Speedfam-Ipec Corporation

Marsupial Holdings, Inc.

Other

Tokyo Electron Limited

Diffraction, Ltd.

Thomas F A Bibby

William P Parker

John Andrew Adams

Wayne L Johnson

Eric J Strang

A system for communicating with a projectile in flight toward an intended target includes a barrel-launched projectile and a remote receiver. The barrel-launched projectile includes an ordnance portion, an active communications apparatus and an onboard speed control. The active communications apparatus includes an onboard receiver, an electromagnetic wave reception device, and an active transmitter. The electromagnetic wave reception device includes at least one from the group consisting of an antenna and a photo receptor and is configured to receive an electromagnetic signal. The electromagnetic wave reception device is connected to provide a signal derived from the electromagnetic signal to the onboard receiver to deploy the onboard speed control. The active transmitter is connected and configured for transmitting a signal to the remote receiver during flight and before activation of the speed control. The transmitted signal is directed within a cone angle extending in a direction opposite of the barrel-launched projectile's flight direction. The onboard speed control includes a shaped explosive charge. Deploying the onboard speed control initiates explosion of the shaped explosive charge. The explosion of the shaped explosive charge adjusts velocity of the barrel-launched projectile.

Target assignment projectile

A projectile includes an ordnance portion configured to impact a target and a communication apparatus positioned rearward of the ordnance portion. The projectile is configured to rotate about and travel along a longitudinal axis after launch.

A flare includes an air-tight rupturable capsule and an energy releasing material, contained within the air-tight rupturable capsule, such that the energy-releasing material releases energy in response to exposure to at least one component of air.

Selective emitting flare nanosensors

A method of adjusting the relative thickness of an electrode assembly () in a plasma processing system () capable of supporting a plasma () in a reactor chamber (). The electrode assembly is arranged in the reactor chamber and includes at least one electrode having a lower surface that may have defined by at least one sacrificial protective plate (). The electrode has a nonuniform thickness resulting from a plasma processing operation performed in the reactor chamber. The method includes a step of forming a plasma () designed to selectively etch the at least one electrode at the lower surface, followed by a step of etching the electrode with the aid of the plasma to reduce the nonuniformity in thickness (T(X,Z)) of the at least one electrode. The thickness of the electrode may be measured in situ using an acoustic transducer () during the processing of workpieces as well as during the restorative plasma etching of the electrode.

Method of adjusting the thickness of an electrode in a plasma processing system

A method and apparatus to generate an endpoint signal to control the polishing of thin films on a semiconductor wafer surface includes a through-bore in a polish pad assembly, a light source, a fiber optic cable, a light sensor, and a computer. The light source provides light within a predetermined bandwidth, the fiber optic cable propagates the light through the through-bore opening to illuminate the surface as the pad assembly orbits, and the light sensor receives reflected light from the surface through the fiber optic cable and generates reflected spectral data. The computer receives the reflected spectral data and calculates an endpoint signal by comparing the reflected spectral data with previously collected spectral reference data, calculating a trigger time based on the comparison, and predicting the endpoint time utilizing the trigger time.

Learning method and apparatus for predictive determination of endpoint during chemical mechanical planarization using sparse sampling

A method and apparatus for determining the endpoint of a planarization process during chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) and more specifically for determining endpoint of a planarization process for a thin metal film deposited on a wafer's surface and/or a method of altering the plating and deplating of the thin metal film during the planarization process. The apparatus includes one or more probes embedded in a working surface. The probes are in electrical communication with the thin film on the wafer's surface as it is planarized against the working surface. The probes measure the thickness of the thin metal film and/or induce a current in the thin metal film to adjust the plating and deplating that occurs during the planarization process.

Growing community of inventors

St. Albans, VT, United States of America

Thomas F A Bibby