Michael J Sinclair

US Patent:

6567715, May 20, 2003

Filed:

Apr 19, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/553989

Inventors:

Michael B. Sinclair - Albuquerque NM
Maarten P. DeBoer - Albuquerque NM
Norman F. Smith - Albuquerque NM
Brian D. Jensen - Ann Arbor MI
Samuel L. Miller - Albuquerque NM

Assignee:

Sandia Corporation - Albuquerque NM

International Classification:

G06F 1900

US Classification:

700110, 700121, 702 84, 257 48

Abstract:

A new approach toward MEMS quality control and materials characterization is provided by a combined test structure measurement and mechanical response modeling approach. Simple test structures are cofabricated with the MEMS devices being produced. These test structures are designed to isolate certain types of physical response, so that measurement of their behavior under applied stress can be easily interpreted as quality control and material properties information.

US Patent:

6721094, Apr 13, 2004

Filed:

Mar 5, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/800047

Inventors:

Michael B. Sinclair - Albuquerque NM
Maarten P. DeBoer - Albuquerque NM
Norman F. Smith - Albuquerque NM

Assignee:

Sandia Corporation - Albuquerque NM

International Classification:

G02B 2122

US Classification:

359386, 359368, 356345, 356351, 356358

Abstract:

Disclosed is a long working distance interference microscope suitable for three-dimensional imaging and metrology of MEMS devices and test structures on a standard microelectronics probe station. The long working distance of 10-30 mm allows standard probes or probe cards to be used. This enables nanometer-scale 3-D height profiles of MEMS test structures to be acquired across an entire wafer. A well-matched pair of reference/sample objectives is not required, significantly reducing the cost of this microscope, as compared to a Linnik microinterferometer.

US Patent:

6967757, Nov 22, 2005

Filed:

Nov 24, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/722237

Inventors:

James J. Allen - Albuquerque NM, US
Michael B. Sinclair - Albuquerque NM, US
Jeffrey L. Dohner - Albuquerque NM, US

Assignee:

Sandia Corporation - Albuquerque NM

International Classification:

G02B026/08

US Classification:

359224, 359212, 359291, 359295, 359298

Abstract:

A microelectromechanical (MEM) device for redirecting incident light is disclosed. The MEM device utilizes a pair of electrostatic actuators formed one above the other from different stacked and interconnected layers of polysilicon to move or tilt an overlying light-reflective plate (i. e. a mirror) to provide a reflected component of the incident light which can be shifted in phase or propagation angle. The MEM device, which utilizes leveraged bending to provide a relatively-large vertical displacement up to several microns for the light-reflective plate, has applications for forming an electrically-programmable diffraction grating (i. e. a polychromator) or a micromirror array.

US Patent:

7034271, Apr 25, 2006

Filed:

May 27, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/857115

Inventors:

Michael B. Sinclair - Albuquerque NM, US
Maarten P. De Boer - Albuquerque NM, US

Assignee:

Sandia Corporation - Albuquerque NM

International Classification:

G02B 27/40
G02B 27/64
G02B 7/04

US Classification:

2502013, 359386

Abstract:

A full-field imaging, long working distance, incoherent interference microscope suitable for three-dimensional imaging and metrology of MEMS devices and test structures on a standard microelectronics probe station. A long working distance greater than 10 mm allows standard probes or probe cards to be used. This enables nanometer-scale 3-dimensional height profiles of MEMS test structures to be acquired across an entire wafer while being actively probed, and, optionally, through a transparent window. An optically identical pair of sample and reference arm objectives is not required, which reduces the overall system cost, and also the cost and time required to change sample magnifications. Using a LED source, high magnification (e. g. , 50×) can be obtained having excellent image quality, straight fringes, and high fringe contrast.

US Patent:

7449699, Nov 11, 2008

Filed:

Jun 29, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/478573

Inventors:

David P. Adams - Albuquerque NM, US
Michael B. Sinclair - Albuquerque NM, US
Thomas M. Mayer - Albuquerque NM, US
Michael J. Vasile - Albuquerque NM, US
William C. Sweatt - Albuquerque NM, US

Assignee:

Sandia Corporation - Albuquerque NM

International Classification:

G21K 5/04

US Classification:

2504921, 2504922, 25049221, 25049222, 25049223, 2504923, 2504911, 250309, 250307, 250310

Abstract:

Methods and apparatus whereby an optical interferometer is utilized to monitor and provide feedback control to an integrated energetic particle column, to create desired topographies, including the depth, shape and/or roughness of features, at a surface of a specimen. Energetic particle columns can direct energetic species including, ions, photons and/or neutral particles to a surface to create features having in-plane dimensions on the order of 1 micron, and a height or depth on the order of 1 nanometer. Energetic processes can include subtractive processes such as sputtering, ablation, focused ion beam milling and, additive processes, such as energetic beam induced chemical vapor deposition. The integration of interferometric methods with processing by energetic species offers the ability to create desired topographies at surfaces, including planar and curved shapes.

US Patent:

7683310, Mar 23, 2010

Filed:

Apr 24, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/108635

Inventors:

Michael B. Sinclair - Albuquerque NM, US
William C. Sweatt - Albuquerque NM, US

Assignee:

Sandia Corporation - Albuquerque NM

International Classification:

H01J 3/14
H01J 5/16

US Classification:

250216, 2502031, 250214 R

Abstract:

A laser warning receiver is disclosed which has up to hundreds of individual optical channels each optically oriented to receive laser light from a different angle of arrival. Each optical channel has an optical wedge to define the angle of arrival, and a lens to focus the laser light onto a multi-wavelength photodetector for that channel. Each multi-wavelength photodetector has a number of semiconductor layers which are located in a multi-dielectric stack that concentrates the laser light into one of the semiconductor layers according to wavelength. An electrical signal from the multi-wavelength photodetector can be processed to determine both the angle of arrival and the wavelength of the laser light.

US Patent:

7697134, Apr 13, 2010

Filed:

Nov 6, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/593386

Inventors:

Michael B. Sinclair - Albuquerque NM, US
Kent B. Pfeifer - Los Lunas NM, US
Jeb H. Flemming - Albuquerque NM, US
Gary D. Jones - Tijeras NM, US
Chris P. Tigges - Albuquerque NM, US

Assignee:

Sandia Corporation - Albuquerque NM

International Classification:

G01J 3/04

US Classification:

356310, 356319, 356326

Abstract:

A correlation spectrometer can detect a large number of gaseous compounds, or chemical species, with a species-specific mask wheel. In this mode, the spectrometer is optimized for the direct measurement of individual target compounds. Additionally, the spectrometer can measure the transmission spectrum from a given sample of gas. In this mode, infrared light is passed through a gas sample and the infrared transmission signature of the gasses present is recorded and measured using Hadamard encoding techniques. The spectrometer can detect the transmission or emission spectra in any system where multiple species are present in a generally known volume.

US Patent:

20020105725, Aug 8, 2002

Filed:

Dec 18, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/740324

Inventors:

William Sweatt - Albuquerque NM, US
Michael Sinclair - Albuquerque NM, US
Michael Butler - Albuquerque NM, US

International Classification:

G02F001/13

US Classification:

359/566000, 349/201000

Abstract:

An optical apparatus is disclosed for processing light that based on a pair of diffraction gratings operating in tandem, with one of the gratings being a fixed diffraction grating and with the other grating being electrically programmable. The combination of the fixed and electrically-programmable diffraction gratings provides a spectral resolution and dispersion higher than that of either diffraction grating when used alone. These two diffraction gratings can be formed on different substrates, or alternately be combined to form a composite diffraction grating. The electrically-programmable diffraction grating can be operated in either a singly-periodic mode or a multi-periodic mode to select particular wavelengths of the incident light for analysis and detection, or for transferring between optical fibers (e.g. wavelength division multiplexing or demultiplexing). In some cases, a prism can be substituted for the fixed diffraction grating or used in addition to the fixed grating. The optical apparatus has applications for use in remote spectral analysis, spectrometry, and optical fiber communications.