This invention provides a technique of preventing a collision between an original document and a printing material on a conveyance path when an image forming apparatus executes both additional printing on the original document and printing on the printing material. In a case where both additional printing on an original document and printing on a printing material are executed, the image forming apparatus according to one aspect of the invention conveys a read original document to a transfer unit through a conveyance path commonly used for an original document and sheet, and prints an image to be added on the original document. After the original document is conveyed to the transfer unit through the conveyance path, the image forming apparatus feeds a sheet from a sheet feeding unit to the conveyance path, and performs copying on the sheet in the transfer unit.

A printing control apparatus according to one aspect of this invention controls to print images on sheets based on image data of a plurality of pages, generate a bookbinding product by executing folding processing for the image-printed sheets, and output the bookbinding product. The printing control apparatus further accepts the position of an insertion sheet to be inserted into the sheets for which the folding processing is executed, and controls to output a plurality of bookbinding products by using, as a reference, the accepted position of the insertion sheet.

A creasing device forms a crease in a to-be-folded portion of a sheet. The creasing device includes a sheet-information reading unit that reads any one of sheet information and binding information; a determining unit that determines a surface, on which the crease is to be formed, of the sheet according to the one of the sheet information and the binding information read by the sheet-information reading unit; and a creasing unit that forms the crease on the surface determined by the determining unit.

According to one embodiment, a sheet post-processing apparatus includes a machine body, a first roller pair, a tray, a second roller pair, a driving unit, an inlet sensor, a receiving unit and a control unit. The inlet sensor is configured to detect presence or absence of the sheet in the first roller pair driven by the driving unit. The receiving unit is configured to receive, from an image forming apparatus, sheet length information in the sheet conveying direction of the sheet as a target to which the print job is applied. The control unit is configured to control the driving unit to rotate, if the sheet length information indicates special length and the inlet sensor detects a trailing end of the sheet, at least rollers of the second roller pair a predetermined number of times and stop the rollers, the second roller pair nipping the sheet.

A sheet binding apparatus which forms concavity and the convexity on a sheet bundle including a plurality of sheets in a thickness direction so as to bind the sheet bundle, the sheet binding apparatus includes: a pair of concave-convex members, each of which has concave-convex portion in the thickness direction of the sheet bundle and which forms the concavity and the convexity on the sheet bundle in the thickness direction while niping the sheet bundle therebetween; wherein in the pair of concave-convex members, one of the concave-convex members has a greater difference in height of the concave-convex portion than that of the other concave-convex member which engages with the above-described concave-convex member.

Disclosed is an image forming system including: the relay apparatus; the image forming device which is connected to the first communication control unit of the relay apparatus and which acquires the sheet interval information of the downstream post-processing device through the first communication system; and the second post-processing device which is connected to the second communication control unit of the relay apparatus, the second post-processing device being compliant with the second communication system.

The present invention is directed to providing a mechanism for allowing a user to easily take out print products discharged onto a plurality of sheet discharge trays in the discharge order. A control method for controlling a sheet processing apparatus for performing control to discharge sheets onto a plurality of sheet discharge trays includes storing, in a storage unit, the discharge order in which sheets have been discharged onto equal to or more than two sheet discharge trays by executing a job, and performing, upon reception of a take-out instruction for taking out in the discharge order the sheets discharged by executing the job, processing for allowing a user to take out the sheets discharged onto the equal to or more than two sheet discharge trays, in the discharge order stored in the storage unit.

An image recording apparatus includes: a recording unit for recording an image on a recording medium; a tray for supporting the recording medium recorded by the recording unit; a conveyor mechanism for conveying the recorded medium to the tray; and an alignment mechanism for aligning a plurality of recording media stacked on the tray, by application of an external force. In a period from a start to an end of recording based on one recording job, the alignment mechanism aligns the plurality of recording media stacked on the tray in a period in which image recording is not performed, and the alignment mechanism does not align the plurality of recording media stacked on the tray in a period in which image recording is being performed.

Disclosed is an image forming system including: an image forming device to notify a downstream post-processing device of sheet information relating to a sheet on which an image is formed, before the sheet is discharged, and to notify the downstream post-processing device of set separation information indicating a final sheet of each set of document in synchronization with the sheet information relating to the final sheet of each set in case that a plurality of sets of document are printed, the image forming device being compliant with a first communication system; a post-processing device which is connected to a downstream of the image forming device and is compliant with a second communication system which is different from the first communication system; and the relay apparatus which is connected to the image forming device through the first communication system and is connected to the post-processing device through the second communication system.

A sheet processing apparatus includes a pair of squeezing members having a projection and a recess to engage each other, to squeeze a sheet bundle inserted therebetween in a direction of thickness of the sheet bundle, and a pressure applying unit to apply pressing force to the squeezing members to squeeze and bind the sheet bundle. The pressing force generated between the squeezing members by the pressure applying unit increases in strength as a relative distance between the squeezing members decreases.

A post-processing apparatus includes a processing tray, a conveyance portion, a staple unit, an operation portion, a mode switching portion, a cover, and an open/close detection portion. The staple unit, which has an automatic mode and a manual mode as processing modes for stapling processing, executes stapling processing for a paper sheet conveyed to the processing tray by the conveyance portion in the automatic mode, and executes stapling processing for a paper sheet stacked on the processing tray by a user in the manual mode. The cover is attached in an openable and closable manner so as to cover the operation portion when closed, and expose the operation portion when opened. While the open/close detection portion is detecting that the cover is opened, when the operation portion has received an operation for switching to the manual mode, the mode switching portion switches the automatic mode to the manual mode.

In the invention, for a first sheet, regardless of the sheet size (width), a lateral registration detector is moved in a direction towards an edge face of the sheet from a home position to detect the edge face of the sheet. With lateral deviation in the sheet position corrected, punching is performed by a puncher. For the second and subsequent sheets, the lateral registration detector is moved in advance to near the edge face of the sheet with reference to the detected position of the sheet edge of the first sheet, and the edge face is detected at a given timing. With lateral deviation in the sheet position corrected, punching is performed by the puncher.

A web product folding and stacking machine includes two folding line making rolls, two folding fingers, a first carrier unit, a stoppage unit and a holder. The folding line making rolls and the folding fingers are operated to fold up web products on the first carrier unit to form a stack of interfolded web products. Further, there is at least one suction device arranged on the top surface of the first carrier unit to suck the web products nearing the top surface of the first carrier unit and facilitate accurate stacking of the interfolded web products.

In a provided apparatus, an upper roller to be engaged with a sheet upper face and a lower roller to be engaged with a sheet lower face are arranged at a sheet discharging port in a manner capable of being pressure-contacted and being separated, the upper roller is formed with a large-diameter soft roll face and a small-diameter hard roll face, and a pressurization force of roller lifting-lowering means with which the upper roller is pressure-contacted to and is separated from the lower roller is switched to be high or low.

An image forming system includes the following elements. An image forming apparatus forms images on plural sheets sequentially transported with a spacing therebetween. A sheet transport apparatus includes a transport section which receives and transports the plural sheets farther downstream. The sheet transport apparatus supplies a different type of sheet from a different-type-of-sheet supply device, inserts it into the spacing, and transports the sheets. The sheet transport apparatus includes the following elements. A transport information obtaining unit obtains information concerning transporting of sheets. A different-type-of-sheet stop unit supplies the different type of sheet, on the basis of the information concerning transporting of sheets, and stops the different type of sheet at a position before the transport section. A different-type-of-sheet supply information output unit outputs information concerning the supply of the different type of sheet, the information being obtained regarding a standby state of the different type of sheet.

In a sheet storing apparatus of the present invention, a tailing end supporting member which temporarily supports a tailing end of a dropping sheet bundle is arranged between a discharging port of a processing tray to discharge the sheet bundle and the upmost sheet on a stack tray as being movable between an operating position above a sheet placement face and a waiting position outside the stack tray.

When information about weight of a sheet indicates weight less than a predetermined weight, a sheet stacking apparatus configured to align sheets to be stacked on a stacking tray discharges the sheet onto the stacking tray while overlapping the sheet with another sheet by an overlapping unit, and, when the information about the weight of the sheet indicates weight not less than the predetermined weight, the sheet stacking apparatus discharges the sheet onto the stacking tray without overlapping the sheet with another sheet by the overlapping unit.

A sheet processing apparatus includes a projection forming unit configured to form a projection on a sheet. The projection is formed in the vicinity of a binding portion of a sheet bundle. When a succeeding sheet bundle is discharged on the sheet bundle in which the projection has been formed on a top surface thereof, the succeeding sheet bundle is stacked by moving on the already stacked sheet bundle without being caught by the binding portion of the already stacked sheet bundle as an end of the succeeding sheet bundle is guided by the projection.

A sheet processing apparatus and a method of controlling the same align sheets stacked on a stacking unit, by causing a first alignment member and a second alignment member to come into contact with edges of a sheet stacked on the stacking unit in a sheet width direction. In a case that a second sheet that is different from a first sheet stacked on the stacking unit is to be stacked on the first sheet and aligned using the first alignment member and the second alignment member, control is performed to discharge a partition sheet onto the first sheet stacked on the stacking unit.

A sheet processing apparatus including a stacking tray that stacks sheets, a conveying member that conveys a sheet to the stacking tray and discharges the sheet bundle from the stacking tray, wherein the conveying member includes a conveying roller and a conveying belt stretched by a plurality of stretch rollers, and a sheet processor that performs predetermined processing to the sheet bundle. When the conveying member conveys the sheet to the stacking tray, a part of the conveying belt that is not wound on the stretch roller contacts the conveying roller by moving the conveying belt as such a nip for conveying the sheet is formed. When the conveying member discharges the sheet bundle from the stacking tray, a part of the conveying belt that is wound on the stretch roller contacts the conveying roller by moving the conveying belt so that a nip for conveying the sheet is formed.

A sheet processing apparatus includes: a folding processing unit that folds a sheet by reversely rotating a second conveying member in a condition in which the sheet is held by a first and the second conveying members; a calculating unit that calculates an amount of deflection of the sheet held by the first and second conveying members from timings at which the sheet is detected by first and second detecting units disposed upstream of the first conveying member and downstream of the second conveying member and a distance between disposed positions of the first and second detecting units; and a control unit that sets, from the calculated amount of deflection of the sheet, an amount of conveyance for the first conveying member in a direction opposite to a sheet conveying direction in a condition in which the sheet is held by the first and second conveying members.

A mechanism capable of changing an upper limit number of sheets for a post-process is provided. To achieve this, a control method for controlling a sheet processing apparatus which performs the post-process for the sheets on which images are formed, comprising: storing, in a storage unit, the upper limit number of sheets to which the post-process can be performed; and changing the upper limit number of sheets stored in the storage unit is provided.

To provide a sheet storage apparatus for enabling sheets that are carried out of an image formation apparatus or the like on the upstream side to be loaded and stored in a predetermined position with a correct posture neatly at high speed, a sheet discharge roller and a reverse roller spaced a distance are disposed in a sheet discharge outlet and a tray, a kick member is provided to be swingable in a vertical direction passing a sheet discharge path of a sheet discharged from the sheet discharge outlet, and a posture of the kick member is controlled by shift means. The shift means controls the kick member among a waiting posture retracted upward from the sheet discharge path, an engagement posture for imposing a load on the sheet to engage, and an actuation posture dropping onto the tray together with the sheet.

A puncher cylinder includes a puncher knife, the cylinder being arranged for cooperation with a paper web such that the cylinder when in use can be rolled longitudinally along and in contact with the paper web, punching holes in the paper web by way of the puncher knife. The holes are punched a longitudinal distance from each other essentially corresponding to the circumference of the cylinder. A system is further disclosed including the punching cylinder, as is a method utilizing the punching cylinder, and a newspaper partly produced by way of the punching cylinder.

A multi-function binding machine is proposed. The multi-function binding machine (700) comprises a binding station (135) for binding blocks of signatures (105), and a feeding station (115) for receiving signatures in succession, opening the signatures, and feeding the signatures to the binding station; in the solution according to an embodiment of the invention, the multi-function binding machine further comprises a further feeding station (715) for receiving pre-signatures in successions, folding groups of at least one pre-signature into further signatures (729), and feeding the further signatures to the binding station.

A first discharging portion that discharges a sheet received from one of image forming apparatus and a second discharging portion discharges a sheet received from another image forming apparatus are disposed opposite each other to stack the sheets discharged in a common processing tray. A controller controls the first and second discharging portions when the sheets are continuously discharged by the first and second discharging portions, controls a timing when the sheets are discharged by the first discharging portion and the second discharging portion to the common processing tray such that a leading edge of the sheet discharged from one of the discharging portions abuts on a sheet surface in the downstream of a discharging direction below a leading edge of the sheet discharged from the other discharging portion.

An apparatus for processing sheets of different formats, the apparatus including a feeding device that feed sheets of different formats in a feeding direction one behind the other, and at a certain conveying speed, at least two collecting drums disposed downstream of the feeding device, the at least two collecting drums having cylindrical lateral surfaces that rotate about an axis of rotation, securing means for temporarily securing the fed sheets on a circumference of the at least two collecting drums, a drive device that drives the collecting drums in rotation at a circumferential speed that corresponds to the conveying speed of the feeding device, and a sensing device for sensing the sheets of different formats moving past is arranged along the conveying path and senses the leading edge of the sheets of different formats, as seen in the feeding direction, or markings applied to the sheets of different formats.

The present invention relates generally to a semiconductor device and, more specifically, to optimizing the creep-age distance of the power semiconductor device and a preparation method thereof. The power semiconductor device includes a chip mounting unit with a die paddle and a plurality of leads arranged side by side located close to one side edge of the die paddle in a non-equidistant manner, a semiconductor chip attached on the die paddle, and a plastic packaging body covering the die paddle, the semiconductor chip, where the plastic packing body includes a plastic extension portion covering at least a part of a lead shoulder of a lead to obtain better electrical safety distance between the terminals of the semiconductor device, thus voltage creep-age distance of the device is increased.

The stack package includes a first semiconductor package and a second semiconductor package. The first semiconductor package includes a first substrate having a first modulus and at least one semiconductor chip mounted on the first substrate. The second semiconductor package stacked on the first semiconductor package and includes a second substrate having a second modulus and at least one semiconductor chip mounted on the second substrate. The second modulus is less than the first modulus. Even in the event that the first semiconductor package is under severe warpage due to a temperature change, the flexible second substrate, which includes e.g., polyimide or poly ethylene terephthalate, of the second semiconductor package may be less sensitive to the temperature change, thereby improving reliability of the stack package.

A land grid array (LGA) package including a substrate having a plurality of lands formed on a first surface of the substrate, a semiconductor chip mounted on a second surface of the substrate, a connection portion connecting the semiconductor chip and the substrate, and a support layer formed on part of a surface of a first land.

Maskless hybrid laser scribing and plasma etching wafer dicing processes are described. In an example, a method of dicing a semiconductor wafer having a front surface with a plurality of integrated circuits thereon and having a passivation layer disposed between and covering metal pillar/solder bump pairs of the integrated circuits involves laser scribing, without the use of a mask layer, the passivation layer to provide scribe lines exposing the semiconductor wafer. The method also involves plasma etching the semiconductor wafer through the scribe lines to singulate the integrated circuits, wherein the passivation layer protects the integrated circuits during at least a portion of the plasma etching. The method also involves thinning the passivation layer to partially expose the metal pillar/solder bump pairs of the integrated circuits.

A semiconductor device comprises a first semiconductor chip including a first substrate and a plurality of first metal lines formed over the first substrate and a second semiconductor chip bonded on the first semiconductor chip, wherein the second semiconductor chip comprises a second substrate and a plurality of second metal lines formed over the second substrate. The semiconductor device further comprises a conductive plug coupled between the first metal lines and the second metal lines, wherein the conductive plug comprises a first portion formed over a first side of a hard mask layer, wherein the first portion is of a first width and a second portion formed over a second side of the hard mask layer, wherein the second portion is of a second width greater than or equal to the first width.

An apparatus including a die including a dielectric material on a device side, an insulating layer surrounding a die area and embedding a thickness dimension of the die; and a carrier including a plurality of layers of conductive material disposed on the device side of the die, a first one of the layers of conductive materials being formed on the insulating layer and patterned into traces at least a portion of which are connected to respective contact points on the die. A method including disposing a die on a sacrificial substrate with a device side of the die opposite the sacrificial substrate; disposing a mold on the sacrificial substrate around; introducing an insulating material into a chase of the mold; removing the mold; forming a carrier on the insulating material adjacent a device side of a die; and separating the die and the carrier from the sacrificial substrate.

In a disclosed embodiment, a method for tiling selected vias in a semiconductor device having a plurality of vias comprises generating a layout database for the semiconductor device; creating zones around the plurality of vias; measuring density of covering metal in each zone; selecting a low density zone as being a zone that has a metal density less than a threshold metal density; and adding at least one tiling feature on a metal layer above the plurality of vias in the low density zone so that metal density of the low density zone increases to at least the same as the threshold metal density.

A through silicon via with sidewall roughness and methods of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The method includes forming a via in a substrate and roughening a sidewall of the via by depositing material within the via. The method further includes removing a backside of the substrate to form a through via with a roughened sidewall structure.

Methods for the fabrication of a Microelectromechanical Systems (“MEMS”) devices are provided, as are MEMS devices. In one embodiment, the MEMS device fabrication method includes forming at least one via opening extending into a substrate wafer, depositing a body of electrically-conductive material over the substrate wafer and into the via opening to produce a via, bonding the substrate wafer to a transducer wafer having an electrically-conductive transducer layer, and forming an electrical connection between the via and the electrically-conductive transducer layer. The substrate wafer is thinned to reveal the via through a bottom surface of the substrate wafer, and a backside conductor is produced over a bottom surface of the substrate wafer electrically coupled to the via.

Disclosed herein is a single mask package apparatus on a device comprising a first substrate having a land disposed on a first surface, a stud disposed on the land and a protective layer disposed over the first surface of the first substrate and around the stud. The protective layer may optionally have a thickness of at least 3 μm. A PPI may be disposed over the protective layer and in electrical contact with the stud, with a first portion of the PPI extending laterally from the stud. An interconnect may be disposed on and in electrical contact with the first portion of the PPI, and a second substrate mounted on the interconnect. A molding compound may be disposed over the PPI and around the interconnect. The stud may be a substantially solid material having a cylindrical cross section and may optionally be wirebonded to the land.

An interconnect structure and a method of forming an interconnect structure are disclosed. The interconnect structure includes a lower conductive feature in a lower low-k (LK) dielectric layer; a first etch stop layer (ESL) over the lower conductive feature, wherein the first ESL comprises a metal compound; an upper LK dielectric layer over the first ESL; and an upper conductive feature in the upper LK dielectric layer, wherein the upper conductive feature extends through the first ESL and connected to the lower conductive feature. The interconnect structure may further include a second ESL between the upper LK dielectric layer and the first ESL, or between the first ESL and the lower conductive feature, wherein the second ESL comprises a silicon compound.

A multi-chip package is provided. The multi-chip package includes a plurality of chips including at least one bad chip and at least one good chip that are stacked and a plurality of through electrodes each penetrating the chips. A logic circuit included in the at least one bad chip is isolated from each of the plurality of through electrodes.

A bump-on-trace (BOT) structure is described. The BOT structure includes a first work piece with a metal trace on a surface of the first work piece, wherein the metal trace has a first axis. The BOT structure further includes a second work piece with an elongated metal bump, wherein the elongated metal bump has a second axis, wherein the second axis is at a non-zero angle from the first axis. The BOT structure further includes a metal bump, wherein the metal bump electrically connects the metal trace and the elongated metal bump. A package having a BOT structure and a method of forming the BOT structure are also described.

A method for producing a solder joint between at least one base part (2) and at least one first component (3) includes the following steps: providing the base part (2); partially blasting a surface of the base part (2) using a SACO blasting agent, the blasting material (50) of which has a silicate coating (52), in such a way that a SACO-blasted region (20) and a non-blasted positioning region (40) are present; and soldering the at least first component (3) onto the non-blasted positioning region (40), wherein the SACO-blasted region (20) acts as a solder resist.

An embodiment is an integrated circuit structure including a first die attached to a second die by a first connector. The first connector includes a solder joint portion between a first nickel-containing layer and a second nickel-containing layer, a first copper-containing layer between the first nickel-containing layer and the solder joint portion, and a second copper-containing layer between the second nickel-containing layer and the solder joint portion.

In various embodiments, a chip arrangement is provided. The chip arrangement may include a chip carrier and a chip mounted on the chip carrier. The chip may include at least two chip contacts and an insulating adhesive between the chip and the chip carrier to adhere the chip to the chip carrier. The at least two chip contacts may be electrically coupled to the chip carrier.

Systems, manufactures, methods and/or techniques for a merged fiducial for chip packages are described. According to some embodiments, an integrated circuit package may include a package substrate having a first side and a second side, a plurality of conductive traces coupled to the first side and a plurality of balls disposed on the second side. The balls may be adapted to electrically connect the laminate package to a circuit board. The integrated circuit package may include a plurality of ball pads disposed on the second side, the ball pads being adapted to electrically connect the plurality of balls to the plurality of conductive traces. One or more of the ball pads may be uniquely shaped when compared to the rest of the plurality of ball pads, optionally, to serve as a fiducial to designate an A1 pin or ball of the laminate package.

The present invention relates to a camera module including: a lens unit mounted with at least one or more lenses; an image sensor mounted with an image pickup device for converting a light converged through the lenses to an electric signal; a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) mounted with the image sensor; and a holder accommodated inside the lens unit for supporting the lens unit, wherein the lens unit is bonded and fixed at an inner surface of the holder, whereby the lens unit mounted with a plurality of lenses is bonded to a lateral surface of a holder to prevent generation of vertical tilting phenomenon at the lens unit caused by a conventional improper coating of epoxy, and particularly, the coating of epoxy on the lateral surface of the holder advantageously enhances adhesive power to increase a bonded area.

Described herein are methods and systems for providing corrective maintenance using global knowledge sharing. A method to provide corrective maintenance with a CM system includes performing a query to generate a ranking of fixable causes based on factors (e.g., symptoms, configuration, test). The ranking may be determined based on a fixable cause percent match with the factors. The ranking of fixable causes may be associated with one or more solutions for each fixable cause. The ranking can be updated based on performing tests or solutions.

Methods, systems, and structures for detecting residual material on semiconductor wafers are provided. A method includes scanning a test structure including topographic features on a surface of a semiconductor wafer. The method further includes determining, based on the scanning, that the test structure includes an amount of a residual material of a sacrificial layer that exceeds a predetermined threshold.

A base at least one principal plane of which is a nitride is prepared for use in epitaxial growth. The base is placed on a susceptor in an epitaxial growth reactor and heated to a predetermined temperature (step A). The heating is started with inactive, nitrogen gas being supplied into the reactor. Then, active, NH3 gas is supplied. Then, a growth step (step B) of a first nitride semiconductor layer is started without an intervening step of thermally cleaning the principal nitride plane of the base. In step B, the first nitride semiconductor layer is epitaxially grown on a principal nitride plane of a base without supply of an Si source material. Then, a relatively thick, second nitride semiconductor layer is epitaxially grown on the first nitride semiconductor layer by supplying an n-type dopant source material (step C).

A method for fabricating a sensor includes: forming, on a base substrate, a pattern of a source electrode and a drain electrode, a pattern of a data line, a pattern of a receiving electrode, a pattern of a photodiode, and a pattern of a transparent electrode disposed by using a first patterning process; forming a pattern of an ohmic layer by using a second patterning process; forming a pattern of an active layer by using a third patterning process; forming a pattern of a gate insulating layer by using a fourth patterning process, wherein the gate insulating layer has a via hole above the transparent electrode; and forming a pattern of a gate electrode, a pattern of a gate line, and a pattern of a bias line connected to the transparent electrode via the via hole above the transparent electrode by using a fifth patterning process.

In manufacturing an LSI, or semiconductor integrated circuit device, the step of assembling device (such as resin sealing step) is normally followed by a voltage-application test in an environment of high temperature (e.g., from 85 to 130° C.) and high humidity (e.g., about 80% RH). It has been found that separation of a titanium nitride anti-reflection film from an upper film and generation of cracks in the titanium nitride film at an upper surface edge part of the aluminum-based bonding pad applied with a positive voltage in the test is caused by an electrochemical reaction due to moisture incoming through the sealing resin and the like to generate oxidation and bulging of the titanium nitride film. These problems are addressed by removing the titanium nitride film over the pad in a ring or slit shape at peripheral area of the aluminum-based bonding pad.