Patents by Inventor Kenneth G. Roessler
Kenneth G. Roessler 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).
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Patent number: 11311917Abstract: Method and apparatus for identifying a contaminant on a substrate. Identification of a contaminant removed from a substrate can be useful in identifying and eliminating or reducing the source of the contamination and tailoring the removal method to minimize the potential for substrate damage. The methods and apparatus for identification of the contaminant provide liberation of molecules of the contaminant from the surface of the substrate, accounting for different geometries and substrate materials, sample preparation, and chemical analysis of the contaminant.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2017Date of Patent: April 26, 2022Assignee: Bruker Nano, Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley, Alexander M. Figliolini
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Publication number: 20170189945Abstract: Method and apparatus for identifying a contaminant on a substrate. Identification of a contaminant removed from a substrate can be useful in identifying and eliminating or reducing the source of the contamination and tailoring the removal method to minimize the potential for substrate damage. The methods and apparatus for identification of the contaminant provide liberation of molecules of the contaminant from the surface of the substrate, accounting for different geometries and substrate materials, sample preparation, and chemical analysis of the contaminant.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2017Publication date: July 6, 2017Inventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley, Alexander M. Figliolini
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Patent number: 9588420Abstract: A photomask includes at least one feature disposed thereon. The at least one feature has an associated design location, where a distance between a location of the at least one feature and the associated design location defines a positional error of the at least one feature. A method for improving a performance characteristic of the photomask includes directing electromagnetic radiation toward the photomask, the electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength that substantially coincides with a high absorption coefficient of the photomask; generating a thermal energy increase in the photomask through incidence of the electromagnetic radiation thereon; and decreasing the positional error as a result of the generating the thermal energy increase in the photomask.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2016Date of Patent: March 7, 2017Assignee: RAVE LLCInventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Publication number: 20160170297Abstract: A photomask includes at least one feature disposed thereon. The at least one feature has an associated design location, where a distance between a location of the at least one feature and the associated design location defines a positional error of the at least one feature. A method for improving a performance characteristic of the photomask includes directing electromagnetic radiation toward the photomask, the electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength that substantially coincides with a high absorption coefficient of the photomask; generating a thermal energy increase in the photomask through incidence of the electromagnetic radiation thereon; and decreasing the positional error as a result of the generating the thermal energy increase in the photomask.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2016Publication date: June 16, 2016Inventors: JEFFREY E. LECLAIRE, KENNETH G. ROESSLER, DAVID BRINKLEY
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Patent number: 9285674Abstract: A photomask includes at least one feature disposed thereon. The at least one feature has an associated design location, where a distance between a location of the at least one feature and the associated design location defines a positional error of the at least one feature. A method for improving a performance characteristic of the photomask includes directing electromagnetic radiation toward the photomask, the electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength that substantially coincides with a high absorption coefficient of the photomask; generating a thermal energy increase in the photomask through incidence of the electromagnetic radiation thereon; and decreasing the positional error as a result of the generating the thermal energy increase in the photomask.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2015Date of Patent: March 15, 2016Assignee: RAVE LLCInventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Publication number: 20150185602Abstract: A photomask includes at least one feature disposed thereon. The at least one feature has an associated design location, where a distance between a location of the at least one feature and the associated design location defines a positional error of the at least one feature. A method for improving a performance characteristic of the photomask includes directing electromagnetic radiation toward the photomask, the electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength that substantially coincides with a high absorption coefficient of the photomask; generating a thermal energy increase in the photomask through incidence of the electromagnetic radiation thereon; and decreasing the positional error as a result of the generating the thermal energy increase in the photomask.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 12, 2015Publication date: July 2, 2015Inventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Patent number: 8986460Abstract: Methods for cleaning a surface of a photomask and for increasing the useable lifetime of the photomask are disclosed. One method includes, a first wafer print processing using a photomask and a pellicle disposed across the photomask, and cleaning the photomask. The cleaning the photomask includes directing a laser beam through the pellicle toward the photomask, the laser beam having a wavelength that is substantially equal to a local maximum of an absorption spectrum of the photomask, heating the photomask with the laser beam, and transferring heat from the photomask to a contaminant disposed on the photomask, thereby thermally decomposing the contaminant.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2014Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Assignee: Rave, LLCInventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Publication number: 20140283873Abstract: Methods for cleaning a surface of a photomask and for increasing the useable lifetime of the photomask are disclosed. One method includes, a first wafer print processing using a photomask and a pellicle disposed across the photomask, and cleaning the photomask. The cleaning the photomask includes directing a laser beam through the pellicle toward the photomask, the laser beam having a wavelength that is substantially equal to a local maximum of an absorption spectrum of the photomask, heating the photomask with the laser beam, and transferring heat from the photomask to a contaminant disposed on the photomask, thereby thermally decomposing the contaminant.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2014Publication date: September 25, 2014Inventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Patent number: 8741067Abstract: Methods for cleaning a surface of a photomask and for increasing the useable lifetime of the photomask are disclosed. One method includes, a first wafer print processing using a photomask and a pellicle disposed across the photomask, and cleaning the photomask. The cleaning the photomask includes directing a laser beam through the pellicle toward the photomask, the laser beam having a wavelength that is substantially equal to a local maximum of an absorption spectrum of the photomask, heating the photomask with the laser beam, and transferring heat from the photomask to a contaminant disposed on the photomask, thereby thermally decomposing the contaminant.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2013Date of Patent: June 3, 2014Assignee: Rave, LLCInventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Publication number: 20140069457Abstract: Methods for cleaning a surface of a photomask and for increasing the useable lifetime of the photomask are disclosed. One method includes, a first wafer print processing using a photomask and a pellicle disposed across the photomask, and cleaning the photomask. The cleaning the photomask includes directing a laser beam through the pellicle toward the photomask, the laser beam having a wavelength that is substantially equal to a local maximum of an absorption spectrum of the photomask, heating the photomask with the laser beam, and transferring heat from the photomask to a contaminant disposed on the photomask, thereby thermally decomposing the contaminant.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 11, 2013Publication date: March 13, 2014Applicant: Rave, LLCInventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Patent number: 8613803Abstract: Methods for cleaning a surface of a substrate and for increasing the useable lifetime of a photomask substrate are provided. In one method, the surface of a substrate having a contaminating particulate disposed thereon is cleaned by directing a laser towards the substrate, generating a temperature increase in the substrate and transferring thermal energy from the substrate to the particulate to decompose the particulate. The laser has a wavelength that is substantially the same as a local maximum of the substrate absorption spectrum.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2012Date of Patent: December 24, 2013Assignee: Rave, LLCInventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Publication number: 20130276818Abstract: Methods for cleaning a surface of a substrate and for increasing the useable lifetime of a photomask substrate are provided. In one method, the surface of a substrate having a contaminating particulate disposed thereon is cleaned by directing a laser towards the substrate, generating a temperature increase in the substrate and transferring thermal energy from the substrate to the particulate to decompose the particulate. The laser has a wavelength that is substantially the same as a local maximum of the substrate absorption spectrum.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 22, 2012Publication date: October 24, 2013Inventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Patent number: 8562749Abstract: A wafer fabrication process with removal of haze formation from a pellicalized photomask surface is provided. The wafer fabrication process includes pre-print wafer processing, wafer print processing using at least one photomask having a pellicle, photomask clean processing, wafer print processing using the photomask, and post-print wafer processing. The photomask clean processing step includes directing a laser through the pellicle towards an inorganic particle disposed on the photomask to remove the particle from the photomask by thermal decomposition.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2012Date of Patent: October 22, 2013Assignee: Rave LLCInventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Patent number: 8293019Abstract: Methods for cleaning a surface of a substrate and for increasing the useable lifetime of a photomask substrate are provided. In one method, a substrate has at least one radiation-produced particle disposed thereon, and a laser that has a wavelength that substantially coincides with a high absorption coefficient of the substrate is directed towards the substrate. A thermal increase is generated in the substrate, and the radiation-produced particle is removed from the substrate by transferring thermal energy from the substrate to the radiation-produced particle until the radiation-produced particle decomposes.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2008Date of Patent: October 23, 2012Assignee: Rave, LLCInventors: Jeffrey E. LeClaire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Publication number: 20120231397Abstract: A wafer fabrication process with removal of haze formation from a pellicalized photomask surface is provided. The wafer fabrication process includes pre-print wafer processing, wafer print processing using at least one photomask having a pellicle, photomask clean processing, wafer print processing using the photomask, and post-print wafer processing. The photomask clean processing step includes directing a laser through the pellicle towards an inorganic particle disposed on the photomask to remove the particle from the photomask by thermal decomposition.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2012Publication date: September 13, 2012Applicant: RAVE LLCInventors: Jeffrey E. Le Claire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Patent number: 8182609Abstract: The present invention provides a method for cleaning a surface of a substrate that includes directing a laser towards at least one radiation-produced particle disposed on a substrate, generating a thermal increase in the particle and removing the particle from the substrate by thermal decomposition. The laser has a wavelength that substantially coincides with a high absorption coefficient of the particle.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2008Date of Patent: May 22, 2012Assignee: Rave, LLCInventors: Jeffrey E. Le Claire, Kenneth G. Roessler, David Brinkley
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Patent number: 5773824Abstract: A scanning probe microscope includes probe moved into and out of engagement with a sample surface by a combination of deflections occurring within a fast actuator, having a relatively small range of motion, and a slow actuator, having a relatively large range of motion. When the deflection of the fast actuator is moved outside a predetermined range, in which such deflection is a linear function of applied voltage, the slow actuator is operated so that subsequent operation of the fast actuator can return the fast actuator to its predetermined range, Furthermore, when it is necessary to operate the slow actuator in this way, a scanning motion moving the sample surface past the probe is stopped until the probe is brought into a correct level of engagement with the sample surface, with the fast actuator deflected within the predetermined range.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 1997Date of Patent: June 30, 1998Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Edwin Flecha, Martin Allen Klos, Kenneth G. Roessler, Robert Marshall Stowell
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Patent number: 5635848Abstract: A digital and analog controller for controlling a high-speed probe actuator is disclosed. This method and system provide the probe actuator system with improved damping ratio and reduced impact force, so the throughput of the tester is increased with fast settling actuator armature. With this method and system, the steady-state probe force is less sensitive to the servo system, test probe and variation in the probing distance d. An electronic circuit, which consists of analog operational amplifiers, monostable multivibrators, and D flip-flops, is presented for low-cost applications.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 1995Date of Patent: June 3, 1997Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: James M. Hammond, James C. Mahlbacher, Kenneth G. Roessler, Michael Servedio, Li-Cheng R. Zai
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Patent number: 5360974Abstract: A dual quad flexure carriage and assembly, for receiving a sensing probe, is used for scanning the sensing probe across a target surface. The flexure carriage is a unitary structure providing flat motion for the sensing probe during the scanning procedure, while further compensating for thermal creep. The dual quad flexure assembly comprises the dual quad flexure carriage along with piezo actuators and control systems to provide highly linear orthogonal motion.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 1992Date of Patent: November 1, 1994Assignee: International Business Machines Corp.Inventors: James M. Hammond, Martin A. Klos, Yves Martin, Kenneth G. Roessler, Robert M. Stowell
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Patent number: 5262643Abstract: A non-contact, step-wise method for automatically positioning a sensing probe, having a vibrating cantilever and tip, above a target surface utilizing acoustic and Van der Waals interactions respectively during an approach method. The sensing probe is lowered to a substantially optimized tip to target surface distance. The system utilizes the interaction of forces between the vibrating cantilever and target surface to automatically position the sensing probe above the target surface.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 1992Date of Patent: November 16, 1993Assignee: International Business Machines Corp.Inventors: James M. Hammond, Martin A. Klos, Yves Martin, Kenneth G. Roessler, Robert M. Stowell