Patents by Inventor Peter J. de Groot
Peter J. de Groot 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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Publication number: 20150002852Abstract: Low-coherence scanning systems and methods for operating the same include simultaneously measuring two phase-shifted interferograms corresponding to intensity patterns produced by interfering test light reflected from a test object with reference light on respective first and second detectors, in which the test light and reference light are derived from a common source. The interferograms measured by the first detector define a first set of scanning interferometry signals, and the interferograms measured by the second detector define a second set of interferometry signals corresponding to substantially the same multiple transverse locations on the test object, in which each interferometry signal in the second set is phase-shifted relative to a corresponding interferometry signal in the first set. An electronic processor processes the first set and second set of interferometry signals either independently from each other or in a combined manner to obtain information about the test object.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2014Publication date: January 1, 2015Inventors: Peter J. de Groot, Leslie L. Deck
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Patent number: 8902431Abstract: A system includes an interference microscope having one or more optical elements arranged to image a test object to an image plane by combining test light from the test object with reference light from a reference object to form an interference pattern at the image plane, wherein the test and reference light are derived from a common broadband light source.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2013Date of Patent: December 2, 2014Assignee: Zygo CorporationInventors: Jan Liesener, Mark Davidson, Peter J. de Groot, Xavier M. Colonna de Lega, Leslie L. Deck
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Patent number: 8885172Abstract: An encoder interferometry system includes an interferometer positioned to receive first and second beams having different frequencies, in which the interferometer has at least one polarizing beam splitting element for directing the first beam along a measurement path to define a measurement beam and the second beam along a reference path to define a reference beam. The encoder interferometry system further includes a encoder scale positioned to diffract the measurement beam at least once, a detector positioned to receive the measurement and reference beams after the measurement beam diffracts from the encoder scale, and an output component positioned to receive the measurement and reference beams before they reach the detector and deflect spurious portions of the first and second beam away from the detector.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2012Date of Patent: November 11, 2014Assignee: Zygo CorporationInventors: Peter J. de Groot, Michael Schroeder
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Patent number: 8854628Abstract: A method for determining information about a test object includes combining two or more scanning interference signals to form a synthetic interference signal; analyzing the synthetic interference signal to determine information about the test object; and outputting the information about the test object. Each of the two or more scanning interference signals correspond to interference between test light and reference light as an optical path length difference between the test and reference light is scanned, wherein the test and reference light are derived from a common source. The test light scatters from the test object over a range of angles and each of the two or more scanning interferometry signals corresponds to a different scattering angle or polarization state of the test light.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2011Date of Patent: October 7, 2014Assignee: Zygo CorporationInventors: Xavier M. Colonna de Lega, Peter J. de Groot, Jan Liesener
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Patent number: 8670127Abstract: A method for determining information about changes along a degree of freedom of an encoder scale includes directing a first beam and a second beam along different paths and combining the first and second beams to form an output beam, where the first and second beams are derived from a common source, the first and second beams have different frequencies, where the first beam contacts the encoder scale at a non-Littrow angle and the first beam diffracts from the encoder scale at least once; detecting an interference signal based on the output beam, the interference signal including a heterodyne phase related to an optical path difference between the first beam and the second beam; and determining information about a degree of freedom of the encoder scale based on the heterodyne phase.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2011Date of Patent: March 11, 2014Assignee: Zygo CorporationInventors: Leslie L. Deck, Peter J. de Groot, Michael Schroeder
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Publication number: 20140049782Abstract: A method for determining information about changes along a degree of freedom of an encoder scale includes directing a first beam and a second beam along different paths and combining the first and second beams to form an output beam, where the first and second beams are derived from a common source, the first and second beams have different frequencies, where the first beam contacts the encoder scale at a non-Littrow angle and the first beam diffracts from the encoder scale at least once; detecting an interference signal based on the output beam, the interference signal including a heterodyne phase related to an optical path difference between the first beam and the second beam; and determining information about a degree of freedom of the encoder scale based on the heterodyne phase.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 2, 2013Publication date: February 20, 2014Applicant: Zygo CorporationInventors: Leslie L. Deck, Peter J. de Groot, Michael Schroeder
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Publication number: 20130155413Abstract: A system includes an interference microscope having one or more optical elements arranged to image a test object to an image plane by combining test light from the test object with reference light from a reference object to form an interference pattern at the image plane, wherein the test and reference light are derived from a common broadband light source.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2013Publication date: June 20, 2013Applicant: Zygo CorporationInventors: Jan Liesener, Mark Davidson, Peter J. de Groot, Xavier Colonna de Lega, Leslie L. Deck
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Patent number: 8300233Abstract: A method for determining information about changes along a degree of freedom of an encoder scale includes directing a first beam and a second beam along different paths and combining the first and second beams to form an output beam, where the first and second beams are derived from a common source, the first and second beams have different frequencies, where the first beam contacts the encoder scale at a non-Littrow angle and the first beam diffracts from the encoder scale at least once; detecting an interference signal based on the output beam, the interference signal including a heterodyne phase related to an optical path difference between the first beam and the second beam; and determining information about a degree of freedom of the encoder scale based on the heterodyne phase.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2011Date of Patent: October 30, 2012Assignee: Zygo CorporationInventors: Leslie L. Deck, Peter J. De Groot, Michael Schroeder
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Publication number: 20120170048Abstract: A method for determining information about changes along a degree of freedom of an encoder scale includes directing a first beam and a second beam along different paths and combining the first and second beams to form an output beam, where the first and second beams are derived from a common source, the first and second beams have different frequencies, where the first beam contacts the encoder scale at a non-Littrow angle and the first beam diffracts from the encoder scale at least once; detecting an interference signal based on the output beam, the interference signal including a heterodyne phase related to an optical path difference between the first beam and the second beam; and determining information about a degree of freedom of the encoder scale based on the heterodyne phase.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2011Publication date: July 5, 2012Applicant: ZYGO CORPORATIONInventors: Leslie L. Deck, Peter J. De Groot, Michael Schroeder
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Publication number: 20120069326Abstract: A method for determining information about a test object includes combining two or more scanning interference signals to form a synthetic interference signal; analyzing the synthetic interference signal to determine information about the test object; and outputting the information about the test object. Each of the two or more scanning interference signals correspond to interference between test light and reference light as an optical path length difference between the test and reference light is scanned, wherein the test and reference light are derived from a common source. The test light scatters from the test object over a range of angles and each of the two or more scanning interferometry signals corresponds to a different scattering angle or polarization state of the test light.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2011Publication date: March 22, 2012Applicant: Zygo CorporationInventors: Xavier M. Colonna de Lega, Peter J. de Groot, Jan Liesener
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Patent number: 8120781Abstract: In certain aspects, interferometry methods are disclosed that include providing one or more interferometry signals for a test object, wherein the interferometry signals correspond to a sequence of optical path difference (OPD) values which are not all equally spaced from one another because of noise, providing information about the unequal spacing of the sequence of OPD values, decomposing each of the interferometry signals into a contribution from a plurality of basis functions each corresponding to a different frequency and sampled at the unequally spaced OPD values, and using information about the contribution from each of the multiple basis functions to each of the interferometry signals to determine information about the test object.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2009Date of Patent: February 21, 2012Assignee: Zygo CorporationInventors: Jan Liesener, Mark Davidson, Peter J De Groot, Xavier Colonna De Lega, Leslie L. Deck
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Patent number: 8107085Abstract: A method for determining a spatial property of an object includes obtaining a scanning low coherence interference signal from a measurement object that includes two or more interfaces. The scanning low coherence interference signal includes two or more overlapping low coherence interference signals, each of which results from a respective interface. Based on the low coherence interference signal, a spatial property of at least one of the interfaces is determined. In some cases, the determination is based on a subset of the low coherence interference signal rather than on the entirety of the signal. Alternatively, or in addition, the determination can be based on a template, which may be indicative of an instrument response of the interferometer used to obtain the low coherence interference signal.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2009Date of Patent: January 31, 2012Assignee: Zygo CorporationInventor: Peter J. de Groot
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Patent number: 8045175Abstract: An optical assembly for use in an interferometer is provided. The optical assembly includes first and second partially reflective surfaces positioned along an optical axis and oriented at different non-normal angles to the optical axis. The second partially reflective surface is configured to receive light transmitted through the first partially reflective surface along the optical path, transmit a portion of the received light to a test object to define measurement light for the interferometer and reflect another portion of the received light back towards the first partially reflective surface to define reference light for the interferometer. The reference light makes at least one round trip path between the second and first partially reflective surfaces.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2010Date of Patent: October 25, 2011Assignee: Zygo CorporationInventors: Peter J. De Groot, Leslie L. Deck, James F. Biegen, Chris Koliopoulos
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Publication number: 20110255096Abstract: A method for determining information about changes along a degree of freedom of an encoder scale includes directing a first beam and a second beam along different paths and combining the first and second beams to form an output beam, where the first and second beams are derived from a common source, the first and second beams have different frequencies, where the first beam contacts the encoder scale at a non-Littrow angle and the first beam diffracts from the encoder scale at least once; detecting an interference signal based on the output beam, the interference signal including a heterodyne phase related to an optical path difference between the first beam and the second beam; and determining information about a degree of freedom of the encoder scale based on the heterodyne phase.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 16, 2011Publication date: October 20, 2011Applicant: Zygo CorporationInventors: Leslie L. Deck, Peter J. de Groot, Michael Schroeder
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Publication number: 20110007323Abstract: An optical assembly for use in an interferometer is provided. The optical assembly includes first and second partially reflective surfaces positioned along an optical axis and oriented at different non-normal angles to the optical axis. The second partially reflective surface is configured to receive light transmitted through the first partially reflective surface along the optical path, transmit a portion of the received light to a test object to define measurement light for the interferometer and reflect another portion of the received light back towards the first partially reflective surface to define reference light for the interferometer. The reference light makes at least one round trip path between the second and first partially reflective surfaces.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2010Publication date: January 13, 2011Applicant: ZYGO CORPORATIONInventors: Peter J. De Groot, Leslie L. Deck, James F. Biegen, Chris Koliopoulos
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Patent number: 7812963Abstract: A method including: imaging test light emerging from a test object over a range of angles to interfere with reference light on a detector, wherein the test and reference light are derived from a common source; for each of the angles, simultaneously varying an optical path length difference from the source to the detector between interfering portions of the test and reference light at a rate that depends on the angle at which the test light emerges from the test object; and determining an angle-dependence of an optical property of the test object based on the interference between the test and reference light as the optical path length difference is varied for each of the angles.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2008Date of Patent: October 12, 2010Assignee: Zygo CorporationInventor: Peter J. De Groot
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Publication number: 20100128283Abstract: In certain aspects, interferometry methods are disclosed that include providing one or more interferometry signals for a test object, wherein the interferometry signals correspond to a sequence of optical path difference (OPD) values which are not all equally spaced from one another because of noise, providing information about the unequal spacing of the sequence of OPD values, decomposing each of the interferometry signals into a contribution from a plurality of basis functions each corresponding to a different frequency and sampled at the unequally spaced OPD values, and using information about the contribution from each of the multiple basis functions to each of the interferometry signals to determine information about the test object.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2009Publication date: May 27, 2010Applicant: ZYGO CORPORATIONInventors: Jan Liesener, Mark Davidson, Peter J. De Groot, Xavier Colonna De Lega, Leslie L. Deck
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Publication number: 20100060898Abstract: A method for determining a spatial property of an object includes obtaining a scanning low coherence interference signal from a measurement object that includes two or more interfaces. The scanning low coherence interference signal includes two or more overlapping low coherence interference signals, each of which results from a respective interface. Based on the low coherence interference signal, a spatial property of at least one of the interfaces is determined. In some cases, the determination is based on a subset of the low coherence interference signal rather than on the entirety of the signal. Alternatively, or in addition, the determination can be based on a template, which may be indicative of an instrument response of the interferometer used to obtain the low coherence interference signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2009Publication date: March 11, 2010Inventor: Peter J. De Groot
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Patent number: 7586620Abstract: A method for determining a spatial property of an object includes obtaining a scanning low coherence interference signal from a measurement object that includes two or more interfaces. The scanning low coherence interference signal includes two or more overlapping low coherence interference signals, each of which results from a respective interface. Based on the low coherence interference signal, a spatial property of at least one of the interfaces is determined. In some cases, the determination is based on a subset of the low coherence interference signal rather than on the entirety of the signal. Alternatively, or in addition, the determination can be based on a template, which may be indicative of an instrument response of the interferometer used to obtain the low coherence interference signal.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2008Date of Patent: September 8, 2009Assignee: Zygo CorporationInventor: Peter J. De Groot
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Publication number: 20090096980Abstract: A method for determining a spatial property of an object includes obtaining a scanning low coherence interference signal from a measurement object that includes two or more interfaces. The scanning low coherence interference signal includes two or more overlapping low coherence interference signals, each of which results from a respective interface. Based on the low coherence interference signal, a spatial property of at least one of the interfaces is determined. In some cases, the determination is based on a subset of the low coherence interference signal rather than on the entirety of the signal. Alternatively, or in addition, the determination can be based on a template, which may be indicative of an instrument response of the interferometer used to obtain the low coherence interference signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2008Publication date: April 16, 2009Inventor: Peter J. De Groot