Abstract: A method for foreign particles inspection includes illuminating an inspection surface of an inspection object with a beam which is, one of s-polarized and p-polarized relative to the inspection surface of the inspection object. The illumination utilizes an optical axis which is generally parallel to the inspection surface or which intersects the inspection surface at an angle that is greater than or equal to 1.degree. and less than 5.degree.. Reflected and scattered light is detected utilizing an optical axis which makes an acute angle with the inspection surface and which makes a differential angle of 30.degree. or less with the optical axis of the illumination beam. The detection of foreign particles is accomplished by detecting the component of the reflected and scattered light which is the other of s-polarized and p-polarized relative to the inspection surface.

Abstract: A light modulator having the small volume and low power consumption of LCD displays together with the higher resolution and faster response time of CRT displays. The light modulator includes a substrate pair, an opaque light shielding layer, a shutter assembly composed of a shutter plate and a shutter suspension, and electrodes. The substrate pair includes a first substrate and a second substrate positioned parallel to each other and spaced from one another to define a cavity. The opaque light shielding layer is located on one of the substrates, and defines a translucent window. The shutter assembly is located in the cavity. The shutter plate is movably mounted adjacent the window by the shutter suspension. The shutter suspension includes elastic support members disposed between the shutter plate and the substrate pair.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of analyzing particles on an integrated circuit wafer using a quasi three dimensional image analysis of the particles. The apparatus includes an optical system which has an optical axis and forms an image of that part of a focal plane which within a field distance of the optical axis. The apparatus holds a wafer perpendicular to the optical axis and allows the surface of the wafer to be moved in a plane perpendicular to the optical axes to view the entire surface of the wafer. The apparatus also allows the surface of the wafer to be moved a step distance below the focal plane. Images formed at a number of step distances are used to form a quasi three dimensional image of particles on the surface of the wafer. Automatic image analysis is used when appropriate.

Abstract: An image display apparatus which enables observation of a clear image at a wide field angle with substantially no reduction in the brightness of the image, and which is extremely small in size and light in weight and hence unlikely to cause the observer to be fatigued. The apparatus includes an image display device (6) and an ocular optical system (9) for leading an image of the display device (6) to an observer's eyeball (1). The ocular optical system (9) has a first optical element (7) and a second optical element (8). The first optical element (7) has three surfaces, and a space formed by the surfaces is filled with a medium having a refractive index larger than 1.

Abstract: An optical modulator includes a first diffraction grating for separating a light flux of a wide wavelength band into light fluxes of given wavelength bands. The optical modulator further includes an optical modulation element for modulating the separated light fluxes through corresponding picture elements, respectively, and outputting them. The optical modulator further includes a second diffraction grating for synthesizing the modulated light fluxes outputted from the optical modulation element, wherein the first diffraction grating, the optical modulation element and the second diffraction grating are integrally structured.

Abstract: An opto-mechanical apparatus for moving and scanning in an optical system comprises a step motor, a timing belt, a first lead screw carrying a first optical assembly, and a second lead screw carrying a second optical assembly. Each of the lead screws has a spiral thread forming a lead path. The lead path of the second lead screw is twice as long as the lead path of the first lead screw. Each lead screw has a gear fastened to its one end. The timing belt connects the rotation axis of the step motor and the two gears on the lead screws. When the step motor rotates, the two gears are driven by the timing belt. The two lead screws are also rotated by the gears. The first optical assembly moves twice as fast as the second optical assembly because the two gears have identical radii but the second lead path is twice long. The different distances traveled by the two optical assemblies ensure that the optical system has a constant optical resolution while scanning.

Abstract: Power to a self-oscillating inverter ballast is supplied from a DC voltage source through an inductor means having two separate windings on a common magnetic core--with one winding being positioned in each leg of the power supply. The inverter is loaded by way of a parallel-tuned L-C circuit connected across the inverter's output, thereby providing an output voltage thereat. The output voltage consists of sinusoidally-shaped voltage pulses of alternating polarity, with a distinct brief period of discontinuity at or near the cross-over points. A fluorescent lamp is connected by way of a current-limiting capacitor with the inverter's output.

Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for measuring the dimensions of a parcel for use in a parcel processing application of a data processing device, wherein a parcel is placed in a predetermined position on a weighing scale with a platform having at least two raised sides for placing the parcel thereagainst. When the parcel is placed, beams from a first laser source and from a second laser source are transmitted onto the parcel at a first and second target spot wherein the target spots are a known distance from each other, and wherein the target spots are in a line parallel to the weighing scale. The beams are reflected back to a rotating mirror assembly and to a beam detector. The mirror assembly is located in a line parallel to one of the two laser beam sources and is rotated at a constant rate so as to focus on the first and second target spots. The angle of focus of the mirror assembly is determinative of the distance from the mirror assembly to the parcel surface.

Abstract: A process of measuring coplanarity of an array of conductive elements on a circuit device is disclosed. Light is impinged from a reference plane onto an element of the array at a predetermined angle of incidence. Light is also impinged from the reference plane onto a reflective feature on a measurement plane determined by three points of the circuit device having highest elevations from a base of the circuit device, at the same predetermined angle of incidence. A response of the light impinged onto the element of the array and the reflective feature on the measurement plane is measured to determine coplanarity of the array.

Abstract: In a dual focusing optical pickup device, a laser beam is incident on an optical member via a beam splitter. Some part of the incident laser beam is reflected by the optical member and then returned to the beam splitter to be focused on an optical disc. The other part of the incident beam is refracted and transmitted through the optical member and then totally reflected by the reflecting member to return to the optical member. The returned beam is focused to the optical disc via the optical member and the beam splitter. The beam which is reflected by the optical member and the beam which is reflected by the reflecting member after being transmitted through the optical member generate a dual focus on the optical disc, in which the dual focus has different focal distances. Therefore, the optical discs of two kinds in which the recording layers are placed at different distances can precisely be recorded or reproduced, respectively.

Abstract: A dual camera test fixture that allows quantitative optical performance measurements to be made on a combiner, which is the primary optical element of a head-up display optical system. The fixture replicates an embodiment of the head-up display system, with the cameras in place of a users eyes. This configuration allows quantitative optical measurements to be made, just as the user would observe them. The test fixture makes quantitative measurements of the optical performance of individual combiners. The measurements that are made are binocular, and the measurement time is less than one minute per combiner. The test fixture determines actual coordinates of an image produced by the combiner. These coordinates allow accurate and quantitative calculations regarding the combiner to be made including vertical disparity, image distance, percent distortion, and image size. The cameras are adjustable in a manner that simulates the motion of human eyes as well as the motion of the human head.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and an apparatus capable of easily and quickly testing an automatic inserting state of an electronic component in a printed circuit board using a slit light. The method and the apparatus makes use of a slit light type instead of using the conventional testing jig in order to test an automatic insertion state of an electronic component in a printed circuit board. Thus, the problem of a noise generated when applying a signal which indicates that the contacting pins of the electronic component contacting with pins of a jig are testing incorrect, can be solved. Also, the setup time of an apparatus for testing an automatic insertion state of an electronic component in a printed circuit board according to changing a design of the printed circuit board can be reduced.

Abstract: In an exposure apparatus, an alignment-detecting light component of a mask and that of a plate are spatially separated from each other, thereby enabling highly accurate alignment with little influence of the light from the plate on detection of the mask position.

Abstract: A method of determining the quality of flat glass sheet comprising the steps of illuminating a glass sheet with a light ray at an acute angle. A mask having alternating opaque and transparent portions is positioned to receive light from the ray after it has struck the glass sheet. The ray is moved to a first position on the sheet to a second position and causes the light ray to move along the mask. The light passing through the mask is collected and the duration of the collected light is measured. The duration of light passing through the mask is correlated to the quality of the glass sheet that has been inspected.

Abstract: A waveguide sensing element has a substrate having an input opening adapted to house an input optical fiber and an output opening adapted to house an output optical fiber. The input optical fiber transmits electromagnetic radiation, and the output optical fiber emits the electromagnetic radiation. The waveguide sensing element also has a guiding layer disposed adjacent the substrate. The guiding layer has a beveled end face. The angle of the bevel is chosen so that the guiding layer selects only those modes within a given range--i.e., high order modes. This increases the spectral absorption measurement sensitivity as compared to a waveguide sensing element which uses the complete mode spectrum. Such a highly sensitive waveguide sensing element has been found to be particularly useful as an internal reflection spectroscopic sensing element.

Abstract: An extraneous substance inspection apparatus includes a level conversion circuit for converting a level of an extraneous substance detection signal obtained from a position in a first chip into one of multi-valued levels. A judging circuit determines the existence or absence of an extraneous substance by comparing a signal indicative of one of the multi-valued levels with another signal indicative of a converted level obtained by converting a detection signal detected at a similar position in another chip adjacent to the first chip.

Abstract: In a method of measuring optical characteristics of a component in a liquid impregnated in a porous material with no affection by the porous material, a light beam having an absorbable wavelength which is absorbed by the component in the liquid and a light beam having a wavelength which is longer than the absorbable wavelength are projected to the porous material, and a quantity of light having the wavelength which is absorbed by the component in the liquid is compensated by a quantity of transmitted light having the wavelength longer than the absorbable wavelength.

Abstract: When incident light is incident to a photodetector, photoelectrons are emitted therefrom and then multiplied to output an electric current signal. This current signal is integrated over a predetermined period of time in an integrator to be converted to a voltage signal. This voltage signal is converted to a digital signal by an AD converter. This digital signal is supplied to a histogramming memory, which generates a pulse height distribution of voltage signal. Based on a pulse height distribution N(h) generated with incidence of measurement-object light to the photodetector, a pulse height distribution of single photoelectron events p.sub.1 (h) generated by a generator of pulse height distribution of single photoelectron events, and pulse height distributions of k-photoelectron events p.sub.k (h) (k=2, 3, . . .

Abstract: Spectral transmittance of a dye coating for optical data is determined off-line. Light source wavelength is then matched to the wavelengths at which the dye has the least transmission (i.e. maximum absorbance). The method and system of the present invention are provided for detecting local and global defects in the coating wherein the inspection is done at the maximum absorbance wavelengths to produce a maximum change in a transmitted light signal for a given change in physical thickness of the dye coating. Relative change in thickness is determined based on the change in the transmitted light signal through the dye coating. In order to complete detection and measurement of the transmittance changes, a pair of electronic signals are split from a camera signal wherein one of the electronic signals is filtered by a FIR filter to identify local changes in dye thickness against a globally varying background.

Abstract: A light spectrum measuring apparatus comprises a sensor case on which a window with a glass is provided; a light emitting member and a light receiving member both provided in the case so that light emitted from the light emitting member passes through the glass, is reflected from solution, returns in the case, and is received by the light receiving member, wherein the glass, the light emitting member and the light receiving member are arranged in such a positional relation that positive reflected light which is emitted from the light emitting member and directly reflected by the glass without proceeding in the solution, is not received by the light receiving member.