Patents by Inventor Eckehard Kiefer

Eckehard Kiefer 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).

  • Micropolarimeter, microsensor system and method of characterizing thin films
    Patent number: 5502567
    Abstract: A micropolarimeter comprises an analyzer (1) and a detector (3), which is typically a photodetector array. The detector has a circular configuration of a number N of sectors. Analyzer (1) and detector (3) form a unit with the analyzer assigning different polarization values to the sectors. Analyzer and the detector contain no moving parts. Three different embodiments are proposed for the analyzer: a glass cone, covered with a polarizing thin film stack, a metal grid polarizing array, and an array of polarizing waveguides. The micropolarimeter (14) is used preferably in a microellipsometer system which can serve as a tool for film diagnostics, especially optical characterization of thin films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1996
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Pokrowsky, Eckehard Kiefer, Michael Abraham, Bernd Stenkamp, Wolfgang Ehrfeld, Thomas Zetterer