Patents by Inventor Xuedong Liu
Xuedong Liu 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: 20250244489Abstract: A radiographic imaging device and a positioning method thereof are provided. The radiographic imaging device includes a head, a movable detector, a first posture sensor, at least one first base station and at least one tag. The first base station is configured to transmit a signal to the tag and receive a signal returned from the tag. In the present disclosure, the movable detector is used, which can be placed without being limited to a specific location.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2025Publication date: July 31, 2025Inventors: Zanchao ZHANG, Xuedong LIU, Qi WEN
-
Publication number: 20250241612Abstract: A radiographic imaging device and a positioning method thereof are provided. The radiographic imaging device includes a head, a movable detector, at least one first base station and at least one tag. The first base station is configured to transmit a signal to the tag and receive a signal returned from the tag. In the present disclosure, the movable detector is used, which can be placed without being limited to a specific location.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2025Publication date: July 31, 2025Inventors: Zanchao ZHANG, Xuedong LIU, Qi WEN
-
Publication number: 20250232945Abstract: A multi-beam apparatus for observing a sample with high resolution and high throughput is proposed. In the apparatus, a source-conversion unit forms plural and parallel images of one single electron source by deflecting plural beamlets of a parallel primary-electron beam therefrom, and one objective lens focuses the plural deflected beamlets onto a sample surface and forms plural probe spots thereon. A movable condenser lens is used to collimate the primary-electron beam and vary the currents of the plural probe spots, a pre-beamlet-forming means weakens the Coulomb effect of the primary-electron beam, and the source-conversion unit minimizes the sizes of the plural probe spots by minimizing and compensating the off-axis aberrations of the objective lens and condenser lens.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 17, 2025Publication date: July 17, 2025Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Weiming REN, Xuedong LIU, Xuerang HU, Zhongwei CHEN
-
Patent number: 12347643Abstract: Systems and methods of reducing the Coulomb interaction effects in a charged particle beam apparatus are disclosed. The charged particle beam apparatus may comprise a charged particle source and a source conversion unit comprising an aperture-lens forming electrode plate configured to be at a first voltage, an aperture lens plate configured to be at a second voltage that is different from the first voltage for generating a first electric field, which enables the aperture-lens forming electrode plate and the aperture lens plate to form aperture lenses of an aperture lens array to respectively focus a plurality of beamlets of the charged particle beam, and an imaging lens configured to focus the plurality of beamlets on an image plane. The charged particle beam apparatus may comprise an objective lens configured to focus the plurality of beamlets onto a surface of the sample and form a plurality of probe spots thereon.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2020Date of Patent: July 1, 2025Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Weiming Ren, Xuedong Liu, Xuerang Hu, Zhong-wei Chen
-
Publication number: 20250208074Abstract: Systems and methods of providing a probe spot in multiple modes of operation of a charged-particle beam apparatus are disclosed. The method may comprise activating a charged-particle source to generate a primary charged-particle beam and selecting between a first mode and a second mode of operation of the charged-particle beam apparatus. In the flooding mode, the condenser lens may focus at least a first portion of the primary charged-particle beam passing through an aperture of the aperture plate to form a second portion of the primary charged-particle beam, and substantially all of the second portion is used to flood a surface of a sample. In the inspection mode, the condenser lens may focus a first portion of the primary charged-particle beam such that the aperture of the aperture plate blocks off peripheral charged-particles to form the second portion of the primary charged-particle beam used to inspect the sample surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2024Publication date: June 26, 2025Inventors: Weiming REN, Xuedong LIU, Zhong-wei CHEN, Xiaoyu JI, Xiaoxue CHEN, Weimin ZHOU, Frank Nan ZHANG
-
Publication number: 20250177555Abstract: The present invention is related to the generation and use of secreted fusogenic vesicles incorporating engineered viral glycoprotein, or engineered endogenous human fusiogenic proteins derived from human endogenous retroviruses proteins, such vesicles being generally referred to as “gectosomes.” The present invention is further related to the use of engineered gectosomes to deliver therapeutic molecules or antigens to cell and tissues in a targeted manner, as well as systems and methods for using gectosomes to screen for therapeutically relevant compounds or therapeutic antibodies.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2023Publication date: June 5, 2025Inventors: Xuedong LIU, Xiaojuan ZHANG, Zeyu LIU, Quanbin XU, Brandon BLACK
-
Publication number: 20250157783Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising: a first electrically conductive layer; a second electrically conductive layer; a plurality of optics element s between the first electrically conductive layer and the second electrically conductive layer, wherein the plurality of optics elements are configured to influence a plurality of beams of charged particles; a third electrically conductive layer between the first electrically conductive layer and the second electrically conductive layer; and an electrically insulating layer physically connected to the optics elements, wherein the electrically insulating layer is configured to electrically insulate the optics elements from the first electrically conductive layer, and the second electrically conductive layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 16, 2025Publication date: May 15, 2025Inventors: Xuerang HU, Weiming REN, Xuedong LIU, Zhong-wei CHEN
-
Patent number: 12278081Abstract: A multi-beam inspection apparatus including an adjustable beam separator is disclosed. The adjustable beam separator is configured to change a path of a secondary particle beam. The adjustable beam separator comprises a first Wien filter and a second Wien filter. Both Wien filters are aligned with a primary optical axis. The first Wien filter and the second Wien filter are independently controllable via a first excitation input and a second excitation input, respectively. The adjustable beam separator is configured move the effective bending point of the adjustable beam separator along the primary optical axis based on the first excitation input and the second excitation input.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2020Date of Patent: April 15, 2025Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Qingpo Xi, Xuerang Hu, Xuedong Liu, Weiming Ren, Zhong-Wei Chen
-
Publication number: 20250112023Abstract: A multi-beam apparatus for observing a sample with high resolution and high throughput is proposed. In the apparatus, a source-conversion unit changes a single electron source into a virtual multi-source array, a primary projection imaging system projects the array to form plural probe spots on the sample, and a condenser lens adjusts the currents of the plural probe spots. In the source-conversion unit, the image-forming means is on the upstream of the beamlet-limit means, and thereby generating less scattered electrons. The image-forming means not only forms the virtual multi-source array, but also compensates the off-axis aberrations of the plurality of probe spots.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2024Publication date: April 3, 2025Inventors: Weiming REN, Shuai LI, Xuedong LIU, Zhongwei CHEN
-
Patent number: 12243709Abstract: The present disclosure proposes an anti-rotation lens and using it as an anti-rotation condenser lens in a multi-beam apparatus with a pre-beamlet-forming mechanism. The anti-rotation condenser lens keeps rotation angles of beamlets unchanged when changing currents thereof, and thereby enabling the pre-beamlet-forming mechanism to cut off electrons not in use as much as possible. In this way, the multi-beam apparatus can observe a sample with high resolution and high throughput, and is competent as a yield management tool to inspect and/or review defects on wafers/masks in semiconductor manufacturing industry.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2021Date of Patent: March 4, 2025Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Weiming Ren, Xuedong Liu, Xuerang Hu, Zhong-Wei Chen
-
Patent number: 12237143Abstract: A multi-beam apparatus for observing a sample with high resolution and high throughput is proposed. In the apparatus, a source-conversion unit forms plural and parallel images of one single electron source by deflecting plural beamlets of a parallel primary-electron beam therefrom, and one objective lens focuses the plural deflected beamlets onto a sample surface and forms plural probe spots thereon. A movable condenser lens is used to collimate the primary-electron beam and vary the currents of the plural probe spots, a pre-beamlet-forming means weakens the Coulomb effect of the primary-electron beam, and the source-conversion unit minimizes the sizes of the plural probe spots by minimizing and compensating the off-axis aberrations of the objective lens and condenser lens.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2023Date of Patent: February 25, 2025Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Weiming Ren, Xuedong Liu, Xuerang Hu, Zhongwei Chen
-
Patent number: 12237144Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising: a first electrically conductive layer, a second electrically conductive layer; a plurality of optics element s between the first electrically conductive layer and the second electrically conductive layer, wherein the plurality of optics elements are configured to influence a plurality of beams of charged particles; a third electrically conductive layer between the first electrically conductive layer and the second electrically conductive layer; and an electrically insulating layer physically connected to the optics elements, wherein the eclectically insulating layer is configured to electrically insulate the optics elements from the first electrically conductive layer, and the second electrically conductive layer.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2023Date of Patent: February 25, 2025Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Xuerang Hu, Weiming Ren, Xuedong Liu, Zhong-wei Chen
-
Publication number: 20250037967Abstract: Systems and methods of imaging a sample using a charged-particle beam apparatus are disclosed. The charged-particle beam apparatus may include a compound objective lens comprising a magnetic lens and an electrostatic lens, the magnetic lens comprising a cavity, and an electron detector located immediately upstream from a polepiece of the magnetic lens and inside the cavity of the magnetic lens. In some embodiments, deflectors may be located between the electron detector and the opening of the polepiece adjacent to the sample to achieve a large field of view. Electron distributions among the detectors can be manipulated without changing the landing energy by changing the potential of the control electrode(s) in the electrostatic objective lens. The electron source can be operated with several discrete potentials to cover different landing energies, while the potential difference between electron source and the extractor is fixed.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2024Publication date: January 30, 2025Inventors: Xuedong LIU, Weimin ZHOU, Xiaoxue CHEN, Xiaoyu JI, Heng LI, Shahedul HOQUE, Zongyao LI, Shuhao LIU, Weiming REN
-
Patent number: 12211669Abstract: Systems and methods of forming images of a sample using a multi-beam apparatus are disclosed. The method may include generating a plurality of secondary electron beams from a plurality of probe spots on the sample upon interaction with a plurality of primary electron beams. The method may further include adjusting an orientation of the plurality of primary electron beams interacting with the sample, directing the plurality of secondary electron beams away from the plurality of primary electron beams, compensating astigmatism aberrations of the plurality of directed secondary electron beams, focusing the plurality of directed secondary electron beams onto a focus plane, detecting the plurality of focused secondary electron beams by a charged-particle detector, and positioning a detection plane of the charged-particle detector at or close to the focus plane.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2020Date of Patent: January 28, 2025Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Weiming Ren, Zizhou Gong, Xuerang Hu, Xuedong Liu, Zhong-wei Chen
-
Publication number: 20250027990Abstract: Systems and methods of inspecting a sample using a charged-particle beam apparatus with enhanced probe current and high current density of the primary charged-particle beam are disclosed. The apparatus includes a charged-particle source, a first condenser lens configured to condense the primary charged-particle beam and operable in a first mode and a second mode, wherein: in the first mode, the first condenser lens is configured to condense the primary charged-particle beam, and in the second mode, the first condenser lens is configured to condense the primary charged-particle beam sufficiently to form a crossover along the primary optical axis. The apparatus further includes a second condenser lens configured to adjust a first beam current of the primary charged-particle beam in the first mode and adjust a second beam current of the primary charged-particle beam in the second mode, the second beam current being larger than the first beam current.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2022Publication date: January 23, 2025Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Datong ZHANG, Xiaoyu JI, Weiming REN, Xuedong LIU, Chia Wen LIN
-
Patent number: 12196692Abstract: Systems and methods of providing a probe spot in multiple modes of operation of a charged-particle beam apparatus are disclosed. The method may comprise activating a charged-particle source to generate a primary charged-particle beam and selecting between a first mode and a second mode of operation of the charged-particle beam apparatus. In the flooding mode, the condenser lens may focus at least a first portion of the primary charged-particle beam passing through an aperture of the aperture plate to form a second portion of the primary charged-particle beam, and substantially all of the second portion is used to flood a surface of a sample. In the inspection mode, the condenser lens may focus a first portion of the primary charged-particle beam such that the aperture of the aperture plate blocks off peripheral charged-particles to form the second portion of the primary charged-particle beam used to inspect the sample surface.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2020Date of Patent: January 14, 2025Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Weiming Ren, Xuedong Liu, Zhong-wei Chen, Xiaoyu Ji, Xiaoxue Chen, Weimin Zhou, Frank Nan Zhang
-
Patent number: 12191109Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising: a source of charged particles configured to emit a beam of charged particles along a primary beam axis of the apparatus; a condenser lens configured to cause the beam to concentrate around the primary beam axis; an aperture; a first multi-pole lens; a second multi-pole lens; wherein the first multi-pole lens is downstream with respect to the condenser lens and upstream with respect to the second multi-pole lens; wherein the second multi-pole lens is downstream with respect to the first multi-pole lens and upstream with respect to the aperture.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2023Date of Patent: January 7, 2025Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Xuedong Liu, Qingpo Xi, Youfei Jiang, Weiming Ren, Xuerang Hu, Zhongwei Chen
-
Publication number: 20240409944Abstract: The invention describes novel systems and methods for cell-to-cell HGT. In one preferred embodiment, a donor cell and a recipient cell are co-cultured, or otherwise brought into contact such that the donor cell and the recipient cell form a cell-to-cell contact to facilitate HGT. In this aspect of the invention, the donor cell is entrapped by the recipient cell forming an intercellular mosaic structure that facilitates the transfer of genetic material from the donor to recipient cell. The invention further described novel systems and methods for blocking cell entrapment and HGT. Such novel systems and methods for blocking cell entrapment and HGT may be used as a treatment for cancer, and in particular may be directed to the prevention of metastasis of cancerous tumors.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2024Publication date: December 12, 2024Inventors: Xuedong Liu, Quanbin Xu, Xiaojuan Zhang, Ashley Jung, Erica Sung
-
Patent number: 12165837Abstract: An improved system and method for inspection of a sample using a particle beam inspection apparatus, and more particularly, to systems and methods of scanning a sample with a plurality of charged particle beams. An improved method of scanning an area of a sample using N charged particle beams, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to two, and wherein the area of the sample comprises a plurality of scan sections of N consecutive scan lines, includes moving the sample in a first direction. The method also includes scanning, with a first charged particle beam of the N charged particle beams, first scan lines of at least some scan sections of the plurality of scan sections moving towards a probe spot of the first charged particle beam. The method further includes scanning, with a second charged particle beam of the N charged particle beams, second scan lines of at least some scan sections of the plurality of scan sections moving towards a probe spot of the second charged particle beam.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2022Date of Patent: December 10, 2024Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Martinus Gerardus Maria Johannes Maassen, Joost Jeroen Ottens, Long Ma, Youfei Jiang, Weihua Yin, Wei-Te Li, Xuedong Liu
-
Publication number: 20240393444Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide an ultrasound beamforming method and device. The method includes: obtaining channel data of a target tissue; and processing the channel data using at least two different ultrasound beamforming methods to obtain image data of the target tissue corresponding to the different ultrasound beamforming methods, where the at least two different ultrasound beamforming methods are different in at least one of principle, step, and parameter.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2024Publication date: November 28, 2024Inventors: Chongchong GUO, Jing Liu, Bo Yang, Lei Li, Xuedong Liu, Muqing Lin, Qiang Liu