Patents by Inventor William Ralph Knowles
William Ralph Knowles 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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Patent number: 9153414Abstract: The invention relates to a particle-optical apparatus with a predetermined final vacuum pressure. To that end a vacuum chamber of said apparatus is via a first restriction connected to a volume where vapor or gas is present at a known pressure and via a second restriction to a vacuum pump. By making the ratio of the two conductances, associated with said restrictions, a calibrated ratio, the final pressure of the vacuum chamber is a predetermined final pressure. This eliminates the need for e.g. vacuum gauges and control systems, resulting in a more compact design of such apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2007Date of Patent: October 6, 2015Assignee: FEI CompanyInventors: Hendrik Nicolaas Slingerland, William Ralph Knowles
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Patent number: 8299432Abstract: A scanning transmission electron microscope operated with the sample in a high pressure environment. A preferred detector uses gas amplification by converting either scattered or unscattered transmitted electrons to secondary electrons for efficient gas amplification.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2008Date of Patent: October 30, 2012Assignee: FEI CompanyInventors: Milos Toth, William Ralph Knowles, Rae Knowles, legal representative
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Publication number: 20110031394Abstract: The current invention includes methods and apparatuses for processing, that is, altering and imaging, a sample in a high pressure charged particle beam system. Embodiments of the invention include a cell in which the sample is positioned during high pressure charged particle beam processing. The cell reduces the amount of gas required for processing, thereby allowing rapid introduction, exhaustion, and switching between gases and between processing and imaging modes. Maintaining the processes gases within the cell protects the sample chamber and column from contact with the gases. In some embodiments, the temperature of the cell walls and the sample can be controlled.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2008Publication date: February 10, 2011Applicant: FEI COMPANYInventors: William Ralph Knowles, Rae Knowles, Milos Toth
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Patent number: 7791020Abstract: A novel detector for a charged particle beam system which includes multiple gas amplification stages. The stages are typically defined by conductors to which voltage are applied relative to the sample or to a previous stage. By creating cascades of secondary electrons in multiple stages, the gain can be increased without causing dielectric breakdown of the gas.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2008Date of Patent: September 7, 2010Assignee: FEI CompanyInventors: Marek Uncovsky, Milos Toth, William Ralph Knowles
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Patent number: 7718979Abstract: A particle-optical apparatus, such as an ESEM®, for simultaneous observing a sample with particles and photons. A pressure limiting aperture (PLA) is placed in a diaphragm between the objective lens of the ESEM® and the sample position. The distance between the sample position and the aperture is sufficiently small to allow a large collection angle of the photons through this aperture. A mirror is placed between the diaphragm and the objective lens. Due to the large collection angle for photons a large NA is achieved. The small distance between sample position and aperture also result in less scattering of electrons than occurs in ESEM's where a mirror is placed between aperture and sample position, as the electrons have to travel through only a limited length in a high pressure area. Embodiments describe combinations where e.g. an immersion lens is used.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2008Date of Patent: May 18, 2010Assignee: FEI CompanyInventor: William Ralph Knowles
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Publication number: 20100108881Abstract: A scanning transmission electron microscope operated with the sample in a high pressure environment. A preferred detector uses gas amplification by converting either scattered or unscattered transmitted electrons to secondary electrons for efficient gas amplification.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2008Publication date: May 6, 2010Applicant: FEI COMPANYInventors: MILOS TOTH, Rae Knowles, William Ralph Knowles
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Publication number: 20090242758Abstract: A novel detector for a charged particle beam system which includes multiple gas amplification stages. The stages are typically defined by conductors to which voltage are applied relative to the sample or to a previous stage. By creating cascades of secondary electrons in multiple stages, the gain can be increased without causing dielectric breakdown of the gas.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2008Publication date: October 1, 2009Applicant: FEI COMPANYInventors: MAREK UNCOVSKY, MILOS TOTH, WILLIAM RALPH KNOWLES
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Patent number: 7541580Abstract: A detector for use with a high pressure SEM, such as an ESEM® environmental SEM from FEI Company, extends the effective detection space above the PLA, thereby increasing secondary signal amplification without increasing working distance or pressure. Embodiments can therefore provide improved resolution and can operate at lower gas pressures.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2007Date of Patent: June 2, 2009Assignee: FEI CompanyInventors: William Ralph Knowles, Milos Toth
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Publication number: 20080185509Abstract: A particle-optical apparatus, such as an ESEM®, for simultaneous observing a sample with particles and photons. A pressure limiting aperture (PLA) is placed in a diaphragm between the objective lens of the ESEM® and the sample position. The distance between the sample position and the aperture is sufficiently small to allow a large collection angle of the photons through this aperture. A mirror is placed between the diaphragm and the objective lens. Due to the large collection angle for photons a large NA is achieved. The small distance between sample position and aperture also result in less scattering of electrons than occurs in ESEM's where a mirror is placed between aperture and sample position, as the electrons have to travel through only a limited length in a high pressure area. Embodiments describe combinations where e.g. an immersion lens is used.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2008Publication date: August 7, 2008Applicant: FEI COMPANYInventor: William Ralph Knowles
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Publication number: 20070176102Abstract: The invention relates to a particle-optical apparatus with a predetermined final vacuum pressure. To that end a vacuum chamber of said apparatus is via a first restriction connected to a volume where vapour or gas is present at a known pressure and via a second restriction to a vacuum pump. By making the ratio of the two conductances, associated with said restrictions, a calibrated ratio, the final pressure of the vacuum chamber is a predetermined final pressure. This eliminates the need for e.g. vacuum gauges and control systems, resulting in a more compact design of such apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2007Publication date: August 2, 2007Applicant: FEI CompanyInventors: Hendrik Nicolaas Slingerland, William Ralph Knowles
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Patent number: 6972412Abstract: A particle-optical apparatus comprising a sample holder for receiving a sample, a particle source embodied to produce a primary beam of first electrically charged particles along an optical axis for the purpose of irradiating the sample, first detector embodied to detect second electrically charged particles that emanate from the sample as a result of the irradiation thereof, a detection space that at the least is formed by the sample holder and the first detector, and an immersion lens embodied to produce a magnetic field for the purpose of focusing the primary beam in the vicinity of the sample holder. The first detector are embodied to produce an electric field in the detection space, and the detection space is embodied to comprise a gas.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2003Date of Patent: December 6, 2005Assignee: FEI CompanyInventors: Jacob Johannes Scholtz, William Ralph Knowles, Bradley Lamar Thiel, Gerardus Van Veen, Rene Peter Marie Schroemges
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Publication number: 20040124356Abstract: A particle-optical apparatus comprising a sample holder for receiving a sample, a particle source embodied to produce a primary beam of first electrically charged particles along an optical axis for the purpose of irradiating the sample, first detector embodied to detect second electrically charged particles that emanate from the sample as a result of the irradiation thereof, a Detection space that at the least is formed by the sample holder and the first detector, and an immersion lens embodied to produce a magnetic field for the purpose of focusing the primary beam in the vicinity of the sample holder. The first detector are embodied to produce an electric field in the detection space, and the detection space is embodied to comprise a gas.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 18, 2003Publication date: July 1, 2004Inventors: Jacob Johannes Scholtz, William Ralph Knowles, Bradley Lamar Thiel, Gerardus Van Veen, Rene Peter Marie Schroemges
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Patent number: 4017680Abstract: Improvements and modifications are described to an image analyzing system in which an image of a field under analysis is displayed on a television monitor screen and features can be edited by adding or subtracting feature content to or from the display (and corresponding signal content to or from the signal which is to be processed for analysis) using a light pen.One improvement provides for straight line interpolation between points in the display selected by the light pen during successive frame scans, so that a continuous trace and therefore corresponding signal is produced in the display corresponding to the path traced out by the light pen.Another provides for an alarm signal to be generated if the storage facility used for storing the locus of the trace to allow its reconstruction during successive frame scans, becomes more than a given percentage occupied.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 1975Date of Patent: April 12, 1977Assignee: Image Analysing Computers LimitedInventors: Robert William Anderson, William Ralph Knowles, John Edward Culley