Patents Examined by Hoa Q. Pham
  • Patent number: 10288480
    Abstract: An optical filter for an optical data transmission system, including a substrate; a first and a second reflective structure which are spaced apart from each other such that they form a Fabry-Perot cavity, and at least one optical waveguide formed on or in the substrate, via which light can be coupled into the Fabry-Perot cavity and/or out of the Fabry-Perot cavity. The Fabry-Perot cavity formed by the first and the second reflective structure at least partly is a free-beam cavity, and the waveguide is an integrated waveguide which is formed by one or more layers arranged on the substrate, and the first and the second reflective structure are at least partly arranged in a cutout of the substrate or adjoin the cutout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Martin Schell, Magnus Happach
  • Patent number: 10288832
    Abstract: Disclosed is an analyte detector with a light blocking assembly. The light blocking assembly includes a light blocking cartridge positioned within the bore of a sampling tip. The light blocking assembly provides fluid communication between the environment and a sensor assembly in an analyte detector while substantially precluding the passage of light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Willis, Craig Aker
  • Patent number: 10288564
    Abstract: A reflection characteristic measurement system includes: a hand-held reflection characteristic measurement apparatus including a light receiver that receives reflected light; and a guide member that supports the reflection characteristic measurement apparatus, wherein the guide member includes: a plate-shaped support part having a support surface to support the reflection characteristic measurement apparatus; and a white calibration plate applicable to white calibration of the reflection characteristic measurement apparatus, the support part includes: an elongated hole extending in one direction along the support surface; and a guide structure provided to guide the reflection characteristic measurement apparatus so as to enable the apparatus to move along the one direction, the light receiver is provided on the reflection characteristic measurement apparatus so as to move along a predetermined moving path, the moving path of the light receiver extends in the one direction, and the white calibration plate is p
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Takuma Morikawa, Yasutaka Tanimura, Yasushi Goto, Yusaku Kawahara, Shinji Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10281365
    Abstract: A system and method for mounting a section onto a substrate, the system comprising: a fluid channel including: a fluid channel inlet that receives the section, processed from a bulk embedded sample by a sample sectioning module positioned proximal the fluid channel inlet, a section-mounting region downstream of the fluid channel inlet, and a fluid channel outlet downstream of the section-mounting region; a reservoir in fluid communication with the fluid channel outlet; and a manifold, fluidly coupled to the reservoir, that delivers fluid from the reservoir to the fluid channel inlet, thereby recirculating fluid flow between the fluid channel inlet and the fluid channel outlet to carry sections between the sample sectioning module and the section mounting region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Aquaro Histology, Inc.
    Inventors: Collin Rich, Nolan Orfield, Vincent Alessi
  • Patent number: 10281263
    Abstract: Methods and systems for performing optical measurements of geometric structures filled with an adsorbate by a gaseous adsorption process are presented herein. Measurements are performed while the metrology target under measurement is treated with a flow of purge gas that includes a controlled amount of fill material. A portion of the fill material adsorbs onto the structures under measurement and fills openings in the structural features, spaces between structural features, small volumes such as notches, trenches, slits, contact holes, etc. In one aspect, the desired degree of saturation of vaporized material in the gaseous flow is determined based on the maximum feature size to be filled. In one aspect, measurement data is collected when a structure is unfilled and when the structure is filled by gaseous adsorption. The collected data is combined in a multi-target model based measurement to reduce parameter correlations and improve measurement performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventor: Shankar Krishnan
  • Patent number: 10274314
    Abstract: [Object] To provide a shape inspection method, a shape inspection apparatus, and a program capable of adjusting the brightness and the thickness of a light-section line in a light-section image more simply and objectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsuhiro Hibi, Yusuke Konno, Nobuhiro Furuya, Tomohiro Kuroiwa
  • Patent number: 10267749
    Abstract: Provided is an inspection method including: irradiating a sample to be inspected with illuminating light; acquiring a first image of the sample to be inspected, with an auto focuser using the illuminating light reflected from the sample to be inspected; storing autofocus function coordinates acquired with the auto focuser in the acquiring the first image; calculating a two-dimensional polynomial approximation of the autofocus function coordinates; and controlling focusing in acquiring a second image of the sample to be inspected, with the two-dimensional polynomial approximation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Nakashima
  • Patent number: 10267745
    Abstract: The disclosed device, which, using an electron microscope or the like, minutely observes defects detected by an optical appearance-inspecting device or an optical defect-inspecting device, can reliably insert a defect to be observed into the field of an electron microscope or the like, and can be a device of smaller scale. The electron microscope, which observes defects detected by an optical appearance-inspecting device or an optical defect-inspecting device, has a configuration incorporating an optimal microscope that re-detects defects, and a spatial filter and a distribution polarization element are inserted at the pupil plane when making dark-field observations using this optical microscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuko Otani, Takehiro Tachizaki, Masahiro Watanabe, Shunichi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10261008
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a device for holding a light guide, for use in a flow cell, with the steps of providing a light guide holder having a first end and a second end connected by a longitudinal through hole with a narrow portion at the first end having a first diameter and a wide portion at the second end having a second diameter, the first diameter being smaller than the second diameter, and the narrow portion and wide portion being connected by a tapering portion, inserting a light guide into the through hole so that a first end of the light guide extends from the first end to the second end of the light guide holder, inserting a substance into at least part of the wide portion of the through hole, Inserting a tube between the light guide and the light guide holder, and fix the light guide in relation to the holder by means of the substance. The invention also relates to a device for holding a light guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: GE Healthcare Bio-Sciences AB
    Inventors: Henrik Svanberg, Bjorn A. Johansson
  • Patent number: 10247602
    Abstract: A confocal measuring device capable of enlarging a measurement range using a compact device configuration is provided. A confocal measuring device (1A) is configured to include: a diffractive lens (11) that causes chromatic aberration in light emitted from a white LED light source (21); a diffractive lens (13b) that increases chromatic aberration of light passing through the diffractive lens (11); and an objective lens (12) that condenses light into a measurement target range such that the condensed light has chromatic aberration along an optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Mariko Marukawa, Masayuki Hayakawa, Takahiro Okuda, Hisayasu Morino
  • Patent number: 10240977
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: UNITY SEMICONDUCTOR
    Inventors: Gilles Fresquet, Alain Courteville, Philippe Gastaldo
  • Patent number: 10240976
    Abstract: A technique for identifying a measurement planned position for electromagnetic waves in a three-dimensional space in a simple and easy manner is provided. A position of a measuring unit 200 that is carried by an operator 100 is measured by a position measuring device that is configured to measure a position by laser light. A positional relationship between the measured position and the position of a measurement planned position 601 is displayed on a terminal 300 that is carried by the operator 100. This display guides the operator 100, and the operator 100 identifies the measurement planned position 601 and measure illuminance thereat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki Nagashima, Atsushi Shoji, Akira Oide
  • Patent number: 10241051
    Abstract: Methods and systems are presented for analyzing semiconductor materials as they progress along a production line, using photoluminescence images acquired using line-scanning techniques. The photoluminescence images can be analyzed to obtain spatially resolved information on one or more properties of said material, such as lateral charge carrier transport, defects and the presence of cracks. In one preferred embodiment the methods and systems are used to obtain series resistance images of silicon photovoltaic cells without making electrical contact with the sample cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: BT IMAGING PTY LTD
    Inventors: Thorsten Trupke, Juergen Weber
  • Patent number: 10241042
    Abstract: A wearable device, a charger, and a method for estimating absorbance of the wearable device are provided. The wearable device includes a spectroscope configured to emit a first light to a reference material of a charger, measure an intensity of the first light reflected from the reference material, emit a second light to a skin of a user, and measure an intensity of the second light reflected from the skin of the user; and a processor configured to determine absorbance of the skin of the user based on the intensity of the first light and the intensity of the second light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sang Kyu Kim
  • Patent number: 10234399
    Abstract: An apparatus (1) for optical inspection of plastic parisons (2) intended to be blow molded to form containers, comprises a conveyor (3) for transporting corresponding parisons (2) along a predetermined path; at an inspection station along the path, each parison (2) is positioned with its axis (208) aligned with a longitudinal reference axis. A stationary camera (7) is provided, with its viewing axis (8) coincident with the longitudinal reference axis, to view the interior of the parison (2); an illuminator (9) is positioned around the viewing axis (8) of the camera (7), to irradiate the outside surface of a mouth end (202) of the parison (2). The camera (7) has a wide-angle lens, to capture an image of an inside surface of the mouth end (202) of the parison (2), representing a screw thread (205) and the identification code (207) of the parison (2), shown in transparency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: SACMI COOPERATIVA MECCANICI IMOLA SOCIETA' COOPERATIVA
    Inventor: Donato Laico
  • Patent number: 10234402
    Abstract: A inspection system includes an illumination source to generate an illumination beam, focusing elements to direct the illumination beam to a sample, a detector, collection elements configured to direct radiation emanating from the sample to the detector, a detection mode control device to image the sample in two or more detection modes such that the detector generates two or more collection signals based on the two or more detection modes, and a controller. Radiation emanating from the sample includes at least radiation specularly reflected by the sample and radiation scattered by the sample. The controller determines defect scattering characteristics associated with radiation scattered by defects on the sample based on the two or more collection signals. The controller also classifies the one or more particles according to a set of predetermined defect classifications based on the one or more defect scattering characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Guoheng Zhao, J. K. Leong, Michael Kirk
  • Patent number: 10234381
    Abstract: Method of measuring a ratio of concentrations of two isotopologues of a chemical species in a first gas mixture using an optical absorption spectroscopy based gas analyzer; the method includes measuring the line intensity of a rotational-vibrational line of one isotopologue and the line intensity of another rotational-vibrational line of another isotopologue. The method also includes determining the ratio of two line intensities and comparing it with another ratio measured using another gas analyzer for a gas mixture with known concentration of isotopologues. The second ratio can be measured for the same pair of lines or for different pair of lines. The second ratio can be measured at the same gas temperature or at different gas temperature. The method includes determining a ratio of concentrations of two isotopologues based on two ratios of line intensities and two temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Inventor: Serguei Koulikov
  • Patent number: 10156526
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a wafer comprising a plurality of viewing fields defined thereon, a plurality of dies defined by a scribe line formed in each viewing field, a plurality of mark patterns formed in the scribe line, and a plurality of anchor pattern respectively formed in the review fields, the anchor patterns being different from the mark patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Yung-Teng Tsai, Hung-Chin Lin, Chia-Chen Sun, Chih-Yu Wu, Jun-Ming Chen, Chung-Chih Hung, Sheng-Chieh Chen
  • Patent number: 9334520
    Abstract: Mycoplasma contamination of a known cell line is detected by collecting a Raman spectrum of a targeted volume within a sample, the targeted volume containing a known cell line of interest, obtaining a reference spectrum uniquely associated with the known cell line where the obtained reference spectrum is known to be free of mycoplasma and comparing, using a processing device, the reference spectrum to the collected spectrum. Mycoplasma is further detected by identifying whether there are unnatural molecular compositions within the collected spectrum based upon the comparison of the reference spectrum to the collected spectrum and providing an indication as to whether mycoplasma is detected in the collected Raman spectrum based upon whether unnatural molecular compositions are identified within the collected spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
    Inventor: Andrew P. Bartko
  • Patent number: 9322813
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for analyzing a sample using at least one detector are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Alltech Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: James Anderson, Jr., Raaidah Saari-Nordhaus, Washington Mendoza, Josef Bystron, Romulus Gaita