For the Inventor, By the Inventor

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Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Tencor Instruments

USPTO Granted Patents = 50

Trademarks = 5

Forward Citations = 2,813

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50 inventors (with patents filed for the assignee):

William R Wheeler (12 out of 23 patents)

Armand P Neukermans (12 out of 73 patents)

George J Kren (11 out of 34 patents)

4. Lee K Galbraith (7 out of 8 patents)

5. John L Vaught (6 out of 11 patents)

6. Michael E Fein (5 out of 79 patents)

7. Karel Urbanek (5 out of 5 patents)

8. Kenneth P Gross (4 out of 29 patents)

9. Jiri Pecen (4 out of 11 patents)

10. Stanley E Stokowski (3 out of 40 patents)

11. Mehrdad Nikoonahad (3 out of 69 patents)

12. Ralph C Wolf (3 out of 23 patents)

13. Franklin R Koenig (3 out of 8 patents)

14. Brian C Leslie (3 out of 15 patents)

15. Keith B Wells (3 out of 16 patents)

Core Competencies:

Profilometer

Particle Detection

Wafer Alignment

Optical Inspection

Thin Film Thickness

Surface Scanning

Metrology Instrument

Eddy Current Test

Laser Measurement

Adaptive Spatial Filter

Photoemission Detector

Wafer Handling

50 patents: Sort by Forward Citations

1. 5705741 - Constant-force profilometer with stylus-stabilizing sensor assembly, (1998-01-06),

2. 5633747 - Variable spot-size scanning apparatus (1997-05-27),

3. 5608526 - Focused beam spectroscopic ellipsometry method and system (1997-03-04),

4. 5604585 - Particle detection system employing a subsystem for collecting scattered (1997-02-18),

5. 5581350 - Method and system for calibrating an ellipsometer (1996-12-03),

6. 5576831 - Wafer alignment sensor (1996-11-19),

7. 5565979 - Surface scanning apparatus and method using crossed-cylinder optical (1996-10-15),

8. 5552704 - Eddy current test method and apparatus for measuring conductance by (1996-09-03),

9. 5530550 - Optical wafer positioning system (1996-06-25),

10. 5416594 - Surface scanner with thin film gauge (1995-05-16),

11. 5355212 - Process for inspecting patterned wafers (1994-10-11),

12. 5309755 - Profilometer stylus assembly insensitive to vibration (1994-05-10),

13. 5276498 - Adaptive spatial filter for surface inspection (1994-01-04),

14. 5264912 - Speckle reduction track filter apparatus for optical inspection of (1993-11-23),

15. 5248889 - Laser apparatus and method for measuring stress in a thin film using (1993-09-28),

Company Overview

Tencor Instruments, based in Mountain View, CA, specializes in advanced surface metrology solutions that are critical for semiconductor manufacturing and other precision industries. The company develops a range of innovative technologies including profilometers, particle detection systems, and optical inspection tools. Their expertise extends to wafer alignment, thin film thickness measurement, and surface scanning, providing essential instrumentation that enhances quality control and process optimization in high-tech manufacturing environments.

Profile summary synthesized from public USPTO records and patent filings.

Company Badge

USPTO Data Jan 1 1976 - Oct 13 2026

50 Patents

#67 in Mountain View, CA

#1,650 in California

#7,009 in US

#14,013 in the World

Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Tencor Instruments

Forward Citations = 2,813

50 inventors:

William R Wheeler (12 out of 23 patents)

Armand P Neukermans (12 out of 73 patents)

George J Kren (11 out of 34 patents)

4. Lee K Galbraith (7 out of 8 patents)

5. John L Vaught (6 out of 11 patents)

IDiyas Innovation Intelligence. (2026). Company Patent Portfolio: Tencor Instruments. Retrieved from https://idiyas.com/company/tencor-instruments

Data source: USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) public patent records. Weekly synchronization. How IDiyas builds this profile

Data Sources: USPTO Patent Grant XML, Patent Center, EPO & CIPO • Normalized by IDiyas Innovation Graph. Methodology & provenance architecturePlease report any incorrect information to [email protected]

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