Abstract: A method for ionizing and desorbing a sample for analysis includes energizing a first and second electrode to produce a glow discharge at atmospheric pressure. The method further includes supplying a carrier gas to at least a portion of the glow discharge to create effluents thereof. The method further includes conducting the effluents of the glow discharge to the sample to ionize and desorb the sample for analysis. An associated apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method including providing a substrate having thereon a layer including a multiphoton polymerizable composition, applying a light beam to at least one region of the layer, wherein the light beam cures or initiates cure of the multiphoton curable photoreactive composition; and processing a portion of the light beam reflected off the substrate to obtain a location signal of an interface between the layer and the substrate at each region.

Abstract: An electron gun comprises an electron emitter, an electrode surrounding the electron emitter, an extraction electrode, and a double condenser lens assembly, the double condenser lens assembly comprising a magnetic immersion pre-condenser lens and a condenser lens. In combination with a probe forming objective lens, the electron gun apparatus can provide an electron beam of independently adjustable probe size and probe current, as is desirable in electron beam applications. The electron emitter is immersed in the magnetic field generated by a magnetic type pre-condenser lens. When activated, the pre-condenser lens collimates the beam effectively to increase its angular intensity while at the same time enlarging the virtual source as compared with non-immersion case, due to geometric magnification and aberrations of its lens action. The pre-condenser lens is followed by a condenser lens.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for using high beam currents in FIB circuit edit operations, without the generation of electrostatic discharge events. An internal partial chamber is disposed over the circuit to be worked on by the FIB. The partial chamber has top and bottom apertures for allowing the ion beam to pass through, and receives a gas through a gas delivery nozzle. A non-reactive gas, or a combination of a non-reactive gas and a reactive gas, is added to the FIB chamber via the partial chamber, until the chamber reaches a predetermined pressure. At the predetermined pressure, the gas pressure in the partial chamber will be much greater than that of the chamber, and will be sufficiently high such that the gas molecules will neutralize charging induced by the beam passing through the partial chamber.

Abstract: An attenuator system for attenuating a radiation beam, including a first attenuating element placed in a path of a radiation beam for attenuation thereof, a second attenuating element placed distal to the first attenuating element for further attenuation of the radiation beam, a first positioner operatively connected to the first attenuating element, which moves the first attenuating element along a first direction, a first processor operatively connected to the first positioner for controlling motion of the first attenuating element, a second positioner operatively connected to the second attenuating element, which moves the second attenuating element along a second direction, and a second processor operatively connected to the second positioner for controlling motion of the second attenuating element, wherein a two-dimensional attenuation distribution of the first attenuating element varies linearly with respect to at least one coordinate.

Abstract: In accordance with an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for fragmenting ions in an ion trap of a mass spectrometer.

Abstract: A stable cold field electron emitter is produced by forming a coating on an emitter base material. The coating protects the emitter from the adsorption of residual gases and from the impact of ions, so that the cold field emitter exhibits short term and long term stability at relatively high pressures and reasonable angular electron emission.

Abstract: In a data acquisition system of ADC system, a log amplifier is provided at the pre-stage of an A/D converter, a signal amplified by the log amplifier having a nonlinear input-output characteristic is A/D-converted, and an adding operation of data is performed while reconverting a voltage value data which is converted to a nonlinear characteristic to data with a linear scale according to a table memory for reverse-log conversion. A known voltage value is inputted into the log amplifier to perform measurement, and calibration of the table memory is performed by storing the voltage value and the voltage value data after A/D-converted.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are an automatic landing method for a scanning probe microscope and an automatic landing apparatus using the same. The method comprises irradiating light to a cantilever using a light source; collecting interference fringes generated by the light being diffracted from the edge of the cantilever and then being incident to a surface of the sample; driving the tip in the sample direction until the pattern of the interference fringes reaches a predetermined pattern region (first driving); and driving the tip in the sample direction after the interference fringe pattern reached the predetermined pattern region (second driving). The method in accordance with the present invention is very effective particularly for samples having a large surface area, because it enables automatic landing of a tip according to recognition and selection of an optimal time point for individual landing steps, irrespective of adverse changes in landing conditions, such as surface irregularities of samples.

Abstract: In a cleaning process for an ion source chamber, an electrode positioned outside of the ion source chamber includes a suppression plug. When the cleaning gas is introduced intothe source chamber, the suppression plug may engage an extraction aperture of the source chamber to adjust the gas pressure within the chamber to enhance chamber cleaning via. plasma-enhanced chemical reaction. The gas conductance between the source chamber aperture and the suppression plug can be adjusted during the cleaning process to provide optimum cleaning conditions and to exhaust unwanted deposits.

Abstract: In the dimension measurement of a circuit pattern using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), in order to make it possible to automatically image desired evaluation points (EPs) on a sample, and automatically measure the circuit pattern formed at the evaluation points, according to the present invention, in the dimension measurement of a circuit pattern using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), it is arranged that coordinate data of the EP and design data of the circuit pattern including the EP are used as an input, creation of a dimension measurement cursor for measuring the pattern existing in the EP and selection or setting of the dimension measurement method are automatically performed based on the EP coordinate data and the design data to automatically create a recipe, and automatic imaging/measurement is performed using the recipe.

Abstract: A scanning electron microscope capable of modifying the focal position of a condenser lens with high speed and high reproducibility in order that low-magnification images are obtained at large depths of focus and that high-magnification images are obtained at high resolution. The microscope has a specimen-holding portion, an electron beam source, a condenser lens for converging the electron beam, an objective lens for focusing the converged beam into a very small spot onto a specimen, scan coils, a detector for detecting a specimen signal emanating from the specimen, and a display portion for displaying the detected specimen signal as an image. An axisymmetric electrode is disposed within the magnetic field produced by the condenser lens. A voltage is applied to the electrode.

Abstract: An immersion lithography apparatus and method, and a lithographic optical column structure are disclosed for conducting immersion lithography with at least the projection optics of the optical system and the wafer in different fluids at the same pressure. In particular, an immersion lithography apparatus is provided in which a supercritical fluid is introduced about the wafer, and another fluid, e.g., an inert gas, is introduced to at least the projection optics of the optical system at the same pressure to alleviate the need for a special lens. In addition, the invention includes an immersion lithography apparatus including a chamber filled with a supercritical immersion fluid and enclosing a wafer to be exposed and at least a projection optic component of the optical system.

Abstract: A portable, battery-powered UV sanitizer kills germs and bacteria on the mouthpieces of tethered mouthguards of a wide variety of tether sizes and configurations and on the mouthpieces of untethered mouthguards. It doubles as a protective case when not in antimicrobial use. It includes a dishwasher safe detachable tray. It may be used with other dental appliances.

Abstract: A multi-light apparatus (10) for primary use in dental or medicinal operatory workspaces and for interconnection with a modular operating chair (12), so as to form the headrest thereof, preferably includes first and second radiation sources (36,72) and a selection mechanism (70) for selecting a desired radiation source, a rigidly flexible light pipe (16) that may be alternatively coupled to each light source (36,72) and is configured to transmit selected radiation to a patient (14), a reflective surface (78) configured to direct the selected radiation to the pipe (16), a power supply (50), a cooling fan (56), and at least one potentiometer (66,68) for varying the voltage delivered to the sources (36,72) and fan (56).

Abstract: Sponge sanitizing enclosure with a front cover, a rear cover, an inner back plate, a base housing, a push plate, a push button, a UV lamp, electronics to support the UV lamp, a battery power supply, a translucent sponge, and a hinge member. The front and rear cover each being dish shaped and forming a hollow housing and being joined at their base by the hinge member. The inner back plate forms a bisection of the front cover and the rear cover. The UV light is located between the rear cover and the inner back plate. The front cover includes a centrally located aperture that accepts the push button which is fixedly attached to the push plate. The space between the push plate and the inner back plate accommodates the translucent sponge. The base housing encloses the electronics and the battery power supply that support the UV lamp.

Abstract: The amplitude control of a cantilever based on the van der Pol model is performed through feedback using measurement data on a deflection of the cantilever. A self-oscillating circuit integrates a deflection angle signal of a cantilever detected by a deflection angle measuring mechanism using an integrator, multiplies a resulting integral value by linear feedback gain generated by a gain generator, and an output corresponding to the linear feedback signal is generated. Also, the self-oscillating circuit cubes the deflection angle signal using analog multipliers, integrates the resulting values using integrators, multiplies the resulting integral values by a nonlinear feedback gain generated by a gain generator, and an output corresponding to the nonlinear feedback signal is generated. Furthermore, the self-oscillating circuit adds the outputs together using an adder, and a voltage signal for a piezo element is generated.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for determining composition of chemical constituents in a complex mixture are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method for determining composition of chemical constituents in a complex mixture includes generating, using a separation tool and a mass spectrometer, separation and mass spectrometry data of a sample, wherein the separation data includes peak information and wherein the mass spectrometry data includes primary and secondary mass spectrometry data. The analysis results, including the generated separation and mass spectrometry data, are collected and stored. A chemical constituent of the sample is determined by comparing the analysis results to a library of information indicating characteristics of chemical entities, where the comparison is based on the separation and mass spectrometry information.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electron beam measurement technique for measuring the shapes or sizes of portions of patterns on a sample, or detecting a defect or the like. An electron beam measurement apparatus has a unit for irradiating the patterns delineated on a substrate by a multi-exposure method, and classifying the patterns in an acquired image into multiple groups according to an exposure history record. The exposure history record is obtained based on brightness of the patterns and a difference between white bands of the patterns.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to direct ions away from their otherwise intended or parallel course. Deflectors are used to establish electric fields in regions through which ions are to pass. With such electric fields, ions may be deflected to a desired trajectory. According to the present invention, a multideflector, in the form of a series of bipolar plates spaced evenly across the ion beam path, is used as an ion deflector.