Abstract: The invention is based, in part, on the discovery that by combining certain components one can generate a tissue-like phantom that mimics any desired tissue, is simple and inexpensive to prepare, and is stable over many weeks or months. In addition, new multi-modal imaging objects (e.g., beads) can be inserted into the phantoms to mimic tissue pathologies, such as cancer, or merely to serve as calibration standards. These objects can be imaged using one, two, or more (e.g., four) different imaging modalities (e.g., x-ray computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence) simultaneously.

Abstract: A sample to be processed is disposed within a processing cell which contains a liquid. Scratch processing using a scanning probe microscope is performed within the liquid so that chips or shavings removed from the sample scatter within the liquid rather than collecting on the surface of the sample. The processing cell has a supply port and a discharge port so that new liquid can be supplied within the cell through the supply port after the termination of the scratch processing to clean the cell. In this manner, chips or shavings generated by scratch processing a defect portion of the sample can be removed completely without being collected at the surface of a sample despite the surface tension of adsorbed water existing on the sample surface and/or electrostatic charges caused by friction.

Abstract: With a detector system for the specimen chamber of a scanning electron microscope, signals are simultaneously detected in transmission which signals correspond to a light field contrast and a dark field contrast. The detector system (14) includes four detectors (15 to 18) in a plane (25) between which an aperture (19) for free access of electrons is located. Behind the aperture (19), a further detector (27) is arranged in a second plane (26). The detectors are preferably diodes. The detectors (15, 16, 17, 18) in the first plane (25), which is closer to the specimen, serve to generate signals which correspond to a dark field contrast. The further detector (27), more distant from the specimen, detects signals corresponding to a light field contrast. Large dead spaces, which are not sensitive to electrons, between the diodes and around the aperture (19), can be avoided by the offset arrangement of four diodes (15, 16, 17, 18) in the first plane (25).

Abstract: The scintillating screen of digital imaging systems used in conventional transmission electron microscopy is discretized and the scintillating material is contained in a cellular structure having a geometry judiciously selected for coupling to the optical channels of the imaging system. This allows optical matching, without smearing, between the elements of the scintillating screen and the discrete light-collecting and light-registering optical channels of the system. Cross-talk among optical channels is consequently minimized and the resulting light-imaging resolution of the digital imaging system is optimized.

Abstract: The present invention provides a scanning transmission electron microscope which is capable of setting an acceptance angular range of an energy loss spectrometer independent of an acceptance angular range of a scattered electron detector, and makes it unnecessary to change a condition for the energy loss spectrometer with respect to a change in the acceptance angular range of the scattered electron detector.

Abstract: An ion neutralizer enhances a heat transfer rate between a reflecting plate and a frame while preventing the reflecting plate from being bent due to thermal deformation. The ion neutralizer includes a frame and a plurality of reflecting plates integrally formed with the frame to neutralize plasma ions. Each reflecting plate has a cantilever shape. Each reflecting plate has a supporting end in surface contact with the frame, and a free end to define a space with the frame in order to prevent the reflecting plate from being bent upon stretching due to thermal deformation.

Abstract: An electron beam irradiation apparatus includes a turn-transfer mechanism; a turn-transfer chamber; an electron beam irradiation section; a replacement room configured to bring a target into and out of the turn-transfer chamber; an outer irradiation target holding table configured to form a part of the replacement room, and including an X-ray shielding mechanism, an airtightness maintaining mechanism, and a target holding mechanism; an inner irradiation target holding table, configured to form a part of the replacement room, and including an X-ray shielding mechanism, an airtightness maintaining mechanism, and a target holding mechanism, the inner irradiation target holding table being supported by the turn-transfer mechanism; a turning mechanism configured to turn the turn-transfer mechanism and an elevator mechanism configured to move the turn-transfer mechanism up and down; and a rotation mechanism disposed at the electron beam irradiation section and configured to rotate the target.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for an electron beam directed energy device. The device consists of an electron gun with one or more electron beams. The device includes one or more accelerating plates with holes aligned for beam passage. The plates may be flat or preferably shaped to direct each electron beam to exit the electron gun at a predetermined orientation. In one preferred application, the device is located in outer space with individual beams that are directed to focus at a distant target to be used to impact and destroy missiles. The aimings of the separate beams are designed to overcome Coulomb repulsion. A method is also presented for directing the beams to a target considering the variable terrestrial magnetic field. In another preferred application, the electron beam is directed into the ground to produce a subsurface x-ray source to locate and/or destroy buried or otherwise hidden objects including explosive devices.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is arranged to project a beam from a radiation source onto a substrate. The apparatus includes an optical element in a path of the beam, a gas inlet for introducing a gas into the path of the beam so that the gas will be ionized by the beam to create electric fields toward the optical element, and a gas source coupled to the gas inlet for supplying the gas. The gas has a threshold of kinetic energy for sputtering the optical element that is greater than the kinetic energy developed by ions of the gas in the electric fields.

Abstract: An ion beam implanter includes an ion beam source for generating an ion beam moving along a beam line and an implantation chamber wherein a workpiece is positioned to intersect the ion beam for ion implantation of an implantation surface of the workpiece by the ion beam. The implanter further includes a workpiece support structure coupled to the implantation chamber and supporting the workpiece within an interior region of the implantation chamber, the workpiece support structure. The workpiece support structure includes a rotation member coupled to the implantation chamber for changing an implantation angle of the workpiece with respect to a portion of the ion beam within the implantation chamber. The workpiece support structure also includes a translation member movably coupled to the rotation member and supporting the workpiece for movement along a path of travel wherein at least some components of the translation member components are disposed within a reduced pressure translation member chamber.

Abstract: A method for correcting angle zero position of an ion implantation equipment. The method includes loading a semiconductor wafer into the ion implantation equipment, implanting ions into the wafer with varying angle, measuring thermal wave and sheet resistance value of the wafer, and correcting the angle zero position with reference to points at which the measured thermal wave or sheet resistance value is minimized.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an apparatus for generating soft x-radiation, particularly EUV radiation, by laser-induced plasma. The object of the invention, to find a novel possibility for generating EUV radiation by means of a laser-induced plasma by which a temporally stable radiation emission in the desired wavelength region is ensured when interacting with the target without active regulation of the laser beam, is met according to the invention in that at least one laser is directed to the target, wherein the laser has at least one defined plane with a highly stable spatial distribution of the power density of the laser, and this defined plane is imaged on the target by an optical imaging system so as to be reduced so that the optical image of the defined plane is active for the plasma generation instead of the laser focus. The invention is applied in exposure machines for semiconductor lithography for spatially stable generation of radiation.

Abstract: An EUV light source device for protecting a collection mirror from debris that is considered harmful to a mirror coating. The EUV light source device includes: a chamber in which extreme ultra violet light is generated; a target injection unit and a target injection nozzle that supply the chamber with a material to become the target; a laser light source that applies a laser beam to the target so as to generate plasma; a collection mirror that collects the extreme ultra violet light emitted from the plasma; an X-ray source that ionizes neutral particles included in particles emitted from the plasma into charged particles; and plural magnets that generate a magnetic field within the chamber so as to trap at least the charged particles ionized by the X-ray source.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a scanning apparatus and method for processing a workpiece, wherein the scanning apparatus comprises a wafer arm and moving arm fixedly coupled to one another, wherein the wafer arm and moving arm are operable to rotate about a first axis. An end effector, whereon the workpiece resides, is coupled to the wafer arm. A rotational shaft couples the wafer arm and moving arm to a first actuator, wherein the first actuator provides a rotational force to the shaft. A momentum balance mechanism is coupled to the shaft and is operable to generally reverse the rotational direction of the shaft. The momentum balance mechanism comprises one or more fixed spring elements operable to provide a force to a moving spring element coupled to the moving arm. A controller is further operable to maintain a generally constant translational velocity of the end effector within a predetermined scanning range.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for curing a curable coating on a three-dimensional object having at least a top surface and a side surface, with the object being advanced along a generally horizontal path. The apparatus includes an elongated light source of radiating curing energy for curing the coating on the surfaces of the object. An open-sided, elongated concave reflector is positioned behind the elongated light source to provide a focus for the radiated curing energy onto the object. The reflector has a generally elliptical cross-section for radiating the curing energy along an energy concentration line generally coincident with the object. The elongated light source is generally at the source focal point of the elongated reflector. The reflector is angled such that a line that runs between the source focal point of the reflector and the energy concentration line extends on the order of 55°-77° from vertical.

Abstract: In various embodiments, provided are ion optical assemblies, and systems for mounting and aligning ion optic components. In various embodiments, the present teachings provide ion optical assemblies with features that facilitate the alignment of ion optical elements. In various embodiments, the alignment of the ion optical elements by compressing them with securing members, as described in the present teachings, can simplify the alignment and assembly of ion optical elements. In the present teachings, no torque pattern is required to compress and align the ion optical elements. In various embodiments, the present teachings provide systems for mounting and aligning ion optic components that facilitate their alignment.

Abstract: Disclosed are immersion lithography methods and systems involving irradiating a photoresist through a lens and an immersion liquid of an immersion lithography tool, the immersion liquid in an immersion space contacting the lens and the photoresist; removing the immersion liquid from the immersion space; charging the immersion space with a supercritical fluid; removing the supercritical fluid from the immersion space; and charging the immersion space with immersion liquid.

Abstract: A processing method uses a probe of a scanning probe microscope. A fine marker is formed in a processing material by thrusting the probe, which is made of a material harder than the processing material, into a portion of the processing material disposed in the vicinity of an area of the processing material to be processed by the probe during a processing operation. A position of the fine marker on the processing material is detected during the processing operation. A drift amount of the area of the processing material is calculated in accordance with the detected position of the fine marker. A position of the area of the processing material is corrected in accordance with the calculated drift amount.

Abstract: A chamber for exposing a workpiece to charged particles includes a charged particle source for generating a stream of charged particles, a collimator configured to collimate and direct the stream of charged particles from the charged particle source along an axis, a beam digitizer downstream of the collimator configured to create a digital beam including groups of at least one charged particle by adjusting longitudinal spacing between the charged particles along the axis, a deflector downstream of the beam digitizer including a series of deflection stages disposed longitudinally along the axis to deflect the digital beams, and a workpiece stage downstream of the deflector configured to hold the workpiece.

Abstract: The Grunn equation: Depth = 0.046 ? ? ( V acc ) n ? is modified to accurately predict depth of electron beam penetration into a target material. A two-layer stack is formed comprising a thickness of the target material overlying a detection material exhibiting greater sensitivity to the electron beam than the target material. The target material is exposed to electron beam radiation of different energies, with the threshold energy resulting in a changed physical property of the detection material below a predetermined value marking a penetration depth corresponding to the target material thickness. Utilizing the threshold energy (Vacc), the target material thickness (Depth), and the known target material density (?), the numerical power “n” of the Grunn equation is calculated to fit experimental results. So modified, the Grunn equation accurately predicts the depth of penetration of electron beams of varying energies into the target material.