Abstract: An electron beam irradiation apparatus is employed for irradiating combustion exhaust gas with an electron beam to remove toxic components from the exhaust gas. The electron beam irradiation apparatus comprises an electron beam source (12) for emitting electrons, an accelerating tube (13) for accelerating the electrons emitted from the electron beam source, a focusing electromagnet (16) for controlling a diameter of an electron beam by applying a magnetic field to an electron beam having a high energy formed in the accelerating tube (13), an electromagnet (17, 18) for deflecting and scanning the electron beam by applying a magnetic field to the electron beam and an irradiation window (20) for allowing the electron beam to pass therethrough. The electron beam is focused a focus point by the focusing electromagnet (16) so that the electron beam converges once and then diverges, and then emitted through the irradiation window (20) to the outside.

Abstract: A source magnet assembly for an ion source system of an ion implantation system. The source magnet assembly includes source magnetic poles that are operationally movable with respect to an arc chamber of the ion source system. In one example, the magnetic field produced by the source magnet is positionable in a two dimensional area. In another example, the magnetic field can be rotated. Some source magnet assemblies include plates that are slidable with respect to one another. The magnetic core is moved by moving the plates with respect to each other by a motorized force. With some assemblies, structures of the assembly are rotatable with respect to one another so that the core may be rotated around the arc chamber.

Abstract: A method for determining the concentration of charge carriers in doped specimens, notably semiconductors, wherein the beam produced by an electron source is made to interact with the specimen, an energy spectrum of the electrons in the beam being derived by means of an energy spectrometer. Plasmon frequencies in the specimen are derived by analysis of the spectrum and the concentration of charge carriers in the doped material is derived from said plasmon frequencies.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for generating an image from a sample. The apparatus includes a charged particle beam generator arranged to generate and control a charged particle beam substantially towards a portion of the sample and a detector arranged to detect charged particles originating from the sample portion to allow generation of an image from the detected charged particles. The apparatus further includes a measurement device arranged to measure a characteristic of the sample portion to obtain a surface voltage value of the sample portion that is exposed to the charged particle beam. For example, the measurement device is an electrostatic voltmeter positioned to obtain a surface voltage value of the exposed sample portion. A charged particle beam is directed substantially towards a portion of the sample under a first set of operating conditions. A surface charge value of the sample portion is obtained under the first set of operating conditions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for measuring the absorbance of a sample. In accordance with the invention, an insert pervious to light is supported on a stand in the measuring well, the insert bottom being located below the sample surface. This allows the length of the light path in the liquid to be accurately selected.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring ground height in front of a vehicle, such as a vehicle for clearing buried land mines, in which a scanning pulsed laser to used to scan along one or more lines in front of the vehicle, with such scanning being executed more slowly in certain regions where data is collected and more quickly in intermediate regions where data is not collected. The time of flight along those lines is measured, and using that measurement, the ground height calculated and stored, with the higher elevations being discarded as the representing the tops of vegetation and the lower elevations being representative of the ground height or elevation in front of blade. A dozer blade on the vehicle is then adjusted in response to the calculated height to position the blade for the proper depth of cut in order to effectively uncover and remove the buried mines.

Abstract: A method of scanning probe microscopy includes using a cantilever having a planar body, generally opposed first and second ends, and a tip disposed generally adjacent the second end and extending downwardly towards a surface of a sample. Preferably, the sample is disposed on a support surface. The method includes directing a beam of light onto the second end in a direction substantially parallel to the support surface. In operation, the second end directs the beam towards a detector apparatus at a particular angle. Then, the method monitors a change in the angle of deflection of the beam of light caused by deflection of the cantilever as the cantilever tip traverses the surface of the sample, the change being indicative of a characteristic of the surface. Preferably, the second end includes a flat reflective surface, with the flat reflective surface being generally non-planar with respect to the planar body of the cantilever.

Abstract: The invention refers to the field of electron beam lithography, in particular to a method for directing an electron beam (6) onto a target position (Z) on the surface of a substrate, the substrate first being placed onto a movable stage (2) and the stage (2) then being displaced stepwise, in the X and/or Y coordinates of a Cartesian grid, until the target position (Z) is located at a spacing from the impact point (P) of the undeflected electron beam (6) which is smaller than the smallest step distance of the stage displacement system, and then the electron beam (6) is directed onto the target position (Z) by deflection. This results in a considerable increase in positioning accuracy in electron beam lithography. Positioning accuracies on the order of 0.1 nm to 0.05 are achievable. The method is suitable in particular for writing grating patterns in which the spacing between the individual grating lines must be maintained with high accuracy.

Abstract: An ion beam apparatus includes an ion source, a first magnet assembly, a structure defining a resolving aperture and a second magnet assembly. The ion source has an elongated extraction aperture for generating a ribbon ion beam. The first magnet assembly provides first magnetic fields for deflecting the ribbon ion beam perpendicular to the long dimension of the ribbon ion beam cross section, wherein different ion species in the ribbon ion beam are separated. The resolving aperture selects an ion species from the separated ion beam. The second magnet assembly provides second magnetic fields for deflecting ions of the selected ion species in the ribbon ion beam parallel to the long dimension of the ribbon ion beam cross section to produce desired ion trajectories. The width of the ribbon ion beam increases through most of the beamline. As a result, low energy performance is enhanced.

Abstract: Charged-particle-beam (CPB) microlithography apparatus are disclosed that do not require installation in a magnetically shielded room, and that exhibit improved attenuation of the incursion of magnetic fields, originating in linear motors used to drive motions of the reticle and substrate stages, to the charged particle beam. The illumination-optical and projection-optical systems are enclosed in respective columns made of a thick ferromagnetic material. The reticle and substrate chambers are similarly constructed. Consequently, there is very low incursion of external magnetic fields to the beam in the columns. The reticle and substrate chambers include partition shields, each having a multi-layer construction with alternating layers of ferromagnetic material sandwiched with layers of non-magnetic material, attached via non-magnetic material to the respective chambers. The partition shields prevent magnetic fields from the respective linear motors from reaching the beam inside the columns.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for forming an alignment layer for use in a liquid crystal cell layer for use in a liquid crystal cell using an ion beam source that includes the steps of: (1) providing a substrate having a surface; (2) providing an ion beam source that emanates an ion beam; (3) providing a mask layer disposed between the substrate surface and the ion beam source. The mask layer has at least two openings disposed between the ion beam source and the substrate surface. The shape and position of the openings reduce the irregularity of the beam exposure in a border region on the surface of the substrate resulting from the ion beam source. The present invention may be used in conjunction with substrate treatment using multiple sweeps with a single ion beam source, or with a substrate treatment using a single sweep with multiple ion beam sources. Also disclosed is an apparatus for practicing the disclosed method.

Abstract: A scanning probe microscope has a cantilever section comprised of a single cantilever chip, at least one first conductive cantilever having a first probe at a free end thereof and extending from the single cantilever chip, and at least one second cantilever extending from the single cantilever chip and disposed in side-by-side relation to the first conductive cantilever. The second cantilever has a second probe at a free end thereof and a length shorter than that of the first conductive cantilever. A Z-direction rough movement mechanism moves the first conductive cantilever in the Z-direction at a first velocity to bring the first probe into contact with a surface of a sample. The Z-direction rough movement mechanism moves the second cantilever in the Z-direction at a second velocity lower than the first velocity when the first probe contacts the surface of the sample to bring the second probe in the vicinity of the surface of the sample for measuring a shape of the surface of the sample.

Abstract: Multi-beam lithography apparatus is used for writing patterns on a substrate 14 such as a wafer for ICs. The patterns may have details of various dimensions. In order to enhance the production rate, it is attractive to write fine details with a small spot 16 and large details with a large spot. It is known to vary the spot size by varying the emissive surface of the electron source. In accordance with the invention the spot size is varied by varying the size 22 of the beam limiting aperture 20, thus enabling optimization of the beam current in dependence on the spot size. A preferred embodiment is provided with an additional (condenser) lens 24 such that the object distance remains constant when the magnification of the lens system 18, 24 is varied.

Abstract: An automatic control servo system having a number of cascaded loops equal in number to the number of voltage sources applied to elements of a high-emittance electron source provides accurate and stable electron emission current control independently of beam energy and accommodates large differences in thermal mass between the elements of the electron source, as may be encountered in high-emittance, indirectly heated cathode electron sources. Individual loops of the system may be critically tuned independently of each other.

Abstract: In a photolithography apparatus, a cable slab 16 carries compressed air, coolant and/or power supply channels from a stationary frame 19 to a wafer table 12. Forces exerted on the moveable table 12 by the cable slab 16 are measured by a force sensor 17 mounted between the moveable table 12 and a mounting bracket 16a for the cable slab. Control signals are generated from the force signals outputted by the force sensor 17, and applied to linear electric motors which drive the wafer table to counteract the effects of forces exerted on the wafer table by the cable slab 16.

Abstract: A method and system of detecting mass to charge ratio of ions. The method includes producing charged ions in a vacuum, accelerating the charged ions in an electric field into a free flight tube and detecting the charged ions at a detector associated with the free flight tube. A control system selects a bandwidth for filtering a signal produced by the detector and the signal produced by the detector is then filtered with a variable width digital filter based upon the selected bandwidth. The bandwidth for filtering the signal may be selected from a look-up table within the control system based upon the mass to charge ratio of an ion of interest. Alternatively, a peak bandwidth within the signal produced by the detector may be determined and the signal produced by the detector may then be filtered with the variable width digital filter based upon the determined peak bandwidth.

Abstract: A charged particle beam column with a first vacuum chamber further comprises a particle source for providing a beam of charged particles and a multi aperture unit with at least two beam defining apertures for shaping the beam of charged particles. The particle source and the beam defining apertures are located within the first vacuum chamber. A separation unit for isolating a second vacuum chamber from the first vacuum chamber whereby the separation unit comprises a path aperture for the charged particle beam is arranged between the first and second vacuum chamber. A first deflecting unit directs the beam of charged particles through one of the beam defining apertures and a second deflecting unit directs the beam of charged particles through the path aperture.

Abstract: An electron beam lithography system to conduct drawing on a sample with an electron beam within a first chamber. A second chamber is provided which is separated from the first chamber and has a volume smaller than that of the first chamber. A member is provided which is capable of placing the sample on a part separable from an X-Y stage within the first chamber and moving the separable part with the sample thereon to a position for drawing on the sample with the electron beam within the first chamber. A loading arrangement is provided for removing the separable part and the sample from the X-Y stage and moving the separated part to the second chamber from the first chamber. The separable part of the X-Y stage is independently removable from the sample and from the second chamber to outside of the second chamber.

Abstract: A cleaning device operates to clean a radiation tube within a housing having an internal passageway. The radiation tube is oriented to have an upper end and a lower end. The cleaning device has liquid flow passages having a surface angled relative to the flow of liquid through the internal passageways. Under the flow of water in the internal passageway, the cleaning device is caused to move from a lower end to an upper end of the tube. Flow through the liquid flow passages causes a rotational motion. When liquid flow ceases, gravity causes the cleaning apparatus to return to the lower end of the tube. Upon this return motion, liquid flow through the liquid flow passages again causes rotational motion.

Abstract: The invention relates to a novel type of microscope with an illuminating beam which is guided through the magnification power changer with optimized light intensity parallel to the observation beam. The invention specifically relates to a stereo fluorescence microscope comprising a set of quickly replaceable filters in interchangeable filter carriers. The novel design offers good light efficiency on the object. Malfunctions occurring as a result of intrinsic reflections or fluorescence phenomena inside the microscope are avoided.