Abstract: A method for determining properties of a sample (12) by ellipsometry includes positioning the sample (12) in an ellipsometer (10) so that a surface normal (n) of a measurement region of the sample surface is tilted relative to a reference axis (z) of the ellipsometer (10) and measuring a Mueller matrix for the measurement region. The method then includes creating an equation system by equating the measured Mueller matrix and a matrix product formed of: a rotation matrix about an input rotation angle (?); an isotropic Mueller matrix in normalized NCS form and a rotation matrix about an output rotation angle (??). The method then solves the equation system for the parameters representing the sample properties to be determined. The input rotation angle (?) and the output rotation angle (??) are set as parameters independent of one another when setting up the equation system.

Abstract: A visual inspection device including a pinhole lens optically coupled to a sensor is provided. The pinhole lens has a pinhole placed at the distal end of the lens to capture the rays from an object to be inspected, a front optical group receiving the rays which cross the pinhole, and a rear optical group. The front optical group is configured to focus, on the rear optical group, the rays which cross the pinhole. The rear optical group is configured to focus, on the sensor, the rays received from the front optical group.

Abstract: Aspects relate to an integrated and compact attenuated total internal reflection (ATR) spectral sensing device. The spectral sensing device includes a substrate, a spectrometer, and a detector. The substrate includes an ATR element, a microfluidic channel, and a channel interface at a boundary between the ATR element and the microfluidic channel formed therein. The ATR element is configured to receive input light and to direct the input light to the channel interface for total internal reflection of the input light at the channel interface. An evanescent wave produced by a sample contained within the microfluidic channel based on the total internal reflection of the input light attenuates the light output from the ATR element and the resulting output light may be analyzed using the spectrometer and the detector.

Abstract: An endoscopic system includes an endoscopic imager configured to capture image frames of a target site within a living body and a processor configured to apply a spatial transform to a preliminary set of image frames, the spatial transform converting the image frames into cylindrical coordinates; calculate a map image from the spatially transformed image frames, each pixel position in the map image being defined with a vector of fixed dimension; align a current image frame with the map image and apply the spatial transform to the current image frame; fuse the spatially transformed current image frame to the map image to generate a fused image; and apply an inverse spatial transform to the fused image to generate an enhanced current image frame having a greater spatial resolution than the current image frame. The system also includes a display displaying the enhanced current image frame.

Abstract: A film thickness measurement apparatus includes: a stage that places a substrate having a film formed thereon and measures a thickness of the film in-situ in a film forming apparatus; a film thickness meter including a light emitter that emits light toward the substrate disposed on the stage and a light receiving sensor that receives the light reflected by the substrate for measuring the thickness of the film in-situ; a moving mechanism including a multi-joint arm that moves an irradiation point of the light on the substrate; a distance meter that measures a distance between the light receiving sensor and the irradiation point on the substrate; and a distance adjustor that adjusts the distance between the light receiving sensor and the irradiation point on the substrate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving sensitivity of wafer detection, and a storage medium are provided. The method including: acquiring a gray-scale image of a peripheral circuit region of a wafer; dividing the gray-scale image into at least one pixel region; determining a repeated image region in each pixel region, in which the repeated image region is a region with N*M pixels where M pixels on a same column in the repeated image region have a same gray-scale value, and N and M are integers greater than 0; and determining position information where interference superposition occurs in the peripheral circuit region of the wafer according to all repeated image regions in the gray-scale image.

Abstract: A laser absorptivity measurement device uses a linearly polarized incident beam, an optical configuration comprising an internal polarizing beamsplitter that transmits the linearly polarized incident beam and a quarter-wave plate that converts linearly polarized incident beam into a circularly polarized incident beam that is reflected off a processing substrate. The quarter-wave plate and polarizing beamsplitter can then direct the reflected light back into an integrating volume, where the power of the reflected light can be measured by a photodetector. The laser absorptivity measurement device is capable of making real-time absorption efficiency measurements of a variety of laser-based processes, including laser welding and brazing, additive manufacturing, and laser marking.

Abstract: The system includes a modulatable illumination source configured to illuminate a surface of a sample disposed on a sample stage, a detector configured to detect illumination emanating from a surface of the sample, illumination optics configured to direct illumination from the modulatable illumination source to the surface of the sample, collection optics configured to direct illumination from the surface of the sample to the detector, and a modulation control system communicatively coupled to the modulatable illumination source, wherein the modulation control system is configured to modulate a drive current of the modulatable illumination source at a selected modulation frequency suitable for generating illumination having a selected coherence feature length. In addition, the present invention includes the time-sequential interleaving of outputs of multiple light sources to generate periodic pulse trains for use in multi-wavelength time-sequential optical metrology.

Abstract: An optical system includes: a first optical system including a polarization conversion element aligning a polarization direction of light including color light beams with a predetermined polarization direction, and generating illumination light including the color light beams; a first polarization rotation element disposed at a first pupil position inside the first optical system, including first and second divided regions, in which the first and second divided regions have different polarization characteristics with respect to a first color light beam outputted from the polarization conversion element; a polarizer disposed between the polarization conversion element and the first polarization rotation element, and reducing light in a polarization direction other than the predetermined polarization direction included in light outputted from the polarization conversion element; and light valves each illuminated by at least the first color light beam included in the illumination light generated by the first opt

Abstract: An ellipsometer is provided. The ellipsometer includes: a polarizing optical element, comprising a prism, that is configured to split reflected light into two linearly polarized components of light having polarization directions orthogonal to each other, the reflected light generated by reflecting illuminated light, including linearly polarized light that is polarized in one direction, from a measurement surface of a sample; an interference member, comprising at least one body, that is configured to form at least one interference fringe in which the two linearly polarized components of light interfere with each other in directions different from the polarization directions; an image detector configured to detect the at least one interference fringe; and an analysis device including at least one processor, the analysis device configured to calculate ellipsometry coefficients ? and ? based on the at least one interference fringe that is detected.

Abstract: An optical spectrometer uses broadband radiation detectors to measure thermal radiation generated by the varied heating of an object without complex mechanical mechanisms, narrowband filters, or the like. The received thermal radiation is used to deduce spectral qualities of either the thermal radiation emitter or a second object reflecting or transmitting this thermal radiation.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided. For example, metrology apparatus configured for use with a substrate processing platform comprise an interferometer configured to obtain a first set of measurements at a first set of points along a surface of a substrate, a sensor configured to obtain a second set of measurements at a second set of points different from the first set of points along the surface of the substrate, an actuator configured to position the interferometer and the sensor at various positions along a measurement plane parallel to the surface of the substrate for obtaining the first set of measurements and the second set of measurements, and a substrate support comprising a substrate support surface for supporting the substrate beneath the measurement plane while obtaining the first set of measurements and the second set of measurements.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are presented for confocal microscopy using dispersed structured illumination. In certain embodiments the apparatus also comprises an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system, and OCT images acquired from two or more regions of a sample are registered using a corresponding set of two or more larger area images acquired with the confocal microscopy system. In preferred embodiments the apparatus is suitable for analysing the retina of an eye. The confocal microscopy system can be operated in a purely intensity mode or in a coherent mode. In other embodiments a confocal microscopy system using dispersed structured illumination is utilised for surface metrology.

Abstract: An optical scanning system includes a first radiating source capable of outputting a first source light beam, a second radiating source capable of outputting a second source light beam, a first time-varying beam reflector configured to direct the first source light beam and the second source light beam toward the sample, a scan lens configured to focus the first source light beam and the second source light beam reflected by the first time-varying beam reflector onto the sample, and a compound ellipsoidal collector configured to direct light scattered from the sample toward a scattered radiation detector. The optical scanning system causes one of the first or second source light beams to be directed towards a sample at an incident angle. The first light beam has a first wavelength, the second light beam has a second wavelength, and the first wavelength and the second wavelength are not the same.

Abstract: A method of operating an optical icing conditions sensor includes transmitting a first light beam with a first transmitter and a second light beam with a second transmitter, thereby illuminating two illumination volumes. A first receiver receives the first light beam. A second receiver receives the second light beam. A controller measures the intensity of light received by the first and second receivers. The controller compares the intensities to threshold values and determines if either intensity is greater than the threshold values. The controller determines a cloud is present if either intensity is greater than the threshold values. The controller calculates a ratio of the intensities if a cloud is present. The controller determines, using the ratio, whether the cloud contains liquid water droplets, ice crystals, or a mixture of liquid water droplets and ice crystals.

Abstract: An ellipsometer, polarimeter and the like system operating in the infrared spectral range (0.75 ?m to 1000 ?m), utilizing a tunable quantum cascade laser (QCL) source with the capability if reducing speckle and standing wave effects, dual-rotatable optical elements, a single-point detector, as well as optional means of reducing the size of the probe beam at the measurement surface and optional chopper for lock-in detection.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to non-destructive methods for collecting data from three-dimensional objects. Method include directing one or more interrogating beams of light towards a surface of a three-dimensional object, where the three-dimensional object includes one or more underlying surfaces, and one or more materials having excitonic properties are disposed on the surface of the three-dimensional object; capturing, using an imaging device, optic response of the one or more materials having excitonic properties to the one or more interrogation beams; and computing, using the imaging device, a distance between the one or more underlying surfaces and the one or more materials having excitonic properties, where the optic response of the one or more materials having excitonic properties is a function of the distance between the one or more materials having excitonic properties and the one or more underlying surfaces.

Abstract: A reading apparatus that reads an image formed on a document while transporting the document, the reading apparatus includes a first reading section that reads, as a read image, one of specularly reflected light or diffusely reflected light which is reflected from the document on a reading glass through which the moving document passes, and a second reading section that reads, as a read image, the other of the specularly reflected light or the diffusely reflected light which is reflected from the document on one side of a transport path through which the document is transported.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for assessing the texture of skin using images thereof. In exemplary embodiments, a texture map of an area of skin is generated from a combination of a parallel-polarized image and a cross-polarized image of the area of skin. The texture map is then flattened to remove the underlying curvature of the skin. A texture roughness metric is then generated based on the flattened texture map. An image of the texture map and the metric can be displayed to provide visual and alphanumeric representations of the texture of skin, thereby facilitating the comparison of baseline and follow-up images of the skin, such as those taken before and after treatment.

Abstract: An ellipsometer, polarimeter and the like system operating in the infrared spectral range (0.75 ?m to 1000 ?m), utilizing a tunable quantum cascade laser (QCL) source in combination with dithering capability to reduce speckle and standing wave effects, dual-rotating optical elements, a single-point detector, as well as optional means of reducing the size of the probe beam at the measurement surface and optional chopper for lock-in detection.

Abstract: A high-sensitivity optical system to determine and/or control spatial displacement and position of objects applicable to various situations when a contact measurement cannot be performed, such as in high-vacuum or ultra-high vacuum chambers, at high temperatures, in aggressive chemical environments, etc. A laser beam is directed at a low glancing angle to a screen secured to an object. The screen's surface is normal to a motion direction of interest. A location of the bright laser beam spot on the screen surface is acquired and the displacement thereof is analyzed and quantified based on the change in distance from the laser beam spot to a reference element which is arranged on the screen and creates a variation in the acquired image brightness. A feedback loop control mechanism is provided which returns the displaced object to its original position.

Abstract: An optical scanning system includes a first radiating source capable of outputting a first source light beam, a second radiating source capable of outputting a second source light beam, a first time-varying beam reflector configured to direct the first source light beam and the second source light beam toward the sample, a scan lens configured to focus the first source light beam and the second source light beam reflected by the first time-varying beam reflector onto the sample, and a compound ellipsoidal collector configured to direct light scattered from the sample toward a scattered radiation detector. The optical scanner causes one of the first or second source light beams to be directed towards a sample at an incident angle. The first light beam has a first wavelength, the second light beam has a second wavelength, and the first wavelength and the second wavelength are not the same.

Abstract: The manipulation and control of entangled particle and entangled photon properties by means of low loss interaction free quantum means is vital for studying the fundamentals of entanglement and for future applications in distributed quantum information processing, sensing and imaging. Despite its importance, achieving low loss interaction free manipulation and control of entanglement is difficult, particularly with pulsed networked systems with quantum properties changing in space and time and with intervening absorbing elements. This invention uses low loss quantum interaction free techniques and designs that can be miniaturized to efficiently and robustly send and receive quantum information and data using pulsed and continuous origin temporal and polarization entangled particles and entangled photons. The invention may be used to improve quantum communication of information and quantum networking in fiber optics, turbulent and scattering media, and free space.

Abstract: An assembly for measurements of one or more optical parameters of a medium is disclosed. The assembly comprises a light sheet generator, a light intensity modulator, a holder for a sample, and an optical sensor. A method of using the assembly for measuring one or more optical parameters of a medium is also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention provides a system (1) comprising a sensor (100) for measuring a skin parameter, the sensor (100) comprising a plurality of spatially separated light sources (110) configured to provide light source light (111), and one or more detectors (120) configured at a first distance (d1) from each of the light sources (110), wherein the first distance (d1) is selected from the range of 5-80 mm, wherein the sensor (100) is configured to provide the light source light (111) with optical axes (OL) under an angle (a) relative to an optical axis (O2) of the one or more detectors (120) selected from the range of 10-80°, wherein the sensor (100) comprises at least three light sources (110), wherein the light sources (110) are configured to provide unpolarized light source light (111), wherein the system (1) further comprises an analysis system (2) wherein the analysis system (2) is configured to generate a corresponding skin sensor value on the basis of a detector response of the one or more detectors (120) at o

Abstract: Various embodiments set forth techniques for characterizing films on optically clear substrates using ellipsometry. In some embodiments, a spectroscopic ellipsometer is configured to generate a light beam that has a relatively small spot size and is substantially absorbed by an optically clear substrate, thereby reducing or eliminating reflections from an interface between the substrate and air. Optical simulations can be performed to determine values for various parameters associated with the ellipsometer that minimize the reflections from the interface between the substrate and air and maximize reflections from an interface between a film and the substrate. In addition, graded films that include multiple layers can be analyzed using models of multiple layers.

Abstract: There may be provided a method for inspecting a top redistribution layer conductors of an object. The top redistribution layer (RDL) is positioned above at least one lower RDL and above at least one other dielectric layer. The method may include (i) illuminating the object with radiation, the at least one lower dielectric layer significantly absorbs the radiation; (ii) generating, by a detector, detection signals that represent radiation reflected from the object, and (iii) processing, by a processor, the detection signal to provide information about the top RDL. The processing may include distinguishing detection signals related to the top RDL from detection signals related to the at least one lower RDL.

Abstract: A spectroscopic ellipsometry system and method for thin film measurement with high spatial resolution. The system includes a rotating compensator so that spectroscopic ellipsometric and imaging ellipsometric data are collected simultaneously with the same measurement beam. Collecting both ellipsometric data sets simultaneously increases the information content for analysis and affords a substantial increase in measurement performance.

Abstract: The invention discloses a rapid measurement method for an ultra-thin film optical constant, which includes following steps: S1: using a p-light amplitude reflection coefficient rp and an s-light amplitude reflection coefficient rs of an incident light irradiating to an ultra-thin film to be measured to express an amplitude reflection coefficient ratio ? of the ultra-thin film: ? = r p r s ; S2: performing a second-order Taylor expansion to ? = r p r s at df=0 while taking 2?df/? as a variable to obtain a second-order approximation form; S3: performing merging, simplifying and substituting processing to the second-order approximation form for transforming the same into a one-variable quartic equation; S4: solving the one-variable quartic equation to obtain a plurality of solutions of the optical constant of the ultra-thin film, and obtaining a correct solution through conditional judgment, so as to achieve the rapid measurement for the ultra-thin film optical constant.

Abstract: A surface of the tissue is illuminated with light having a known wavelength spectrum capable of materially penetrating the tissue. The light remitted from the tissue in response to the illumination is separated into at least two distinguishable polarization components. The intensity of the illumination light remitted from the tissue is measured over a hyperspectral range of wavelengths for the at least two distinguishable polarization components. Based on the preceding measurements and a degree of linear polarization of the remitted light, data representative of the three-dimensional location and one or more characteristics of an abnormal portion of the tissue are produced. Further, the masking effect of melanin may be eliminated to obtain accurate estimations of an anomaly.

Abstract: A method and device of thin film spectroellipsometric imaging are disclosed. The device comprises an illuminator to direct light through a polarization generator system toward an extended area of a sample; an imaging system to form images; a detection system to record in a plurality of spectral channels; a computer to display and analyze the recorded images; and at least one reference phantom with known optical properties to replace the sample for calibration. The method comprises directing light from an illuminator through a polarization generator system toward an extended area of a sample having a geometrical shape; forming images with an imaging system; adjusting a polarization generator system and a polarization analyzer system to obtain a series of polarimetric setups; recording the images with a detection system in a plurality of spectral channels; replacing the sample with at least one reference phantom; and analyzing the recorded images with a computer.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for measuring a dielectric tensor of a material. Firstly, a partial conversion matrix Tp and a transmission matrix Tt are determined by a predetermined initial value ?(E) of the dielectric tensor of the material to be measured, thereby obtaining a transfer matrix of an electromagnetic wave on a surface of the material to be measured by the partial conversion matrix Tp, the transmission matrix Tt, and an incident matrix Ti, a theoretical Mueller matrix spectrum MMCal(E) of the material to be measured is determined by the transfer matrix Tm. A fitting analysis is performed on the theoretical Mueller matrix spectrum MMCal(E) and a measured Mueller matrix spectrum MMExp(E) of the material to be measured to obtain the dielectric tensor of the material to be measured.

Abstract: A method for optical inspection includes illuminating a patterned polymer layer on a semiconductor wafer with optical radiation over a range of infrared wavelengths, measuring spectral properties of the optical radiation reflected from multiple points on the patterned polymer layer over the range of infrared wavelengths, and based on the measured spectral properties, computing a complex refractive index of the patterned polymer layer.

Abstract: A method for evaluating a structure is disclosed, the structure including a base material containing at least one kind of metal selected from the group consisting of hydrogen storage metals and hydrogen storage alloys, an intermediate layer provided on the base material and stacked alternately with a first layer containing low work function substances relatively lower in work function than the metal and a second layer containing the metal, and a surface layer provided on the intermediate layer and containing the metal, wherein the method includes measuring a change in polarization between incident light and reflected light by irradiating the surface layer with light, while holding the structure at a predetermined temperature, and comparing a measurement value of the change in polarization with a threshold of a change in polarization of a structure prepared in advance and evaluating a soundness of the structure based on comparison results.

Abstract: Instruments and methods for wide-field polarized imaging of the skin to determine an outer lesion margin objectively in vivo to provide guidance to a surgeon. Quantitative characterization of collagen structures in the skin can be used to determine the outer lesion margin or monitor skin treatment.

Abstract: The disclosure belongs to the technical field related to on-line measurement in manufacture of integrated circuit, which discloses a snapshot type overlay error measuring device and a measuring method thereof. The measuring method includes: the detection light is subjected to polarization and retardation in sequence to obtain measurement spectrum; Fourier analysis is performed on the measurement spectrum to obtain the frequency-domain signal of the measurement spectrum, and sub-channel frequency-domain analysis is performed on the frequency-domain signal to obtain the linear combination of the non-diagonal Mueller matrix elements of the overlay error sample to be tested; the linear combination of the non-diagonal Mueller matrix elements are processed to obtain the overlay error of the overlay sample under test. This disclosure does not need to measure all 16 Mueller matrix elements, the measurement is carried out on only a few non-diagonal Mueller matrix elements which are sensitive to overlay error.

Abstract: Images of samples that are illuminated with polarized light are captured. Azimuth and inclination data are extracted from the captured images. The azimuth and inclination data are used to quantify MTRs.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a light line triangulation apparatus with a measurement space for receiving a measurement object, a light projector, adapted to project a light line into the measurement space and/or onto the measurement object, an imager for detecting the light line in the measurement space, wherein the imager comprises imaging pixels arranged in a plurality of columns and rows. The apparatus of the invention is characterized in that the imager comprises multiple identical sets of polarization filters, wherein each set of polarization filters comprises at least two polarization filters with different polarization directions, wherein a respective polarization filter covers one of the columns.

Abstract: Methods and systems for estimating a value of a quality metric indicative of one or more performance characteristics of a semiconductor measurement are presented herein. The value of the quality metric is normalized to ensure applicability across a broad range of measurement scenarios. In some embodiments, a value of a quality metric is determined for each measurement sample during measurement inference. In some embodiments, a trained quality metric model is employed to determine the uncertainty of defect classification. In some embodiments, a trained quality metric model is employed to determine the uncertainty of estimated parameters of interest, such as geometric, dispersion, process, and electrical parameters. In some examples, a quality metric is employed as a filter to detect measurement outliers. In some other examples, a quality metric is employed as a trigger to adjust a semiconductor process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an imaging device that includes a gating element which receives incident photons and releases pulsed electrons; a single microchannel-plate (MCP) which receives the pulsed electrons and amplifies the pulsed electrons as an amplified pulsed electron flux; a collection element which receives the amplified pulsed electron flux; a high-pass filter; and a gated integrator; wherein the high-pass filter element receives the amplified pulsed electron flux from the collection element and alternate current (AC) couples the amplified pulsed electron flux as a charge pulse to the gated integrator; and wherein the gating element and the gated integrator are time-synchronized to allow charge-integration only while the AC-coupled charge pulse is unipolar. A feedback loop can provide an auto-gating function. The imaging device can be used in night vision goggles or a mass spectrometer.

Abstract: An imaging spectropolarimeter for examining targets with polarized light, the spectropolarimeter including a light source adapted to produce polarized light directed at a target. Embodiments also include a three-camera camera system defining a three-camera camera axis with a first camera unit comprising a first analyzer set at 0°, a lens and a first multi-pixel sensor, a second camera unit comprising a second analyzer set at 45°, a lens and a second multi-pixel sensor, and a third camera unit comprising a third analyzer set at 90°, a lens and a third multi-pixel sensor. At least two beam splitters adapted to direct a portion of polarized light reflected from the target to each of the first, second and third camera units. Preferred systems include a processor adapted to produce polarimetric images of the target utilizing intensity information collected by the multi-pixel sensors.

Abstract: An ellipsometer includes a first separation unit configured to separate a first reflected light into two reflected lights, a first polarizing optical element configured to separate each of the two reflected lights into two linearly polarized lights, a first interference device configured to form an interference fringe by allowing components of the two linearly polarized lights to interfere with each other, a second separation unit configured to separate a second reflected light into two reflected lights, a second polarizing optical element configured to separate each of the two reflected lights into two linearly polarized lights, and a second interference device configured to form an interference fringe by allowing components of the two linearly polarized lights to interfere with each other.

Abstract: A lighting system for an aircraft including a light source configured to emit light and a refractive optical element configured to receive light from the light source and to redirect the light to produce light beams each directed to illuminate a specific surface of the aircraft or ground near the aircraft. The lighting system may be used in a method to monitor ice accretion on a surface of an aircraft.

Abstract: A device for monitoring, in particular for closed-loop control, of a thermal cutting process carried out on a workpiece. The device includes a focusing unit for focusing a machining beam, in particular a laser beam, onto the workpiece for the formation of a kerf on the workpiece. The device also includes an image acquisition unit to generate at least one image of a region of the workpiece, and an evaluation unit configured to determine, based on the at least one image, at least one measured variable for the course of the gap width of the kerf in a thickness direction of the workpiece. The invention also relates to an associated method for monitoring, in particular for closed-loop control, of a thermal cutting process carried out on a workpiece.

Abstract: An electronic device may include a light sensor system. The light sensor system may have a light source that emits light and a light detector that receives the emitted light after the emitted light has interacted with an external object. The light source may include a ring of light-emitting diodes or other light-emitting devices surrounding the light detector or may have light-emitting devices that are surrounded by a ring-shaped light detector. Polarizer structures may be incorporated into the light sensor system. Control circuitry in the device may control the light source so that different polarizations of light are emitted at different times. The control circuitry may process signals from the light detector that are gathered under different polarizations to discriminate between specular and non-specular reflections from the external object.

Abstract: A system for association-based scattering processing includes a spatial light modulator configured to modulate one or more of phase and amplitude of light irradiated from a light source to a target object. Additionally, the system includes processing circuitry configured to evaluate a field distribution for one localized illumination, induce a set of field distributions for a plurality of localized illuminations based on the field distribution for the one localized illumination, and apply the set of field distributions to the spatial light modulator, scanning a plurality of localized illuminations on the target object.

Abstract: Provided is a contactless internal measurement device including an electromagnetic wave irradiation unit that irradiates an electromagnetic wave to a measurement subject, and an electromagnetic wave receiver that detects the electromagnetic wave reflected by the measurement subject. The electromagnetic wave irradiation unit is disposed to reduce a polarization component of the electromagnetic wave detected by the electromagnetic wave receiver, the polarization component being the same as a polarization component of the electromagnetic wave irradiated by the electromagnetic wave irradiation unit.

Abstract: An endoscopic system includes an endoscopic imager configured to capture image frames of a target site within a living body and a processor configured to apply a spatial transform to a preliminary set of image frames, the spatial transform converting the image frames into cylindrical coordinates; calculate a map image from the spatially transformed image frames, each pixel position in the map image being defined with a vector of fixed dimension; align a current image frame with the map image and apply the spatial transform to the current image frame; fuse the spatially transformed current image frame to the map image to generate a fused image; and apply an inverse spatial transform to the fused image to generate an enhanced current image frame having a greater spatial resolution than the current image frame. The system also includes a display displaying the enhanced current image frame.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an information processing device used in an image capture device that illuminates an object with an illuminating unit and images light reflected from the object as a reflection image with an imaging unit. The information processing device includes an irradiation angle determining unit configured to determine an irradiation angle when the illuminating unit illuminates the object based on a tilt statistic that is a value corresponding to tilt distribution of irregularities formed on the surface of the object.

Abstract: A broadband ultraviolet illumination source for a characterization system is disclosed. The broadband ultraviolet illumination source includes an enclosure having one or more walls, the enclosure configured to contain a gas, and a plasma discharge device based on a graphene-dielectric-semiconductor (GOS) planar-type structure. The GOS structure includes a silicon substrate having a top surface, a dielectric layer disposed on the top surface of the silicon substrate, and at least one layer of graphene disposed on a top surface of the dielectric layer. A metal contact may be formed on the top surface of the graphene layer. The GOS structure has several advantages for use in an illumination source, such as low operating voltage (below 50 V), planar surface electron emission, and compatibility with standard semiconductor processes. The broadband ultraviolet illumination source further includes electrodes placed inside the enclosure or magnets placed outside the enclosure to increase the current density.