Abstract: A non-contact wafer chucking apparatus includes a wafer chuck and a gripper assembly coupled to a portion of the wafer chuck. The wafer chuck includes pressurized gas elements configured to generate pressurized gas regions across a surface of the wafer chuck suitable for elevating the wafer above the surface of the wafer chuck. The wafer chuck further includes vacuum elements configured to generate reduced pressure regions across the surface of the wafer chuck having a pressure lower than the pressurized gas regions. The reduced pressure regions are suitable for securing the wafer above the wafer chuck without contact to the wafer chuck. The chucking apparatus includes a rotational drive unit configured to selectively rotate the wafer chuck. The gripper elements are reversibly couplable to an edge portion of the wafer so as to secure the wafer such that the wafer and gripper assembly rotate synchronously with the wafer chuck.

Abstract: Contrast enhancement in a metrology tool may include generating a beam of illumination, directing a portion of the generated beam onto a surface of a spatial light modulator (SLM), directing at least a portion of the generated beam incident on the surface of the SLM through an aperture of an aperture stop and onto one or more target structures of one or more samples, and generating a selected illumination pupil function of the illumination transmitted through the aperture utilizing the SLM in order to establish a contrast level of one or more field images of the one or more target structures above a selected contrast threshold, and performing one or more metrology measurements on the one or more target structures utilizing the selected illumination pupil function.

Abstract: A substrate distortion measurement apparatus comprising one or more optical detectors arranged to measure the locations of pits or holes provided in a substrate, a memory arranged to store previously determined locations of the pits or holes in the substrate, and a comparator arranged to compare the measured locations of the pits or holes with the previously determined locations of the pits or holes, to determine distortion of the substrate.

Abstract: In order to provide an inspection illumination device that makes it possible to greatly change a light amount within an observation solid angle of an imaging device even in a case where a change in reflection or scattering taking place at a feature point is subtle, and thus detect such a minute feature point, the inspection illumination device includes: a surface light source that emits inspection light; a lens that is arranged between the surface light source and an inspection object, and provides an image of the surface light source near the inspection object; and a first light shielding mask that is arranged between the surface light source and the inspection object, and forms a dark domain within an illumination solid angle of the inspection light applied to each point on the inspection object.

Abstract: The present invention provides an SPR sensor cell having very excellent detection sensitivity, the SPR sensor cell including: an under-cladding layer; a core layer formed so that at least a part of the core layer is adjacent to the under-cladding layer; and a metal layer covering the core layer. In the SPR sensor cell, the core layer includes a uniform refractive index layer and a graded refractive index layer. The graded refractive index layer is arranged between the uniform refractive index layer and the metal layer. A refractive index of the graded refractive index layer is equal to or more than a refractive index of the uniform refractive index layer, and the refractive index of the graded refractive index layer increases continuously from a surface thereof on a uniform refractive index layer side to the metal layer side in a thickness direction of the graded refractive index layer.

Abstract: Systems configured to provide illumination for wafer inspection performed by a wafer inspection tool are provided. One system includes one or more pupil lenses configured to focus a first far field pattern having a shape different than a shape of light generated by a light source. The system also includes a field lens array positioned between the one or more pupil lenses and an aperture stop. In addition, the system includes a lens group configured to focus a second far field pattern generated by the field lens array to a back focal plane of the lens group. The back focal plane of the lens group is a field plane of a wafer inspection tool at which a wafer to be inspected is placed during wafer inspection.

Abstract: An optical sensor may include multiple optical emitters configured to emit light into a fluid sample via an optical pathway. Light from the emitters can cause fluorescence from the sample and/or scatter off of the sample. Scattered and fluoresced light can be received by an optical detector in the sensor via the optical pathway, and used to determine at least one characteristic of the fluid sample. A second optical detector can provide reference measurements of the amount of light emitted to the sample. In one example, the optical detector can detect scattered and fluoresced light simultaneously. In another example, light is emitted and detected alternatingly. The sensor can be part of a system that includes one or more controllers configured to control the emitting and detecting of light to and from the fluid sample. The controller can use detected light to determine at least one characteristic of the fluid sample.

Abstract: A wire inspection system is provided. The wire inspection system includes a mirror assembly including an odd number of sides arranged to form a pyramid structure configured to surround a wire segment, wherein a plurality of the sides include a mirror, a light source configured to illuminate the wire segment, and at least one camera configured to acquire a plurality of images of the wire segment that are reflected by the plurality of mirrors, wherein each image of the plurality of images shows a different side of the wire segment.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the method for boresighting a system under test (SUT) involves radiating, by the SUT, an illuminating signal(s) to a target, where the illuminating signal(s) is radiated onto an external screen of the target. The method further involves detecting, by an external detector(s), the illuminating signal(s) radiated onto the external screen to produce an external detector measurement. Also, the method involves aligning the SUT by using the external detector measurement. In addition, the method involves radiating, by the SUT, the illuminating signal(s) to the target, where the illuminating signal(s) is radiated through an opening located on a side of the target and onto an internal screen of the target. Additionally, the method involves detecting, by an internal detector(s) of the target, the illuminating signal(s) radiated onto the internal screen to produce an internal detector measurement. Further, the method involves aligning the SUT by using the internal detector measurement.

Abstract: An inner diameter measuring device for measuring a shape of an inner surface of a cylindrical member, comprising an image pickup unit (2) disposed on a base end side of a frame unit (10) and for picking up an image of a forward end side, a cone mirror unit (30) provided on a forward end side of the frame unit and having a cone mirror (29) with a conical reflection surface at a forward end, and a laser beam emitting unit (14) for emitting a laser beam (17) toward a forward end of the cone mirror, wherein the cone mirror unit can be replaced by another cone mirror unit having a cone mirror with a different vertical angle to suit measuring condition.

Abstract: An inspection device is provided including a light emitting element configured to emit light, a light receiving element arranged so as to face the light emitting element and configured to receive the light, where one of the light emitting element and the light receiving element is used as a to-be-inspected element, and the other one of the light emitting element and the light receiving element is used as an inspection element that inspects the to-be-inspected element, a housing configured to accommodate the inspection element, and a lid configured to be detachable from the housing. In the inspection device, one of the housing and the lid is provided with an arrangement unit to which the to-be-inspected element is set in a detachable manner, and the lid includes a contact unit that electrically contacts the to-be-inspected element by touching and detaching from the to-be-inspected element.

Abstract: The method comprises: detecting the positions (uo, vo) and (u1, v1) of said photonic beam (L) according to the coordinate axes X, Y on a first and second plane XY, which cut an optical axis X at a first and second point, respectively; comparing the results of said positional detections (uo, vo) and (u1, v1), and: if there are discrepancies which lie outside the margin of error (p), adjusting the angle of the photonic beam (L) according to the angle ? and/or the angle ? in order to overcome said discrepancies; or if there are no discrepancies which lie outside said margin of error (p), considering the angle of said photonic beam (L) as being properly adjusted. The system is adapted to implement the method set out by the invention.

Abstract: A sensor unit photoelectrically converts received light to output image data. A lens unit condenses light reflected by an object surface to be measured on the sensor unit. A lens control unit controls a geometric condition of rays passing through the lens unit. The sensor unit and the lens control unit are controlled to acquire a multi-angular reflectance property in a neighborhood of a specular reflection direction of the object surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to optical confinements, methods of preparing and methods of using them for analyzing molecules and/or monitoring chemical reactions. The apparatus and methods embodied in the present invention are particularly useful for high-throughput and low-cost single-molecular analysis.

Abstract: Methods for detection of particulate on thin, flexible substrates wherein the substrate is positioned in a bend comprising an apex line. The apex line is illuminated by grazing angle illumination, and light from the illumination scattered by the particulate is captured by a detection apparatus.

Abstract: A method involves receiving a test image of at least a portion of a test object which includes a test moiré pattern generated by superposing one or more reference gratings on one or more subject gratings. The method further involves analyzing one or more test beat lines in the test moiré pattern and calculating one or more test values based on the analysis of the one or more test beat lines. The one or more test values are a function of one or more rotational angles corresponding to the one or more subject gratings and a shape of at least the portion of the test object. The method also involves calculating one or more angular errors of the one or more subject gratings based on the one or more test values and one or more template values and sending a notification based on the one or more angular errors.

Abstract: Method for validating the accuracy of automated analyzers by performing an improved dual dye ratio method procedure that uses at least first and second dye solutions in combination with gravimetric measurement of selected test solutions.

Abstract: A device for detecting the concentration of a given component in a solution, preferably the concentration of urea in solution with water includes a means for emitting radiation, at least one means for receiving radiation, which is prearranged for determining at least one characteristic of the radiation, and a light guide, which is prearranged for optically connecting the emitting means to the receiving means, wherein the light guide has at least one surface that is to come into contact with the solution so as to determine an interface of separation between the propagation medium and the solution. Control means are configured for obtaining a value indicating the concentration of the compound in the solution as a function of the signal coming from the receiving means.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring pattern of a grating device is provided. In an embodiment, the apparatus comprises a light source unit, an image unit, a processing unit, and a movement unit. The light source unit irradiates to a surface of the grating device. The image unit acquires a plurality of first digital images including an image on the surface of the grating device and images due to Talbot effect between the surface and a first position with respect to the grating device. The image unit acquires a plurality of second digital images due to Talbot effect at a second position determined based on the first digital images when the movement unit produces a relative movement between the image unit and grating device. Based on the acquired digital images, analysis, inspection on the grating device, or comparison of the grating device with a reference grating scale, can be implemented optionally.

Abstract: An optical sensing system may include a light separation element configured to separate an input light into a plurality of sliced lights and a first resonator configured to receive one sliced light of the plurality of sliced lights. An effective refractive index of the first resonator may be changeable in response to a change in a refractive index of a cladding of the first resonator, a second resonator coupled to the first resonator and a detector configured to measure an intensity of the sliced light, the intensity of the sliced light based on a difference between a resonant wavelength of the first resonator and a resonant wavelength of the second resonator. The difference between a resonant wavelength of the first resonator and a resonant wavelength of the second resonator may be based on the effective refractive index of the first resonator.