Patents by Inventor Samuel Ngai

Samuel Ngai 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: 20120281275
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining one or more characteristics of a specimen using radiation in the terahertz range are provided. One system includes an illumination subsystem configured to illuminate the specimen with radiation. The system also includes a detection subsystem configured to detect radiation propagating from the specimen in response to illumination of the specimen and to generate output responsive to the detected radiation. The detected radiation includes radiation in the terahertz range. In addition, the system includes a processor configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the specimen using the output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ady Levy, Samuel Ngai, Christopher F. Bevis, Stefano Concina, John Fielden, Walter Mieher, Dieter Mueller, Neil Richardson, Dan Wack, Larry Wagner
  • Patent number: 8023110
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining the quality of a substrate are disclosed. One or more substrates may be examined to determine whether bending is present at the edge of a substrate. The substrate may be accepted if it is determined that bending is not present at the edge of the substrate. The substrate may be rejected if it is determined that bending is present at the edge of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Samuel Ngai, Ady Levy
  • Publication number: 20100235114
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining one or more characteristics of a specimen using radiation in the terahertz range are provided. One system includes an illumination subsystem configured to illuminate the specimen with radiation. The system also includes a detection subsystem configured to detect radiation propagating from the specimen in response to illumination of the specimen and to generate output responsive to the detected radiation. The detected radiation includes radiation in the terahertz range. In addition, the system includes a processor configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the specimen using the output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ady Levy, Samuel Ngai, Christopher F. Bevis, Stefano Concina, John Fielden, Walter Mieher, Dieter Mueller, Neil Richardson, Dan Wack, Larry Wagner
  • Patent number: 7709794
    Abstract: To increase inspection throughput, the field of view (FOV) of an IR camera can be moved over the sample at a constant velocity. Throughout this moving, a modulation (e.g. optical or electrical) can be provided to the sample and IR images can be captured using the IR camera. Moving the FOV, providing the modulation, and capturing the IR images can be synchronized. The IR images can be filtered to generate the time delay LIT, thereby providing defect identification. In one embodiment, this filtering accounts for the number of pixels of the IR camera in a scanning direction. For the case of optical modulation, a dark field region can be provided for the FOV throughout the moving, thereby providing an improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) during filtering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Guoheng Zhao, Geordie Zapalac, Samuel Ngai, Mehdi Vaez-Iravani, Ady Levy, Vineet Dharmadhikari
  • Publication number: 20100073665
    Abstract: To increase inspection throughput, the field of view (FOV) of an IR camera can be moved over the sample at a constant velocity. Throughout this moving, a modulation (e.g. optical or electrical) can be provided to the sample and IR images can be captured using the IR camera. Moving the FOV, providing the modulation, and capturing the IR images can be synchronized. The IR images can be filtered to generate the time delay LIT, thereby providing defect identification. In one embodiment, this filtering accounts for the number of pixels of the IR camera in a scanning direction. For the case of optical modulation, a dark field region can be provided for the FOV throughout the moving, thereby providing an improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) during filtering.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Guoheng Zhao, Geordie Zapalac, Samuel Ngai, Mehdi Vaez-Iravani, Ady Levy, Vineet Dharmadhikari