Dynamic modeling and control of a novel XY positioning stage for semiconductor packaging

This paper presents the dynamic modeling and controller design of an XY positioning stage for semiconductor packaging. The XY stage is directly driven by two linear voice coil motors, and motion decoupling between the X and Y axes is realized through a novel flexible decoupling mechanism based on flexure hinges and preloaded spring. Through bond graph method, the dynamic models of X- and Y-axes servomechanisms are established, respectively, and the state space equations are derived. A control methodology is proposed based on force compensations and the performance of the XY stage is investigated by simulations and experimental tests. The results show that the XY stage has good performance. When the reference displacements are defined as 2 mm, the settling time of the X-axis movement is 64 ms, and the overshoot is 0.7%. Y-axis settling time is 62 ms, and the overshoot is 0.8%. X-axis positioning accuracy is 1.85 μm and the repeatability is 0.95 μm. Y-axis positioning accuracy and repeatability are 1.75 μm and 0.9 μm, respectively. In addition, the stage can track linear, circular and complex trajectories very well

Effect of thermal ageing on space charge in ethylene propylene rubber at DC voltage

To understand the space charge characteristics of ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) used in MV/HV power cables under thermal stress, the space charge profile is measured by the pulsed electro-acoustic method under 20 kV/mm at 120 and 160 \ub0C. The complex permittivity and physicochemical properties at the different ageing stages are measured and analyzed for an understanding of the effects of thermal ageing on space charge characteristics. The trap properties of EPR during thermal ageing is calculated and analyzed based on the space charge decay model. The results show that both the ageing time and temperature can affect the space charge characteristics of EPR The space charge characteristics of EPR can be ascribed to the trapping sites caused by the complex chemical and physical structures during thermal ageing. Under the thermal oxygen process, the polar groups and ions increase because of the EPR molecular chain breakages, and the charge injection from the electrodes increases. Based on the decay model of space charge and isothermal decay current theory, the distribution of trap levels in EPR at different ageing stages is obtained. The trap distribution under different ageing process can be explained by the theory of trap filling

Blocking interaction between SHP2 and PD‐1 denotes a novel opportunity for developing PD‐1 inhibitors

Small molecular PD‐1 inhibitors are lacking in current immuno‐oncology clinic. PD‐1/PD‐L1 antibody inhibitors currently approved for clinical usage block interaction between PD‐L1 and PD‐1 to enhance cytotoxicity of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL). Whether other steps along the PD‐1 signaling pathway can be targeted remains to be determined. Here, we report that methylene blue (MB), an FDA‐approved chemical for treating methemoglobinemia, potently inhibits PD‐1 signaling. MB enhances the cytotoxicity, activation, cell proliferation, and cytokine‐secreting activity of CTL inhibited by PD‐1. Mechanistically, MB blocks interaction between Y248‐phosphorylated immunoreceptor tyrosine‐based switch motif (ITSM) of human PD‐1 and SHP2. MB enables activated CTL to shrink PD‐L1 expressing tumor allografts and autochthonous lung cancers in a transgenic mouse model. MB also effectively counteracts the PD‐1 signaling on human T cells isolated from peripheral blood of healthy donors. Thus, we identify an FDA‐approved chemical capable of potently inhibiting the function of PD‐1. Equally important, our work sheds light on a novel strategy to develop inhibitors targeting PD‐1 signaling axis

Small-World Optimization Algorithm and Its Application in a Sequencing Problem of Painted Body Storage in a Car Company

In the car company, the painted body storage (PBS) is set up between the paint shop and the assembly shop. It stores the vehicles in production and reorders the vehicles sequence. To improve production efficiency of assembly shop, a mathematical model is developed aiming at minimizing the consumption rate of options and the total overtime and idle time. As the PBS sequencing process contains upstream sequence inbound and downstream sequence outbound, this paper proposes an algorithm with two phases. In the first phase, the discrete small-world optimization algorithm (DSWOA) is applied to schedule the inbound sequence by employing the short-range nodes and the long-range nodes in order to realize the global searching. In the second phase, the heuristic algorithm is applied to schedule the outbound sequencing. The proposed model and algorithm are applied in an automobile enterprise. The results indicate that the two-phase algorithm is suitable for the PBS sequencing problem and the DSWOA has a better searching performance than GA in this problem. The sensitivity of model parameters is analyzed as well