Patents Examined by Johnnie L Smith, II
  • Patent number: 7361898
    Abstract: A calibration standard specimen is provided to have formed therein calibrating patterns of a lattice shape discontinuously arrayed, and particular alignment patterns respectively disposed near the calibrating patterns so that the positioning of the specimen can be made to match the calibrating patterns to the measurement points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Mizuno, Hiroki Kawada
  • Patent number: 7361890
    Abstract: Instrument assemblies including a support coupled to an active substrate are provided with the support being configured to be coupled to an interior portion of an ionization chamber. Instruments are also provided that can include a chamber being configured to contact at least a portion of a sample with an ionization species. The instruments can also include an active substrate within the chamber. Analysis methods are provided that can include providing a sample to a chamber and selectively retaining at least a portion of the first analyte of the sample within the chamber without retaining at least a portion of the second analyte within the chamber. Analysis methods can also include providing a sample to a chamber housing an active substrate, contacting at least a portion of the sample with the substrate, and ionizing the portion of the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Griffin Analytical Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Garth E. Patterson
  • Patent number: 7361892
    Abstract: A method to increase low-energy beam current according to this invention is applied to an irradiation system with ion beam comprising a beam generation source, a mass analysis device, a beam transformer, a deflector for scanning, a beam parallelizing device, an acceleration/deceleration device, and an energy filtering device. The beam transformer comprises a vertically focusing DC quadrupole electromagnet QD and a longitudinally focusing DC quadrupole electromagnet QF. The beam transformer transforms a beam having a circular cross-section or an elliptical or oval cross-section to the beam has an elliptical or oval cross-section that is long in the scan direction in all the region of a beam line after deflection for scanning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Sen Corporation, An Shi and Axcelis Company
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Kabasawa, Mitsukuni Tsukihara
  • Patent number: 7361941
    Abstract: Parameters of a metrology tool may be determined by measuring a dimension of a feature on a calibration standard with the tool and using the measured dimension and a known traceable value of the dimension to determine a value for the parameter. If the dimension of the feature on the standard has a known traceable value, different standards may be used to calibrate different tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Gian F. Lorusso, Christopher F. Bevis, Luca Grella, David L. Adler, Ian Smith
  • Patent number: 7358508
    Abstract: An ion implanter includes an ion source for generating an ion beam moving along a beam line and a vacuum or implantation chamber wherein a workpiece, such as a silicon wafer is positioned to intersect the ion beam for ion implantation of a surface of the workpiece by the ion beam. A liner has an interior facing surface that bounds at least a portion of the evacuated interior region and that comprises grooves spaced across the surface of the liner to capture contaminants generated within the interior region during operation of the ion implanter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Axcelis Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip J. Ring, Michael Graf
  • Patent number: 7355168
    Abstract: The present invention provides a time of flight mass spectrometer having an ion optics forming a multi-turn track, which is capable of time-focusing the ions while allowing the multi-turn track to be configured in an unlimited and highly variable manner. In a specific form of the invention, a reflector 9 is provided on the flight path between the position where the ions leave the loop orbit P and the ion detector 10 located outside the loop orbit P, and the condition of the electric field generated by the reflector 9 is appropriately determined. Thus, even if the ions cannot be well time-focused by the ion optics 2 creating the sector-shaped electric fields 4 and 7, it is possible to compensate the time-focusing performance with the reflector 9 to achieve a good performance of time-focusing of the ion throughout the overall system wherein the ions leave the ion source 1 and finally reach the ion detector 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventor: Shinichi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7351960
    Abstract: An ion spectrometer apparatus is disclosed having an ion source, an ion mobility spectrometer device such as a FAIMS cell, and a capillary for transporting ions from the ion source to the entrance of the FAIMS cell. The capillary is heated to promote evaporation of solvent from incompletely desolvated droplets entering the capillary inlet, thereby preventing or minimizing operational problems associated with the presence of wet material in the FAIMS cell. The FAIMS cell may be used to selectively transmit ions to a mass analyzer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Thermo Finnigan LLC
    Inventor: Michael W. Belford
  • Patent number: 7351963
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of creating multipole systems carrying RF voltage which can be used as ion guides, mass-selective quadrupole filters or collision cells to fragment ions; and multipole systems manufactured according to this method. The invention provides a method which produces particularly inexpensive multipole systems by spark erosion with a wire cathode. The multipole rod system comprises only two pieces of metal for connection to the two phases of the RF voltage, and the two pieces of metal are adjusted with respect to each other by one or more identical insulating rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Bruker Daltonik, GmbH
    Inventors: Jens Rebettge, Thomas Wehkamp
  • Patent number: 7347294
    Abstract: The power system for an electrically powered land vehicle extracts electrons from ambient air to generate adequate electrical power to operate the land vehicle electrical energy production and propulsion system. The extracted electrons generate enough electrical power to run an electrical propulsion system and all accessory electrical systems of the land vehicle. The power system includes an abutting series of tubular sections defining an airflow path with a heating plates in the airflow path and variable positive voltage grids to extract charged particles from the heated air. Air is drawn into the airflow path by a centrifugal impeller. The ionized air not used to generate electric power is neutralized in an ionized gas neutralizing chamber and then exhausted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Inventor: Encarnacion H. Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 7348580
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a particle beam processing apparatus that is smaller in size and operates at a higher efficiency, and also directed to an application of such apparatus to treat a coating on a substrate of a treatable material, such as for flexible packaging. The processing apparatus includes a particle beam generating assembly, a foil support assembly, and a processing assembly. In the particle beam generating assembly, electrons are generated and accelerated to pass through the foil support assembly. In the flexible packaging application, the substrate is fed to the processing apparatus operating at a low voltage, such as 110 kVolts or below, and is exposed to the accelerated electrons to treat the coating on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Energy Sciences, Inc.
    Inventors: Imtiaz Rangwalla, Harvey Clough, George Hannafin
  • Patent number: 7348584
    Abstract: An infrared projector including: a light source which radiates an infrared ray; and an emitter which emits visible light when exposed to infrared light, wherein the emitter is provided on a position where the infrared ray radiated from the light source reaches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanori Satou
  • Patent number: 7348578
    Abstract: The present invention refers to a device for electron beam irradiation of at least a first side of a web, the device comprising a tunnel through which the web is adapted to pass, said tunnel being provided with a web inlet portion, a web outlet portion and a central portion adapted to receive at least a first electron beam emitter provided with an electron exit window through which electrons are adapted to be emitted into the tunnel. The tunnel is being angled at least two locations in each of the inlet portion and the outlet portion in such a way that any X-ray formed during the electron beam irradiation of the web is forced to hit the tunnel wall at least twice before exiting the tunnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
    Inventors: Lars Åke Näslund, Tommy Nilsson, Luca Poppi, Paolo Benedetti, Anna Eriksson, Filippo Ferrarini
  • Patent number: 7348143
    Abstract: The invention can be summarized as follows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Phenmenome Discoveries Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Heath, Dayan Goodenowe
  • Patent number: 7348582
    Abstract: A light source apparatus for irradiating a laser light onto a target, for generating plasma, and for producing light from the plasma, said light source apparatus includes a first detection part for detecting a position of the target, an adjusting part for adjusting a position of a condenser point of the laser light, and a first controller for controlling the adjusting part so that the position of the target detected by the first detection part is corresponding to the condenser point of the laser light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takayuki Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 7339167
    Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus in which an electrostatic lens is used as a main focusing element to obtain a subminiature high-sensitivity high-resolution SEM, a drift tube for an electron beam is located inside a column between an electron source and a sample, and a detector for secondary electrons is located inside the drift tube. This solves the problem associated with the provision of a secondary electron detector, which heretofore has been a bottleneck in making a subminiature high-resolution SEM column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Ohshima, Mitsugu Sato, Soichi Katagiri
  • Patent number: 7338249
    Abstract: An apparatus for releasably gripping a sample plate for use with a mass spectrometer has been developed, the sample plate having substantially parallel faces and a peripheral surface. The apparatus comprises a planar member and first and second guiding structures. The second guiding structure comprises a biasing mechanism which when activiated, provides a force that forces the second guiding structure towards the peripheral surface of the sample plate such that the sample plate is retained by the apparatus. Utilization of the configuration reduces frictional point contact thus reduces localized stress point resulting in yielding the surface material thus in effect guarding both sample plate and first guiding means from galling and/or reducing any type of material removal when gripping a sample plate, or releasing a sample plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Thermo Finnigan LLC
    Inventor: Stephen Zanon
  • Patent number: 7335897
    Abstract: A new method and system for desorption ionization is described and applied to the ionization of various compounds, including peptides and proteins present on metal, polymer, and mineral surfaces. Desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) is carried out by directing charged droplets and/or ions of a liquid onto the surface to be analyzed. The impact of the charged particles on the surface produces gaseous ions of material originally present on the surface. The resulting mass spectra are similar to normal ESI mass spectra in that they show mainly singly or multiply charged molecular ions of the analytes. The DESI phenomenon was observed both in the case of conductive and insulator surfaces and for compounds ranging from nonpolar small molecules such as lycopene, the alkaloid coniceine, and small drugs, through polar compounds such as peptides and proteins. Changes in the solution that is sprayed can be used to selectively ionize particular compounds, including those in biological matrices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation
    Inventors: Zoltán Takáts, Bogdan Gologan, Justin Michael Wiseman, Robert Graham Cooks
  • Patent number: 7335879
    Abstract: A system and method for characterizing and charging a sample. The system includes a vacuum chamber, a first apparatus in the vacuum chamber and configured to characterize a sample, and a second apparatus in the vacuum chamber and configured to charge the sample. The second apparatus includes an electron gun configured to provide an electron beam to the sample and including an emission cathode biased to a first voltage relative to a reference voltage, a sample holder configured to support the sample, and a mesh located between the electron gun and the sample holder. Additionally, the second apparatus includes a first voltage supply configured to bias the mesh to a second voltage relative to the sample holder, and a second voltage supply configured to bias the sample holder to a third voltage relative to the reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Hermes-Microvision, Inc.
    Inventor: Zhong-Wei Chen
  • Patent number: 7332715
    Abstract: For generation and delivery of ions from an ionization chamber through an ion entrance orifice to a mass analyzer operating at high vacuum, high pass ion filtration is effected within the ionization chamber by application of electrical potentials to an electrode associated with the ion entrance orifice and to an electrode between the ionization region and the ion entrance orifice to create a retarding electric field upstream from the ion entrance orifice. The retarding electric field hinders the movement to the ion entrance orifice of ions having drift velocities below a lower limit, and as the retarding voltage gradient is made steeper, the lower limit increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles W. Russ, IV, Steven M. Fischer, Robert K. Crawford
  • Patent number: 7329868
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to obtain an image which is focused on all portions of a sample and to provide a charged particle beam apparatus capable of obtaining a two-dimensional image which has no blurred part over an entire sample. In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises means for changing a focus condition of a charged particle beam emitted from a charged particle source, a charged particle detector for detecting charged particles irradiated from a surface portion of said sample in response to the emitted charged particle beam, and means for composing a two-dimensional image of the surface portion of the sample based on signals on which said charged particle beam is focused, said signals being among signals output from the charged particle detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Takane, Haruo Yoda, Hideo Todokoro, Fumio Mizuno, Shoji Yoshida, Mitsuji Ikeda, Mitsugu Sato, Makoto Ezumi