Patents Examined by Hanway Chang
  • Patent number: 11114271
    Abstract: Correctors for correcting axial aberrations of a particle-optical lens in a charged particle microscope system, according to the present disclosure include a first primary multipole that generates a first primary multipole field when a first excitation is applied to the first primary multipole, and a second primary multipole that generates a second primary multipole field when a second excitation is applied to the second primary multipole. The first primary multipole is not imaged onto the second primary multipole such that a combination fourth-order aberration is created. The correctors further include a secondary multipole for correcting the fourth-order aberration and the sixth-order aberration. Such correctors may further include a tertiary multipole for correcting an eighth-order aberration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: FEI Company
    Inventors: Alexander Henstra, Peter Christiaan Tiemeijer, Marcel Niestadt
  • Patent number: 11110190
    Abstract: A currency bill dispenser that can disinfect the currency bill as the currency bill travels within the currency bill dispenser. The currency bill dispenser can include multiple UV-C lamps arranged on both sides of the currency bill. The intensity of the UV-C radiations at the currency bill can be increased by the use of collimating semi-cylindrical reflectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Inventor: David Scott Andrews
  • Patent number: 11107660
    Abstract: A multi-charged particle beam image acquisition apparatus includes an image acquisition mechanism, including a stage on which a target object is capable to be disposed and a deflector for deflecting multiple charged particle beams in array arrangement, configured to acquire, in a state where a scan region width to be scanned by each of the multiple beams has been set depending on an image averaging frequency, image data of each beam by scanning the target object with deflected multiple beams while relatively shifting a stage moving direction angle and an array arranging direction angle of the multiple beams from each other, and an averaging circuit configured to average, using image data of each beam, errors of the image data by superimposing image data of the same position at the image averaging frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Nakashima
  • Patent number: 11109474
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet generation apparatus is provided. The extreme ultraviolet generation apparatus includes a chamber, a droplet generator configured to provide a droplet into the chamber, a shroud which extends along a movement path of the droplet inside the chamber and surrounds the movement path of the droplet, a charging unit configured to charge the droplet, a monitoring unit configured to measure a position of the charged droplet, an alignment unit including at least one electromagnet, the alignment unit configured to correct the position of the charged droplet within the shroud using the at least one electromagnet, and an acceleration unit configured to accelerate the charged droplet after the position of the charged droplet has been corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: In Ho Choi, Min Seok Choi, Jeong-Gil Kim, Hyuck Shin, In Jae Lee, Sung Ho Jang
  • Patent number: 11101124
    Abstract: A laser desorption/ionization method, includes: a first step of preparing a sample support body including a substrate on which a plurality of through holes opening to a first surface and a second surface facing each other are formed, a conductive layer provided on at least the first surface, and a matrix provided in the plurality of through holes; a second step of mounting a sample on a mounting surface of a mounting portion, and of disposing the sample support body on the sample such that the second surface is in contact with the sample; and a third step of ionizing a component of the sample that is mixed with the matrix and is moved to the first surface side from the second surface side through the through hole by irradiating the first surface with laser light while a voltage is applied to the conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kotani, Takayuki Ohmura
  • Patent number: 11101122
    Abstract: A laser desorption/ionization method, includes: a first step of preparing a sample support body including a substrate on which plurality of through holes opening to a first surface and a second surface facing each other are formed, and a conductive layer provided on at least the first surface; a second step of mounting a sample on a mounting surface of a mounting portion, and of disposing the sample support body on the sample such that the second surface is in contact with the sample; a third step of introducing a matrix solution into the plurality of through holes; and a fourth step of ionizing a component of the sample that is mixed with the matrix solution and is moved to the first surface side from the second surface side through the through hole by irradiating the first surface with laser light while a voltage is applied to the conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Yasuhide Naito, Masahiro Kotani, Takayuki Ohmura
  • Patent number: 11099209
    Abstract: A scanning probe used to measure and determine the features of an electrically conductive surface and which can be used to determine present corrosion state of a bare or coated metal and monitor corrosion progression under coatings that previously had to be removed to assess the present corrosion state and corrosion progression of the underlying metal surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Advanced Measurement Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Charles R. Sides
  • Patent number: 11094517
    Abstract: A method for preparing a measurement sample for MALDI mass spectrometry, the method including applying a laser beam to a base containing a matrix disposed on a surface of the base, in a manner that the laser beam is applied to a surface of the base opposite to the surface on which the matrix is disposed, to make the matrix fly from the base to be disposed at a predetermined position of an analyte of MALDI mass spectrometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Uematsu, Kazumi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11096266
    Abstract: A method includes providing a target material that comprises a component that emits extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light when converted to plasma; directing a first beam of radiation toward the target material to deliver energy to the target material to modify a geometric distribution of the target material to form a modified target; directing a second beam of radiation toward the modified target, the second beam of radiation converting at least part of the modified target to plasma that emits EUV light; measuring one or more characteristics associated with one or more of the target material and the modified target relative to the first beam of radiation; and controlling an amount of radiant exposure delivered to the target material from the first beam of radiation based on the one or more measured characteristics to within a predetermined range of energies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Daniel Jason Riggs, Robert Jay Rafac
  • Patent number: 11086226
    Abstract: An EUV light source including a vacuum chamber, a droplets injector operatively connected to the vacuum chamber for directing the droplets into the vacuum chamber, droplets produced by the droplets injector wherein the droplets have one side and another side opposite the one side, the droplets including a solid higher Z bead in a low Z liquid, and at least one laser beam directed onto the one side of the droplets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventor: Yechiel R. Frank
  • Patent number: 11081313
    Abstract: A corrector has a strength of a central hexapole field (?HP2) which is selected such that the threefold axial astigmatism (A2) vanishes and the strengths of two equal outer hexapole fields (?HP1,3) are selected such that the overall corrector (5) does not have a sixfold axial astigmatism (A5). The length (L) of the central multipole element (2) in relation to the lengths (L?) of the multipole elements (1 and 3) is chosen such that the axial three-lobed aberration of sixth order (D6) vanishes. A separation between the outer multipole elements (1 and 3) and round lenses (7?, 8?) further spaced apart from a symmetry plane (6) of the corrector corresponds to the focal length (f?) of those round lenses (7?, 8?) plus an additional separation (?z) which is chosen such that the axial three-lobed aberration of fourth order (D4) vanishes for the given lengths L and L?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: CEOS Corrected Electron Optical Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Stephan Uhlemann
  • Patent number: 11081328
    Abstract: The invention relates to imaging mass spectrometry on thin sample sections, in particular using MALDI, where a high lateral image resolution means that a plethora of mass spectra has to be acquired and the image acquisition runs over many hours. The quality of the mass spectra deteriorates considerably over time in such cases. The invention is based on the finding that the decrease in spectral quality of continuous measurement series over many hours is only partially caused by a decrease in detector gain, and that another significant cause is a decrease in the number of usable ions per ion generating pulse, which is attributable to several phenomena that are difficult to regulate. The invention now proposes to instead regulate only the detector gain, and such that not only the decrease in the detector gain is compensated, but also the decrease in the number of usable ions per ion generating pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Inventors: Jens Höhndorf, Andreas Haase
  • Patent number: 11069519
    Abstract: Control of an amplitude of a signal applied to rods of a quadrupole is described. In one aspect, a mass spectrometer includes a quadrupole mass analyzer and a resonant circuit to generate a radio frequency (RF) signal applied to rods of the quadrupole mass analyzer. An amplitude control circuit can be inductively coupled with inductors of the resonant circuit to selectively discharge energy from the resonant circuit and, therefore, adjust the amplitude of the signal in particular situations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Thermo Finnigan LLC
    Inventor: Johnathan Wayne Smith
  • Patent number: 11056312
    Abstract: A system is disclosed. In embodiments, the system includes an electron source and a micro-lens array (MLA) configured to receive one or more primary electron beams from the electron source and split the one or more primary electron beams into a plurality of primary electron beamlets. In embodiments, the system further includes a micro-stigmator array (MSA) including a plurality of dodecapole electrostatic stigmators, wherein the MSA is configured to eliminate at least one of fourth-order focusing aberrations or sixth-order focusing aberrations of the plurality of primary electron beamlets. In embodiments, the system further includes projection optics configured to receive the plurality of primary electron beamlets and focus the plurality of primary electron beamlets onto a surface of a sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: KLA Corporation
    Inventors: Xinrong Jiang, Christopher Sears
  • Patent number: 11036143
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus that generates extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a target with a pulse laser beam includes: a chamber; a magnet that is positioned outside the chamber and forms a magnetic field (70) inside the chamber; a discharge path (37a) that is opened at a position on an inner wall surface of the chamber where the inner wall surface intersects a central axis of the magnetic field (70) and through which gas inside the chamber is discharged; and a gas supply unit (10a) configured to supply gas into the discharge path (37a) through an inner wall surface of the discharge path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventor: Atsushi Ueda
  • Patent number: 11037754
    Abstract: An ion implantation system and method provide a non-uniform flux of a ribbon ion beam. A spot ion beam is formed and provided to a scanner, and a scan waveform having a time-varying potential is applied to the scanner. The ion beam is scanned by the scanner across a scan path, generally defining a scanned ion beam comprised of a plurality of beamlets. The scanned beam is then passed through a corrector apparatus. The corrector apparatus is configured to direct the scanned ion beam toward a workpiece at a generally constant angle of incidence across the workpiece. The corrector apparatus further comprises a plurality of magnetic poles configured to provide a non-uniform flux profile of the scanned ion beam at the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Axcelis Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Eisner, Bo Vanderberg
  • Patent number: 11031209
    Abstract: Systems and methods of observing a sample in a multi-beam apparatus are disclosed. A multi-beam apparatus may comprise an array of deflectors configured to steer individual beamlets of multiple beamlets, each deflector of the array of deflectors having a corresponding driver configured to receive a signal for steering a corresponding individual beamlet. The apparatus may further include a controller having circuitry to acquire profile data of a sample and to control each deflector by providing the signal to the corresponding driver based on the acquired profile data, and a steering circuitry comprising the corresponding driver configured to generate a driving signal, a corresponding compensator configured to receive the driving signal and a set of driving signals from other adjacent drivers associated with adjacent deflectors and to generate a compensation signal to compensate a corresponding deflector based on the driving signal and the set of driving signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventor: Jan-Gerard Cornelis Van Der Toorn
  • Patent number: 11020503
    Abstract: A disinfecting system includes a housing. An ultraviolet light (UV) source is secured to the housing and configured to emit UV light for disinfection of a target. A processor is secured to the housing in communication with the UV light source. The processor is configured to activate the UV light source for a selected amount of time suitable for disinfection of the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: P Tech, LLC
    Inventors: Peter M. Bonutti, Justin Beyers, Tonya M. Bierman
  • Patent number: 11024494
    Abstract: An interference in a first MRM transition measurement for a compound of interest is determined by using a second MRM transition that includes an isotope of the precursor ion in the first MRM transition. Both transitions include the same product ion. A first intensity is measured for the first MRM transition and a second intensity is measured for the second MRM transition. A ratio of the first intensity to the second intensity is calculated. A theoretical ratio of the quantity of first precursor ion to the second precursor ion is calculated according to their isotopic relationship. A difference between the ratio and the theoretical ratio is calculated and compared to a threshold value. If the difference is less than the threshold value, the first intensity of the first MRM transition is identified as including an interference for the compound of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: DH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Yves Le Blanc
  • Patent number: 11004654
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that remove noise from roughness measurements to determine roughness of a feature in a pattern structure. In one embodiment, a method for determining roughness of a feature in a pattern structure includes generating, using an imaging device, a set of one or more images, each including measured linescan information that includes noise. The method also includes detecting edges of the features within the pattern structure of each image without filtering the images, generating a biased power spectral density (PSD) dataset representing feature geometry information corresponding to the edge detection measurements, evaluating a high-frequency portion of the biased PSD dataset to determine a noise model for predicting noise over all frequencies of the biased PSD dataset, and subtracting the noise predicted by the determined noise model from a biased roughness measure to obtain an unbiased roughness measure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Fractilia, LLC
    Inventor: Chris Mack