Patents Examined by Tri T Ton
  • Patent number: 10859491
    Abstract: A spectroscopic analysis apparatus includes a laser light source that emits laser light, of which wavelength changes, toward a reflector inside a probe, the probe being configured to be disposed in a flow passage of a measurement target fluid, a light receiver that receives the laser light reflected by the reflector, and a controller that analyzes the measurement target fluid using a result of reception acquired by the light receiver and controlling the laser light source. The controller controls the laser light source to perform at least one scan of the laser light, the controller controlling the laser light source such that a scanning time of the laser light is equal to or shorter than a light-receivable time of the laser, the scanning time being a time to scan the laser light emitted from the laser light source in a certain wavelength range, the light-receivable time being a time in which the laser light reflected by the reflector can be received by the light receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kentaro Hazama, Junichi Matsuo, Nobuko Takekawa, Yuya Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 10852129
    Abstract: A method for measuring a surface shape of a honeycomb core includes the following steps: coating a reflective film on the surface of the honeycomb core to be measured, using a vacuum adsorption method to adhere the reflective film closely to the surface of the honeycomb core to be measured, and recessing the reflective film at a honeycomb cell downwards; and performing scanning measurement on the reflective film on the surface of the honeycomb core to be measured to obtain the heights of a honeycomb wall of the honeycomb core at different spatial positions. A device carries out the measurement of the surface shape of a honeycomb core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: DALIAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Renke Kang, Zhigang Dong, Xianglong Zhu, Yan Qin, Yidan Wang
  • Patent number: 10845187
    Abstract: Remote measurements using images are particularly useful in structural health monitoring cases in which the installation of contact sensors is difficult. Some limitations, though, associated with photogrammetry-type optical metrology involve the application of speckle patterns, which become even more important with variable working distance or when the required resolution and sensitivity are not a priori known. In this context, multispectral sensing combined with tailored speckle patterns can circumvent some of the challenges of acquiring data at different working distances. The present invention uses multispectral imaging combined controlled generation of speckle patterns to demonstrate an approach for remote sensing related to deformation measurements at the structural level. To demonstrate this approach, two speckle patterns were designed for measurements at specified working distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Drexel University
    Inventors: Antonios Kontsos, Fnu Melvin Domin Mathew, Andrew James Ellenberg, Ivan Bartoli
  • Patent number: 10837764
    Abstract: A surface flatness measuring device and a surface flatness measuring method are disclosed. By non-contacting laser measurement, measurement precision can reach 0.001 mm so the measurement precision is high. A repetitive measurement error thereof can be controlled to be within 3 um so the measurement error is tiny, which prevent issues of low measurement precision and great measurement errors due to manual measurement in prior art. At the same time, the present invention measurement data can be automatically recorded and saved, measurement for a large batch of boards under measurement can be implemented, which prevents the issues of the conventional measurement data requiring manual recording and lacking capability of uploading the measurement data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Wuhan China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jinpeng Zhang
  • Patent number: 10837763
    Abstract: An integrated optical assembly is provided, with enhancements that are particularly useful when the integrated optical assembly forms part of a laser radar system. The integrated optical assembly produces a reference beam that is related to the optical characteristics of a scanning reflector, or to changes in position or orientation of the scanning reflector relative to a source. Thus, if the scanning reflector orientation were to shift from its intended orientation (due e.g. to thermal expansion) or if characteristics of the scanning reflector (e.g. the index of refraction of the scanning reflector) were to change on account of temperature changes, the reference beam can be used to provide data that can be used to account for such changes. In addition, if the scanning reflector were to be positioned in an orientation other than the orientation desired, the reference beam can be used in identifying and correcting that positioning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Daniel Gene Smith
  • Patent number: 10837942
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring the physical properties of a drug formulation suspended in a pressurized liquid propellant and a system to enable such measurements is disclosed. Drug formulations suspended in pressurized liquid propellant used in Pressurized Metered Dose Inhalers (pMDIs) are propelled in their native liquid state into an analytical instrument with a measurement cell capable of withstanding the pressure required to retain the sample in liquid form by employing a device to rapidly release the contents of the pMDI canister into the measurement instrument wherein the sample's electrophoretic mobility and size may be determined by MP-PALS or other techniques. A series of valves permits the maintenance of the high pressure in the system. Once the measurements are made, the pressurized liquid is allowed to pass to waste or another analytical instrument by opening an exit valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: WYATT TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hung-Te Hsieh
  • Patent number: 10830697
    Abstract: A spectroscopy system comprising at least two laser modules, each of the laser modules including a laser cavity, a quantum cascade gain chip for amplifying light within the laser cavity, and a tuning element for controlling a wavelength of light generated by the modules. Combining optics are used to combine the light generated by the at least two laser modules into a single beam and a sample detector detects the single beam returning from a sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Block Engineering, LLC
    Inventors: Petros Kotidis, Erik Deutsch, Ninghui Zhu, Dan Cavicchio
  • Patent number: 10816480
    Abstract: In a method of detecting a defect on a substrate, an incident beam may be radiated to a surface of the substrate to generate reflected light beams. A second harmonic generation (SHG) beam among the reflected light beams may be detected. The SHG beam may be generated by a defect on the substrate. A nano size defect may be detected by examining the SHG beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eun-Hee Jeang, Aleksandr Shorokhov, Anton Medvedev, Maksim Riabko, Sang-Woo Bae, Akinori Okubo, Sang-Min Lee, Seong-Keun Cho, Won-Don Joo
  • Patent number: 10816464
    Abstract: An imaging reflectometer includes a source module configured to generate a plurality of input beams at different nominal wavelengths. An illumination pupil having a first numerical aperture (NA) is arranged so that each of the plurality of input beams passes through the illumination pupil. A large field lens is configured to receive at least a portion of each of the plurality of input beams and provide substantially telecentric illumination over a sample being imaged. The large field lens is also configured to receive reflected portions of the substantially telecentric illumination reflected from the sample. The reflected portions pass through an imaging pupil having a second NA that is lower than the first NA and are received by an imaging sensor module that generates image information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Guoheng Zhao, Mehdi Vaez-Iravani, Todd J. Egan
  • Patent number: 10816906
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of performing a measurement in an inspection apparatus, and an associated inspection apparatus and HHG source. The method comprises configuring one or more controllable characteristics of at least one driving laser pulse of a high harmonic generation radiation source to control the output emission spectrum of illumination radiation provided by the high harmonic generation radiation source; and illuminating a target structure with said illuminating radiation. The method may comprise configuring the driving laser pulse so that the output emission spectrum comprises a plurality of discrete harmonic peaks. Alternatively the method may comprise using a plurality of driving laser pulses of different wavelengths such that the output emission spectrum is substantially monochromatic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Nan Lin, Arie Jeffrey Den Boef, Sander Bas Roobol, Simon Gijsbert Josephus Mathijssen, Niels Geypen
  • Patent number: 10816324
    Abstract: A clearance measurement device is for measuring a clearance between an inner peripheral surface of a cylindrical casing and an outer peripheral surface of a rotating member configured to rotate in the casing. The clearance measurement device includes a marker provided to the outer peripheral surface; an optical sensor attached to the casing, and configured to emit light toward the outer peripheral surface, receive light reflected from the rotating member, and detect the marker based on a change in amount of the received reflected light; and a measurement controller configured to perform signal processing on signals from the sensor. The sensor includes light reception fibers disposed such that optical axes intersect and having a measurement region on the outer peripheral surface, and planar light sources provided in a row along a rotating direction and each configured to emit light in a manner overlapping with the measurement region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Misaki Fukuyama, Akio Kondo, Tomoyuki Onishi, Takahiro Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 10794693
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and associated apparatus of determining a performance parameter (e.g., overlay) of a target on a substrate, and an associated metrology apparatus. The method comprises estimating a set of narrowband measurement values from a set of wideband measurement values relating to the target and determining the performance parameter from said set of narrowband measurement values. The wideband measurement values relate to measurements of the target performed using wideband measurement radiation and may correspond to different central wavelengths. The narrowband measurement values may comprise an estimate of the measurement values which would be obtained from measurement of the target using narrowband measurement radiation having a bandwidth narrower than said wideband measurement radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Farzad Farhadzadeh, Mohammadreza Hajiahmadi, Maurits Van Der Schaar, Murat Bozkurt
  • Patent number: 10788362
    Abstract: A light detection device includes a diffraction element and a light detection element. The diffraction element diffracts a beam of light that is incident on the diffraction element. The light detection element includes light receivers to receive diffracted light. The diffraction element generates beams of the diffracted light by dividing the beam of light. The light detection element determines a displacement of the beam of light relative to the diffraction element on the basis of quantities of light of the beams of the diffracted light. The light detection element determines an angle change of the beam of light relative to the diffraction element by dividing the quantity of light of one of the beams of the diffracted light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masayuki Omaki, Kenya Nakai
  • Patent number: 10788412
    Abstract: An optical measurement apparatus includes a main body base, an optical base movably combined with the main body base, a measurement optical system fixed to the optical base, and an optical base moving mechanism which moves the optical base relative to the main body base. The optical base moving mechanism moves the optical base relative to the main body base between an internal measurement position and an external measurement position. A measurement object position of the measurement optical system coincides with an internal measurement object position within the main body base. The measurement object position of the measurement optical system coincides with an external measurement object position outside the main body base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: OTSUKA ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Izutani, Ikuo Wakayama
  • Patent number: 10788411
    Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus are provided for cytometry with dual laser beams. In one example, the method includes directing an incident light beam from a source to enter an optical waveplate; polarizing the incident light beam into a polarized light beam in response to the incident light beam entering through the optical waveplate; directing the polarized light beam to enter a birefringent crystal; separating the polarized light beam into an ordinary light beam and an extraordinary light beam in response to the polarized light beam entering the birefringent crystal; directing the ordinary light beam and the extraordinary light beam to enter a lens; focusing the ordinary light beam and the extraordinary light beam into dual light beams separated by a beam displacement; and coupling the dual light beams to form a sample region having substantially uniform light intensity to analyze moving particles in the particle analyzer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Cytek Biosciences, Inc.
    Inventors: Ming Yan, Eric Chase, Yung-Chieh Hsieh
  • Patent number: 10788434
    Abstract: A method of assisting the optical inspection of an object includes the steps of: determining a first three-dimensional image of the object; determining a first color or grey level two-dimensional image of the object; determining at least one first window (F1) on the first two-dimensional image surrounding a possible defect of the object from the first three-dimensional image and/or from the first two-dimensional image; determining a second two-dimensional image corresponding to the first two-dimensional image outside of the first window and corresponding to a first depth map of the object in the first window; and determining a second three-dimensional image (I3D?) corresponding to the first three-dimensional image having the second two-dimensional image applied thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: VIT
    Inventor: Romain Roux
  • Patent number: 10788415
    Abstract: The present claimed invention makes it possible to simplify a structure of a multiple-reflection cell and to measure both a measuring objective component having a high concentration and a measuring objective component having a low concentration. The analysis device of this invention is to irradiate a light to a multiple-reflection cell into which a sample is introduced, to detect the light exiting from the multiple-reflection cell and to analyze a measuring objective component contained in the sample, and comprises a first light irradiation part that allows a first light to enter the multiple-reflection cell and a second light irradiation part that allows a second light to enter the multiple-reflection cell. The multiple-reflection cell has a pair of reflecting mirrors that reflect the first light and the second light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: HORIBA. LTD.
    Inventor: Kyoji Shibuya
  • Patent number: 10782118
    Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) measuring device and a method are provided. The measuring device includes a processor system including a scanner controller. A housing is provided with a 3D scanner that is coupled to the processor system. The scanner determining a first distance to a first object point and cooperating with the processor system to determine 3D coordinates of the first object point. The measuring device further includes a photogrammetry camera coupled to the housing, the photogrammetry camera having a lens and an image sensor that define a field of view. The photogrammetry camera is arranged to position the field of view at least partially in a shadow area, the shadow area being outside of the scan area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: FARO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Gerrit Hillebrand
  • Patent number: 10761023
    Abstract: Diffraction-based focus target cells, targets and design and measurement methods are provided, which enable sensitive focus measurements to be carried out by overlay measurement tools. Cells comprise a periodic structure having a coarse pitch and multiple elements arranged at a fine pitch. The coarse pitch is an integer multiple of the fine pitch, with the fine pitch being between one and two design rule pitches and smaller than a measurement resolution and the coarse pitch being larger than the measurement resolution. The elements are asymmetric to provide different amplitudes in +1st and ?1st diffraction orders of scattered illumination, and a subset of the elements has a CD (critical dimension) larger than a printability threshold and the other elements have a CD smaller than the printability threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventor: Vladimir Levinski
  • Patent number: 10761031
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system that includes a light source for generating an illumination beam and an illumination lens system for directing the illumination beam towards a sample. The system further includes a collection lens system for directing towards a detector output light from the sample in response to the illumination beam and a detector for receiving the output light from the sample. The collection lens system includes a fixed-design compensator plate having individually selectable filters with different configurations for correcting system aberration of the system under different operating conditions. The system also includes a controller operable for: (i) generating and directing the illumination beam towards the sample, (ii) selecting operating conditions and a filter for correcting the system aberration under such selected operating conditions, (iii) generating an image based on the output light, and (iv) determining whether the sample passes inspection or characterizing such sample based on the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Qiang Zhang, Abdurrahman Sezginer