Patents by Inventor Alain Courteville
Alain Courteville has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20230377121Abstract: A method for characterizing structures etched in a substrate, such as a wafer is disclosed. The method includes the following steps: illuminating the bottom of at least one structure with an illumination beam issued from a light source emitting light with a wavelength adapted to be transmitted through the substrate, acquiring, with an imaging device positioned on the bottom side of said substrate, at least one image of a bottom of the at least one structure through the substrate, and measuring at least one data, called lateral data, relating to a lateral dimension of the bottom of the at least one HAR structure from the at least one acquired image. A system implementing such a method is also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2023Publication date: November 23, 2023Inventors: Wolfgang Alexander IFF, Alain COURTEVILLE
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Patent number: 11808656Abstract: A measurement device, for measuring the shape of an interface to be measured of an optical element having a plurality of interfaces, the device including a measurement apparatus with at least one interferometric sensor illuminated by a low-coherence source, for directing a measurement beam towards the optical element to pass through the plurality of interfaces, and to detect an interference signal resulting from interferences between the measured measurement beam reflected by the interface and a reference beam, a positioning apparatus configured for relative positioning of a coherence area of the interferometric sensor at the level of the interface to be measured, and a digital processor for producing, based on the interference signal, an item of shape information of the interface to be measured according to a field of view.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2019Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: FOGALE NANOTECHInventors: Alain Courteville, Charankumar Godavarthi
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Publication number: 20230332885Abstract: A device for measuring interface shape of an optical element, including at least one low-coherence light source, at least one optical sensor, an interferometric device illuminated by the light source or and configured for shaping at least one measurement beam and at least two reference beams, directing one measurement beam to the element to pass through the interfaces, and directing the light from at least two interfaces to the sensor or sensors, each sensor globally configured for detecting at least two interference signals resulting respectively from interferences between the measurement beam reflected by one of the at least two interfaces and one of the reference beams; the measurement device also including a positioner for positioning a coherence area at the level of each interface; and a digital processor for producing, from the interference signals, an item of information of the shape of each interface according to a field of view.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2021Publication date: October 19, 2023Inventors: Sylvain PETITGRAND, Alain COURTEVILLE
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Apparatus provided with a capacitive detection and electric line(s) in the capacitive detection zone
Patent number: 11731285Abstract: An appliance includes: at least one measurement electrode, for detecting at least one object in a detection zone, by detecting a signal with respect to a coupling capacitance between the object and said the at least one measurement electrode; at least one capacitive detection electronics, connected to the at least one measurement electrode, and an electric line, having at least one electric wire, in the detection zone; the appliance also including a signal conditioner, applying to at least a portion of the electric line, an alternating electrical potential (VG), called guard potential, identical to the detection potential at the detection frequency. The appliance can be a robot, in particular a robotized arm, equipped with an electric line providing a power supply to a component part of the robot.Type: GrantFiled: July 4, 2019Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: FOGALE SENSORSInventors: Yacine Chakour, Didier Roziere, Alain Courteville -
Publication number: 20220397392Abstract: A device and method for measuring a surface of an object, including at least one light source, at least one optical sensor, and an interferometry device having a measurement arm and a reference arm, the former directing light from each light source towards the surface of the object and directing light from the surface towards each optical sensor; the measurement device, in an interferometry configuration, illuminating the reference arm and the measurement arm with each light source and directing the light from the measurement arm and the reference arm towards each optical sensor to form an interference signal; the measurement device, in an imaging configuration illuminating at least the measurement arm and directing the light from the measurement arm towards the optical sensor to form an image of the surface; the measurement device including a digital processor producing, from the interference signal and the image, information on the surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2020Publication date: December 15, 2022Inventors: Alain COURTEVILLE, Gilles FRESQUET
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Publication number: 20220357236Abstract: A measurement device, for measuring the shape of an interface to be measured of an optical element having a plurality of interfaces, the device including: measurement apparatus with at least one interferometric sensor illuminated by a low-coherence source, for directing a measurement beam towards the optical element to pass through the plurality of interfaces, and to detect an interference signal resulting from interferences between the measured measurement beam reflected by the interface and a reference beam; positioning apparatus configured for relative positioning of a coherence area of the interferometric sensor at the level of the interface to be measured; digital processor for producing, based on the interference signal, an item of shape information of the interface to be measured according to a field of view. A measurement method, for measuring the shape of an interface of an optical element having a plurality of interfaces is also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 7, 2019Publication date: November 10, 2022Inventors: Alain COURTEVILLE, Charankumar GODAVARTHI
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Publication number: 20220130147Abstract: A method for monitoring the environment of a robot including at least one iteration of a detection phase including the following steps:—acquisition, at a measurement instant, of an image of the depth of the environment, referred to as a measurement image, by the at least one 3D camera,—readjustment of the reference and measurement images, and—detection of a change relating to an object in the environment of the robot by comparing the reference and measurement images. A device that implements such a method and a robot equipped with such a device is also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 10, 2020Publication date: April 28, 2022Inventors: Alain COURTEVILLE, Adrien KAISER, José Alonso YBANEZ ZEPEDA
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Patent number: 11226188Abstract: A low-coherence interferometer apparatus for determining information on interfaces of an object including: a polychromatic light source; an optical system generating a measurement optical beam and a reference optical beam; a delay line introducing a variable optical delay between the optical beams; detection optics combining the beams, and producing a spectral signal representative of an optical-power spectral density of the resulting interference signal; a control and processing module acquiring a plurality of spectral signals for a plurality of optical delays, determining, for each spectral signal, optical retardation information between interfering beams within a spectral measurement range, analyse the variation in the retardations, and assign the optical retardation determined on the basis of the different spectral signals to interface curves, corresponding to straight lines with positive, negative, zero or almost-zero gradient, depending on the respective optical delay of the acquisition of the spectralType: GrantFiled: March 12, 2018Date of Patent: January 18, 2022Assignee: FOGALE NANOTECHInventors: Alain Courteville, Christian Neel, Charankumar Godavarthi
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Publication number: 20210178606Abstract: An appliance includes: at least one capacitive measurement electrode; at least one capacitive detection electronics; and an electric line, having at least one electric wire, in the detection zone; the appliance also having at least one spacer structure for distancing the electric line between: a minimum distance (Dmin) corresponding to the distance beyond which a reference electric line generates a coupling capacitance with the at least one measurement electrode, less than a predetermined threshold capacitance; and a maximum distance (Dmax) corresponding to the distance beyond which a reference object generates a coupling capacitance with the at least one measurement electrode, less than the threshold capacitance.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 4, 2019Publication date: June 17, 2021Inventors: Yacine CHAKOUR, Didier ROZIERE, Alain COURTEVILLE
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APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH A CAPACITIVE DETECTION AND ELECTRIC LINE(S) IN THE CAPACITIVE DETECTION ZONE
Publication number: 20210154860Abstract: An appliance includes: at least one measurement electrode, for detecting at least one object in a detection zone, by detecting a signal with respect to a coupling capacitance between the object and said the at least one measurement electrode; at least one capacitive detection electronics, connected to the at least one measurement electrode, and an electric line, having at least one electric wire, in the detection zone; the appliance also including a signal conditioner, applying to at least a portion of the electric line, an alternating electrical potential (VG), called guard potential, identical to the detection potential at the detection frequency. The appliance can be a robot, in particular a robotized arm, equipped with an electric line providing a power supply to a component part of the robot.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 4, 2019Publication date: May 27, 2021Inventors: Yacine CHAKOUR, Didier ROZIERE, Alain COURTEVILLE -
Publication number: 20210080246Abstract: A low-coherence interferometer apparatus for determining information on interfaces of an object including: a polychromatic light source; an optical system generating a measurement optical beam and a reference optical beam; a delay line introducing a variable optical delay between the optical beams; detection optics combining the beams, and producing a spectral signal representative of an optical-power spectral density of the resulting interference signal; a control and processing module acquiring a plurality of spectral signals for a plurality of optical delays, determining, for each spectral signal, optical retardation information between interfering beams within a spectral measurement range, analyse the variation in the retardations, and assign the optical retardation determined on the basis of the different spectral signals to interface curves, corresponding to straight lines with positive, negative, zero or almost-zero gradient, depending on the respective optical delay of the acquisition of the spectralType: ApplicationFiled: March 12, 2018Publication date: March 18, 2021Inventors: Alain COURTEVILLE, Christian NEEL, Charankumar GODAVARTHI
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Patent number: 10919157Abstract: A device for the detection of objects for a robot, provided for equipping said robot, including: at least one sensor, called approach sensor, implementing a first detection technology for detecting a neighbouring object; and at least one sensor, called proximity sensor, implementing a second detection technology for detecting a neighbouring object, different from said the first technology, and having a range less than that of the at least one approach sensor. A robot equipped with such a device is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2018Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: FOGALE NANOTECHInventors: Didier Roziere, Alain Courteville
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Publication number: 20200180162Abstract: A device for the detection of objects for a robot, provided for equipping said robot, including: at least one sensor, called approach sensor, implementing a first detection technology for detecting a neighbouring object; and at least one sensor, called proximity sensor, implementing a second detection technology for detecting a neighbouring object, different from said the first technology, and having a range less than that of the at least one approach sensor. A robot equipped with such a device is also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2018Publication date: June 11, 2020Inventors: Didier ROZIERE, Alain COURTEVILLE
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Patent number: 10240977Abstract: A method is provided for inspecting the surface of an object such as a wafer having tridimensional structures, using a confocal chromatic device with a plurality of optical measurement channels and a chromatic lens allowing optical wavelengths of a broadband light source to be focused at different axial distances defining a chromatic measurement range. The method includes a step of obtaining an intensity information corresponding to the intensity of the light actually focused on an interface of the object within the chromatic measurement range at a plurality of measurement points on the object by measuring a total intensity over the full spectrum of the light collected by at least some of the optical measurement channels in a confocal configuration.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2016Date of Patent: March 26, 2019Assignee: UNITY SEMICONDUCTORInventors: Gilles Fresquet, Alain Courteville, Philippe Gastaldo
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Publication number: 20170276615Abstract: A method is provided for inspecting the surface of an object such as a wafer having tridimensional structures, using a confocal chromatic device with a plurality of optical measurement channels and a chromatic lens allowing optical wavelengths of a broadband light source to be focused at different axial distances defining a chromatic measurement range. The method includes a step of obtaining an intensity information corresponding to the intensity of the light actually focused on an interface of the object within the chromatic measurement range at a plurality of measurement points on the object by measuring a total intensity over the full spectrum of the light collected by at least some of the optical measurement channels in a confocal configuration.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2016Publication date: September 28, 2017Inventors: Gilles FRESQUET, Alain COURTEVILLE, Philippe GASTALDO
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Patent number: 9739600Abstract: A confocal chromatic device for inspecting the surface of an object such as a wafer, including a plurality of optical measurement channels with collection apertures arranged for collecting the light reflected by the object through a chromatic lens at a plurality of measurement points, the plurality of optical measurement channels including optical measurement channels with an intensity detector for measuring a total intensity of the collected light. A method is also provided for inspecting the surface of an object such as a wafer including tridimensional structures.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2016Date of Patent: August 22, 2017Assignee: UNITY SEMICONDUCTORInventors: Gilles Fresquet, Alain Courteville, Philippe Gastaldo
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Patent number: 9494529Abstract: A confocal chromatic device is provided for inspecting the surface of an object such as a wafer, including a plurality of optical measurement channels with collection apertures arranged for collecting the light reflected by the object through a chromatic lens at a plurality of measurement points, and a magnifying lens arranged for introducing a variable or changeable scaling factor between the spatial repartition of the collection apertures and the measurement points. A method is also provided for inspecting the surface of an object such as a wafer including tridimensional structures.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2016Date of Patent: November 15, 2016Assignee: FOGALE NANOTECHInventors: Gilles Fresquet, Alain Courteville, Philippe Gastaldo
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Patent number: 7782468Abstract: A method for measuring the heights of patterns of an object, including: a light emission, the light includes a propagation mode of interest for at least one wavelength of interest, an illumination of the surface of the object by the light, a reflection of the light by the surface of the object, a collection of the reflected light, a division of the wavefront of the reflected light into division components, by at least one pattern of the illuminated surface, a filtering of the collected light, including a modal filtering removing all modes other than the propagation mode of interest, for the wavelengths of interest, and from the filtered light, and for the wavelengths of interest, an extraction of information about phase differences between the division components.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2006Date of Patent: August 24, 2010Assignee: Nanotec SolutionInventor: Alain Courteville
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Publication number: 20090303495Abstract: A method for measuring the heights of patterns of an object, including: a light emission, the light includes a propagation mode of interest for at least one wavelength of interest, an illumination of the surface of the object by the light, a reflection of the light by the surface of the object, a collection of the reflected light, a division of the wavefront of the reflected light into division components, by at least one pattern of the illuminated surface, a filtering of the collected light, including a modal filtering removing all modes other than the propagation mode of interest, for the wavelengths of interest, and from the filtered light, and for the wavelengths of interest, an extraction of information about phase differences between the division components.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 12, 2006Publication date: December 10, 2009Inventor: Alain Courteville