Nicholas C Allen

US Patent:

56754094, Oct 7, 1997

Filed:

Jul 10, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/500260

Inventors:

Sergey V. Broude - Newton Centre MA
David Giroux - Somersworth NH
Abdu Boudour - West Newton MA
Eric Chase - Carlisle MA
Carl Johnson - Tewksbury MA
Pascal Miller - North Chelmsford MA
Nicholas Allen - Bedford MA
Jay Ormsby - Salem MA

Assignee:

QC Optics, Inc. - Burlington MA

International Classification:

G01N 2188

US Classification:

356237

Abstract:

A plate holder for a plate surface inspection system, the plate holder including a plate holder body and a calibration plate integral with the plate holder body thereby eliminating the need to load a separate special calibration plate in the plate holder each time the surface inspection system needs to be calibrated.

US Patent:

53897943, Feb 14, 1995

Filed:

Nov 25, 1992

Appl. No.:

7/981745

Inventors:

Nicholas C. Allen - Bedford MA
Sergey V. Broude - Newton Centre MA
Eric T. Chase - Nashua NH
Pascal Miller - North Chelmsford MA
Jay L. Ormsby - Salem NH
Bruno Rostaing - Medford MA
Lloyd P. Quackenbos - Newburyport MA

Assignee:

QC Optics, Inc. - Burlington MA

International Classification:

G01N 2188

US Classification:

250572

Abstract:

A surface pit and mound detection and discrimination system including a device for scanning a beam of radiation over a surface, and a mechanism for detecting a local slope on the surface for differentiating between whether the beam of radiation is scanning a pit or a mound on the surface.

US Patent:

56024010, Feb 11, 1997

Filed:

Jul 10, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/499933

Inventors:

Sergey V. Broude - Newton Centre MA
Nicholas Allen - Bedford MA
Abdu Boudour - West Newton MA
Eric Chase - Carlisle MA
Carl Johnson - Tweksbury MA
Pascal Miller - North Chelmsford MA
Jay Ormsby - Salem MA

Assignee:

QC Optics, Inc. - Burlington MA

International Classification:

G01N 2186

US Classification:

25055945

Abstract:

A system for processing particle size and position data for a surface under inspection, the system including an air spindle for rotating and a translation stage for translating the surface with respect to a beam of radiation used to detect particles on the surface; a rotational encoder for dividing the surface into a number N of angular vectors; a counter of counting the number of revolutions of the surface; a processor for collecting particle size and position data at each angular vector during each revolution; first and second FIFO memories having at least N address spaces, each address space allocated for a specific angular vector; and a routine for writing the collected particle size and position data to the first memory and for reading particle size and position data from the second memory and switching memories every M revolutions. The FIFO memories are programmed to store only the greater of stored size data and incoming size data.

US Patent:

56251939, Apr 29, 1997

Filed:

Jul 10, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/500191

Inventors:

Sergey V. Broude - Newton Centre MA
Nicholas Allen - Bedford MA
Abdu Boudour - West Newton MA
Eric Chase - Carlisle MA
Carl Johnson - Tewksbury MA
Pascal Miller - North Chelmsford MA
Jay Ormsby - Salem MA

Assignee:

QC Optics, Inc. - Burlington MA

International Classification:

G01N 2147

US Classification:

250372

Abstract:

An improved optical inspection system for detecting flaws on a diffractive surface containing surface patterns includes: an ultraviolet illumination means for illuminating a region on the diffractive surface to generate a scattered intensity distribution in response to either a flaw or a surface pattern; means for detecting the intensity level of the scattered intensity distribution at a plurality of locations about the diffractive surface; means for establishing a minimum detected intensity level; means, responsive to the minimum detected intensity level, for indicating the absence of a flaw on the illuminated region of the diffractive surface when the minimum detected intensity level is below a threshold intensity level and for indicating the presence of a flaw on the illuminated region of the diffractive surface when the minimum detected intensity level exceeds the threshold intensity level; and means for moving the diffractive surface to generate a scan pattern on the diffractive surface to inspect the entire surface.

US Patent:

56728859, Sep 30, 1997

Filed:

Jul 10, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/499822

Inventors:

Nicholas Allen - Bedford MA
Sergey Broude - Newton Centre MA
Eric Chase - Carlisle MA
Carl Johnson - Tewksbury MA
Pascal Miller - North Chelmsford MA
Jay Ormsby - Salem MA
Arkady Savikovsky - Brookline MA

Assignee:

QC Optics, Inc. - Burlington MA

International Classification:

G01N 2189

US Classification:

2505593

Abstract:

A surface displacement detection system including a detector for detecting displacement of a surface in a direction normal to the surface as the surface revolves; an encoder which divides the surface into N sectors; a signal processor responsive to the detector for calculating the amount of displacement of the surface in each sector of the surface as it revolves; a displacement value look-up table; and a routine for writing to the table a displacement value for each sector once per M revolutions, and an adjustment system including a focussing actuating element, a routine to read displacement value look-up table, a routine to for updating the position of the focussing actuating element for every sector, according to the displacement values stored in the look-up table.

US Patent:

57171980, Feb 10, 1998

Filed:

Jul 10, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/499819

Inventors:

Sergey V. Broude - Newton Centre MA
Nicholas Allen - Bedford MA
Abdu Boudour - West Newton MA
Eric Chase - Carlisle MA
Carl Johnson - Tewksbury MA
Pascal Miller - North Chelmsford MA
Jay Ormsby - Salem MA

Assignee:

QC Optics, Inc. - Burlington MA

International Classification:

G01N 2188

US Classification:

250205

Abstract:

A pellicle reflectivity monitoring system comprising a radiation source for directing radiation through a pellicle to an object to be inspected, a sensor device positioned to receive the portion of the radiation reflected by the pellicle, a processor, responsive to the sensor device, for determining the intensity of the portion of the radiation reflected by the pellicle, and a lens assembly, positioned in an optical path between the pellicle and the sensor device, for directing the portion of the radiation reflected by pellicles of different heights onto the sensor device. A comparator device compares the intensity of the radiation directed at the object to be inspected with the intensity of the portion of the radiation reflected by the pellicle and outputs a correction factor based on the comparison in order to compensate for the portion of the radiation reflected by the pellicle.

US Patent:

56107196, Mar 11, 1997

Filed:

Jul 10, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/500433

Inventors:

Nicholas Allen - Bedford MA
Sergey Broude - Newton Centre MA
Eric Chase - Carlisle MA
Carl Johnson - Tewksbury MA
Pascal Miller - North Chelmsford MA
Jay Ormsby - Salem MA
Arkady Savikovsky - Brookline MA

Assignee:

QC Optics, Inc. - Burlington MA

International Classification:

G01B 1100

US Classification:

356374

Abstract:

A system for detecting displacement of a surface in a direction normal to the surface, the system including a first grating; a second grating; an optical subsystem for projecting an image of the first grating onto the surface and for directing a secondary image of the first grating reflected off the surface onto the second grating; and a detector, responsive to the fringe pattern formed after the secondary image passes through the second grating, for detecting displacement of the surface in a direction normal to the surface.

US Patent:

58148299, Sep 29, 1998

Filed:

Jul 11, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/500768

Inventors:

Sergey V. Broude - Newton Centre MA
Nicholas Allen - Bedford MA
Abdu Boudour - West Newton MA
Eric Chase - Carlisle MA
Carl Johnson - Tewksbury MA
Pascal Miller - North Chelmsford MA
Jay Ormsby - Salem MA

Assignee:

QC Optics, Inc. - Wilmington MA

International Classification:

G01N 2188

US Classification:

25055946

Abstract:

An inspection system and an inspection method, the method including detecting flaws on a surface, determining the size, count, and position of flaws on the surface, providing a representation of the detected flaws by size, count, and position on a display, setting a display threshold value which is a function of a number of particles of a particular size to be displayed on the display, determining when the display threshold is breached and in response adjusting the display to cease displaying those flaws, storing at least one inspection threshold value, and determining when the inspection threshold value is breached and in response outputting an inspection interrupt signal to stop the inspection after the inspection threshold value is breached.