Patents by Inventor Erik Houge

Erik Houge 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: 20060231752
    Abstract: A system (70) for crystallography including a sample holder (74), an electron source (76) for generating an electron beam, and a scanning actuator (80) for controlling the relative movement between the electron beam and the crystalline sample, the scanning actuator being controllable for directing the electron beam at a series of spaced apart points within the sample area. The system also includes an image processor (84) for generating crystallographic data based upon electron diffraction from the crystalline sample and for determining whether sufficient data have been acquired to characterize the sample area The system further includes a controller (86) for controlling the scanning actuator to space the points apart such that acquired data is representative of a different grains within the crystalline sample. IN other embodiments, the invention includes one or more ion beams (178, 188) for crystallography and a combination ion beam/electron beam (218, 228).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2003
    Publication date: October 19, 2006
    Inventors: Erik Houge, Brian Kempshall, Stephen Schwarz, F.A. Stevie
  • Publication number: 20060048697
    Abstract: A system (10) for monitoring and controlling a fabrication process includes at least a first subsystem (12), a crystallographic analysis subsystem (14), and a second subsystem (16), wherein the first subsystem and second subsystem perform respective fabrication steps on a workpiece. The crystallographic analysis subsystem may be coupled to both the first subsystem and second subsystem. The analysis subsystem acquires crystallographic information from the workpiece after the workpiece undergoes a fabrication step by the first subsystem and then provides information, based on the crystallographic information acquired, for modifying parameters associated with the respective fabrication steps. The system may also include neural networks (24, 28) to adaptively modify, based on historical process data (32), parameters provided to the respective fabrication steps. The analysis subsystem may include a electromagnetic source (61), a detector (66), a processor (67), a controller (68) and a scanning actuator (65).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2003
    Publication date: March 9, 2006
    Inventors: Erik Houge, John Mcintosh, Robert Jones