According to an exemplary aspect, a tool for installing and/or removing a protective cover of an instrument includes a body portion having an open end and a closed end. The open end defines an interior passage that extends into the body portion along a longitudinal axis of the body portion toward the closed end of the body portion. The interior passage is configured to receive at least a portion of the protective cover in the interior passage. One or more members are connected to the body portion, and each of the one or more members includes a free end movable relative to the body portion. Systems and methods relate to tools for installing and/or removing protective covers of instruments.

Protective cover installation and removal tool, systems, and methods

A surgical instrument comprises an end effector coupled to a distal end of a shaft. The end effector comprises a pair of jaw members configured to be moved relative to each other between open and closed positions, and a cutting element configured to cut material gripped between the jaw members. The cutting element is further configured to translate between and along a lengthwise direction of the jaw members. The cutting element and a first jaw member comprise complementary retaining features that cooperate to retain the cutting element in a position held by the first jaw member throughout a range of motion of the jaw members between the open and the closed position.

Tool for installation and/or removal of instrument tip cover

Embodiments of the invention generally provide a method and apparatus for processing a substrate in an electrochemical mechanical planarizing system. In one embodiment, a cell for polishing a substrate includes a processing pad disposed on a top surface of a platen assembly. A plurality of conductive elements are arranged in a spaced-apart relation across the upper planarizing surface and adapted to bias the substrate relative to an electrode disposed between the pad and the platen assembly. A plurality of passages are formed through the platen assembly between the top surface and a plenum defined within the platen assembly. In another embodiment, a system is provided having a bulk processing cell and a residual processing cell. The residual processing cell includes a biased conductive planarizing surface. In further embodiments, the conductive element is protected from attack by process chemistries.

Method and apparatus for electrochemical mechanical processing

A method and apparatus for a processing pad assembly for polishing a substrate is disclosed. The processing pad assembly has a conductive processing pad having a plurality of raised features made of a conductive composite disposed on a conductive carrier. The raised features are adapted to polish the feature surface of a substrate and define channels therebetween. The conductive processing pad may have lower features made of a conductive composite that extend into the sub-pad from the conductive carrier. The conductive processing pad is adhered to a sub-pad bound to an opposing conductive layer and the opposing conductive layer bound to a platen assembly.

Conductive pad

Embodiments of a polishing article for polishing a substrate are provided. In one embodiment, the polishing article includes an annular upper layer made of a dielectric material coupled to an annular lower layer made of a conductive material, and an annular subpad sandwiched between the annular upper layer and the annular lower layer forming a replaceable assembly therewith.

Conductive polishing article for electrochemical mechanical polishing

Embodiments of a ball assembly are provided. In one embodiment, a ball assembly includes a housing, a ball, a conductive adapter and a contact element. The housing has an annular seat extending into a first end of an interior passage. The conductive adapter is coupled to a second end of the housing. The contact element electrically couples the adapter and the ball with is retained in the housing between seat and the adapter.

An article of manufacture and apparatus are provided for processing a substrate surface. In one aspect, an article of manufacture is provided for polishing a substrate including polishing article comprising a body having at least a partially conductive polishing surface. An electrode is disposed below the polishing surface having a dielectric material therebetween. A plurality of apertures may be formed in the polishing surface and the dielectric material to at least partially expose the electrode to the polishing surface. A membrane may be disposed between the electrode and the polishing surface that is permeable to ions and current to promote continuity between the electrode and the polishing surface.

Conductive pad with ion exchange membrane for electrochemical mechanical polishing

An article of manufacture and apparatus are provided for planarizing a substrate surface. In one aspect, an article of manufacture is provided for polishing a substrate including polishing article comprising a body having at least a partially conductive surface adapted to polish the substrate. A plurality of perforations may be formed in the polishing article for flow of material therethrough. An electrode is also exposed to the polishing surface by at least a portion of the plurality of perforations. The article of manufacture may also include a polishing surface having a plurality of grooves, wherein a portion of the plurality of grooves intersect with a portion of the plurality of perforations.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a passive substrate gripper, including first and second segments, is provided. The second segment may be connected to the first segment, and the first and second segments may jointly form a substrate support. The substrate support may be shaped to support a substrate in first position within the substrate support when the substrate support is in a first angular orientation. The substrate may be removable from substrate support in a first direction when in the first position. The substrate may move into a second position when the substrate support is moved into a second angular orientation. The substrate may not be removable in the first direction when in the second position within the substrate support. The passive substrate gripper may also include a support ledge extending from opposing inner surfaces of the first and second segments, on which the substrate is supported.

Semiconductor substrate processing apparatus with a passive substrate gripper

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Ralph M Wadensweiler