Abstract: An inspection method and an inspection system of a terminal metal fitting which can securely judge the good or bad of the fastening condition of an electric wire by a crimping piece of the terminal metal fitting is provided. The inspection system 1 of the terminal metal fitting has an illuminating lamp 4, a CCD camera 5, a dark box 6, and a control unit 7. The CCD camera 5 is arranged at a position of the light thrown from the illuminating lamp 4 and reflected by crimping pieces 212a,212b of a pressure welding terminal 200 not entering the CCD camera 5. The dark box 6 covers the illuminating lamp 4, an object side 5a of the CCD camera 5, and the pressure welding terminal 200. The control unit 7 makes a binary processing on an image of a wire connecting portion 204 taken by the CCD camera 5.

Abstract: An upper stem diameter measurement (“USDM”) and basal area determination device for timber cruising operations incorporates a viewing window in which are projected variable, visual brackets for manual alignment by the user, or automatic setting under processor section control, with the left and right sides of a target tree stem or trunk. The device further includes a built-in inclinometer such that computations of height and stem diameter can be automatically adjusted depending on the user's line of sight with respect to a horizontal plane. In a preferred embodiment, a user actuatable keypad is provided for inputting data, such as a desired operational mode, a specified basal area factor and the like, a user viewable display as well as control buttons for adjusting the visual brackets and indicating an acceptance of various of the device parameters and operational characteristics.

Abstract: A method for measuring a structure that contains overlying and underlying films in a region where the overlying film's thickness rapidly decreases until the underlying film is exposed (e.g., an edge-exclusion structure). The method includes the steps of: (1) exciting acoustic modes in a first portion of the region with at least one excitation laser beam; (2) detecting the acoustic modes with a probe laser beam that is either reflected or diffracted to generate a signal beam; (3) analyzing the signal beam to determine a property of the structure (e.g., the thickness of the overlying layer) in the first portion of the region; (4) translating the structure or the excitation and probe laser beams; and (5) repeating the exciting, detecting, and analyzing steps to determine a property of the structure in a second portion of the region.

Abstract: A multiple laser optical sensing system and method for detecting target characteristics are disclosed. The system includes a laser source with at least two emission apertures from which laser signals are emitted. The system also includes at least one detector, which is operationally responsive to the laser source. Finally, the system includes a microprocessor that is operationally coupled to the detector(s). In operation, the laser source emits into an environment at least two laser signals, one from each emission aperture. The detector detects the laser signals after the signals pass through the environment, which is occupied by a target and the microprocessor determines target characteristics based on the laser signals received by the detector(s).

Abstract: A method and system for spectroscopic ellipsometry employing reflective optics to measure a small region of a sample by reflecting radiation (preferably broadband UV, visible, and near infrared radiation) from the region. The system preferably has an autofocus assembly and a processor programmed to determine from the measurements the thickness and/or complex refractive index of a thin film on the sample. Preferably, only reflective optics are employed along the optical path between the polarizer and analyzer, a sample beam reflects with low incidence angle from each component of the reflective optics, the beam is reflectively focused to a small, compact spot on the sample at a range of high incidence angles, and an incidence angle selection element is provided for selecting for measurement only radiation reflected from the sample at a single, selected angle (or narrow range of angles). The focusing mirror preferably has an elliptical shape to reduce off-axis aberrations in the focused beam.

Abstract: A method of measuring the thickness of ultra-thin (e.g., <200 Å) oxide formed on a semiconductor device uses a reference sample (i.e., another silicon wafer) which has been pre-processed to include a relatively thick oxide surface layer. The thickness of the reference oxide (t) is measured using any conventional technique (such as an ellipsometer). An ultra-thin oxide is then simultaneously formed on both the reference sample and semiconductor device. The total oxide thickness (T) of the dual-layer structure on the reference sample is then measured (again, using any conventional technique), and the difference between the two measured values (T−t=&dgr;) is defined as the thickness of the ultra-thin oxide layer.

Abstract: Changes in optical properties of layered materials are measured by directing an incident wave of finite transverse dimensions toward layered materials under conditions that will produce a propagating surface mode or a waveguide mode in the layered materials. The intensity distribution is measured within the transverse beam profile of the total reflected beam. The profile shows asymmetric structure associated with the excitation of the propagating surface mode or a wave-guide mode. The index of refraction of the layered materials is modified and the reshaped intensity distribution within the transverse beam profile of the total reflected beam is again measured under the same incidence conditions. The measured intensity distributions are compared to detect differences in the indexes of refraction in the layered materials.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for surface measurement using the shadow moire effect with the Talbot effect. The apparatus includes a specimen mount to receive a specimen having a surface to be measured, and a reference grating mounted adjacent to the specimen mount so as to be substantially parallel to a mean surface plane of the specimen. The reference grating is mounted in such a manner that the distance between the reference grating and the mean surface plane of the specimen can be adjusted to a Talbot distance &dgr;T. The apparatus also includes a light source to illuminate the specimen through the grating and a detector positioned to detect the moire fringes produced by the grating due to variation of the surface of the specimen.

Abstract: A device for determining the concentration of heparin in a fluid sample comprising: a container for holding the fluid sample; a container for holding the dye solution; a mixer for mixing the fluid sample and the dye solution; an illumination source for illuminating a mixture comprising the fluid sample and the dye solution with electromagnetic radiation having a substantially continuous range of wavelengths in the visible range; a detector for detecting the absorption spectrum of the mixture within the substantially continuous range of wavelengths; a recorder for recording the absorption spectrum of the mixture within the substantially continuous range of wavelengths; and a calculator for calculating a spectral parameter.

Abstract: At the separation of different minerals from the ores by means of flotation, it belongs to known art to monitor a larger part of the uppermost froth layer in the flotation cell by means of a video camera whose signals are analyzed in a digital computer, in order to detect the structure and color of the froth. The new method and apparatus direct and limit the monitoring and analysis to the surface of the floated material within a fixed, narrow strip which is parallel to the overflow edge of the cell and within which the material surface passing it is homogeneous in the stationary state. The said strip thus presents a renewing sample of the surface at the location in question, which sample represents the stationary state in the average sense. The strip is subjected to homogeneous illumination, which may meet the strip at different angles depending on the primary object, i.e. whether the color or structure is being determined.

Abstract: A system for regulating gate oxide layer formation is provided. The system includes one or more light sources, each light source directing light to one or more gate oxide layers being deposited and/or formed on a wafer. Light reflected from the gate oxide layers is collected by a measuring system, which processes the collected light. The collected light is indicative of the thickness and/or uniformity of the respective gate oxide layers on the wafer. The measuring system provides thickness and/or uniformity related data to a processor that determines the thickness and/or uniformity of the respective gate oxide layers on the wafer. The system also includes a plurality of gate oxide layer formers where each gate oxide former corresponds to a respective portion of the wafer and provides for gate oxide layer formation thereon. The processor selectively controls the gate oxide layer formers to regulate gate oxide layer formation on the respective gate oxide layer formations on the wafer.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus having a higher resolution and S/N ratio by use of a line confocal optical system and a photomask defect inspection system using the same. A first spatial filter having a plurality of slits extending in a direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of a sample is arranged in front of a light source and illuminates the sample with lines of light. The transmitted light or reflected light from the sample is received by an image sensor through a second spatial filter having slits substantially the same as the first spatial filter. Each image sensor has light receiving elements arranged in a two-dimensional array and transfers charges stored in the light receiving elements for each line. A charge transfer speed of the image sensors and speed of movement of the sample are linked with each other. The sample is illuminated a plurality of times, the charge produced by each illumination is accumulated, and the cumulative charge is output.

Abstract: Apparatus for inspecting a surface of an object to be measured. The light source applies light to the surface. An objective lens opposite the surface receives reflected light. A light detector detects a component of the light incident on the lens from a direction parallel to its optical axis and obtains its light quantity. A slit is provided in the optical path between the objective lens and the detector in order to narrow the light detection extent in the surface to be measured. The surface condition of the object can be measured with a good accuracy independently of the shape of the object.

Abstract: Types of defects on a wafer are discriminated according to defect measurements obtained from a wafer inspection system which includes a plurality of dark field detectors. Using the wafer measurement system, it is determined whether first, second and third conditions are satisfied. The first condition is when a size of a defect on the wafer measured by the wafer inspection system is smaller than a limit value denoting a maximum size of crystal originated particles. The second condition is when a correlation between a plurality of defect light intensity values detected by a plurality of dark field detectors of the wafer measurement system satisfies a reference value. The third condition is when a location of the defect measured by the wafer inspection system is within a vacancy-rich area of the wafer. The type of the defect is then determined to be a crystal originated particle when the first, second and third conditions are all satisfied.

Abstract: Provided is a visual displacement sensor which comprises a laser diode (112) for impinging a line beam onto an object to be measured at a prescribed angle, a two-dimensional CCD (122) for monitoring the object to be measured, on which the line beam is impinged, from a different angle, measurement object range defining means for defining one or more than one measurement object range (K11, K12) within a field of view of the two-dimensional CCD, measurement point coordinate determining means for determining one or more than one measurement point coordinate (A7) contained in the defined measurement object range according to an image captured by the two-dimensional CCD, and displacement measuring means for measuring a desired displacement according to the determined one or more than one measurement point coordinate.

Abstract: A system for regulating nitrided gate oxide layer formation is provided. The system includes one or more light sources, each light source directing light to one or more nitrided gate oxide layers being deposited and/or formed on a wafer. Light reflected from the nitrided gate oxide layers is collected by a measuring system, which processes the collected light. The collected light is indicative of the nitrogen concentration of the respective nitrided gate oxide layers on the wafer. The measuring system provides nitrogen concentration related data to a processor that determines the nitrogen concentration of the respective nitrided gate oxide layers on the wafer. The system also includes one or more nitrided gate oxide layer formers where a nitride gate oxide former corresponds to a respective portion of the wafer and provides for nitrided gate oxide layer formation thereon.

Abstract: A light source produces laser beams that are subjected to frequency modulation whose frequency can be adequately set or varied. A light modulator modulates laser beams with respect to the center wavelength, so that the lower sideband is used as probe light input into one end of the measured optical fiber. A pulse modulator produces laser pulses based on laser beams as pump light, which is input into the other end of the measured optical fiber, along which correlation peaks emerge at different positions. The output light is extracted from the other end of the measured optical fiber and is supplied to a timing adjuster, which adjusts a transmission timing to allow transmission of light proximate to a measuring point in the measured optical fiber therethrough. Thus, it is possible to reliably measure characteristics of the measured optical fiber entirely over the relatively long distance with high spatial resolutions.

Abstract: An inspection device for inspecting the solder paste printing on printed circuit boards. Three-dimensional surface structures (19) are optically detected (7) and the values of their geometric properties are calculated. The values thus measured are inspected (29) for conformance to an absolute tolerance range. To fine-adjust the limit values, an operator has the option of evaluating the displayed defects as pseudo-defects, in which case the measured values are automatically accepted as the new limit values of the respective absolute tolerance range.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention is a system for estimating sensor and illumination non-uniformities. The system comprises a first light source, and a first sensor operable to capture light reflected from a first side of film illuminated by the light source while the film has a developer chemical applied thereto and processing circuitry coupled to the first sensor. The processing circuitry is operable to capture a first plurality of readings from the sensor responsive to light reflected from an unexposed region of film to determine a first set of non-uniformity data and adjust image data obtained from the film in response to the first set of non-uniformity data. In a further embodiment, the processing circuitry is further operable to dim the first light source for at least a portion of the time that the sensor is being used to sense the unexposed region of the film.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for analyzing line structures during semiconductor wafer processing. At least one semiconductor wafer is processed. Metrology data from the processed semiconductor wafer is acquired. Film property data from the semiconductor wafer is acquired. Data from a reference library is accessed; the data comprising optical data relating to a line structure formation on a semiconductor wafer, based upon the film property data. The metrology data is compared to data from the reference library. A line structure fault detection analysis is performed in response to the comparison of the metrology data and the reference library data.