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...Daniel Webster invented a "bull plow" to pull out tree stumps. It didn't catch on because it was huge and required four oxen to pull it!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7916306 | Optical device comprising a cantilever and method of fabrication and use thereof The present invention provides an optical device, comprising an optical fiber and a cantilever that is arranged on an end of the optical fiber; The cantilever may be an integral part of the optical fiber, and may have a length that is substantially equal to a diamet... | 03/29/2011 |
| 7907288 | Shape measuring apparatus A shape measuring apparatus includes a probe for scanning across a surface to be measured, while vibrating up and down; a minute-vibration generation section for vibrating the probe up and down; a vertical movement control section for moving the probe up and down to... | 03/15/2011 |
| 7847953 | Homodyne laser interferometer probe and displacement measurement system using the same A low-cost homodyne laser interferometer probe of simple structure is provided which allows predetermined performance to be easily obtained by a simple adjustment, and a displacement measurement system using the same is also disclosed. The homodyne laser interferome... | 12/07/2010 |
| 7800761 | Infrared interferometric-spatial-phase imaging using backside wafer marks An interferometric-spatial-phase imaging (ISPI) system includes a substrate wafer. An alignment configuration is permanently embedded in the substrate wafer. The alignment configuration uses a global coordinate reference system by providing a plurality of global ref... | 09/21/2010 |
| 7738115 | Optical device for measuring modulated signal light An optical device for determining at least one signal light component being characteristic for an optical near-field interaction of a probe with an object to be investigated, wherein the near-field interaction is subjected to a fundamental modulation at a fundamenta... | 06/15/2010 |
| 7545508 | Interferometric apparatus utilizing a cantilever array to measure a surface A cantilever array having a simple structure and being able to reliably detect a surface of a sample, a method for fabricating the same, a scanning probe microscope, a sliding apparatus of a guiding and rotating mechanism, a sensor, a homodyne laser interferometer, ... | 06/09/2009 |
| 7535581 | Nanometer-level mix-and-match scanning tip and electron beam lithography using global backside position reference marks An interferometric-spatial-phase imaging (ISPI) system includes a substrate wafer. An alignment configuration is permanently embedded in the substrate wafer. The alignment configuration uses a global coordinate reference system by providing a plurality of global ref... | 05/19/2009 |
| 7474410 | Nanometer-precision tip-to-substrate control and pattern registration for scanning-probe lithography An interferometric-spatial-phase imaging (ISPI) system includes an alignment mechanism for obtaining continuous six-axis control of a scanning probe tip with respect to a coordinate system attached to a substrate. A gap detection mechanism measures tip height above ... | 01/06/2009 |
| 7414731 | Microscope and interferometer thereof An interferometer comprises a light source unit, a first splitter, a reference beam unit and a detection unit. The light source unit provides a laser beam. The first splitter receives the laser beam from the light source unit and splits the laser beam into a first b... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7389679 | Measurement cell and method for the analysis of liquids This invention relates to a liquid measurement cell for micromechanical sensors, so-called cantilever sensors. These sensors are e.g. used for the detection of biomolecules without the need for fluorescent or radioactive labelling. These measurements are usually car... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7347085 | Nanoscale displacement detector A nanoscale displacement detector includes a cantilever integrated with an optical resonator, referred to herein as a “microresonator.” The microresonator and cantilever are configured such that displacement of the cantilever relative to the microresonator cause... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7330574 | Best-focus estimation by lateral scanning The sample stage of an array microscope is tilted in the scanning direction such that the best-focus plane of the array microscope intersects the surface of the sample during the scan. As a result of the tilt, the distance from the sample surface of each miniaturize... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7319527 | Sensor with cantilever and optical resonator An optical sensor, in particular for a scanning force microscope, measures the deflection of a cantilever (3) using an optical resonator between the cantilever (3) and an output surface (12b) of a lens assembly (10). In order to fo... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7319528 | Surface texture measuring instrument A surface texture measuring instrument provided with a near-field measuring unit (30) including a near-field probe (33) that forms a near-field light at a tip end thereof when a laser beam is irradiated, a laser source (35) that generates the la... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7241987 | Probe for near-field microscope, the method for manufacturing the probe and scanning probe microscope using the probe In a manufacture of a probe for a scattering type near-field microscope, there is provided a method of coating, with a high reproducibility, uniform metal particles efficiently inducing a surface enhanced Raman scattering. It has been adapted such that, in the probe... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7230719 | High sensitivity scanning probe system The present invention provides a hybrid optical and interferometric atomic force microscope system (40) for monitoring a cantilever probe (46). A light source (42) provides a light beam which is focussed on the back of the cantilever probe (4... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7187452 | Lidar system and method A ground-based method is disclosed which determines the spatial statistics of fragmented and spatially variably dispersed objects in a transmissive medium, by generating a plurality of pulsed beams of laser energy, the beams having selectively variable width and sha... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7168311 | Fiber optic monitoring of flow inside and outside a tube downhole An apparatus and method for monitoring and characterizing the fluid flow in and around the tubing string in a wellbore, preferably using fiber optic componentry. The apparatus includes a signal sensing demodulator device and a skin friction sensing device positionab... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7130057 | Method and apparatus for controlling the position of a probe location relative to a fixed reference point of a probe processing equipment A method for controlling the position of a probe location relative to a fixed reference point of a probe processing apparatus is described. Initially, an optical laser apparatus is coupled to the probe processing apparatus. The position of the probe location is set ... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7105358 | Apparatus and method for visually identifying micro-forces with a palette of cantilever array blocks An apparatus to measure micro-forces includes a cantilever palette with a set of cantilever array blocks. Each cantilever array block includes a set of cantilevers, with each cantilever including a set of cantilever fingers surrounded by a frame with frame fingers. ... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7092102 | Measuring device for detecting the dimensions of test samples A measuring device for detecting dimensions of bores has a light source emitting a light beam and a beamsplitter for splitting the light beam into a reference beam and a measuring beam. A reference mirror is arranged downstream of the beam splitter. The measuring be... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7079258 | Measurement device for non-contact detection of oscillations of an object A measurement device for oscillation measurement, as well as a corresponding method, is proposed, wherein the oscillation measurement is performed by at least one laser interferometer (2, 3), whose measurement beam is directed onto various measurement points ... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7068377 | System and method for surface profiling a target object The present invention relates to microinterferometers and the application of such to profile surface geometries. A representative method for profiling a target surface of an object includes: illuminating the target surface with an incident light beam through a phase... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7060448 | Evaluating binding affinities by force stratification and force panning The present invention is a method for selectively removing objects from a surface utilizing a probe. The probe is scanned over the surface utilizing a greater and greater relative amount of force so that a certain number of the objects are removed from the surface. ... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7062091 | Coordinate calibration for scanning systems A scanning system is calibrated to correct for possible panel misalignments errors. A reference slide or data point is used to obtain a series of measurements with the scanning system. These measurements are compared with the expected results to determine systematic... | 06/13/2006 |
| 6943968 | Adjustable focusing composite for use in an optical profilometer system and method An adjustable lens is disclosed for use in an optical profilometer system. The adjustable lens includes a plurality of elements that are mutually spaced from another in a first position and provides a first focal point for an incident electromagnetic field having a ... | 09/13/2005 |
| 6940881 | Tunable laser with wavelength locking A laser system including a controller for monitoring and controlling various functions of a laser assembly. The laser controller may include a wavelength tuning circuit for adjusting and locking the wavelength of the external cavity. To perform various monitoring an... | 09/06/2005 |
| 6925395 | Apparatus and method for measuring the torque applied to bolts An apparatus and method for measuring and recording the torque applied to a bolt. The present invention utilizes a piezoelectric compound disposed between an upper member and a lower member. When the bolt is tightened, the piezoelectric compound is physically distor... | 08/02/2005 |
| 6784416 | Polarization transformer and polarization mode dispersion compensator A polarization transformer can be constructed using a continuously adjustable polarization transforming device and a limited-range adjustable polarization transforming device. In general, the response time of the limited-range adjustable polarization transforming de... | 08/31/2004 |
| 6718821 | Laser interferometry force-feedback sensor for an interfacial force microscope A scanning force microscope is provided with a force-feedback sensor to increase sensitivity and stability in determining interfacial forces between a probe and a sample. The sensor utilizes an interferometry technique that uses a collimated light beam directed onto... | 04/13/2004 |
| 6680780 | Interferometric probe stabilization relative to subject movement The present invention provides a method and system to actively stabilize a probe, such as a microelectrode, relative to movement of the subject, utilizing laser interferometry. In the preferred embodiments, a probe is mounted on a manipulator such that th... | 01/20/2004 |
| 6650420 | Nanoscale vibrometric measurement apparatus and method An apparatus for measuring the amount of motion of the surface of a microscopic object includes a light source, an optical fiber for transmitting the light, and a collection objective. The optical fiber emits the light output through an aperture tapered t... | 11/18/2003 |
| 6549648 | Method for determining a position of a structural element on a substrate A method and apparatus determines the position P of a structural element that is non-orthogonal relative to the coordinate axes (x, y) of a substrate. The structural element is imaged on a detector array of a CCD camera that has a reference point. With th... | 04/15/2003 |
| 6426796 | Fiber optic wall shear stress sensor A fiber optic wall shear stress sensor is presented. The sensor comprises a floating head supported by a physical arrangement. At least one optical fiber is positioned in an operable relationship to the floating head wherein an interferometric region is f... | 07/30/2002 |
| 6272884 | Rapid restart system for cryogenic air separation plant A system for re-starting an air separation plant after an interruption in operation wherein descending liquid is collected in a non-operating distillation column and passed back to the separation section of that column before or upon re-start. The inventi... | 08/14/2001 |
| 5969273 | Method and apparatus for critical dimension and tool resolution determination using edge width A method for monitoring a process in which a feature is formed on a substrate. A plurality of dimensions of the feature are measured using a tool. An edge width of the feature is calculated based on the plurality of dimensions. The edge width is used to d... | 10/19/1999 |
| 5908981 | Interdigital deflection sensor for microcantilevers A deflection sensor for a microcantilever includes two sets of interdigitated fingers, one (reference) set being attached to the substrate from which the microcantilever extends and the other (movable) set being attached to the tip of the microcantilever.... | 06/01/1999 |
| 5891747 | Interferometric fiber optic displacement sensor A method is presented to produce a change in the optical path length in the gap between two single mode optical fibers proportional to the lateral displacement of either fiber end normal to its axis. This is done with the use of refraction or diffraction ... | 04/06/1999 |
| 5715054 | Scanning force microscope with detector probe for the atomic resolution of a surface structure In a scanning probe microscope for the atomic resolution of the surface structure of an object wherein a detector probe is supported on a sensor head by a probe holder so as to be movable relative to the surface of an object to be scanned, the sensor head... | 02/03/1998 |
| 5646731 | Interferometric detecting/imaging method based on multi-pole sensing A method for detecting and/or imaging a workpiece. In a detection aspect, the method comprises the steps of sampling an electromagnetic wave packet representative of workpiece properties and comprising encoded wave information derivable from a multi-pole ... | 07/08/1997 |
