Sentec Corporation

Coherix, Inc.

Environmental Research Institute of Michigan

General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Inc.

Alex Klooster

Takeo Sawatari

James M Marks

Jon Nisper

Yuping Lin

Philip A Gaubis

Michael J Mater

Dean M Aslam

Carl C Aleksoff

Zhenhua Huang

Amber Iler

An off axis paraboloid mirror is used to provide object illumination in an interferometric imaging system. The light from an object illumination light source diverges from a point apart from the focus point of the paraboloid, proceeds to the parabolic mirror surface, and is reflected as a nearly parallel beam to illuminate the object.

Off-axis paraboloid interferometric mirror with off focus illumination

A method of combining holograms or phase images of an object is disclosed, where attributes of the data used to record two phase images of overlapping portions of the surface of an object are compared and used to match pixels of the two recordings. A relative tilt angle and direction correction is added, and a third phase image is generated. Phase images of objects which are too large to be imaged in an interferometric imaging system can thus be produced.

Method of combining holograms

Techniques are used to determine when interfering beams of light are precisely aligned at the core of the fiber when a laser interferometer is used to burn diffraction gratings into optical fibers. Two alternative methods are disclosed for performing this function, namely, refraction of the UV fluorescence through the fiber onto a paper or screen, and alternately interrupting the left and right UV beams, then directly observing the fluorescence pattern of the UV beam on the fiber core to determine alignment.

Interferometric focusing technique for forming taps in fibers

The fiber optic pressure sensing system includes a sensor housing formed using MEMS processing. The sensor housing has ribs and grooves in both horizontal and vertical directions relative to the surface to allow the membrane to flex in a consistent manner. The flexing of the membrane allows the pedestal to be repeatedly positioned in response to pressure acting on the extension of the sensor head and membrane.

Ultra-miniature optical pressure sensing system

A holographic scatterometer with continuous readout can rapidly identify the presence of deposits (particles or other defects) on an unpatterned wafer surface and determine the volume density (size) and location. The scatterometer can also determine chemical composition of the detected deposits. The range of the deposit (particle) size to be measured is below 80 nm, which currently existing scatterometer type instruments cannot readily detect. The inspection can be achieved as an in-line stage during the processing of wafers or in situ in combination with another processing tool or as a separate off-line analysis device.

Holographic scatterometer for detection and analysis of wafer surface deposits

A scatterometer for detecting and analyzing wafer surface defects includes a light source generating a beam of light and a photodetector. Optics are used for splitting the beam of light into a reference beam and a detection beam. Optics also direct the reference beam and the detection beam to the photodetector through different optical paths. The optics direct the detection beam to the surface of the wafer and when incident upon a defect creates a scattered beam. The optics direct the scattered beam to the photodetector. A driver moves the surface of the wafer with respect to the detection beam. A computer coupled to the photodetector determines the presence of a defect on the surface by analyzing an interference pattern from the superposition of the reference beam and the scattered beam.

Heterodyne scatterometer for detecting and analyzing wafer surface

A method for compensating for phase errors in an optical data processing system for performing a Fourier transformation analysis of a data source. The aberrations of the system are holographically recorded by passing an object beam through the system and the optical data source in a direction opposite to that of the DC read beam used in the transformation analysis. The object beam and a reference beam derived from a common coherent light source are generated by the system and directed to an optical memory wherein the interference pattern between the object and reference beam is recorded. The data source is analyzed by providing a read beam incident the optical memory along a path in the reverse direction of the reference beam. In such manner, a reconstruction beam emanating from the hologram is directed back through the data source to display the Fourier transform of the data in the data source. The reconstruction beam thus serves to automatically compensate for phase errors introduced into the system by thickness variations of the data source as well as from the lenses in the system.

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Alex Klooster