Patents by Inventor Xavier Colonna De Lega

Xavier Colonna De Lega 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: 9958254
    Abstract: Calibrating a scanning interferometry imaging system includes: configuring the scanning interferometry imaging system for operation with an interference objective using light having a narrowband wavelength spectrum; using the scanning interferometry imaging system to direct measurement light and reference light along different paths and to overlap the measurement and reference light on a detector, the measurement and reference light having the narrowband wavelength spectrum; scanning an optical path length difference between the measurement light and the reference light at the detector while acquiring intensity data using the detector, the detector acquiring the intensity data at a frame rate and the scanning being performed at a scan speed; determining information about the scan speed based on the acquired intensity data, geometric information about the scanning interferometry imaging system, and the narrowband wavelength spectrum; and calibrating the scanning interferometry imaging system based on the infor
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Zygo Corporation
    Inventors: Peter J. de Groot, Jake Beverage, Xavier Colonna de Lega, Martin F. Fay
  • Patent number: 9719777
    Abstract: Methods include: directing test light and reference light along different optical paths, where a test object is in a path of the test light; forming an image of the test object on a multi-element detector by directing test light from the test object to the detector; overlapping the reference light with the test light on the detector; detecting an intensity of the overlapped test and reference light with the detector, the intensity being detected at a frame rate; and modulating an optical path difference (OPD) between the test and reference light at the detector while detecting the light intensity. The OPD is modulated at a rate and amplitude sufficient to reduce a contrast of fringes in a spatial interference pattern formed by the light at the detector over a frame of the detector. Accordingly, fringe-free images may be acquired real-time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Zygo Corporation
    Inventors: Xavier Colonna de Lega, Jan Liesener
  • Patent number: 9658129
    Abstract: A method for determining information about a transparent optical element including a lens portion and a plane parallel portion, the lens portion having at least one curved surface and the plane parallel portion having opposing first and second surfaces, includes: directing measurement light to the transparent optical element; detecting measurement light reflected from at least one location on the first surface of the plane parallel portion; detecting measurement light reflected from the second surface of the plane parallel portion at a location corresponding to the at least one location on the first surface; determining, based on the detected light, information about the plane parallel portion; and evaluating the transparent optical element based on the information about the plane parallel portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Zygo Corporation
    Inventors: Xavier Colonna de Lega, Martin F. Fay, Peter J. de Groot
  • Patent number: 9599534
    Abstract: A method for determining information about an object including a curved portion and a planar portion, the curved portion having a first curved surface having an apex and defining an axis of the object, includes: directing measurement light to the object; detecting measurement light reflected from the first curved surface of the curved portion; detecting measurement light reflected from at least one other surface of the object; and determining, based on the detected light, information about the apex of the first curved surface of the curved portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Zygo Corporation
    Inventors: Martin F. Fay, Xavier Colonna de Lega, Peter J. de Groot
  • Patent number: 9541381
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating 3D representations of shape and color texture of a test surface are described. In one aspect, surface topography interferometers are equipped with a multi-element detector and an illumination system to produce a true-color image of the measured object surface. Color information can be presented as a true-color two-dimensional image or combined with topography information to form a three-dimensional representation of the shape and color texture of the object, effectively creating for a human observer the impression of looking at the actual part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Zygo Corporation
    Inventor: Xavier Colonna de Lega
  • Publication number: 20160047711
    Abstract: A method for determining information about an object including a curved portion and a planar portion, the curved portion having a first curved surface having an apex and defining an axis of the object, includes: directing measurement light to the object; detecting measurement light reflected from the first curved surface of the curved portion; detecting measurement light reflected from at least one other surface of the object; and determining, based on the detected light, information about the apex of the first curved surface of the curved portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventors: Martin F. Fay, Xavier Colonna de Lega, Peter J. de Groot
  • Publication number: 20160047712
    Abstract: A method for determining information about a transparent optical element including a lens portion and a plane parallel portion, the lens portion having at least one curved surface and the plane parallel portion having opposing first and second surfaces, includes: directing measurement light to the transparent optical element; detecting measurement light reflected from at least one location on the first surface of the plane parallel portion; detecting measurement light reflected from the second surface of the plane parallel portion at a location corresponding to the at least one location on the first surface; determining, based on the detected light, information about the plane parallel portion; and evaluating the transparent optical element based on the information about the plane parallel portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventors: Xavier Colonna de Lega, Martin F. Fay, Peter J. de Groot
  • Publication number: 20160047645
    Abstract: Calibrating a scanning interferometry imaging system includes: configuring the scanning interferometry imaging system for operation with an interference objective using light having a narrowband wavelength spectrum; using the scanning interferometry imaging system to direct measurement light and reference light along different paths and to overlap the measurement and reference light on a detector, the measurement and reference light having the narrowband wavelength spectrum; scanning an optical path length difference between the measurement light and the reference light at the detector while acquiring intensity data using the detector, the detector acquiring the intensity data at a frame rate and the scanning being performed at a scan speed; determining information about the scan speed based on the acquired intensity data, geometric information about the scanning interferometry imaging system, and the narrowband wavelength spectrum; and calibrating the scanning interferometry imaging system based on the infor
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventors: Peter J. de Groot, Jake Beverage, Xavier Colonna de Lega, Martin F. Fay
  • Patent number: 9025162
    Abstract: A method is disclosed which includes: using a scanning interferometry system, generating a sequence of phase-shifted interferometry images at different scan positions of an object comprising a buried surface, identifying a scan position corresponding to a position of best focus for the buried surface based on the sequence of phase-shifted interferometry images of the object, and generating a final image based on the phase-shifted interferometry images and the scan position, where the interferometric fringes in the final image are reduced relative to the interferometric fringes in the phase-shifted interferometry images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Zygo Corporation
    Inventors: Xavier Colonna de Lega, Robert Stoner, Peter de Groot
  • Publication number: 20140226150
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating 3D representations of shape and color texture of a test surface are described. In one aspect, surface topography interferometers are equipped with a multi-element detector and an illumination system to produce a true-color image of the measured object surface. Color information can be presented as a true-color two-dimensional image or combined with topography information to form a three-dimensional representation of the shape and color texture of the object, effectively creating for a human observer the impression of looking at the actual part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: Zygo Corporation
    Inventor: Xavier Colonna de Lega
  • Publication number: 20130155413
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2013
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: Zygo Corporation
    Inventors: Jan Liesener, Mark Davidson, Peter J. de Groot, Xavier Colonna de Lega, Leslie L. Deck
  • Patent number: 8379218
    Abstract: Apparatus include a microscope including an objective and a stage for positioning a test object relative to the objective, the stage being moveable with respect to the objective, and a sensor system, that includes a sensor light source, an interferometric sensor configured to receive light from the sensor light source, to introduce an optical path difference (OPD) between a first portion and a second portion of the light, the OPD being related to a distance between the objective lens and the stage, and to combine the first and second portions of the light to provide output light, a detector configured to detect the output light from the interferometric sensor, a fiber waveguide configured to direct light between the sensor light source, the interferometric sensor and the detector, a tunable optical cavity in a path of the light from the sensor light source and the interferometric sensor, and an electronic controller in communication with the detector, the electronic controller being configured to determine in
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Zygo Corporation
    Inventors: Leslie L. Deck, Peter De Groot, Mark Davidson, Jan Liesener, Xavier Colonna De Lega
  • Publication number: 20120224183
    Abstract: An interferometry method for determining information about a test object includes directing test light to the test object positioned at a plane, wherein one or more properties of the test light vary over a range of incidence angles at the plane, the properties of the test light being selected from the group consisting of the spectral content, intensity, and polarization state; subsequently combining the test light with reference light to form an interference pattern on a multi-element detector so that different regions of the detector correspond to different angles of the test light emerging from the test object, wherein the test and reference light are derived from a common source; monitoring the interference pattern using the multi-element detector while varying an optical path difference between the test light and the reference light; determining the information about the test object based on the monitored interference pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: Zygo Corporation
    Inventors: Martin Fay, Jan Liesener, Xavier Colonna de Lega
  • Patent number: 8248617
    Abstract: In general, in a first aspect, the invention features a system including an interferometer configured to direct test light to an overlay target and subsequently combine it with reference light to form an interference pattern, the test and reference light being derived from a common source, a multi-element detector, one or more optics to image the overlay target on the multi-element detector; and an electronic processor in communication with the multi-element detector. The overlay target includes a first pattern and a second pattern and the electronic processor is configured to determine information about the relative alignment between the first and second patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Zygo Corporation
    Inventors: Peter De Groot, Jan Liesener, Xavier Colonna De Lega
  • Patent number: 8189202
    Abstract: Systems are disclosed that include an interferometer configured to direct test light to an overlay test pad and subsequently combine it with reference light, the test and reference light being derived from a common source, one or more optics configured to direct at least a portion of the combined light to a multi-element detector so that different regions of the detector correspond to different illumination angles of the overlay test pad by the test light, the detector being configured to produce an interference signal based on the combined light, and an electronic processor in communication with the multi-element detector. The overlay test pad comprises a first patterned structure and a second patterned structure and the electronic processor is configured to determine information about the relative alignment between the first and second patterned structures based on the interference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Zygo Corporation
    Inventors: Jan Liesener, Xavier Colonna de Lega, Peter de Groot
  • Publication number: 20120089365
    Abstract: A method includes fitting a function to a subset of reflectivity data comprising values for the reflectivity of a test object for different wavelengths, different scattering angles, and/or different polarization states; determining values for the function at certain wavelengths and scattering angles and/or polarization states; and determining information about the test object based on the determined values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: Zygo Corporation
    Inventors: Martin Fay, Jan Liesener, Peter de Groot, Xavier Colonna de Lega
  • Patent number: 8126677
    Abstract: A method includes comparing a scanning interferometry signal obtained for a location of a test object to each of multiple model signals corresponding to different model parameters for modeling the test object, wherein for each model signal the comparing includes calculating a correlation function between the scanning interferometry signal and the model signal to identify a surface-height offset between the scanning interferometry signal and the model signal and, based on the identified surface-height offset, calculating a height-offset compensated merit value indicative of a similarity between the scanning interferometry signal and the model signal for a common surface height. The method further includes, based on the respective merit values for the different model signals, determining a test object parameter at the location of the test object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Zygo Corporation
    Inventors: Peter De Groot, Xavier Colonna De Lega
  • Patent number: 8120781
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Zygo Corporation
    Inventors: Jan Liesener, Mark Davidson, Peter J De Groot, Xavier Colonna De Lega, Leslie L. Deck
  • Patent number: 8004688
    Abstract: In general, in one aspect, the invention features apparatus that includes a broadband scanning interferometry system including interferometer optics for combining test light from a test object with reference light from a reference object to form an interference pattern on a detector, wherein the test and reference light are derived from a common light source. The interferometry system further includes a scanning stage configured to scan an optical path difference (OPD) between the test and reference light from the common source to the detector and a detector system including the detector for recording the interference pattern for each of a series of OPD increments, wherein the frequency of each OPD increment defines a frame rate. The interferometer optics are configured to produce at least two monitor interferometry signals each indicative of changes in the OPD as the OPD is scanned, wherein the detector system is further configured to record the monitor interferometry signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Zygo Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Davidson, Jan Liesener, Peter De Groot, Xavier Colonna De Lega, Leslie L. Deck
  • Patent number: 7978337
    Abstract: In one aspect, the disclosure features methods that include using a microscope to direct light to a test object and to direct the light reflected from the test object to a detector, where the light includes components having orthogonal polarization states, varying an optical path length difference (OPD) between the components of the light, acquiring an interference signal from the detector while varying the OPD between the components, and determining information about the test object based on the acquired interference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Zygo Corporation
    Inventors: Peter De Groot, Xavier Colonna De Lega