Abstract: A system in accordance with the invention which generates electrons by means of a field-emission cathode comprises an array of electron-emitting micropoints associated with a grid and carried by a substrate with integral heater means for heating the micropoints to a temperature in the range approximately 300° C. to approximately 400° C. and maintaining them at that temperature during emission of electrons. The cathode can therefore function at higher residual air pressures with no risk of breakdown.

Abstract: An at-wavelength system for extreme ultraviolet lithography mask blank defect detection is provided. When a focused beam of wavelength 13 nm is incident on a defective region of a mask blank, three possible phenomena can occur. The defect will induce an intensity reduction in the specularly reflected beam, scatter incoming photons into an off-specular direction, and change the amplitude and phase of the electric field at the surface which can be monitored through the change in the photoemission current. The magnitude of these changes will depend on the incident beam size, and the nature, extent and size of the defect. Inspection of the mask blank is performed by scanning the mask blank with 13 nm light focused to a spot a few &mgr;m in diameter, while measuring the reflected beam intensity (bright field detection), the scattered beam intensity (dark-field detection) and/or the change in the photoemission current.

Abstract: Disclosed is a positioning stage for precisely positioning an object within a limited range of travel (e.g. 100 &mgr;m). By way of example, the stage can be used to position an electron source such as a field emitter in an electron beam microcolumn. The stage includes a block which defines a channel to allow flexure along a first axis. The block also defines another channel to allow flexure along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. Using actuators in the channels to flex a portion of the block, the object supported by the block can be precisely positioned to a desired location in a horizontal plane defined by the first and second axes.

Abstract: A device for the degermination of a fluid by means of UV rays is arranged such that simultaneously produces ozone for the improvement of the degermination effectiveness.

Abstract: In order to detect automatically at a high speed and a high probability rate the crystal defects and shape abnormalities in a specimen over a wide area of said specimen, a transmission electron microscope apparatus is employed which has an electron source, a first electrostatic lens, a second electrostatic lens, a third electrostatic lens, a first condenser lens, a second condenser lens, a pre-field objective lens, a deflection coil, a first projection lens, a second projection lens, a third projection lens, a first image shift coil, a second image shift coil, and an image acquisition apparatus, etc. The detection of crystal defects is made definite by observing the specimen image at the same location by multiple variations of the electron beam incidence direction using the deflection coil.

Abstract: A defective roll in a strip processing line, e.g. an aluminum alloy strip cleaning line, may create an undesirable mark on the strip material. Where a plurality of rolls are in use, the defective roll is identified by providing a downstream inspection station which includes a data processor. When a mark on the strip passes the inspection station, the processor is activated whereby the rolls go through a timed opening and closing sequence. During this sequence, if no mark is observed on the strip at the time when a repeat of the mark would be expected, the lapsed time is compared to a data base and the defective roll is thereby identified.

Abstract: The invention refers to a device for electrostatic deflection of a particle beam out of a primary beam direction for the purpose of scanning a plane spanned by two coordinates X, Y, in which multiple electrodes configured as deflection wires are connected to an activation circuit and are acted upon, depending on the activation, by modifiable deflection voltages; the primary beam direction intersects the origin of coordinates X and Y, and the respective applied deflection voltage is an equivalent for the deflection of the particle beam out of the primary beam direction in the direction of coordinate X or coordinate Y. In such a device, the deflection wires are linked into deflection grids and are joined to one another and to the activation circuit in such a way that an equivalent deflection voltage is always applied to all deflection wires belonging to one and the same deflection grid.

Abstract: A microprocessor-controlled mobile machine for curing a floor coating includes a source of radiant energy in the form of ultraviolet (UV) light which is mounted to the machine. The machine may be operated in a Traverse mode under operator control of speed for moving to an application site. A Standby mode permits the UV applicator to operate at a quiescent state to reduce warm-up time while permitting the machine to be maneuvered by the operator. A Cure mode (of which there may be a plurality) operates the machine at predetermined, processor-controlled speed and the UV applicator at a predetermined power level.

Abstract: A process which allows effective application or removal of materials to and from substrates using a scanning probe microscope operated at atmospheric pressure. The substrate is placed in a trough, located on the x-y table of a scanning probe microscope (SXM), and this trough is filled with a liquid and/or gaseous medium up to a level such that the top side of the substrate is covered with a thin layer, composed of at least one monolayer of the medium. For depositing a structured precipitate from the medium or for structuring etching of the surface of the substrate, the microtip of the SXM is then dipped into the layer and supplied with an electric voltage or with voltage pulses. The process can be used for applying or removing materials to and from substrates. The process is also usable for characterization of the geometry and for restoration or the production of microtips of SXM cantilevers, as well as for storing information, for reading information and for erasing information.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing the charging effect of electron beam devices on non-conducting samples includes introducing a water containing gas on the sample surface. Because the water containing gas is conductive, the charge is dissipated. The water containing gas may be introduced by a nozzle and the pressure may be adjusted to provide an amount of water containing gas sufficient to dissipate the charging effect produced by the electron beam. In a preferred embodiment, the water containing gas is water vapor. This technique is especially useful for inspection of quartz samples such as quartz photomasks with scanning electron microscopes because water vapor exhibits good adhesion to quartz surfaces, which helps to distribute and dissipate the charge quickly. A method for reducing carbon deposition caused by an electron beam device also involves introducing a water containing gas on the sample surface. This method is effective for both conductive and non-conductive samples.

Abstract: A charged-particle-beam projection-reduction optical system includes aberration-correcting deflectors positioned between a mask position and a substrate position. At least two of the deflectors are arranged to be excited by a single power source. The at least two deflectors are positioned and structured such that any fluctuations in power supplied by the power source tend to cause offsetting effects in the at least two deflectors such that any such fluctuations will have little or no effect on a position of the image on the substrate. One or more of the deflectors may include a main coil and a sub-coil. The main coil is powered by the single power source, and the sub-coil is powered by another power source.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer apparatus has one mass analyzer stage for selecting and rejecting ions having a particular mass-to-charge ratio and one fragmentation stage downstream from the first mass analysis stage for causing fragmentation of ions. Another mass analysis stage downstream from the fragmentation stage selects ions of a particular mass-to-charge ratio and rejects other ions. A synchronization unit is connected between the two mass analysis stages, for causing ions excited and removed in the one mass analysis stage to have the same mass-to-charge ratio as the ions selected by the other mass analysis stage, whereby ions detected by the detector are ions selected by the other mass analysis stage and generated by fragmentation in the fragmentation stage.

Abstract: An inverted orbit mass filter includes a cylindrical container located at a radial distance (rout) from its longitudinal axis, and a cylindrical collector located at a radial distance (rcoll) from the axis and coaxially positioned in the container to establish a plasma chamber therebetween. A uniform magnetic field is axially aligned in the chamber and an inwardly directed radial electric field is crossed with the magnetic field. A multi-species plasma including both low mass charged particles (M1) and high mass charged particles (M2) is injected into the chamber between the container (rout) and a radial distance (rin) from the axis. In their relationship to each other: rout>rin>rcoll. Inside the chamber the multi-species plasma has a low collisional density wherein there is a very low probability of particle collision.

Abstract: A Cerenkov imaging system for charged particle radiography that determines the energy loss of the charged particle beam passing through an object. This energy loss information provides additional detail on target densities when used with traditional radiographic techniques like photon or x-ray radiography. In this invention a probe beam of 800 MeV to 50 GeV/c charged particles is passed through an object to be imaged, an imaging magnetic spectrometer, to a silicon aerogel Cerenkov radiator where the charged particles emitted Cerenkov light proportional to their velocity. At the same beam focal plane, a particle scintillator produces a light output proportional to the incident beam flux. Optical imaging systems relay the Cerenkov and scintillator information to CCD's or other measurement equipment. A ratio between the Cerenkov and scintillator is formed, which is directly proportional to the line density of the object for each pixel measured.

Abstract: An electron beam lithography apparatus and a semiconductor device pattern forming method for precisely writing patterns near the periphery of a cell mask so that large scale integrated circuits and fine structure devices are fabricated at high yield rates. Cell figures with lower aperture rates are located peripherally and cell figures with higher aperture rates are located closer to a central portion within each of aperture groups furnished on a second mask of the inventive apparatus adopting cell projection. Illustratively, on a mask for use in semiconductor device fabrication, cell figures for forming line patterns and gate patterns are located centrally and cell figures for forming hole patterns are positioned peripherally in each aperture group. This allows the peripherally located figures to be written precisely in each aperture group.

Abstract: A gallium ion source including a needle electrode, a reservoir for storing gallium, and a wire heater for heating the needle electrode and the reservoir. The needle electrode, the reservoir and the gallium stored in the reservoir have total heat capacity of not less than 0.015 J/K and not higher than 0.1 J/K. The needle electrode and reservoir of the gallium ion source may have a total heat capacity of 0.015 J/K to 0.1K and the initial amount of gallium is 0.004-0.10 g, The wire heater may have a diameter of 0.10-0.20 mm and a length of 8-30 mm, and may be in a V shape with a bend angle of 40°-90°.

Abstract: An electron beam radiation apparatus having an electrostatic deflector capable of deflecting the electron beam with high accuracy and with a reduced displacement of the deflection position, is disclosed. The electrostatic deflector comprises a cylindrical holding member made of an insulating material and a plurality of electrodes separately fixed from each other inside of the holding member with at least a part of the surface thereof covered with a metal film. The holding member has a plurality of wedge-shaped fixing holes corresponding to the portions of the electrodes where they are fixed, respectively, the holes having a larger diameter on the outer peripheral surface than on the inner peripheral surface of the holding member. The electrodes are fixed on the holding member in such a manner that a molten joining metal is injected in the fixing holes with the electrodes arranged on the holding member and the joining metal is hardened in close contact with the metal film of the electrodes.

Abstract: A microorganism manipulating apparatus that has a low cost and that uses optical trapping to concurrently acquire a plurality of microorganisms, comprises: an optical trapping device, including a single laser beam output unit for emitting a laser beam, an optical system for condensing the laser beam, and a single galvanoscanner for making the laser beam scan and emitting the laser beam to a microorganism to be manipulated to acquire the microorganism; and a multi-trap controller, for controlling a laser output control unit and a galvanoscanner driver so that the optical trap device can concurrently acquire a plurality of microorganisms in a time-sharing manner. With this arrangement, the cost required for equipment of an expensive laser projection system and an expensive scanning/optical system, can be reduced, and inexpensive equipment can be used to perform an efficient microorganism operation.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing patterns on the surfaces of grating elements of a torque transducer having a shaft comprising first and second rigid torque input members connected by a torsional coupling enabling relative angular deflection between the first and second input members, first and second grating elements respectively associated with the first and second input members, the surfaces of the grating elements being adjacent to each other and able to relatively displace as a function of torque in the shaft, the method comprising the steps of: forming an assembly by rotationally and axially fixing the input members and respective grating elements to the torsional coupling; mounting the assembly in a machine comprising a radiation source arranged to irradiate regions of the surfaces of the grating elements while a relative angular displacement between the torque input members with respect to their zero torque alignment condition is maintained; and simultaneously irradiating regions of the surfaces of the grati

Abstract: An arc lamp assembly which includes in combination a reflector and a light source which is surrounded by said reflector. A dichroic coating on the reflector functions to reflect radiation in the range of about 300 to 600 nm. The light source is an arc lamp which contains a metal halide fill component which includes a mixture of scandium iodide, or other suitable lanthanide, indium iodide, sodium iodide and sodium iodide, whereby the lamp assembly emits effective amounts of WV radiation to cure selected chemical compositions.