Patents Examined by Peter B. Kim
  • Patent number: 12044978
    Abstract: A method for obtaining a compensation pattern for a workpiece patterning device comprises printing (S11) a calibration pattern with a plurality of simultaneously operating exposure beams being sweepable in a second direction according to calibration pattern print data having a multitude of edges. Positions of the edges are measured (S12). Deviations of the measured positions relative calibration pattern are calculated (S13). Each deviation is associated (S14) with a used exposure beam, with a sweep position and a grid fraction position. Edge compensating data is computed (S15) for adapting edge representations of pattern print data prior to printing to compensate for the calculated deviations. The edge compensating data is dependent on the used exposure beam, the sweep position, and the grid fraction position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: Mycronic AB
    Inventors: Anders Svensson, Fredric Ihren
  • Patent number: 12036514
    Abstract: Porous liquid-filtering membranes having a repeatable distribution of pores of a small dimension are provided, as well as pillar templates that are used to produce such liquid filtering membranes. Also disclosed are methods of making and using the pillar templates to make porous liquid filtering membranes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: GLOBAL LIFE SCIENCES SOLUTIONS USA, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Albagli, William A Hennessy, Samrat Chawda, Robert Gallup
  • Patent number: 12038387
    Abstract: A method (and system) for the identification of defects in transparent slabs comprises at least the phases of supply of at least one transparent slab to be inspected; acquisition of at least one image of at least one portion of the slab along an acquisition line; identification of at least one defect in the slab depending on the acquired image; at least one emission phase of at least one light radiation transmitted inside the slab along an emission line substantially transverse to the acquisition line and adapted to be incident with at least one defect in the slab in order to identify the position thereof, the light radiation incident with the defect being diffused by the latter at least in part outside the slab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: DELTAMAX AUTOMAZIONE S.R.L.
    Inventors: Chiara Corridori, Matteo Devilli, Leonardo Plotegher
  • Patent number: 12025440
    Abstract: A photogrammetry target includes a base including a first base side, configured to be fixedly mounted directly to a surface of a component, and a convex second base side opposite the first base side. The convex second base side is defined by a dome. The photogrammetry target further includes a plurality of retroreflective targets fixedly mounted to the dome. Each retroreflective target of the plurality of retroreflective targets includes a retroreflective surface facing a direction which is different than each other retroreflective surface of the plurality of retroreflective targets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: ROHR, INC.
    Inventors: Charlene Cheung, Larry W. Brannock, Nicholas A. Leitch
  • Patent number: 12019033
    Abstract: An optical inspection machine for the quality control of parts, in particular gaskets, comprises a rotary table on which the parts to be inspected are positioned and, above said rotary table, a peripheral viewing unit suitable for inspecting the outer and/or inner side surfaces of a part. The unit comprises a plurality of downward-facing video cameras and, beneath each video camera, at least one angled mirror suitable for reflecting the image of a portion of the outer and/or inner side surface of the part to be inspected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: DOSS VISUAL SOLUTION S.R.L.
    Inventor: Hemiliano Berselli
  • Patent number: 12019378
    Abstract: A method includes: removing debris on a collector of a lithography equipment by changing physical structure of the debris with a cleaner, the cleaner being at a temperature less than about 13 degrees Celsius; forming a cleaned collector by exhausting the removable debris from the collector; and forming openings in a mask layer on a substrate by removing regions of the mask layer exposed to radiation from the cleaned collector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Cho-Ying Lin, Tai-Yu Chen, Chieh Hsieh, Sheng-Kang Yu, Shang-Chieh Chien, Li-Jui Chen, Heng-Hsin Liu
  • Patent number: 12013648
    Abstract: Reticle pods include inner pods where motion limiting features restrict translational motion of the cover and the baseplate relative to one another. The motion limiting features are in addition to gross alignment features included in the inner pod. The motion limiting features resist the translational motion before the gross alignment features would resist the motion. Motion limiting features can include elastic bodies providing friction against contact surfaces, or pins received on elastic contact surfaces or in diaphragms or motion limiting cups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: ENTEGRIS, INC.
    Inventors: Russ V. Raschke, Brian Wiseman
  • Patent number: 12007698
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire process information about a substrate process, the process information including process data and a process condition, and a display control unit configured to control a display on a display apparatus based on the process information acquired by the acquisition unit, wherein the display control unit selectively displays, on the display apparatus, a first screen that displays the process data of a lot including a plurality of substrates on a lot-by-lot basis and a second screen that displays the process data of a first lot on a substrate-by-substrate basis, the first lot being a lot designated by a user from the lot displayed on the first screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro Takiguchi, Kenta Kita
  • Patent number: 12007334
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus of inspection tools for inspecting impurities in vials are provided herein. In some embodiments, an inspection tool for inspecting impurities in vials includes: a table for inspecting a plurality of vials; one or more carts configured to move about the table to place the one or more carts in an inspection position, wherein each of the one or more carts includes a vial holder configured to hold a plurality of vials, and wherein each vial holder is configured to spin the plurality of vials on their own respective axes; and a camera configured to take images of the plurality of vials when the plurality of vials are disposed in the inspection position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventor: Asaf Schlezinger
  • Patent number: 11982947
    Abstract: A contamination trap for use in a debris mitigation system of a radiation source, the contamination trap comprising a plurality of vanes configured to trap fuel debris emitted from a plasma formation region of the radiation source; wherein at least one vane or each vane of the plurality of vanes comprises a material comprising a thermal conductivity above 30 W m?1 K?1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: ASML NETHERLAND B.V.
    Inventors: Sander Catharina Reinier Derks, Daniel Jozef Maria Direcks, Maurice Wilhelmus Leonardus Hendricus Feijts, Pieter Gerardus Mathijs Hoeijmakers, Katja Cornelia Joanna Clasina Moors, Violeta Navarro Paredes, William Peter Van Drent, Jan Steven Christiaan Westerlaken
  • Patent number: 11982631
    Abstract: A defect detection device including an illumination optical system, an image capturing optical system configured to capture an image of scattered light generated by the illumination optical system irradiating the wafer, and an image processing unit configured to process a picture of the image of the scattered light to extract a defect on the wafer. The image capturing optical system includes an objective lens, a filter unit configured to shield a part of light transmitted through the objective lens, and an imaging lens configured to form an image of light transmitted through the filter unit. The filter unit includes a first microlens array configured to condense parallel light transmitted through the objective lens, a shutter array including a light transmission unit at a focus position of the first microlens array, and a second microlens array disposed opposite to the first microlens array with respect to the shutter array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuko Otani, Kazuo Aoki, Shunichi Matsumoto, Yuta Urano
  • Patent number: 11978196
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to optical devices for augmented, virtual, and/or mixed reality applications. In one or more embodiments, an optical device metrology system is configured to measure a plurality of see-through metrics for optical devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Inventors: Yangyang Sun, Jinxin Fu, Kazuya Daito, Ludovic Godet
  • Patent number: 11978290
    Abstract: A system for temporarily mounting an observable target on a vehicle service system during a vehicle service or inspection process. The system includes at least one target backing plate affixed at a known or determinable position on the vehicle service system facing a vehicle undergoing service or inspection. The target backing plate provides a forward facing planar surface receiving a removable optical target, with at least one target guide element to provide a fixed reference for indexed alignment of the removable optical target on the target backing plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: HUNTER ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: James T. Dieckhaus, Mark E. Stirnemann
  • Patent number: 11966171
    Abstract: A method of processing a wafer is provided. The method includes providing a reference pattern for patterning a wafer. The reference pattern is independent of a working surface of the wafer. A placement of a first pattern on the working surface of the wafer is determined by identifying the reference pattern to align the first pattern. The first pattern is formed on the working surface of the wafer based on the placement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Anton J. Devilliers
  • Patent number: 11966043
    Abstract: An imaging optical system comprises adjusters for adjusting a shape of each of at least two reflecting surfaces by applying a force to a rear surface of each of the reflecting surfaces. Points obtained by projecting force acting points of the adjusters in an optical axis direction defined with respect to the reflecting surface are defined as correction points, the acting points are set such that, when first and second rays in a light flux emitted from one point on the object plane are reflected by first and second reflecting surfaces, the first ray strikes the correction point of the first reflecting surface but does not strike the correction point of the second reflecting surface, and the second ray does not strike the correction point of the first reflecting surface but strikes the correction point of the second reflecting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Michio Kono
  • Patent number: 11960216
    Abstract: A pre-alignment system includes a common object lens group configured to collect diffracted beams from a patterning device, wherein the common object lens group is further configured to produce telecentricity in an object space of the pre-alignment system. The pre-alignment system also includes a multipath sensory array having at least one image lens system, wherein the at least one image lens system includes a telecentric converter lens configured to produce telecentricity in an image space of the pre-alignment system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: ASML Holding N.V.
    Inventors: Lev Ryzhikov, Yuli Vladimirsky
  • Patent number: 11953307
    Abstract: A measuring apparatus for measuring a planar relative motion between a tool attacher and a work attacher of a machine tool includes at least one image capturing element capable of performing image capturing at a first position, a second position, and a third position, which are not located on the same line. The image capturing elements at the first position, the second position, and the third position are caused to capture a first point, a second point, and a third point, respectively, arranged on at least one plane of an XY-plane, an XZ-plane, and a YZ-plane. The image capturing element at the second position and the image capturing element at the third position are caused to capture the first point, the image capturing element at the first position and the image capturing element at the third position are caused to capture the second point, and the image capturing element at the first position and the image capturing element at the second position are caused to capture the third point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: DMG MORI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naruhiro Irino, Masahiro Shimoike
  • Patent number: 11953839
    Abstract: In a method of cleaning a lithography system, during idle mode, a stream of air is directed, through a first opening, into a chamber of a wafer table of an EUV lithography system. One or more particles is extracted by the directed stream of air from surfaces of one or more wafer chucks in the chamber of the wafer table. The stream of air and the extracted one or more particle are drawn, through a second opening, out of the chamber of the wafer table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shih-Yu Tu, Shao-Hua Wang, Yen-Hao Liu, Chueh-Chi Kuo, Li-Jui Chen, Heng-Hsin Liu
  • Patent number: 11940264
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a mirror of an interferometer system configured to measure a position of an object using two interferometers of the interferometer system that are arranged at opposite sides of the object and configured to measure the position of the object in the same X-direction, wherein two sets of measurements are obtained for different rotational orientations about an axis perpendicular to the X-direction to determine a shape of the mirror. There is also provided a position measuring method in which the obtained shape of the mirror is used to adjust measurements in the X-direction, a lithographic apparatus and a device manufacturing method making use of such a lithographic apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Johannes Mathias Theodorus Antonius Adriaens, Carolus Johannes Catharina Schoormans, Luuk Johannes Helena Seelen
  • Patent number: 11920912
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an automatic berthing image ranging system for vessels and operation method thereof, the method comprising: obtaining a reference image around a position in which a vessel is located, the reference image comprises a first pattern and at least two second patterns; the reference image is projected to a reference plane to generate projection coordinates corresponding to the first pattern and the at least two patterns; determining a positional relationship between the vessel and a port by a predetermined distance, and the positional relationship is represented by an angle value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: SHIP AND OCEAN INDUSTRIES R&DCENTER
    Inventor: Ming-Hsiang Hsu