Abstract: In a method for producing a scale in the form of a phase grating, the scale itself, and a position measuring device including the scale, the scale includes two reflection layers located at a distance from one another on either side of a spacer layer. The production of the scale includes the following steps: provision of a first reflection layer, which is unbroken over its entire surface and fulfils the relationship A=R/??3, where R represents the degree of reflection and ? represents the backscatter coefficient for electrons; application of the spacer layer to the first reflection layer; application of the second reflection layer to the spacer layer; and structuring of the second reflection layer by an electron beam lithography process.

Abstract: A surface inspection apparatus includes: a light source unit that emits a divergent light flux of predetermined linearly polarized light to be used to illuminate a test substrate; a first optical member that allows the divergent light flux of the predetermined linearly polarized light to enter therein with a predetermined angle of incidence and then guides a light flux to the test substrate; a second optical member that allows a light flux from the test substrate to enter therein, emits a convergent light flux thereof with a predetermined angle of emergence and forms an image at a specific surface; an extraction unit that extracts linearly polarized light in the convergent light flux from the second optical member, which is perpendicular to the predetermined linearly polarized light; a light-receiving unit that receives an image of the test substrate formed via the second optical member and the extraction unit; and at least one polarization correcting member disposed within a light path extending between the

Abstract: This SEM has a capability of preventing shift of a view field of the foreign matters at a stage where no sufficient correction is carried out when obtaining the SEM coordinate values used for transforming the coordinate values of the foreign matters on the sample sent from another device into the SEM coordinate values. The SEM selects the foreign matters closer to the center of the sample at first and then the foreign matters spirally from the center of the sample to the outer periphery.

Abstract: A defect inspection device for metal ring end faces of a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) V-belt which enables automated inspection of end face defects in the metal rings along with acquiring improved efficiency, superb precision and reproducibility. When end face defects in the metal ring are inspected by an inspection section, this task is accomplished by an angle modification portion which performs an angle modification operation continuously in a predetermined range (?1˜?5) relative to an inspectable surface for at least a first light guiding path and a second light guiding path included in the defect inspection section. Because this automated modification operation corresponds to processing by manual visual inspection and applies a common practice detection method used in labor-intensive visual inspections by changing the viewing angle to detect defects, such as a gloss mark, the object of the present invention can be achieved.

Abstract: A microplate reader includes a light emitting portion for irradiating each of a plurality of test samples with excitation light, a light receiving portion for receiving return light from each of the test samples, and an XY stage for moving the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion to traverse and scan the test samples. The light emitting portion and the light receiving portion are defined at the same location on a reflection surface, which is formed on a distal end of a glass light guide rod. The light emitting portion irradiates each test sample with a sufficient amount of excitation light so that a sufficient amount of return light enters the light receiving portion.

Abstract: An alignment device and method for delivering a light beam to an optical application, such as an optical trap having a pair of lenses with overlapping focal regions for trapping a particle therein. The alignment device includes a light source for generating a beam of light, a support member, an optical fiber, a collimating lens, and actuators. The optical fiber includes an input end for receiving the beam of light, and a generally rigid portion extending from the support member and terminating in a delivery end for emitting the beam of light. The collimating lens collimates the emitted beam of light. The actuators exert forces on the generally rigid portion such that it pivots about a pivot point of the optical fiber at the support member. The collimated beam of light pivots about an optical pivot point as the optical fiber pivots about the pivot point.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an article comprising a thermoplastic polymer film and a discontinuous metallic nanoparticle coating, of an average size less than 100 nm, and the process for preparing the same. The coated film may be further stretched or shrunk to shift the absorbance peak maximum to the desired degree. The coating is formed by depositing a discontinuous layer of metallic nanoparticles by a physical vapor deposition method.

Abstract: A device and method for inspecting an object (2) uses a bright field illumination beam path (4) of a bright field light source (5), said beam path being formed so that it passes through the projection optics (3), and a dark field illumination beam path (6) of a dark field light source (7), this beam path being formed so that it also passes through the projection optics (3). The object (2) can be projected by the projection optics (3) onto the least one detector (8), and the object (2) is simultaneously illuminated by both light sources (5, 7). In order to simultaneously detect bright field images and dark field images without involving complicated filtering operations, the light used for the dark field illumination is pulsed and the pulse intensity of the light used for the dark field illumination is greater by at least one order of magnitude than the intensity of the continuous light, which is used for the bright field illumination, during a pulsed interval.

Abstract: Sensor for use in highly sensitive analytical devices for qualitative and quantitative analysis of natural waters and technology-related solutions, containing low concentrations of components determined. Design of a sensor provides for simplification and costs reduction of its manufacture, widening range of solutions analyzed, improvement of their kinetic characteristics and increase in analysis sensitivity. Sensor has multichannel structure in a form of a piece 1 of a polycapillary tube with through capillaries forming microchannels filled up with two layers of immiscible substances. One layer (4) is formed of water or aqueous solution, and another layer (3) is formed of organic substance. The first of the layers in microchannels contains sorbent microgranules 5.

Abstract: A method determines an analyte concentration in a sample. The sample includes the analyte and a substance. The method includes providing absorption data of the sample. The method further includes providing reference absorption data of the substance. The method further includes calculating a substance contribution of the absorption data. The method further includes subtracting the substance contribution from the absorption data, thereby providing corrected absorption data substantially free of a contribution from the substance.

Abstract: A measuring head of the present invention conveys light from an external source through at least one optical fiber to at least one respective plane mirror inside the measuring head, where the light reflects through and is collimated by at least one collimating lens so as to be incident on a sample, in one embodiment, at an angle of substantially 45 degrees. The resulting optical path is folded once and thereby allows enough virtual space to redirect the light without excessive bending of the fibers. Light diffused from the sample is, in one embodiment, perpendicularly collected by a focusing lens, focused on the end of another optical fiber and directed outside of the measuring head to be used, for example, by a measuring instrument for the spectral analysis of the collected light.

Abstract: Examination devices and methods operating with incident light have hitherto been used for the examination of wafers. To allow these devices also to be used with the transmitted-light method, it is proposed to configure the substrate holder (16) so that an illumination device (38, 40, 42) is integrated into the substrate holder (16) in such a way that transmitted-light illumination of the wafer (18) is possible.

Abstract: In a method for correcting for the size and/or shape of a measuring volume (18)in a chemical and/or biological sample (14), especially in fluorescence spectroscopy, a measuring volume (18) located within the sample (14) is imaged to a detector means (44), using observing optics (32). The imaging is effected through a sample carrier w all (16) of a sample carrier (12) containing the sample (14). In the next step, the thickness of the sample carrier wall (16) is automatically determined. Thereafter, at least one lens (28) is shifted automatically along an optical axis of the observing optics (32) to correct for the size and/or shape of the measuring volume (18) as a function of the thickness of the sample carrier wall (16).

Abstract: There is provided an optical system 8 for a micro analyzing system capable of precisely analyzing a sample. In the optical system 8, after light beams leaving the tip of an optical fiber 14 pass through a condensing part 13, a sample moving in a separation passage 6 due to electrophoresis is irradiated with the light beams. The condensing part 13 includes a first aspherically cylindrical surface 10 being convex toward the optical fiber 14, a second aspherically cylindrical surface 11 being convex on the opposite side to the first aspherically cylindrical surface 10, and a third aspherically cylindrical surface 12 being convex toward the second aspherically cylindrical surface 11. The first through third aspherically cylindrical surfaces 10 through 12 are arranged in that order from the side of the optical fiber 14 toward the separation passage 6.

Abstract: Each of two sensors, positioned to simultaneously detect electromagnetic radiation absorption along a path, is calibrated to define a unique response curve associated therewith that relates a change in voltage output for each sensor to a change in optical density. A ratio-of-responses curve is defined by a ratio of the response curve associated with the first sensor to the response curve associated with the second sensor. A ratio of sensor output changes is generated using outputs from the sensors. An operating point on the ratio-of-responses curve is established using the ratio of sensor output changes. The established operating point is indicative of an optical density. When the operating point is in the non-linear response region of at least one of the sensors, the operating point and optical density corresponding thereto can be used to establish an actual response of at least one of the sensors whereby the actual sensor output can be used in determining changes in the optical density.

Abstract: A calibration aid may be assembled as follows. First, the standard reference substance is prepared by dissolving ICG dye and albumin protein in water. Then, the carrier sheet of fleece material is soaked therein and dried. After drying the carrier sheet, a thin well defined layer of protein bound dye is present at the surface of the fleece material. The carrier sheet and the backing sheet are laminated into a plastic card. For this, the plastic layers may be laminated tightly together in the framing region for example by welding or by use of adhesive. The plastic card is then sterilized and packed into a sealed package.

Abstract: A laser diffraction particle size analyzer irradiates a laser beam on particles in a scattered state, and measures a spatial intensity distribution of diffracted and scattered light from the particles. A particle size distribution of the particles is calculated from a result of the measurement. The laser diffraction particle size analyzer includes a laser device for generating an ultraviolet laser beam as a light source for generating a laser beam, and a fluorescent member closely attached to or disposed adjacent to a detecting surface of a photodiode array that measures the spatial intensity distribution of the diffracted and scattered light upon incidence thereof.

Abstract: A measuring apparatus includes a sensor well unit having a plurality of sample wells, which are formed in a dielectric block and a thin film layer provided on the inner bottom surface of each sample well. A light beam projector causes a plurality of light beams to impinge upon the interfaces of the inner bottom surfaces of one-dimensionally arranged sample wells out of the plurality of sample wells and the thin film layers at various angles of incidence so that total internal reflection conditions are satisfied at each of the interfaces, and the light beams reflected at the respective interfaces are received by a photodetector. A longitudinal tilt measuring system measures a longitudinal tilt of the interface from a predetermined reference position, and a corrected measured value corrected according to the longitudinal tilt measured by the longitudinal tilt measuring system is obtained.