Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is an optical coherence tomography (“OCT”) application apparatus that performs an OCT application on an object. The OCT application apparatus includes: (a) an OCT scanning apparatus which outputs a scanning beam of OCT scanning radiation; and (b) an active tracking system that generates and projects a tracking beam of tracking radiation onto a region including a reference tracking feature; wherein the active tracking system further includes an analysis system that analyzes tracking radiation reflected from the region to detect movement of the object and to generate tracking signals, and applies the tracking signals (i) to direct the active tracking system to move the tracking beam to follow the movement of the object, and (b) as input to the OCT scanning apparatus, to direct the OCT scanning apparatus to move the scanning beam to follow the movement of the object.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a method for modifying process recipe information utilized by a wafer processing system having a controller with permanent rewritable storage, memory, a first and a second communication interface, and a user interface; and one or more process cells to process a wafer; which method comprises steps of: (a) storing baseline process recipe information in permanent rewritable storage; (b) retrieving baseline process recipe information from permanent rewritable storage for a wafer in a group of wafers to be processed and storing it in memory; (c) receiving process recipe modification information utilizing the second communication interface and storing the process recipe modification information in memory; (d) overwriting at least portions of the baseline recipe information in memory with the process recipe modification information to form new recipe information; and (e) processing the wafer utilizing the new recipe information.

Abstract: One or more embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus to determine a corneal thickness profile of an eye. In particular, one embodiment of the present invention is a corneal diagnostic instrument including: (a) a Placido ring illuminator disposed to project a Placido ring image onto a cornea to generate a reflected Placido ring image; (b) multiple slit lamp projectors disposed to project slit light beams onto the cornea to generate slit light beam images; (c) a camera system optically disposed to detect the reflected Placido ring image and the slit light beam images; and (d) a controller, coupled to the slit lamp projectors, the Placido ring illuminator, and the camera system, to cause the slit light beam images and the reflected Placido ring image to be generated and detected in a predetermined sequence, wherein the controller is responsive to the detected reflected Placido ring image and the detected slit light beam images to determine a corneal thickness profile.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a visual field tester that includes: (a) a projection screen; (b) a stimulus projection system that projects a light stimulus onto a first side of the projection screen; (c) a background projection system that projects a background light onto the first side of the projection screen; and (d) a lens system disposed on a second side of the projection screen that directs light transmitted through the projection screen to a predetermined location.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is an optical delay line that comprises a plurality of optical elements in optical communication with each other, wherein: (a) at least one of the plurality of optical elements is capable of spatially dispersing a spectrum of an optical signal to provide a spatially dispersed optical signal; (b) at least one of the plurality of optical elements is adjustable to affect one or more of a phase delay and a group delay of an optical signal; and (c) at least one of the plurality of optical elements compensates for polarization introduced into the optical signal by others of the optical elements.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a process for etching an organic anti-reflective coating on a base of a substrate, the process including steps of: (a) placing the substrate into a processing chamber; (b) introducing into the processing chamber a processing gas including one or more of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and sulfur oxide (SO2); and (c) forming a plasma from the processing gas to etch the organic anti-reflective coating layer.

Abstract: An electron multiplier having an access for allowing a beam to pass is presented. The electron multiplier collects particles traveling back along the beam and is capable of collecting the particles arbitrarily close to the beam. The electron multiplier includes at least two plates having secondary electron emitting surfaces, the at least two plates being separated by a small distance. The electron multiplier has a beam access through the at least two plates. Particles enter the electron multiplier in a direction opposite that of propagation of the beam and impact a secondary electron emitting surface, thereby being captured between the top plate and the bottom plate. In some embodiments of the invention, the electron multiplier is segmented so that azimuthal distributions of the particles can be determined. In some embodiments, the electron multiplier includes a stack of electron emitting surfaces arranged so that an angular distribution of the particles can be determined.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a method used to fabricate a device on a substrate, which method is utilized at a stage of processing wherein a metal gate stack is disposed or formed over a gate oxide, which metal stack includes a refractory metal layer disposed or formed over a refractory metal barrier/adhesion layer, which method includes steps of: (a) etching the refractory metal layer and stopping on or in the refractory metal barrier/adhesion layer; and (b) etching the refractory metal barrier/adhesion layer using a passivation etching chemistry without oxygen.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for preparing streaming media such as an audio or audio-visual work for playback which comprises: (a) a buffer which stores data corresponding to the streaming media; (b) a buffer monitor which determines an amount of data stored in the buffer; (c) a rate determiner, in response to output from the buffer monitor, that determines a playback rate; and (d) a time-scale modification system, responsive to the playback rate, that time-scale modifies at least a portion of the data in the buffer. In a further embodiments, a playback system plays back the time-scale modified data as a portion of the streaming media.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for preparing media for playback which comprises: (a) a buffer which stores data corresponding to the media; (b) a time-scale modification system that time-scale modifies data output from the buffer at a playback rate; and (c) a rate determiner that determines the playback rate over an interval to control the amount of data in the buffer.

Abstract: Methods for use in fabricating integrated circuit structures. One embodiment of the present invention is a quasi-damascene gate, self-aligned source/drain method for forming a device on a substrate that includes steps of: (a) forming a gate dielectric layer over the substrate; (b) forming a first gate electrode layer over the gate dielectric layer; (c) forming a contact etch stop layer over the first gate electrode layer; (d) forming a self-aligning layer over the contact etch stop layer; and (e) forming and patterning a mask over the self-aligning layer.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a fret adapted for insertion into a fingerboard of an instrument, the fret comprising: (a) a stem adapted to engage the fingerboard when inserted therein, the stem having one or more studs; and (b) a cap having a base joined to one end of the stem; wherein one or more of the studs comprises a wedge having a sloped side whose area has a quadrilateral shape.

Abstract: A two-dimensional scatter plot is created by plotting the gray levels of pixels from a test image against the gray levels of corresponding pixels from a reference image. A noise reduction filter is applied on the scatter plot to define a mask shape which can be extracted and filled-in to generate a mask. Defect pixels on the test image are identified by comparing corresponding pixel gray values against the mask. A typical application is detecting defects in a semiconductor wafer during device fabrication.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention is a method for presentation of information received from a broadcaster which comprises the steps of: (a) receiving broadcast information; (b) receiving guidance information relating to presentation of the broadcast information; (c) analyzing the guidance information to determine a presentation rate; and (d) presenting the information at the presentation rate.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for measurement of aberration of an eye. One or more embodiments provide an aberration measurement instrument that enables measurement wherein Hartmann-Shack spots have reduced speckle; one or more embodiments provide an aberration measurement instrument that enables measurement of an eye having a large diopter power variation over different zones of the eye; one or more embodiments provide an aberration measurement instrument that enables measurement with accommodation control; one or more embodiment provide an aberration measurement instrument wherein radiation reflected by a cornea and radiation scattered by intra-ocular elements are blocked; and one or more embodiment provide an aberration measurement instrument wherein a hazy background produced by radiation multiply scattered within an eye is reduced.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for measurement of a corneal profile of an eye. In particular, one embodiment of the present invention is a corneal diagnostic instrument including: (a) a Placido ring illuminator disposed to project radiation onto a cornea to generate a Placido ring image; (b) multiple slit lamp projectors disposed to project slit light beam images onto the cornea to generate slit light beam images; (c) a camera system optically disposed to detect the Placido ring image and the slit light beam images; and (d) a controller, coupled to the slit lamp projectors, the Placido ring illuminator, and the camera system, to cause the slit light beam images and the Placido ring image to be generated and detected in a predetermined sequence, wherein the controller is responsive to the detected Placido ring image and the detected slit light beam images to determine a corneal thickness profile.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a visual field tester that includes: (a) a projection screen; (b) a stimulus projection system that projects a light source onto a first side of the projection screen; (c) a background projection system that projects a background light onto the first side of the projection screen; and (d) a magnifier lens system disposed on a second side of the projection screen that directs light transmitted through the projection screen to a predetermined location.