Did You Know...
...that one person who claimed to be the inventor of the television is Russian emigre Vladimir Zworykin? In 1929 David Sarnoff, founder of RCA, asked Zworykin what it would take to develop TV for commercial use. He said: a year and a half and $100,000. In reality, it took 20 years and $50 million! Before his death in 1982 at the age of 92, Zworykin said of his invention: "The technique is wonderful. It is beyond my expectations. But the programs! I would never let my children even come close to this thing."
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8189203 | Reticle inspection systems and method A method and systems for reticle inspection. The method includes coherently illuminating surfaces of an inspection reticle and a reference reticle, applying a Fourier transform to scattered light from the illuminated surfaces, shifting the phase of the transformed l... | 05/29/2012 |
| 8144336 | Optical coherence tomography imaging A digitized image of an object may include representations of portions of the object that are obscured, occluded or otherwise unobservable. The image may be a multi-dimensional visual representation of dentition. Characteristics of the dentition and its surfaces, co... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8081317 | Electrostatic chuck with anti-reflective coating, measuring method and use of said chuck The embodiments disclosed herein relate to an electrostatic chuck, or an optically structured element or an optical mask that comprise a metal film as well as a transparent cover applied on a substrate. At least two anti-reflective films are inserted between the met... | 12/20/2011 |
| 8077324 | Surface characteristic determining apparatus Light from the first and second different wavelength light sources is combined and supplied to a director that directs zeroth order light to a reference surface and other order, generally first order diffracted light to on a location of the sample surface which is d... | 12/13/2011 |
| 8072611 | Interferometric analysis of under-resolved features In certain aspects, disclosed methods include directing test light reflected from an object to form an image of the object on a detector, where the object includes a diffractive structure. The test light at the detector includes both specularly and non-specularly re... | 12/06/2011 |
| 8059278 | Optical wave interference measuring apparatus The relative position of a test surface is sequentially changed from a reference position where a surface central axis is aligned with a measurement optical axis such that the measurement optical axis is sequentially moved to a plurality of annular regions obtained ... | 11/15/2011 |
| RE42899 | Method and system for measuring the relief of an object A method and a system for measuring the relief of an object are described herein. The system includes a grid projecting for projecting a grid, an image acquisition apparatus that includes a camera, and a computer. Providing a reference object having common elements ... | 11/08/2011 |
| 8035821 | Interferometric system having a reference surface including a mirrored zone An interferometric system having an illumination arm, including a light source and an illuminating optical system, for forming an illuminating beam; an object arm, including a reference element for measuring an object having an object surface to be measured, for for... | 10/11/2011 |
| 7999948 | Interferometric system for the use of special-purpose optical systems An interferometric system which includes an illumination arm having a light source and an illumination optical system for forming an illumination beam path; an object arm having a special-purpose optical system for measuring an object for the purpose of forming an i... | 08/16/2011 |
| 7965394 | Method and apparatus for identifying dynamic characteristics of a vibratory object A method and apparatus for identifying dynamic characteristics of a vibratory object is provided in the present invention, in which a series of dynamic interference images of the vibratory object is acquired through a frequency sweeping procedure and a two-dimension... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7948636 | Interferometer and method for measuring characteristics of optically unresolved surface features Disclosed is an interferometry analysis method that includes comparing information derivable from multiple interferometry signals corresponding to different surface locations of a test object to information corresponding to multiple models of the test object, wherei... | 05/24/2011 |
| 7924435 | Apparatus and method for measuring characteristics of surface features An apparatus is disclosed which includes an interferometry system configured to operate in a first mode to produce a first set of multiple interferometry signals corresponding to different illumination angles of a test object by test light and in a second mode produ... | 04/12/2011 |
| 7924434 | Systems configured to generate output corresponding to defects on a specimen Systems configured to generate output corresponding to defects on a specimen and systems configured to generate phase information about defects on a specimen are provided. One system includes an optical subsystem that is configured to create interference between a t... | 04/12/2011 |
| 7889355 | Interferometry for lateral metrology A method is disclosed which includes: using a scanning interferometry system, generating a sequence of phase-shifted interferometry images at different scan positions of an object comprising a buried surface, identifying a scan position corresponding to a position o... | 02/15/2011 |
| 7884947 | Interferometry for determining characteristics of an object surface, with spatially coherent illumination Disclosed is an apparatus which includes: an interferometer configured to direct broadband spatially coherent test light to a test surface of a test object over a range of illumination angles and subsequently combine it with reference light to form an interference p... | 02/08/2011 |
| 7869057 | Multiple-angle multiple-wavelength interferometer using high-NA imaging and spectral analysis A method is disclosed including: generating a scanning interferometry signal at each of multiple wavelengths for each of at least one location on a test object; obtaining the scanning interferometry signals at each of the multiple wavelengths for each of at least on... | 01/11/2011 |
| 7864339 | Method for the contactless measurement of three-dimensional objects with two layers by single-view backlit shadowgraphy To measure a hollow three-dimensional object without contact, this object being translucent or transparent vis-á-vis a visible light, an image of the object is acquired by single-view backlit shadowgraphy, along a viewing axis, by observing this object with visible... | 01/04/2011 |
| 7855791 | Vibration-resistant interferometric scanning system and method thereof A vibration-resistant interferometric scanning system and method are provided in the present invention. In the present invention, the brightness distribution in a high-coherence interference pattern is analyzed so as to perform a compensation action to lock the brig... | 12/21/2010 |
| 7852489 | Method for measuring surface profile, and apparatus using the same A reference plane is arranged in a posture obliquely tilted at an optional angle relative to a traveling direction of a light-beam, so that an interference fringe is generated from the reflected light-beams which are reflected from a target plane and the reference p... | 12/14/2010 |
| 7821647 | Apparatus and method for measuring surface topography of an object An apparatus for measuring surface topography of an object includes an optical arrangement capable of directing a first light beam at a surface of the object, providing a second light beam coherent with and spatially phase-shifted relative to the first light beam, a... | 10/26/2010 |
| 7808652 | Interferometric measurement of DLC layer on magnetic head An explicit relationship is developed between the ratio of average interferometric modulation produced by diamond-like carbon (DLC)-coated magnetic-head surfaces and the thickness of the DLC layer. Accordingly, the thickness of the DLC layer is calculated in various... | 10/05/2010 |
| 7796273 | Phase-shifting interferometry in the presence of vibration A phase-shifting interferometry (PSI) method and corresponding system including: (i) recording an interferogram for each phase in a sequence of phases between test light reflected from a test surface and reference light reflected from a reference surface, the test a... | 09/14/2010 |
| 7782467 | Method for measuring volume by an optical surface profilometer in a micromechanical device and a system for carrying out said measurement A method of measuring a volume in a fluid flow micromechanical device includes: a) providing and positioning an optical apparatus for measuring the profile of a surface; b) providing a device for acquiring and processing the images coming from the optical apparatus ... | 08/24/2010 |
| 7782468 | Method and device for measuring heights of patterns A method for measuring the heights of patterns of an object, including: a light emission, the light includes a propagation mode of interest for at least one wavelength of interest, an illumination of the surface of the object by the light, a reflection of the light ... | 08/24/2010 |
| 7751063 | Multiple channel interferometric surface contour measurement system Described is a multiple channel interferometric surface contour measurement system. The measurement system includes a multiple channel interferometer projector, a digital camera and a processor. The projector includes two or more interferometer channels. Each channe... | 07/06/2010 |
| 7738117 | Method of manufacturing an optical element A method of manufacturing an optical element involves an interferometric test of the optical element using an interferometer system of a Fizeau type combined with principles of white-light interferometry. The optical element is disposed in a cavity between a Fizeau ... | 06/15/2010 |
| 7728987 | Method of manufacturing an optical element A method of manufacturing an optical element includes testing the optical element by using an interferometer optics generating a beam of measuring light illuminating only a sub-aperture of the tested optical element. The interferometer optics comprises a hologram. R... | 06/01/2010 |
| 7719693 | Interferometry system chamber viewing window A stroboscopic imaging interferometer system includes an environmental chamber having a novel viewing window equipped with a rigidly integrated beam splitter and piezo actuated reference mirror for illuminating a device providing an object beam and reference mirror ... | 05/18/2010 |
| 7710580 | Vibration resistant interferometry In general, in one aspect, the invention features a method including providing scanning interferometry data for a test object using phase shifting interferometry, the data including intensity values for each of multiple scan positions for different spatial locations... | 05/04/2010 |
| 7705997 | Method of measuring topology of functional liquid droplet in pixel, topology measuring apparatus of functional liquid in pixel, liquid ejection apparatus, method of manufacturing electro-optical apparatus, electro-optical apparatus, and electronic apparatus A method of measuring topology of functional liquid in a pixel, in which thickness or volume of the functional liquid in the pixel is measured by a surface topology measuring apparatus comprising: measuring surface topologies in which surface topology of the functio... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7701589 | Three-dimensional shape measuring method and apparatus Three-dimensional shape measuring instrument (white interferometer) for measuring the three-dimensional shape of an object to be measured by using white interference fringes, which detects the position where the amplitude of the white interference fringes takes on a... | 04/20/2010 |
| 7684048 | Scanning microscopy Apparatus for imaging a surface, including scanning optics, which are configured to scan and focus one or more traveling beams onto the surface so as to form one or more traveling spots thereon. The apparatus also includes collection optics, which are arranged to co... | 03/23/2010 |
| 7684049 | Interferometer and method for measuring characteristics of optically unresolved surface features Disclosed is an interferometry analysis method that includes comparing information derivable from multiple interferometry signals corresponding to different surface locations of a test object to information corresponding to multiple models of the test object, wherei... | 03/23/2010 |
| 7667852 | Measuring the shape, thickness variation, and material inhomogeneity of a wafer In one embodiment, an interferometer system comprises an unequal path interferometer assemble comprising; a first reference flat having a first length L1 in a first dimension, a second reference flat having a second length L2 in the first dimension, a ... | 02/23/2010 |
| 7646490 | Apparatus and method for in situ and ex situ measurement of spatial impulse response of an optical system using phase shifting point-diffraction interferometry A test object including: an arrangement of optical elements defining a first partially reflecting surface and a second partially reflecting surface, at least one of the first and second partially reflecting surfaces being curved, wherein the first partially reflecti... | 01/12/2010 |
| 7636167 | Dual technology optical profilometer The device comprises a light source (LED), beam splitters, illumination pattern generating mechanism and interchangeable microscope lenses that are lenses that may be used to obtain confocal images and lenses that may be used to obtain interferometric images. The ge... | 12/22/2009 |
| 7619746 | Generating model signals for interferometry A method is disclosed which includes, for each of multiple areas of a test surface on a test object having different reflectivities, using an interferometry system to measure each area in a first mode of operation that measures information about the reflectivity of ... | 11/17/2009 |
| 7616324 | Ultra precision profile measuring method To provide a method for measuring a plane mirror or a curved surface mirror close to plane mirror for condensing hard X-rays or soft X-rays used in a radiation light facility, especially an elliptical or tubular object having a steep profile exceeding 1×10−4... | 11/10/2009 |
| 7616323 | Interferometer with multiple modes of operation for determining characteristics of an object surface Disclosed is a system including: (i) an interferometer configured to direct test electromagnetic radiation to a test surface and reference electromagnetic radiation to a reference surface and subsequently combine the electromagnetic radiation to form an interference... | 11/10/2009 |
| 7612892 | Imaging optical system configured with through the lens optics for producing control information A new and useful imaging concept is provided that is designed to improve the manner in which control information for an imaging optical system such as a lithographic imaging optical system can be generated. An imaging optical system comprises imaging optics defining... | 11/03/2009 |
