Abstract: A method of the detection of particle contamination on a semiconductor wafer is provides which includes examining an area of the semiconductor wafer by a metrology system comprising a scatterometry or ellipsometry/reflectometry tool to obtain measured metrology data, comparing the measured metrology data with reference metrology data and determining the presence of particle contamination in the examined area of the semiconductor wafer based on the comparison of the measured metrology data with the reference metrology data.

Abstract: The invention concerns methods for measuring sulfur content in a fiber or polymer resin sample comprising: a) contacting the sample with a solution comprising sodium hydroxide to convert sulfur to sodium sulfate, b) combusting the sample of step a) in a furnace to remove essentially all organic materials to produce a residue; c) dissolving the residue in concentrated nitric acid; and d) determining the sulfur content of the sample using ICP Emission Spectrometry.

Abstract: Provided is an observation device and a method of observing capable of clearly obtaining information relating to a boundary part where a medium inside an observation object changes. An observation device (1) is a device for observing an observation object (2) including a sensitivity factor in which a dipole moment changes by sensing an electromagnetic wave (31). An output part (11) outputs the electromagnetic wave (31) and the dipole moment of the sensitivity factor included in the observation object (2) is changed by the electromagnetic wave (31). A detector part (12) detects, of the electromagnetic wave (31) outputted from the output part (11), a signal electromagnetic wave (33) which comes through the observation object (2) and a reference electromagnetic wave (32) which bypasses the observation object (2). A control part (13) analyzes the structure of the observation object (2) based on the detection results of the detection part (12).

Abstract: A sensor chip maybe provided that is used in a specimen material detection device with which a solution can be prevented from remaining, an irregularity can be prevented from occurring in a concentration, and a fluctuation of a signal can be prevented from occurring during a detection, and as a result it is possible to carry out an inspection in an accurate manner.

Abstract: According to an example, apparatuses for performing multiple concurrent spectral analyzes on a sample under test include an optical system to concurrently direct a plurality of light beams onto analytes at multiple locations on the sample under test, in which the plurality of light beams cause light in either or both of a Raman spectra and a non-Raman spectra to be emitted from the analytes at the multiple locations of the sample under test. The apparatuses also include a detector to concurrently acquire a plurality of spectral measurements of the light emitted from the analytes at the multiple locations of the sample under test. Example methods of performing spectral analysis include use of the apparatuses.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for the production and labeling of objects in a manner suitable for the prevention and detection of counterfeiting. Thus, the system incorporates a variety of features that make unauthorized reproduction difficult. In addition, the present invention provides an efficient means for the production of labels and verification of authenticity, whereby a recording apparatus which includes a recording medium, having anisotrophic optical domains, along with a means for transferring a portion of the recording medium to a carrier, wherein a bulk portion of the recording medium has macroscopically detectable anisotrophic optical properties and the detecting apparatus thereon.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a wavelength scanning interferometer and a method for an aspheric surface measurement. The wavelength scanning interferometer comprises a set of tunable lasers (7) used as a light source, a Twyman-Green interferometer used for generating interference fringes, a translation platform (1) used for scanning an optical path difference along an optical axis, an image card (11) used for converting interference data to a digital signal and transmitting the digital signal to a computer (12), and a data card (13) used for synchronizing the actions of a CCD camera (9) and the translation platform (1). Different from the traditional aspheric surface measurement method, the interferometer is capable of measuring a surface with a high aspheric surface degree or a wavefront, and without the need of a zero compensation mirror. In addition, the method does not need a complex and usually expensive multi-dimensional movement platform.

Abstract: A surface inspection method for inspecting a surface H of an inspection subject having a specular surface H, including: a step in which the surface H of the inspection subject is irradiated with light L from an oblique direction; a step in which measurement is conducted of the intensity of diffracted light D that is diffracted by adhering foreign matter K among light that is regularly reflected by the surface H of the inspection subject; a step in which measurement is conducted of the intensity of scattered light S that is irregularly reflected by the adhering foreign matter K; and a step in which an adhering condition of foreign matter K on the surface H of the inspection subject is determined based on measurement results for the intensity of the diffracted light D that is regularly reflected, and the intensity of the scattered light S that is irregularly reflected.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for the production and labeling of objects in a manner suitable for the prevention and detection of counterfeiting. Thus, the system incorporates a variety of features that make unauthorized reproduction difficult. In addition, the present invention provides a system and method for providing a dynamically reconfigurable watermark, and the use of the watermark to encode a stochastically variable property of the carrier medium for self-authentication purposes.

Abstract: A surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor includes a substrate with a nanostructured surface. The nanostructured surface has a quasi-periodic, anisotropic array of elongated ridge elements having a wave-ordered structure pattern, each ridge element having a wavelike cross-section and oriented substantially in a first direction. The sensor also includes a plurality of metal elements disposed, at least in part, on tops of the ridge elements.

Abstract: A probe for an optical coherence tomography system according to an embodiment of the current invention includes a sheath having a proximal end and a distal end and defining a lumen therein, an optical fiber disposed at least partially within the lumen of said sheath, and a sapphire lens attached to the distal end of the sheath to form a fluid-tight seal to prevent fluid from entering the lumen of said sheath. The optical fiber has an end arranged in an optical path with the sapphire lens to provide optical coupling between the sapphire lens and the optical fiber.

Abstract: A system for determining the spatial orientation of a movable apparatus includes at least one optical angle-of-arrival (OAOA) sensor array, each of which comprises multiple OAOA sensors arranged to provide a 360° field-of-view (FOV). At least one sensor array is mounted on and has a known spatial relationship to a movable apparatus, the spatial orientation of which is to be determined. Point sources are located at one or more stationary positions within the FOV of at least one of the mounted arrays. An initial-north-finding/initial-vertical-finding (INF/INV) system determines the spatial orientation of at least one of the point sources. Processing circuitry coupled to the INF/INV system and the sensor arrays derives the spatial orientation of the mounted arrays—and thereby the spatial orientation of the apparatus—based on the angular positions of the stationary point sources detected by the mounted arrays.

Abstract: Apparatus are described for measuring the characteristics of colloidal particles suspended in transparent media by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Depolarized Dynamic Light Scattering (DDLS) into regions where conventional measurements are difficult or impractical. Matching the diameter of an illuminating beam and an intersecting diameter of a field stop image extends measurements into regions that include concentrated turbid suspensions that frequently appear so visually opaque that multiple scattering typically gives a falsely low estimate of particle size.

Abstract: Methods for determining improving quantitative and qualitative motion contrast information collected with optical coherence tomography (OCT) data are presented. In one embodiment, flow within a cross-sectional area of a sample is calculated independent of the Doppler and en face angles using a bidirectional OCT system. In another embodiment, motion contrast images are improved by averaging motion contrast information collected from a bidirectional OCT system.

Abstract: Four-axis four-subdividing interferometer comprising a four-axis light splitting module and an interference module which are sequentially arranged along the incident direction of polarization orthogonal double-frequency laser. The four-axis light splitting system comprises three 50% plane beam splitters and three 45-degree plane reflecting mirrors. The invention comprises a four-axis four-subdividing plane mirror interferometer and a four-axis four-subdividing differential interferometer. In the differential interferometer, an adjustable 45-degree reflecting mirror is used to guide the reference light to a reference reflecting mirror which is arranged in the same direction as a measurement mirror and fixed on the moving object.

Abstract: A method for determining the absorption of a blank (2) for producing an optical element (3), including: radiating a heating light ray (8) through the blank (2) for the purpose of heating the blank (2), and determining the absorption in the blank (2) by measuring at least one property of a measurement light ray (10) influenced by the heating of the blank (2). In the method, either the heating light ray (8) and the measurement light ray (10) or the heating light ray and a further heating light ray are oriented to enter into the blank (2) through a first polished surface (2a) or a second polished surface (2b), situated opposite the first surface, and meet one another exclusively in the interior of the blank (2), preferably in a volume (12) used for the production of the optical element (3). An associated measuring apparatus (1), optical element (3), and optical arrangement are also disclosed.

Abstract: Six-axis four-subdividing interferometer comprising a six-axis light splitting system and an interference module which are sequentially arranged along the incident direction of polarization orthogonal double-frequency laser, wherein the six-axis light splitting system comprises five 45-degree plane beam splitters and four 45-degree full-reflecting mirrors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and a corresponding method having a light source (20) for emitting light, an interferometer (10), into which light emitted by the light source (20) is injected, for irradiating a sample (1) with light, and a, in particular spatially resolving, detector (40) for detecting interference patterns obtained by superimposing the light reflected from the sample (1) with a partial beam of the light injected into the interferometer (10) which is reflected at a reference mirror (16) of the interferometer (10). In order to obtain OCT images in the simplest way possible and with the highest possible resolution and image quality, the light source (20) comprises a radiation source (21) for generating spatially incoherent light, and an optical filter (22) with a bell-shaped or Gaussian-shaped spectral filter characteristic for filtering the light generated by the radiation source (21).

Abstract: A flow cell assembly for use in a liquid sample analyzer including a radiation source, a sensing device and a liquid sample source to supply a liquid sample includes an entrance joint member, a liquid core waveguide, a liquid sample feed tube, and an input optical fiber. The entrance joint member includes a waveguide receiving bore and a feed tube receiving bore. The liquid core waveguide is mounted in the waveguide receiving bore and defines a waveguide bore. The liquid sample feed tube is mounted in the feed tube receiving bore such that the liquid sample feed tube is in fluid communication with the waveguide bore to fluidly connect the liquid sample source to the waveguide bore. The input optical fiber is mounted in the entrance joint member to transmit radiation from the radiation source to the waveguide bore, which radiation is transmitted through the waveguide bore and the liquid sample therein to the sensing device.

Abstract: An enhanced photoemission spectroscopy (EPS) system uses at least three photoelectric detection processes to identify a substance or substances in a target. The target can be in a container, and the EPS system accounts for this in the identification process. The photoelectric detection processes include Raman scattering, fluorescence and spectral reflection. The EPS system uses all three processes to generate spectral data that is then combined to derive a target signature. The target signature is then compared to stored signature data to determine the substance or substances in the target.