Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus includes conduits which supply utilities to components in a vacuum chamber such as object tables and/or associated motors and/or sensors. The conduits are shielded from exposure to the vacuum by conduit conducts having at least the same number of degrees of freedom as their associated object table.

Abstract: In an optoelectronic module (1) comprising a plastics material package (2) accommodating a base (8) fixed to the package (2) and supporting an optical component (9) coupled by an optical fiber (5) to an optical connector (4) of the package (2), fiber displacements associated with thermal stresses are avoided by mounting the base so that it floats on the package (2) and possibly the connector (4). The floating mounting of the base (8) is obtained by using for fixing the base one or more adhesives (13, 14) having a greater elasticity than the adhesives used to fix each of the two ends (6, 7) of the fiber (5) to the base (8) and the connector (4), respectively.

Abstract: An over-etched defect in a semiconductor wafer is detected by applying an electrical field to the contacts in a first area and comparing the intensity measured with the intensity from a reference area. In one embodiment, one of the contacts in each of the first and reference areas is a gate contact in an MOS device and a second contact is either a source or drain contact. The selected charging field forward biases the pn junctions between the source and drain regions and the well in which they are formed. As a result, defects caused by gate contacts shorted to one of the source and drain contacts are visible using voltage contrast imaging techniques.

Abstract: The charge state of ions produced by electrospray ionization is reduced in a controlled manner to yield predominantly singly charged ions through reactions with bipolar ions generated using a 210Po alpha particle source or equivalent. The multiply charged ions generated by the electrospray undergo charge reduction in a charge reduction chamber. The charge-reduced ions are then detected using a commercial orthogonal electrospray TOF mass spectrometer, although the charge reduction chamber can be adapted to virtually any mass analyzer. The results obtained exhibit a signal intensity drop-off with increased oligonucleotide size similar to that observed with MALDI mass spectrometry, yet with the softness of ESI and without the off-line sample purification and pre-separation required by MALDI.

Abstract: A portable mass spectrometer for underwater use includes a watertight case having an inlet and means for transforming an analyte gas molecule from a solution phase into a gas phase positioned within the case. Means for directing a fluid to the transforming means from the inlet and means for analyzing the gas-phase analyte molecule to determine an identity thereof are also positioned within the case.

Abstract: A window allows the introduction of radiation energy into an annular processing chamber filled with a material to be processed. The chamber is formed from coaxial cylinder members rapidly rotating relative to one another. The chamber can be thin enough so that it is short compared to the penetration depth of the radiation through the material, providing even exposure of the material to the radiation. Also, eddies created in the material by the relative rotation enhances the even exposure. When the material inside the annular processing chamber is opaque, resulting in an insignificant penetration depth, the eddies still insure that the material is evenly exposed to the irradiation.

Abstract: A reaction frame having a first reaction frame portion and a second reaction frame portion receives reaction forces from a stage. First reaction frame portion is coupled to ground by a ground rod aligned along the longitudinal side of the first reaction frame portion; second reaction frame portion of the reaction frame is coupled to an interconnect rod passing parallel to the plane defined by the first reaction frame portion and second reaction frame portion. Ends of interconnect rod have a damper therebetween. One end is coupled to the first reaction frame portion while the other end is coupled to the second reaction frame portion. Reaction forces in received by the second reaction frame portion are transferred to ground through the interconnect rod and the first reaction frame portion. Alternately, the interconnect rod does not use the damper when alligned with the ground rod.

Abstract: A method is disclosed of identifying parent ions by matching daughter ions found to be produced at substantially the same time that the parent ions elute from a mixture. Ions emitted from an ion source are incident upon a collision cell which alternately and repeatedly switches between a first mode wherein the ions are substantially fragmented to produce daughter ions and a second mode wherein the ions are not substantially fragmented. Mass spectra are taken in both modes, and at the end of an experimental run parent and daughter ions are recognized by comparing the mass spectra obtained in the two different modes. Daughter ions are matched to particular parent ions on the basis of the closeness of fit of their elution times, and this enables parent ions to then be identified.

Abstract: An apparatus for receiving and reflecting ions. The ion mirror of the present invention is integral to a mass spectrometer flight tube and includes a front electrode, middle electrode, and a rear electrode. Each of the three electrodes are designed for receiving and reflecting ions. The electrodes of the ion mirror have a conductive material used for creating electric fields that retard and reflect ions back toward an ion detector. The flight tube may be made of an insulating material such as fused silica or quartz.

Abstract: A charged particle measuring apparatus discriminates the types of charged particles accurately and the energy precisely, measures high-energy charged particles precisely, and detects a failure of the apparatus to continue measurement in a mode corresponding to the failure. Outputs from first and second detectors are used as first and second addresses, respectively. The second detector includes a plurality of detectors. The output from a third detector is used as information about whether or not certain charged particles penetrate the second detector. The loss energy characteristics of charged particles to be measured are expressed in the first and second addresses. The number of times the charged particles are measured for loss energy are counted with respect to the addresses. When the series of detectors constituting the first, second, and third detectors suffers a failure, a measurement mode excluding any failed detector is employed to continue measurement.

Abstract: An ion implantation method for reducing energy contamination in low energy beams is disclosed in this invention. The ion implantation method requires the use of a target chamber for containing a target for implantation in vacuum and an ion source chamber with an ion source for generating an ion beam. A means for conducting a mass analysis of the ion beam, such as an analyzer magnet, is also needed. The ion source chamber includes a beam deceleration optics that includes a beam deceleration means for decelerating the ion beam for producing a low energy ion beam. The beam deceleration optics further includes a beam steering means for generating an electrostatic field for steering the ion beam to a targeted ion-beam direction and separating neutralized particles from the ion beam by allowing the neutralized particles to transmit in a neutralized-particle direction slightly different from the targeted ion-beam direction.

Abstract: There is disclosed a scanning electron microscope capable of detecting secondary electrons emitted from a specimen, using a semi-in-lens type objective lens. A voltage is applied to the specimen from a power supply to decelerate the electron beam immediately ahead of the specimen. Secondary electrons produced from the specimen are confined by a magnetic lens field and move spirally upward. The secondary electrons moving upward travel linearly from a location where the magnetic field of the objective lens is weak. Then, the electrons strike first and second conversion electrodes, producing a large amount of secondary electrons. A voltage is applied to the front face of a detector to produce an electric field near the first opening in the inner polepiece. This field directs the secondary electrons toward the detector, where they are detected.

Abstract: In the time-of-flight mass spectrometer, after ions are accumulated in a quadrupole ion trap in a low vacuum chamber, the ions are ejected and transferred to a high vacuum chamber and are accelerated by an acceleration electrode in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of ions, and time of flight for the accelerated ions is measured. Total content of detected ions is calculated with a data processing unit. An ion introduction time for the next operation is determined on the basis of the obtained total ion content, the time for introduction of ions into the ion trap and a preset threshold value of the total ion content. The threshold value of total ion content is set such that the ions ejected out of the ion trap can pass through a slit formed in a partition wall for portioning the low vacuum chamber and the high vacuum chamber.

Abstract: In an ion trap mass spectrometer, between an ion supply source and an ion trap, there are disposed an entrance gate electrode, an ion storing section for holding ions by accumulating them near an exit side by means of an RF voltage with an axial electric potential inclined from an entrance side to the exit side, and an exit gate electrode. When the ions are accumulated near the exit side, the exit gate electrode is opened to thereby introduce the ions in the pulse state into the ion trap. At this point, a voltage is not applied to a ring electrode of the ion trap, so that repulsion due to the voltage of the ring electrode is eliminated. Thereafter, when maximum amount of ions stay inside the ion trap, ring RF voltage is suddenly applied. Thus, the maximum amount of the ions can be introduced into the ion trap.

Abstract: An ion source for a mass spectrometer includes an atmospheric pressure sample ioniser (20), arranged to generate ionised sample droplets for ingress into an ion block (50). The block (50) has an entrance orifice cone (70) in communication with an inlet channel (60), and an outlet channel (80) which has a first end that intersects the inlet channel (60) at 90° therto. The outer end of the outlet channel (80) opens into an evacuation chamber (90) which is pumped via a rotary vacuum pump (110). The reduced pressure within the channels of the ion block (50) draws sample droplets therethrough. An exit orifice defined by an exit orifice cone (130) is formed in the outlet channel (80) and sample ions pass through into a mass analyzer region (180). The right-angle bend between the inlet and outlet channels introduces turbulence and promotes desolution. Streaming of droplets from the entrance cone (70) to the exit cone (130) is also prevented.

Abstract: A storage container for hazardous material, especially heat-generating hazardous material, comprises a central elongate, generally cylindrical concrete body having an elongate, sealable interior cavity for accommodating the hazardous material and a cooling liquid in which the hazardous material is immersed. The cavity comprises a generally cylindrical storage section concentric with the concrete body and an expansion chamber in fluid communication with the storage section. The expansion chamber is located axially outside on end of the storage section and extends radially past the circumference of the storage section. It is dimensioned such that when the cavity is filled with a predetermined quantity of the cooling liquid, the cooling liquid completely fills the storage section while still leaving room for expansion of the cooling liquid in the expansion chamber.

Abstract: Time-of-flight mass spectrometer instruments for monitoring fast processes using an interleaved timing scheme and a position sensitive detector are described. The combination of both methods is also described.

Abstract: A thermoregulation system for an ion implantation system to reduce the temperature in the ion implanter and components therein, or attached thereto, to a temperature at which an ion source material, used in the ion implanter, has a vapor pressure that yields a reduced concentration of vapors. Such arrangement markedly reduces the risk of exposure to harmful vapors from the ion source material.

Abstract: In a wafer chuck for flatly vacuum-chucking a semiconductor wafer (11) supported by support pins (15) such that a pressure in a suction chamber (13) surrounded by an external wall (12), the upper surface of the external wall (12) is formed to be lower than the upper surfaces of the support pins, and the upper surface of the external wall (12) does not pressure the semiconductor wafer (11), a distance (L1) between the external wall (12) and closest support pins (15a) is up to 1.8 mm, and an alignment pitch. (L2) of the support pins (15) aligned inside the closest support pins (15a) to the external wall (12) is not more than 1.5 times of the distance (L1) between the external wall (12) and the closest support pins (15a).

Abstract: In the context of charged-particle-beam (CPB) microlithography methods and systems, methods are disclosed for detecting the incidence orthogonality of a patterned beam on the lithographic substrate. In an embodiment, the position of reticle-fiducial-mark images, as formed on the substrate stage at a position Z1, are detected at two lateral positions of a corresponding reticle fiducial mark. A distance L1 between the images is determined. Then, the substrate stage is moved to a position Z2, at which the position of reticle-fiducial-mark images are detected at two lateral positions of the corresponding reticle fiducial mark. A distance L2 between the images is determined. The incidence-orthogonality error &Dgr;&thgr; is calculated by substitution into &Dgr;&thgr;=(L1−L2)/2&Dgr;H. The projection-optical system of the CPB microlithography apparatus is adjusted so that &Dgr;&thgr;=0.