Spatial Energy Dispersion Patents (Class 378/82)
  • Patent number: 11756226
    Abstract: Described herein is a detector for determining a position of an object. The detector includes a sensor element having a matrix of optical sensors, each designed to generate a sensor signal in response to an illumination of its light-sensitive area by a light beam propagating from the object to the detector. The detector also includes an evaluation device configured to select a region of interest of the matrix, respectively determine a sensor signal of at least two optical sensors of the region of interest, and determine a longitudinal coordinate zDPR of the object by evaluating a combined sensor signal Q. The evaluation device is also configured to determine an image of the region of interest from the sensor signals, determine a longitudinal coordinate zDFD of the object by optimizing at least one blurring function fa, and determine combined distance information z considering the longitudinal coordinates zDPR and zDFD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Inventors: Robert Send, Patrick Schindler, Celal Mohan Oeguen, Peter Schillen, Christian Lennartz
  • Patent number: 11747641
    Abstract: The cost and power consumption of an imaging apparatus are reduced by facilitating detection of an incident angle of a light beam transmitted through a grating substrate. An image sensor converts an optical image captured by pixels arranged on an imaging surface and outputs the converted image signal. A modulator is configured to modulate intensity of light; and an image processing circuit performs image processing of the output image signal. The modulator has a grating substrate, a grating pattern formed on a back surface side of the grating substrate arranged in proximity to the light receiving surface of the image sensor; and a grating pattern formed on a front surface facing the back surface. Each of the grating patterns is constituted of a plurality of concentric circles. The modulator performs intensity modulation on the light transmitted through the grating pattern and outputs the modulated light to the image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventor: Takeshi Shimano
  • Patent number: 11561381
    Abstract: A catadioptric lens includes at least two optical elements arranged along an optical axis. Both optical elements are configured as a mirror having a substrate and a highly reflective coating applied to an interface of the substrate. The highly reflective coating extends from the interface of the substrate along a surface normal. At least one of the highly reflective coatings has one or a plurality of layers. The optical total layer thickness of the one layer of the plurality of layers increases radially from the inner area outward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Konstantin Forcht, Dirk Doering
  • Patent number: 11520130
    Abstract: A catadioptric lens includes at least two optical elements arranged along an optical axis. Both optical elements are configured as a mirror having a substrate and a highly reflective coating applied to an interface of the substrate. The highly reflective coating extends from the interface of the substrate along a surface normal. At least one of the highly reflective coatings has one or a plurality of layers. The optical total layer thickness of the one layer of the plurality of layers increases radially from the inner area outward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Konstantin Forcht, Dirk Doering
  • Patent number: 11333621
    Abstract: Methods and systems for performing measurements of semiconductor structures based on high-brightness, polychromatic, reflective small angle x-ray scatterometry (RSAXS) metrology are presented herein. RSAXS measurements are performed over a range of wavelengths, angles of incidence, and azimuth angles with small illumination beam spot size, simultaneously or sequentially. In some embodiments, RSAXS measurements are performed with x-ray radiation in the soft x-ray (SXR) region at grazing angles of incidence in the range of 5-20 degrees. In some embodiments, the x-ray illumination source size is 10 micrometers or less, and focusing optics project the source area onto a wafer with a demagnification factor of 0.2 or less, enabling an incident x-ray illumination spot size of less than two micrometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Wack, Oleg Khodykin, Andrei V. Shchegrov, Alexander Kuznetsov, Nikolay Artemiev, Michael Friedmann
  • Patent number: 10962490
    Abstract: An example method for aligning a spectrometer is described herein. The spectrometer includes a radiation source, a crystal analyzer, and a detector that are all positioned on an instrument plane. The method includes rotating the crystal analyzer about an axis that is within the instrument plane and perpendicular to a rotation plane such that (i) a reciprocal lattice vector of the crystal analyzer is within the instrument plane or (ii) a component of the reciprocal lattice vector within the rotation plane is perpendicular to the instrument plane. An origin of the reciprocal lattice vector is located on the axis. The method further includes tilting the crystal analyzer or translating the detector such that the reciprocal lattice vector bisects a line segment that is bounded by the detector and the radiation source. Example spectrometers related to the example method are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
    Inventors: Devon R. Mortensen, Gerald Todd Seidler
  • Patent number: 10729397
    Abstract: Novel and advantageous systems and methods for performing X-ray imaging by extracting X-ray phase-shift and/or dark-field information through a detector that has built-in G2 functionality are provided. Grating translation can be replaced by an electrical operation in the detection procedure, thereby eliminating the need for the analyzer grating and the typical mechanical stepping process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignees: Rensselaer Polutechnic Institute, University of Central Florida
    Inventors: Ge Wang, Wenxiang Cong, Zaifeng Shi, Shuo Pang
  • Patent number: 10646190
    Abstract: A radiography guide system includes a patient image providing unit for providing, on a screen, one piece of information among information on the position where a virtual patient is to be placed, a radiographic direction, and a radiographic angle, and a patient image which represents, as a three-dimensional image, the virtual patient's posture corresponding to a viewing angle, and an overlay image providing unit for generating an external image which represents, as a three-dimensional image, the appearance of the virtual patient's body according to the position information, the radiographic direction, and the radiographic angle, an internal image which represents the skeleton structure of the body as a three-dimensional image, and a radiographic image of the body. The overlay image providing unit provides, on the screen, an overlay image which overlappingly represents the internal image, the external image, and the radiographic image in the state where the images are registered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Inventor: Joo Young Oh
  • Patent number: 10566482
    Abstract: This invention provides an inorganic coating-protected unitary graphene material article for concentrated photovoltaic cell heat dissipation. The article comprises at least a layer of unitary graphene material having two primary surfaces and an electrically non-conducting layer of inorganic coating deposited on at least one of the primary surfaces, wherein the unitary graphene material is obtained from heat-treating a graphene oxide gel at a heat treatment temperature higher than 100° C. and contains chemically bonded graphene molecules or chemically merged graphene planes having an inter-graphene spacing no greater than 0.40 nm, preferably less than 0.337 nm, and most preferably less than 0.3346 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Aruna Zhamu, Mingchao Wang, Wei Xiong, Bor Z. Jang, Yi-jun Lin
  • Patent number: 10554390
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-executable instructions for secure data analysis using encrypted data. An encryption key and a decryption key are created. The security of encryption using the encryption key and the decryption key are based upon factoring. A computation key is created based upon the encryption key. Data is encrypted using the encryption key. The encrypted data and the computation key are provided to a remote system. The remote system is requested to perform data analysis on the encrypted data. An encrypted result of the data analysis is received from the remote system. The encrypted result of the data analysis is decrypted with the decryption key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Prateek Jain, Ramarathnam Venkatesan, Jonathan Lee, Kartik Gupta
  • Patent number: 10491373
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-executable instructions for homomorphic data analysis. Encrypted data is received, from a remote system, that has been encrypted with an encryption key. A number of iterations to iterate over the encrypted data is determined. A model is iterated over by the number of iterations to create an intermediate model. Each iteration updates the model, and the model and the intermediate model encrypted with the encryption key. The intermediate model is provided to the remote system. An updated model based upon the intermediate model is received from the remote system. The updated model is iterated over until a predetermined precision is reached to create a final model. The final model is provided to the remote system. The final model is encrypted with the encryption key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Prateek Jain, Ramarathnam Venkatesan, Jonathan Lee, Kartik Gupta
  • Patent number: 10386313
    Abstract: Apparatus for X-ray scatterometry includes an X-ray source, which directs an X-ray beam to be incident at a grazing angle on an area of a surface of a sample, and an X-ray detector measures X-rays scattered from the area. A knife edge is arranged parallel to the surface of the sample in a location adjacent to the area so as to define a gap between the surface and the knife edge and to block a portion of the X-ray beam that does not pass through the gap. A motor moves the knife edge perpendicular to the surface so as to control a size of the gap. An optical rangefinder receives optical radiation reflected from the surface and outputs a signal indicative of a distance of the knife edge from the surface. Control circuitry drives the motor responsively to the signal in order to regulate the size of the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: BRUKER JV ISRAEL LTD.
    Inventors: Isaac Mazor, Yuri Vinshtein, Matthew Wormington, Nikolai Kasper
  • Patent number: 9759819
    Abstract: In a radiation measurement device in which respective wave height values of voltage pulses from a radiation detector are made to correspond to radiation energy values and a count that is the number of the voltage pulses is separately generated for each of a plurality of channels corresponding to the wave height values so that a wave height spectrum is generated and a dose of a radiation that has entered the radiation detector is calculated based on the wave height spectrum, based on a count in at least one channel, out of the plurality of channels, that includes a lower limit within a measurement range for the radiation energy value, a dose is corrected by calculating a portion thereof neglected as what is the same as or smaller than a measurement limit, so that a dose of a radiation that has entered the radiation detector is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Eguchi, Kenichi Moteki
  • Patent number: 9557423
    Abstract: A neutron detector includes a pressure vessel, an electrically conductive field cage assembly within the pressure vessel and an imaging subsystem. A pressurized gas mixture of CF4, 3He and 4He at respective partial pressures is used. The field cage establishes a relatively large drift region of low field strength, in which ionization electrons generated by neutron-He interactions are directed toward a substantially smaller amplification region of substantially higher field strength in which the ionization electrons undergo avalanche multiplication resulting in scintillation of the CF4 along scintillation tracks. The imaging system generates two-dimensional images of the scintillation patterns and employs track-finding to identify tracks and deduce the rate and direction of incident neutrons. One or more photo-multiplier tubes record the time-profile of the scintillation tracks permitting the determination of the third coordinate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignees: Trustees of Boston University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brandeis University
    Inventors: Steven Ahlen, Peter Fisher, Denis Dujmic, Hermann F. Wellenstein, Andrew Inglis
  • Patent number: 9218315
    Abstract: An X-ray analysis apparatus having a function for enabling a plurality of measurement methods to be implemented, the X-ray analysis apparatus having: a measurement system capable of implementing a plurality of measurement methods; measurement software for implementing, in a selective manner, each of the measurement methods; a material evaluation table for storing information relating to a material that may be measured, and a name of an evaluation performed on the material; an input device for inputting the information relating to the material; a wizard program for performing computation for selecting the name of an evaluation on the basis of the information relating to the material inputted using the input device; and a wizard program for selecting a corresponding measurement method on the basis of the selected name of the evaluation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: RIGAKU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toru Mitsunaga, Keiichi Morikawa, Katsuhiko Inaba
  • Patent number: 9046467
    Abstract: The invention is aimed to provide an X-ray imaging apparatus and the like ensuring a sufficient range of detecting the amount of X-ray movement with respect to the pixel size of a detector in comparison with the method disclosed in International Publication No. WO2008/029107. The X-ray imaging apparatus of the present invention has a splitting element which spatially linearly splits an X-ray beam; and a shielding unit which shields a part of the X-ray beam which is split by the splitting element and whose position is changed by a test object. The shielding unit has a region transmitting X-rays and a region having a shielding element shielding (blocking) X-rays. A dividing line between the X-ray transmitting region and the region having the shielding element is configured to be arranged obliquely so as to cross the linearly split X-ray beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Taihei Mukaide, Kazuhiro Takada, Kazunori Fukuda, Masatoshi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20150131783
    Abstract: A radiation detection system comprises at least one detector in which a plurality of detection elements are arranged, wherein each detection element includes a converting portion that converts energy of incident radiations directly into electrical signals and a signal reading portion that reads the electrical signal from the converting portion and outputs the electrical signal, the converting portion including a plurality of protruded portions arranged at intervals, and the plurality of protruded portions are electrically connected to one signal reading portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventor: Genta Sato
  • Publication number: 20150113494
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and structures for detecting residual material on semiconductor wafers are provided. A method includes scanning a test structure including topographic features on a surface of a semiconductor wafer. The method further includes determining, based on the scanning, that the test structure includes an amount of a residual material of a sacrificial layer that exceeds a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jeffrey C. MALING, Anthony K. STAMPER, Zeljka TOPIC-BEGANOVIC
  • Patent number: 9001968
    Abstract: A method is provided for characterizing spectrometric properties (e.g., peak reflectivity, reflection curve width, and Bragg angle offset) of the K? emission line reflected narrowly off angle of the direct reflection of a bent crystal and in particular of a spherically bent quartz 200 crystal by analyzing the off-angle x-ray emission from a stronger emission line reflected at angles far from normal incidence. The bent quartz crystal can therefore accurately image argon K? x-rays at near-normal incidence (Bragg angle of approximately 81 degrees). The method is useful for in-situ calibration of instruments employing the crystal as a grating by first operating the crystal as a high throughput focusing monochromator on the Rowland circle at angles far from normal incidence (Bragg angle approximately 68 degrees) to make a reflection curve with the He-like x-rays such as the He-? emission line observed from a laser-excited plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignees: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, University of California, GSI
    Inventors: Nathan Kugland, Tilo Doeppner, Siegfried Glenzer, Carmen Constantin, Chris Niemann, Paul Neumayer
  • Patent number: 9001967
    Abstract: Embodiments of methods and apparatus are disclosed for obtaining a phase-contrast digital radiographic imaging system and methods for same that can include an x-ray source for radiographic imaging; a beam shaping assembly including a collimator and a source grating, an x-ray grating interferometer including a phase grating, and an analyzer grating; and an x-ray detector, where a single arrangement of the beam shaping assembly, the x-ray grating interferometer and a position of the detector is configured to provide spectral information (e.g. at least two images obtained at different relative beam energies).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Carestream Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Pavlo Baturin, Mark E. Shafer
  • Publication number: 20150083909
    Abstract: The X-ray analyzer generates a spectrum of X-rays obtained from an area on a sample where the intensity of X-rays whose energy is not included in an already set-up ROI is high and then, from the generated spectrum, identifies a new element for which an ROI is not set up. Further, the X-ray analyzer sets an ROI corresponding to the identified element and then obtains element distribution. The X-ray analyzer repeats generation of an X-ray spectrum, identification of an element, setting of an ROI, and obtaining element distribution. This avoids unintended omission of setting of an ROI and hence permits as-much-as-possible coverage of the elements in the sample. Further, distribution of a trace element is allowed to be obtained rapidly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventor: Satoshi Ohashi
  • Publication number: 20150023465
    Abstract: A source grating includes a first sub-source grating, where first transmitting portions which transmit X-rays, and first shielding portions which shield X-rays, are alternately arranged in a first direction; and a second sub-source grating, where second transmitting portions which transmit X-rays, and second shielding portions which shield X-rays, are alternately arranged in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The first sub-source grating is curved so that two positions in the curve align in the first direction. The second sub-source grating is curved so that two positions in the curve align in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventor: Genta Sato
  • Patent number: 8934607
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a measuring apparatus includes an electromagnetic wave applying unit, a detecting unit, a data processing unit, a film structure transforming unit, and a film structure measuring unit. The electromagnetic wave applying unit generates electromagnetic waves to apply it to a periodic structure of films on a substrate. The detecting unit detects the electromagnetic waves scattered or reflected by the substrate. The data processing unit calculates a surface shape of the periodic structure. The film structure transforming unit calculates a virtual film structure regarding the internal structure of the periodic structure. The film structure measuring unit calculates the thickness of each layer constituting the periodic structure by fitting a first reflectance profile by actual measurement regarding the periodic structure to a second reflectance profile obtained by a simulation using the virtual film structure to restructure the shape of the periodic structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Yasuhiko Ishibashi
  • Publication number: 20150010133
    Abstract: A method for analyzing an object includes measuring a first reflectivity of light from a surface and measuring a second reflectivity of light from the object, after the object is formed on the surface. A variation between the first and second reflectivities is calculated, and the variation is transformed by a predetermined transform. A thickness of the object is determined based on the transformed variation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Byung Hyun HWANG, Kwang-Hoon KIM, Woongkyu SON, CHULGI SONG, CHOONSHIK LEEM
  • Publication number: 20140369473
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for identifying a material of an object having: a source of X photons and a spectrometric detector, the source irradiating the object with an incident beam and the detector measuring a magnitude of a backscattered beam from the incident beam after diffusion in a volume of the material and an energy of the X photons of the backscattered beam, the incident and backscattered beams forming an angle of diffusion (?); a configuration for adjusting the position between the source, the detector and the object in order for the volume to be at different depths with a constant angle, a means for processing the two magnitudes in two positions and the energy in on position and for calculating an attenuation factor (?material (E0, E1, ?)), a configuration for estimating the density (p) of the material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Caroline Paulus, Joachim Tabary
  • Patent number: 8908824
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes, a diffraction grating that diffracts an electromagnetic wave emitted from an electromagnetic wave source, a shield grating including a shield portion that prevents transmission of the electromagnetic wave and a plurality of transmission portions that allows the electromagnetic wave to transmit therethrough, and a detector that detects the electromagnetic wave transmitted through the transmission portions of the shield grating. The diffraction grating forms an interference pattern in a grid pattern by diffracting the electromagnetic wave; the shield grating has the plurality of transmission portions arranged two-dimensionally; and a ratio of an area of the transmission portion to the area of a unit pattern composed of a portion of the shield portion and one transmission portion of the plurality of transmission portions is larger than 0.25.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Kondoh
  • Publication number: 20140314207
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and device for determining the energetic composition of electromagnetic waves. It is the object of the present invention to provide a method and device for X-ray spectroscopy that allows simultaneous detection of the individual energies at a comparatively higher resolution and/or across a comparatively wider energy range. According to the invention, at least one reflective zone plate (12) is used that comprises a multitude of predefined wavelength-selective regions (14) arranged next to one another, wherein the wavelength-selective regions (14) each include a multitude of reflecting arched portions (20), which extend exclusively and continuously across the respective wavelength-selective region (14).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Inventors: Alexei ERKO, Norbert LANGHOFF, Aniuar BJEOUMIKHOV
  • Patent number: 8781071
    Abstract: A method and device for spectrometry analysis and for extracting a primary diffuse spectrum from a diffusion spectrum of diffuse radiation, according to a diffusion angle, coming from a material exposed to incident radiation through a surface, that includes the application of a spectral response function organized in the form of a matrix (M), known as a correlation matrix, of which each value aij corresponds with a number of detected photons, with energy Ei, constituting the multiple diffuse radiation, when a photon is detected, with energy Ej, of the primary diffuse radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Joachim Tabary, Jean Rinkel
  • Patent number: 8767914
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a structure includes a step of preparing a substrate including a silicon section, recessed sections and protruding sections formed by etching the silicon section, and a first insulating layer disposed on top portions of the protruding sections; a step of forming second insulating layers on sidewalls and bottom portions of the recessed sections; a step of forming seed layers containing metal above the bottom portions of the recessed sections; and a step of forming plating layers in such a manner that the recessed sections are filled with metal by electroplating. The second insulating layers contain an organopolysiloxane having at least one of a partial structure represented by the following formula (1) and a partial structure represented by the following formula (2): where R1, R2, and R3 represent alkyl groups identical to or different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Teshima, Yutaka Setomoto
  • Patent number: 8755487
    Abstract: An X-ray imaging system includes first to third absorption gratings. Initially, the third absorption grating is disposed in a Z axis orthogonal to a detection surface of a FPD, and the position of the third absorption grating is adjusted in ?x and ?y directions based on a dose of X-rays having passed through the third absorption grating. Then, the first absorption grating is disposed in the Z axis so as to produce a moiré pattern. The position of the first absorption grating is adjusted in the ?x and ?y directions so that a frequency of the moiré pattern detected by the FPD becomes uniform. Then, the position of the first absorption grating is adjusted in a Z or ?z direction so that the FPD loses the detection of the moiré pattern. After that, the second absorption grating is aligned in a like manner as the first absorption grating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Kaneko, Hiroyasu Ishii
  • Patent number: 8737565
    Abstract: A compound zone plate comprising a first zone plate frame including a first zone plate, a second zone plate frame including a second zone plate, and a base frame to which the first zone plate frame and the second zone plate frame are bonded. In examples, two more zone plates are added to make a four element optic. In the assembly process, the microbeads are used to ensure the parallelism, dial in the distance precisely between the zone plates by selecting the microbead size, possibly in response to the width of the frames, and ensure low friction lateral movement enabling nanometer precision alignment of the zone plates with respect to each other prior to being fixed by the adhesive. That is, when the frames are pressed together to ensure parallelism, it is still possible to align them to each other since the microbead layer facilitates the inplane movement of the alignment process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss X-Ray Microscopy, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan Francis Lyon, Michael Feser, Wenbing Yun, Sharon Chen
  • Patent number: 8693631
    Abstract: A craser device, imaging system utilizing a craser device, and a method of imaging. The craser device includes a gain medium with excited gain medium atoms that emit x-ray and/or gamma-ray photons, a transmission medium abutting the gain medium, and a reflecting mirror comprising one or more lower refractive index layers and abutting the transmission medium. The transmission medium has a higher refractive index than the gain medium and at least one of the materials in the reflecting mirror. The x-ray and/or gamma-ray photons are confined to the transmission medium via total internal reflection and interact multiple times with the excited gain medium atoms through evanescent waves producing amplified stimulated emission leading to formation of a high intensity incoherent or coherent x-ray and/or gamma-ray beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Susanne Madeline Lee
  • Patent number: 8675816
    Abstract: The invention relates to X-ray spectral analysis and can be used for control of radiation spectra of X-ray generators as well as for analysis of elemental chemical composition and atomic structure of the specimens by measuring their absorption spectra. The X-ray spectrometer comprises at least one dispersing prism element, means of translation of the dispersing element relative to an X-ray beam, a refracted radiation detector and measuring tools for angle positioning of the dispersing element and the refracted radiation detector. The main distinction of the claimed spectrometer is that it contains an additional radiation detector, means to install it downstream the radiation reflected from the refracting surface of the dispersing element and measuring tools for its angle position in relation to the primary X-ray beam. The dispersing element is made of diamond, or beryllium, lithium hydride or boron carbide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (LPI)
    Inventors: Alexander Georgievich Turyansky, Mikhail Alexandrovich Negodaev, Roman Abramovich Khmelnitsky
  • Publication number: 20140003580
    Abstract: A photonic spectrometry device is provided. The photonic spectrometry device includes at least one sensor capable of detecting photons, at least one photon-emitting calibrating source having a reference spectral line, and processing means capable of providing, for the or each sensor, a measurement spectrum corresponding to the measurements, made by the or each sensor, of the radiation from a product during a time interval, and establishing, on the basis of the or each measurement spectrum, a net corrected spectrum according to a measured characteristic line corresponding to the or each calibrating source. The or each calibrating source is positioned outside the or each sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: AREVA NP
    Inventor: Eric Berruyer
  • Publication number: 20140003579
    Abstract: A photonic spectrometry device is provided. The photonic spectrometry device comprises several identical spectrometers each spectrometer comprising a radiation sensor and being capable of providing a measurement spectrum corresponding to the measurements of the sensor during a time interval, the spectrometers being capable of performing measurements simultaneously on one same radiation-emitting product and of providing measurement spectra for one same time interval, and a processor capable of determining a net spectrum from each of the measurement spectra provided by the spectrometers for one same time interval, and of determining a global spectrum resulting from the summation of the net spectra determined for one same time interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: AREVA NP
    Inventor: Eric Berruyer
  • Patent number: 8600004
    Abstract: An incident X-ray is emitted in a wide angular sector toward an amorphous material specimen which backscatters the X-rays. The method comprises: a step of recording experimental photon intensity measurements as a function of the angle of incidence; a step of correcting the experimental intensity, taking into account at least the absorption phenomena inside the specimen dependent on the penetration length l of the incident wave inside the specimen before reflection; a normalization step referring the corrected intensity arising from the experimental intensity to an electron intensity according to a normalization coefficient (?); a step of calculating a discretized function Q.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventor: Olivier Bouty
  • Patent number: 8537967
    Abstract: A spectrometer includes a rigid body having a first planar face with an orientation and a second planar face with a different orientation than the first planar face. The first and second planar faces are configured to position Bragg diffraction elements, and the orientation of the first planar face and the different orientation of the second planar face are arranged to convey a predetermined spectral range of the electromagnetic radiation to non-overlapping regions of the sensor location via the diffraction elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: University of Washington
    Inventor: Gerald Todd Seidler
  • Publication number: 20130202081
    Abstract: The present invention relates to differential phase-contrast imaging, in particular to a structure of a diffraction grating, e.g. an analyzer grating and a phase grating, for X-ray differential phase-contrast imaging. In order to provide enhanced phase-gradient based image data, a diffraction grating (14, 15) for X-ray differential phase-contrast imaging, is provided with a first sub-area (23) comprising at least one portion (24) of a first grating structure (26) and at least one portion (28) of a second grating structure (30). The first grating structure comprises a plurality of bars (34) and gaps (36) with a first grating orientation GO1 (37), being arranged periodically, wherein the bars are arranged such that they change the phase and/or amplitude of an X-ray radiation and wherein the gaps are X-ray transparent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventor: Ewald Rössl
  • Publication number: 20130070900
    Abstract: Disclosed is a combine apparatus of a scanning electron microscope and an energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy in that the scanning electron microscope and the energy dispersive x-ray are combined, whereby unifying as one apparatus. The combine apparatus of the scanning electron microscope and the energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy includes: an image generation means for detecting electrons emitted from a sample for measuring a shape of the sample and simultaneously generating a scanning electron microscope image for analyzing an x-ray; a controller for generating a display control signal and a specific position storing control signal of the image generated from the image generation means; and an x-ray measuring circuit for accumulating an energy level on a specific position of the image generated from the image generation means according to the specific position storing control signal generated by the controller to provide an element information thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: COXEM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jun-Hee Lee
  • Patent number: 8401270
    Abstract: A first image including a projection of a portion is generated based on data representing attenuation of higher-energy radiation having a peak energy of at least 1 MeV that passes through a portion of an inspection volume. A second image including a projection of the portion is generated based on data representing attenuation of lower-energy radiation passing through the portion of the inspection volume. A dual-pixel image is created from the first image and the second image. A region of interest is selected from the dual-pixel image. A first basis function that is derived from an attenuation characteristic associated with the region of interest is selected. The region of interest is represented in terms of an amplitude associated with the first basis function and an amplitude associated with the second basis function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Security and Detection Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard F. Eilbert, David Perticone, Shuanghe Shi, Jeff Stillson
  • Publication number: 20130051515
    Abstract: A craser device, imaging system utilizing a craser device, and a method of imaging. The craser device includes a gain medium with excited gain medium atoms that emit x-ray and/or gamma-ray photons, a transmission medium abutting the gain medium, and a reflecting mirror comprising one or more lower refractive index layers and abutting the transmission medium. The transmission medium has a higher refractive index than the gain medium and at least one of the materials in the reflecting mirror. The x-ray and/or gamma-ray photons are confined to the transmission medium via total internal reflection and interact multiple times with the excited gain medium atoms through evanescent waves producing amplified stimulated emission leading to formation of a high intensity incoherent or coherent x-ray and/or gamma-ray beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Susanne Madeline Lee
  • Publication number: 20130033671
    Abstract: A method of conditioning a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) substrate for enhanced surface adhesion accomplished by exposing an LCP substrate to oxygen plasma. The plasma will chemically alter and modify the LCP substrate surface to promote increased adhesion of metal and subsequent LCP layers during lamination. Lamination is accomplished while dwelling under the melt temperature of the LCP substrate itself. A further method is disclosed of detecting impurities modified or deposited onto the LCP surface during plasma treatment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: ENDICOTT INTERCONNECT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Mark Schadt, Frank D. Egitto, Luis J. Matienzo
  • Patent number: 8357894
    Abstract: An improved microcalorimeter-type energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer provides sufficient energy resolution and throughput for practical high spatial resolution x-ray mapping of a sample at low electron beam energies. When used with a dual beam system that provides the capability to etch a layer from the sample, the system can be used for three-dimensional x-ray mapping. A preferred system uses an x-ray optic having a wide-angle opening to increase the fraction of x-rays leaving the sample that impinge on the detector and multiple detectors to avoid pulse pile up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: FEI Company
    Inventors: Milos Toth, Michael R. Scheinfein, Eric Silver, David Narum
  • Publication number: 20120294421
    Abstract: An X-ray imaging apparatus acquiring a differential phase contrast image of a test object without using a light-shielding mask for X-ray. The apparatus includes an X-ray source, a splitting element configured to spatially divide an X-ray emitted from an X-ray source and a scintillator configured to emit light when a divided X-ray beam divided at the splitting element is incident on the scintillator. The apparatus also includes a light-transmission limiting unit configured to limit transmitting amount of the light emitted from the scintillator and a plurality of light detectors each configured to detect the amount of light that has transmitted through the light-transmission limiting unit. The light-transmission limiting unit is configured such that a light intensity detected at each of the light detectors changes in response to a change in an incident position of the X-ray beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Taihei Mukaide, Takashi Noma, Kazunori Fukuda, Masatoshi Watanabe, Kazuhiro Takada
  • Publication number: 20120281217
    Abstract: There is provided an X-ray imaging apparatus which images a specimen. The X-ray imaging apparatus comprises: an X-ray source; a diffraction grating configured to diffract an X-ray from the X-ray source; an X-ray detector configured to detect the X-ray diffracted by the diffraction grating; and a calculator configured to calculate phase information of the specimen on the basis of an intensity distribution of the X-ray detected by the X-ray detector, wherein the calculator obtains a spatial frequency spectrum from the plural intensity distributions, and calculates the phase information from the obtained spatial frequency spectrum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Chidane Ouchi, Naoki Kohara
  • Patent number: 8243879
    Abstract: A source grating for X-rays and the like which can enhance spatial coherence and is used for X-ray phase contrast imaging is provided. The source grating for X-rays is disposed between an X-ray source and a test object and is used for X-ray phase contrast imaging. The source grating for X-rays includes a plurality of sub-gratings formed by periodically arranging projection parts each having a thickness shielding an X-ray at constant intervals. The plurality of sub-gratings are stacked in layers by being shifted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidenosuke Itoh, Yoshikatsu Ichimura, Takashi Nakamura, Aya Imada
  • Patent number: 8233682
    Abstract: A method of improving a resolution of an image using image reconstruction is provided. The method includes acquiring scan data of an object and forward projecting a current image estimate of the scan data to generate calculated projection data. The method also includes applying a data-fit term and a regularization term to the scan data and the calculated projection data and modifying at least one of the data fit term and the regularization term to accommodate spatio-temporal information to form a reconstructed image from the scan data and the calculated projection data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignees: General Electric Company, The University of Notre Dame du Lac, The Regents of the University of Michigan, Purdue Research Foundation
    Inventors: Jeffrey Allen Fessler, Charles Addison Bouman, Jiang Hsieh, Jean-Baptiste Daniel Marie Thibault, Ken David Sauer, Samit Kumar Basu, Bruno Kristiaan Bernard De Man
  • Publication number: 20120140891
    Abstract: A method and device for spectrometry analysis and for extracting a primary diffuse spectrum from a diffusion spectrum of diffuse radiation, according to a diffusion angle, coming from a material exposed to incident radiation through a surface, that includes the application of a spectral response function organized in the form of a matrix (M), known as a correlation matrix, of which each value aij corresponds with a number of detected photons, with energy Ei, constituting the multiple diffuse radiation, when a photon is detected, with energy Ej, of the primary diffuse radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique et Aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Joachim TABARY, Jean RINKEL
  • Publication number: 20120114100
    Abstract: A directional gamma radiation detector system for determining an angle under which a measured gamma radiation hits a gamma radiation detector system, includes gamma radiation detectors arranged in close distance; detector electronics for operating the at least two gamma radiation detectors as spectrometers in a way that the detector electronics are collecting energy spectra of the detected gamma rays for each gamma radiation detector; and system electronics allowing the directional gamma radiation detector system to identify coincident events in the at least two gamma radiation detectors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: ICx Radiation, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrey GUEORGUIEV, Guntram Pausch, Claus-Michael Herbach, Les Hoy
  • Patent number: 8155270
    Abstract: An X-ray spectroscope collects an energy-dispersive spectrum from a sample under analysis, and generates a list of candidate elements that may be present in the sample. A wavelength dispersive spectral collector is then tuned to obtain X-ray intensity measurements at the energies/wavelengths of some or all of the candidate elements, thereby verifying whether or not these candidate elements are in fact present in the sample. Additionally, the alignment of the wavelength dispersive spectral collector versus the sample can be optimized by tuning the wavelength dispersive spectral collector to the energy/wavelength of a selected one of the candidate elements—preferably one whose presence in the sample has been verified, or one which has a high likelihood of being present in the sample—and then varying the alignment of the wavelength dispersive spectral collector versus the sample until the wavelength dispersive spectral collector returns the maximum intensity reading for the selected candidate element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Thermo Electron Scientific Instruments LLC
    Inventors: David B. Rohde, Patrick Paul Camus, Gregory S. Fritz