Patents Examined by Omar Nixon
  • Patent number: 10345721
    Abstract: Methods and systems for optimizing a set of measurement library control parameters for a particular metrology application are presented herein. Measurement signals are collected from one or more metrology targets by a target measurement system. Values of user selected parameters of interest are resolved by fitting a pre-computed measurement library function to the measurement signals for a given set of library control parameters. Values of one or more library control parameters are optimized such that differences between the values of the parameters of interest estimated by the library based measurement and reference values associated with trusted measurements of the parameters of interest are minimized. The optimization of the library control parameter values is performed without recalculating the pre-computed measurement library.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Meng Cao, Lie-Quan Lee, Qiang Zhao, Heyin Li, Mengmeng Ye
  • Patent number: 10309907
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for reflecting, towards a sensor, an Infrared to vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) light that is reflected from a target substrate. The system includes a first mirror arranged to receive and reflect the Infrared to VUV light that is reflected from the target substrate and a second mirror arranged to receive and reflect Infrared to VUV light that is reflected by the first mirror. The first and second mirrors are arranged and shaped so as to reflect Infrared to VUV light from the target substrate towards an optical axis of the apparatus. In another embodiment, the apparatus can also include a third mirror arranged to receive and reflect the Infrared to VUV light that is reflected by the second mirror and a fourth mirror arranged to receive and reflect such illuminating light that is reflected by the third mirror towards the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Shiyu Zhang, Wei Zhao
  • Patent number: 10281261
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to apparatus and methods for forming films having uniformity of thickness on substrates. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be used to measure thickness or other properties of films being deposited on a substrate without knowing beforehand the surface properties of the substrate. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be used to measure thickness or other properties of a plurality of layers being formed. For example, embodiments of the present disclosure may be used in measuring thickness of vertical memory stacks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Khokan C. Paul, Edward Budiarto, Todd Egan, Mehdi Vaez-Iravani, Jeongmin Lee, Dale R. Du Bois, Terrance Y. Lee
  • Patent number: 10254110
    Abstract: An optical metrology device determines physical characteristics of at least one via in a sample, such as a through-silicon vias (TSV), using signal strength data for modeling of the bottom critical dimension (BCD) and/or for refinement of the data used to determine a physical characteristic of the via, such as BCD and/or depth. The metrology device obtains interferometric data and generates height and signal strength data, from which statistical properties may be obtained. The height and signal strength data for the via is refined by removing noise using the statistical property, and the BCD for the via may be determined using the refined height and signal strength data. In one implementation, a signal strength via map for a via is generated using signal strength data and is fit to a model to determine the BCD for the via.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Nanometrics Incorporated
    Inventors: Ke Xiao, Brennan Peterson, Timothy A. Johnson
  • Patent number: 10254223
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the invention, an apparatus to detect fluorescence from a sample is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a sample plane onto which the sample is arranged, an excitation light unit including at least a light source to illuminate the sample, and a detection unit comprising at least a detector having at least 100,000 active detection elements to detect a fluorescence signal from the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: ChemoMetec A/S
    Inventors: Søren Kjaerulff, Mette Elena Skinderso, Helle Frobose Sorensen, Frans Ejner Ravn, Martin Glensbjerg
  • Patent number: 10254438
    Abstract: Various embodiments include methods, apparatus, and systems to operate a tool downhole in a well, where the tool has sensing system to determine different properties of downhole structures. Such an apparatus can include a received signal that is input to a beam splitter with 5 a local oscillator signal. The beam splitter outputs light signals to first and second photodetectors that convert the respective signals to electrical signals. The electrical signals are input to differential amplifier that generates an amplitude representative of the phase difference between the two input signals. A feedback path converts that 10 amplitude to a phase adjustment signal that is couple to the local oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC
    Inventor: Satyan Gopal Bhongale
  • Patent number: 10247549
    Abstract: A shaft accuracy measuring device includes: a measurement unit including a light projecting unit that projects a measuring light and a light receiving unit that receives the measurement light projected by the light projecting unit; a motor installation unit that installs the motor such that the output shaft of the motor is disposed between the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit; and a calculation unit that calculates at least one of axial run-out, center run-out, and face run-out of the motor based on a measurement result of the measurement unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: SeungJun Lee, Hidetoshi Uematsu, Tomohiro Seki
  • Patent number: 10247611
    Abstract: Application of detectors of electromagnetic radiation and systems for enabling the optimization thereof for application over various specific wavelength ranges, involving functional combinations of gratings and/or combination dichroic beam splitter-prisms, which themselves can be optimized as regards wavelength dispersion characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: J.A. WOOLIAM CO., INC.
    Inventors: Martin M. Liphardt, Ping He, Duane E. Meyer
  • Patent number: 10234593
    Abstract: An example formation fluid analysis tool includes an optical element and a detector configured to receive light passed through the optical element. The optical element is configured to receive light from a fluid sample and comprises a substrate, an integrated computational element (ICE) fabricated on a first side of the substrate, and an optical filter fabricated on a second side of the substrate opposite the first side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: James M. Price, Aditya B. Nayak, Bin Dai
  • Patent number: 10234395
    Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus, including an excitation arm including excitation optics; a collection arm including collection optics, wherein the excitation arm and the collection arm are geometrically off-axis from one another for independent control of the excitation optics or the collection optics; and a full-surface spectroscopic analyzer to analyze a thin-film over an article from Raman-scattered light collected by the collection optics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Daniel J. Gargas, David M. Tung, Travis W. Grodt, Joachim W. Ahner
  • Patent number: 10228332
    Abstract: A defect inspection method includes irradiating a sample with laser, condensing and detecting scattered light beams, processing signals that detectors have detected and extracting a defect on a sample surface, and outputting information on the extracted defect. Detection of the scattered light beams is performed by condensing the scattered light beams, adjusting polarization directions of the condensed scattered light beams, mutually separating the light beams depending on the polarization direction, and detecting the light beams by a plurality of detectors. Extraction of the defect is performed by processing output signals from the detectors by multiplying each detection signal by a gain, discriminating between a noise and the defect, and detecting the defect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Toshifumi Honda, Yuta Urano, Shunichi Matsumoto, Taketo Ueno, Yuko Otani
  • Patent number: 10209190
    Abstract: A method that includes: illuminating a wafer with excitation light having a wavelength and intensity sufficient to induce photoluminescence in the wafer; filtering photoluminescence emitted from a portion of the wafer in response to the illumination; directing the filtered photoluminescence onto a detector to image the portion of the wafer on the detector with a spatial resolution of 1 ?m×1 ?m or smaller; and identifying one or more crystallographic defects in the wafer based on the detected filtered photoluminescence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: SEMILAB Semiconductor Physics Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zoltan Tamas Kiss, Laszlo Dudas, Gyorgy Nadudvari, Nicolas Laurent, Lubomir L. Jastrzebski
  • Patent number: 10197471
    Abstract: A method for measuring a mechanical property of a coating on an optical fiber may include collecting Brillouin frequency shift data of the coating on the optical fiber, and determining the mechanical property of the coating by comparing the collected Brillouin frequency shift data with correlation data that may include a set of collected sample Brillouin frequency shift data and a set of collected sample mechanical property data of a plurality of sample materials. The sample materials may include a substantially identical sample composition including one or more curable polymers, be prepared with varying processing conditions, and have different mechanical property values. The coating on the optical fiber may include a material composition substantially identical to the sample materials composition. The set of collected sample Brillouin frequency shift data may be correlated with the set of collected sample mechanical property data to determine a quantitative relationship therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Stephan Lvovich Logunov, Kevin Alton Lewis
  • Patent number: 10190994
    Abstract: An apparatus, a method and a computer program product for inspecting at least side faces of a semiconductor device are disclosed. A frame construction is provided, which holds a camera, defining an imaging beam path. The semiconductor device is inserted into a mirror block. The mirror block has a first mirror, a second mirror, a third mirror and a fourth mirror, wherein the mirrors are arranged such that they surround a free space in the form of a rectangle. The opposing first mirror and third mirror are fixedly mounted and the opposing second mirror and fourth mirror movably mounted. A tilted mirror directs an image of the side faces of the semiconductor substrate generated by the mirror block to the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventor: Carl Truyens
  • Patent number: 10184883
    Abstract: A meteorological tower is provided in a flux site and a solar array is positioned on the tower to provide power. A laser on the tower receives power from the solar array and produces a laser beam. A multiplicity of individual laser absorption spectroscopy gas cells positioned on the meteorological tower collect samples of the atmosphere. An optical cable connects the laser to each of individual las cell and direct the laser beam into each cell. Each cell includes a multiplicity of mirrors positioned so that the laser beam makes a multiplicity of passes through the samples. An analyzer associated with the cells receives the laser beam after the laser beam has made the multiplicity of passes through the sample of the atmosphere and the analyzer detects concentrations of isotopes of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in concomitance of other gas concentrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Tiziana C. Bond, Mihail Bora, Jessica L. Osuna, Sonia Wharton
  • Patent number: 10184832
    Abstract: A spectral sensor includes a Fabry-Perot interference filter which is provided with an opening to pass light transmitted according to a distance between a first mirror and a second mirror along a facing direction; a light detector which has a light reception unit to receive the light having passed through the opening; a wiring substrate on which the light detector is mounted; and a plurality of spacers which support the filter on the wiring substrate, such that a second space continuous with a first space in the opening and including the first space when viewed from the facing direction is formed between the filter and the wiring substrate. The light detector is disposed in the second space. The light reception unit is disposed in a region corresponding to the first space in the second space, when viewed from the facing direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Katsumi Shibayama, Takashi Kasahara, Masaki Hirose, Toshimitsu Kawai
  • Patent number: 10184833
    Abstract: An imaging spectrometer receives a beam of light from a slit and outputs the beam of light to a focal plane. The output beam of light at the focal plane is dispersed in accordance with a spectral composition of the beam of light received from the slit. The imaging spectrometer comprises first to fourth curved reflective portions. The first to fourth curved reflective portions are arranged so that the beam of light, in its passage from the slit to the focal plane, sequentially strikes the first to fourth curved reflective portions and is reflected by the first to fourth curved reflective portions. Further, the first to fourth curved reflective portions are alternatingly concave or convex, respectively, along the passage of the beam of light. At least one of the first to fourth curved reflective portions has a reflective grating structure. Further disclosed is a method of manufacturing such imaging spectrometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: European Space Agency
    Inventors: Matteo Taccola, Munadi Ahmad
  • Patent number: 10175037
    Abstract: A 3D measurement device for optically scanning and measuring an environment is provided. The device includes a measuring head having a light emitter which emits an emission light beam, a light receiver and a control and evaluation device. The light receiver receives a reception light beam that is reflected or otherwise scattered by an object in the environment of the 3D measurement device. The control and evaluation device determines at least the distance from the object for each of a plurality of measuring points. A battery pack is removably coupled to the measuring head. The battery pack includes a battery housing and a plurality of individual batteries that are circular in cross-section. The plurality of individual batteries are arranged in a plurality of rows that define a row direction. The plurality of rows include a first row offset from a second row by one-half a diameter of the individual batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Andreas Ditte, Andreas Woloschyn
  • Patent number: 10161747
    Abstract: A surface texture measuring apparatus includes: a measurement sensor measuring, without contact, a surface texture of an interior wall of a cylinder portion of a measurable object while displacing in a normal direction of the interior wall at each measurement region into which the interior wall is divided in a circumferential direction of the cylinder portion; a W axis displacer displacing the measurement sensor in a W axis direction; a ? axis displacer displacing the measurement sensor in the circumferential direction, after measurement of the surface texture of a first measurement region, such that the measurement sensor faces a second measurement region adjacent to the first measurement region in the circumferential direction; and a controller adjusting a W axis direction measurement position for measuring the surface texture of the second measurement region while displacing the measurement sensor in the W axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sakai, Tetsuya Ito, Ken Motohashi
  • Patent number: 10161794
    Abstract: A spectrophotometer diagnosis system and a method for diagnosing a spectrophotometer, wherein at least one test patch is printed in proximity to at least one non-printed substrate patch, at least one value characteristic of the at least one test patch and/or the at least one substrate patch is measured using the spectrophotometer, and at least one diagnostic score for the spectrophotometer is determined based on the at least one measured value in comparison with a reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: HP Indigo B.V.
    Inventors: Lena Gurevich, Nir Guttman, Ran Waidman