Mark A Schulze

US Patent:

7659734, Feb 9, 2010

Filed:

Mar 7, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/715149

Inventors:

Jeffrey Alan Hawthorne - Decatur GA, US
M. Brandon Steele - Decatur GA, US
Yeyuan Yang - Marietta GA, US
Mark Schulze - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

Qcept Technologies, Inc. - Atlanta GA

International Classification:

G01R 31/26

US Classification:

324719

Abstract:

A method and system for identifying a defect or contamination on the surface of a semiconductor or in a semiconductor. The method and system involves providing a semiconductor with a surface, such as a semiconductor wafer, providing a non-vibrating contact potential difference sensor, providing a source of illumination with controllable intensity or distribution of wavelengths, using the illumination source to provide controlled illumination of the surface of the wafer under or near the non-vibrating contact potential sensor probe tip, using the non-vibrating contact potential difference sensor to scan the wafer surface during controlled illumination, generating data representative of changes in contact potential difference across the wafer surface, and processing that data to identify a pattern characteristic of a defect or contamination.

US Patent:

7752000, Jul 6, 2010

Filed:

May 2, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/151054

Inventors:

Mark A. Schulze - Austin TX, US
William R. Usry - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

QCept Technologies, Inc. - Atlanta GA

International Classification:

G01D 21/00

US Classification:

702 85, 73104, 73105, 3241581

Abstract:

A method and system for determining the contact potential difference of a wafer surface using a non-vibrating contact potential difference probe and a vibrating contact potential difference probe. The method and system involves scanning the wafer surface with a non-vibrating contact potential difference sensor, integrating and scaling the resulting data, and applying offsets to individual tracks of data to match the integrated scaled data to measurements made using a vibrating contact potential difference sensor.

US Patent:

7900526, Mar 8, 2011

Filed:

Nov 30, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/948518

Inventors:

Jeffrey Alan Hawthorne - Decatur GA, US
M. Brandon Steele - Decatur GA, US
Yeyuan Yang - Marietta GA, US
Mark Schulze - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

QCEPT Technologies, Inc. - Atlanta GA

International Classification:

G01N 33/00

US Classification:

73866

Abstract:

A method and system for identifying and classifying non-uniformities on the surface of a semiconductor or in a semiconductor. The method and system involves scanning the wafer surface with a non-vibrating contact potential difference sensor to detect the locations of non-uniformities, extracting features characteristic of the non-uniformities, and applying a set of rules to these features to classify the type of each non-uniformity.

US Patent:

8244461, Aug 14, 2012

Filed:

Feb 9, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/367773

Inventors:

Michael G. Durrett - Austin TX, US
Keith D. Jamison - Austin TX, US
Mark A. Schulze - Austin TX, US
Daniel Shedd - N Reading MA, US

Assignee:

Nanohmics, Inc. - Austin TX

International Classification:

G01C 21/00

US Classification:

701408, 701418, 701445, 701468, 701469, 701470, 244138 R, 244142

Abstract:

A display system for a parachutist is provided based on navigation data and calculations of locations where the parachutist should steer the parachute to increase likelihood of reaching a target. A two-dimensional representation of a navigation funnel is displayed. The display may increase situational awareness by use of color to indicate preferred positions in the navigation funnel.

US Patent:

8275564, Sep 25, 2012

Filed:

Jan 26, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/694116

Inventors:

Mark A. Schulze - Austin TX, US
Jun Liu - Marietta GA, US
Jeffrey Alan Hawthorne - Decatur GA, US

Assignee:

Qcept Technologies, Inc. - Atlanta GA

International Classification:

G01D 18/00

US Classification:

702 85, 702 57, 702117, 702150, 702189

Abstract:

A method and system for inspecting a surface of a material having a repeating pattern of relative work function. The method and system processes sensor data to identify data characteristic of the repeating pattern, and the sensor data is then further processed to remove the data characteristic of the repeating data, leading to a characteristic of non-uniformities of the material surface.

US Patent:

20040179738, Sep 16, 2004

Filed:

Sep 12, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/661187

Inventors:

Ayman El-Khashab - Austin TX, US
Martin Hunt - Austin TX, US
Mark Schulze - Austin TX, US
Clarence Thomas - Austin TX, US
Edgar Voelkl - Austin TX, US

International Classification:

G06K009/68
G06K009/64
G06K009/32

US Classification:

382/218000, 382/278000, 382/294000

Abstract:

In digital holographic imaging systems, streamed holograms are compared on a pixel-by-pixel basis for defect detection after hologram generation. An automated image matching, registration and comparison method with feedback confidence allows for runtime wafer inspection, scene matching refinement, rotational wafer alignment and the registration and comparison of difference images.

US Patent:

20060103892, May 18, 2006

Filed:

Nov 18, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/992409

Inventors:

Mark Schulze - Austin TX, US
George John - Austin TX, US

International Classification:

H04N 1/38

US Classification:

358463000

Abstract:

Reduction of noise in digitized multi-spectral images is provided by filtering based on vector values rather than independent scalar values. Vector values refer to a pixel with two or more values. For this method, a metric is defined for pixel vector magnitude. A sliding processing kernel is also defined, with a specified shape, a specified number of pixels to be included in the kernel, and a specified value contrast threshold to avoid distorting edges and fine details. The metric and kernel are used to select pixels for computing filtering of the center pixel in a kernel. A statistical measurement is computed, for example by mean averaging the specified pixels, and the resulting value is made the value of the center pixel of the kernel. The filtering process is applied throughout the image by making each pixel the center of a processing kernel.