Abstract: Methods and devices are disclosed for controlling blur resulting from the space-charge effect and geometrical aberration in a charged-particle-beam microlithography apparatus. Based on the pattern-element densities of the exposure units to be transferred to the substrate, a relationship between the total blur and the beam semi-angle, the current density, and/or the beam-acceleration voltage is determined. An optimal beam semi-angle, current density, and/or beam-acceleration voltage is calculated to: (1) minimize the blur during the transfer-exposure of an exposure unit having a certain pattern-element density; (2) make the blur constant during the transfer-exposure of a group of exposure units having various pattern-element densities; or (3) maximize the patterned-beam current during the transfer-exposure of an exposure unit having a certain pattern-element density and blur tolerance.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for shaping an illumination pattern for off-axis lithography are disclosed. A disclosed apparatus includes a first and second reflecting objective. The first reflecting objective includes a first reflective surface that reflects input light having an on-axis illumination pattern through a first focal point. The second reflecting objective includes a second reflective surface that receives the reflected light through the first focal point and through a second focal point aligned with the first focal point, and reflects the reflected light through an output end as output light having an off-axis illumination pattern. A disclosed method includes receiving collimated light with a conventional illumination pattern centered on an optical axis, symmetrically reflecting the collimated light in multiple directions away from the optical axis and reflecting the reflected light to create output light having an off-axis illumination pattern symmetrical about the optical axis.

Abstract: Optical interconnects and methods for wavelength management are provided to interconnect optical rings while overcoming color-blocking and allowing for wavelength re-use within optical rings. The optical inter-connects having a wavelength selective element such as a reconfigurable add/drop demultiplexer (ROADM) and a band-modulo demultiplexer having a free spectral range (FSR) combined with a pool of wavelength conversion resources. More flexible interconnect systems can use a photonic cross-connect (PXC) to allow sharing of a pool of wavelength conversion resources among several optical rings.

Abstract: An optical signal noise reduction device and method, where optical control signals are input into a first ring optical fiber, so that optical signals propagates clockwise and counter-clockwise in the optical fiber, with optical control signals propagating either clockwise or counter-clockwise in the first ring optical fiber. Optica signals propagating in the same direction as the optical control signals are affected with cross phase modulation with the optical control signals, while optical signals propagating in the opposite direction as the optical control signals are not affected with cross phase modulation with the optical control signals. The two kinds of the optical signals are then interfered with each other at the optical output to reduce noise of the optical.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for securing a workpiece during a polishing operation are described. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention provide a support fixture for securing a workpiece. The support fixture includes a gripping member that is configured to grip a workpiece and configured to release the workpiece. The support fixture also includes a ferrule that is configured to tighten the gripping member around the workpiece and configured to release the gripping member from the workpiece.

Abstract: An optical connector for connecting optical fibers together in an automobile, equipment or the like. The optical connector includes a housing body portion to be connected to a mating optical connector and a bending guide portion. The housing body portion has a fiber receiving hole portion for receiving an optical fiber exposed at an end portion of an optical fiber cord. The optical fiber cord extends rearward from the fiber receiving hole portion. The bending guide portion extends rearward from the housing body portion and has a holding portion for holding the optical fiber cord in a predetermined curved manner. The optical fiber cord is positioned and held in an axial direction thereof in the bending guide portion.

Abstract: An optical waveguide device according to the invention is provided with a substrate (271), a metal layer (272) arranged on the substrate (271), a plurality of claddings (262) arranged on the metal layer (207) via grooves (205), cores (202) arranged in the claddings (262) for transmitting lights, optical waveguides (201) having optically non-transmissive material (291) coating the insides of the grooves (205) and optically non-transmissive and electrically insulating material (273) coating the top faces of the claddings (262), and light receiving elements (203) for receiving lights emitted from the end faces of the cores (202).

Abstract: An apparatus and method for switching optical signal is disclosed. An optical signal switch array includes a plurality of optical switches, each optical switch having a first trench adapted to hold index-matching fluid, and a second trench adapted to hold the index-matching fluid, but initially containing gas, the second trench connected to said first trench. A first expansion chamber is connected to the first trench, the first expansion chamber adapted to hold gas. A second expansion chamber is connected to the second trench, the second expansion chamber adapted to hold gas. To effect switching, the first expansion chamber is heated expanding gas in the first expansion chamber, the expanding gas shifting the index-matching fluid in the first trench to the second trench. Bistability is achieved by the use of capillary action, which passively holds the droplet of working fluid in either of two stable states until actuation.

Abstract: An ion guide is disclosed comprising a plurality of electrodes each having apertures which are preferably circular and substantially the same size. The ion guide is preferably maintained in a vacuum chamber at a relatively high pressure.

Abstract: Materials and methods of manufacturing radiation shielded enclosures is presented that may replace the use of lead, granite and other heavy, expensive, toxic, environmentally unfriendly or otherwise undesirable materials and manufacturing methods. The present invention provides a high-density radiation shielding enclosure manufactured by cold casting a liquid refined iron ore or taconite composite material into a mold of an enclosure of an appropriate shape and size to house an x-ray imaging system. The method of manufacture may include applying an iron ore or tungsten composite caulking compound to the radiation shielding enclosure in order to seal any radiation leaks in the radiation shielding enclosure.

Abstract: A kit for identifying fiber optic connections in a fiber optic cabling system comprises a plurality of indication optic terminators and at least one test light generator. The fiber optic system comprises a patching device, a plurality of ports furnished on the patching device, a plurality of outlets remote from the patching device, and a plurality of fiber optic cables for optically connecting the ports and the outlets. Plurality of indication optic terminators are attached onto each of the ports of the patching device. By using the test light generator to apply a test light to one of the outlets, the test light reaches a corresponding connected port of the patching device through the connection of fiber optic cable so as to make the corresponding indication optic terminator attached onto that connected port to light.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an electron microscope that is capable of improving work efficiency when restarting sample observation. A control unit for controlling observation-condition setting devices, which include an electron-gun control unit, an irradiation-lens control unit, an objective-lens control unit, a magnifying-lens-system control unit, and a sample-stage control unit, is provided. When image data of a certain sample is specified, observation condition data of the sample is retrieved. Then, observation conditions, which are the same as those used when the image data of the sample has been saved, are automatically restored on an electron microscope on the basis of the observation condition data. As a result, an image, which is the same as the stored image, is restored faithfully.

Abstract: An infrared absorption gauge includes a detector circuit including a detector for detecting electromagnetic radiation from a sample and for generating a signal representing the radiation received, and means for stabilizing a response characteristic of the detector to the radiation detected thereby, said stabilizing means having a GaAs diode for directing radiation at the detector and means for controlling the radiation source in dependence upon the signal generated by the detector. The stabilizing means thus acts as a negative feedback loop and seeks to maintain the overall illumination irradiating the detector (i.e. the combined illumination that is reflected back from the sample and that is emitted by the GaAs diode), at a substantially constant predetermined level, which tends to linearize and extend the frequency response of the detector to the radiation detected.

Abstract: Bistable latching actuator for use in optical fiber switching applications having a generally planar mechanism with an arm that carries a mirror for movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the mechanism, and a bistable mechanical latch for retaining the mirror in stable positions on opposite sides of the plane without contacting the arm. Movement between the two stable positions is initiated and damped with an electrostatic comb drive.

Abstract: An electron beam (4) to be irradiated onto a sample (10) is two-dimensionally scanned by a scanning coil (9), and secondary electrons generated from the sample (10) by the scanning are detected by a secondary electron detector (13). A deflection coil (15) for image shifting is used for electrically deflecting the primary electron beam to shift a field of view for image shift in an arbitrary direction by an arbitrary amount. By the image shift, the primary electron beam (4) to be irradiated onto the sample is energy dispersed to degrade the resolution. However, an E×B field producer (30) for dispersion control gives the primary electron beam energy dispersion in the opposite direction and having the equal magnitude. Therefore, the energy dispersion produced in the primary electron beam by the image shift is automatically corrected.

Abstract: The present invention provides devices and methods for dispersion compensation. According to one embodiment of the invention, a dispersion compensating device includes a negative dispersion fiber having an input configured to receive the optical signal, the negative dispersion fiber having a length and dispersion sufficient to remove any positive chirp from each wavelength channel of the optical signal, thereby outputting a negatively chirped optical signal; an amplifying device configured to amplify the negatively chirped optical signal; and a nonlinear positive dispersion fiber configured to receive the negatively chirped optical signal. The devices of the present invention provide broadband compensation for a systems having a wide range of variable residual dispersions.

Abstract: A scanning probe microscopy (SPM) inspection and/or modification system which uses SPM technology and techniques. The system includes various types of microstructured SPM probes for inspection and/or modification of the object. The components of the SPM system include microstructured calibration structures. A probe may be defective because of wear or because of fabrication errors. Various types of reference measurements of the calibration structure are made with the probe or vice versa to calibrate it. The components of the SPM system further include one or more tip machining structures. At these structures, material of the tips of the SPM probes may be machined by abrasively lapping and chemically lapping the material of the tip with the tip machining structures.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining geometrical-optical aberrations up to and including 3rd order in particle-optical, probe-forming systems, in particular scanning electron microscopes, comprising an essentially punctiform source, lenses, an object, and a detector, the image being recorded, the process being repeated with an overfocussed and an underfocussed beam, the images being transformed in Fourier space, the transformation of the overfocussed image, and the underfocussed image is divided by the transformed focussed image. The results are reverse transformed, and the brightness profiles of the probes, the images of the source, are determined in overfocus and underfocus. The asymmetry, the width and/or the curvature of the profile being determined in the center, and the image aberration being determined from the differences.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for fabricating planar light waveguide circuits, wherein the circuit has a structure that includes a substrate comprised of a core and under-clad layers, an optical circuit, and a plurality of arrayed waveguides coupled thereon. More specifically, the method includes the steps of layering a hard layer on the core layer for forming a mask pattern of the planar light waveguide circuit; forming the mask pattern on the hard layer; layering a photoresist layer on a branch of the optical circuit and the arrayed waveguides of the mask pattern; forming a vertical taper structure on the photoresist layer using a gray scale mask; and, etching the core layer using the photoresist layer with the vertical taper structure and the mask pattern.

Abstract: An optical filter comprising a slanted Bragg grating inscribed in an optical fiber portion comprising a core having a refractive index n1 and a radius Rcore and a cladding having an average refractive index n2 lower than n1 and a radius Rcladding, the core and the cladding of the fiber being doped with a photosensitive dopant in the fiber portion comprising the Bragg grating, which filter is characterized in that, in the fiber portion comprising the Bragg grating, the photosensitivity of the cladding is greater than the photosensitivity of the core and the cladding includes an index step area having a refractive index n3 greater than n2 and less than n1, said index step area having a width L defined by an inside radius Rs1 greater than or equal to the radius Rcore of the core and an outside radius Rs2 less than or equal to the radius Rcladding of the cladding.