Abstract: A cleaning apparatus with cleaning rings for cleaning cylindrical bodies, preferably for the quartz cladding tubes in UV disinfection units, especially in UV disinfection sluices for waste water, which in addition to an axially parallel longitudinal movement over the outside surfaces perform an additional angularly limited and alternating rotational movement The object of the invention is a cleaning apparatus with cleaning rings for cleaning cylindrical bodies, preferably for the quartz cladding tubes in UV disinfection units, especially in UV disinfection sluices for waste water, which in addition to an axially parallel longitudinal movement over the outside surfaces perform an additional angularly limited and alternating rotational movement.

Abstract: A laser driven compact ion source including a light source that produces an energy pulse, a light source guide that guides the energy pulse to a target and produces an ion beam. The ion beam is transported to a desired destination.

Abstract: An electron beam exposure mask comprises a main mask and one or more compensation masks. The main mask has a plurality of first defined masks. The compensation mask includes one or more non-defective second defined masks each having a pattern configuration to be formed in a defective among said first defined masks. In performing exposures by using this electron beam exposure mask, first defined masks are used as long as the first defined masks are non-defective, and the second defined mask corresponding to a first defined mask is used when the first defined mask is defective.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for aligning components of an ion optics system particularly as applied to mass spectroscopy apparatus. An apparatus comprises a base having a front face, a rear face and at least one side face, and at least two supports. Each of the supports has at least one face. Each of the supports is affixed to the base by alignment of a portion of at least one face of the base and a portion of at least one face of the support thereby resulting in the alignment of the supports relative to one another. At least one of the supports has attached thereto a component of an ion optics system for a mass spectrometer. In a mass spectroscopy apparatus the support mating faces and the base mating faces are configured and dimensioned such that, when the support mating faces are brought together in registration with the respective base mating faces, the components are optically aligned within acceptable tolerances. Also disclosed are apparatus for making electrical in high vacuum environments.

Abstract: A multiphoton excitation scanning laser microscope employs a laser beam source for oscillating a pulse laser beam having a wavelength range. A multiphoton excitation phenomenon takes place in a sample irradiated with the laser beam so as to emit a fluorescent light. An optical system for forming an optical path of the laser beam includes a pre-chirp compensator, a scanning optical unit and a plurality of objective lenses differing from each other in magnification and capable of being selectively arranged on the optical path. The optical system also includes a correcting mechanism for causing the pulse width of the laser beam to be constant on a cross section of the sample in the case of selecting any of the objective lenses. The correcting mechanism includes a plurality of correcting plates capable of being selectively arranged on the optical path.

Abstract: A charged particle beam detection system (10) that includes a Faraday cup detector array (FCDA) for position-sensitive charged particle beam detection is described. The FCDA is combined with an electronic multiplexing unit (MUX) (2) that allows collecting and intgrating the charge deposited in the array, and simultaneously reading out the same. The duty cycle for collecting the ions is greater than 98%. This multiplexing (2) is achieved by collecting the charge with a large number of small and electronically decoupled Faraday cups. Because Faraday cups collect the charge independent of their charge state, each cup is both a collector and an integrator. The ability of the Faraday cup to integrate the charge, in combination with the electronic multiplexing unit (2), which reads out and empties the cups quickly compared to the charge integration time, provides the almost perfect duty cycle for this position-sensitive charged particle detector (10).

Abstract: A device for electron-beam lithography wherein very small pits can be written, using a small beam intensity, by exposing each pit several times during writing. A row of electron beams is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the track. Each beam from the row of beams can be controlled, either to be projected onto the track via electron optics, or to be scattered to an electron absorbing position. The control of the row of beams ensures that each time a track position to be exposed passes the projection position of a beam from said row of beams, the beam in question is projected onto the position in question. Furthermore means are provided for shifting the beams from the row of beams in transverse direction on the track for the purpose of writing a second track simultaneously with the main track. Finally, several rows of beams arranged one beside another for simultaneously writing onto two tracks arranged one beside another are described.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a mass spectrometer having an atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) source that comprises a discharge lamp coupled to a nebulizer, wherein the nebulizer is at, or near, atmospheric pressure. The discharge lamp curves around the vapor path and this coaxial design offers significant advantages over the prior art such as increased photon flux resulting in increased photoionization efficiency. One of the significant benefits of an increase in photon flux is that absorption of the UV radiation by solvents such as acetonitrile is minimized. The APPI source described herein also facilitates a larger photoionization interaction zone with effluent from the nebulizer, which may be heated. Additionally, no dopant is required in this coaxial APPI system.

Abstract: A charged particle beam drawing apparatus and a pattern forming method capable of drawing fine patterns while minimizing the proximity effect, thus overcoming the drawbacks of the conventional exposure area density correcting method and supplementary exposure method. The inventive method comprises the steps of performing supplementary exposure by irradiating a drawing area on a specimen with a charged particle beam, and performing main exposure by irradiating with the charged particle beam a region made up of the drawing pattern inside the drawing area on the specimen.

Abstract: An electron beam apparatus that includes a vacuum chamber, a large-area cathode disposed in the vacuum chamber, and a first power supply connected to the cathode. The first power supply is configured to apply a negative voltage to the cathode sufficient to cause the cathode to emit electrons toward a substrate disposed in the vacuum chamber. The electron beam apparatus further includes an anode positioned between the large-area cathode and the substrate. The anode is made from aluminum. The electron beam apparatus further includes a second power supply connected to the anode, wherein the second power supply is configured to apply a voltage to the anode that is positive relative to the voltage applied to the cathode.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for flowing a sample gas and a reactant gas (38, 43) past a corona discharge electrode (26) situated at a first location in an ion drift chamber (24), applying a pulsed voltage waveform comprising a varying pulse component and a dc bias component to the corona discharge electrode (26) to cause a corona which in turn produces ions from the sample gas and the reactant gas, applying a dc bias to the ion drift chamber (24) to cause the ions to drift to a second location (25) in the ion drift chamber (24), detecting the ions at the second location (25) in the drift chamber (24), and timing the period for the ions to drift from the corona discharge electrode to the selected location in the drift chamber.

Abstract: An atomic force microscope is described having a cantilever comprising a base and a probe tip on an end opposite the base; a cantilever drive device connected to the base; a magnetic material coupled to the probe tip, such that when an incrementally increasing magnetic field is applied to the magnetic material an incrementally increasing force will be applied to the probe tip; a moveable specimen base; and a controller constructed to obtain a profile height of a specimen at a point based upon a contact between the probe tip and a specimen, and measure an adhesion force between the probe tip and the specimen by, under control of a program, incrementally increasing an amount of a magnetic field until a release force, sufficient to break the contact, is applied. An imaging method for atomic force microscopy involving measuring a specimen profile height and adhesion force at multiple points within an area and concurrently displaying the profile and adhesion force for each of the points is also described.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for producing small, bright nanometric light sources from apertures that are smaller than the wavelength of the emitted light. Light is directed at a surface layer of metal onto a light barrier structure that includes one or more apertures each of which directs a small spot of light onto a target. The incident light excites surface plasmons (electron density fluctuations) in the top metal surface layer and this energy couples through the apertures to the opposing surface where it is emitted as light from the apertures or from the rims of the apertures. Means are employed to prevent or severely limit the extent to which surface plasmons are induced on the surface at the aperture exit, thereby constraining the resulting emissions to small target areas. The resulting small spot illumination may be used to increase the resolution of microscopes and photolithographic processes, and to increase the storage capacity and performance of optical data storage systems.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electronic system operating under irradiation and to a process for designing such a system making it possible to determine a first group (21) of components with high integration and vulnerability intended to be selectively protected by a shield (22), the remainder of the components (20) not benefiting from such a protection. One application of the process is for an electronic control system of a mobile robot able to function in the presence of ionizing radiation (typically gamma radiation).

Abstract: A reflection type ion attachment mass spectrometry apparatus is provided with a metal ion generation region, an attachment region and a mass spectrometry region. The metal ion generation region and the mass spectrometry region are formed as a common compartment and the attachment region is provided adjoining the common compartment. The attachment region has an electrostatic field generation unit for forming an electrostatic field in order to reflect the metal ions introduced from the metal ion generation region so as to guide them to the mass spectrometry region. Thereby, a trace ingredient can be detected with a high measurement sensitivity, the problems of disturbance of the mass spectrometer, deterioration of the metal ion emitter, the size of the apparatus, direct sampling, etc. are solved, and broad use in industry is possible.

Abstract: An electron beam (area beam) having a fixed area is irradiated onto the surface of a semiconductor sample, and reflected electrons from the sample surface are imaged by the imaging lens, and images of a plurality of regions of the surface of the semiconductor sample are obtained and stored in the image storage unit, and the stored images of the plurality of regions are compared with each other, and the existence of a defect in the regions and the defect position are measured. By doing this, in an apparatus for testing a pattern defect of the same design, foreign substances, and residuals on a wafer in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor apparatus by an electron beam, speeding-up of the test can be realized.

Abstract: There is provided a tandem mass spectrometry that, in a quadrupole ion trap, allows small mass-number product ions to be detected without lowering the sensitivity and the resolution. In the quadrupole ion trap, ions are produced by an ion source. Next, the ions are accumulated within a 3-dimensional quadrupole electric field formed by a pair of endcap electrodes and a ring electrode. Finally, the accumulated ions are isolated and dissociated, then being detected. In this quadrupole ion trap, there are provided a mechanism for introducing a laser light, and a mechanism for generating a supplemental alternating-current electric field at the time of the ion dissociation. Moreover, the direction of the supplemental alternating-current electric field and the introduction direction of the laser light are made identical to each other.

Abstract: Wafer-holding structures formed from thermosetting resins are disclosed for use in semiconductor processing including, for example, SIMOX wafer processing. In one embodiment a pin is disclosed that is adapted to receive a wafer edge, and is coupled with a wafer holder assembly. The pin can be filled with a conductive material to provide an electrical pathway between the wafer and the wafer holder assembly, which can be coupled to a ground. This arrangement provides a conductive path for inhibiting electrical discharges from the wafer during the ion implantation process. The pin exhibits thermal isolation characteristics and sufficient hardness so as to not effect localized thermal dissipation of the wafer, yet is sufficiently soft so as to not mark or otherwise damage the wafer.

Abstract: In order to accurately monitor changes in exposure conditions (changes in exposure level and focus) at a product wafer level during lithography, changes in exposure conditions can be calculated by acquiring electron beam images of a first pattern portion and a second pattern portion different from one another in terms of the tendency of the changes in dimensional characteristic quantities against the changes in exposure conditions, then calculating the respective dimensional characteristic quantities of the first pattern portion and the second pattern portion, and applying these dimensional characteristic quantities to the models which logically link the exposure conditions and the dimensional characteristic quantities. Hereby, it is possible to supply the process conditions change monitoring systems and methods that enable output of accurate changes in exposure level and focus.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer of the present invention is based on the use of quadrupole lenses with angular gradient of the electrostatic field. The device consists of an ion source connected to an ion mass separation chamber that contains a plurality of sequentially arranged electrostatic quadrupole lenses which generate a helical electrostatic field for sending ions along helical trajectories in a direct and return stroke. Scattering of positions of points of return is reduced by means of electrostatic mirrors located at the end of the direct stroke, while ions of different masses perform their return strokes along helical trajectories different from those of the direct strokes due to the use of a magnetic and/or electrostatic mirrors. An ion-electron emitting screen is installed on the path of ions in the reverse stroke, and positions of collision of the ions with the ion-electron emitting screen over time and space are detected with the use of micro-channel plate detectors.