Abstract: Semiconductor wafer alignment markers and associated systems and methods are disclosed. A wafer in accordance with a particular embodiment includes a wafer substrate having an alignment marker that includes a first structure and a second structure, each having a pitch, with first features and second features positioned within the pitch. The first features are positioned to generate first phase portions of an interference pattern, with at least one of the first features having a width different than another of the first features in the pitch, and with the second features positioned to generate second phase portions of the interference pattern, with the second phase portions having a second phase opposite the first phase, and with at least one of the second features having a width different than that of another of the second features in the pitch. The pitch for the first structure is different than the pitch for the second structure.

Abstract: A surface defect inspection apparatus and method for irradiating a beam multiple times to a same region on a surface of an inspection sample, detecting each scattered light from the same region by detection optical systems individually to produce plural signals, and wherein irradiating the beam includes performing a line illumination of the beam on a line illumination region of the sample surface. The line illumination region is moved in a longitudinal direction at a pitch shorter than a length of the line illumination region in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: Highly accurate measurement of chromatic dispersions of a device under test that is an optical component is enabled with a simple structure comprising: propagating pump light having a wavelength ?pump and probe light having a wavelength ?probe through the device; calculating the generation efficiency of the idler light with respect to the wavelength ?pump by measuring the power of idler light having a wavelength ?idler output from the device according to four-wave mixing generated in the device; seeking the frequency difference or wavelength difference between the pump light and the probe light that makes an extremum of generation efficiency of the idler light; calculating phase mismatch among the pump light wavelength having such frequency difference or wavelength difference, the probe light wavelength, and the idler light wavelength; and on the basis of such calculation results, calculating the chromatic dispersion of the device at the wavelength ?pump.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for enhancing the resolution of an optical time-domain reflectometer (“OTDR”). One embodiment of the disclosure of this application is related to a device, comprising an optical measuring component collecting a first set of measurement data from a forward trace along an optical fiber with the optical measuring device using depolarized light, and a processing component calculating loss along the length of fiber. The optical measuring device further collects a second set of measurement data from a backward trace along the optical fiber with the optical measuring device using depolarized light.

Abstract: The inner surface of an underground tunnel defining structure, such as a culvert or pipe, is measured by apparatus including a portable hand held battery powered laser unit releasably attached to a rotor disk supported within the tunnel by an adjustable stand or tripod for rotation on a generally horizontal axis. The disk has peripherally spaced notches which receive a spring-biased latch member for positioning the disk and laser unit at predetermined angular positions about the axis. The laser unit emits a laser beam to a target on the inner surface of the structure and displays on the unit a precision distance reading from the laser unit to the target. The distance reading for each target is entered in a chart for comparison with a prior measurement reading to indicate changes in the shape or profile of the inner surface.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes a controller configured to calculate a position of an alignment mark detected by a detector, to approximate a deformation of a substrate by using an approximation equation, to calculate a correction amount of each of the plurality of shots, and to control driving of a stage in exposing each shot based on a correction amount that is calculated. The approximation equation is defined as a sum of a first term representative of a deformation of the entire substrate, and at least one of a second term representative of a distortion of a shot arrangement and a third term representative of a shot shape.

Abstract: A fiber rotator mechanism for rotating a portion of an optical waveguide, specifically an optical fiber, about a longitudinal axis thereof comprises a motor having a tubular rotor through which the fiber extends, in use, and to which the fiber is secured, directly or indirectly. An optical fiber may be secured by means of a device which also compresses the optical fiber to induce a required birefringence, conveniently by means of a spring-loaded clamping device or a ferrule of shape memory material.

Abstract: An inspection system includes optics, an object support for mounting an object in a region of an object plane of the optics, a bright-field light source, and a dark-field light source. The inspection system also includes an image detector having a radiation sensitive substrate disposed in a region of an image plane of the optics and a beam dump.

Abstract: Alignment of layers during manufacture of a multi-layer sample is controlled by applying optical measurements to a measurement site in the sample. The measurement site includes two diffractive structures located one above the other in two different layers, respectively. The optical measurements include at least two measurements with different polarization states of incident light, each measurement including illuminating the measurement site so as to illuminate one of the diffractive structures through the other. The diffraction properties of the measurement site are indicative of a lateral shift between the diffractive structures. The diffraction properties detected are analyzed for the different polarization states of the incident light to determine an existing lateral shift between the layers.

Abstract: A device and method of acquiring image data from a turbid medium using a diffuse optical tomography device including irradiating the turbid medium at a plurality of first spatial positions, collecting light emanating from the turbid medium at a plurality of second spatial positions, splitting the light collected from each second spatial position into at least two optical channels, measuring the intensity of the split light in each optical channel of the at least two optical channels using photo detectors, and reconstructing an image of the turbid medium from the measured intensities.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring a spatially under-sampled Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) of a surface. The apparatus may comprise a first light source directed to illuminate the surface from a first illumination direction, and a plurality of sensors positioned to receive light reflected by the surface. The plurality of sensors may comprise first, second and third sensors positioned to receive light reflected by the surface in first, second and third non-coplanar directions. In various embodiments, the apparatus may also comprise a computer in communication with the plurality of sensors. The computer is configured to convert light sensed by the plurality of sensors into a first appearance property of the surface considering the first, second, and third reflectance directions. A method of calculating xDNA, the vector sum of the observed reflectance intensity over a plurality of wavelengths and angles. Methods of using the calculated xDNA for formulating recipes for a surfaces colors.

Abstract: An inspection system includes imaging optics for imaging an object plane into an image plane. The imaging optics include an objective lens having positive optical power, a first lens group having negative optical power, and a second lens group having positive optical power. The optical elements are arranged along a common unfolded optical axis with a pupil plane of the imaging optics located between the first lens group and the second lens group.

Abstract: A method of determining a hemoglobin content value of a red blood cell includes: (a) illuminating the cell with incident light at a plurality of illumination wavelengths; (b) obtaining at least one two-dimensional image of the cell corresponding to each illumination wavelength; (c) for each illumination wavelength, determining a mean optical density and a maximum optical density for the cell; (d) determining an area of the cell; (e) for each illumination wavelength, determining a volume of the cell; (f) for each illumination wavelength, determining an integrated optical density for the cell; and (g) determining the hemoglobin content value of the cell based on the area of the cell, the volumes of the cell corresponding to each of the illumination wavelengths, and the integrated optical densities for the cell corresponding to each of the illumination wavelengths.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for microlithographic projection exposure, which includes: an optical system (18) for imaging mask structures (16) onto a surface (21) of a substrate (20) by projecting the mask structures (16) with imaging radiation (13), the optical system (18) being configured to operate in the EUV and/or higher frequency wavelength range, and various structure defining a measurement beam path (36) for guiding measurement radiation (34), the measurement beam path (36) extending within the optical system (18) such that the measurement radiation (34) only partially passes through the optical system (18) during operation of the apparatus (10).

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes a controller configured to calculate a position of an alignment mark detected by a detector, to approximate a deformation of a substrate by using an approximation equation, to calculate a correction amount of each of the plurality of shots, and to control driving of a stage in exposing each shot based on a correction amount that is calculated. The approximation equation is defined as a sum of a first term representative of a deformation of the entire substrate, and at least one of a second term representative of a distortion of a shot arrangement and a third term representative of a shot shape.

Abstract: A long-distance fiber optic monitoring system having a sensing unit and an analyzer that is remotely located from the sensing unit is provided. The sensing unit comprises a source of optical energy for injecting optical energy into the fiber optical cable and an optical detector configured to detect an optical return signal from the optical fiber. The detected optical return signal is associated with an acoustic signal impinging on the optical fiber. The analyzer receives a signal from the remote sensing unit via the optical fiber that is representative of the optical return signal, and determines a location of a disturbance based at least on the received signal. The representative signal can be transmitted from the remote sensing unit to the analyzer as an optical signal or via a metallic wired included with the optical fiber.

Abstract: A sensor, sensor assembly and a method of sensing, in which the sensor is in contact with a material or structure and the sensor directly measures one or more property changes in the material by means of light reflection and scattering using a reflective target.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a metrology target for determining a relative shift between two or more successive layers of a substrate may comprise; an first structure on a first layer of a substrate and an second structure on a successive layer to the first layer of the substrate arranged to determine relative shifts in alignment in both the x and y directions of the substrate by analyzing the first structure and second structure overlay.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for determining the particle content of a particle stream using a source of light and two receivers arranged offset from one another in the flow direction of the particle stream. The receivers provide an electrical signal to an evaluation unit as a function of the radiation intensity which they receive, and this signal makes possible a determination of the flow velocity and particle size. Coincident passage of two particles is indicated by a pulse occurring in the signal due to a “roof collapse” in the pulse caused by a weakening of the radiation intensity as the particles pass a receiver.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus has a plurality of different alignment arrangements that are used to perform an alignment measurement on the same mark(s) by: detecting a first alignment mark located on an object and producing a first alignment signal by a first detector; detecting the first mark and producing a second alignment signal by a second detector using a different alignment measurement than the first detector; receiving the first alignment signal from the first detector; calculating a first position of the at least first mark based on the first alignment signal; receiving the second alignment signal from the second detector; calculating a further first position of the at least first mark based on the second alignment signal.