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:
Feb. 27, 2018
Filed:
Nov. 13, 2013
Fei Efa, Inc., Fremont, CA (US);
FEI EFA, Inc., Fremont, CA (US);
Abstract
The invention provides a method for a non-destructive, non-contacting and image forming examination of a sample by means of heat flow thermography. The method comprises exciting the sample at least twice independently from each other by means of the heat pulses from the excitation source; taking a first thermal image of the surface of the sample at a first time distance Δtfrom a first triggering of the heat pulse which first time distance Δtis characteristic for gradients in heat flow velocity in a first depth below the surface of the sample; taking a second thermal image of the surface of the sample at a 1 second time distance Δtfrom a second triggering of the heat pulse which second time distance Δtis characteristic for gradients in heat flow velocity in a second depth below the first depth; and taking any thermal images of the surface of the sample at a further time distances Δtfrom any subsequent triggering of the heat pulse which further time distances Δtare characteristic for gradients in heat flow velocity in further depths lying deeper as the second depth; and extracting from the thermal images an indication of the presence of any gradients of heat flow velocity at the respective depth distances from a surface of the sample. The system is configured to carry out the above method.