Inspection Of Solids Or Liquids By Charged Particles Patents (Class 250/306)
  • Patent number: 11961699
    Abstract: A charged particle beam device which prevents an appearance of a shading contrast due to azimuth discrimination and obtains a clear magnetic domain contrast image with a high resolution and a high throughput. The charged particle beam device includes an electron beam source; a sample stage; an objective lens configured to focus electron beams on a sample; a detector that is mounted on a charged particle beam source side with respect to the objective lens and separately detects secondary electrons emitted in azimuth angle ranges of two or more different azimuths for the same observation region; an image processing and image management device including an image processing unit configured to perform synthesis after performing shading correction and contrast adjustment on an image obtained by detecting a first emission azimuth and an image obtained by detecting a second emission azimuth; an image database; and an image display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideo Morishita, Teruo Kohashi, Hiroyuki Yamamoto, Junichi Katane
  • Patent number: 11942302
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for charged-particle detection may include a deflector system configured to direct charged-particle pulses, a detector having a detection element configured to detect the charged-particle pulses, and a controller having a circuitry configured to control the deflector system to direct a first and second charged-particle pulses to the detection element; obtain first and second timestamps associated with when the first charged-particle pulse is directed by the deflector system and detected by the detection element, respectively, and third and fourth timestamps associated with when the second charged-particle pulse is directed by the deflector system and detected by the detection element, respectively; and identify a first and second exiting beams based on the first and second timestamps, and the third and fourth timestamps, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Arno Jan Bleeker, Pieter Willem Herman De Jager, Maikel Robert Goosen, Erwin Paul Smakman, Albertus Victor Gerardus Mangnus, Yan Ren, Adam Lassise
  • Patent number: 11942316
    Abstract: An aperture device (31) is described, which is attachable to a lens system (13). The lens system (13) is arranged to form a particle beam of charged particles, emitted from a sample surface (Ss). The aperture device (31) comprises an end surface (S) which is to be arranged facing the sample surface (Ss), at least one aperture (38) arranged in the end surface (S), a length axis (32) which extends through the centre of said at least one aperture (38), and at least one gas outlet (10), which is arranged at a transverse distance (T) perpendicular from the length axis (32), and is arranged to direct gas into a volume between at least one aperture (38) and the sample surface (Ss). The end surface (S) within a distance, equal to ? of the transverse distance (T), perpendicular from the length axis (32) has a variation along the length axis (32) being smaller than ? of the transverse distance (T).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Scienta Omicron AB
    Inventors: Peter Amann, Anders Nilsson
  • Patent number: 11940391
    Abstract: A defect inspection apparatus has a defect detection unit 152 that acquires first defect information on a defect of a photomask blank MB as a substrate; and a comparative information acquisition unit 150 that acquires a result of comparison between predetermined defect information stored in a storage unit 155 and the first defect information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryusei Terashima, Takumi Yoshino, Tsuneo Terasawa
  • Patent number: 11906450
    Abstract: Methods for using electron diffraction holography to investigate a sample, according to the present disclosure include the initial steps of emitting a plurality of electrons toward the sample, forming the plurality of electrons into a first electron beam and a second electron beam, and modifying the focal properties of at least one of the two beams such that the two beams have different focal planes. Once the two beams have different focal planes, the methods include focusing the first electron beam such that it has a focal plane at or near the sample, and focusing the second electron beam so that it is incident on the sample, and has a focal plane in the diffraction plane. An interference pattern of the first electron beam and the diffracted second electron beam is then detected in the diffraction plane, and then used to generate a diffraction holograph.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: FEI Company
    Inventors: Alexander Henstra, Yuchen Deng, Holger Kohr
  • Patent number: 11906440
    Abstract: An inspection device includes control unit that acquires pre-charging irradiation amounts for inspection areas on an inspection target. The pre-charging irradiation amounts are based on pattern information for each of the inspection areas. An irradiation unit is provided to control a plurality of first beams to supply the pre-charging irradiation amounts to each of the inspection areas using a corresponding one of the plurality of first beams. After supplying the respective pre-charging irradiation amount to at least one of the inspection areas, irradiation unit controls one of a plurality of second beams to irradiate a pre-charged one of the inspection areas. A generation unit generates images of each of the plurality of inspection areas based on the respective irradiation of the inspection areas with the second beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
    Inventor: Ryoji Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 11894214
    Abstract: Embodiments may include methods, systems, and apparatuses for correcting a response function of an electron beam tool. The correcting may include modulating an electron beam parameter having a frequency; emitting an electron beam based on the electron beam parameter towards a specimen, thereby scattering electrons, wherein the electron beam is described by a source wave function having a source phase and a landing angle; detecting a portion of the scattered electrons at an electron detector, thereby yielding electron data including an electron wave function having an electron phase and an electron landing angle; determining, using a processor, a phase delay between the source phase and the electron phase, thereby yielding a latency; and correcting, using the processor, the response function of the electron beam tool using the latency and a difference between the source wave function and the electron wave function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: KLA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Henning Stoschus, Stefan Eyring, Christopher Sears
  • Patent number: 11869745
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a charged particle beam device capable of increasing the contrast of an observation image of a sample as much as possible in accordance with light absorption characteristics that change for each optical parameter. The charged particle beam device according to the invention changes an optical parameter such as a polarization plane of light emitted to the sample, and generates the observation image having a contrast corresponding to the changed optical parameter. An optical parameter that maximizes a light absorption coefficient of the sample is specified according to a feature amount of a shape pattern of the sample (refer to FIG. 5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Minami Shouji, Natsuki Tsuno, Hiroya Ohta, Daisuke Bizen
  • Patent number: 11837433
    Abstract: A method of measuring a relative rotational angle includes: shifting an electron beam on a specimen plane by using a deflector; tilting the electron beam with respect to the specimen plane by using the deflector; acquiring a first STEM image including information of a scattering azimuth angle and a second STEM image not including the information of the scattering azimuth angle, before the shifting and the tilting; acquiring a third STEM image including the information of the scattering azimuth angle and a fourth STEM image not including the information of the scattering azimuth angle, after the shifting and the tilting; and obtaining the relative rotational angle based on the first STEM image, the second STEM image, the third STEM image and the fourth STEM image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: JEOL Ltd.
    Inventor: Akiho Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11837510
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for analyzing a silicon substrate, by which impurities such as a very small amount of metal in a silicon substrate provided with a thick nitride film can be analyzed with high accuracy with ICP-MS, and is characterized by use of a silicon substrate analysis apparatus including an analysis scan port having a load port, a substrate conveyance robot, an aligner, a drying chamber, a vapor phase decomposition chamber, an analysis stage and a nozzle for analysis of a substrate; an analysis liquid collection unit; and an analyzer for performing inductive coupling plasma analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: KIOXIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jiahong Wu, Katsuhiko Kawabata, Mitsumasa Ikeuchi, Sungjae Lee
  • Patent number: 11810750
    Abstract: A rotatable stage for an analytical apparatus. The rotatable stage has a stator, a heat exchanger in thermal connection with the stator, a rotor and a bearing located between the stator and the rotor. The bearing provides a thermal connection between the stator and rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Quorum Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: Robert Morrison, Kenneth Costello
  • Patent number: 11798781
    Abstract: A microscope includes: an electronic optical column configured to emit scanning electron beams; a specimen stage configured to place a specimen; a target movably disposed between the electronic optical column and the specimen stage; and a driving mechanism for driving the target to move between a first position and a second position, wherein the first position is a position at which the electron beams act on the specimen, and the second position is a position at which the electron beams act on the target to generate X-rays irradiating the specimen. In the present disclosure, through one time mounting of the specimen, the microscope enables the dual-function detection of the specimen, i.e., detection of the specimen by an SEM and detection of the specimen by a Nano-CT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: FOCUS-EBEAM TECHNOLOGY (BEIJING) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shuai Li, Wei He
  • Patent number: 11776787
    Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus includes a tilt mechanism that tilts a specimen, a detector that detects an electromagnetic wave emitted from the specimen, a table storage unit that stores a table in which tilt angle information on a tilt angle of the specimen and detection solid-angle information on the detection solid angle of the detector are associated with each other, a tilt control unit that controls the tilt mechanism, and a detection-solid-angle information acquisition unit that acquires the tilt angle information from the tilt control unit and acquires the detection solid-angle information with reference to the table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: JEOL Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuki Yagi, Yusuke Toriumi
  • Patent number: 11747265
    Abstract: A structural electronics wireless sensor node is provided that includes layers of electronic components fabricated from patterned nanostructures embedded in an electrically conductive matrix. In some aspects, the structural electronics wireless sensor node includes a plurality of nanostructure layers that each form individual electronic components of the structural electronics wireless sensor node. In certain embodiments, the structural electronics wireless sensor node includes electronic components such as a resistor, a inductor, a capacitor, and/or an antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignees: Analog Devices, Inc., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Brian L. Wardle, Yosef Stein, Estelle Cohen, Michael Murray
  • Patent number: 11728127
    Abstract: Even when the amount of overlay deviation between patterns located in different layers is large, correct measurement of the amount of overlay deviation is stably performed. The charged particle beam device includes a charged particle beam irradiation unit that irradiates a sample with a charged particle beam, a first detection unit that detects secondary electrons from the sample, a second detection unit that detects backscattered electrons from the sample, and an image processing unit that generates a first image including an image of a first pattern located on the surface of the sample based on an output of the first detection unit, and generates a second image including an image of a second pattern located in a lower layer than the surface of the sample based on an output of the second detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
    Inventor: Takuma Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11728146
    Abstract: Imaging by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) requires that a sample be encased in an amorphous solid, such as amorphous ice. In current cryo-EM preparation systems, once the sample has been deposited on an EM grid and coated in the amorphous solid, the EM grid must be removed from vacuum and then transferred into the vacuum of the cryo-EM system. As a result, samples deposited on the grid are exposed to damage and contamination. The present invention provides improved EM grid handling systems and devices compatible with advanced cryo-EM sample preparation techniques and which reduce or eliminate exposure of the sample on the grid to atmosphere and elevated temperatures. These methods and devices will also significantly reduce handling time and complexities associated with cryo-EM sample preparation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Michael Scott Westphall, Joshua Jacques Coon
  • Patent number: 11721516
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide an emitter capable of easily and highly efficiently emitting electrons, an electron gun using same, and an electronic device. This emitter is provided with a cathode holder, and an acicular substance secured to the cathode holder. An end, to which the acicular substance is secured, of the cathode holder is bent at ? (?(°) satisfies 5<??70) that is an angle formed with respect to a cathode axis being the longitudinal direction of the cathode holder, the acicular substance is a single crystal nanowire or nanotube, and a relation L/T between the thickness T (?m) of the end of the cathode holder and a length L (?m) by which the acicular substance protrudes from the end satisfies 0.3?L/T?2.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: National Institute for Materials Science
    Inventors: Han Zhang, Jie Tang, Daisuke Fujita, Yasushi Yamauchi, Luchang Qin
  • Patent number: 11715615
    Abstract: A light modulated electron source utilizes a photon-beam source to modulate the emission current of an electron beam emitted from a silicon-based field emitter. The field emitter's cathode includes a protrusion fabricated on a silicon substrate and having an emission tip covered by a coating layer. An extractor generates an electric field that attracts free electrons toward the emission tip for emission as part of the electron beam. The photon-beam source generates a photon beam including photons having an energy greater than the bandgap of silicon, and includes optics that direct the photon beam onto the emission tip, whereby each absorbed photon creates a photo-electron that combines with the free electrons to enhance the electron beam's emission current. A controller modulates the emission current by controlling the intensity of the photon beam applied to the emission tip. A monitor measures the electron beam and provides feedback to the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: KLA Corporation
    Inventors: Edgardo Garcia Berrios, J. Joseph Armstrong, Yinying Xiao-Li, John Fielden, Yung-Ho Alex Chuang
  • Patent number: 11688580
    Abstract: One modified source-conversion unit and one method to reduce the Coulomb Effect in a multi-beam apparatus are proposed. In the modified source-conversion unit, the aberration-compensation function is carried out after the image-forming function has changed each beamlet to be on-axis locally, and therefore avoids undesired aberrations due to the beamlet tilting/shifting. A Coulomb-effect-reduction means with plural Coulomb-effect-reduction openings is placed close to the single electron source of the apparatus and therefore the electrons not in use can be cut off as early as possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Xuedong Liu, Weiming Ren, Shuai Li, Zhongwei Chen
  • Patent number: 11687008
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a method for automated critical dimension measurement on a substrate for display manufacturing is provided. The method includes scanning a first field of view having a first size with a charged particle beam to obtain a first image having a first resolution of a first portion of the substrate for display manufacturing; determining a pattern within the first image, the pattern having a first position; scanning a second field of view with the charged particle beam to obtain a second image of a second portion of the substrate, the second field of view has a second size smaller than the first size and has a second position provided relative to the first position, the second image has a second resolution higher than the first resolution; and determining a critical dimension of a structure provided on the substrate from the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Bernhard G. Mueller, Robert Trauner, Bernhard Schüler, Peter C. Staffansson, Kulpreet Singh Virdi, Volker Daiker
  • Patent number: 11664186
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus of electron beam comprising an electron gun with a pinnacle limiting plate having at least one current-limiting aperture. The pinnacle limiting plate is located between a bottom (or lowest) anode and a top (or highest) condenser within the electron gun. A current (ampere) of the electron beam that has passed through the current-limiting aperture remains the same (unchanged) after the electron beam travels through the top condenser and an electron optical column and arrives at a sample space. Electron-electron interaction of the electron beam is thus reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: BORRIES PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Zhongwei Chen, Wei Fang, Xiaoming Chen, Daniel Tang, Liang-Fu Fan
  • Patent number: 11650222
    Abstract: In the system and method disclosed, an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) scanning tunneling microscope (STM) tip is used to selectively desorb hydrogen atoms from the Si(100)-2X1:H surface by injecting electrons at a negative sample bias voltage. A new lithography method is disclosed that allows the STM to operate under imaging conditions and simultaneously desorb H atoms as required. A high frequency signal is added to the negative sample bias voltage to deliver the required energy for hydrogen removal. The resulted current at this frequency and its harmonics are filtered to minimize their effect on the operation of the STM's feedback loop. This approach offers a significant potential for controlled and precise removal of hydrogen atoms from a hydrogen-terminated silicon surface and thus may be used for the fabrication of practical silicon-based atomic-scale devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM
    Inventors: Seyed Omid Reza Moheimani, Hamed Alemansour
  • Patent number: 11635450
    Abstract: A method for the patterning and control of single electrons on a surface is provided that includes implementing scanning tunneling microscopy hydrogen lithography with a scanning probe microscope to form charge structures with one or more confined charges; performing a series of field-free atomic force microscopy measurements on the charge structures with different tip heights, where interaction between the tip and the confined charge are elucidated; and adjusting tip heights to controllably position charges within the structures to write a given charge state. The present disclose also provides a Gibb's distribution machine formed with the method for the patterning and control of single electrons on a surface. A multi bit true random number generator and neural network learning hardware formed with the above described method are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignees: Quantum Silicon inc., National Research Council of Canada
    Inventors: Robert Wolkow, Mohammad Rashidi, Wyatt Vine, Thomas Dienel, Lucian Livadaru, Taleana Huff, Jacob Retallick, Konrad Walus, Jason Pitters, Roshan Achal
  • Patent number: 11600536
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a dimension measurement apparatus that reduces time required for dimension measurement and eliminates errors caused by an operator. Therefore, the dimension measurement apparatus uses a first image recognition model that extracts a boundary line between a processed structure and a background over the entire cross-sectional image and/or a boundary line of an interface between different kinds of materials, and a second image recognition that output information for dividing the boundary line extending over the entire cross-sectional image obtained from the first image recognition model for each unit pattern constituting a repetitive pattern, obtains coordinates of a plurality of feature points defined in advance for each unit pattern, and measures a dimension defined as a distance between two predetermined points of the plurality of feature points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yutaka Okuyama, Takeshi Ohmori, Yasutaka Toyoda
  • Patent number: 11593917
    Abstract: A method for creating a high-resolution image of an object from low-resolution images of the object is provided. Both the low-resolution images and the high-resolution image are composed of a pixel grid. An image recording device successively records low-resolution images, in which pitches of the grid points of the pixel grid are increased in one image dimension in comparison with the pitches of the grid points of the pixel grid in the high-resolution image to be created. A data processing system registers the low-resolution images with respect to one another to obtain registered images which are superimposed to obtain the high-resolution image. The grid points of the low-resolution images and the grid points of the high-resolution image have same dimensions and the data processing system uses image information obtained from different positions of the object relative to the grid points in the individual low-resolution images to create the high-resolution images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG
    Inventors: Patrick Hoyer, Stefan Saur, Gerald Panitz
  • Patent number: 11562882
    Abstract: When a high-performance retarding voltage applying power supply cannot be employed in terms of costs or device miniaturization, it is difficult to sufficiently adjust focus in a high acceleration region within a range of changing an applied voltage, and identify a point at which a focus evaluation value is maximum. To address the above problems, a scanning electron microscope is provided including: an objective lens configured to converge an electron beam emitted from an electron source; a current source configured to supply an excitation current to the objective lens; a negative-voltage applying power supply configured to form a decelerating electric field of the electron beam on a sample; a detector configured to detect charged particles generated when the electron beam is emitted to the sample; and a control device configured to calculate a focus evaluation value from an image formed according to an output of the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
    Inventor: Takuma Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11557459
    Abstract: A system and method is provided for rapidly collecting high quality images of a specimen through controlling a re-focusable beam of an electron microscope. An intelligent acquisition system instructs the electron microscope to perform an initial low-resolution scan of a sample. A low-resolution image of the sample is received by the intelligent acquisition system as scanned image information from the electron microscope. The intelligent acquisition system then determines regions of interest within the low-resolution image and instructs the electron microscope to perform a high-resolution scan of the sample, only in areas of the sample corresponding to the determined regions of interest or portions of the determined regions of interest, so that other regions within the sample are not scanned at high-resolution, where the high-resolution scanning in the regions of interest is guided by a probability map using a deep neural network for segmentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, President and Fellows of Harvard College
    Inventors: Nir Shavit, Aravinathan Samuel, Jeff Lichtman, Lu Mi
  • Patent number: 11552239
    Abstract: A superconducting quantum mechanical device includes first, second, third and fourth Josephson junctions connected in a bridge circuit having first, second and third resonance eigenmodes. The device also includes first and second capacitor pads. The first and second capacitor pads and the bridge circuit form a superconducting qubit having a resonance frequency corresponding to the first resonance eigenmode. The device further includes first and second resonator sections. The first and second resonator sections and the bridge circuit form a resonator having a resonance frequency corresponding to the second resonance eigenmode. The device also includes a source of magnetic flux arranged proximate the bridge circuit. The source of magnetic flux is configured to provide, during operation, a magnetic flux through the bridge circuit to cause coupling between the first, second and third resonance eigenmodes when the third resonance eigenmode is excited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Baleegh Abdo
  • Patent number: 11545336
    Abstract: A scanning electron microscopy system that includes a primary electron beam radiation unit configured to irradiate a first pattern of a substrate having a second pattern formed in a peripheral region of the first pattern, a detection unit configured to detect back scattered electrons emitted from the substrate, an image generation unit configured to generate an electron beam image corresponding to a strength of the back scattered electrons, a designating unit configured to designate a depth measurement region in which the first pattern exists on the electron beam image, and a processing unit configured to obtain an image signal of the depth measurement region and a pattern density in the peripheral region where the second pattern exists, and to estimate a depth of the first pattern based on the obtained image signal of the depth measurement region and the pattern density in the peripheral region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiro Nishihata, Mayuka Osaki, Takuma Yamamoto, Akira Hamaguchi, Yusuke Iida
  • Patent number: 11525760
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods for controllably forming a layer of amorphous ice and other amorphous solids on a substrate, and also provides cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) sample preparation methods and systems that utilize in vacuo formation of amorphous ice and other solids. Formation of the amorphous solid layer can be independent of the deposition of sample molecules to be analyzed using electron microscopy, and allows for the generation of a uniformly thick layer. Optionally, mass spectrometry instruments are used to generate and purify molecules deposited on the generated amorphous solid layer. The techniques and systems described herein can deliver near ideal cryo-EM sample preparation to greatly increase resolution, sensitivity, scope, and throughput of cryo-EM protein imaging, and therefore greatly impact the field of structural biology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Joshua Coon, Michael Westphall
  • Patent number: 11519856
    Abstract: A method for optically detecting biomarkers in a biosensor is disclosed, wherein the optical detection obtains spatially and spectrally resolved optical signals from a sample on a biosensor, and one or more of these spatially and spectrally resolved optical signals can be analyzed in parallel with image acquisition. The image analysis comprises reading data of the acquired images, correcting them to reduce inhomogeneities and noise, localizing particles in the images, characterizing each particle individually to obtain its position and characterization parameters, and classifying the particles based on their characterization parameters. Using the number of particles per class for all the acquired images of the sample, a statistical value is calculated per sample and each statistical value is correlated with an indication of the presence of a biomarker in the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Mecwins, S.A.
    Inventors: Andreas Thon, Valerio Pini, Antonio Salvador-Matar Renteria, Virginia Cebrián Hernando, Carlos García Aguado, Jesús Oscar Ahumada Heredero
  • Patent number: 11494896
    Abstract: A collation device includes a processor configured to: acquire plural captured images obtained by capturing an inspection image to be collated, while changing an irradiation direction of light to be emitted; and provide a notification of a collation result between the inspection image included in each of the captured images, and a collation image of which pattern changes depending on the irradiation direction of the light, according to a similarity between plural registered images obtained by capturing in advance the collation image while changing the irradiation direction of the light to be emitted to the collation image, and the inspection image, after adjusting a positional relationship between a camera, a light source, and an image to be identical to a positional relationship between a camera that captures the inspection image at a time of capturing the inspection image, a light source that irradiates the inspection image with light, and the inspection image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Shigeru Yamamoto, Kazuhiro Hirata, Nobuhiro Kitagawa
  • Patent number: 11486056
    Abstract: Reduced and low work function materials capable of optimizing electron emission performance in a range of vacuum and nanoscale electronic devices and processes and a method for reducing work function and producing reduced and low work function materials are described. The reduced and low work function materials advantageously may be made from single crystal materials, preferably metals, and from amorphous materials with optimal thicknesses for the materials. A surface geometry is created that may significantly reduce work function and produce a reduced or low work function for the material. It is anticipated that low and ultra-low work function materials may be produced by the present invention and that these materials will have particular utility in the optimization of electron emissions in a wide range of vacuum microelectronics and other nanoscale electronics and processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Borealis Technical Limited
    Inventors: Michael J. Hinton, Joseph M. Fine, Peter Vanderwicken, Jonathan S. Edelson, John D. Birge
  • Patent number: 11460419
    Abstract: Methods for using electron diffraction holography to investigate a sample, according to the present disclosure include the initial steps of emitting a plurality of electrons toward the sample, forming the plurality of electrons into a first electron beam and a second electron beam, and modifying the focal properties of at least one of the two beams such that the two beams have different focal planes. Once the two beams have different focal planes, the methods include focusing the first electron beam such that it has a focal plane at or near the sample, and focusing the second electron beam so that it is incident on the sample, and has a focal plane in the diffraction plane. An interference pattern of the first electron beam and the diffracted second electron beam is then detected in the diffraction plane, and then used to generate a diffraction holograph.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: FEI Company
    Inventors: Alexander Henstra, Yuchen Deng, Holger Kohr
  • Patent number: 11448664
    Abstract: A large radius probe for a surface analysis instrument such as an atomic force microscope (AFM). The probe is microfabricated to have a tip with a hemispherical distal end or apex. The radius of the apex is the range of about a micron making the probes particularly useful for nanoindentation analyses. The processes of the preferred embodiments allow such large radius probes to be batch fabricated to facilitate cost and robustness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Bruker Nano, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Wong
  • Patent number: 11443851
    Abstract: In order to determine, in a cancer test using nematodes, whether or not the nematodes used in the cancer test are adequate, the present invention is characterized in that after a plate on which a urine from a subject and the nematode are set is placed, a cancer test apparatus performs imaging for quality assay of the nematode during the initial two minutes; an analysis apparatus determines a quality of the nematode using the imaging result; after taxis of the nematode is completed, the cancer test apparatus performs imaging for cancer test assay by the nematode; and the analysis apparatus determines the presence or absence of a cancer in the subject using the imaging result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Inventors: Minoru Sakairi, Masakazu Sugaya, Koichi Terada, Taku Nakamura, Norihito Kuno
  • Patent number: 11435303
    Abstract: The present invention provides an X-ray analysis device and a peak search method capable of realizing highly accurate peak searches without significantly increasing a processing time. Peak search processing includes: a step (S220) for acquiring a profile of a spectrum; a step (S240) for narrowing down a wavelength range where a true value of a peak wavelength (peak intensity) may be present, taking into account statistical fluctuation of a measured value; a step (S250) for measuring the intensity of the X-rays at the long wavelength end, the short wavelength end, and the intermediate wavelength in the narrowed wavelength range; a step (S255) for calculating a quadratic function passing through the respective measured values in the above-described three wavelengths; and a step (S260) for calculating the wavelength of the vertex of the calculated quadratic function as the peak wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Sakamae
  • Patent number: 11430632
    Abstract: Reciprocal space map of specific sample locations is generated based on the sample images acquired by irradiating the sample with a charged particle beam at multiple incident angles. The incident angles are obtained by tilting the charged particle beam and/or the sample around two perpendicular axes within the sample plane. The reciprocal space map of a selected sample location is generated based on intensity of pixels corresponding to the location in the sample images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: FEI Company
    Inventors: Andrew Barnum, Mark J. Williamson
  • Patent number: 11417492
    Abstract: A light modulated electron source utilizes a photon-beam source to modulate the emission current of an electron beam emitted from a silicon-based field emitter. The field emitter's cathode includes a protrusion fabricated on a silicon substrate and having an emission tip covered by a coating layer. An extractor generates an electric field that attracts free electrons toward the emission tip for emission as part of the electron beam. The photon-beam source generates a photon beam including photons having an energy greater than the bandgap of silicon, and includes optics that direct the photon beam onto the emission tip, whereby each absorbed photon creates a photo-electron that combines with the free electrons to enhance the electron beam's emission current. A controller modulates the emission current by controlling the intensity of the photon beam applied to the emission tip. A monitor measures the electron beam and provides feedback to the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: KLA Corporation
    Inventors: Edgardo Garcia Berrios, J. Joseph Armstrong, Yinying Xiao-Li, John Fielden, Yung-Ho Alex Chuang
  • Patent number: 11405419
    Abstract: Methods, systems for preventing an APT attack and non-transitory machine-readable storage mediums are disclosed. In one aspect, communication data is obtained in a network, association analysis is performed for the communication data, threat data is obtained from the communication data based on an association analysis result, each piece of the obtained threat data is mapped to a corresponding APT attack phase based on a kill chain model; and for each piece of threat data, prevention is performed for a network entity associated with the piece of the threat data based on prevention strategies corresponding to the plurality of APT attack phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: New H3C Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Youkun Chen
  • Patent number: 11366072
    Abstract: A method and a system for detecting backscattered electrons in a multi-beam electron column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials Israel Ltd.
    Inventors: Jacob Levin, Alon Litman
  • Patent number: 11342157
    Abstract: A charged particle beam inspection apparatus includes a movable stage, configured to hold a substrate placed on the movable stage; a stage control circuit, configured to continuously move the movable stage in a direction opposite to a first direction; a deflection control circuit, configured to control a deflector to collectively deflect multiple beams to an N×N? small region group including N small regions, the collective deflection includes performing tracking deflection of the multiple beams and collectively deflecting the multiple beams to a new group of N×N? small regions and sequentially perform a first and a second step, a detector configured to detect secondary electrons emitted from the substrate due to irradiation of the substrate with the multiple beams, and combinations of a value of N and a value of M are set such that the greatest common divisor of the value of N and the value of M is 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Hidekazu Takekoshi
  • Patent number: 11335536
    Abstract: An embodiment of electron microscope system is described that comprises an electron column pole piece and a light guide assembly operatively coupled together. The light guide assembly also includes one or more detectors, and a mirror with a pressure limiting aperture through which an electron beam from an electron source passes. The mirror is also configured to reflect light, as well as to collect back scattered electrons and secondary electrons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: FEI Company
    Inventors: Marek Uncovsky, Michal Geryk, Jan Lasko
  • Patent number: 11322334
    Abstract: A grid sample production apparatus includes: a frame in which an internal space is formed; a grid unit which is vertically provided on an upper side of the frame, and grips a grid at a lower end; a filter unit which is provided to be movable inside the frame and selectively absorbs the protein liquid of the grid gripped at one end of the grid unit; a laser unit which is provided on one side of the filter unit; a screen unit which is disposed inside the frame and on which a diffraction image appears by the laser from the laser unit by being diffracted by the grid; and a liquid amount analysis unit which analyzes an illuminance of the diffraction image appeared on the screen unit and determines whether the protein liquid of the grid is disposed in an appropriate amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: XTEM BIOLAB CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nam Chul Ha, Inseong Jo
  • Patent number: 11322332
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for analyzing the energy of backscattered electrons generated from a specimen. The apparatus includes: an electron beam source (101) for generating a primary electron beam; an electron optical system (102, 105, 112) configured to direct the primary electron beam to a specimen while focusing and deflecting the primary electron beam; and an energy analyzing system configured to detect an energy spectrum of backscattered electrons emitted from the specimen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Tasmit, Inc.
    Inventors: Makoto Kato, Sumio Sasaki, Yukihiro Tanaka, Yuichiro Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11307219
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the technical field of microwave test, and discloses a method and a system for analyzing the spatial resolution of a microwave near-field probe and a microwave microscope equipped with the system, wherein in the method for analyzing the spatial resolution of the microwave near-field probe, a three-dimensional equipotential surface in a sample is drawn by using an electric field formula calculated by a quasi-static theory; an equivalent model of a probe sample is established by using finite element analysis software, so as to change material characteristics in the area outside the three-dimensional equipotential surface; by observing the influence of changing materials on the potential distribution in the sample, a near-field action range of the probe is determined, and the spatial resolution of the microwave near-field scanning microscope is analyzed and calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Xidian University
    Inventors: Xiaolong Chen, Jia Sun, Kai Yang, Zhimin Liu
  • Patent number: 11259405
    Abstract: A transmission circuit board includes a bendable area, a first transmission areas, and a second transmission areas. The first and second transmission areas are connected to the bendable area. The inner circuit substrate board further includes a substrate layer and an inner circuit layer formed on the substrate layer and including a first signal circuit. The transmission circuit board further includes a first dielectric layer formed on the inner circuit layer, a first outer circuit layer formed on the first dielectric layer, a first protecting layer formed on the first outer circuit layer, and a first shielding layer formed on the first protecting layer. The first dielectric layer lies the first and second transmission areas. Two ends of the first signal circuit are connected to the first outer circuit layer. The first shielding layer is connected to the first outer circuit layer and lies the bendable area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignees: Avary Holding (Shenzhen) Co., Limited., QING DING PRECISION ELECTRONICS (HUAIAN) CO., LTD
    Inventors: Fu-Yun Shen, Wen-Zhu Wei, Ming-Jaan Ho
  • Patent number: 11249069
    Abstract: A cancer analysis system includes, so as to perform an efficient image analysis in a cancer screening test using nematodes: a light source unit that irradiates a plate on which nematodes and a urine sample are plotted, from below; a photographing unit that takes an image of the plate irradiated by the light source unit; and an analyzer that analyzes the image taken by the photographing unit. The analyzer: couples a prescribed number of pixels in the image into a larger number of pixels thereof; and performs a chemotaxis assay of the nematodes based on a time variation of information on a luminous center of gravity of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Inventors: Minoru Sakairi, Masakazu Sugaya, Koichi Terada, Taku Nakamura, Norihito Kuno
  • Patent number: 11239042
    Abstract: The present disclosure aims at proposing a multi-beam irradiation device capable of correcting off-axis aberrations. In order to achieve the above object, a beam irradiation device is proposed, which includes a beam source which emits a plurality of beams; an objective lens (17) which focuses a beam on a sample; a first lens (16) which is arranged such that a lens main surface is positioned at an object point of the objective lens and deflects a plurality of incident beams toward an intersection point of a lens main surface of the objective lens and an optical axis; a second lens (15) which is arranged closer to a beam source side than the first lens and focuses the plurality of beams on a lens main surface of the first lens; and a third lens (14) which is arranged closer to the beam source side than the second lens and deflects the plurality of beams toward an intersection point of a lens main surface of the second lens and the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Ikegami, Yuta Kawamoto, Naomasa Suzuki, Manabu Yano, Yasushi Ebizuka, Naoma Ban
  • Patent number: 11239046
    Abstract: To stabilize automated MS, provided is a charged particle beam apparatus, which is configured to automatically fabricate a sample piece from a sample, the charged particle beam apparatus including: a charged particle beam irradiation optical system configured to radiate a charged particle beam; a sample stage configured to move the sample that is placed on the sample stage; a sample piece transportation unit configured to hold and convey the sample piece separated and extracted from the sample; a holder fixing base configured to hold a sample piece holder to which the sample piece is transported; and a computer configured to perform control of a position with respect to a target, based on: a result of second determination about the position, which is executed depending on a result of first determination about the position; and information including an image that is obtained by irradiation with the charged particle beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH SCIENCE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ayana Muraki, Atsushi Uemoto, Tatsuya Asahata