NOEL STEPHEN PODUJE
Pilots at Nevada Rd, Needham, MA

4217542, Aug 12, 1980

Feb 13, 1978

5/877332

Robert C. Abbe - Newton MA
Noel S. Poduje - Needham Heights MA

ADE Corporation - Watertown MA

G01R 2702, G01R 2726, G01R 102

324 57R

A self inverting gauging system for such parameters as capacitively sensed distance or inductively sensed resistivity in which the sensor provides an output inversely varying with the dimension of interest. The gauge typically includes a dual slope integrator responsive to a reference value on the up integration and to the sensor output on the down integration. The interval of the down integration necessary to reset the integrator to the original value varies directly, rather than inversely, with the dimension of interest and is typically provided as the digital output indication of a counter. In the application to resistivity gauging, the up integration reference signal is preferably provided by the output of a thickness gauge such that the ultimate counter display represents element resistivity compensated for thickness. To provide automatic error compensation two integrator loops are provided, one selectively closed around the dual slope integrator alone to provide a compensating reference for its errors, and the second, subsequently activated, to close an integration feedback loop around both the transducer and the dual slope integrator in order to provide a reference signal compensating for the errors of the entire system.

4353029, Oct 5, 1982

Feb 29, 1980

6/125989

Robert C. Abbe - Newton MA
Noel S. Poduje - Needham Heights MA

ADE Corporation - Watertown MA

G01R 3312

324236

A self inverting gauging system for such parameters as capacitively sensed distance or inductively sensed resistivity in which the sensor provides an output inversely varying with the dimension of interest. The gauge typically includes a dual slope integrator responsive to a reference value on the up integration and to the sensor output on the down integration. The interval of the down integration necessary to reset the integrator to the original value varies directly, rather than inversely, with the dimension of interest and is typically provided as the digital output indication of a counter. In the application to resistivity gauging, the up integration reference signal is preferably provided by the output of a thickness gauge such that the ultimate counter display represents element resistivity compensated for thickness. To provide automatic error compensation two integrator loops are provided, one selectively closed around the dual slope integrator alone to provide a compensating reference for its errors, and the second, subsequently activated, to close an integration feedback loop around both the transducer and the dual slope integrator in order to provide a reference signal compensating for the errors of the entire system.

4692695, Sep 8, 1987

May 19, 1986

6/865939

Noel S. Poduje - Needham Heights MA

ADE Corporation - Newton MA

G01R 3126, H05F 300

324158R

A conductivity-type sensor, typically for use in a wafer sorting system, for detecting the conductivity-type of semiconductor wafers. In measuring conductivity, a two-contact probe is applied to the semiconductor wafer and any static charge which may have been accumulated on the wafer is initially discharged at an accelerated rate. The charge state is measured and an acceptable level of discharge requires repeated indications of discharge below a predetermined level. Discharging and charge measurement is repeated a predetermined number of times as necessary to accomplish discharging or the wafer identified as defective. The conductivity-type of the discharged wafer is read from the rectified polarity of an oscillating signal applied to the contacts. A valid indication of conductivity-type requires two consecutive readings of the same conductivity-type. The consecutive readings can be either the first reading of a new wafer identical with the reading of a previous wafer or two consecutive identical readings on the same wafer.

5988971, Nov 23, 1999

Jul 9, 1997

8/890575

Michael E. Fossey - Charlotte NC
Kirk Rodney Johnson - Rindge NH
Noel Stephen Poduje - Needham Heights MA

ADE Optical Systems Corporation - Charlotte NC

B65G 104

414416

In one aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for transferring wafers to or from a wafer cassette having a plurality of wafer-receiving slots, wherein the apparatus comprises a wafer paddle which is adapted to be inserted into a wafer cassette alongside a wafer. Edge grippers carried by the wafer paddle releasible grip the wafer by its edges. A first capacitive sensor carried by the wafer paddle is oriented in a first direction for sensing information about a wafer in a wafer receiving slot of the wafer cassette. A second capacitive sensor carried by the wafer paddle is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the first direction for sensing additional proximity information about a wafer in a wafer receiving slot of the cassette. A transport mechanism produces movement of the wafer paddle along at least three axes of movement to permit transferring wafers to or from respective wafer receiving slots of the wafer cassette. In a more specific aspect, the transport mechanism produces movement along five axes: relative translational movement along orthogonal x, y and z axes, rotational movement about a rotational axis, and tilting movement of the wafer paddle about a paddle tilt axis.

4860229, Aug 22, 1989

Dec 9, 1988

7/282877

Robert C. Abbe - Newton MA
Noel S. Poduje - Needham Heights MA
Neil H. Judell - Jamaica Plain MA

ADE Corporation - Newton MA

G01R 2726

364563

An automatic wafer flatness station is disclosed for obtaining a flatness profile of a semiconductor wafer or other sample from thickness data. The sample to be flatness profiled is supported so that it maintains its natural shape. A processor coupled to a capacitive thickness sensing head and to the support medium is operative to successively position each of a plurality of preselected points of the sample into proximity with the capacitive thickness sensing head for measuring the thickness of the sample at the corresponding point. An analog-to-digital converter converts the thickness measurement into data that is stored in a data table in system memory, the individual addresses of which correspond to the spacial location on the sample of each such preselected point. The processor is operative after the data table is compiled for each sample to compute the flatness profile of one surface therefrom relative to a selectable plane. That plane typically maps the other surface of the sample into a plane, for example, simulating the condition where the sample is held in an ideal vacuum chuck for semiconductor processing at which point surface flatness is needed.

5557267, Sep 17, 1996

Apr 23, 1993

8/052384

Noel S. Poduje - Needham Heights MA
Scott P. Keller - Lincoln MA
Roy Mallory - Bedford MA

ADE Corporation - Newton MA

G08C 1506, G08C 1922, G01R 3500

34087004

Apparatus and methods for calibrating a transducer measurement system having a plurality of subsystems, permitting total system calibration by a few selected adjustments without requiring complete system calibration when a new subsystem is added or a subsystem replaced and without requiring adjustments to be made to each individual subsystem. The measurement system provides a calibrated measurement signal indicative of a characteristic of an object with which the transducer interfaces. Each subsystem is characterized in terms of a minimum number of parameters associated therewith and the parameters are mathematically combined to reflect values of adjustable subsystem or system components. In this manner, variations associated with each separable subsystem from nominal, specified values, are combined and corrected by a single adjustment of a minimum number of selected adjustable components representing the degrees of freedom for errors in the system. In an alternate embodiment, a signal processor is responsive to the subsystem describing parameters for processing a digital replica of a measured signal to provide the calibrated measurement signal.

5511005, Apr 23, 1996

Feb 16, 1994

8/197394

Robert C. Abbe - Newton MA
Noel S. Poduje - Needham Heights MA
Randal K. Goodall - North Chelmsford MA
Peter Domenicali - Montpelier VT

ADE Corporation - Newton MA

G01R 31265, G06F 1760

364552

A system for semiconductor wafer processing including wafer measurement and characterization having vertical wafer processing apparatus with which only the edge of a wafer is contacted. A wafer processing station is provided having a support bridge to which a rotor subassembly is attached. The rotor subassembly includes a housing and a rotor having a central aperture and a retention mechanism for retaining a wafer in a measurement position. A pair of pivotable probe arms includes one probe arm positioned on either side of the wafer. A sensor provides an image of a wafer prior to its retention by the retention mechanism in the measurement position in order to permit the retention mechanism to avoid any flat on the wafer. Additional sensors eliminate the effect of wobble or vibration of the rotor on wafer measurement results. Artifact removal processors are provided for removing errors in the measured wafer data and a database stores the uncorrupted and corrected data.

4910453, Mar 20, 1990

Oct 15, 1987

7/109239

Robert C. Abbe - Newton MA
Noel S. Poduje - Needham Heights MA

ADE Corporation - Newton MA

G01R 2726

324663

An error compensated thickness measuring system utilizing first and second probes placed on opposite sides of a semiconductor wafer whose thickness is to be measured. The output of the probes is linearized and electronically processed to provide a signal representative of the thickness of the semiconductor wafer. The electronic processing includes an error compensating circuit which removes higher order error in the thickness signal attributable to the wafer being other than precisely centered between the two probes. The error compensating circuitry operates to produce a scaled higher order representation of the displacement of the wafer from the centered condition to combine this with the thickness signal to produce an error compensated signal. The present invention finds particular application in the thickness gauging of semiconductor wafers which represent a substantial impedance to circuit common and in which compensating circuitry is utilized to adjust for or control the potential of the ungrounded object.

3990005, Nov 2, 1976

Sep 3, 1974

5/502874

Robert C. Abbe - Newton MA
Noel S. Poduje - Needham Heights MA

Ade Corporation - Watertown MA

G01R 2726

324 61R

A system for capacitively gauging distance to an element which is not in a low impedance path to ground. The gauging system operates to provide an indication of distance with the potential on the element at a defined level, typically ground. Several embodiments are presented for making this measurement. A first operates to measure distance at periodic instances when the defined potential exists. A second embodiment uses phase opposite excitation to produce a defined potential at the element either by specific placement of the element or through a feedback control over element potential. The system of the present invention may be adapted for use in capacitive thickness measurement on an ungrounded or highly resistive element.

4958129, Sep 18, 1990

Mar 7, 1989

7/320237

Noel S. Poduje - Needham Heights MA
Roy E. Mallory - Bedford MA

ADE Corporation - Bedford MA

G01R 2726

324661

An edge detection system for measuring lateral position in the presence of height variations such as found in gauging the edge position of a wafer uses first and second capacitive probes formed of passive elements with the active components kept outside the probe and at a distance that permits a smaller, stabler and more economical probe to be located at the location of the wafer. The probes are instrumented in an electronic circuit having plural operational amplifiers that drive the probes to compensate the edge detection for wafer height effects.