Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

Bright View Technologies Corporation

Tredegar Newco, Inc.

Richard Neal Gardner

Christopher Michael Jones

David L Perkins

Robert Paul Freese

Robert Lavin Wood

Thomas Alan Rinehart

David L Reed

James Martin Price

Aditya B Nayak

Robert P Freese

Edward Fadel

John W Wilson

Brian Cox

Michele E Nuzum

Reese A Jernigan

A design of an integrated computational element (ICE) includes specification of a substrate and a plurality of layers, their respective constitutive materials, target thicknesses and refractive indices, where refractive indices of respective materials of adjacent layers are different from each other, and a notional ICE fabricated in accordance with the ICE design is related to a characteristic of a sample. One or more layers of the plurality of layers of an ICE are formed based on the ICE design, such that the formed layer(s) includes(e) corresponding material(s) from among the specified constitutive materials of the ICE. Characteristics of probe-light interacted with the formed layer(s) are measured at two or more temperatures. Temperature dependence(ies) of one or more refractive indices of the corresponding material(s) of the formed layers is(are) determined using the measured characteristics. The received ICE design is updated based on the determined temperature dependence(ies) of the refractive index(ices).

Determining temperature dependence of complex refractive indices of layer materials during fabrication of integrated computational elements

A system includes a computational system to receive a design of an integrated computational element (ICE) including specification of substrate and layers. Additionally, the system includes a deposition source to provide a deposition plume having a plume spatial profile, and a support having a cylindrical surface. The cylindrical surface of the support is spaced apart from the deposition source and has a shape that corresponds to the plume spatial profile in a particular cross-section orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical surface of the support, such that, when the substrate support, with the supported instances of the substrate distributed over the cylindrical surface of the substrate support, is translated relative to the deposition plume along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical surface of the substrate support, thicknesses of instances of each of the deposited layers are substantially uniform across the plurality of instances of the ICE.

Fabrication of integrated computational elements using cylindrical substrate support shaped to match a cross-section of a spatial profile of a deposition plume

A design of an integrated computational element (ICE) includes (1) specification of a substrate and multiple layers, their respective target thicknesses and refractive indices, refractive indices of adjacent layers being different from each other, and a notional ICE fabricated based on the ICE design being related to a characteristic of a sample, and (2) identification of one or more critical layers of the ICE layers, an ICE layer being identified as a critical layer if potential variations of its thickness or refractive index due to expected fabrication variations cause ICE performance degradation that exceeds a threshold degradation, otherwise the ICE layer being identified as a non-critical layer. At least one critical layer of the ICE is formed using two or more forming steps to form respective two or more sub-layers of the critical layer, and at least one non-critical layer of the ICE is formed using a single forming step.

Fabrication of critical layers of integrated computational elements

The disclosed embodiments include a system and method for manufacturing an integrated computational element (ICE) core. In one embodiment, the method comprises thermally evaporating a material to deposit the material on a substrate, wherein the material is deposited to establish a shape of the ICE core. The shape of the ICE core defines transmission, reflection, and absorptive electromagnetic intensity as a function of wavelength of the ICE core. In one embodiment, the method includes varying e-beam or ion-beam intensities and strengths to control the shape of the ICE core.

System and method for deposition of integrated computational elements (ICE) using a translation stage

The disclosed embodiments include a system and method for manufacturing an integrated computational element (ICE) core. The method comprises varying a distance between a thermal component relative to a substrate holder that holds at least one substrate during a thin film deposition process to improve uniformity of the ICE core. In one embodiment, varying the distance between the thermal component relative to the substrate holder that holds at least one substrate includes moving at least a portion of the substrate holder in at least one direction relative to the thermal component and also moving the thermal component in at least one direction relative to the substrate holder during the thin film deposition process.

Deposition of integrated computational elements (ICE) using a translation stage

Disclosed are improved integrated computational elements for use in optical computing devices. One integrated computational element includes an optical substrate, first and second pluralities of optical thin film layers alternatingly deposited on the optical substrate to form a thin film stack, wherein each optical thin film layer of the first plurality exhibits a first refractive index and each optical thin film layer of the second plurality exhibits a second refractive index different than the first refractive index, and at least one additional optical thin film layer arranged in or on the thin film stack and in optical communication with at least one of the optical thin film layers of the first and second pluralities, the at least one additional optical thin film layer exhibiting a third refractive index that is different than the first and second refractive indices.

Designs for integrated computational elements

An example optical computing device includes an integrated computational element (ICE) core arranged within an optical train that optically interacts with electromagnetic radiation and a substance, the ICE core being further configured to operate in a optical region of interest corresponding to a characteristic of the substance, a first bandpass filter arranged in the optical train and configured to transmit the electromagnetic radiation across a first wavelength zone within the optical region of interest, a second bandpass filter arranged in the optical train and configured to transmit the electromagnetic radiation across a second wavelength zone within the optical region of interest, and a detector configured to receive electromagnetic radiation that has optically interacted with the substance and the ICE core and configured to generate an output signal corresponding to the characteristic of the substance.

Optical computing devices with multiple bandpass filters

One disclosed method for designing an integrated computational element (ICE) core includes generating with a computer a plurality of predetermined ICE core designs having a plurality of thin film layers, wherein generating the plurality of predetermined ICE core designs includes iteratively varying a thickness of each thin film layer by applying coarse thickness increments to each thin film layer, calculating a transmission spectrum for each predetermined ICE core design, calculating a performance of each predetermined ICE core design based on one or more performance criteria, identifying one or more predictive ICE core designs based on the performance of each predetermined ICE core design, and optimizing the one or more predictive ICE core designs by iteratively varying the thickness of each thin film layer with fine thickness increments, wherein the one or more predictive ICE core designs are configured to detect a particular characteristic of interest.

Techniques for optical processing elements

An optical analysis tool includes an integrated computational element (ICE) including an ICE core to process light received by the ICE from a sample, when the tool is operated, such that the processed light is related, over a wavelength range, to a characteristic of the sample. Additionally, the ICE includes a filter monolithically coupled to the ICE core, the filter to block light at wavelengths that are either shorter than the wavelength range or longer than the wavelength range, or both, such that the ICE outputs, when the tool is operated, processed light that is passed by the filter.

Monolithic band-limited integrated computational elements

Techniques include receiving a design of an integrated computational element (ICE) including (1) specification of a substrate and multiple layers, their respective target thicknesses and refractive indices, adjacent layer refractive indices being different from each other, and a notional ICE fabricated based on the ICE design being related to a characteristic of a sample, and (2) indication of target ICE performance; forming one or more of the layers of an ICE based on the ICE design; in response to determining that an ICE performance would not meet the target performance if the ICE having the formed layers were completed based on the received ICE design, updating the ICE design to a new total number of layers and new target layer thicknesses, such that performance of the ICE completed based on the updated ICE design meets the target performance; and forming some of subsequent layers based on the updated ICE design.

Adjusting fabrication of integrated computational elements

Techniques include receiving a design of an integrated computational element (ICE), the ICE design including specification of a substrate and a plurality of layers, their respective target thicknesses and complex refractive indices, complex refractive indices of adjacent layers being different from each other, and a notional ICE fabricated in accordance with the ICE design being related to a characteristic of a sample; forming at least some of the plurality of layers of the ICE in accordance with the ICE design; performing at least two different types of in-situ measurements; predicting, using results of the at least two different types of in situ measurements, performance of the ICE relative to the ICE design; and adjusting the forming of the layers remaining to be formed, at least in part, by updating the ICE design based on the predicted performance.

In-situ monitoring of fabrication of integrated computational elements

A system includes a computational system to receive a design of an integrated computational element (ICE) including specification of a substrate and a plurality of layers, their respective target thicknesses and complex indices, such that a notional ICE fabricated based on the ICE design is related to a characteristic of a sample. Additionally, the system includes a deposition chamber including a deposition source to provide a deposition plume having a plume spatial profile, and a support to support a plurality of instances of the substrate during fabrication of a plurality of instances of the ICE. The support is spaced apart from the deposition source and has a shape that corresponds to the plume spatial profile, such that when the supported instances of the substrate are distributed over the support, thicknesses of instances of each of the deposited layers are substantially uniform across the plurality of instances of the ICE.

Fabrication of integrated computational elements using substrate support shaped to match spatial profile of deposition plume

Microlens arrays include a substrate, an array of microlenses on a first side of the substrate and an aperture mask on a second side of the substrate. The aperture mask includes an array of apertures at optical axes of the lenses. A second array of apertures may be included in the aperture mask at randomized positions therein. The randomized apertures may be provided in the aperture mask by providing a diffusive layer between the aperture mask and the substrate, and directing coherent radiation through the lens array, the diffusive layer and aperture mask.

Light management films for displays

A pulsed laser beam is used to create apertures in a layer on a back side of a substrate that includes a microlens array on a front side thereof. The pulsed laser beam is focused in a vacuum spatial filter. A profile of the pulsed laser beam that emerges from the vacuum spatial filter is converted to a top hat profile. The laser beam having the top hat profile is diffused. Finally, the pulsed laser beam having the top half profile that has been diffused is impinged through the microlens array on the front side of the substrate and onto the layer on the back side of the substrate. Related apparatus for creating the apertures and microlens array products are also described.

Methods and apparatus for processing a large area pulsed laser beam to create apertures through microlens arrays

Methods for creating apertures in a layer on a back side of a substrate that includes a microlens array on a front side thereof include curving the substrate into a cylindrical surface segment that defines an axis, so that the microlens array on the front side of the substrate faces the axis. A pulsed laser beam is scanned from the axis circumferentially along the cylindrical surface segment, to pass through the microlens array on the front side of the substrate and into the layer on the back side of the substrate to create the apertures, while simultaneously translating the substrate and/or the scanned pulsed laser beam axially relative to one another. Related apparatus and microlens array products are also disclosed.

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Richard Neal Gardner