Abstract: A novel method of precision measurements of sizes and line width roughness of small objects in accordance with their images obtained in scanning electron microscope, which is improvement of the existing methods and which realizes the new strategy of the measurements. This method has a higher stability with respect to noises of the video signal.

Abstract: A method of precision calibration of a microscope magnification with calculating a magnification scale as a quotient obtained when an image size of a test object viewed or collected with the microscope is divided by a true test object size, the methods comprising the steps of obtaining a magnification reference by taking a diffraction grating with a tested pitch value as the test object; distributing a brightness level between 30–70% amplitude in one of an image of the diffraction grating and a video signal obtained in the microscope; calculating a position of the video signal “center of mass” for each of formed “islands” of the brightness distribution; considering an average distance between neighboring “center of mass” as being a grating pitch in a microscope image of the object; and recognizing that a magnification scale of the microscope is a result of a division of an average pitch dimension by true grating pitch.

Abstract: A device for sensing seismic and/or acoustic vibrations, has a body of a particulate material composed of a plurality of individual particles, and a system for determining changes in electrical conductivity of the particulate material caused by seismic and acoustic vibrations.

Abstract: A method of calibration of magnification of a microscope with the use of a diffraction grating has the steps of determining a mean period of a diffraction grating by irradiating the diffraction grating with an electromagnetic radiation having a known wavelength and analyzing a resulting diffraction pattern, determining a scatter of individual values of a period of the diffraction grating by multiple measurements of periods of the diffraction grating by a microscope in pixels in one area in a microscope field of view, and calculating a mean value of the period and the scatter based on the measurements, determining a sufficient number of measurements of the period for providing an accepted statistic error of a magnification of the microscope, performing measurements corresponding to the determined acceptable number of measurements, of individual values of the period in pixels in a plurality of portions of the diffraction grating, calculating a general mean value of the period in pixels based on the immediately

Abstract: A seismic sensor, has a case, a pre-charged, non-conductive membrane located between two plates that form a capacitor and accommodated inside the case, with one of the plates being immovable relative to the case and the other of the plates being movable relative to the one plate under the action of seismic activity of a medium in which the sensor is located, so that the capacitor produces an electrical signal responsive to the seismic activity, and a mass increasing element associated with the movable plate so as to increase mass of the movable plate and therefore enhance oscillations of the movable plate under the action of the seismic activity.

Abstract: A seismic sensor, comprising a case, a pre-charged, non-conductive membrane located between two plates that form a capacitor and accommodated inside the case, with one of the plates being immovable relative to the case and the other of the plates being movable relative to the one plate under the action of seismic activity so that the capacitor produces an electrical signal responsive to the seismic activity of a medium in which the sensor is located, and a mass increasing element associated with the movable plate so as to increase mass of the movable plate and therefore to enhance oscillations of the movable plate under the action of the seismic activity, the mass increasing element being formed as a further case which is connected to the movable plate and is located in condition of equilibrium in an inoperative position of the sensor.

Abstract: A method of controlling removal of photoresist in openings of a photoresist mask has the steps of obtaining in a scanning electron microscope a video signal of a bottom of an opening of a photoresist mask, and comparing values of the video signal in different points of an image which contains the opening to be controlled.

Abstract: This invention allows the scan nonlinearity of different type of scanning microscopes to be measured, including: optical, confocal, scanning electron and scanning probe microscopes. The scan nonlinearity of the scanning type measuring microscopes can be considerable source of errors in precise measurements of the Critical Dimension—CDs. The invention allows scanning measuring microscopes to be certified for scan nonlinearity; this invention can be used for the monitoring, adjustment and/or alignment of these type instruments. The high reliability of scan nonlinearity determination is achieved with the use of a pair of offset images of a calibration structure and consequent computer analysis of the signal differences. In addition to scan nonlinearity of a scanning measuring microscope being determined this proposed invention allows determination of heterogeneity of the pitch values intrinsic to any test-objects with periodic structure used as calibration references.

Abstract: A line edge roughness of micro objects is determined in a microscope by corresponding scanning and determination of deviations of points of the edge from a straight line.

Abstract: For measuring sizes in a scanning measuring microscope a nominal magnification is selected so that an object image occupies a substantial part of a field of view, an actual magnification is calculated depending on a coordinate on a screen along the direction of measurement, the object is positioned on a microscope table so that a line of scanning coincides with a direction of measurement and scanned by an electron beam to obtain a function of a video signal, points are localized which correspond to left and right edges of the object on a curve, and a size of the object is determined from the coordinates of the left and right edges and the magnification of the microscope changing from one point to the other.

Abstract: A method of precision calibration of a microscope magnification with calculating a magnification scale as a quotient obtained when an image size of a test object viewed or collected with the microscope is divided by a true test object size, the methods comprising the steps of obtaining a magnification reference by taking a diffraction grating with a tested pitch value as the test object; distributing a brightness level between 30-70% amplitude in one of an image of the diffraction grating and a video signal obtained in the microscope; calculating a position of the video signal “center of mass” for each of formed “islands” of the brightness distribution; considering an average distance between neighboring “center of mass” as being a grating pitch in a microscope image of the object; and recognizing that a magnification scale of the microscope is a result of a division of an average pitch dimension by true grating pitch.

Abstract: A method of calibrating magnification of optical devices includes providing a mask with a predetermined pattern, projecting radiation through the mask so as to form a pattern image, and comparing a pattern of the image with a pattern of the mask to determine deviations of the image of the projected image from the image of the mask.

Abstract: A method of precision calibration of magnification of scanning microscopes with the use of a test diffraction grating includes positioning a test object on a stage of microscope so that strips of a test diffraction grating are perpendicular to a direction along which a calibration is performed, scanning of a selected portion of the test object along axes X and Y, measuring values of a signal S versus coordinates x and y in a plane of scanning and storing of the values S (x, y) in a digital form as a two-dimensional digital array, transforming the two-dimensional array of signals S(x, y) into a two-dimensional array S (u, v) by turning of the axes so that a direction of a new axis u is perpendicular to the strips of the grating and a direction of a new axis v coincides with the strips of the grating, line-by-line mathematical processing of the array S(u,v) for each line, converting of the one dimensional, complex function into a one-dimension spectrum of real values of a module, finding from the spectrum of th

Abstract: A method of measuring an angle of inclination of trapezoidal microobject side faces includes positioning an object in a microscope so that a direction along which a scanning of a video signal is to be performed is substantially perpendicular to an orientation of an inclined side face, determining on a video signal two main peaks near edges of an object to be measured which are edge peaks having an asymmetrical shape, in each left and right edge peaks of the video signal using two characteristic points, analyzing a left edge peak and a right edge peak of the video signal, and determining an angle of inclination of a side face, based on the analysis of the left and right edge peaks and the characteristic points of the video signal.

Abstract: A method of precision calibration of magnification of scanning microscopes with the use of a test diffraction grating has the steps of positioning an orientation of a test object on a stage of microscope so that strips of a test diffraction grating are perpendicular to a directional on which a calibration is performed, scanning of a selected portion of the test object along axes X and Y; measuring values of a signal S versus coordinates x and y in a plane of scanning and storing said values S(x, y) in a digital form as a two-dimensional digital array; transforming the two-dimensional array of signals S(x, y) into a two-dimensional array S(u, v) by turning of the axes so that a direction of a new axis U is perpendicular to the strips of the grating and a direction of a new axis V coincides with the strips of the grating; line-by-line mathematical processing in a new manner.

Abstract: A system for detecting an intruder has a plurality of group of sensors connected in parallel with one another, a plurality of individual processing units each connected with at least one of the groups of sensors, the individual processing units, a central processing unit connected with all the parallel-connected individual processing units and receiving signal from the latter.

Abstract: A method of diagnosing a parameter of a scanning electron microscope such as magnification, linearity and stability, includes loading a reference material into a microscope, setting a permissible limit of a value of the parameters, inputting a pitch of the reference material, inputting a magnification of the microscope, acquiring a set of digital images on the reference material, analyzing the digital image line after line with determination of a pitch of features of the image in each line, in mutually orthogonal directions, checking if all lines of the digital image has been analyzed, determining a mean value of the pitch of the features in each orthogonal direction, comparing the obtained value of the pitch of the image with a known value of the pitch of the reference material to determine a ratio indicative of a modification, and determining a precision of the measurements of the pitch by statistical analysis of the pitch measurements.

Abstract: A method of precision calibration of magnification of scanning microscopes with the use of a test diffraction grating includes positioning and orientation of a test object on a stage of microscope so that strips of a test diffraction grating are perpendicular to a direction along which a calibration is performed, scanning of a selected portion of the test object along axes X and Y, measuring values of a signal S versus on coordinates x and y in a plane of scanning and storing of the values S (x, y) in a digital form as a two-dimensional digital array, transforming the two-dimensional array of signals S(x, y) into a two-dimensional array S (u, v) by turning of the axes so that a direction of a new axis u is perpendicular to the strips of the grating and a direction of a new axis v coincides with the strips of the grating, line-by-line mathematical processing of the array S(u) including for each line approximating of an array of discrete values S(u, v) with a periodical analytical function determining a pitch o

Abstract: A method of automatically correcting magnification and/or non linearity of scanning electron microscope has the steps of loading a reference material in the microscope, inputting a pitch of the reference material and a nominal magnification of the microscope, obtaining an image of the reference material, determining a pitch and/or a linearity of the image of the reference material, comparing the pitch of the image with the inputted pitch of the reference material to obtain a ratio indicative of the magnification and/or comparing the magnification in different locations across an image field indicative of the linearity, comparing the thusly determined magnification with the nominal magnification, and if an error of magnification exceeds a predetermined value, adjusting the scanning electron microscope.

Abstract: A method of precision calibration of magnification of a scanning microscope with the use of a test diffraction grating has the steps of positioning and orienting of a test object on a stage of microscopes so that strips of a test diffraction grating are perpendicular to a direction along which a calibration is performed, scanning a selected portion of the test object along axes X and Y, measuring values of a signal S versus coordinates x and y in a plane of scanning and storing the values S (x,y) in a digital form as a two-dimensional digital array, transforming the two-dimensional array of signals (x, y) into a two-dimensional array S(u, v) by turning of the axes so that a direction of a new axis U is perpendicular to the strips of grating and a direction of a new axis V coincides with the strips of the grating, line-by-line mathematical processing of the array S(u, v) in a new manner.