Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor element, a first conductor bonded to an upper surface of the semiconductor element via a first solder layer, and a second conductor bonded to an upper surface of the first conductor via a second solder layer. The first conductor includes at least one groove formed in a stacking direction of the semiconductor element, the first conductor, and the second conductor on a side surface adjacent to the upper surface of the first conductor.

Abstract: An apparatus (100) for measuring toner concentration in a developer contained in a developer housing (10) includes a developer sample container (102) that receives a portion of developer extracted from the developer housing (10). A spectrophotometer (112) measures spectrophotometric data for the portion of the developer in the developer sample container (102). A processor (116) estimates the toner concentration based on the measured spectrophotometric data and a pre-determined relationship (118) between the spectrophotometric data and the toner concentration. A method (200) for estimating the toner concentration in a developer comprising a toner and a carrier includes measuring (220) a color characteristic of the developer, comparing (222) the measured color characteristic with a pre-determined relationship between the color characteristic and the toner concentration, and estimating (226) the toner concentration based on the comparing.

Abstract: A flow cell for transporting fluid in a radiant energy field includes a cell structure having a tube extending therethrough including a radiant energy blocking portion integral therewith. In a particular embodiment, the cell structure includes one or more end caps having a protrusion extending therefrom, wherein the protrusion may be inserted into the tube to create a fluid seal, the end caps including open channels for transporting fluid and radiant energy therethrough, and the tube in the cell structure includes an efficient radiant energy transmission lining that is spaced from the end cap protrusions, thereby forming a gap volume in the flow cell open channel, which gap volume may be calibrated such that radiant energy losses may be standardized in respective flow cells transporting fluids having various indexes of refraction.

Abstract: The depth and a relative dimensional factor of a defect present in the interior of a silicon wafer are measured, and the number of such defects is calculated. A laser beam having a larger energy than the band gap of silicon is radiated obliquely to the semiconductor wafer and a scattered beam from a defect present in a subsurface layer of the wafer is detected by an image pick-up device. The temperature of the wafer is changed to at least two temperatures of T1 and T2 or to any one of plural temperatures by means of a heater and the intensity of a scattered beam is measured. It is taken into account that the light absorbance of silicon and the penetration depth of light in silicon vary depending on temperature, to determine the depth and a relative dimensional factor of an internal defect which causes scattering of light, as well as the number of such crystal defects.

Abstract: In a radiation image read-out apparatus, a line stimulating light beam is projected onto a stimulable phosphor sheet, and stimulated emission emitted from the irradiated portion of the stimulable phosphor sheet is detected by a line sensor. A refractive index profile type lens array is disposed between the stimulable phosphor sheet and the line sensor. The photoelectric convertor elements of the line sensor and the refractive index profile type lenses of the refractive index profile type lens array are arranged at pitches such that the frequency band of the periodic pattern generated due to the pitches of the refractive index profile type lenses in said refractive index profile type lens array are higher than the frequency band of a radiation image information reproduced on the basis of the image signal.

Abstract: An inspection station (6) has a ring of 370 nm LEDs (24) for low-angle diffuse illumination of flux. This stimulates inherent fluorescent emission of the flux without the need for flux additives or pre-treatment. A CCD sensor (20) detects the emission. An image processor generates output data indicating flux volume according to a relationship between emission intensity and volume over the surface of the flux. Intensity non-uniformity indicates either height non-uniformity or hidden voids, both of which give rise to defects after application of solder paste and reflow. The inspection is particularly effective for pre solder application flux inspection.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods of measuring three-dimensional position information of a point on the surface of an object. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of providing two sources of radiation having a spectral distribution, illuminating the surface with each of the sources to produce a first fringe pattern, moving the first fringe pattern to a second position, generating a first wrapped cycle map, estimating fringe numbers in the first fringe pattern, changing the first fringe pattern, moving the second fringe pattern to a second position, generating a second wrapped cycle map, estimating fringe numbers in the second fringe pattern, and determining position information in response to the estimated fringe numbers in the second fringe pattern and the second wrapped cycle map.

Abstract: An illuminance measurement apparatus for measuring the illuminance of illumination light on an image plane of a projection optical system of an exposure apparatus designed to project the image of a pattern from an illuminated mask on a substrate held on a substrate stage by the projection optical system, including an illuminance meter detachably attached to the substrate stage, the illuminance meter having an illuminance detector, a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting a measurement result of the illuminance detector, a storage cell, and a photoelectric converter for converting part of the illumination light photoelectrically and storing it in the storage cell, and a receiver for receiving the wireless signal including the measurement results transmitted by the transmitter.