Patents by Inventor Patricia Mae Hynek

Patricia Mae Hynek 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).

  • Method and system for inspecting multi-layer reticles
    Patent number: 8437967
    Abstract: A method of and system for inspecting multi-layer reticles. The method includes: selecting a multi-layer reticle having an array of cells arranged in R rows and C columns; defining a full inspection region that includes all cells of the array of cells; and when R is equal to one (or is greater than two) and C is greater than two (or is equal to one) and a cell of the array of cells is a dummy cell in a first or last position of a row (or of a column) of the array of cells, then reducing the full inspection region to generate a shrunken inspection region that does not include the dummy cell, and then inspecting the shrunken inspection region for defects. If the dummy cell is between two non-dummy cells, then the dummy cell is a copy of one of the non-dummy cells, but is not inspected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Karen D. Badger, Karen Strube Edwards, Patricia Mae Hynek, John M. Leonard, Maureen Fitzpatrick McFadden, David A. Merchant
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INSPECTING MULTI-LAYER RETICLES
    Publication number: 20110184662
    Abstract: A method of and system for inspecting multi-layer reticles. The method includes: selecting a multi-layer reticle having an array of cells arranged in R rows and C columns; defining a full inspection region that includes all cells of the array of cells; and when R is equal to one (or is greater than two) and C is greater than two (or is equal to one) and a cell of the array of cells is a dummy cell in a first or last position of a row (or of a column) of the array of cells, then reducing the full inspection region to generate a shrunken inspection region that does not include the dummy cell, and then inspecting the shrunken inspection region for defects. If the dummy cell is between two non-dummy cells, then the dummy cell is a copy of one of the non-dummy cells, but is not inspected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Karen D. Badger, Karen Strube Edwards, Patricia Mae Hynek, John M. Leonard, Maureen Fitzpatrick McFadden, David A. Merchant