Philip Ronald Rigg

US Patent:

55305504, Jun 25, 1996

Filed:

Dec 21, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/361131

Inventors:

Mehrdad Nikoonahad - Menlo Park CA
Philip R. Rigg - Saratoga CA
Keith B. Wells - Santa Cruz CA
David S. Calhoun - Mountain View CA

Assignee:

Tencor Instruments - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

G01B 1114

US Classification:

356375

Abstract:

The position detector has a sensitivity characteristic graded along a direction transverse to the surface, so that the output of the position detector is used to determine a height of the surface. A surface height detection and positioning device for use in a surface inspection system. An incident beam of light impinges obliquely upon the surface, and a position detector is disposed to receive specularly reflected light, producing a plurality of electrical signals, with a mechanical window, defining an aperture, placed in front of the detector. The aperture's width, along the scan direction, is of sufficient size so as to create a train of signals from each of the plurality of electrical signals, having a frequency equal to the scan frequency. These electrical signals carry information responsive to both the position of reflected beam impinging on the detector and the beam's intensity and are, in turn, related to a height of the surface. To abrogate information responsive to intensity variations at the position sensitive detector, an electronic circuit is employed which determines the sum and the difference of the plurality of signals relating to wafer height and beam intensity, producing a summed signal and a difference signal respectively.

US Patent:

49221965, May 1, 1990

Filed:

Apr 19, 1989

Appl. No.:

7/342629

Inventors:

Philip R. Rigg - Mountain View CA

Assignee:

Amray, Inc. - Bedford MA

International Classification:

G01R 100
G01R 3102

US Classification:

324158R

Abstract:

An electron-beam scanning device (10) includes two pairs of plates (22 and 24, 64 and 66) that are oriented at right angles to each other. The plates cause electric fields oriented at right angles in a deflection region (68) through which an electron beam passes. Each pair of plates comprises the inner conductor and one of the outer conductors of a stripline section that conducts a deflection signal. The stripline section is matched in characteristic impedance to the coaxial cable by which the deflection signal is transmitted to the plates. A stop plate (28) ordinarily prevents the electron beam from reaching its target (30) but has an aperture (26) into which the beam can be momentarily deflected to cause a pulse of beam current to hit the target (30). When an electron-beam pulse is to be generated, one of the plate pairs applies an electric field pulse in which the field changes from its quiescent value, in which it deflects the beam to one side of the aperture (26), to a pulse value, in which it deflects the beam to the other side of the aperture (26), deflecting the beam into the aperture (26) in the process. After the field imposed by the first plate pair reaches its pulse value, the second plate pair applies a field that keeps the beam from passing through the aperture when the field from the first plate pair returns to its normal value.

US Patent:

54931169, Feb 20, 1996

Filed:

Oct 26, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/141669

Inventors:

Guillermo L. Toro-Lira - Sunnyvale CA
Alan H. Achilles - San Jose CA
Nolan V. Frederick - Boulder CO
Kevin M. Monahan - Cupertino CA
Philip R. Rigg - Saratoga CA

Assignee:

Metrologix, Inc. - San Jose CA

International Classification:

H01J 37244

US Classification:

250310

Abstract:

Improved techniques for imaging high-aspect-ratio structures such as contact holes utilize two signal detection sub-systems, one optimized for imaging at the top and another optimized for imaging at the base of submicrometer structures. These detection systems produce signals that can be combined in real-time to produce an image which resembles the "extended focus" images obtained with confocal optical microscopes. Unlike the confocal image, however, the resulting image has the inherent linearity and resolution characteristics of electron-beam technology. Using the new approach, the signal, rather than exhibiting a near-zero minimum at the base of the structure as is typical of the prior art, exhibits its maximum at the base of the structure, allowing high-precision measurement with no need for extrapolation.

US Patent:

51737760, Dec 22, 1992

Filed:

Jun 6, 1990

Appl. No.:

7/534698

Inventors:

Philip R. Rigg - Saratoga CA
Neil Baumgarten - Weston MA

Assignee:

ElectroScan Corporation - Wilmington MA

International Classification:

H04N 5217

US Classification:

358167

Abstract:

An apparatus and method for continuously improving the signal-to-noise ratio of a stationary video image by digital integration, without the loss of signal amplitude incurred by conventional designs. The apparatus includes a sampling analog-to-digital converter for digitizing an input video signal frame which is supplied to a calculating device along with a preceding video signal frame supplied from the output of the calculating device through a memory device. These features, in conjunction with other digital logic components, form a digital recusive filter. The calculating device sums new and previously stored data for each pixel in amounts scaled to counteract the loss of signal range that occurs as the random-noise component averages to zero. By appropriate selection of operating parameters, the method can be used to maintain or even boost the amplitude of a video signal while simultaneously enhancing its signal-to-noise ratio.