Abstract: An optical measurement system for evaluating a sample has a motor-driven rotating mechanism coupled to an azimuthally rotatable measurement head, allowing the optics to rotate with respect to the sample. A polarimetric scatterometer, having optics directing a polarized illumination beam at non-normal incidence onto a periodic structure on a sample, can measure optical properties of the periodic structure. An E-O modulator in the illumination path can modulate the polarization. The head optics collect light reflected from the periodic structure and feed that light to a spectrometer for measurement. A beamsplitter in the collection path can ensure both S and P polarization from the sample are separately measured. The measurement head can be mounted for rotation of the plane of incidence to different azimuthal directions relative to the periodic structures. The instrument can be integrated within a wafer process tool in which wafers may be provided at arbitrary orientation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring and calibrating the measurement of small volumes of liquids. The small volumes of liquid are typically dispensed from liquid delivery devices, the delivery device often having multiple channels to analyze many samples at once. The liquid samples are delivered to one or more cells, typically in a multi-well plate, and positioned in a spectrophotometer for determining an absorbance of a chromophore in the liquid sample. Based upon an absorbance measurement and the concentration of the chromophore, a path length of the liquid sample is determined, from which a volume of the sample may be calculated. The method and apparatus provide various means for correcting for differences in the dimensions and/or other factors causing a non-linear deviation from the Beer-Lambert law. A system or kit may be provided including sets of sample solutions of varying dilution ranges for calibrating different liquid volumes.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determination of bulk refractive indicies of flowable liquids utilizing thin films thereof on a roughened surface of a rigid or semi-rigid object.

Abstract: In a method for scanning microscopy an illuminating light beam that contains at least first light of a first wavelength and second light of a second wavelength, is coded. The coded illuminating light beam is directed onto a specimen and detection light proceeding from the specimen is decoded.

Abstract: Dimensional parameters of metal-containing structures such as films, interconnects, wires and stripes, and nanoparticles are detected using an approach involving plasmon-excitation and one or more metal-constituency characteristics of the metal-containing structures. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, plasmon-exciting light is used to excite plasmons in a structure, the plasmon excitation being responsive to the metal constituency. A characteristic of light reflected from the structure is then used to detect dimensional parameters of the structure. In one implementation, a characteristic of the reflected light that is related to the state of plasmon excitation in the structure is used to detect the dimensional parameters. In another implementation, the angle of incidence of the plasmon-exciting light is used in connection with an intensity-related characteristic of light reflected from structure to detect one or more dimensions of the structure.

Abstract: An imaging method and system are presented for detecting the topography of a sample surface. Illuminating light is directed to the sample by sequentially passing the illuminating light through a grating and an objective lens arrangement The grating has a pattern formed by spaced-apart transparent regions spaced by non-transparent regions, and is specifically oriented with respect to the optical axis of the objective lens arrangement. Light, specularly reflected from the sample, is collected by the same objective lens arrangement and is directed to an imaging detector through the same grating, thereby enabling creation of an image of the illuminated sample indicative of the topography of the sample surface.

Abstract: In order to optimize the image properties of several optical elements of which at least one is moved relative to at least one stationary optical element, the overall image defect resulting from the interaction of all optical elements is first of all measured. This is represented as a linear combination of the base functions of an orthogonal function set. The movable element is then moved to a new measurement position and the overall image defect is measured once again. After the linear combination representation of the new overall image defect, the image defects of the movable element and of the stationary element are calculated from the data thereby obtained. With only one movable optical element a target position in which the overall image defect is minimized can be directly calculated and adjusted there from. If several movable optical elements are available, methods are given for the efficient determination of the respective target position.

Abstract: An optical attenuator (8) includes an input port (1), an output port (4), a fixed reflector (2), a movable reflector (3), two detecting means (6, 7) and a driving device (5). The input port includes a first collimator (13) and a filter (10) attached to the first collimator. The output port includes a second collimator (41) and a splitter (42) connected to the second collimator. Input signals are transmitted from an input fiber (11) through the first collimator and then pass through the filter. The signals passing through the filter are directed by the fixed and the movable reflectors to the second collimator. The angular position of the movable reflector, which is driven by the driving device, determines the proportion of the signals. reflected by the reflectors that are received by the second collimator, which determines the size of the output signals transmitted in an output fiber (421).

Abstract: An optical system for imaging the features, ridges, and height variations of an object by exploiting the properties of specular reflection of light to maximize the contrast of the features, ridges, and height variations. The system provides a non-contact method of imaging objects suitable for biometric identification, such as the imaging of fingerprints. The system obtains the strong specular reflection using a properly shaped wave front. Optionally, the system can include a polarizer that filters and thereby enhances the specular reflection from the surface. Optionally, the system can also include pre-processing means for adjusting image brightness, contrast, and magnification.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to align an invisible light beam sensor, such as an IR sensor, utilizing a visible light beam such as a visible LED or HeNe laser, and provide the ability to visually monitor when the sensor needs adjustment in real time and avoid off line adjustments. Various embodiments synchronize and position both the invisible light beam and the visible light beam to travel the same path to a common desired location.

Abstract: A method includes transmitting a sequence of wavefronts of the optical carrier wave having a first wavelength to an optical waveguide and transmitting a control wave having a second wavelength to a control waveguide. The control wave electro-optically modulates velocities of the wavefronts in the optical waveguide. A dielectric cladding adjacent the optical waveguide has a refractive index at the second wavelength that is larger than the refractive index in the optical waveguide at the first wavelength.

Abstract: The surface specific optical diagnostic system includes a first optical source for providing a first laser input directable to an area of a surface to be interrogated. A second optical source provides a second laser input directable to that surface area. These lasers are alignable so that their surface areas of optical illumination overlap on the interrogated surface. An output wavelength discriminator receives reflections of the first and second laser inputs from the interrogated surface. The output wavelength discriminator is substantially non-transmissive at the frequencies of the first laser input and the second laser input but is substantially transmissive at the sum-frequency of the first laser input and the second laser input. Imaging optics receive an output of the wavelength discriminator and direct the propagation of the output so that a real image is formed after propagation through the imaging optics.

Abstract: Disclosed is methodology for determination of parameters which characterize parameters such as thickness, color or quality of films deposited onto objects of arbitrary shapes, utilizing spectroscopic ellipsometry applied to standard shaped objects.

Abstract: An optical switching apparatus and a method of efficiently switching optical signals are disclosed. Optical insertion loss may be reduced in a planar lightwave circuit by determining an optimal spacing between perturbations including using passive perturbations, having a three dimensional refractive index distribution, in an array of waveguides, or by adjusting parameters of existing perturbations e.g. their spacing. The perturbation and each waveguide have different three dimensional refractive index distributions. The perturbation may be positioned anywhere in the array of waveguides. The perturbation may be a trench, a region of refractive index different from that in each waveguide, a broken waveguide core, or a modification of the topography of the array of waveguides. In one embodiment, the perturbation is a periodic or quasiperiodic perturbation.

Abstract: Multiplexed grating and grating/prism devices are particularly suited to DWDM optical telecommunications networks, finding utility in optical spectrum analyzers (OSAs) and fiber multiplexer/demultiplexers. The invention may be used to address both single- and dual-band configurations through adjustment of the grating, detector array, and/or inclusion of a fiber-optic switch. As a dual-band OSA covering the C- and L-bands, a device according to the invention may be used to replace two separate OSAs like those currently in production, at only a modest increase in cost relative to a single-band OSA.

Abstract: A method of adjusting thermal dependence of an optical fiber involves hydrogenating the fiber to render it photosensitive, and then exposing it to UV radiation for such time period as to achieve the desired adjustment in the thermal dependence. In an all-fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer, the method involves using a photosensitive fiber as one of the arms of the interferometer and exposing this photosensitive fiber to UV radiation so as to adjust the thermal dependence of the interferometer. The resulting interferometer is also part of the invention.