William F. Semple, a dentist, was awarded the first US Patent on chewing gum in 1869. His recipe contained powdered chalk.
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8169620 | Sub-pixel spatial resolution wavefront phase imaging A phase imaging method for an optical wavefront acquires a plurality of phase images of the optical wavefront using a phase imager. Each phase image is unique and is shifted with respect to another of the phase images by a known/controlled amount that is less than t... | 05/01/2012 |
| 8154733 | Method and system for the optical measurement of large radii of curvature of optical functional surfaces The system and the method of the present invention differ from the prior art in that radii of curvature of any length of spherical and cylindrical test surfaces can be optically measured, with only a supplementary dual-focus lens being required in addition to an int... | 04/10/2012 |
| 8089633 | Test method for surface figure of large convex mirrors A method of testing a convex mirror surface figure in which an optical quality substrate material is used having a convex front surface and a rear surface polished to a precise optical figure to create a lens. The lens is then tested by a standard interferometric or... | 01/03/2012 |
| 8089634 | Optical element and method of calibrating a measuring apparatus comprising a wave shaping structure Optical element having an optical surface, which optical surface is adapted to a non-spherical target shape, such that a long wave variation of the actual shape of the optical surface with respect to the target shape is limited to a maximum value of 0.2 nm, wherein ... | 01/03/2012 |
| 7920275 | Optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus In a method for improving imaging properties of an illumination system or a projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, which comprises an optical element having a surface, the shape of the surface is measured directly at various point... | 04/05/2011 |
| 7880897 | Light wave interferometer apparatus The light wave interferometer apparatus is provided and includes: a luminous flux, which is sent from the light source and divided into two portions by the luminous flux separation and composition unit, are combined with each other again under the condition that the... | 02/01/2011 |
| 7808653 | Apparatus for measuring defects in a glass sheet A method of measuring the topography of a large, thin, non-flat specular substrate in a production environment with minimal movement of a majority of the measurement apparatus. A gimbal-mounted reflecting element is used to steer a short coherence length probe beam ... | 10/05/2010 |
| 7733501 | Optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus In a method for improving imaging properties of an illumination system or a projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, which comprises an optical element having a surface, the shape of the surface is measured directly at various point... | 06/08/2010 |
| 7612893 | Scanning interferometric methods and apparatus for measuring aspheric surfaces and wavefronts Interferometric scanning method(s) and apparatus for measuring test optics having aspherical surfaces including those with large departures from spherical. A reference wavefront is generated from a known origin along a scanning axis. A test optic is aligned on the s... | 11/03/2009 |
| 7423765 | Optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus In a method for improving imaging properties of an illumination system or a projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, which comprises an optical element having a surface, the shape of the surface is measured directly at various point... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7405830 | Vibration-insensitive interferometer The present invention relates to vibration-insensitive point-diffraction interferometry. For the purpose of obtaining high immunity to vibration, a single-mode optical fiber is used to generate the reference wave, by means of point diffraction, directly from a measu... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7400388 | Method for determining distortion and/or image surface A method for determining at least one of distortion and de-focus for an optical imaging system. The method includes determining wavefront aberrations in a pupil plane of the optical imaging system by a wavefront measurement method, determining focus offset measured ... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7375824 | Interferometer for measurement of dome-like objects An interferometer is provided, comprising a source, a unit under test (UUT) with at least a first surface and second surface, a reflective optic, a detector and light from the source. The light is transmitted through the unit under test and reflects off of the refle... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7372577 | Monolithic, spatially-separated, common path interferometer Spatially-separated heterodyne interferometer architecture is combined with monolithic glass construction techniques to provide a monolithic, spatially-separated, common-path interferometer. The monolithic interferometer includes multiple optical components bonded t... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7358516 | System and method for determining a position or/and orientation of two objects relative to each other as well as beam guiding arrangement, interferometer arrangement and device for changing an optical path length for use in such a system and method A system and a method for determining a position of two objects relative to each other is suggested, comprising: a source 43 of coherent radiation, a beam guidance for providing a measuring branch 49 for a measuring beam, which has an optical path leng... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7342667 | Method of processing an optical element using an interferometer having an aspherical lens that transforms a first spherical beam type into a second spherical beam type A method of processing an optical element having a spherical surface comprises providing a first interferometer apparatus having an interferometer optics with an aspherical lens for transforming a beam of a first spherical beam type into a beam of a second spherical... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7336367 | Light-receiving/emitting composite unit, method for manufacturing the same, and displacement detection device A displacement detection device having excellent stability with the lapse of time and suitable for reduction in size and weight includes: a light source for emitting light; polarizing light splitting unit for splitting the light emitted from the light source into tw... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7336370 | Optical nulling apparatus and method for testing an optical surface An optical nulling apparatus for testing an optical surface includes an aspheric mirror having a reflecting surface for imaging light near or onto the optical surface under test, where the aspheric mirror is configured to reduce spherical aberration of the optical s... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7330237 | Exposure apparatus equipped with interferometer and method of using same An exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system for projecting an exposure pattern, onto an object to be exposed, and a measuring apparatus for measuring, as an interference fringe, optical performance of the projection optical system, wherein the measuri... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7315380 | Laser interferometer for repeatable mounting on the wall of a vacuum chamber A laser interferometer is disclosed comprising a housing capable of being substantially repeatably mounted to a wall of an environmental chamber, the housing including a laser source, a reflector attached to an object located within the environmental chamber, and a ... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7295293 | Apparatus and method for testing a reflector coating A method of testing a coating on a reflector having a first focal point includes placing a mirror at the first focal point of the reflector and angled to orient with an area on the coating. Electromagnetic (EM) radiation is directed to the mirror which then directs ... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7286212 | Apparatus and method for measuring eccentricity of aspherical surface An apparatus for measuring the eccentricity of the aspherical surface has a light source unit; a condenser lens condensing light rays in the proximity of the center of paraxial curvature of a surface to be examined, of an aspherical lens; an angle changing means for... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7283252 | Measuring method and apparatus using interference, exposure method and apparatus using the same, and device fabrication method A measuring method for measuring an interference fringe includes the steps of generating a reference wave as a result of transmission through a slit or pinhole in a mask of a portion of light that has passed a target optical system, generating the interference fring... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7278315 | Laser-ultrasonic detection of subsurface defects in processed metals Subsurface defects in a processed metal are detected by a laser-ultrasonic method involving generation of a surface acoustic wave at one location on the processed metal surface, and detection of a scattered acoustic wave at another location on the processed metal su... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7277181 | Interferometric apparatus and method for surface profile detection An apparatus for detecting the surface profile of a test object includes a light source, a beam splitter, a reflective component, a sensor, and a computing device. The light source emits a light beam. The beam splitter divides the light beam into reference and probi... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7276718 | System and method for determining a position or/and orientation of two objects relative to each other as well as beam guiding arrangement, interferometer arrangement and device for changing an optical path length for use in such a system and method A system and a method for determining a position of two objects relative to each other is suggested, comprising: a source 43 of coherent radiation, a beam guidance for providing a measuring branch 49 for a measuring beam, which has an optical path leng... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7259860 | Optical feedback from mode-selective tuner A mode-monitoring system used in connection with discrete beam frequency tunable laser provides optical feedback that can be used for adjusting the laser or for other processing associated with the use of the laser. For example, the output of a frequency tunable sou... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7248351 | Optimizing light path uniformity in inspection systems An inspection system includes an illumination source configured to illuminate a blazed phase grating sample, image collection pathways and an imaging system configured to capture an image of a sample point of the blazed phase grating sample, and a controller configu... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7245384 | Sample inclination measuring method A sample inclination measuring method rotates, by a predetermined angle with respect to an interferometer apparatus, a columnar member having a leading end face in a planar form while the columnar member is held by a clamping apparatus, detects a relative angle betw... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7245363 | Optical sensor An optical detection system according to the present invention includes: a spatial light modulator for modulating the phase of incoming light; a photodetector having a plurality of photosensitive areas to receive the light of which the phase has been modulated by th... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7242484 | Apparatus and methods for surface contour measurement Apparatus and methods of measuring three-dimensional position information of a onto a surface of an object including two sources of radiation separated by a distance, each source having a spectral distribution, and being coherent with respect to the other of the sou... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7236254 | Exposure apparatus with interferometer A projection exposure apparatus includes an exposure light source, an illumination system for illuminating a pattern, formed on a first object, with light from the exposure light source and passing through the illumination system, a projection optical system for pro... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7227616 | Method for improving an optical imaging property of a projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus A method is disclosed for improving an optical imaging property, for example spherical aberration or the focal length, of a projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus. First, an immersion liquid is introduced into an interspace between... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7218403 | Scanning interferometer for aspheric surfaces and wavefronts Interferometric scanning method(s) and apparatus for measuring optics either having aspherical surfaces or that produce aspherical wavefronts. A test optic is aligned and moved with respect to a scanning axis relative to the origin of a known spherical wavefront tha... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7212291 | Interferometric microscopy using reflective optics for complex surface shapes An apparatus including: (i) an interferometer positioned to derive measurement and reference wavefronts from a source of electromagnetic radiation, wherein the interferometer is configured to direct the measurement wavefront to reflect from a measurement surface and... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7208749 | System and method for locating and positioning an ultrasonic signal generator for testing purposes The invention is directed to an ultrasonic testing system. The system tests a manufactured part for various physical attributes, including specific flaws, defects, or composition of materials. The part can be housed in a gantry system that holds the part stable. An ... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7188964 | Integrated actuator meniscus mirror An integrated actuator meniscus mirror includes an optical substrate having a mirror surface on one side and a support structure on the other and a plurality of actuators embedded in the support structure, spaced from and generally parallel to the mirror surface for... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7187449 | Light-receiving/emitting composite unit, method for manufacturing the same, and displacement detection device A displacement detection device having excellent stability with the lapse of time and suitable for reduction in size and weight includes: a light source for emitting light; polarizing light splitting unit for splitting the light emitted from the light source into tw... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7167251 | Method of processing an optical substrate A method of processing an optical substrate having a convex surface comprises an interferometric measurement using a beam of diverging measuring light traversing the substrate and reflected from a concave mirror. ... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7158914 | Precision surface measurement A test surface of a test object is measured with respect to a reference surface to generate a first relative surface measurement, where the test surface is in a first position relative to the reference surface. The test surface is measured with respect to the refere... | 01/02/2007 |