Seagate Technology Incorporated

Stephen Keith McLaurin

Joachim Walter Ahner

David Marcus Tung

Henry Luis Lott

Samuel Kah Hean Wong

Florin Zavaliche

Maissarath Nassirou

Travis William Grodt

An apparatus for detecting surface features is disclosed. The apparatus may include a plurality of strands configured to contain light and further configured to transmit light from a light source to a surface of an article. The apparatus may also include a detector configured to receive light reflected from the surface of the article via the plurality of strands, wherein the detector is further configured to detect features associated with the article.

Feature detection with light transmitting medium

Provided herein is an apparatus, comprising a first photon emitter configured to emit photons into an article from a circumferential edge of the article, and a photon detector array configured to detect photons scattered from features of the article.

Imaging a transparent article

Provided herein is an apparatus including a photon emitter configured to emit photons onto a surface of an article. In addition, the apparatus includes a photon detector array configured to receive photons scattered from surface features and magnetic features of the article. The photon detector array is configured to provide information for mapping the magnetic features.

Apparatuses and methods for magnetic features of articles

Provided herein is an apparatus, including a photon emitter configured for sequentially emitting a first set of photons and a second set of photons onto a surface of an article. In addition, a photon detector array is configured to focus the first set of photons scattered from surface features of the article in a first focal plane. The photon detector array is further configured to focus the second set of photons scattered from surface features of the article in a second focal plane, wherein the first set of photons scattered is different from the second set of photons scattered. The photon detector array is further configured to provide information for distinguishing foreign surface features of the article from native surface features of the article.

Distinguishing foreign surface features from native surface features

Provided herein is an apparatus including a photon emitter configured for reflecting photons from a surface of an article onto a first reflective surface. In addition, a second reflective surface is configured for reflecting photons from the surface of the article back onto the surface of the article. The apparatus also includes a detector configured to provide information corresponding to photons scattered from features of the article.

Reflective surfaces for surface features of an article

Provided herein is an apparatus, including a photon emitter configured to emit photons onto a surface of an article, a photon detector array configured to receive photons from surface features of the article; and a processing means configured for processing photon-detector-array signals corresponding to photons scattered from the surface features and photons fluoresced from the surface features, wherein the processing means is further configured for classifying the surface features of the article.

Classification of surface features using fluoresence

Provided herein is an apparatus, including a reflective surface configured to reflect photons onto a surface of an article, a stage configured to support the article, and an assembly. The assembly is configured to radiate photons through the article to the reflective surface. The assembly is further configured to image the article with irradiance of the photons.

Apparatus for uniformly irradiating and imaging an article

Provided herein is an apparatus, including an optical characterization device; a photon detector array configured to sequentially receive a first set of photons scattered from surface features of an article and a second set of photons scattered from surface features of the article and subsequently processed by the optical characterization device; and a chemical characterization means for chemically characterizing the surface features of the article, wherein the chemical characterization means is configured for processing the first set of photons received by the photon detector array and the second set of photons received by the photon detector array.

Chemical characterization of surface features

Provided herein is an apparatus, including two photon emitters and a photon detector array. The two photon emitters are configured to emit photons onto an entire surface of an article. The photon detector array includes a number of photon detectors configured to detect photons scattered from features in the entire surface of the article, wherein the features are less than 500 nm in their largest dimension.

Surface features characterization

Provided herein is an apparatus, including a photon detector array; and a processing means configured for processing photon-detector-array signals corresponding to a first set of photons scattered from surface features of an article focused in a first focal plane and a second set of photons scattered from surface features of an article focused in a second focal plane, wherein the processing means is further configured for distinguishing foreign surface features of the article from foreign native features of the article.

The embodiments disclose an alternating current (AC) erase process configured to cancel out existing polarity of stack magnetic features on both sides of the stack and an AC reset process configured to initialize the polarity of the device stack magnetic features of both sides of a stack configured to create a uniform polarity.

Initialization of magnetic features

Classification of surface features using fluorescence

Provided herein are apparatuses and methods related thereto, wherein at least one apparatus includes: a photon emitting means configured to emit photons, wherein the photons are scattered from magnetic features of an article; a photon detector array configured to receive scattered photons; and a processing means configured to differentiate the magnetic features from the scattered photons.

Provided herein is an apparatus, including a photon emitter configured for emitting photons onto a surface of an article; a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface configured to reflect the photons onto the surface of the article; and a processing means configured for processing signals from a photon detector array corresponding to photons scattered from surface features of the article.

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Stephen Keith McLaurin