Patents by Inventor Ecron D. Thompson
Ecron D. Thompson 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: 20240219827Abstract: N whole substrate drop patterns are generated. Each of the N whole substrate drop pattern has M repeating drop patterns in repeating evaluation regions of a test substrate with predetermined dimensions and corresponding to a film to be formed from each of the N whole substrate drop patterns on test substrate. P statistical parameters of Q distributions of physical attributes of the M repeating drop patterns are calculated. The Q physical attributes are related to a thickness of a top layer of the film above substrate features. N figures of merit from the P statistical parameters corresponding to the N whole substrate drop patterns are determined. From the N whole substrate drop patterns, a satisfactory drop pattern that has a satisfactory figure of merit is selected among the N figures of merit. N, M, P, and Q are positive integers.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2022Publication date: July 4, 2024Inventors: Craig William Cone, Ahmed M. Hussein, James W. Irving, Ecron D. Thompson
-
Patent number: 11215921Abstract: A fabrication method comprises selecting an initial drop pattern defining a position of drops of a formable material, the initial drop pattern comprising a grid pattern of drops, designating the drops of the grid pattern to be dispensed by a first series of nozzles of a dispenser based on a spacing between drops in the Y-dimension; generating a modified drop pattern by shifting the grid pattern in a first direction along the Y-dimension, wherein a shift distance is selected such that the drops of the shifted grid pattern are designated to be dispensed from a second series of nozzles of the dispenser; dispensing the plurality of drops according to the modified drop pattern onto a substrate; during the dispensing of the drops, shifting a position of the stage or dispenser along the Y-dimension opposite to the first direction by an amount equal to the shift distance.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2019Date of Patent: January 4, 2022Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Ecron D. Thompson, Craig William Cone, Logan L. Simpson, Wei Zhang, James W. Irving
-
Patent number: 11161280Abstract: Systems and methods for improving robust layer separation during the separation process of an imprint lithography process are described. Included are methods of matching strains between a substrate to be imprinted and the template, varying or modifying the forces applied to the template and/or the substrate during separation, or varying or modifying the kinetics of the separation process.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2019Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: Molecular Imprints, Inc.Inventors: Niyaz Khusnatdinov, Frank Y. Xu, Mario Johannes Meissl, Michael N. Miller, Ecron D. Thompson, Gerard M. Schmid, Pawan Kumar Nimmakayala, Xiaoming Lu, Byung-Jin Choi
-
Patent number: 11131922Abstract: An imprint lithography template including an alignment mark including at least two columns or at least two rows of features spaced apart from one another, and a dummy-fill region, wherein the alignment mark is spaced apart from the dummy-fill region, and wherein a closest distance between the at least two columns or the at least two rows is less than a closest distance between any portion of the at least two columns or the at least two rows and the dummy-fill region. In an embodiment, the at least two columns or the at least two rows are spaced apart by at least 0.5 microns. In a further embodiment, the closest distance between the at least two columns or the at least two rows and the dummy-fill region is at least 2 microns.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2016Date of Patent: September 28, 2021Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ecron D. Thompson, Andrew Robert Eckert, Kosta S. Selinidis
-
Publication number: 20210132491Abstract: A fabrication method comprises selecting an initial drop pattern defining a position of drops of a formable material, the initial drop pattern comprising a grid pattern of drops, designating the drops of the grid pattern to be dispensed by a first series of nozzles of a dispenser based on a spacing between drops in the Y-dimension; generating a modified drop pattern by shifting the grid pattern in a first direction along the Y-dimension, wherein a shift distance is selected such that the drops of the shifted grid pattern are designated to be dispensed from a second series of nozzles of the dispenser; dispensing the plurality of drops according to the modified drop pattern onto a substrate; during the dispensing of the drops, shifting a position of the stage or dispenser along the Y-dimension opposite to the first direction by an amount equal to the shift distance.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2019Publication date: May 6, 2021Inventors: Ecron D. Thompson, Craig William Cone, Logan L. Simpson, Wei Zhang, James W. Irving
-
Publication number: 20190232533Abstract: Systems and methods for improving robust layer separation during the separation process of an imprint lithography process are described. Included are methods of matching strains between a substrate to be imprinted and the template, varying or modifying the forces applied to the template and/or the substrate during separation, or varying or modifying the kinetics of the separation process.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2019Publication date: August 1, 2019Inventors: Niyaz Khusnatdinov, Frank Y. Xu, Mario Johannes Meissl, Michael N. Miller, Ecron D. Thompson, Gerard M. Schmid, Pawan Kumar Nimmakayala, Xiaoming Lu, Byung-Jin Choi
-
Publication number: 20170351171Abstract: An imprint lithography template including an alignment mark including at least two columns or at least two rows of features spaced apart from one another, and a dummy-fill region, wherein the alignment mark is spaced apart from the dummy-fill region, and wherein a closest distance between the at least two columns or the at least two rows is less than a closest distance between any portion of the at least two columns or the at least two rows and the dummy-fill region. In an embodiment, the at least two columns or the at least two rows are spaced apart by at least 0.5 microns. In a further embodiment, the closest distance between the at least two columns or the at least two rows and the dummy-fill region is at least 2 microns.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 6, 2016Publication date: December 7, 2017Inventors: Ecron D. Thompson, Andrew Robert Eckert, Kosta S. Selinidis
-
Publication number: 20140117574Abstract: Systems and methods for improving robust layer separation during the separation process of an imprint lithography process are described. Included are methods of matching strains between a substrate to be imprinted and the template, varying or modifying the forces applied to the template and/or the substrate during separation, or varying or modifying the kinetics of the separation process.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2014Publication date: May 1, 2014Applicant: Molecular Imprints, Inc.Inventors: Niyaz Khusnatdinov, Frank Y. Xu, Mario Johannes Meissl, Michael N. Miller, Ecron D. Thompson, Gerard M. Schmid, Pawan Kumar Nimmakayala, Xiaoming Lu, Byung- Jin Choi
-
Patent number: 8652393Abstract: Systems and methods for improving robust layer separation during the separation process of an imprint lithography process are described. Included are methods of matching strains between a substrate to be imprinted and the template, varying or modifying the forces applied to the template and/or the substrate during separation, or varying or modifying the kinetics of the separation process.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2009Date of Patent: February 18, 2014Assignee: Molecular Imprints, Inc.Inventors: Niyaz Khusnatdinov, Frank Y. Xu, Mario Johannes Meissl, Michael N. Miller, Ecron D. Thompson, Gerard M. Schmid, Pawan Kumar Nimmakayala, Xiaoming Lu, Byung-Jin Choi
-
Patent number: 8012395Abstract: Imprint lithography substrates may include alignment marks formed of high contrast material. Exemplary methods for forming alignment marks having high contrast material are described.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2009Date of Patent: September 6, 2011Assignee: Molecular Imprints, Inc.Inventors: Kosta S. Selinidis, Byung-Jin Choi, Gerard M. Schmid, Ecron D. Thompson, Ian Matthew McMackin
-
Publication number: 20100259745Abstract: The present invention is directed towards a method for determining deformation parameters that a patterned device would undergo to minimize dimensional variations between a recorded pattern thereon and a reference pattern, the method including, inter alia, comparing spatial variation between features of the recorded pattern with respect to corresponding features of the reference pattern; and determining deformation forces to apply to the patterned device to attenuate the dimensional variations, with the forces having predetermined constraints, wherein a summation of a magnitude of the forces is substantially zero and a summation of moment of the forces is substantially zero.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2010Publication date: October 14, 2010Applicants: MOLECULAR IMPRINTS, INC., BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEMInventors: Anshuman Cherala, Sidlgata V. Sreenivasan, Byung-Jin Choi, Ecron D. Thompson
-
Patent number: 7768624Abstract: The present invention is directed towards a method for determining deformation parameters that a patterned device would undergo to minimize dimensional variations between a recorded pattern thereon and a reference pattern, the method including, inter alia, comparing spatial variation between features of the recorded pattern with respect to corresponding features of the reference pattern; and determining deformation forces to apply to the patterned device to attenuate the dimensional variations, with the forces having predetermined constraints, wherein a summation of a magnitude of the forces is substantially zero and a summation of moment of the forces is substantially zero.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2007Date of Patent: August 3, 2010Assignees: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Molecular Imprints, Inc.Inventors: Anshuman Cherala, Sidlgata V. Sreenivasan, Byung-Jin Choi, Ecron D. Thompson
-
Publication number: 20100102469Abstract: Systems and methods for improving robust layer separation during the separation process of an imprint lithography process are described. Included are methods of matching strains between a substrate to be imprinted and the template, varying or modifying the forces applied to the template and/or the substrate during separation, or varying or modifying the kinetics of the separation process.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2009Publication date: April 29, 2010Applicant: MOLECULAR IMPRINTS, INC.Inventors: Niyaz Khusnatdinov, Frank Y. Xu, Mario Johannes Meissl, Michael N. Miller, Ecron D. Thompson, Gerard M. Schmid, Pawan Kumar Nimmakayala, Xiaoming Lu, Byung-Jin Choi
-
Publication number: 20100092599Abstract: Systems and methods for minimizing overlay error during alignment of a template with a substrate are described. Templates generally include two distinct types of alignment marks: buried alignment marks and complementary alignment marks. Buried marks may be fabricated separately from the patterning surface, and the complementary marks may be fabricated in the same step as the patterning surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2009Publication date: April 15, 2010Applicant: MOLECULAR IMPRINTS, INC.Inventors: Kosta S. Selinidis, Gerard M. Schmid, Ecron D. Thompson, Ian Matthew McMackin, Douglas J. Resnick
-
Publication number: 20100078846Abstract: Particles may be present on substrates and/or templates during nano-lithographic imprinting. Particles may be mitigated and/or removed using localized removal techniques and/or imprinting techniques as described.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2009Publication date: April 1, 2010Applicant: MOLECULAR IMPRINTS, INC.Inventors: Douglas J. Resnick, Ian Matthew McMackin, Gerard M. Schmid, Niyaz Khusnatdinov, Ecron D. Thompson, Sidlgata V. Sreenivasan
-
Publication number: 20090250840Abstract: Imprint lithography substrates may include alignment marks formed of high contrast material. Exemplary methods for forming alignment marks having high contrast material are described.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2009Publication date: October 8, 2009Applicant: MOLECULAR IMPRINTS, INC.Inventors: Kosta S. Selinidis, Byung-Jin Choi, Gerard M. Schmid, Ecron D. Thompson, Ian Matthew McMackin
-
Patent number: 7122482Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a method for generating patterned features on a substrate that includes: (a) forming a first layer on at least a portion of a surface of the substrate, the first layer comprising at least one layer of a first material, which one layer abuts the surface of the substrate; (b) forming a second layer of a second material on at least a portion of the first layer, which second layer is imprinted with the patterned features; (c) removing at least portions of the second layer to extend the patterned features to the first layer; and (d) removing at least portions of the first layer to extend the patterned features to the substrate; wherein the first layer and the second layer may be exposed to an etching process that undercuts the patterned features, and the first material may be lifted-off.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2003Date of Patent: October 17, 2006Assignees: Molecular Imprints, Inc., University of Texas SystemInventors: Frank Y. Xu, Nicholas E. Stacey, Michael P. C. Watts, Ecron D. Thompson