Abstract: An overlay measurement device includes a transmission and receipt part and a processor connecting to the transmission and receipt part electrically. The processor obtains data transmitted from a user terminal through the transmission and receipt part, analyzes a recipe included in the data, and performs optimization of measurement options of a wafer, based on the recipe, after the recipe is analyzed.

Abstract: There are provided a computer-readable storage medium and an overlay measurement device therefor that records a data structure for storing data controlling an operation of an overlay measurement device. In a computer-readable storage medium that records a data structure for storing data controlling an operation of an overlay measurement device in one embodiment, the data includes information of a recipe that is input to allow the overlay measurement device to measure characteristics of a wafer through a manager program installed in a user terminal, and unique information of the overlay measurement device.

Abstract: An apparatus for transferring an optical instrument, includes: a transferring block, wherein the optical instrument is coupled to a front surface thereof; a fixed block disposed at a rear side of the transferring block and coupled to a granite surface plate; a wedge stage module disposed on the fixed block to move the transferring block in a vertical direction; a vertical guide disposed at a side end of the transferring block to guide the transferring block in the vertical direction; and a horizontal stage module connected between the wedge stage module and the transferring block to guide a movement in a horizontal direction.

Abstract: A method of centering a correlation-based overlay includes resizing an overlay target image to a size smaller than an entire image size, defining first and second templates that are symmetrical to each other based on a diagonal in the resized image, and calculating a rough center coordinate by calculating a first correlation value representing a similarity symmetrical with respect to the diagonal between images of the first and second templates; defining first and second templates symmetrical based on a diagonal passing through the rough center coordinates in an original image of the overlay target image, calculating a fine center coordinate of the overlay target image by calculating a second correlation value representing a similarity symmetrical with respect to the diagonal between the images of the first and second templates; and centering an overlay key by moving a stage to a target position based on the fine center coordinates.

Abstract: An apparatus for transferring an optical instrument, includes: a transferring block, wherein the optical instrument is coupled to a front surface thereof; a fixed block disposed at a rear side of the transferring block and coupled to a granite surface plate; a wedge stage module disposed on the fixed block to move the transferring block in a vertical direction; a vertical guide disposed at a side end of the transferring block to guide the transferring block in the vertical direction; and a horizontal stage module connected between the wedge stage module and the transferring block to guide a movement in a horizontal direction.

Abstract: A method for measuring a characteristic of a thin film is disclosed. The method includes a) obtaining a measured spectrum from a target region on the substrate by using a spectroscopic ellipsometer, b) obtaining a physical model capable of obtaining an estimated parameter value related to the characteristic of the thin film through regression analysis of the measured spectrum, c) obtaining a machine learning model capable of obtaining a reference parameter value related to the characteristic of the thin film by using the measured spectrum, and d) obtaining an integrated model which uses an integrated error function capable of considering both of a first error function and a second error function, and obtaining an optimum parameter value through regression analysis of the integrated model.

Abstract: An overlay measurement apparatus that can quickly measure an overlay error between layers with a large height difference is provided. The overlay measurement apparatus measures an error between a first overlay mark and a second overlay mark formed in a pair on different layers of a wafer. The overlay measurement apparatus includes an imaging system configured to acquire alignment images of a pair of first and second overlay marks at a plurality of focus positions, and a controller communicatively coupled to the imaging system. The overlay measurement apparatus can rapidly and accurately measure an overlay error between layers with a large height difference.

Abstract: There is provided a polarization analysis apparatus that adjusts an angle of incidence or a numerical aperture by using an aperture. The apparatus includes: a first aperture that transmits a lighting beam reflected from a sample on a substrate; a second aperture that transmits a lighting beam having passed through the first aperture; and a detector that detects a lighting beam having passed through the second aperture and selects an angle of incidence of the lighting beam and numerical apertures of the first aperture and the second aperture.

Abstract: There are provided an overlay measuring device and a method for controlling a focus and a program therefor. An overlay measuring device controlling a focus in one embodiment includes an objective lens; a memory; a lens focus actuator operating the objective lens to adjust a distance between the objective lens and a wafer; and a processor controlling operations of the memory and the lens focus actuator, wherein the processor is configured to obtain a first height value in relation to each site of the wafer, match the obtained first height value and a corresponding site and store the same, and as initial measurement in relation to each site of the wafer starts, control the lens focus actuator, based on the stored first height value of the site, to control a Z-axis movement of the objective lens.

Abstract: Provided are an overlay mark, and an overlay measurement method and a semiconductor device manufacturing method using the overlay mark. Specifically, provided is an overlay mark for determining relative misalignment between two or more pattern layers or between two or more patterns separately formed in one pattern layer, the overlay mark including a first overlay mark positioned in the center, a second overlay mark positioned above and below the first overlay mark or on the left and right thereof, and a third overlay mark and a fourth overlay mark each positioned in a diagonal line with the first overlay mark in between.

Abstract: The current invention relates to an encoder for converting a set of data words into a data block having a header section, a checksum section and a payload section; the encoder comprising: a header inserter arranged to insert a header pattern in the data block; a checksum calculator arranged to calculate a checksum of the set of data words; a data word converter arranged to convert the set of data words into a set of obfuscated data words being a result of applying an exclusive or operation between the set of data words and the checksum.

Abstract: The current invention related to methods and systems for panning audio objects on multichannel loudspeaker setups. The invention relates to a method of processing an audio object along an axis, said audio object comprising an audio object abscissa and an audio object spread, for spatialized restitution thereof over a plurality of sound transducers, N in number, aligned along said axis; each of said sound transducers comprising a transducer abscissa; N being at least equal to two; said method comprising a plurality of steps.

Abstract: The current invention relates to an encoder for converting a set of data words into a data block having a header section, a checksum section and a payload section; the encoder comprising: a header inserter arranged to insert a header pattern in the data block; a checksum calculator arranged to calculate a checksum of the set of data words; a data word converter arranged to convert the set of data words into a set of obfuscated data words being a result of applying an exclusive or operation between the set of data words and the checksum.

Abstract: A signal encoder divides the signal into segments and uses prediction models to approximate the samples of each segment Each local prediction model, each applicable to one segment, is applied in its own translated axis system within the segment and the offset is given by the last predicted value for the previous segment. When the signal is reasonably continuous, it alleviates the need to parameterize the offset for each local predictor model as each local predictor model can build on this last predicted sample value of the previous segment. The encoder as a consequence doesn't suffer from a build up of error even though the offset is not transmitted but instead the last predicted value of the last sample of the previous segment is used. Prediction errors are obtained for the approximated samples and transmitted to the decoder, together with the predictor model parameters and seed value to allow accurate reconstruction of the signal by the decoder.

Abstract: The current invention related to methods and systems for panning audio objects on multichannel loudspeaker setups. The invention relates to a method of processing an audio object along an axis, said audio object comprising an audio object abscissa and an audio object spread, for spatialized restitution thereof over a plurality of sound transducers, N in number, aligned along said axis; each of said sound transducers comprising a transducer abscissa; N being at least equal to two; said method comprising a plurality of steps.

Abstract: When combining digital data sets in the time domain into a combined digital data set a subset of samples of each digital data set is adjusted to enable unraveling the data when decoding. To enable correction during decoding of an error introduced by the adjustment, an error approximation is stored for each adjusted sample. A set of error approximations is created which is indexed allowing substantial reduction in size of the error approximations to be stored for the adjusted samples. Instead of creating a set of error approximations for each combined digital data set one set of error approximations is created based on the errors introduced when creating multiple combined digital data sets.

Abstract: A signal encoder divides the signal into segments and uses prediction models to approximate the samples of each segment Each local prediction model, each applicable to one segment, is applied in its own translated axis system within the segment and the offset is given by the last predicted value for the previous segment. When the signal is reasonably continuous, it alleviates the need to parameterize the offset for each local predictor model as each local predictor model can build on this last predicted sample value of the previous segment. The encoder as a consequence doesn't suffer from a build up of error even though the offset is not transmitted but instead the last predicted value of the last sample of the previous segment is used. Prediction errors are obtained for the approximated samples and transmitted to the decoder, together with the predictor model parameters and seed value to allow accurate reconstruction of the signal by the decoder.

Abstract: When combining digital data sets in the time domain into a combined digital data set a subset of samples of each digital data set is adjusted to enable unraveling the data when decoding. To enable correction during decoding of an error introduced by the adjustment, an error approximation is stored for each adjusted sample. A set of error approximations is created which is indexed allowing substantial reduction in size of the error approximations to be stored for the adjusted samples. Instead of creating a set of error approximations for each combined digital data set one set of error approximations is created based on the errors introduced when creating multiple combined digital data sets.

Abstract: A converter and conversion method are disclosed for converting N channel audio input channels into M channel audio output channels, wherein a processor is used for applying a transfer function to a signal received on an input channel to obtain reverberation components of a calculated output channel, wherein said transfer function is a simplified transfer function matching a selected subset of a set of local maxima of a measured reverberation when applied to a corresponding stimulus.

Abstract: An encoder for compressing a plurality of independent mono audio channels into a recording and generating a restricted set of additional parameters used to master an audio track of a storage device is described. The plurality of independent mono audio channels are constructed such that the storage device can be played using solid state disk player so that in a first mode all of the plurality of independent mono audio channels are played as the recording and in a second mode the original channels are reconstructed using a higher sample rate. A corresponding decoder and an audio system comprising such encoder and decoder are also described.