Graphical automated machine control and metrology
AssigneeFEI Company
InventorsDavid J. Tasker, Henri J. Lezec, David A. Head
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A graphical programming system allows a user to place geometric shapes onto a scaled image, the shape having associated behavior that operates on the image or on the object of which the image is formed. In a preferred embodiment, the shapes are objects in the Visio program by Microsoft Corporation. The shapes are dragged from a stencil onto an image provided by ion beam or electron microscope image. The shape invokes software or hardware to locate and measure features on the image or to perform operations, such as ion beam milling, on the object that is imaged.
Claims34
A method of controlling a system, comprising:
- creating or obtaining an image of a workpiece;
- overlaying the image with a first computer-generated graphic component selected from a plurality of computer-generated graphic components each having a different associated functionality;
- coordinating the scale of the image with that of the graphic components;
- executing the functionality associated with the overlaid first graphic component, the functionality of the first graphic component being defined at least in part by its geometric characteristics, the functionality being performed on a portion of the image, or a an object corresponding to the image, corresponding to the portion overlaid by the first graphic component, and where executing said functionality includes controlling the operation of a machine to image or alter a site on the workpiece using a charged particle beam or a laser beam.
A method of controlling a system, comprising:
- creating or obtaining an image of a workpiece;
- overlaying the image with a first computer-generated graphic component selected from a plurality of computer-generated graphic components eaeh having a different associated functionality;
- coordinating the scale of the image with that of the graphic components;
- and
- executing the functionality associated with the overlaid first graphic component, the functionality being performed on a portion of the image, or on an object corresponding to the image, corresponding to the portion overlaid by the first graphic component, and where executing said functionality includes controlling the operation of a machine to image or alter a size on the workpiece using a scanning probe microscope a laser beam system or a charged particle beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.