Abstract: A method comprising adjusting a first relative position between a substrate and a fabrication unit by a first shift value, forming a first pattern relative to a first pattern instance on the substrate subsequent to adjusting the first relative position by the first shift value, and calculating a second shift value using a first displacement between the first pattern and the first pattern instance and a second displacement between a second relative position of the first pattern instance with respect to a second pattern instance is provided.

Abstract: Determining a dimensional change in a surface of an object is described. At a first time, a first image of the surface is acquired at a first spatial window thereon having a first known position relative to a frame of reference. At a second time, a second image of the surface is acquired at a second spatial window thereon having a second known position relative to the frame of reference. The first image and the second image are processed according to an image displacement sensing algorithm to determine a relative translation of a first point on the surface between the first and second times. The relative translation of the first point, the first known position, and the second known position are used to determine the dimensional change in the surface between the first and second times.

Abstract: A first device includes a micrometer-scale or smaller geometry first conductor. A second device includes a micrometer-scale or smaller second conductor. An actuator the first and second devices relative to each other between first and second positions. Signals are substantially coupled between the first and second conductors in the first position and not in the second position.

Abstract: A first device has a surface and includes a plurality of at largest micrometer-scale geometry structures extending along its surface. The structures have a first portion and a second portion. A plurality of at largest micrometer-scale geometry conductors are coupled to the first portion of respective structures. A converter converts a signal in the first portion of the structures to a substantially direct current signal in the respective second portion. A sensor detects a level of a signal coupled from one of the conductors to a respective one of the structures.

Abstract: A first device has a micrometer-scale or smaller first structure and is flexibly coupled to a first substrate. A second device has a micrometer-scale or smaller second structure and is coupled to a second substrate. At least one actuator displaces at least one of the first and second devices relative to the other in response to a control signal. The control signal is generated by a controller to align the first and second structures and to control the at least one actuator to connect the displaced first and second devices.

Abstract: A first device has a surface and includes a micrometer-scale or smaller geometry doped semiconductor region extending along the surface. A second device has a surface opposite the surface of the first device and includes a micrometer-scale or smaller wire extending through the second device to a position in proximity to the surface of the second device. The first and second devices are displaceable between first and second positions relative to each other. The wire is not substantially electrically coupled to the doped semiconductor region in the first position and the wire is substantially electrically coupled to the doped semiconductor region in the second position. A potential applied to the wire affects the conductivity of the doped semiconductor region in the second position.

Abstract: Using an imaging system in relation to a plurality of material layers is described, the material layers being separated by a distance greater than a depth of field of the imaging system. A focal plane of the imaging system and a first of the plurality of material layers are brought into correspondence. A first image including at least a portion of the first material layer having a first feature of interest thereon is stored. The focal plane of the imaging system and a second of the plurality of material layers are brought into correspondence. A second image including at least a portion of the second material layer having a second feature of interest thereon is acquired. The first and second images are processed for automatic computation of an alignment measurement between the first and second features of interest.

Abstract: Using an imaging system in relation to a plurality of material layers in an initial alignment state is provided, a first of the plurality of material layers at least partially obscuring a second of the plurality of material layers in the initial alignment state. The first material layer is moved from a first position corresponding to the initial alignment state to a second position out of a field of view of the imaging system, and a first image of the second material layer is stored. The first material layer is moved back the first position to restore the initial alignment state. A second image of the first material layer is acquired. The second image and the stored first image are processed to determine the initial alignment state.

Abstract: Determining a displacement of a substantially rigid item relative to a frame of reference between a first time and a second time is described. At the first time, a first set of pointwise measurements of a physical property of the item taken at a plurality of fixed locations relative to the frame of reference is acquired. At the second time, a second set of pointwise measurements of the physical property taken at the plurality of fixed locations is acquired. A first matrix derived from the first set of pointwise measurements is compared to a second matrix derived from the second set of pointwise measurements to determine the displacement.

Abstract: A displacement estimation system comprising a data acquisition system and a processing system is provided. The data acquisition system is configured to capture a first frame from a first substrate including a first pattern at a first time and capture a second frame from a second substrate including a second pattern at a second time subsequent to the first time. The first pattern and the second pattern are substantially identical. The processing system is configured to calculate a displacement between the first pattern and the second pattern using the first frame and the second frame.

Abstract: A displacement estimation system comprising a data acquisition system and a processing system is provided. The data acquisition system is configured to capture a first frame from a first substrate including a first pattern and a second substrate including a second pattern at a first time and capture a second frame from a third substrate including a third pattern and a fourth substrate including a fourth pattern at a second time subsequent to the first time. The first pattern and the third pattern are substantially identical, and the second pattern and the fourth pattern are substantially identical. The processing system is configured to calculate a first displacement between the first pattern and the third pattern using the first frame and the second frame and calculate a second displacement between the second pattern and the fourth pattern using the first frame and the second frame.

Abstract: Measurement systems and methods extend the use of optical navigation to measure displacements smaller than a wavelength of the light used to capture images of an object measured. Nanometer-scale movements can thus be measured, for example, in equipment used for manufacture of integrated circuits or nanometer scale devices.

Abstract: A measurement process or system transforms image data corresponding to images of an object to the frequency domain and analyzes the frequency domain data to determine a displacement of the object occurring between first and second images. Analysis in the frequency domain simplifies identification and handling of data expected to be noisy. In particular, frequencies corresponding to modes of vibration, lighting variation, or sensor error characteristic of a measurement system or frequencies corresponding to small magnitude frequency-domain data can be given little or no weighting in analysis that provides the displacement measurement. In one embodiment, Fourier transforms of shifted and unshifted images differ by a phase delay. A least square fit slope of the phase values associated with the phase delay can indicate displacements to accuracies less than 1% of a pixel width, thereby providing nanometer scale precision using imaging systems having a pixel width of about 1 ?m.

Abstract: A system comprising a data acquisition system and a processing system is provided. The data acquisition system is configured to capture an image that includes a first instance of a pattern and a second instance of the pattern from at least a first substrate, and the processing system is configured to calculate a displacement between the first instance and the second instance using the image.

Abstract: An imprint apparatus and method employ an effective pressure in imprint lithography. The imprint apparatus includes a compressible chamber that encloses an imprint mold having a mold pattern and a sample to be imprinted. The chamber is compressed to imprint the mold pattern on the sample. The mold is pressed against the sample with the effective pressure. The effective pressure is controlled by a selected ratio of a cavity area of the chamber to a contact area between the mold and the sample.

Abstract: A method and system for compensating for motion blur in optical navigation adds a correction offset to an image navigation value to adjust for varying velocities along a moving web. Reference and comparison images are acquired at different times from a moving web. The instant velocities of the web are determined for the acquisition times for the reference and comparison images, wherein the reference image velocity and the comparison image velocity may not be the same. An optical navigation value is computed representative of the movement of the web from the reference image to the comparison image. Based on the determined velocities and the image acquisition time, the blur distances for the two images can be calculated. A navigation error correction value is computed as one-half the difference between the reference blur distance and the comparison blur distance.

Abstract: A digitizing pen has a pen body with a writing tip for handwriting on a sheet of paper. An optical sensor disposed in the pen body images a writing surface of the sheet of paper. A tag-recognition reader is connected to the optical sensor, and gathers location information from data encoded on at least one tag positioned on the writing surface. A velocity reader is connected to the optical sensor, and gathers speed and relative direction information of the writing tip over the writing surface. A processor connected to receive the tag location, writing-tip speed, and writing-tip relative direction information, can then compute a series of locations on the writing surface visited by the writing tip.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and device for identifying recording media in a printer. The invention utilizes fine structure of the media revealed by illumination from one or more directions to distinguish among different kinds of plain papers, coated papers, such as glossy papers, and transparency films. Multiple light sources at different incidence and/or orientation angles apply light on the test surface, and scattered light is converted into signals and then analyzed. Various metric and analysis techniques can be applied to the signals to determine the media type.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and device for identifying recording media in a printer. The invention utilizes fine structure of the media revealed by illumination from one or more directions to distinguish among different kinds of plain papers, coated papers, such as glossy papers, and transparency films. Multiple light sources at different incidence and/or orientation angles apply light on the test surface, and scattered light is converted into signals and then analyzed. Various metric and analysis techniques can be applied to the signals to determine the media type.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention is a capacitive sensor for sensing the amount of material in a container. This embodiment includes an oscillator that generates an oscillating signal. This oscillator includes an integrating amplifier that is formed by (1) an operational amplifier that has a low-impedance output and a virtually-grounded input, and (2) a capacitor that has a capacitance which depends on the amount of material in the container. The capacitor connects between the low impedance output and the virtually-grounded input of the operational amplifier. In some embodiments, the operational amplifier includes a first amplifier and a second amplifier that are connected in series, with an output of the second amplifier fed back through the capacitor to the input of the first amplifier.