The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 15, 2020
Filed:
Jun. 12, 2019
Kla-tencor Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US);
Yung-Ho Alex Chuang, Cupertino, CA (US);
Jingjing Zhang, San Jose, CA (US);
Sharon Zamek, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
John Fielden, Los Altos, CA (US);
Devis Contarato, San Carlos, CA (US);
David L. Brown, Los Gatos, CA (US);
KLA-Tencor Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US);
Abstract
A multiple-column-per-channel image CCD sensor utilizes a multiple-column-per-channel readout circuit including connected transfer gates that alternately transfer pixel data (charges) from a group of adjacent pixel columns to a shared output circuit at high speed with low noise. Charges transferred along the adjacent pixel columns at a line clock rate are alternately passed by the transfer gates to a summing gate that is operated at multiple times the line clock rate to pass the image charges to the shared output circuit. A symmetrical fork-shaped diffusion is utilized in one embodiment to merge the image charges from the group of related pixel columns. A method of driving the multiple-column-per-channel CCD sensor with line clock synchronization is also described. A method of inspecting a sample using the multiple-column-per-channel CCD sensor is also described.