Abstract: In an X-ray generator using an ultraviolet laser, the generation of the X-ray is stabilized. In an X-ray generation method for irradiating an ultraviolet laser beam emitted from an ultraviolet laser beam generator on an ultraviolet laser beam receiving surface of an electron beam emitting device, irradiating an electron beam emitted from an electron beam emitting surface of the electron beam emitting device distinguished from the ultraviolet laser beam receiving surface on a metal piece and generating an X-ray from the metal piece, denaturalization of substance of the ultraviolet laser beam receiving surface is prevented by controlling the ultraviolet laser beam.

Abstract: A collimator grid and a method of fabricating the collimator grid are disclosed. The method includes molding a plurality of plates, each plate includes a plurality of grooves in a first surface, a plurality of fin tips in a second surface disposed opposite to the first surface, plurality of ribs on a first pair of peripheral sides, a plurality of first fiducials formed on the plurality of ribs, and a plurality of second fiducials formed on a second pair of peripheral sides. The method includes machining the second surface to form the plurality of fins having predefined dimensions. Further, the method includes stacking the plurality of plates overlapping each other based on the plurality of first fiducials, and machining the plurality of ribs and first fiducials to form the collimator grid.

Abstract: This specification relates to an improved method, process and apparatus for disinfecting and sterilizing all types of surfaces and indoor air and room air contaminated with microorganisms. The improved apparatus consists of a multi-wavelength narrow spectral width UV source that is more effective than mercury based 254 nm germicidal lamps for destroying the DNA and outer shell or membrane of virus, bacteria, spores and cists.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a wafer with an integrated circuit (IC) layout includes receiving a first plurality of pixels, wherein each of the pixels corresponds to a portion of the IC layout and includes data members. The method further includes transforming the first plurality of pixels into a second plurality of control signals, wherein at least some of the control signals include both a data member of one of the pixels and another data member of another one of the pixels. The method further includes transferring the control signals to a third plurality of mirrors, wherein the mirrors conditionally reflect an energy beam incident thereupon when coupled with the control signals.

Abstract: Disclosed is a disinfecting docking station for at least one portable electronic device, such as a medical technician's tablet computer, that has at least one recharging connector. An enclosure is adapted to receive the at least one portable electronic device therein through an openable side that includes a selectively closable door. Each electronic device is exposed to a disinfecting wavelength of light, such as UV light, to disinfect the surface of the device. The enclosure includes supports that minimally contact each device so that the device will be substantially exposed to the UV light. A control circuit monitors the exposure time and level, and is programmable to activate the UV light based on pre-set criteria. The enclosures may be stacked and provide power and network connectivity to each device while docked therein.

Abstract: A system using an energy beam to expose patterns on a wafer includes first mirror elements, a multiplexer element, and second mirror elements. The first and second mirror elements are dynamically controlled to reflect the energy beam to the wafer. The first mirror elements are configured in a first chain having a first data input and a first data output. The multiplexer element includes a second data input, a third data input, a select input, and a second data output. The third data input is coupled to the first data output. The second mirror elements are configured in a second chain having a fourth data input.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automatic gain control in mass spectrometers are disclosed. An exemplary system may include a mass spectrometer, comprising a lens configured to receive a supply of ions, and a mass analyzer. The mass analyzer may include an ion trap for trapping the supplied ions. The mass analyzer may also include an ion detector for detecting ions that exit the ion trap. The lens may focus the ions non-uniformly based on mass of the ions to compensate for space charge effects reflected in a measurement output of the mass spectrometer. An exemplary method may include focusing an ion beam into a mass analyzer. The method may also include obtaining a mass spectrum and identifying a space charge characteristic based on the mass spectrum. The method may further include defocusing the lens based on the identified space charge characteristic, wherein defocusing the lens is configured to divert lighter ions away from the entrance aperture.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining a plurality of the two dimensional arrays of gadolinium oxysulfide. An array has wider width non-silver based spacers (304) that extend between rows or columns of dixels and narrower width non-silver based spacers (306) that extend between the other of the rows or columns of dixels. The method further includes applying a silver coating (312) to at least one of a top or bottom surface of the arrays. The method further includes forming a stack by stacking the silver coated arrays, one on top of another (FIG. 3B), with substantially equal layers of adhesive between adjacent arrays. The method further includes slicing the stack through the wider non-silver based spacers to form two dimensional arrays of scintillator dixels (314) having silver based spacers (312) along at least one direction of the array.

Abstract: A method is provided for the thermal photoswitching of spin-transition compounds from the low-spin state to the high-spin state, including at least one step of exposing the material to a non-polarized laser beam which is at room temperature, and the wavelength of which is in the infrared range and the power of which is 1 mW·cm?2 to 1 W·cm?2. The method may be used for the temporary or permanent marking of materials including particles of at least one spin-transition compound including an iron(II) and triazole ligand compound.

Abstract: The invention comprises a patient positioning and/or repositioning system, such as a laying, semi-vertical, or seated patient positioning, alignment, and/or control method and apparatus used in conjunction with multi-axis charged particle radiation therapy. Patient positioning constraints optionally include one or more of: a seat support, a back support, a head support, an arm support, a knee support, and a foot support. One or more of the positioning constraints are preferably movable and/or under computer control for rapid positioning, repositioning, and/or immobilization of the patient. The system optionally uses an X-ray beam that lies in substantially the same path as a proton beam path of a particle beam cancer therapy system. The generated image is usable for: fine tuning body alignment relative to the proton beam path, to control the charged particle beam path to accurately and precisely target the tumor, and/or in system verification and validation.

Abstract: In order to solve a problem in a mass spectrometry that a distribution of an emitted ion and a substance distribution on the measurement object surface are different from each other, which is due to a shaded portion of a irregular surface which falls under a shadow of primary beam, a primary ion optical system of the present apparatus includes a deflection unit configured to deflect the primary ion in such a manner that the primary ion intersects a flight space of the secondary ion in the course of flight.

Abstract: A method for characterizing a three-dimensional surface profile of a semiconductor workpiece is provided. In this method, the three-dimensional surface profile is imaged from a normal angle to measure widths of various surfaces in a first image. The three-dimensional surface is also imaged from a first oblique angle to re-measure the widths of the various surfaces in a second image. Based on differences in widths of corresponding surfaces for first and second images, a feature height and sidewall angle are determined for the three-dimensional profile.

Abstract: A high-frequency acceleration type ion acceleration and transportation apparatus is a beamline after an ion beam is accelerated by a high-frequency acceleration system having an energy spread with respect to set beam energy and includes an energy analysis deflection electromagnet and a horizontal beam focusing element. In the ion acceleration and transportation apparatus, a double slit that is configured by an energy spread confining slit and an energy analysis slit is additionally disposed at a position at which energy dispersion and a beam size are to be appropriate. The position is determined based on a condition of the energy analysis deflection electromagnet and the horizontal beam focusing element, and the double slit performs energy separation and energy definition and decreases the energy spread of the ion beam by performing adjustment for a smaller energy spread while suppressing a decrease in the amount of a beam current.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of performing photothermal chemical nanoidentification of a sample includes positioning a tip of a probe at a region of interest of the sample, with the tip-sample separation being less than about 10 nm. Then, IR electromagnetic energy having a selected frequency, ?, is directed towards the tip. Using PFT mode AFM operation, absorption of the energy at the region of interest is identified. Calorimetry may also be performed with the photothermal PFT system.

Abstract: In a method of moving droplets, local heat is applied to a surface portion of a droplet for an amount of time sufficient to create a Marangoni flow in the droplet. Droplets are suspended in an emulsion in a carrier liquid on a substrate. A laser beam is used to move one of the droplets. the droplet consists of a first substance and a carrier liquid consists of a second substance that is not mixable with the first substance. The droplet is placed in the carrier liquid, and the mixture is emulsified. The emulsified mixture is placed on a substrate. Then the local heat is applied to the surface of the droplet. The first substance may include oil and the second substance may include water.

Abstract: A method includes irradiating a surface of a sample, which is made-up of multiple types of materials, with a beam of primary electrons. Emitted electrons emitted from the irradiated sample are detected using multiple detectors that are positioned at respective different positions relative to the sample, so as to produce respective detector outputs. Calibration factors are computed to compensate for variations in emitted electron yield among the types of the materials, by identifying, for each material type, one or more horizontal regions on the surface that are made-up of the material type, and computing a calibration factor for the material type based on at least one of the detector outputs at the identified horizontal regions. The calibration factors are applied to the detector outputs. A three-dimensional topographical model of the surface is calculated based on the detector outputs to which the calibration factors are applied.

Abstract: A mass or mass to charge ratio selective ion trap is disclosed having an increased charge storage capacity. A RF voltage acts to confine ions in a first (y) direction within the ion trap. A DC voltage and/or an RF voltage acts to confine ions in a second (x) direction within the ion trap. A quadratic DC potential well acts to confine ions in a third (z) direction within the ion trap. Ions are excited in the third (z) direction and are caused to be mass or mass to charge ratio selectively ejected in the third (z) direction.

Abstract: The present invention provides a solid scintillator comprising a rare earth oxide sintered body, wherein: an afterglow time, which is the time required for a light output from the solid scintillator to degrease from a maximum value to 1/e of the maximum value, is 200 ns or shorter. The rare earth oxide sintered body preferably has a composition represented by a general formula (1): LnaXbOc:Ce??(1), wherein Ln is one or more elements selected from Y, Gd and Lu; X is one or more elements selected from Si, Al and B; and a, b and c satisfy 1?a?5, 0.9?b?6, and 2.5??c?13, respectively.

Abstract: The invention provides a charged particle beam system wherein the middle section of the focused ion beam column is biased to a high negative voltage allowing the beam to move at higher potential than the final beam energy inside that section of the column. At low kV potential, the aberrations and coulomb interactions are reduced, which results in significant improvements in spot size.

Abstract: The present invention relates to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) in which a collision cell is employed to selectively remove unwanted artefact ions from an ion beam by causing them to interact with a reagent gas. The present invention provides a first evacuated chamber (6) at high vacuum located between an expansion chamber (3) and a second evacuated chamber (20) containing the collision cell (24). The first evacuated chamber (6) includes a first ion optical device (17). The collision cell (24) contains a second ion optical device (25). The provision of the first evacuated chamber (5) reduces the gas load on the collision cell (24), by minimising the residual pressure within the collision cell (24) that is attributable to the gas load from the plasma source (1). This serves to minimise the formation, or re-formation, of unwanted artefact ions in the collision cell (24).