Patents Examined by Jack I. Berman
  • Methods and devices for the mass-selective transport of ions
    Patent number: 7858931
    Abstract: A method for the mass-selective transport of ions, especially in a mass spectrometer, comprises the steps movement of the ions on a movement path on which a plurality of electrodes are arranged, and loading the electrodes with pulse-shaped acceleration voltages under the effect of which the ions experience a mass-dependent change of speed, wherein the electrodes are loaded with the pulse-shaped acceleration voltages such t at target ions with a pre-determined target mass are accelerated along the movement path Furthermore, an ion conductor for mass-selective transport of ions, especially in a mass spectrometer, is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam Stiftung des Offentlichen Rechts
    Inventor: Michael Wiedenbeck
  • Microscope probe having an ultra-tall tip
    Patent number: 7861316
    Abstract: A microscope probe including a coaxial tip and a coplanar waveguide (CPW) formed on a silicon substrate is provided. The coaxial tip includes a tip shaft and a tip nib formed from the silicon substrate with the tip nib extending from the tip shaft opposite the silicon substrate. The tip shaft includes a first layer of a first conductive material formed over the silicon substrate, a second layer of an insulating material formed over the first layer, and a third layer of a second conductive material formed over the second layer. The tip nib includes the first layer of the first conductive material formed over the silicon substrate and exposed from the second layer and the third layer of the tip shaft. The CPW includes a center conductor formed from the first layer of the first conductive material and a first and a second outer conductor formed from the second layer of the second conductive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Daniel Warren van der Weide, Yaqiang Wang
  • Mass spectrometry with segmented RF multiple ion guides in various pressure regions
    Patent number: 7858926
    Abstract: A mass spectrometer includes an ion source and at least one vacuum stage, a means for delivering ions from the ion source to the vacuum stage, a collision cell, a detector, at least two multipole ion guide segments, and independent RF frequency and DC voltage sources applied to the multipole ion guide segments, the RF frequency and DC voltage sources being controlled independently of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: PerkinElmer Health Sciences, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig M. Whitehouse, David G. Welkie, Gholamreza Javahery, Lisa Cousins
  • UV irradiation unit for substrates
    Patent number: 7858956
    Abstract: The invention relates to an irradiation unit for the UV irradiation of particularly web-shaped substrates, comprising a housing (10), a tubular UV lamp (12), arranged therein and a reflector arrangement (14), running along the UV lamp (12). According to the invention, a simple exchangeability may be achieved, whereby the reflector arrangement comprises a support profile (22), retained in the housing (10) and a reflector profile (24), embodied as a shape-retaining molded piece which may be detachably connected thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: IST Metz GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Treichel, Klaus Ebinger, Joachim Jung, Stefan Jung, legal representative, Melanie Niemann, nee Jung, legal representative, Carsten Jung, legal representative, Günter Fuchs
  • Quadrupole FAIMS apparatus
    Patent number: 7858934
    Abstract: A combined rf-only/FAIMS apparatus is disclosed for use in mass spectrometry and other applications. The disclosed apparatus includes a plurality of curved electrodes arranged around a central ion transmission channel. FAIMS functionality is removed electronically when not desired by application of radio frequency (rf) waveforms to the curved electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Thermo Finnigan LLC
    Inventors: Michael W. Belford, Jean Jacques Dunyach
  • Illumination optics for projection microlithography
    Patent number: 7858957
    Abstract: Illumination optics that can be used, for example, for EUV projection microlithography are disclosed. Also disclosed are illumination systems provided with such illumination optics, projection exposure apparatuses provided with such illumination systems, related methods of manufacturing microstructured elements, and microstructured elements obtained by these methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT AG
    Inventors: Berndt Warm, Guenther Dengel
  • Plasma processing method and plasma processing apparatus
    Patent number: 7858155
    Abstract: It is intended to provide a plasma processing method and apparatus capable of increasing the uniformity of amorphyzation processing. A prescribed gas is introduced into a vacuum container 1 from a gas supply apparatus 2 through a gas inlet 11 while being exhausted by a turbomolecular pump 3 as an exhaust apparatus through an exhaust hole 12. The pressure in the vacuum container 1 is kept at a prescribed value by a pressure regulating valve 4. High-frequency electric power of 13.56 MHz is supplied from a high-frequency power source 5 to a coil 8 disposed close to a dielectric window 7 which is opposed to a sample electrode 6, whereby induction-coupled plasma is generated in the vacuum container 1. A high-frequency power source 10 for supplying high-frequency electric power to the sample electrode 6 is provided and functions as a voltage source for controlling the potential of the sample electrode 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Yuichiro Sasaki, Katsumi Okashita, Cheng-Guo Jin, Satoshi Maeshima, Hiroyuki Ito, Ichiro Nakayama, Bunji Mizuno
  • High-voltage power unit and mass spectrometer using the power unit
    Patent number: 7855355
    Abstract: The output terminal P2 of the positive voltage generating circuit 2 and the output terminal Q1 of the negative voltage generating circuit 4 are connected in series. The output terminal Q2 of the negative voltage generating circuit 4 is connected to the ground via the resistor 10. Each of the resistors 6 and 7 is respectively connected in parallel to the voltage generating circuits 2 and 4. A high voltage whose polarity is changed is taken from the output terminal P1 of the positive voltage generating circuit 2. For changing the output voltage from positive to negative one, the control circuit 1 controls each of the drive circuits 3 and 5 so that the output of the positive voltage generating circuit 2 changes from the voltage +HV to zero and the output of the negative voltage generating circuit 4 simultaneously changes from zero to ?HV. Accordingly, the output voltage changes in a short period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventor: Shiro Mizutani
  • Contamination pinning for auger analysis
    Patent number: 7855362
    Abstract: Electron spectroscopy methods and apparatus are disclosed. A beam of primary electrons is applied to a measurement location on a surface of a sample. A pinning flux of electrons is applied to one or more pinning regions proximate the measurement location. The pinning flux is characterized by a location, size, shape, and electron flux configured such that contaminants preferentially migrate to the pinning region rather than the measurement location. Emissions from the surface resulting from interaction with the primary electrons and the surface of the sample at the measurement location are analyzed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Alan Brodie, Mehran Nasser-Ghodsi
  • Projection electronic microscope for reducing geometric aberration and space charge effect
    Patent number: 7855364
    Abstract: A projection electronic microscope is provided for improving geometric aberration and a space charge effect within a zooming range using a zoom type transfer lens system in a projection/image formation optical system. The projection electronic microscope comprises an irradiation system for emitting a primary electron beam irradiated to a sample, and a projection/image formation optical system for guiding a second electron beams emitted from the sample with the irradiation of the primary electron beam to a detection system. The projection/image formation optical system includes a zoom type transfer lens system having a first zoom lens and a second zoom lens. The first zoom lens includes a plurality of electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Weiming Ren, Takeshi Murakami
  • Gas cluster ion beam emitting apparatus and method for ionization of gas cluster
    Patent number: 7855374
    Abstract: An emitting apparatus 50 has a gas cluster generation chamber 2 and a nozzle 3 as means for generating a gas cluster and emitting the gas cluster to a processing object 10. A group of gas clusters jetted from the nozzle 3 is shaped into a gas cluster stream 8 in a beam form when passing through a skimmer 4. Electrons are emitted from an electron gun 12 to the gas cluster stream 8, whereby the gas cluster in the gas cluster stream is ionized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuro Saito, Tatsumi Shoji, Yoichi Fukumiya
  • Inspection method and apparatus using an electron beam
    Patent number: 7855363
    Abstract: An inspection method and apparatus irradiates a sample on which a pattern is formed with an electron beam, so that an inspection image and a reference image can be generated on the basis of a secondary electron or a reflected electron emitted by the sample. An abnormal pattern is determined based on a difference in halftone values of each pixel between the inspection image and the reference image. A plurality of feature quantities of the abnormal pattern are obtained from an image of the abnormal pattern, and, based on the distribution of the plurality of feature quantities of the abnormal pattern, a range for classifying the type of the abnormal pattern is designated. Thus, a desired defect can be extracted from many defects extracted by inspection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Miyai, Ryuichi Funatsu, Taku Ninomiya, Yasuhiko Nara
  • Method and an ion source for obtaining ions of an analyte
    Patent number: 7855358
    Abstract: A method of obtaining ions of an analyte is disclosed. The method includes aerosolizing a sample using a thermal liquid jetting device or a piezoelectric liquid jetting device to obtain an aerosol without ionizing the sample. The sample includes the analyte in a solvent. The method further includes drying the aerosol to obtain gas phase solvent and gas phase analyte, and ionizing the gas phase analyte to obtain ions thereof. An ion source using the method for obtaining ions of an analyte is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur Schleifer, Steven Michael Fischer
  • Apparatus and method for scanning capacitance microscopy and spectroscopy
    Patent number: 7856665
    Abstract: An apparatus and technique for measuring the electrical capacitance between a conducting tip of a scanning probe microscope and a sample surface is described. A high frequency digital vector network analyzer is connected to the probe tip of the cantilever of an atomic force microscope, and data collection is coordinated by a digital computer using digital trigger signals between the AFM controller and the vector network analyzer. Methods for imaging tip-sample capacitance and spectroscopic measurements at a single point on the sample are described. A method for system calibration is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Asylum Research Corporation
    Inventors: Maarten Rutgers, William H. Hertzog, Keith M. Jones, Amir A. Moshar
  • Beam control assembly for ribbon beam of ions for ion implantation
    Patent number: 7851767
    Abstract: A beam control assembly to shape a ribbon beam of ions for ion implantation includes a first bar, second bar, first coil of windings of electrical wire, second coil of windings of electrical wire, first electrical power supply, and second electrical power supply. The first coil is disposed on the first bar. The first coil is the only coil disposed on the first bar. The second bar is disposed opposite the first bar with a gap defined between the first and second bars. The ribbon beam travels between the gap. The second coil is disposed on the second bar. The second coil is the only coil disposed on the second bar. The first electrical power supply is connected to the first coil without being electrically connected to any other coil. The second electrical power supply is connected to the second coil without being electrically connected to any other coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Advanced Ion Beam Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Jiong Chen
  • Apparatus for detecting backscattered electrons in a beam apparatus
    Patent number: 7851755
    Abstract: A beam apparatus has a beam source producing a primary electron beam, an objective lens focusing the beam onto an observed sample, and at least one condenser lens mounted between the beam source and the objective lens. The condenser lens operates such that the beam forms one crossover point between the condenser lens and the objective lens. A first detector is mounted at the crossover point or at a position closer to the sample than the crossover point. A second detector is mounted at a position closer to the electron source than the crossover point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Jeol Ltd.
    Inventor: Manabu Saito
  • Method for obtaining information and device therefor
    Patent number: 7851749
    Abstract: A method for obtaining information on a mass of an object by time-of-flight mass spectrometry. This method includes placing colloidal metal particles for promoting ionization of the object inside the object at a depth ranging from 0.1 nm to 100 nm in opposition to a primary beam for the ionization; irradiating the object with the primary beam selected from the group of ions, neutral particles, and electrons, which can be focused, pulsed, and are capable of scanning, and laser beams, which can be focused, pulsed, and are capable of scanning to ionize a constituent of the object and to allow the ionized constituent to fly out of the object; and obtaining information on the mass of the flying constituent of the object by time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Manabu Komatsu, Hiroyuki Hashimoto, Yohei Murayama, Kazuhiro Ban
  • Process for manufacturing probes intended to interact with a storage medium and probe obtained thereby
    Patent number: 7854016
    Abstract: A process manufactures a probe intended to interact with a storage medium of a probe-storage system, wherein a sacrificial layer is deposited on top of a substrate; a hole is formed in the sacrificial layer; a mold layer is deposited; the mold layer is etched via the technique for forming spacers so as to form a mold region delimiting an opening having an area decreasing towards the substrate. Then a stack of conductive layers is deposited on top of the sacrificial layer, the stack is etched so as to form a suspended structure, formed by a pair of supporting arms arranged to form a V, and an interaction tip projecting monolithically from the supporting arms. Then a stiffening structure is formed, of insulating material, and the suspended structure is fixed to a supporting wafer. The substrate, the sacrificial layer, and, last, the mold region are then removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventor: Agostino Pirovano
  • Electrode structure for drift tube in ion mobility spectrometer
    Patent number: 7851747
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electrode structure for a drift tube in IMS comprising a ring electrode, for each of two surfaces of the ring electrode, at least a part adjacent to the inner radius is formed into a cone, and the angles formed between the cones and the axis of the ring electrode are different from each other. The electrode structure of the present invention can alleviate, even eliminate, the accumulation of space charges in the drift tube. Such structure is particularly suitable when the electric field in the drift tube is low in strength or a great number of ions pass through. Meanwhile, the structure allows a significant decrease in the size of the outer radius of the electrode, while the inner radius remains constant. In this way, it is possible to effectively reduce the outline size of the drift tube and thus make the IMS compact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignees: Nuctech Company Limited, Tsinghua University
    Inventors: Zhiqiang Chen, Yuanjing Li, Hua Peng, Qingjun Zhang, Jin Lin, Shaoji Mao, Zhude Dai, Shiping Cao, Zhongxia Zhang, Yangtian Zhang, Dexu Lin, Qinghua Wang, Shaofeng Wang, Hui Li
  • Charged particle beam system
    Patent number: 7851754
    Abstract: A charged particle beam system wherein the output of the secondary electron detector is detected while the retarding voltage is varied between the values for which the secondary electrons do not reach the sample and the values for which the secondary electrons reach the sample, and the surface potential of the sample is determined on the basis of the relationship between the retarding voltage and the detected output of the secondary electron detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Komuro, Osamu Nasu