Patents by Inventor Curt H. Chadwick

Curt H. Chadwick has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20080304734
    Abstract: A method and apparatus, and variations of each, for inspecting a wafer defining at least one die thereon is disclosed. The present invention first obtains the electronic image equivalent of two die, and then determines the x and y offset between those electronic images. Prior to inspection for defects, those two electronic images are aligned by adjusting the x and y positions of one electronic image of one die with respect to the electronic image of the other die. Once that is accomplished, the those electronic images are compared to detect any defects that may exist on one of the die.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Inventors: Scott A. Young, Roger Kroeze, Curt H. Chadwick, Nicholas Szabo, Kent E. Douglas, Fred E. Babian
  • Publication number: 20030063190
    Abstract: A method and apparatus, and variations of each, for inspecting a wafer defining at least one die thereon is disclosed. The present invention first obtains the electronic image equivalent of two die, and then determines the x and y offset between those electronic images. Prior to inspection for defects, those two electronic images are aligned by adjusting the x and y positions of one electronic image of one die with respect to the electronic image of the other die. Once that is accomplished, the those electronic images are compared to detect any defects that may exist on one of the die.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Applicant: KLA INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Scott A. Young, Roger Kroeze, Curt H. Chadwick, Nicholas Szabo, Kent E. Douglas, Fred E. Babian
  • Publication number: 20020075385
    Abstract: A method and apparatus, and variations of each, for inspecting a wafer defining at least one die thereon is disclosed. The present invention first obtains the electronic image equivalent of two die, and then determines the x and y offset between those electronic images. Prior to inspection for defects, those two electronic images are aligned by adjusting the x and y positions of one electronic image of one die with respect to the electronic image of the other die. Once that is accomplished, the those electronic images are compared to detect any defects that may exist on one of the die.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Publication date: June 20, 2002
    Applicant: KLA INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Scott A. Young, Roger Kroeze, Curt H. Chadwick, Nicholas Szabo, Kent E. Douglas, Fred E. Babian
  • Patent number: 6141038
    Abstract: A method and apparatus, and variations of each, for inspecting a wafer defining at least one die thereon is disclosed. The present invention first obtains the electronic image equivalent of two die, and then determines the x and y offset between those electronic images. Prior to inspection for defects, those two electronic images are aligned by adjusting the x and y positions of one electronic image of one die with respect to the electronic image of the other die. Once that is accomplished, those electronic images are compared to detect any defects that may exist on one of the die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: KLA Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Scott A. Young, Roger Kroeze, Curt H. Chadwick, Nicholas Szabo, Kent E. Douglas, Fred E. Babian
  • Patent number: 5131755
    Abstract: In each configuration, at least one TDI sensor is used to image substrate portions of interest, with those portions illuminated with substantially uniform illumination. In one configuration, a substrate is compared to prestored expected characteristic features. In a second configuration, first and second patterns in a region of the surface of at least one substrate are inspected by comparing one pattern against the other and noting whether they agree with each other. This is accomplished by illuminating the two patterns, imaging the first pattern and storing its characteristics in a temporary memory, then imaging the second pattern and comparing it to the stored characteristics from the temporary memory. Then the comparisons continue sequentially with the second pattern becoming the first pattern in the next imaging/comparison sequence against a new second pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1992
    Inventors: Curt H. Chadwick, Robert R. Sholes, John D. Greene, Francis D. Tucker, III, Michael E. Fein, P. C. Jann, David J. Harvey, William Bell
  • Patent number: 5085517
    Abstract: In each configuration, at least one TDI sensor is used to image the portions of interest of the substrate that are substantially uniformly or critically illuminated. In one configuration, the substrate is compared to the expected characteristic features prestored in memory. In a second configuration, a first and second pattern in a region of at least one substrate are inspected by comparing one pattern against the other and noting whether they agree with each other. This is accomplished by illuminating the two patterns, imaging the first pattern and storing its characteristics in a temporary memory, then imaging the second pattern and comparing it to the stored characteristics from the temporary memory. Then the comparisons continue sequentially with the second pattern becoming the first pattern in the next imaging/comparison sequence against a new second pattern. With each comparison whether there has been agreement between the two patterns is noted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1992
    Inventors: Curt H. Chadwick, Robert R. Sholes, John D. Greene, Francis D. Tucker, III, Michael E. Fein, P. C. Jann, David J. Harney, William Bell, Bin-Ming B. Isai, Walter I. Novak, Mark J. Wihl
  • Patent number: 5014627
    Abstract: An instrument table having two features is disclosed. The first is a stable instrument bench that is constructed of sections of precast reinforced concrete. Each of these sections are then moisture sealed with a plastic coat or paint, then assembled using epoxy and bolts. The second element of the present invention is the replication of a precision surface on the table portion of an instrument bench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1991
    Assignee: KLA Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Larry Rosenberg, Curt H. Chadwick, Alex Brudny
  • Patent number: 4889676
    Abstract: An instrument table having two features is disclosed. The first is a stable instrument bench that is constructed of sections of precast reinforced concrete. Each of these sections are then moisture sealed with a plastic coat or paint, then assembled using epoxy and bolts. The second element of the present invention is the replication of a precision surface on the table portion of an instrument bench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1989
    Assignee: KLA Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Larry Rosenberg, Curt H. Chadwick, Alex Brudny
  • Patent number: 4877326
    Abstract: Substrate inspection apparatus and methods, and illumination apparatus. The inspection apparatus and method includes memory for storing the desired features of the surface of the substrate, focussed illuminator for substantially uniformly illuminating a region of the surface of the substrate to be inspected. Additionally there is a sensor for imaging the region of the substrate illuminated by the illuminator, and a comparator responsive to the memory and sensor for comparing the imaged region of the substrate with the stored desired features of the substrate. The illumination apparatus is designed to provide substantially uniform focussed illumination along a narrow linear region. This apparatus includes first, second and third reflectors elliptically cylindrical in shape, each with its long axis substantially parallel to the long axes of each of the others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1989
    Assignee: KLA Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Curt H. Chadwick, Robert R. Sholes, John D. Greene, Francis D. Tucker, III, Michael E. Fein, P. C. Jann, David J. Harvey, William Bell
  • Patent number: 4647764
    Abstract: In an automatic wafer inspection system, the objective lenses used in micro inspection are mounted on a turret which is attached to an adjustable turret support member. Several lenses may be brought sequentially into position for inspection of the patterned wafer and it is necessary that the handoff be precise so as to maintain the same pattern in the viewing position. V-slots are mounted on the turret in such a location as to be correctly associated with the precise position for each lens. A detent ball spring is biased to drive into a V-slot so as to hold the associated lens in the precise viewing position. When hand-off to the next lens is to be accomplished, a counter force is applied which overcomes the spring bias and pulls the detent ball out of the V-slot. A drive motor is then enabled, which turns the turret a predetermined distance to bring the wide opening of the next adjacent V-slot into approximate alignment with the detent ball and the drive motor is disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1987
    Assignee: KLA Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Curt H. Chadwick, Anil A. Desai
  • Patent number: 4639587
    Abstract: An automatic microscope focusing system including a light source 44, a dual channel fiber optics bundle 56 and 58, chopper means 54 for alternately admitting light to the channels, a reticle 66 and associated optics to cast alternating images onto the surface of an inspected article W, return masks 82 and 88, and associated detectors 86 and 92 for inspecting the alternating reticle images, and control circuitry 36 and 38 responsive to the detector outputs and operative to drive the system microscope 10 into focus. The preferred embodiment also includes a flipping pupil 60 for accommodating particular microscope objectives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1987
    Assignee: KLA Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Curt H. Chadwick, Art M. Shulenberger, John S. Taylor, Richard R. Simmons
  • Patent number: 4618938
    Abstract: An automatic semiconductor wafer inspection system including a wafer inspector, a system computer that performs movement and function control and data storage functions and a high speed image computer. Patterned wafers selected for inspection are automatically transported from cassette storage to a vacuum chuck located on the X-Y stage and positioned in a macro inspection station. The wafer is aligned and the surface illumination is changed to test for macro defects under different lighting conditions and levels of magnification. The reflected light is applied to a camera where the optical image is converted to an electrical representation thereof, stored, and then processed by the high speed image computer. After a wafer has been positioned and inspected in the macro inspection station at low magnification, it is moved by a macro-micro transport arm to the micro inspection station and a unique image previously found in the low power image is found again and used for initial alignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1986
    Assignee: KLA Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Sandland, Curt H. Chadwick, Russell M. Singleton, Howard Dwyer
  • Patent number: 4604910
    Abstract: An object mounting member is slideably interconnected with a guide member which provides a path between two separated fixed locations. The guide member is attached to a support member having fixed stops located between the two fixed locations. A pinion gear is fixedly attached to the shaft of a stepper motor, and a spur gear is held in an engaging relationship with said pinion gear. An eccentric arm is pivotally attached at one end to the spur gear and is driven to provide rapid motion between the two fixed locations with a rate of motion approaching zero hit nears each fixed location. The other end of the eccentric arm is pivotally attached to one end of a drive arm that is pivotally attached to the object mounting member. The drive arm includes a spring loaded member that is used to allow the object mounting member to be preloaded against a stop at each end of its travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1986
    Assignee: KLA Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Curt H. Chadwick, Anil A. Desai
  • Patent number: 4556317
    Abstract: An automatic patterned wafer inspection system includes macro and micro inspection stations having optical axes that are 10 inches apart on an X-Y crossed roller stage which provides 7 inches of travel in each of two directions along two orthogonal axes. A macro-micro transport arm is pivotally interconnected with the stage and supports a turntable with a vacuum chuck centrally located thereon. The transport arm is positioned to move the wafer from a position 5 inches to the left of center of the stage (the macro axis) to a position 5 inches to the right of the center of the stage (the micro axis). Repeatability of positioning of the arms is obtained by using a spring-loaded link to drive the transport arm against a hard stop located at the left and right of the stage. The turntable is mounted so as to have an outside edge adjacent the distal end of the transport arm. A vacuum chuck for holding the wafer is attached to the turntable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1985
    Assignee: KLA Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Sandland, Curt H. Chadwick, Howard I. Dwyer
  • Patent number: 4199735
    Abstract: Thermal lensing effects in a conductively cooled optically pumped laser rod are compensated by limiting the width of thermal contact between the rod surface and its supporting heat sink to an arc width of 70.degree. to 80.degree. and utilizing a simple cylindrical laser cavity mirror or mirrors. This limited heat sink contact produces nearly parallel isotherms in the rod which react with the laser beam so that it may be readily focused by a cylindrical beam focusing means in the laser optical resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1978
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1980
    Assignee: GTE Sylvania Incorporated
    Inventors: Curt H. Chadwick, Edward D. Reed
  • Patent number: 4183483
    Abstract: A translating mechanism for accurately positioning and locking an object relative to a reference plane comprises a base plate which defines the reference plane and a platform supported parallel to the base plate for movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the base plate. A spring between the base plate and platform urges the latter away from the plate and an adjustment screw operably connected to the platform and to the plate permits changing of the spacing between the platform and plate against the bias of the spring. Nestable U-shaped arms pivotally connected to the plate and platform, respectively, and to each other directly slideably engage the plate and platform, and maintain parallelism therebetween during their relative movement. A flexible end wall adjacent to the platform releasably clamps the platform against the opposite end wall to lock same in any position within its range of movement. This also minimizes the load path length between platform and base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1980
    Assignee: GTE Sylvania Incorporated
    Inventors: Curt H. Chadwick, John E. Raffarin
  • Patent number: 4181900
    Abstract: A laser pumping assembly with a housing having a removable heat resistant glass liner or shell enclosing a pump and a laser rod comprises removable glass or quartz plates over opposite ends of the shell together with a heat absorbing shim between each end plate and an adjacent heat conductive support plate attached to the housing. The outside surface of each end plate is coated with a dielectric layer which reflects the desired wavelength of pump lamp radiation inwardly of the shell toward the laser rod and transmits undesired wavelengths to the adjacent shim. The shims are held tightly against the end plates and pass heat from the unreflected pump lamp radiation to the respective support plates for dissipation in the cooling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1980
    Assignee: GTE Sylvania Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph D. Tajnai, Curt H. Chadwick, Dan J. Radecki
  • Patent number: 4170763
    Abstract: An improved conductively cooled laser pumping assembly comprises a metallic housing having an elliptically shaped bore in which a pump lamp and laser rod are supported along the respective focal axes of the bore. The laser rod is mounted on the tapered end of a conductively cooled metal body by resilient strap means at opposite ends of the rod and with a relatively low melting temperature solder between the body and the rod to enhance thermal contact with the rod and to accommodate the different thermal expansions of the rod and body, thereby minimizing rod strain. The elliptical bore is coated with a heat absorbing substance and contains a similarly shaped one-piece snugly fitting removable glass liner or shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 9, 1979
    Assignee: GTE Sylvania Incorporated
    Inventors: Dan J. Radecki, Curt H. Chadwick
  • Patent number: 4023891
    Abstract: An adjustable two-axis lockable vibration resistant mirror mount assembly with an accuracy of approximately two arc seconds features separately adjustable inner and outer coaxial gimbals having locks which clamp the gimbals in the adjusted position without altering that position. An adjusting screw for each gimbal is mounted on the frame and abuts the respective gimbal offset from its pivotal axis. Diagonally opposed pairs of U-shaped locking clips mounted on the outer gimbal straddle bosses on adjacent parts of the frame and inner gimbal, respectively, and are moved tightly against the bosses in directions parallel to the respective gimbal axes by locking screws to secure the gimbals in relatively fixed positions. After locking, the adjusting screws may be removed from the assembly. The center of the reflective mirror surface lies at the intersection of mutually perpendicular pivot axes with the normal to the mirror surface at its center substantially perpendicular to the pivot axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1975
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1977
    Assignee: GTE Sylvania Incorporated
    Inventor: Curt H. Chadwick
  • Patent number: RE37740
    Abstract: Substrate inspection apparatus and methods, and illumination apparatus. The inspection apparatus and method includes memory for storing the desired features of the surface of the substrate, focussed illuminator for substantially uniformly illuminating a region of the surface of the substrate to be inspected. Additionally there is a sensor for imaging the region of the substrate illuminated by the illuminator, and a comparator responsive to the memory and sensor for comparing the imaged region of the substrate with the stored desired features of the substrate. The illumination apparatus is designed to provide substantially uniform focussed illumination along a narrow linear region. This apparatus includes first, second and third reflectors elliptically cylindrical in shape, each with its long axis substantially parallel to the long axes of each of the others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Curt H. Chadwick, Robert R. Sholes, John D. Greene, Francis D. Tucker, III, Michael E. Fein, P. C. Jann, David J. Harvey, William Bell