Abstract: Methods and systems of alternative overlay calculation and of calculating overlay stability based on alternative overlay settings in a fabrication unit, and a computer readable medium are disclosed being capable of calculating alternative overlay error values based on alignment model parameters, alternative alignment model parameters, and overlay error values for a plurality of measurement positions.

Abstract: The present invention is an integrated method and apparatus for determining the quality of electrochemical energy storage devices, especially batteries. The invention is based on an integrated usage of electromagnetic and ultrasonic energy to probe of the interior volume of the battery. The first probe is carried out when the battery is at an initial charged state. After the first probe stage, a discharge of the battery being diagnosed is carried out until the test battery is at a small fixed test charge value. Signals from the eddy current probes allow determination of the continuity of the discharge current during the discharge process. After the discharge of the battery, the above described test sequence is repeated. The resultant eddy current signal generated at the initial state of the battery and the gradients of the eddy current signal and of the ultrasonic signal versus the battery capacity is determined.

Abstract: Various computer-implemented methods, carrier media, and systems for stabilizing output acquired by an inspection system are provided. One computer-implemented method includes determining a characteristic of output acquired for a wafer by an inspection system using an inspection recipe. The method also includes comparing the characteristic to a reference characteristic. In addition, if the characteristic is above the reference characteristic, the method includes altering the output acquired for the wafer such that the characteristic of the altered output substantially matches the reference characteristic thereby stabilizing the output acquired for the wafer to the reference characteristic.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting defects on a wafer and generating inspection results for the wafer are provided. One method includes detecting defects on a wafer by comparing output generated by scanning of the wafer performed by an inspection system to one or more defect detection thresholds. The method also includes sampling outliers in the output by selecting the output having the highest values from bins defined based on one or more predetermined criteria. In addition, the method includes selecting a portion of the sampled outliers based on wafer-level analysis of the sampled outliers. The method further includes generating inspection results for the wafer by combining information about the selected portion of the sampled outliers with information about the defects detected using the one or more defect detection thresholds.

Abstract: To characterize an earth subterranean structure using a measurement assembly including electromagnetic (EM) receivers and one or more EM sources, measured voltage data collected by EM receivers in response to transmission by one or more EM sources is received. Based on a model, predicted EM data is computed. Inversion is iteratively performed according to a function that computes a difference between the measured voltage data and a product of a term containing the predicted EM data and a term containing distortion data that accounts at least for distortion effect by an environment of the measurement assembly. The inversion is iteratively performed to solve for parameters of the model and the distortion data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that allow packet based communication transactions between devices over an interconnect bus to be captured to measure performance. Performance metrics may be determined by capturing events at various locations as they pass through the system. Performance may be verified at run time by computing performance metrics for captured events and comparing such metrics to predefined performance ranges and/or self learned performance ranges. Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention provide for dynamic tailoring of bus traffic to generate potential failing conditions. For some embodiments, performance verification as described herein may be performed in a simulation environment.

Abstract: In a method for checking the lambda value ? indicated by a binary lambda probe, the lambda probe being situated in the exhaust line of an internal combustion engine and provided downstream from a catalyst having oxygen storage capacity, the invention provides that the time progression of the voltage signal U? is plotted in the range of the lambda value ?actual of 1.0 indicated by the lambda probe until a first inflection point W1 and a second inflection point W2 of the voltage signal U? have been detected, the time derivative dU?/dt of the voltage signal is generated, the jumps S1, S2 in the time derivative dU?/dt which occur at the inflection points W1, W2 are compared to one another, and based on the comparison of the jumps S1, S2 the indicated lambda value ?actual of 1.0 is checked. According to the invention, the actual lambda value ?target of 1.

Abstract: Parasitic loads on a vehicular battery are evaluated based on an estimated reduction in the state of charge of the battery over the course of an engine-off state.

Abstract: A method for monitoring fluid levels in a tank. A first step involves modelling the tank to identify fluid zones of fluids having differing densities, the heat retention characteristics of each the fluid zones and the relative relationships between each of the fluid zones. A second step involves obtaining a heat profile of the tank. A third step involves analyzing the heat profile based upon the modelling to generate relative fluid level data for the tank.

Abstract: A method of detecting hazardous conditions within an underground environment can include obtaining acceleration information at a plurality of communication nodes distributed throughout the underground environment and propagating the acceleration information among selected ones of the plurality of communication nodes to an analysis node. An indication of a hazardous condition within the underground environment can be identified from the acceleration information collected over a period of time. If an indicator is identified, a notification of the hazardous condition can be provided.

Abstract: The data acquisition means acquires the acceleration data at predetermined time intervals. The change amount calculation means calculates a change amount vector representing a change amount of the acceleration by using the acceleration data having been acquired by the data acquisition means. The accumulation vector calculation means calculates an accumulation vector by sequentially and cumulatively adding the change amount vector having been calculated by the change amount calculation means. The direction determination means determines, as a waving direction representing a moving direction of the input device, a direction of the accumulation vector, when the accumulation vector having been calculated by the accumulation vector calculation means satisfies a predetermined condition.

Abstract: A system and method that enables a laboratory to integrate its internal and external quality control programs to thereby control the quality of its laboratory testing services. The system has a storage device and a processor operable to maintain in the storage device a database identifying a plurality of laboratory tests and the corresponding internal laboratory statistical data, group statistical summary data and control rules. The processor is also operable to calculate a control range for a specified laboratory test by applying the group statistical summary data (and, in some cases, the internal laboratory statistical data) to the control rule corresponding to the specified laboratory test. Preferably, the processor is also operable to receive a test result from a laboratory instrument, and determine whether the test result falls within the calculated control range for the specified laboratory test. Various exemplary embodiments of the system and associated method are provided.

Abstract: A system for controlling the quality of industrial processes including the steps of: having one or more reference signals relating to the industrial process, acquiring one or more real signals which are indicative of the quality of said industrial process, obtaining a transformed signal from the reference signal, obtaining a transformed signal from the real signal, calculating energies of the transformed reference and real signals, comparing the one or more reference signals to the one or more real signals to identify defects in the industrial process. Also, the comparing step includes: comparing the energies of the transformed reference and real signals to each other to extract corresponding time frequency distributions for selected frequency values, calculating energies of the time frequency distributions, and comparing the energies of the time frequency distributions with threshold values to identify energy values associated to defects.

Abstract: A diagnostic system for a modular fieldbus board carrying a number of fieldbuses connected to a bulk power supply. A monitoring transceiver means is adapted in use to one or more of the fieldbuses by means of two or more common mode and/or differential mode signal injection and/or signal detection points, which points are dispersed between the bulk power supply and the fieldbus trunk. The monitoring transceiver means can detect one or more fieldbus physical layer characteristics between two of the two or more of said points.

Abstract: Provided is a system for monitoring resources in a utility computing environment (UCE). Measurements are evaluated to determine whether or not a particular resource requires remedial or other type of action. A sliding measurement window is employed to assemble a number of measurements corresponding to a particular resource. The number of intervals in a sliding measurement window is based upon best practices corresponding to the resource being measured and analyzed. A first threshold-crossing event and subsequent events are stored until the window is full, or closed. When the window is closed, the threshold-crossing measurements are analyzed to determine whether or not there exists an issue with the resource that requires action. Once a window has been closed and analyzed, the first threshold-crossing event and each subsequent event up to a second threshold-crossing event are discarded and the window reopens.

Abstract: Equipment extracts components of spatial frequency that need to be evaluated in manufacturing a device or in analyzing a material or process out of edge roughness on fine line patterns and displays them as indexes. The equipment acquires data of edge roughness over a sufficiently long area, integrates components corresponding to a spatial frequency region being set on a power spectrum by the operator, and displays them on a length measuring SEM. Alternatively, the equipment divides the edge roughness data of the sufficiently long area, computes long-period roughness and short-period roughness that correspond to an arbitrary inspection area by performing statistical processing and fitting based on theoretical calculation, and displays them on the length measuring SEM.

Abstract: A method for calculating the probable damage size in a structure includes defining a configuration of an array of transducers mounted on the structure. Any pair of the transducers includes an actuator and a sensor, and each pair defines a propagation path in the structure. All propagation paths that are affected by being touched by a damage of the structure, and all adjacent paths that are untouched and thereby unaffected by the damage, are identified. A range of sizes of the damage is determined, and a probability density of the damage versus damage size is calculated on the basis of the transducer array configuration and the affected and unaffected propagation paths identified. On the basis of the probability density, a most probable damage size is determined, and the probability of the damage being greater or less than the most probable damage size is also determined.

Abstract: Object tracking using ultrasonic signals. A receiver receives a signal transmitted from a transmitter. The receiver uses at least two receiving elements for forming at least two analysis signals on the basis of the received signal. The receiver includes a detector, such as a phase detector, which examines the analysis signals and forms an indication on a difference between the analysis signals. The indication is, for example, indicative of a phase difference between the analysis signals. The transmitted signal is a modulated ultrasonic signal, wherein the receiver demodulates the signal to recover the modulating signal. The indication can be used to determine a heading angle information of the object to be tracked. The heading angle information may be a direction of the object with respect to the transmitter. The heading angle information can be used to make e.g. a corrective action to audio signals to be formed for listening.

Abstract: A method of measuring a stress component in a short period of time in a nondestructive manner and a stress component measurement device that includes a stress component comparison section that compares a Raman spectrum L obtained in a predetermined area W1 of a reference specimen W to which a given stress component is applied with the stress component, a correlation data production section that produces correlation data indicating a correlation between the Raman spectrum L and the stress component by the use of a multivariate analysis method based on the comparison results conducted by the stress component comparison section. The comparison is conducted multiple times on different predetermined areas W1.

Abstract: A modular coating thickness gauge includes a probe which generates a signal representative of coating thickness, a PCMCIA card connected to the probe for converting the signal into a standard PCMCIA output format, and a portable computing unit for receiving the signal via the PCMCIA card. The gauge allows the on-site user to alternately record coating thickness measurement data and descriptive textual or graphical data relating to each coating thickness measurement.