Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.P.

Hewlett-packard Company

Carl E Picciotto

Jun Gao

Peter George Hartwell

Ross R Allen

Wei E Wu

Barclay J Tullis

William M Tong

Wei Guang Wu

Jeffrey M DiCarlo

Raymond G Beausoleil

Duncan R Stewart

Judson Malcolm Leiser

Nathan McPherson Moroney

Ronald A Hellekson

Zhaoning Yu

Neal W Meyer

Melanie M Gottwals

Glen Eric Montgomery

Miheer M Bhachech

Jeffrey Dicarlo

An optical lighting apparatus having a constant luminance with a drive current controlled by a controller unit. A temperature controlled photodetector indirectly monitors the luminance and informs the controller when a change in luminance has occurred so that the controller can make appropriate adjustments to the drive current. Also disclosed is a method of regulating the drive current to a light source to enable the luminance to remain fixed and independent of fluctuations in ambient temperature. A temperature compensated photodetector senses the amount of light reflected off a diffuser lens and feeds back the output to a controller circuit which regulates the drive current to the light source. The lighting apparatus has application in calibrating imaging systems, such as digital cameras, and for scanning devices.

Stabilized light source having luminance feedback control

A method and system for compensating for motion blur in optical navigation adds a correction offset to an image navigation value to adjust for varying velocities along a moving web. Reference and comparison images are acquired at different times from a moving web. An optical navigation value is computed representative of the movement of the web from the reference image to the comparison image. Blur distances for the two images can be calculated. A navigation error correction value is computed as one-half the difference between the reference blur distance and the comparison blur distance. A compensated navigation value is computed by adding the error correction value to the computed navigation value to compensate for varying web velocities.

System and method for compensating for motion blur in optical navigation

An apparatus for color sensing is disclosed. The apparatus includes a set of color sensor tolerances for a Non-Contact color sensor device; and a Contact color sensor device, conforming to the set of color sensor tolerances.

Non-contact and contact color sensor device

A reference image of an area of a print media is captured at approximately a first time by an image acquisition system. A first application of ink is applied onto the print media area by a printing assembly at the first time. A comparison image of the print media area is captured at a second time by the image acquisition system subsequent to the first application of ink onto the print media area. The reference image and the comparison image are processed to determine a relative displacement of a feature pattern on the print media between approximately the first time and the second time. A second application of ink from the printing assembly onto the print media is adjusted based on the determination.

Methods and systems for providing print media distortion compensation

A contact lithography apparatus, system and method use a hydraulic deformation to facilitate pattern transfer. The apparatus, system and method include a spacer that provides a spaced apart proximal orientation of lithographic elements, and a hydraulic force member that provides the hydraulic deformation. One or more of the lithographic elements and the spacer is deformable, such that hydraulic deformation thereof facilitates the pattern transfer.

Hydraulic-facilitated contact lithography apparatus, system and method

An electronic apparatus includes a first die, a second die, a third die, and a fourth die, wherein a portion of the second die and a portion of the third die are movably connected between the first die and the fourth die.

Multi-die apparatus including moveable portions

Determining a dimensional change in a surface of an object is described. At a first time, a first image of the surface is acquired at a first spatial window thereon having a first known position relative to a frame of reference. At a second time, a second image of the surface is acquired at a second spatial window thereon having a second known position relative to the frame of reference. The first image and the second image are processed according to an image displacement sensing algorithm to determine a relative translation of a first point on the surface between the first and second times. The relative translation of the first point, the first known position, and the second known position are used to determine the dimensional change in the surface between the first and second times.

Determining a dimensional change in a surface using images acquired before and after the dimensional change

A nanoimprint mold includes a substrate having at least one substantially non-transferable feature and at least one transferable feature defined at different portions thereon. Methods for forming the same are also disclosed.

Nanoimprint molds and methods of forming the same

A method for determining an offset vector. The method includes obtaining an image of a first feature. An image of a second feature is also obtained. Also, a combination image of the first feature and the second feature is obtained. A plurality of composite images is utilized to determine an accurate offset vector between the first feature and the second feature in the combination image. The plurality of composite images is based on the image of the first feature and the image of the second feature.

Method and system for offset estimation and alignment

A system including a data acquisition system and a processing system is provided. The data acquisition system is configured to capture a first reference frame that includes a first feature in a first imaging area on a substrate prior to a relative position between the data acquisition system and the substrate being adjusted by approximately a predetermined distance during a first time period, capture a first comparison frame that includes the first feature in a second imaging area on the substrate and a second reference frame that includes a second feature in the first imaging area on the substrate subsequent to the first time period, and capture a second comparison frame that includes the second feature in the second imaging area on the substrate subsequent to the relative position being adjusted by approximately the predetermined distance during a second time period that is subsequent to the first time period. The second imaging area is separated from the first imaging area by the predetermined distance. The processing system is configured to determine a displacement sum using a first displacement between the first feature in the first reference frame and the first feature in the first comparison frame and a second displacement between the second feature in the second reference frame and the second feature in the second comparison frame.

Displacement determination system and method using separated imaging areas

Using an imaging system in relation to a plurality of material layers is described, the material layers being separated by a distance greater than a depth of field of the imaging system. A focal plane of the imaging system and a first of the plurality of material layers are brought into correspondence. A first image including at least a portion of the first material layer having a first feature of interest thereon is stored. The focal plane of the imaging system and a second of the plurality of material layers are brought into correspondence. A second image including at least a portion of the second material layer having a second feature of interest thereon is acquired. The first and second images are processed for automatic computation of an alignment measurement between the first and second features of interest.

Multiple layer alignment sensing

An imprint apparatus and method employ an effective pressure in imprint lithography. The imprint apparatus includes a compressible chamber that encloses an imprint mold having a mold pattern and a sample to be imprinted. The chamber is compressed to imprint the mold pattern on the sample. The mold is pressed against the sample with the effective pressure. The effective pressure is controlled by a selected ratio of a cavity area of the chamber to a contact area between the mold and the sample.

Imprint lithography apparatus and method employing an effective pressure

A measurement process or system transforms image data corresponding to images of an object to the frequency domain and analyzes the frequency domain data to determine a displacement of the object occurring between first and second images. Analysis in the frequency domain simplifies identification and handling of data expected to be noisy. In particular, frequencies corresponding to modes of vibration, lighting variation, or sensor error characteristic of a measurement system or frequencies corresponding to small magnitude frequency-domain data can be given little or no weighting in analysis that provides the displacement measurement. In one embodiment, Fourier transforms of shifted and unshifted images differ by a phase delay. A least square fit slope of the phase values associated with the phase delay can indicate displacements to accuracies less than 1% of a pixel width, thereby providing nanometer scale precision using imaging systems having a pixel width of about 1 &#x3bc;m.

Displacement measurements using phase changes

A first device has a surface and includes a micrometer-scale or smaller geometry doped semiconductor region extending along the surface. A second device has a surface opposite the surface of the first device and includes a micrometer-scale or smaller wire extending through the second device to a position in proximity to the surface of the second device. The first and second devices are displaceable between first and second positions relative to each other. The wire is not substantially electrically coupled to the doped semiconductor region in the first position and the wire is substantially electrically coupled to the doped semiconductor region in the second position. A potential applied to the wire affects the conductivity of the doped semiconductor region in the second position.

System for coupling wire to semiconductor region

A first device has a micrometer-scale or smaller first structure and is flexibly coupled to a first substrate. A second device has a micrometer-scale or smaller second structure and is coupled to a second substrate. At least one actuator displaces at least one of the first and second devices relative to the other in response to a control signal. The control signal is generated by a controller to align the first and second structures and to control the at least one actuator to connect the displaced first and second devices.

Growing community of inventors

Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Carl E Picciotto