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:
Jan. 16, 2024
Filed:
Mar. 06, 2020
Nikon Metrology NV, Leuven, BE;
Bennie Smit, Hertfordshire, GB;
Alexander Charles Wilson, Hertfordshire, GB;
NIKON METROLOGY NV, Leuven, BE;
Abstract
There is provided a method of setting a filament demand in an x-ray apparatus. The x-ray apparatus has a filament, through which the passing of a heating current allows thermionic emission of electrons from the filament. The x-ray apparatus has a target, arranged to generate x-rays from the electrons emitted from the filament. The x-ray apparatus has a detector, arranged to detect x-rays generated by the target for forming an x-ray image. The x-ray apparatus has a controller configured to perform a measurement operation of the x-ray apparatus. The measurement measures a parameter of the x-ray apparatus. The controller is configured to set a filament demand for the filament. The filament demand correlates with the current passed through the filament. The method comprises varying the filament demand between a first value corresponding to a lower filament current and a second value corresponding to a higher filament current. The method comprises measuring the parameter at a series of values of the filament demand between the first value and the second value. The method comprises detecting a knee in the measured parameter. The method comprises determining the filament demand corresponding to the detected knee in the parameter. The method comprises setting the filament demand for the x-ray apparatus based on the determined filament demand corresponding to the detected knee in the parameter.