Abstract: The invention resides in a method of measuring position and angle comprising the steps of providing a tooling telescope, a transparent target surface and an alignment target having a light reflecting face confronting the telescope. The light reflecting face being defined by a recess having a parabolic surface and a flat surface surrounding the parabolic recess. The method further includes using light reflected off the flat surface to create collimated light passing through the target surface to define an angle of measurement of the tooling telescope and using light reflected off the parabolic surface to focus a point on the transparent target surface to measure position.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for measuring the quality of the planar end surface of a wound roll comprising: optically projecting a line of light onto the planar end surface of the wound roll to generate and reflect an image of the line of light; focusing the reflected image onto an image sensor to obtain a data output; and feeding the data to a processor that measures deviations in the reflected image of the line of light that are caused by variations in the planar end surface of the wound roll.

Abstract: A method is provided to test turbidity sensors using a solid block that is particularly formulated to have a predetermined turbidity value. The solid block, which is partially transparent, is made by mixing calcium carbonate with a clear acrylic. A plurality of sample sensors are selected to be used as an intermediate standard to correlate the results achieved when the block is tested to results that would be achieved if liquid turbidity samples are tested. The six sample sensors are used to measure the turbidity of a plurality of liquid samples. The six sample sensors are then used to test the solid block in order to make sure that the turbidity represented by the solid block is within an acceptable range that is normally dictated by either a national standard or a particular customer requirement. Each of the plurality of sample sensors is used to test the solid block a plurality of times to form an average ratio value that can be used as a first representative magnitude for each of the sample sensors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to inspection apparatus and method in which, based on images under a plurality of focus conditions formed by way of an optical system to be inspected, namely, using images under a plurality of defocal conditions, tendency in positional change or change of asymmetry between the images is calculated so as to specify at least one of aberration condition and optical adjustment condition of the optical system to be inspected as well as to exposure apparatuses and overlay accuracy measurement apparatuses provided with the inspection apparatus. In addition, the present invention relates to an image-forming optical system suitable to an alignment apparatus which is applicable to the exposure apparatuses.

Abstract: Power to a self-oscillating inverter ballast is supplied from a DC voltage source through an inductor means having two separate windings on a common magnetic core--with one winding being positioned in each leg of the power supply. The inverter is loaded by way of a parallel-tuned L-C circuit connected across the inverter's output, thereby providing an output voltage thereat. The output voltage consists of sinusoidally-shaped voltage pulses of alternating polarity, with a distinct brief period of discontinuity at or near the cross-over points. A fluorescent lamp is connected by way of a current-limiting capacitor with the inverter's output.

Abstract: A multi-station Step and Repeat Apparatus (Stepper) for imaging semiconductor wafers. The stepper has at least 2 stations, at least one of which is for imaging. The second station may be used for image field characterization, or image defect correction, or for Phase Shift Mask (PSM) loop cutting. Multiple laser beams directed in orthogonal directions provide interferometric monitoring to track wafer locations for wafers on the stepper.

Abstract: A method is proposed for determining a location on an object and for positioning an object, such as a silicon wafer, which has an array of generally perpendicular grid lines on its surface and a plurality of directional features. The method determines the directions of the grid lines relative to the direction of a reference coordinate system, detects a grid junction and detects a direction of one of the plurality of directional features, thereby providing a location of the grid junction in the reference coordinate system. The object is positioned in accordance with the provided location of the grid junction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating sharper and more accurate LADAR intensity images is disclosed. The LADAR system includes an optical transmitter and receiver that generates and scans a laser beam in a target field. A backscatter detector senses the magnitude of the generated laser beam. A signal processing unit uses the magnitude of the transmitted laser beam to adjust the magnitude of received reflections to produce a sharper intensity image.

Abstract: A transistor having reduced hot carrier implantation is disclosed which is formed on an outer surface (12) of a semiconductor substrate (10). The transistor comprises a source region (22) and a drain region (24) which define there between a channel region (34). A gate insulator layer (14) insulates a gate conductor (16) from the channel region (34). A sidewall insulator body (20) is formed such that a thickened region of insulator separates an end of gate conductor (16) from a portion of channel region (34) proximate drain region (24). This thickened insulator reduces the local electric field in channel region (34) near drain region (24) and correspondingly reduces the implantation into gate insulator (14) of hot carriers generated from impact ionization.

Abstract: The target of the present invention is to provide an automatic high speed, low-cost, multi-mode three-dimensional(3D) surface profile measurement method. This method exploits the projected energy with a known spatially distributed wavelength spectrum on the surface of objects in the scene. The unique wavelength is encoded with geometry information of a unique projection ray of the radiation energy in 3D space. This wavelength of the projected energy is detected by a 2D image sensor array that is able to uniquely distinguish the wavelength of the radiation energy at the points of interest on the scene. The projection geometry information is recovered by using a color match scheme and the range values associated with every pixel of the 2D image sensor will be calculated through a straightforward triangulation algorithm. Full frames of 3D range images can then be obtained directly at the frame acquisition rate of the 2D image sensor array.

Abstract: A display fluorescent lamp comprises; a dielectric cylindrical container having a large-diameter portion in which rare gas is sealed and a small-diameter portion which is almost coaxially connected with the large-diameter portion at one end of the large-diameter portion, the outside diameter thereof being smaller than that of the large-diameter portion; a light emitting portion which is formed at the other end of the large-diameter portion and has permeability; an internal electrode which is inserted into the cylindrical container from the other end of the small-diameter portion which is not connected with the large-diameter portion; a fluorescent substance layer formed on the inside face excluding that in which the light emitting portion is formed, of the large-diameter portion of the cylindrical container; and an external electrode formed on the outside face of the large-diameter portion excluding a portion in which the light emitting portion of the cylindrical container is formed, the length in the axial d

Abstract: A lighting system composed of: an AC ballast for delivering AC power from an AC power source to a lamp; an emergency power supply for delivering AC power to the lamp when the AC power source fails; and a switch for disconnecting the AC ballast from the AC power source when the AC power source fails.

Abstract: A light beam is sent onto a wafer, at different angles of incidence, thus giving rise to fluctuations in the transmittance of the wafer, as the angle of incidence varies, because of interference due to multiple reflections of the beam inside the wafer. The transmittance of the wafer is measured as the angle of incidence varies. The angular positions of transmittance maxima and minima are determined with respect to a maximum or minimum corresponding to normal incidence. The refractive index is obtained from these positions and from the number of maxima and minima in the different angles.

Abstract: Fluorescent type lamps are arranged to have high frequency power derived from standard, commercial A.C. sources either directly or from power levels distributed from a master ballast. When the master ballast is employed, it functions as an interface between the primary power source and a distribution network to one or more modules so as to relieve the modules of operations such as initial power form conversions, filtering and power factor correcting which require large components. The module or modules driven by the master ballast output are contained within the lamp envelope or attached as an extension of the lamp envelope. The module is formed of elements mounted as a miniaturized unit configured to fit within the lamp envelope or to attach to the end of the envelope. The module includes oscillator components mounted on an elongated board so as to form an assembly with a cross-section compatible with the perimeter of the envelope itself.

Abstract: An inspection system inspecting an original with a pellicle, which system includes a light source for providing a light beam, a first detecting device for receiving light produced as a result of passage of the light beam through the pellicle, a second detecting device for receiving light produced as a result of non-passage of the light beam through the pellicle, and a processing system for determining information related to transmissivity of the pellicle, on the basis of outputs of the first and second detecting devices.

Abstract: Disclosed is a patten defect checking method which is affected neither by the presence of a correction pattern or an auxiliary pattern nor by the waveguide effect and which makes it always possible to reliably detect any defect in a pattern formed on a photo mask regardless of the type of photo mask. In the method for checking defects in a pattern formed on a photo mask, the light intensity distribution due to the light transmitted through the photo mask is compared with a light intensity distribution calculated on the basis of pattern data, whereby any defect in the pattern formed on the photo mask is detected.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are disclosed for remotely determining the thickness of a transparent or semi-transparent suspended sheet or solid or liquid layer, e.g. ice, on a solid surface which is either light-absorbent or highly reflective. The invention proposes directing a coherent beam of light onto a location on the layer such that the beam undergoes partial reflection from the top of the layer and partial reflection from the bottom of the layer or the underlying surface. Due to the coherency of the beam, two overlapping speckle patterns are produced which give rise to an interference pattern having interference fringes. The pattern can be caused to shift across the field of view and the shift, determined by a number of the passing interference fringes can be interpreted in terms of the thickness of the layer.

Abstract: A plasma system is disclosed comprising a vessel suitable for containing a plasma at a pressure of at least about 100 mtorr, a plasma gas in the vessel at a pressure of at least 100 mtorr, an antenna with a substantially planar face positioned adjacent a portion of the vessel for applying an electromagnetic field to the plasma gas to thereby generate and maintain a plasma, and means for applying an external magnetic field to the plasma gas other than the field generated by the antenna, and having a component in a direction substantially perpendicular to the planar face of the antenna.

Abstract: A prealignment and global alignment system in a semiconductor wafer lithography system includes reflected light microscopes which form images of a wafer near a wafer loading position. The reflected light microscopes are mounted on the perimeter of a main projection lens assembly and have large object areas, typically about 5 mm wide so that features of the wafer are in the object areas even when the wafer is loaded with a very coarse alignment of about .+-.2.5 mm. The prealignment system identifies points on the wafer's edge to align the wafer for a first projection. For second and subsequent projections, the alignment system identifies alignment marks on the wafer to globally align the wafer. Magnification of the microscopes may be increased during global alignment to provide greater accuracy and precision.

Abstract: An improved semiconductor package is provided wherein the mounting pad for the semiconductor is made from a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum nitride, diamond, alumina, and boron nitride.