Patents by Inventor Letian LI

Letian LI 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: 20250095953
    Abstract: Methods and systems for performing sample lift-out and creating attachments for highly reactive materials within charged particle microscopy systems are disclosed herein. Methods include creating attachments between a sample manipulator and a sample within a charged particle system and translating a sample manipulator so that the sample manipulator is proximate to a sample such that a portion of the sample manipulator proximate to the sample is composed of a high sputter yield material. The methods and systems include milling, with a charged particle beam, the high sputter yield material such that portions of the high sputter yield material are removed from the sample manipulator without milling away material from the sample such that at least some of the removed high sputter yield material redeposits to form an attachment between the sample manipulator and the sample without milling material away from the sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2024
    Publication date: March 20, 2025
    Inventors: Adam STOKES, Cliff BUGGE, Brandon VAN LEER, Valerie BROGDEN, Chengge JIAO, Letian LI, David DONNET
  • Patent number: 12165832
    Abstract: Methods and systems for performing sample lift-out and protective cap placement for highly reactive materials within charged particle microscopy systems are disclosed herein. Methods include preparing a nesting void in a support structure, translating at least a portion of a sample into the nesting void, and milling material from a region of the support structure that defines the nesting void. The material from the region of the support structure is milled such that at least some of the removed material redeposits to form an attachment bond between the sample and a remaining portion of the support structure. In various embodiments, the sample can then be investigated using one or more of serial sectioning tomography on the sample, enhanced insertable backscatter detector (CBS) analysis on the sample, and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis on the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: FEI Company
    Inventors: Adam Stokes, Cliff Bugge, Brandon Van Leer, Valerie Brogden, Chengge Jiao, Letian Li, David Donnet
  • Publication number: 20230215683
    Abstract: Methods and systems for performing sample lift-out and protective cap placement for highly reactive materials within charged particle microscopy systems are disclosed herein. Methods include preparing a nesting void in a support structure, translating at least a portion of a sample into the nesting void, and milling material from a region of the support structure that defines the nesting void. The material from the region of the support structure is milled such that at least some of the removed material redeposits to form an attachment bond between the sample and a remaining portion of the support structure. In various embodiments, the sample can then be investigated using one or more of serial sectioning tomography on the sample, enhanced insertable backscatter detector (CBS) analysis on the sample, and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis on the sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2021
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Applicant: FEI Company
    Inventors: Adam STOKES, Cliff BUGGE, Brandon VAN LEER, Valerie BROGDEN, Chengge JIAO, Letian LI, David DONNET