19 patents
Utility
Variable-zoom imaging apparatus
12 Dec 23
Disclosed is a variable-zoom imaging apparatus that includes: i) imaging optics configured to form an image in an imaging area of an object positioned in an object area; ii) an adjustable aperture stop to adjustably set a numerical aperture NA for the image formed by the imaging optics; iii) an electronic detector comprising an array of detector elements positioned in the imaging area to detect the image; and iv) image processing circuitry coupled to the electronic detector to produce a digital representation of the image based on signals from at least some of the detector elements.
Bruce E. Truax
Filed: 29 Jun 21
Utility
Data Age Reduction
16 Nov 23
Disclosed are method and electronic components for: i) electronically extracting a sequence of values from a measurement signal corresponding to a position of a moving object, wherein the sequence of values indicates the position of the moving object at corresponding time increments; ii) electronically determining at least one of an estimate for a velocity of the moving object and an estimate for an acceleration of the moving the object based on a plurality of the values in the sequence of values; and iii) electronically correcting a value in the sequence of values to substantially reduce the effect of processing and signal delays based on one or both of the velocity and acceleration estimates.
Frank C. Demarest
Filed: 4 May 23
Utility
Optical Contact Metrology
23 Mar 23
A method for measuring a bond gap includes receiving a light beam at a first interferometer cavity and a reference interferometer cavity, in which the first interferometer cavity is defined by a first surface and a contact interface, and the contact interface is defined by a contact gap less than 1 μm.
Leslie L. Deck
Filed: 19 Sep 22
Utility
Method of reducing roughness and/or defects on an optical surface and mirror formed by same
14 Mar 23
A method of making a mirror for use with extreme ultraviolet or x-ray radiation includes: i) providing a base substrate having a curved surface, wherein the curved surface deviates from a curvature of a target mirror surface at high spatial frequencies corresponding to spatial periods less than 2 mm; and ii) securing a first side of a thin plate to the curved surface of the base substrate to cover the curved surface, wherein the plate has a thickness thin enough to conform to the curvature of the target mirror surface and thick enough to attenuate deviations at the high spatial frequencies on a second side of the thin plate opposite the first side that are caused by the deviations on the curved surface of the base substrate.
John Matthew Kincade
Filed: 4 Nov 20
Utility
Optical Module
23 Feb 23
An optical module comprising: at least three lens elements, wherein the lens elements collectively set a numerical aperture NA, a field height FH, and a system effective focal length EFLsys for directing the light rays between first and second planes, wherein NA, FH, and EFLsys satisfy 0<NA<0.25 and 0<FH<(0.4)·(EFLsys); wherein first and second adjacent lens elements having effective focal lengths EFL1 and EFL2, respectively, satisfies (1.5)·(EFLsys)<EFL1<3·(EFLsys) and (1.5)·(EFLsys)<EFL2<3·(EFLsys); wherein an air-distance between the first and second lens elements A12 satisfies 0<A12<EFLsys; wherein a third lens element adjacent the second lens elements opposite the first lens element and having an effective focal length EFL3 satisfies (−20)·EFLsys<EFL3<(−1)·EFLsys; and wherein an air-distance between the second and third lens elements A23 satisfies 0<A23<EFLsys.
Nicholas Mark Cirucci
Filed: 9 Aug 22
Utility
Interferometric Lens Aligner and Method
2 Feb 23
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for determining information about an alignment of one or more optical components of a multi-component assembly involving: detecting an optical interference pattern produced from a combination of at least three optical wave fronts including at least two optical wave fronts caused by reflections from at least two surfaces of the one or more optical components; and computationally processing information derived from the detected optical interference pattern with at least one simulated optical wave front derived from a model of at least one selected optical surface of the at least two surfaces to computationally isolate information corresponding to an alignment of the selected optical surface.
Jan Liesener, Paul A. Townley-Smith
Filed: 21 Jul 22
Utility
Method of mitigating defects on an optical surface and mirror formed by same
6 Dec 22
A method of making a mirror for use with extreme ultraviolet (EUV) or X-ray radiation is disclosed.
John Matthew Kincade
Filed: 20 Oct 20
Utility
Method for figure control of optical surfaces
13 Sep 22
A method for figuring an optical surface of an optical element to achieve a target profile for the optical surface includes: applying a removal process to an extended region of the optical surface extending along a first direction to remove material from the extended region of the optical surface; adjusting a position of the optical surface relative to the removal process along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction to remove material from additional extended regions of the optical surface extending along the first direction at each of different positions of the optical surface along the second direction; and repeating the applying of the removal process and the adjusting of the optical surface relative to the removal process for each of multiple rotational orientations of the optical surface about a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions to achieve the target profile of the optical surface.
Andrew Nelson
Filed: 25 Feb 20
Utility
Variable-zoom Imaging Apparatus
24 Feb 22
Disclosed is a variable-zoom imaging apparatus that includes: i) imaging optics configured to form an image in an imaging area of an object positioned in an object area; ii) an adjustable aperture stop to adjustably set a numerical aperture NA for the image formed by the imaging optics; iii) an electronic detector comprising an array of detector elements positioned in the imaging area to detect the image; and iv) image processing circuitry coupled to the electronic detector to produce a digital representation of the image based on signals from at least some of the detector elements.
Bruce E. Truax
Filed: 29 Jun 21
Utility
Method of Reducing Roughness And/or Defects on an Optical Surface and Mirror Formed by Same
27 May 21
A method of making a mirror for use with extreme ultraviolet or x-ray radiation includes: i) providing a base substrate having a curved surface, wherein the curved surface deviates from a curvature of a target mirror surface at high spatial frequencies corresponding to spatial periods less than 2 mm; and ii) securing a first side of a thin plate to the curved surface of the base substrate to cover the curved surface, wherein the plate has a thickness thin enough to conform to the curvature of the target mirror surface and thick enough to attenuate deviations at the high spatial frequencies on a second side of the thin plate opposite the first side that are caused by the deviations on the curved surface of the base substrate.
John Matthew Kincade
Filed: 4 Nov 20
Utility
Method of Mitigating Defects on an Optical Surface and Mirror Formed by Same
29 Apr 21
A method of making a mirror for use with extreme ultraviolet (EUV) or X-ray radiation is disclosed.
John Matthew Kincade
Filed: 20 Oct 20
Utility
Method and apparatus for optimizing the optical performance of interferometers
30 Mar 21
A method for measuring a property of a test object with an interferometer includes: a) providing calibration information relating a focus setting for the interferometer to a position of the test object relative to a reference surface of the interferometer; b) determining the position of the test object relative to the reference surface; and c) using the interferometer to collect interferometric images of the test object for use in measuring the property of the test object.
Leslie L. Deck
Filed: 11 Jul 19
Utility
Interferometric method and apparatus using calibration information relating a focus setting to a test object position
12 Jan 21
A method for measuring a property of a test object with an interferometer includes: a) providing calibration information relating a focus setting for the interferometer to a position of the test object relative to a reference surface of the interferometer; b) determining the position of the test object relative to the reference surface; and c) using the interferometer to collect interferometric images of the test object for use in measuring the property of the test object.
Leslie L. Deck
Filed: 8 Nov 17
Utility
Wavemeter using pairs of interferometric optical cavities
23 Nov 20
Method and apparatus for determining the wavelength of a light beam are provided.
Leslie L. Deck
Filed: 23 Jun 19
Utility
Method for Figure Control of Optical Surfaces
2 Sep 20
A method for figuring an optical surface of an optical element to achieve a target profile for the optical surface includes: applying a removal process to an extended region of the optical surface extending along a first direction to remove material from the extended region of the optical surface; adjusting a position of the optical surface relative to the removal process along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction to remove material from additional extended regions of the optical surface extending along the first direction at each of different positions of the optical surface along the second direction; and repeating the applying of the removal process and the adjusting of the optical surface relative to the removal process for each of multiple rotational orientations of the optical surface about a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions to achieve the target profile of the optical surface.
Andrew Nelson
Filed: 24 Feb 20
Utility
Metrology of multi-layer stacks
16 Mar 20
Techniques for removing interferometry signal phase variations caused by distortion and other effects in a multi-layer stack include: providing an electronic processor sample interferometry data acquired for the stack using a low coherence imaging interferometry system; transforming, by the electronic processor, the sample interferometry data to a frequency domain; identifying a non-linear phase variation from the sample interferometry data in the frequency domain, in which the non-linear phase variation is a result of dispersion introduced into a measurement beam by the test sample; and removing the non-linear phase variation from the sample interferometry data thereby producing compensated interferometry data.
Leslie L. Deck, Peter J. de Groot
Filed: 26 Feb 19
Utility
Wavemeter
1 Jan 20
Method and apparatus for determining the wavelength of a light beam are provided.
Leslie L. Deck
Filed: 23 Jun 19
Utility
Method and Apparatus for Optimizing the Optical Performance of Interferometers
13 Nov 19
A method for measuring a property of a test object with an interferometer includes: a) providing calibration information relating a focus setting for the interferometer to a position of the test object relative to a reference surface of the interferometer; b) determining the position of the test object relative to the reference surface; and c) using the interferometer to collect interferometric images of the test object for use in measuring the property of the test object.
Leslie L. Deck
Filed: 10 Jul 19
Utility
Surface topography apparatus and method
21 Oct 19
An optical method for determining an orientation of surface texture of a mechanical part includes: i) acquiring data for a first areal surface topography image using a surface topography measurement instrument, wherein the first image corresponds to a first field of view of the mechanical part for the surface topography measurement instrument; ii) rotating the mechanical part with respect to a rotation axis provided by a rotatable mount used to secure the mechanical part to provide a second field of view of the mechanical part for the surface topography measurement instrument, wherein the first and second fields of view overlap to provide image information about a common region of the mechanical part; iii) acquiring data for a second areal surface topography image using the surface topography measurement instrument, wherein the second image corresponds to the second field of view; and iv) processing the data from the images.
Peter J. de Groot, Leslie L. Deck
Filed: 30 Jan 18
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