Patents by Inventor Lloyd J. Lacomb, Jr.

Lloyd J. Lacomb, Jr. 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).

  • Patent number: 11698492
    Abstract: A waveguide image combiner is used to transmit a monochrome or full-color image in an augmented reality display. The combiner uses multiple stacked substrates and multiple pairs of incoupling and outcoupling VHOEs to expand a first FOV and an image expander to expand the second or perpendicular FOV. This suitably provides an expanded FOV that offers a diagonal FOV?50°, a horizontal FOV?40 and a vertical FOV?25°. The combiner also delivers a large horizontal eye box up to 20 mm and a vertical eye box of 10 mm while maintaining high light efficiency of the real scene (e.g. >80%). The system is able to use a light engine based on broadband (10 nm????40 nm) LEDs and maintain a large horizontal field of view and high transmission of the real imagery. The approach resolves issues with current embodiments including astigmatism, image overlap, color balance, and small light engine pupils leading to reduced eye boxes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: A9.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Arkady Bablumyan, Lloyd J LaComb, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20210080907
    Abstract: Reflection mode VHOEs are designed and fabricated for use in imaging and other applications that require high diffraction efficiency with minimal chromatic aberrations and astigmatism across the bandwidth. A single VHOE acts as a mirror to reflect light (0th diffraction order) at the specified wavelength(s) and bandwidth with a principal ray at an angle equal to an angle of incidence of broadband light. A composite VHOE includes a complementary pair of input and output VHOEs each configured to diffract light into a non-zero Nth order. The input and output VHOEs are positioned in parallel to and offset from each other such that the filtered Nth order beam exits the composite lens on a path at the angle of incidence and parallel to the broadband light while suppressing the unwanted 0th order beam. The composite lens improves suppression of unwanted wavelengths while still achieving minimal chromatic aberration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventors: Arkady Bablumyan, Lloyd J. LaComb, JR., Nasser N. Peyghambarian
  • Patent number: 10871601
    Abstract: Transmission and reflection mode VHOEs are designed and fabricated for use in imaging and other applications. These VHOE provide high diffraction efficiency with minimal chromatic aberrations and astigmatism across the bandwidth. The lens provides optical power within the bandwidth centered relative to several wavelengths to magnify (focus or collimate) input light and is transparent for the rest of the image spectrum. In transmission mode, two VHOE are fabricated in such a way as to introduce compensating adjustments that minimize the astigmatism and chromatic aberrations introduced by the bandwidth of the input light. Two VHOEs are required to provide an on-axis imaging system to magnify light to form an image and reduce the chromatic aberrations across the bandwidth and reduce the astigmatism while maintaining high diffraction efficiency (DE).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: TIPD, LLC
    Inventors: Arkady Bablumyan, Lloyd J. LaComb, Jr., Nasser N. Peyghambarian
  • Publication number: 20200225416
    Abstract: A waveguide image combiner is used to transmit a monochrome or full-color image in an augmented reality display. The combiner uses multiple stacked substrates and multiple pairs of incoupling and outcoupling VHOEs to expand a first FOV and an image expander to expand the second or perpendicular FOV. This suitably provides an expanded FOV that offers a diagonal FOV?50°, a horizontal FOV?40 and a vertical FOV?25°. The combiner also delivers a large horizontal eye box up to 20 mm and a vertical eye box of 10 mm while maintaining high light efficiency of the real scene (e.g. >80%). The system is able to use a light engine based on broadband (10 nm????40 nm) LEDs and maintain a large horizontal field of view and high transmission of the real imagery. The approach resolves issues with current embodiments including astigmatism, image overlap, color balance, and small light engine pupils leading to reduced eye boxes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Inventors: Arkady Bablumyan, Lloyd J. LaComb, JR.
  • Publication number: 20180095212
    Abstract: Transmission and reflection mode VHOEs are designed and fabricated for use in imaging and other applications. These VHOE provide high diffraction efficiency with minimal chromatic aberrations and astigmatism across the bandwidth. The lens provides optical power within the bandwidth centered relative to several wavelengths to magnify (focus or collimate) input light and is transparent for the rest of the image spectrum. In transmission mode, two VHOE are fabricated in such a way as to introduce compensating adjustments that minimize the astigmatism and chromatic aberrations introduced by the bandwidth of the input light. Two VHOEs are required to provide an on-axis imaging system to magnify light to form an image and reduce the chromatic aberrations across the bandwidth and reduce the astigmatism while maintaining high diffraction efficiency (DE).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Inventors: Arkady Bablumyan, Lloyd J. LaComb, JR., Nasser N. Peyghambarian
  • Patent number: 6734967
    Abstract: A method and system for spectroscopic ellipsometry employing reflective optics to measure a small region of a sample by reflecting radiation (preferably broadband UV, visible, and near infrared radiation) from the region. The system preferably has an autofocus assembly and a processor programmed to determine from the measurements the thickness and/or complex refractive index of a thin film on the sample. Preferably, only reflective optics are employed along the optical path between the polarizer and analyzer, a sample beam reflects with low incidence angle from each component of the reflective optics, the beam is reflectively focused to a small, compact spot on the sample at a range of high incidence angles, and an incidence angle selection element is provided for selecting for measurement only radiation reflected from the sample at a single, selected angle (or narrow range of angles). The focusing mirror preferably has an elliptical shape to reduce off-axis aberrations in the focused beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy R. Piwonka-Corle, Karen F. Scoffone, Xing Chen, Lloyd J. Lacomb, Jr., Jean-Louis Stehle, Dorian Zahorski, John-Pierre Rey
  • Patent number: 6111634
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for in-situ monitoring of thickness using a multi-wavelength spectrometer during chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of a substrate using a polishing tool and a film thickness monitor. The tool has an opening placed in it. The opening contains a monitoring window secured in it to create a monitoring channel. A film thickness monitor views the substrate through the monitoring channel to provide an indication of the thickness of a film carried by the substrate. This information can be used to determine the end point of the CMP process, determine removal rate at any given circumference of a substrate, determine average removal rate across a substrate surface, determine removal rate variation across a substrate surface, and optimize removal rate and uniformity. The film thickness monitor comprises a spectrometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Jiri Pecen, John Fielden, Saket Chadda, Lloyd J. LaComb, Jr., Rahul Jairath, Wilbur C. Krusell
  • Patent number: 5910842
    Abstract: A method and system for spectroscopic ellipsometry employing reflective optics to measure a small region of a sample by reflecting radiation (preferably broadband UV, visible, and near infrared radiation) from the region. The system preferably has an autofocus assembly and a processor programmed to determine from the measurements the thickness and/or complex refractive index of a thin film on the sample. Preferably, only reflective optics are employed along the optical path between the polarizer and analyzer, a sample beam reflects with low incidence angle from each component of the reflective optics, the beam is reflectively focused to a small, compact spot on the sample at a range of high incidence angles, and an incidence angle selection element is provided for selecting for measurement only radiation reflected from the sample at a single, selected angle (or narrow range of angles). The focusing mirror preferably has an elliptical shape to reduce off-axis aberrations in the focused beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1999
    Assignee: Kla-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy R. Piwonka-Corle, Xing Chen, Lloyd J. Lacomb, Jr., Jean-Louis Stehle, Dorian Zahorski
  • Patent number: 5608526
    Abstract: A method and system for spectroscopic ellipsometry employing reflective optics to measure a small region of a sample by reflecting radiation (preferably broadband UV, visible, and near infrared radiation) from the region. The system preferably has an autofocus assembly and a processor programmed to determine from the measurements the thickness and/or complex refractive index of a thin film on the sample. Preferably, only reflective optics are employed along the optical path between the polarizer and analyzer, a sample beam reflects with low incidence angle from each component of the reflective optics, the beam is reflectively focused to a small, compact spot on the sample at a range of high incidence angles, and an incidence angle selection element is provided for selecting for measurement only radiation reflected from the sample at a single, selected angle (or narrow range of angles). The focusing mirror preferably has an elliptical shape,to reduce off-axis aberrations in the focused beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Assignee: Tencor Instruments
    Inventors: Timothy R. Piwonka-Corle, Karen F. Scoffone, Xing Chen, Lloyd J. Lacomb, Jr., Jean-Louis Stehle, Dorian Zahorski, Jean-Pierre Rey