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:
Jul. 24, 2007
Filed:
Jul. 08, 2003
Dirk Sönksen, Schöffengrund, DE;
Robert Mainberger, Braunfels, DE;
Guenter Schmidt, Leun, DE;
Abstract
The invention is based on an apparatus and a method for scanning specimens () using an optical imaging system () and a scanning stage (), images of the specimen () being acquired by means of a camera (), and/or measurements on the specimen () being made by means of an optical measurement device (), at specimen points X, Y. For that purpose, the scanning stage () is calibrated by obtaining and storing height values Z at different calibration positions X, Y of the scanning stage (), and thereby generating a running height profile of the scanning stage (). For the scanning of specimens (), the specimen height positions Zat specimen points X, Yare determined by means of a reference height Zof the specimen () together with the running height profile of the scanning stage (). While each specimen point X, Yis being traveled to with the scanning stage () the relevant specimen height position Zis already being set, so that running errors of the scanning stage () are compensated for and image acquisitions or measurements are possible immediately upon reaching the specimen point X, Y.