Raymond Wendel Ellis

US Patent:

6507405, Jan 14, 2003

Filed:

May 17, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/313104

Inventors:

Boris Grek - Santa Clara CA
Raymond J. Ellis - Fremont CA

Assignee:

Ultratech Stepper, Inc. - San Jose CA

International Classification:

G01B 902

US Classification:

356479, 356482, 356497

Abstract:

Disclosed are first and second embodiments of a 3-channel probe-plate structure of the fiber-optic interferometer, wherein low-coherent-length light from a superluminescent light-emitting diode is split by a tree splitter into three light branches which are coupled as separate light inputs to the probe-pate structure by single-mode, polarization-preserving optical fibers. For each of the 3 channels, the first embodiment of the probe-plate structure comprises an integrated polarizing lithium-niobate Y splitter-modulator for deriving separate reference-arm light and probe-arm light. The reference-arm light is transmitted as an air-path reference light beam directed parallel to the probe plate surface from a transmitting gradient-index microlens to a receiving gradient-index microlens, while the probe-arm light is transmitted as an air-path probe light beam directed to be incident on a movable surface at a glancing angle from a transmitting gradient-index microlens and then be reflected from the movable surface to a receiving gradient-index microlens. The received reference-arm light and probe-arm light, for each of the 3 channels, are combined in an integrated polarizing lithium-niobate Y combiner-modulator and the combined light is forwarded to a light detector by an optical fiber. The second embodiment of the probe-plate structure differs from the first embodiment thereof only in that (1) single transmitting and single receiving gradient-index microlens-grating combinations (which derive the separate air-path reference and probe light beams) replace the two transmitting gradient-index microlens and two receiving gradient-index microlens of the first embodiment, and (2) both the splitter-modulators and combiner-modulators in the second embodiment are located on the receiving side of the air-path light beams.

US Patent:

20140151344, Jun 5, 2014

Filed:

Nov 30, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/690132

Inventors:

Digby PUN - San Jose CA, US
Ali SHAJII - Weston MA, US
Andrew B. COWE - Andover MA, US
Raymond ELLIS - Aptos CA, US
James T. McWHIRTER - San Jose CA, US

Assignee:

Ultratech, Inc. - San Jose CA

International Classification:

B23K 26/12

US Classification:

2191216, 137 1

Abstract:

A movable microchamber system with a gas curtain is disclosed. The microchamber system has a top member with a light-access feature and a stage assembly that supports a substrate to be processed. The stage assembly is disposed relative to the top member to define a microchamber and a peripheral microchamber gap. An inert gas is flowed into the peripheral microchamber gap to form the gas curtain just outside of the microchamber. The gas curtain substantially prevents reactive gas in the ambient environment from entering the microchamber when the stage assembly moves relative to the top member.