Abstract: A pattern area measuring method includes the steps of: acquiring image data of a pattern; dividing the pattern into partial patterns; calculating the areas of the partial patterns; and calculating the area of the pattern by summing up the areas of the partial patterns. The step of dividing the pattern into partial patterns may further include the steps of: dividing the pattern into fan-shaped partial patterns each having a central angle of a predetermined value; calculating the line profile on a line intersecting the center of the pattern and an edge of the pattern for each of the partial patterns; creating a differential profile; and detecting an edge position of the partial pattern by use of the line profile and the differential profile and then deriving a radius from the center position and the edge position.

Abstract: In a driver circuit 10 for outputting a simulated signal simulating an input signal subjected to transmission loss, corresponding to the input signal, the driver circuit 10 comprises: a main driver 18 which receives the input signal and outputs an output signal corresponding to the input signal; a sub driver 20 which receives the input signal and outputs an output signal given by inverting the input signal; a high frequency emphasizing circuit 22 which receives the input signal of the sub driver 20 and outputs an output signal having the high frequency of the input signal of the sub driver 20 emphasized; and an addition unit 24 which outputs the simulated signal given by adding the output signal of the main driver 18 and the output signal of the high frequency emphasizing circuit 22.

Abstract: A variable delay circuit is designed to provided a wider range of delay time to a timing signal. The variable delay circuit includes a variable delay 50 which comprises a DA converter 51 which supplies current 51 based on delay setting data; a delay element 53 which imparts a delay amount Tpd to a prescribed signal and outputs the signal; and a bias circuit 52 which is connected such that the amount of current flown in the DA converter 51 and the amount of current flown in the delay element 53 become equal. The DA converter 51 allows the relationship between the delay setting data DATA and the current Id to be hyperbolic (inversely proportional). As a result, the relationship between the delay setting data DATA and the delay amount Tpd can be linearized, whereby the delay amount obtained by a single stage of the delay element can be increased.

Abstract: A timing generator reduces operation-dependent power consumption (AC component) and noises generated from a clock distribution circuit itself in distributing a clock, and further reduces a skew attributed to the clock distribution. A clock distribution circuit 20 for distributing the clock to timing generating sections 10-1 to 10-n has a clock main path 21 connected to a main path buffer 24 and a clock return path 26 connected to a return path buffer 27. A load capacity of the main path buffer 24 is equal to that of the return path buffer 27. Biases of the buffers are the same potential and are generated by a delay locked-loop circuit 30. A propagation delay time of the clock distribution circuit is controlled so as to be an integral multiple of a clock period.

Abstract: A variable delay circuit has a simple configuration for being incorporated in a timing generator to control a delay time in real time and assure a timing margin. The variable delay circuit of the timing generator includes a delay circuit having a plurality of cascaded clock buffers; a plurality of cascaded data buffers; and data holding circuits for outputting data to the data buffers in accordance with the clock from the delay circuit. The delay amount added to the data by the data buffers is made identical to the delay amount added to the clock by the clock buffers.

Abstract: An electron beam exposure system is designed to correct a proximity effect. The electron beam exposure system includes: an electron beam generation unit for generating an electron beam; an electron beam exposure mask having opening portions that are arranged so that sizes of the opening portions change at a predetermined rate in order of arrangement; a mask deflection unit for deflecting the electron beam on the electron beam exposure mask; a substrate deflection unit for deflecting and projecting the electron beam onto a substrate; and a control unit for controlling deflection amounts in the mask deflection unit and the substrate deflection unit. The direction or directions of the change may be any one of a row direction and a column direction or may be the row and column directions.

Abstract: A method of detecting an abnormality in a burn-in apparatus, which brings a heater and a temperature sensor into contact with various devices under test during a burn-in test and controls power consumption of the heater to adjust levels of temperature of the devices under test, wherein the temperature sensor detects temperature of a temperature control block in which the heater and the temperature sensor are arranged and with which a cooling liquid is in contact while the devices under test are not in contact with the heater and the temperature sensor, and the temperature sensor is diagnosed to be normal or not based on a result of detection.

Abstract: A connection unit for electrically connecting a DUT mounting board, on which an IC socket is mounted, with a testing apparatus for testing an electronic device inserted into the IC socket, the connection unit has a holding substrate provided to face the DUT mounting board and a connection-unit-side connector, which is provided on the holding substrate to be able to change a position of the connection-unit-side connector on the holding substrate, for being connected to a performance-board-side connector included in the DUT mounting board.

Abstract: A scanning electron microscope with a length measurement function includes an electron gun for emitting an electron beam, a measurement target region setting unit for setting a measurement region for a pattern formed on a sample, a storing unit for storing the designated measurement region, a beam blanker unit for controlling an irradiation of the electron beam depending on the measurement region, and a control unit for extracting the designated measurement region from the storing unit, interrupting the electron beam with the beam blanker unit in a region other than the measurement region, irradiating the electron beam onto the sample in the measurement region, capturing an image of the measurement region, and measuring the pattern. The measurement region may be a pair of regions having the same areas as each other.

Abstract: An electron beam exposure apparatus includes: an electron gun for generating an electron beam; a deflector for deflecting the electron beam; a wafer stage; a stage position detector for detecting a position of the wafer stage; and a stage position computing unit for calculating a movement velocity of the wafer stage. On a basis of the movement velocity, the stage position computing unit calculates an amount of positional change of the wafer stage with respect to an interpolation time, and subsequently calculates an amount of positional movement of the wafer stage by sequentially adding the amount of positional change to the position of the wafer stage in synchronism with the interpolation time. Thus, the stage position computing unit calculates an amount of deflection of the electron beam corresponding to the amount of the positional movement of the wafer stage.

Abstract: Spurious noise that occurs in the vicinity of a carrier can be removed even when a high-resolution cycle is set, thereby realizing low jitters in a high-precision variable clock signal. Cycle data that is set by a pattern generator in a waveform generation apparatus (a semiconductor test apparatus) is corrected in such a manner that spurious noise that occurs in a carrier of a high-precision variable clock is produced at a position far from the carrier in terms of frequency. As a result, the spurious noise can be assuredly removed by a phase-locked loop circuit, thereby realizing low jitters in the high-precision variable clock signal.

Abstract: Provided is an optical sampling apparatus that samples light to be measured having a pulse waveform, including a sampling light output section that outputs a first sampling light and a second sampling light, both having pulse waveforms of a spectrum different from that of the light to be measured; a first sampling section that includes a first nonlinear optical medium, which causes a nonlinear optical effect by causing at least a portion of the light to be measured and the first sampling light to pass therethrough and outputs light generated by the nonlinear optical effect, and that outputs at least a portion of the light generated by the nonlinear optical effect as a first output light; and a second sampling section that includes a second nonlinear optical medium, which causes a nonlinear optical effect by causing at least a portion of the first output light and the second sampling light to pass therethrough with a temporal overlap in order to output light generated by the nonlinear optical effect, and that

Abstract: An optical module socket includes a base on which an optical module is mounted; descend/ascend means which is ascendably and descendably provided in the base and on which the optical module is mounted; holding means for holding the optical module in a predetermined state; pogopins provided in the base to connect with leads of the optical module; and positioning means of optical transmission means which are provided in the holding means and the descend/ascend means and which position, to the optical module, an optical connector to be connected to the optical module.

Abstract: Provided is an electron beam exposure apparatus for forming a desired pattern on a sample mounted on a wafer stage by exposure with an electron beam generated form an electron gun. The electron beam exposure apparatus includes: supplying device of injecting a reducing gas into a column in which the electron gun and the wafer stage are housed; and control unit of performing control so that the injection of the reducing gas into the column is continued for a predetermined period of time. Organic contamination is combined with H generated from the reducing gas by irradiation of an electron beam, and then evaporates. Further included is supplying device of injecting an ozone gas into the column. The control unit may perform control so that the injection of the ozone gas into the column in addition to the injection of the reducing gas is continued for a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: A hermetically sealing member with an optical transmission means transmits an optical signal economically and practically between the inside and the outside of a shielding member covering a printed-circuit board while sustaining the hermetically sealed state certainly. An optoelectronic device and an optical transmission method are also provided. A hermetically sealing member with an optical transmission means includes a gasket body fixed between a printed-circuit board and a sealing face of a shielding member, and a tape fiber formed integrally with the gasket body.

Abstract: A line-width measurement adjusting method, which is used when first and second electron beam intensity distributions for measuring a line width are produced from intensity distribution images of secondary electrons obtained respectively by scanning a first irradiation distance with an electron beam at first magnification, and by scanning a second irradiation distance with an electron beam at second magnification, includes the step of adjusting the second electron beam intensity distribution of the electron beam at the second magnification such that the second electron beam intensity distribution is equal to the first electron beam intensity distribution of the electron beam at first magnification. The second electron beam intensity distribution may be adjusted by increasing or decreasing a second irradiation distance when producing the electron beam intensity distribution.

Abstract: A waveform input circuit, waveform observation unit and semiconductor test apparatus allow to faithfully observe waveform of a device under test with high output impedance and low load driving capability. A waveform input circuit includes a high input impedance terminating resistance which receives an input signal from a transmission line, a relay which selects a terminating resistance, an input buffer which is connected when the high input impedance terminating resistance is selected. A reference potential switch is further provided to select a reference potential of the transmission line where one reference potential is controlled to be in phase with the input signal by an input buffer which is connected when the high input impedance terminating resistance is selected.

Abstract: A pattern measurement apparatus includes a line profile creating unit for creating a line profile of a pattern formed on a sample by scanning with a charged particle beam, a derivative profile creating unit for creating a second derivative profile by differentiating twice the line profile, and an edge detecting unit for judging whether an edge in the pattern is a rising edge or a falling edge. Assuming that the two peak positions appearing in the vicinity of the edge position of the pattern obtained from the second derivative profile are defined as X1 and X2, X2 being larger than X1, the edge detecting unit judges that the edge is a rising edge when a signal amount in the peak position X1 is larger than a signal amount in the peak position X2.

Abstract: The semiconductor relay comprises: an insulated type DC/DC power supply 10 having the input terminal and the output terminal insulated from each other; a pulse transformer 20 having the input terminal and the output terminal insulated from each other; an analog switch 30 which turns on and off the circuit in accordance with a state of an input signal; and a MOSFET circuit 40 which turns on and off a high voltage to a load 50. When a pulse signal is outputted from a pulse signal source 28, the pulse signal is outputted from the pulse transformer 20, and a state of the analog switch 30 is switched, a supply voltage is outputted from the output terminal of the analog switch 30, both the MOSFETs 42, 44 of the MOSFET circuit conduct, and a high AC voltage is applied to a load 50 from an AC power supply 52.

Abstract: A single balanced mixer has a high degree of isolation between an IF signal and an RF signal and a high conversion efficiency. The single balanced mixer includes means for producing two local signals of same amplitude and opposite phase, a pair of mixing elements each receiving a corresponding one of the two local signals, a pair of strip lines for transmitting the input RF signal to the mixing elements. One end of each of the strip lines is connected to one another at a point where the RF signal is supplied and other end of each of the strip lines is connected to the corresponding mixing element. A length of each of the strip lines is one fourth of a wave length of the IF signal.