"I hate what they've done to my child...I would never let my own children watch it. "
Vladimir Zworykin, television pioneer ; Talking about an invention in which he played a critical role.
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 |
| 8174705 | Tilting mirror controlled using null-based interferometric sensing A mirror drive mechanism for a tilting mirror is controlled using feedback from one or more interferometric angular sensors. The wavelength of an optical beam is varied as it is fed into an interferometric angular sensor. The wavelength at which the resulting interf... | 05/08/2012 |
| 7894075 | Multiple-degree of freedom interferometer with compensation for gas effects The disclosure features multiple degree-of-freedom interferometers (e.g., non-dispersive interferometers) for monitoring linear and angular (e.g., pitch and/or yaw) displacements of a measurement object with compensation for variations in the optical properties of a... | 02/22/2011 |
| 7869056 | Linear displacement and tilting angle measuring device A tilting angle measuring device includes an optical device, a four-quadrant optical detector and a computing unit. By the optical device, a light beam emitted by the coherent light source is processed into a reference beam and a test beam. The four-quadrant optical... | 01/11/2011 |
| 7796272 | Position-measuring device for measuring a position of an object relative to a tool having a tool centerpoint A position-measuring device is used for measuring the position of an object relative to a tool, the tool having a tool center point. The position-measuring device includes at least two intersected scales displaceable relative to each other in at least one plane of m... | 09/14/2010 |
| 7499180 | Alignment stage, exposure apparatus, and semiconductor device manufacturing method An alignment stage includes a first plane mirror which extends in two directions substantially perpendicular to each other in order to measure the position of a stage in the translation direction and the tilt of the stage in the direction of height, a first measurem... | 03/03/2009 |
| 7460243 | Measuring apparatus sensitive to rotational but not translational or vibrational movement A measuring apparatus and method which is sensitive to rotational but not translational or vibrational movement. The magnitude of an applied rotational force is determined based upon interference patterns created from light reflected from an interferometric prism po... | 12/02/2008 |
| 7433052 | Systems and methods for tilt and range measurement A method of determining an amount of tilt may include projecting at least two coherent wavefronts toward a target surface, the wavefronts reflecting from the target surface to create an interference fringe pattern on a detector, and transmitting a beam toward the ta... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7382435 | Exposure apparatus An exposure apparatus which irradiates a photosensitive agent applied to a substrate to form a latent image pattern on the photosensitive agent. The exposure apparatus includes a substrate stage which drives the substrate, a focus measurement unit which obliquely ir... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7365857 | Precompensation of polarization errors in heterodyne interferometry Apparatus and methods for adjusting the polarizations of the components of an input beam to reduce leakage caused by imperfections in an interferometer are disclosed. The apparatus includes an interferometer positioned to receive an input beam that includes two comp... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7330275 | Method and system for determining the position and alignment of a surface of an object in relation to a laser beam The present invention generally relates to a method and system for determining the position and alignment of a plane in relation to an intersecting axis and using that known position and alignment to allow for corrections to be made when using the plane as a referen... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7327452 | Light beam apparatus and method for orthogonal alignment of specimen A system for orthogonal alignment of a specimen disclosed. The system includes a light-beam illumination source, collection optics, imaging optics, and a tiltable specimen holder. The light-beam source is activated to illuminate a spot on the specimen, and the imagi... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7327465 | Compensation for effects of beam misalignments in interferometer metrology systems In general, in a first aspect, the invention features methods that include deriving a first beam and a second beam from an input beam and directing the first and second beams along different paths, where the path of the first beam contacts a measurement object, prod... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7324213 | Small angle high frequency angular displacement measurement system A system to determine unwanted noise produced by simulation equipment. In one embodiment, an angular rotation noise measuring system comprises a stable body, a laser, at least one interferometer and at least one mirror. The laser is adapted to generate a primary las... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7317194 | Microscope for performing multiple frequency fluorometric measurements An optical imager, such as a microscope for performing multiple frequency fluorometric measurements comprising a light source, such as a laser source is disclosed. The system is used to excite a sample into the fluorescent state. Light from the excited sample is col... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7304815 | Laser system A laser system and interferometer are disclosed comprising a laser source for generating a laser beam, and first and second adjustable elements wherein the first and second adjustable elements have limited rotational motion so rotation of the first adjustable elemen... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7280223 | Interferometry systems and methods of using interferometry systems In general, in one aspect, the invention features methods that include interferometrically monitoring a distance between an interferometry assembly and a measurement object along each of three different measurement axes while moving the measurement object relative t... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7274466 | Method and apparatus for measuring dynamic configuration surface A surface of a dynamic object such as a polygon mirror is measured to determine configuration. In measuring the surface configuration, a light is emitted onto the surface, and interference stripes are analyzed to determine the surface configuration. In analysis of t... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7268886 | Method and apparatus for simultaneously measuring displacement and angular variations Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for simultaneously measuring a displacement and angular variations. The method and apparatus of the present invention allows light radiated from a single light source to be placed along a light axis so as to simultaneously ... | 09/11/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7230217 | Hybrid rectangular heating applicators A rectangular microwave applicator operating at a predetermined frequency and comprising a microwave enclosure forming a cavity having first and second transverse dimensions and a longitudinal dimension n the direction of propagation of microwave energy, wherein sai... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7193721 | Systems using polarization-manipulating retroreflectors Measurement systems that separate polarization components can use retroreflectors to preserve or transform polarization and avoid unwanted mixing of the polarization components. A suitable retroreflector can include a coated cube corner reflector with retardation pl... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7173714 | Apparatus for parallel detection of the behaviour of mechanical micro-oscillators The invention concerns an apparatus for parallel detection of the behaviour of mechanical micro-oscillators interacting with the sample (21). The amplitude and the phase of resonance of micro-oscillators (12) are measured with optical means. The invent... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7148458 | Circuit for estimating position and orientation of a mobile object A circuit system for estimating position and orientation of a mobile object based on lights from a plurality of external light sources. The circuit comprises a position-sensitive light sensor for detecting the light sources and generating a first signal, an analog f... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7136169 | Etalon testing system and process The present invention provides a relatively simple etalon testing system and process for measuring cavity error of etalons to high precision. It works equally well on solid and air-spaced designs. This invention should be a great aid in the manufacture of high perfo... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7101053 | Multidirectional retroreflectors Multidirectional retroreflectors and methods of reflecting light beams from multiple directions are provided. The multidirectional retroreflectors utilize a four-mirror retroreflector with a common virtual reflection point. ... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7095506 | Interferometry systems and methods of using interferometry systems In general, in one aspect, the invention features methods that include interferometrically monitoring a distance between an interferometry assembly and a measurement object along each of three different measurement axes while moving the measurement object relative t... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7088451 | Scatterometry by phase sensitive reflectometer A phase-sensitive interferometric broadband reflectometer includes an illumination source for generating an optical beam. A beam splitter or other optical element splits the optical beam into probe beam and reference beam portions. The probe beam is reflected by a s... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7034945 | Fourier transform spectrometry with a multi-aperture interferometer A spectrometer configured to extract spectral information from a wavefront. The spectrometer includes a first collection device that includes an adjustable-optical path and configured to collect a first portion of a wavefront; a second collection device configured t... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7027162 | System and method for three-dimensional measurement An optical measurement system increases the number of translational and angular measurements made with a single laser beam by combining an optical interferometer with an optical autocollimator. Translational measurements are made with an optical interferometer and y... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7027676 | Optical phase measurement of target Optical phase detection includes generating a first lightwave having a first polarization and a second lightwave having a polarization that is offset from the first polarization, and imposing a relative delay between the first and second lightwaves. The relative del... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7016050 | Microscope with fixed-element autocollimator for tilt adjustment The movable point source aperture used in conventional autocollimators for measuring tilt in a microscope's test sample is replaced by a fixed laser diode. The diode is turned on only for the duration of the tilt measurement, when light is delivered to the optical s... | 03/21/2006 |
| 7016051 | Reticle focus measurement system using multiple interferometric beams A first set of interferometric measuring beams is used to determine a location of a patterned surface of a reticle and a reticle focus plane for a reticle that is back clamped to a reticle stage. A second set of interferometric measuring beams is used to determine a... | 03/21/2006 |
| 6987569 | Dynamic interferometer controlling direction of input beam Interferometers can be configured to maintain a measurement beam substantially orthogonal to a plane measurement mirror and to minimize the lateral beam shear between the measurement and reference beam components of the output beam to a detector. These interferomete... | 01/17/2006 |
| 6967764 | Optical arrangement and scan microscope An optical arrangement for spatially separating an illumination light beam and a detection light beam includes an acousto-optical component that splits the detection light beam by birefringence. A compensation element is provided that compensates, in a single passag... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6947149 | Method of assisting sample inclination error adjustment While a ferrule held by a clamping apparatus is rotated by a predetermined angle, respective interference fringe images of a spherical leading end part of the ferrule are obtained at three or more rotational positions. Respective interference fringe center positions... | 09/20/2005 |
| 6917432 | Interferometers for measuring changes in optical beam direction Apparatus for measuring angular changes in the direction of travel of a light beam comprising at least one beam shearing assembly for separating, preferably orthogonally polarized, components of the light beam and introducing a lateral shear between them. An analyze... | 07/12/2005 |
| 6856402 | Interferometer with dynamic beam steering element An interferometry system includes: i) a first polarizing beam splitter which during operation separates an input beam into a measurement beam and a reference beam; ii) a beam steering element positioned to direct the measurement beam, and not the reference beam, the... | 02/15/2005 |
| 6850330 | Reticle focus measurement system using multiple interferometric beams A first set of interferometric measuring beams is used to determine a location of a patterned surface of a reticle and a reticle focus plane for a reticle that is back clamped to a reticle stage. A second set of interferometric measuring beams is used to determine a... | 02/01/2005 |
| 6847460 | Alignment and correction template for optical profilometric measurement An electronic template delineating distinct selected patterns corresponding to predetermined regions of interest in a sample part is used to limit analysis to those regions. The surface of the sample is first measured using conventional techniques. The data so acqui... | 01/25/2005 |
| 6813022 | Interferometer system An interferometric measurement system capable of measuring tilt of a reflecting surface with respect to a vertical axis. The system preferably includes four laser beams spaced at predetermined distances to measure distances between the measurement system and four lo... | 11/02/2004 |