Abstract: A method for inspecting a transparent substrate provides an index-matching fluid between an index-matched optical coupler and a surface of the transparent substrate. The method repeats, at two or more positions along the surface of the transparent substrate, steps of illuminating an inspection volume within the transparent substrate by directing a ribbon of light through the optical coupler and into the transparent substrate and detecting scattered light from the inspection volume at a detector that is optically conjugate with the inspection volume.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a fast, nondestructive measurement method for determining the contents of solid, liquid and/or suspended flowing organic compounds. The arrangement according to the invention comprises a sample vessel, a pump, and a measurement cell which form a unit together with a spectroscopic measurement head. The measurement cell is connected to the pump, which can be regulated to vary the flow rate, and to the sample vessel by a pipe, and the spectroscopic measurement head and the regulatable pump have electrical connections to a controlling and evaluating unit. Due to its compact construction, the solution which makes use of the principle of transflection is also particularly suited to mobile use, for example, to determine the components of liquid manure while the latter is being dispensed. In principle, the solution can be transferred to any applications with suspensions or pumpable, homogeneous and inhomogeneous materials.

Abstract: An optical trap (and alignment device) having a light source for generating first and second light beams, and a pair of lenses for focusing the light beams to a trap region in a counter-propagating manner for trapping a particle in the trap region. A light source illuminates the trap region with a third beam of light, and a camera is positioned for capturing a portion of each of the first, second and third light beams. Actuators exert forces on generally rigid portions of optical fiber used to deliver the first and second light beams to the trap region, such that the generally rigid portions pivot about pivot points located at supported members from which the optical fibers extend. Position sensitive detectors measure the position of the beams leaving the optical fibers, and feed position signals back to the actuator drivers to ensure proper positioning of the beams.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for estimating a downhole fluid parameter include a high-gain semiconductor light emitter device conveyed into a well borehole, a semiconductor light emitter having a gain region that produces light having a first center wavelength responsive to a selected fluid property, the semiconductor light emitter being carried by the carrier. The apparatus may include an electrical current source that applies an electrical current pulse train to the semiconductor light emitter and an analyzer device that analyses a first response of light emitted from the semiconductor light source after emitted light interacts with the fluid, the analyzed first response being used to estimate the fluid property using the first center wavelength.

Abstract: A method for determining characteristics of a material includes illuminating the material with coherent light so as to produce scattered light; autocorrelating the scattered light; preprocessing a signal representative of the scattered light to produce a processed signal; and associating the analyzed data with particular characteristics of the material. At least one of a cumulant analysis and a cluster analysis may be performed to provide analyzed data. The determined characteristics may be used for real time control or termination a process used to alter the characteristics of the material. Specifically, monitoring of a process for changes in particle size as a function of time or to determine various physical and/or chemical characteristics of the particles or a mixture containing same, including homogeneity, may be achieved. An apparatus operating generally in accordance with the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: Exemplary systems and methods for generating data associated with at least one portion of a sample can be provided. For example, according to one exemplary embodiment of such systems and methods, it is possible to provide a particular radiation using at least one first arrangement. The particular radiation can include at least one first electro-magnetic radiation directed to at least one sample and at least one second electro-magnetic radiation directed to a reference arrangement. The first radiation and/or the second radiation can comprise a plurality of wavelengths. The first electro-magnetic radiation can be spectrally dispersed along at least one portion of the sample. The second electro-magnetic radiation measured at two or more different lengths of the reference arrangement with respect to the first arrangement.

Abstract: A defect inspection method for a transparent plate material for detecting a bubble, a scratch, a foreign matter, and another defect existing on or in the transparent plate material. The method includes capturing a first image of a main surface of the transparent plate material and capturing a second image of a rear surface of the transparent plate material. A defect candidate is searched for in each of the first and second images. Whether a real image or a virtual image was formed is determined, based on a contrast of an image of a defect candidate obtained by the search. Further, based on an appearance pattern of the real image or the virtual image, a determination is made as to whether the defect candidate is located on the main surface, inside, or on the rear surface of the transparent plate material.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for examining a curved surface (5), having a camera (2) and an objective (3) and a lamp (4), is described. The camera (2) can be aimed at the inside of the curved surface (5), and the lamp (4) can be located such that light (7) emitted by the lamp (4) is reflected from the inside of the curved surface (5) into the camera (2). To attain high contrast with a simple arrangement, the lamp (4) is located in the beam path of the objective (3) of the camera (2).

Abstract: The current invention provides methods for detecting trace analytes in solution or suspension using coupled micro-ring resonators. The methods of the current invention determine the presence and concentration of the target analytes in real time by exposing the micro-ring resonator to the analyte and determining the resulting rate of change of resonance wavelength experienced by a sensing micro-ring resonator as compared to a reference micro-ring resonator.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer, which is an inspection object, is stuck by vacuum on a chuck and this chuck is mounted on an inspection object movement stage consisting of a rotational stage and a translational stage, located on a Z-stage. The rotational stage provides a rotational movement and the translational stage provides a translational movement. And when a foreign particle or a defect on an inspection object surface is detected, the parameter of digital filtering is dynamically changed during inspection, and the foreign particle or the defect is differentiated using the result after removing a low frequency fluctuation component to be a noise component.

Abstract: A position measurement system for measuring positional coordinates of a point under measurement includes a first noise removal unit, a parameter determination unit and a second noise removal unit. The first noise removal unit removes noise from the measured positional coordinates to acquire first positional coordinate values. The parameter determination unit determines a noise removal parameter on a basis of the first positional coordinate values. The second noise removal unit again removes noise from the first positional coordinate values with using the noise removal parameter, to acquire second positional coordinate values.

Abstract: Light is irradiated on a light-shielding pattern on an object surface side of a projection optical system, and light intensity distribution of the light having passed through the projection optical system and slits is detected while slits of an aerial image measuring unit on the image plane side of the projection optical system are moved within a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the projection optical system, The information concerning the flare of the projection optical system is computed from the light intensity distribution, so that the influence of resist coated on a wafer used in a conventional exposing method can be eliminated, and highly accurate measurement of information concerning the flare can be realized. Further, measurement of information concerning the flare can be performed in a short time comparing to the exposing method because development process or the like of the wafer is not necessary.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to determine a property of a substrate by measuring, in the pupil plane of a high numerical aperture lens, an angle-resolved spectrum as a result of radiation being reflected off the substrate. The property may be angle and wavelength dependent and may include the intensity of TM- and TE-polarized light and their relative phase difference.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to determine a property of a substrate by measuring, in the pupil plane of a high numerical aperture lens, an angle-resolved spectrum as a result of radiation being reflected off the substrate. The property may be angle and wavelength dependent and may include the intensity of TM- and TE-polarized radiation and their relative phase difference.

Abstract: A surface plasmon resonance meter is provided, including a backlight module, a line-slot plate, a parabolic mirror, a linear polarizer, a sensing chip, a prism and a photo detector array. The line-slot plate includes a light outlet. A light beam travels in the backlight module, and leaves the backlight module through the light outlet. The position of the line-slot plate is matched on a predetermined focal point of the parabolic mirror. The light beam is reflected by the parabolic mirror to be a parallel light beam, and travels trough the linear polarizer to the prism. The prism includes a light entering surface, a detection surface and a light exiting surface. The light beam enters the prism through the light entering surface, contacts the sensing chip with total internal reflection, and finally leaves the prism through the light exiting surface to be received by the photo detector array.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus and method includes a light source which emits an ultraviolet laser beam, an illuminating unit having a polarization controller and an object lens for illuminating a specimen with light emitted from the light source and passed through the polarization controller and the object lens, a detection unit having a sensor for detecting light from the specimen illuminated by the illuminating unit, a processor which processes a signal output from the sensor so as to detect a defect on the specimen, and a display which displays information output from the processor. The processor processes an image formed from the signal output from the sensor in which the image is reduced in speckle pattern.

Abstract: A fiber interface configuration for a chromatic point sensor optical pen is provided wherein a detector aperture element provides an aperture that is smaller than the light-transmitting core diameter of an optical fiber that is connected to the optical pen. The detector aperture element is fixed relative to the chromatically dispersive optics of the optical pen, the optical fiber abuts the aperture element, and the optical fiber core is aligned to the aperture. The aperture element and the end of the fiber may be inclined relative to the axis of the fiber, to deflect spurious reflections away from the optical signal path. The configuration provides high measuring resolution without using a tapered optical fiber, and provides interchangeability of the optical fiber connected to the optical pen.

Abstract: A system for testing a reflective display device includes a testing apparatus and a computer. The testing apparatus includes one or more light emitters, one or more light detectors, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) module, and a microcontroller unit (MCU). The light emitters are for projecting light onto a reflective display device located on the testing apparatus. The light detectors are for sensing reflected light from the reflective display device, and generating electricity according to a luminance of the reflected light. The ADC module is for receiving the electrical signals from the light detectors, and producing a digital output according to voltages of the electrical signals. The MCU is configured for reading the digital output of the ADC module. The computer is for processing the digital output and displaying results after processing.

Abstract: A chromatic confocal technique and apparatus for the rapid three-dimensional measurement of an object shape, particularly of a tooth in a patient's jaw, using an array of polychromatic point light sources, a planar detector matrix, a beam splitter for lateral spectral separation, and an objective for illuminating and recording the object. Spectral defined reference light bundles are generated, injected into the detection beam path via a reference beam path and, following spectral splitting, are focused on the detector matrix as reference image points, wherein laterally shifted sub-matrices are numerically defined on the detector matrix for spectral analysis of the object light, which sub-matrices are implemented as spectral cells for three-dimensional measurement of the shape of the object.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring an absorption coefficient includes a first diffusive material, a second diffusive material inside the first diffusive material separated from the first diffusive material by a cavity, and a transparent material proximate to an inner surface of the second diffusive material that holds an absorptive material. First and second light detectors measure light intensities in the first and second diffusive materials cavity and the transparent material respectively. An absorption coefficient for the absorptive material may be determined based on the first and second light intensities measured when the cavity is illuminated by a light source.