Abstract: Some embodiments include methods, devices and systems of radiation detection by asynchronous demultiplexing. In some embodiments, an apparatus to read a plurality of electrical signals received from an electrode may include two or more electrical signal readers, wherein each of the signal readers is individually switchable between a coupled state in which an input of the signal reader is coupled to the electrode, and a decoupled state in which the input is decoupled from the electrode; and a controller to detect the plurality of electrical signals, to selectively switch the two or more signal readers to the coupled state to receive at least one sequence of two or more of the detected electrical signals, respectively, and to selectively activate the two or more signal readers to process the two or more detected electrical signals, respectively. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A system for delivering energy to a substrate includes a laser energy source providing a plurality of laser beams, wherein each of the beams is steered to an independently selectable location on a target, and is independently focused onto the target.

Abstract: Apparatus for detecting radiation, including a detector which is configured to generate electrical charges responsive to incidence of a photon on the detector. The apparatus includes a plurality of detector circuits coupled to the detector at different respective locations. Each detector circuit consists of an amplifier which is configured to generate a pulse in response to the charges, and a first pulse shaper, having a first time constant, which is configured to produce a metric representative of an energy of the pulse. Each detector circuit also has a second pulse shaper, having a second time constant greater than the first time constant, which is configured to produce an indication that the metric is representative of an energy of the photon. The apparatus also includes a summing device which is coupled to sum the metric of each of the detector circuits in response to the respective indication.

Abstract: Apparatus for detecting radiation, including a semiconductor which is arranged to interact with photons of the radiation, and a plurality of electrodes which are configured to sense respective charge distributions in response to interactions of the photons with a region of the semiconductor. The apparatus includes circuitry having respective detector circuits coupled to the electrodes to detect the interactions. The circuitry is configured to receive the respective charge distributions from two or more of the electrodes so as to generate respective energy distributions of the photons for each of the two or more electrodes, to compensate for variations in detection characteristics of the respective detector circuits so as to align the respective energy distributions with each other to form aligned distributions, to sum the aligned distributions to generate an overall energy distribution of the photons, and to output a signal indicative of the overall energy distribution.

Abstract: A system for delivering energy to a substrate including a dynamically directable source of radiant energy providing a plurality of beams of radiation, each propagating in a dynamically selectable direction. Independently positionable beam steering elements in a plurality of beam steering elements are operative to receive the beams and direct them to selectable locations on the substrate.

Abstract: A system and method for fabricating an electrical circuit in which a digital control image (46) is generated by non-uniformly modifying (44) a representation of an electrical circuit (40), such that an electrical circuit pattern (72) recorded on a substrate (12) using the digital control image (46) precisely fits an already formed electrical circuit portion (62).

Abstract: System and method for determining an energy window in a medical imaging system. The imaging system, designed to operate in a single photon counting mode, includes a pixilated radiation detector having an array of detector elements coupled to respective electronic channels. The method includes measuring the electronic signals produced for each detector element and producing two spectra corresponding to two different energy levels of photons, deriving an electrical offset for the signals received from each detector element and producing corrected signals and a corrected spectrum of radiation flux impinging on the detector, calculating a peak channel value measured in units of energy channels, and determining an energy window for each detector element such that the width of the window is equal to a desired fraction of the peak channel value.

Abstract: Apparatus for transmitting information at a data rate, such as for recording an image on a photosensitive surface, including a pulsed light source that produces pulsed light having a pulsed repetition rate and a modulator that asynchronously modulates the pulsed light at the date rate, wherein the data rate is higher than pulse repetition rate.

Abstract: An inspection system includes a CMOS integrated circuit having integrally formed thereon an at least two dimensional array of photosensors and providing an inspection output representing an object to be inspected. A defect analyzer is operative to receive the inspection output and to provide a defect report.

Abstract: Apparatus for testing microelectronic components on a substrate, including a scanner operative to scan a light beam over a plurality of thin film transistors disposed on a substrate, one transistor at a time, so as to induce a photoconductive response in the plurality of transistors, one transistor at a time; current sensing circuitry operative, synchronously with said scanner, to measure an output induced by the photoconductive response associated with a transistor and to generate photoconductive response output values, the photoconductive response output values representing a photoconductive response induced by the light beam, for one transistor at a time from among the plurality of transistors; and diagnostic apparatus operative to analyze the electronic response output values and to characterize each of the transistors in accordance therewith.

Abstract: An inspection system includes a CMOS integrated circuit having integrally formed thereon an at least two dimensional array of photosensors and providing an inspection output representing an object to be inspected. A defect analyzer is operative to receive the inspection output and to provide a defect report.

Abstract: An inspection system operative to inspect patterned devices having microscopic conductors, the system comprising a camera viewing a location of a candidate defect on a patterned substrate and acquiring thereat at least one image of the location, the camera defining an optical axis, the at least one image being illuminated by at least one illumination offset from the optical axis, the illumination being supplied along at least first and second axes of illumination that are mutually non-parallel in a plane corresponding to a plane of the patterned substrate, wherein a response to the illumination supplied along the first axis is differentiable from a response to the illumination supplied along the second axis and a defect classifier operative to receive the at least one image and to distinguish therewithin a candidate defect caused by a cut or a candidate defect caused by excess material, from one another and/or from other types of candidate defects.

Abstract: An electrical circuit inspection method including, for each of a plurality of types of local characteristics, each type occurring at least once within electrical circuitry to be inspected, identifying at least one portion of interest within the electrical circuitry whereat the local characteristic is expected to occur, and inspecting an image of each portion of interest, using an inspection task selected in response to the type of local characteristic expected to occur in the portion of interest.

Abstract: A method for printing includes providing a substrate on which a matrix of color elements is defined, the color elements having respective center lines. A printhead assembly is positioned over the substrate. The printhead assembly includes multiple controllable nozzles. At least one of the substrate and the printhead assembly is translated so that the printhead assembly scans over the substrate in a scan direction transverse to the center lines of the color elements. Droplets of ink are ejected from the nozzles onto the substrate at selected times while the printhead assembly scans over the substrate. The times at which to eject the droplets are selected so as to cause the droplets to land on the color elements at respective locations, such that respective locations are displaced from the center lines.

Abstract: An optical element including a unitary, non-circularly-symmetrical, piece of optically-transmissive material, which has at least first and second surfaces for concentrating light from a light source onto a linear target region, such that at least one of the first and second surfaces is curved, and such that a first portion of the light is concentrated onto the linear target region by reflection from the first surface, while a second portion of the light is concentrated onto the linear target region by refraction at the second surface.

Abstract: A method for inspecting an electrical circuit including optically inspecting at least a portion of an electrical circuit by detecting light reflected therefrom in a first image during a first time interval, optically inspecting light emitted from at least a portion of the electrical circuit by fluorescence in a second image acquired during a second time interval and indicating defects in the electrical circuit based on geometrically coincident indications from both the optically inspecting at least a portion of an electrical circuit by detecting light reflected therefrom and the optically inspecting light emitted from at least a portion of the electrical circuit by fluorescence.

Abstract: A method for printing includes providing a substrate on which a matrix of color elements is defined, the color elements having respective center lines. A printhead assembly is positioned over the substrate. The printhead assembly includes multiple controllable nozzles. At least one of the substrate and the printhead assembly is translated so that the printhead assembly scans over the substrate in a scan direction transverse to the center lines of the color elements. Droplets of ink are ejected from the nozzles onto the substrate at selected times while the printhead assembly scans over the substrate. The times at which to eject the droplets are selected so as to cause the droplets to land on the color elements at respective locations, such that respective locations are displaced from the center lines.

Abstract: A radiation detection camera head having a focal-plane array of pixelated detectors having constant pitch between pixels over the whole of the camera head, while using detector modules having normal production tolerances, and which can nevertheless be readily removed and replaced in the detector array by means of predetermined gaps between adjacent detector modules. The pixels on the side walls of the detector modules have reduced size to maintain constant pitch over the array in spite of production variation between modules. The reduction in sensitivity due to this reduced size is compensated for by the addition of insulated conductive bands on the side walls. The head collimator is such that the septa fall between pixels and between modules, such that head sensitivity is maintained at its optimum value.

Abstract: A method for micromachining a material, including configuring an optical system to provide illumination of an illumination wavelength to a site via a given element of the optical system, the illumination generating returning radiation from the site. The method further includes configuring the optical system to receive the returning radiation via the given element, and to form an image of the site therefrom, calculating an actual position of a location at the site from the image and outputting a signal indicative of the actual position of the location, generating a beam of micromachining radiation having a micromachining wavelength different from the illumination wavelength, positioning the beam to form an aligned beam with respect to the location in response to the signal, and conveying the aligned beam to the location via at least the given element of the optical system so as to perform a micromachining operation at the location.

Abstract: A readout system, including a data channel for conveying data, and detector units. Each detector unit includes an input which receives a pulse having a magnitude, a storage buffer which stores an indication of the magnitude, and output circuitry which outputs a request-to-read signal in response to the storage unit receiving the pulse. The units output the indications to the data channel upon receiving a select signal in response to the request-to-read signal. The system includes a processor, which receives the request-to-read signal, and in response transmits the select signal and reads the indication from the data channel. The system also includes selectors, coupled as a tree of hierarchical rows having decreasing numbers of selectors, which convey the request-to-read signals from the detector units to the processor. The selectors also convey the select signals from the processor to the detector units, thereby causing the processor to read the indications.