Method and apparatus for separating workpieces
AssigneeElectro Scientific Industries, Inc.
InventorsHaibin Zhang, Glenn Simenson, Qian XU, Hisashi Matsumoto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention is an apparatus, for performing the method, and the method including the steps of providing a workpiece, contacting a portion of an exterior surface of the workpiece to an acoustic couplant such that an interface between the acoustic couplant and the portion of the exterior surface is at least substantially continuous across the portion of the exterior surface, and propagating a crack through the workpiece. A portion of the acoustic couplant at the interface has acoustic impedance relative to the acoustic energy that is greater than 400 kg·m−2·s−1.
Claims62
A method, comprising:
- providing a workpiece having an exterior surface;
- defining a separation path within the workpiece;
- separating the workpiece along the separation path such that acoustic energy is generated within the workpiece during the separating and transmitted toward a portion of the exterior surface;
- and
- during the separating, contacting the portion of the exterior surface to an acoustic couplant such that an interface between the acoustic couplant and the portion of the exterior surface is at least substantially continuous across the portion of the exterior surface,
- wherein a portion of the acoustic couplant at the interface has an acoustic impedance relative to the acoustic energy that is greater than 400 kg·m−2·s−1.
A method, comprising:
- providing a workpiece having an exterior surface;
- contacting a portion of the exterior surface to an acoustic couplant such that an interface between the acoustic couplant and the portion of the exterior surface is at least substantially continuous across the portion of the exterior surface;
- and
- propagating a crack through the workpiece having the acoustic couplant contacted thereto,
- wherein a portion of the acoustic couplant at the interface has an acoustic impedance relative to the acoustic energy that is greater than 400 kg·m−2·s−1.
A method, comprising:
- providing a workpiece having an exterior surface;
- contacting a portion of the exterior surface to an acoustic couplant, the acoustic couplant including at least one material selected from the group consisting of a liquid, a gel, an elastomer compound, an adhesive and a grease;
- and
- propagating a crack through the workpiece having the acoustic couplant contacted thereto.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a workpiece support configured to support a workpiece having an exterior surface;
- a workpiece separation system configured to separate a workpiece supported by the workpiece support such that acoustic energy is generated within the workpiece and transmitted toward a portion of the exterior surface;
- and
- an acoustic couplant configured to acoustically contact the portion of the exterior surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.