Patents by Inventor Kenneth J. Krzeczowski

Kenneth J. Krzeczowski 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).

  • Patent number: 7838833
    Abstract: A method of imaging using an electron beam. An incident electron beam is focused onto the specimen surface, a scattered electron beam is extracted from the specimen surface, and a plurality of dark field signals are detected using a detection system. An interpolated dark field signal is generated using the plurality of dark field signals. In addition, a bright field signal may be detected using the detection system, and a final interpolated signal may be generated using the interpolated dark field signal and the bright field signal. User input may be received which determines a degree of interpolation between two adjacent dark field signals so as to generate the interpolated dark field signal and which determines an amount of interpolation between the interpolated dark field signal and the bright field signal so as to generate a final interpolated signal. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew Lent, Stanislaw Marek Borowicz, Mehran Nasser-Ghodsi, Niles Kenneth MacDonald, Ye Yang, Kenneth J. Krzeczowski
  • Patent number: 7598492
    Abstract: A method for improving throughput in review of images from a charged particle beam microscopy tool and a charged particle beam microscopy tool are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Krzeczowski, Mehran Nasser-Ghodsi, Mathew H. Lent
  • Patent number: 7525090
    Abstract: One embodiment relates to a method of behind-the-lens dark-field imaging using a scanning electron microscope apparatus. An incident beam is focused onto a specimen surface using an immersion objective lens, and the incident beam is deflected so as to scan the incident electron beam over a field of view of the specimen surface. A secondary electron beam is detected using a segmented detector to obtain a set of pixel data for each segment of the detector. Scan-dependent movement of the secondary electron beam over the segmented detector is compensated for by processing using a dynamic centering algorithm to generate a set of virtual pixel data for each segment of a virtual detector. At least one set of the virtual pixel data is used to generate a dark field image. Other embodiments, aspects, and features are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Kenneth J. Krzeczowski