| Patent Number |
Title Of Patent |
Date Issued |
| RE39001 |
Laser cutting method for forming magnetic recording head sliders |
March 7, 2006 |
| A method for cutting a ceramic wafer to form individual sliders for use in supporting the read/write heads in magnetic recording disk drives uses multiple parallel scans of a pulsed laser to ablate the ceramic material. After the wafer has been cut into individual rows, a pulsed laser be |
| 7443179 |
Zero motion contact actuation |
October 28, 2008 |
| A device for testing small electronic components includes a test plate for moving a plurality of spaced electronic components to a test station. A roller is designed to press on the test plate and electronic component exerting a first force between 10-20 grams when the test plate and |
| 7437207 |
Method and apparatus for automatically processing multiple applications in a predetermined order |
October 14, 2008 |
| An apparatus and method performing a sequence of processing steps on a load supported by a processing plate. The load can include a single sheet on which a plurality of applications are performed or can include a plurality of panels on which respective applications are performed. For |
| 7425471 |
Semiconductor structure processing using multiple laser beam spots spaced on-axis with cross-axi |
September 16, 2008 |
| Methods and systems selectively irradiate structures on or within a semiconductor substrate using a plurality of laser beams. The structures are arranged in a row extending in a generally lengthwise direction. The method generates a first laser beam that propagates along a first laser |
| 7423818 |
Method of suppressing distortion of a working laser beam of a laser link processing system |
September 9, 2008 |
| A method of suppressing distortion of a working laser beam directed for incidence on a target specimen presented for processing by a laser link processing system uses a spatial filter to remove stray light-induced distortion from the working laser beam. |
| 7420995 |
Simultaneously mode-locked, Q-switched laser |
September 2, 2008 |
| A simultaneously mode-locked, Q-switched laser is configured to prevent loss of mode lock during laser operation. A preferred embodiment prevents loss of mode lock by operating the laser between the Q-switched pulses with a residual level of laser power sufficient to maintain a mode-lock |
| 7402994 |
Self-cleaning lower contact |
July 22, 2008 |
| An electrical component handler that tests electrical circuit components and includes a self-cleaning lower contact offers reduced yield loss and mean time between assists. A preferred embodiment of the electrical component handler includes multiple sets of upper and lower contacts, |
| 7396706 |
Synchronization technique for forming a substantially stable laser output pulse profile having d |
July 8, 2008 |
| A specially shaped laser pulse energy profile characterized by different laser wavelengths at different times of the profile provides reduced, controlled jitter to enable semiconductor device micromachining that achieves high quality processing and a smaller possible spot size. |
| 7378337 |
Laser-based termination of miniature passive electronic components |
May 27, 2008 |
| Terminating the ends of passive electronic components entails applying a laser-removable coating to one or both of the opposed major surfaces of a substrate. A UV laser beam having a spot size and an energy distribution sufficient to remove the laser-removable coating from multiple selec |
| 7372878 |
Method and system for preventing excessive energy build-up in a laser cavity |
May 13, 2008 |
| A method and system decrease the amount of undesired laser radiation reaching a workpiece from a laser having a laser cavity and a Q-switch. The laser operates at any given time in one of at least two modes. In a first mode the laser emits pulses at a PRF (pulse repetition frequency) |
| 7363180 |
Method for correcting systematic errors in a laser processing system |
April 22, 2008 |
| A method for calibrating a laser micro-machining system in three dimensions includes scanning a sample workpiece to determine the 3D surface, calculating the best fit surfaces to the scanned data in a series of steps, and storing the results so that subsequent workpieces can be calib |
| 7349567 |
Method and apparatus for determining angular pose of an object |
March 25, 2008 |
| The present invention is operative to determine the angular pose of an assumed object. A series of projection sums are calculated from a sample image of the known object where the known object has an assumed pose. The projection sums are calculated for a range of angles and organized int |
| 7348516 |
Methods of and laser systems for link processing using laser pulses with specially tailored powe |
March 25, 2008 |
| A laser pulse with a specially tailored temporal power profile, instead of a conventional temporal shape or substantially square shape, severs an IC link. The specially tailored laser pulse preferably has either an overshoot at the beginning of the laser pulse or a spike peak within the |
| 7345448 |
Adaptive command filtering for servomechanism control systems |
March 18, 2008 |
| Preferred embodiments of the invention implement techniques for modifying the command trajectory, the architecture of a servomechanism control system, or both, to reduce the servo error during and/or after the command trajectory. An iterative refinement procedure generates for use by |
| 7315038 |
Methods and systems for positioning a laser beam spot relative to a semiconductor integrated cir |
January 1, 2008 |
| A method and system position a laser beam spot relative to a semiconductor substrate having structures on or within the semiconductor substrate to be selectively processed by delivering a processing laser beam to a processing laser beam spot. The method generates a metrology laser beam |
| 7301981 |
Methods for synchronized pulse shape tailoring |
November 27, 2007 |
| A plurality of subresonators (12, 14), having different design configurations, share a common resonator section (18) such that the lasing action can be substantially synchronized to provide coherent laser pulses that merge the different respective pulse energy profile and/or pulse wi |
| 7297972 |
Methods and systems for positioning a laser beam spot relative to a semiconductor integrated cir |
November 20, 2007 |
| Various methods and systems measure, determine, or align a position of a laser beam spot relative to a semiconductor substrate having structures on or within the semiconductor substrate to be selectively processed by delivering a processing laser beam to a processing laser beam spot. A |
| 7289549 |
Lasers for synchronized pulse shape tailoring |
October 30, 2007 |
| A plurality of subresonators (12, 14), having different design configurations, share a common resonator section (18) such that the lasing action can be substantially synchronized to provide coherent laser pulses that merge the different respective pulse energy profile and/or pulse wi |
| 7259354 |
Methods for processing holes by moving precisely timed laser pulses in circular and spiral traje |
August 21, 2007 |
| High speed removal of material from a specimen employs a beam positioner for directing a laser beam axis along various circular and spiral laser tool patterns. A preferred method of material removal entails causing relative movement between the axis of the beam and the specimen, dire |
| 7245412 |
On-the-fly laser beam path error correction for specimen target location processing |
July 17, 2007 |
| A laser-based workpiece processing system includes sensors connected to a sensor controller that converts sensor signals into focused spot motion commands for actuating a beam steering device, such as a two-axis steering mirror. The sensors may include a beam position sensor for corr |
| 7244906 |
Energy monitoring or control of individual vias formed during laser micromachining |
July 17, 2007 |
| A method and system increase the quality of results achieved by laser micromachining systems. Data relating to parameters controlling laser micromachining process are recorded during the micromachining process, identified by the feature associated with the parameters used to micromac |
| 7243776 |
Loading and extraction of modular belt carriers of electronic components |
July 17, 2007 |
| Replaceable component carriers (40) are adapted to be freely floating in belt apertures (74) and have alignment features (160), such as conical holes (170), mated to features (162), such as tapered pins (184), in processing stations to temporarily hold a carrier (40) and its components |
| 7241669 |
Method of forming a scribe line on a passive electronic component substrate |
July 10, 2007 |
| A method of forming a scribe line having a sharp snap line entails directing a UV laser beam along a ceramic or ceramic-like substrate such that a portion of the thickness of the substrate is removed. The UV laser beam forms a scribe line in the substrate without appreciable substrate |
| 7227098 |
Method and system for decreasing the effective pulse repetition frequency of a laser |
June 5, 2007 |
| Methods and systems operate a machine having a laser characterized by a PRF (pulse repetition frequency) parameter that specifies a PRF at which pulses produced by the laser have desirable pulse properties for irradiating structures on or within a workpiece. The structures are arrang |
| 7173432 |
Method and machine for repetitive testing of an electrical component |
February 6, 2007 |
| A method automatically tests a parameter of an electronic component to determine whether the component has an acceptable value. The method employs an automatic electronic component testing machine having at least first and second measurement positions where the parameter can be measu |
| 7161346 |
Method of holding an electronic component in a controlled orientation during parametric testing |
January 9, 2007 |
| A component handler includes an improved test seat having a shape that ensures that an electronic component seated in the test seat is in an appropriate orientation for parametric testing. The test seat has a base surface and first and second opposed seat side surfaces separated by g |
| 7157038 |
Ultraviolet laser ablative patterning of microstructures in semiconductors |
January 2, 2007 |
| Patterns with feature sizes of less than 50 microns are rapidly formed directly in semiconductors, particularly silicon, GaAs, indium phosphide, or single crystalline sapphire, using ultraviolet laser ablation. These patterns include very high aspect ratio cylindrical through-hole openin |
| 7139294 |
Multi-output harmonic laser and methods employing same |
November 21, 2006 |
| A solid-state laser (10) has a laser resonator (20) with output ports (22) at both ends to provide two separate laser micromachining beams (42). A set of wavelength converters (26) can be employed to convert the laser machining beams (42) to harmonic wavelength outputs, thus reducing the |
| 7133188 |
AOM modulation techniques employing an upstream Bragg adjustment device |
November 7, 2006 |
| Digital control of frequency and/or amplitude modulation techniques of an intracavity and/or extracavity AOM (60) facilitate substantially full extinction of a laser beam (90) to prevent unwanted laser energy from impinging a workpiece (80); facilitate laser pulse amplitude stability |
| 7133187 |
AOM modulation techniques employing plurality of transducers to improve laser system performance |
November 7, 2006 |
| Digital control of frequency and/or amplitude modulation techniques of an intracavity and/or extracavity AOM (60) facilitate substantially full extinction of a laser beam (90) to prevent unwanted laser energy from impinging a workpiece (80); facilitate laser pulse amplitude stability |
| 7133186 |
AOM modulation techniques employing transducers to modulate different axes |
November 7, 2006 |
| Digital control of frequency and/or amplitude modulation techniques of an intracavity and/or extracavity AOM (60) facilitate substantially full extinction of a laser beam (90) to prevent unwanted laser energy from impinging a workpiece (80); facilitate laser pulse amplitude stability |
| 7133182 |
AOM frequency and amplitude modulation techniques for facilitating full beam extinction in laser |
November 7, 2006 |
| Digital control of frequency and/or amplitude modulation techniques of an intracavity and/or extracavity AOM (60) facilitate substantially full extinction of a laser beam (90) to prevent unwanted laser energy from impinging a workpiece (80); facilitate laser pulse amplitude stability |
| 7126746 |
Generating sets of tailored laser pulses |
October 24, 2006 |
| In a master oscillator power amplifier, a driver (208) of a diode laser (202) is specially controlled to generate a set of two or more injection laser pulses that are injected into a power amplifier (204) operated in an unsaturated state to generate a set (50) of laser pulses (52) that |
| 7119566 |
Test probe alignment apparatus |
October 10, 2006 |
| A test probe alignment apparatus includes a rotatable .theta. stage that is decoupled from a workpiece positioning stage so that the workpiece positioning stage can move a workpiece in an X-Y plane without moving the .theta. stage, thereby inhibiting vibration in and inertia of the w |
| 7066314 |
Modular belt carrier for electronic components |
June 27, 2006 |
| Replaceable component carriers (40) are adapted to be freely floating in belt apertures (74) and have alignment features (160), such as conical holes (170), mated to features (162), such as tapered pins (184), in processing stations to temporarily hold a carrier (40) and its components |
| 7057133 |
Methods of drilling through-holes in homogenous and non-homogenous substrates |
June 6, 2006 |
| A differential diameter hole drilling method by which through-holes having improved major surface quality are formed in a target material involves drilling a pilot hole having a diameter that is less than the desired diameter of the through-hole and then drilling a through-hole having th |
| 7055112 |
Method for automatically defining a part model for semiconductor components |
May 30, 2006 |
| The present invention provides a method for automatically defining a part model for a semiconductor component. An image of the component is provided. The automatic method may be any of a trial and error method, systematic method or a method based on distance-angle signatures. The tri |
| 7053011 |
Laser-based termination of passive electronic components |
May 30, 2006 |
| Terminating the ends of passive electronic components entails applying a laser-ablative coating to each of the opposed major surfaces of a substrate. A UV laser beam having a spot size and an energy distribution sufficient to remove the laser-ablative coating from multiple selected r |
| 7034272 |
Method and apparatus for evaluating integrated circuit packages having three dimensional feature |
April 25, 2006 |
| The present invention provides for methods and an apparatus for evaluating objects having three dimensional features. One method involves using both two dimensional data sets to improve the processing of three dimensional data sets. The two dimensional data set can be used to pre-qualify |
| 7027199 |
AOM modulation techniques for facilitating pulse-to-pulse energy stability in laser systems |
April 11, 2006 |
| Digital control of frequency and/or amplitude modulation techniques of an intracavity and/or extracavity AOM (60) facilitate substantially full extinction of a laser beam (90) to prevent unwanted laser energy from impinging a workpiece (80); facilitate laser pulse amplitude stability |
| 7019891 |
AOM modulation techniques employing plurality of tilt-angled transducers to improve laser system |
March 28, 2006 |
| Digital control of frequency and/or amplitude modulation techniques of an intracavity and/or extracavity AOM (60) facilitate substantially full extinction of a laser beam (90) to prevent unwanted laser energy from impinging a workpiece (80); facilitate laser pulse amplitude stability |
| 6949449 |
Method of forming a scribe line on a ceramic substrate |
September 27, 2005 |
| A method of forming a scribe line having a sharp snap line entails directing a UV laser beam along a ceramic substrate such that a portion of the thickness of the ceramic substrate is removed. The UV laser beam forms a scribe line in the ceramic substrate in the absence of appreciable |
| 6947454 |
Laser pulse picking employing controlled AOM loading |
September 20, 2005 |
| A laser (126) and an AOM (10) are pulsed at substantially regular and substantially similar constant high repetition rates to provide working laser outputs (40) with variable nonimpingement intervals (50) without sacrificing laser pulse-to-pulse energy stability. When a working laser |
| 6919532 |
Method of forming dimensionally precise slots in resilient mask of miniature component carrier |
July 19, 2005 |
| A laser beam (102) cuts through a component carrier mask (96) made of thin elastomeric material such as silicone rubber to form slots (98) having slot openings of a desired shape. In a preferred embodiment, a light absorptivity enhancement material such as iron oxide introduced into the |
| 6887804 |
Passivation processing over a memory link |
May 3, 2005 |
| A set (50) of one or more laser pulses (52) is employed to remove passivation layer (44) over a conductive link (22). The link (22) can subsequently be removed by a different process such as chemical etching. The duration of the set (50) is preferably shorter than 1,000 ns; and the p |
| 6870177 |
Shadow-creating depression for establishing microchip location during visual inspection |
March 22, 2005 |
| An apparatus for accurately locating a micro-electronic chip in a chip-holding cavity for visual testing, the chip having at least a front wall and a pair of opposed, spaced-apart side walls, wherein the front wall meets with each of the side walls to form opposed, spaced-apart first |
| 6845178 |
Automatic separation of subject pixels using segmentation based on multiple planes of measuremen |
January 18, 2005 |
| A method and apparatus for characterizing pixels in an image of an object surface by providing at least two images of the surface wherein each pixel has a unique location common to all of the images; comparing each pixel value at each location to an identification matrix; and identifying |
| 6816294 |
On-the-fly beam path error correction for memory link processing |
November 9, 2004 |
| Laser beam positioners (300, 340) employ a steering mirror (236, 306) that performs small-angle deflection of a laser beam (270) to compensate for cross-axis (110) settling errors of a positioner stage (302). A two-axis mirror is preferred because either axis of the positioner stages may |
| 6806440 |
Quasi-CW diode pumped, solid-state UV laser system and method employing same |
October 19, 2004 |
| A quasi-CW diode- or lamp-pumped, A-O Q-switched solid-state UV laser system (10) synchronizes timing of the quasi-CW pumping with movement of the positioning system (36) to reduce pumping while the positioning system (36) is moving from one target area (31) to the next target area (31) |
| 6791060 |
Beam shaping and projection imaging with solid state UV gaussian beam to form vias |
September 14, 2004 |
| A diode-pumped, solid-state laser (52) of a laser system (50) provides ultraviolet Gaussian output (54) that is converted by a diffractive optical element (90) into shaped output (94) having a uniform irradiance profile. A high percentage of the shaped output (94) is focused through an |
