Patents by Inventor Russell M. Singleton

Russell M. Singleton 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: 4644172
    Abstract: A system for automatic micro and macro inspection of patterned wafers, including a X-Y stage for supporting and positioning a wafer at a macro inspection station and a micro inspection station, a plurality of cassettes for storing a plurality of patterned wafers before and after inspection, a transfer arm and apparatus for transferring a wafer from the cassettes to a predetermined location on the X-Y stage, apparatus for centering the wafer on the macro inspection station, apparatus for aligning the wafer to obtain a preselected orientation for macro inspection, an optical system for effecting macro inspection of the wafer and storing a unique image thereof, apparatus for moving the wafer from the macro inspection station to the micro inspection station so that the area of the wafer corresponding to the stored unique image is in a micro optical path, autofocus apparatus for automatically focusing the lowest magnification objective lens on the area of the wafer to derive a real time image, a comparitor for com
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1987
    Assignee: KLA Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Sandland, Kenneth Levy, Russell M. Singleton, Michael L. Hodgson, Gerald R. Cutler
  • Patent number: 4618938
    Abstract: An automatic semiconductor wafer inspection system including a wafer inspector, a system computer that performs movement and function control and data storage functions and a high speed image computer. Patterned wafers selected for inspection are automatically transported from cassette storage to a vacuum chuck located on the X-Y stage and positioned in a macro inspection station. The wafer is aligned and the surface illumination is changed to test for macro defects under different lighting conditions and levels of magnification. The reflected light is applied to a camera where the optical image is converted to an electrical representation thereof, stored, and then processed by the high speed image computer. After a wafer has been positioned and inspected in the macro inspection station at low magnification, it is moved by a macro-micro transport arm to the micro inspection station and a unique image previously found in the low power image is found again and used for initial alignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1986
    Assignee: KLA Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Sandland, Curt H. Chadwick, Russell M. Singleton, Howard Dwyer
  • Patent number: 4196353
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for radiographic characterization of small hollow spherical members (microspheres), constructed of either optically transparent or opaque materials. The apparatus involves a microsphere manipulator which holds a batch of microspheres between two parallel thin plastic films for contact microradiographic characterization or projection microradiography thereof. One plastic film is translated to relative to and parallel to the other to roll the microspheres through any desired angle to allow different views of the microspheres.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1979
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1980
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventor: Russell M. Singleton