Patents Examined by Sean M Luck
  • Patent number: 11676792
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising: a source of charged particles configured to emit a beam of charged particles along a primary beam axis of the apparatus; a condenser lens configured to cause the beam to concentrate around the primary beam axis; an aperture; a first multi-pole lens; a second multi-pole lens; wherein the first multi-pole lens is downstream with respect to the condenser lens and upstream with respect to the second multi-pole lens; wherein the second multi-pole lens is downstream with respect to the first multi-pole lens and upstream with respect to the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands, B.V
    Inventors: Xuedong Liu, Qingpo Xi, Youfei Jiang, Weiming Ren, Xuerang Hu, Zhongwei Chen
  • Patent number: 11670477
    Abstract: A multi-beam apparatus for multi-beam inspection with an improved source conversion unit providing more beamlets with high electric safety, mechanical availability and mechanical stabilization has been disclosed. The source-conversion unit comprises an image-forming element array having a plurality of image-forming elements, an aberration compensator array having a plurality of micro-compensators, and a pre-bending element array with a plurality of pre-bending micro-deflectors. In each of the arrays, adjacent elements are placed in different layers, and one element may comprise two or more sub-elements placed in different layers. The sub-elements of a micro-compensator may have different functions such as micro-lens and micro-stigmators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Xuerang Hu, Xuedong Liu, Weiming Ren, Zhong-wei Chen
  • Patent number: 11664192
    Abstract: An ion source with a target holder for holding a solid dopant material is disclosed. The ion source comprises a thermocouple disposed proximate the target holder to monitor the temperature of the solid dopant material. In certain embodiments, a controller uses this temperature information to vary one or more parameters of the ion source, such as arc voltage, cathode bias voltage, extracted beam current, or the position of the target holder within the arc chamber. Various embodiments showing the connections between the controller and the thermocouple are shown. Further, embodiments showing various placement of the thermocouple on the target holder are also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Shreyansh P. Patel, Graham Wright, Daniel Alvarado, Daniel R. Tieger, Brian S. Gori, William R. Bogiages, Jr., Benjamin Oswald, Craig R. Chaney
  • Patent number: 11660056
    Abstract: A radiation shield assembly is described, configured to block radiation emanating from a radiation source from reaching a user. Two shields are supported by a support arm, and are configured to rotate relative to one another. This allows the shield to be easily configured and reconfigured as necessary to safely visualize various parts of a patient's body via radiography.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Rampart IC, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Evans Foster, Lloyd Guyton Bowers Cooper, William Thomas Livingston, Foster D. Phillips
  • Patent number: 11658004
    Abstract: A method for scanning a sample by a charged particle beam tool is provided. The method includes providing the sample having a scanning area including a plurality of unit areas, scanning a unit area of the plurality of unit areas, blanking a next unit area of the plurality of unit areas adjacent to the scanned unit area, and performing the scanning and the blanking the plurality of unit areas until all of the unit areas are scanned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Adam Lyons, Thomas I. Wallow
  • Patent number: 11658005
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system and method for controlling a dynamically controllable ultrawide-amplitude and high-response ion source, including: resolving dwell time of ion beam machining during iterative machining; selecting an appropriate velocity V of a movable shaft of a machine tool according to a calculation result of the dwell time; and dynamically calculating process parameters of an ion source according to an initial surface error of an optical component and the velocity V of the movable shaft, and generating a corresponding numerical control (NC) program to machine the optical component. The present disclosure can control the removal function of the ion beam polishing in real time, improve the precision and efficiency of the ion beam polishing, and further reduce the requirement on a movement system of the machine tool and the depth of a damaged layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY, PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY OF CHINA
    Inventors: Ye Tian, Feng Shi, Guangqi Zhou, Ci Song, Guipeng Tie, Gang Zhou
  • Patent number: 11654302
    Abstract: A particle portal imaging (PPI) system and method are provided that can be used to provide a “beam's eye view” of a patient's anatomy as a charged particle beam is delivered to a target region of the patient's body. The PPI system is capable of performing real-time image acquisition and in-situ dose monitoring using at least exit neutrons generated within the patient. The PPI system can perform charged particle treatment (PT) monitoring to monitor the particle beam being used for PT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Sanjiv Singh Samant, Jyothier Nimmagadda, James Edward Baciak, Thomas S.S. Samant, Andreas Jon Enqvist
  • Patent number: 11654209
    Abstract: A boarding handrail disinfecting device includes: a cover member that is provided on a door for opening and closing an entrance of a vehicle, and that is disposed so as to closely face a boarding handrail provided on a periphery of the entrance when the door closes the entrance and withdrawn from the boarding handrail when the door opens the entrance; and an irradiation device that is provided on a surface of the cover member that faces the boarding handrail and irradiates the boarding handrail with ultraviolet light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hideyuki Sakurai
  • Patent number: 11638770
    Abstract: An ultraviolet sanitizing apparatus for elimination of germs, viruses, and bacteria includes a housing having a receiving cavity extending from a housing front side through a housing back side. A plurality of LED ultraviolet lights is coupled to the housing within the receiving cavity on each of a cavity bottom side, a cavity top side, a cavity left side, and a cavity right side. A power source is coupled to the housing and is in operational communication with the plurality of LED ultraviolet lights. A motion sensor is coupled to the housing. The motion sensor is coupled within the receiving cavity and is in operational communication with the power source to activate the LED ultraviolet lights when triggered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Inventor: Boguslaw Kolakowski
  • Patent number: 11633508
    Abstract: A device for increased ultraviolet exposure of fluids. The device includes at least one photonic source for generating and emitting photonic energy in a wavelength or in a range of wavelengths of visible light. The device also includes a lens formed of a fluoropolymer material wherein the at least one photonic source is sealed within an interior and underneath an outer surface of the fluoropolymer material so as to be surrounded by the fluoropolymer material. The at least one photonic source is coupled with the lens such that the photonic energy emitting from the at least one photonic source transmits through and projects beyond the fluoropolymer material. The lens propagates photons in an omnidirectional pattern simultaneously throughout the entirety of the lens. The joining of the at least one photonic source and the fluoropolymer material comprises all components for generating and emitting photonic energy when the photonic source is activated, such that it is an operable source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: VIOLET DEFENSE GROUP, INC.
    Inventors: Mark Nathan, Theresa Nathan
  • Patent number: 11621140
    Abstract: A multiple electron beam writing apparatus includes an excitation light source to emit an excitation light, a multi-lens array to divide the excitation light into a plurality of lights, a photoemissive surface to receive the plurality of lights incident through its upper side, and emit multiple photoelectron beams from its back side, a blanking aperture array mechanism to provide, by deflecting each beam of the multiple photoelectron beams, an individual blanking control which individually switches each beam between ON and OFF, an electron optical system to include an electron lens, and to irradiate, using the electron lens, a target object with the multiple photoelectron beams having been controlled to be beam ON, and a control circuit to interconnect, for each shot of the multiple photoelectron beams, a timing of switching the excitation light between emission and non-emission with a timing of switching the each beam between ON and OFF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kota Iwasaki, Taku Yamada
  • Patent number: 11612048
    Abstract: Provided herein are systems, devices, articles of manufacture, and methods for generating neutrons employing a high energy ion beam target (HEIB target) and a target backing configured to be in contact with the bottom surface of the HEIB target (e.g., to generate an ion beam target assembly). In certain embodiments, the HEIB target has a thickness that is less than the penetration depth of protons or deuterons in the high energy ion beam that strikes the target. In certain embodiments, the target backing comprises a high hydrogen diffusion metal (e.g., palladium), has open spaces dispersed throughout for reduced proton diffusion distances, and has a shape and thickness such that all, or virtually all, of the protons or deuterons that pass through the HEIB target are stopped. Also provided herein are systems, devices, and methods for changing targets in an ion beam accelerator system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: PHOENIX NEUTRON IMAGING LLC
    Inventors: Ross Radel, Tye Gribb
  • Patent number: 11605533
    Abstract: Methods for an instrument including a light source of are provided. A method for an instrument including a light source includes providing light from the light source to a target location in a process chamber. The method includes receiving the light at a sensor. The method includes determining, using data from the sensor, a first position of the light at the target location. Moreover, the method includes determining whether to adjust the light to a second position at the target location. Related instruments are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: bioMerieux, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian MacGregor, Scott Collins, Jo-ann Loh, Spencer Lovette, Andrew J. Violette, James VanGordon, Jared Bullock
  • Patent number: 11605522
    Abstract: A charged particle buncher includes a series of spaced apart electrodes arranged to generate a shaped electric field. The series includes a first electrode, a last electrode and one or more intermediate electrodes. The charged particle buncher includes a waveform device attached to the electrodes and configured to apply a periodic potential waveform to each electrode independently in a manner so as to form a quasi-electrostatic time varying potential gradient between adjacent electrodes and to cause spatial distribution of charged particles that form a plurality of nodes and antinodes. The nodes have a charged particle density and the antinodes have substantially no charged particle density, and the nodes and the antinodes are formed from a charged particle beam with an energy less than or equal to 500 keV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: NexGen Semi Holding, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Joseph Bennahmias, Michael John Zani, Jeffrey Winfield Scott
  • Patent number: 11574797
    Abstract: A multiple-charged particle-beam irradiation apparatus includes a shaping aperture array substrate that causes a charged particle beam to pass through a plurality of first apertures to form multi-beams, a plurality of blanking aperture array substrates each provided with a plurality of second apertures, which enable corresponding beams to pass, and including a blanker arranged at each of the second apertures, a movable table on which the blanking aperture array substrates are mounted so as to be spaced apart from each other in a second direction, which is orthogonal to a first direction along an optical axis, and that moves in the second direction to position one of the blanking aperture array substrates on the optical axis, and an alignment mechanism that performs an alignment adjustment between the blanking aperture array substrate on the optical axis and the shaping aperture array substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: NUFLARE TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Okazawa
  • Patent number: 11562882
    Abstract: When a high-performance retarding voltage applying power supply cannot be employed in terms of costs or device miniaturization, it is difficult to sufficiently adjust focus in a high acceleration region within a range of changing an applied voltage, and identify a point at which a focus evaluation value is maximum. To address the above problems, a scanning electron microscope is provided including: an objective lens configured to converge an electron beam emitted from an electron source; a current source configured to supply an excitation current to the objective lens; a negative-voltage applying power supply configured to form a decelerating electric field of the electron beam on a sample; a detector configured to detect charged particles generated when the electron beam is emitted to the sample; and a control device configured to calculate a focus evaluation value from an image formed according to an output of the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
    Inventor: Takuma Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11556058
    Abstract: A method of generating a layout pattern includes determining a first energy density indirectly exposed to a first feature of one or more features of a layout pattern on an energy-sensitive material when the one or more features of the layout pattern on the energy-sensitive material are directly exposed by a charged particle beam. The method also includes adjusting a second energy density exposed the first feature when the first feature is directly exposed by the charged particle beam. A total energy density of the first feature that comprises a sum of the first energy density from the indirect exposure and the second energy density from the direct exposure is maintained at about a threshold energy level to fully expose the first feature in the energy-sensitive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wen Lo, Shih-Ming Chang
  • Patent number: 11538655
    Abstract: An improved source conversion unit of a charged particle beam apparatus is disclosed. The source conversion unit comprises a first micro-structure array including a plurality of micro-structures. The plurality of micro-structures is grouped into one or more groups. Corresponding electrodes of micro-structures in one group are electrically connected and driven by a driver to influence a corresponding group of beamlets. The micro-structures in one group may be single-pole structures or multi-pole structures. The micro-structures in one group have same or substantially same radial shifts from an optical axis of the apparatus. The micro-structures in one group have same or substantially same orientation angles with respect to their radial shift directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Xuerang Hu, Xuedong Liu, Zhong-wei Chen, Weiming Ren
  • Patent number: 11518674
    Abstract: A system and method (referred to as the system) fabricates controllable atomic assemblies in two and three dimensions. The systems identify by a non-invasive imager, a local atomic structure, distribution of vacancies, and dopant atoms and modify, by a microscopic modifier, the local atomic structure, via electron beam irradiation. The systems store, by a knowledge base, cause-and-effect relationships based on a non-invasive imaging and electron scans. The systems detect, by detectors, changes in the local atomic structure induced by the electron irradiation; and fabricate, a modified atomic structure by a beam control software and feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: UT-BATTELLE, LLC
    Inventors: Sergei V. Kalinin, Stephen Jesse, Albina Y. Borisevich, Ondrej E. Dyck, Bobby G. Sumpter, Raymond R. Unocic
  • Patent number: 11517634
    Abstract: A field of reach ultraviolet light disinfecting system includes a wrist band having two or more UV light emitters to produce a shower of UV light over the hand to disinfect pathogens that may be located on the hand and/or objects and surfaces in the light field of light dispersion the UV light emitters. A field of reach ultraviolet light disinfecting device has a top-hand UV light emitter configured on the wrist band to produce a top-hand UV light field that is emitted down over the top or back of a hand, when donned on a person's wrist. A field of reach ultraviolet light disinfecting device has a palm-hand UV light emitter that produces a palm-hand UV light field over the palm of a hand. A visible light emitter may project a visible light that overlaps the UV light field to indicate the location of the UV light emission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Inventor: Jim E. Fulbrook