An apparatus for securing a wafer includes a chuck, at least one O-ring disposed on the chuck, a vacuum system connected to the chuck, such that the vacuum system comprises a plurality of vacuum holes through the chuck connected to one or more vacuum pumps, and a controller configured to control the height of the at least one O-ring relative to the top surface of the chuck. The controller is connected to pressure sensors capable of detecting a vacuum. The at least one O-ring may include a plurality of O-rings.

The present disclosure provides a flexible workpiece pedestal capable of tilting a workpiece support surface. The workpiece pedestal further includes a heater mounted on the workpiece support surface. The heater includes a plurality of heating sources such as heating coils. The plurality of heating sources in the heater allows heating the workpiece at different temperatures for different zones of the workpiece. For example, the workpiece can have a central zone heated by a first heating coil, a first outer ring zone that is outside of the central zone heated by a second heating coil, a second outer ring zone that is outside of the first outer ring zone heated by a third heating coil. By using the tunable heating feature and the tilting feature of the workpiece pedestal, the present disclosure can reduce or eliminate the shadowing effect problem of the related workpiece pedestal in the art.

The present disclosure provides a flexible workpiece pedestal capable of tilting a workpiece support surface. The workpiece pedestal further includes a heater mounted on the workpiece support surface. The heater includes a plurality of heating sources such as heating coils. The plurality of heating sources in the heater allows heating the workpiece at different temperatures for different zones of the workpiece. For example, the workpiece can have a central zone heated by a first heating coil, a first outer ring zone that is outside of the central zone heated by a second heating coil, a second outer ring zone that is outside of the first outer ring zone heated by a third heating coil. By using the tunable heating feature and the tilting feature of the workpiece pedestal, the present disclosure can reduce or eliminate the shadowing effect problem of the related workpiece pedestal in the art.

A device for picking up, shaping, and placing a thin glass pane, includes a frame with an upper side and a lower side, which is suitable to be directed at a glass pane with a thickness of less than 1 mm, and which is provided with a plurality of picking up pins that are arranged substantially parallel to one another and whose end directed at the glass pane is equipped with a suction cup, wherein the picking up pins are movable along their direction of extension independent of one another in order to adapt the arrangement of the suction cups to an intended shape of the glass pane.

Embodiments described herein provide for devices and methods for retaining optical devices. The devices and methods described herein provide for retention of the substrate without contacting sensitive portions of the substrate. The devices and methods utilize retention pads or vacuum pins to contact the exclusion zones i.e., inactive areas of the substrate to retain the substrate and prevent the substrate from moving laterally. Additionally, a holding force retains the substrate in the vertical direction, without contacting the substrate. The methods provide for adjusting the devices to account for multiple geometries of the substrate. The methods further provide for adjusting the devices, such as adjusting a gap between the optical device and a suction pad, to alter the holding force of the devices on the optical devices.

A driver device may comprise a housing and a hole located on the housing. The hole may comprise a sealing lip. The driver device may comprise a bit holder located within the housing, and a bit socket located on the bit holder. The bit socket may be aligned with the hole, such that inserting a bit into the bit socket also inserts the bit into the hole. The driver device may comprise a spring located within the bit socket. The spring may cause an inserted bit to partially exit the hole in the absence of an external force pushing the it against the spring. The driver device may comprise a vacuum component connected to the housing, and a vacuum chamber within the housing.

Provided is an alignment tool for a cutting arrangement including a cutting apparatus with a cutting edge for treatment of a workpiece, especially a rotor blade of a wind turbine, in which the alignment tool includes at least one fixation means for fixing the alignment tool to the workpiece and at least one guiding structure to guide the cutting edge of the cutting tool.

Magnetic coupling devices are disclosed having magnetic field sensors. The magnetic coupling device may include degaussing coils wrapped about pole extension shoes of the magnetic coupling device.

A grinding apparatus has a hermetically sealed chamber defined by a portion of a holding surface which extends radially outwardly from a wafer, an outer wall surface of a first annular packing, a lower surface of a plate, and an inner wall surface of a second annular packing. A negative pressure is developed by suction forces applied from the holding surface, allowing the atmospheric pressure to press the plate toward the holding surface and causing the first annular packing to press an outer circumferential portion of the wafer against the holding surface. Since the outer circumferential portion of the wafer is pressed against the holding surface under the suction forces from the holding surface and the atmospheric pressure, the forces pressing the outer circumferential portion of the wafer against the holding surface are increased easily at a low cost without increasing the size and weight of the grinding apparatus.

An apparatus detachably fixed on a glazing panel mounted on a stationary or mobile object, the apparatus includes a fixing frame having a fixing frame plane, FFplane, a functional device, a first motor to move the functional device in a first direction, and a second motor to move the functional device in a second direction. The apparatus has at least N suction means, including a suction end, detachably fixed to the glazing panel, defining a resting distance, Drest, between the FFplane and the suction end, and defining a working distance, Dwork, between the FFplane and the suction end, and at least M rigid pushing means, comprising a pushing end defining a pushing distance, Dpush, between the FFplane and the pushing end, where the sum of the positive integers M and N is equal to or greater than 3 and where Dpush is equal to or greater than Dwork.