Abstract: One aspect of the invention relates to an ultrathin micro-electromechanical chemical sensing device which uses swelling or straining of a reactive organic material for sensing. In certain embodiments, the device comprises a contact on-off switch chemical sensor. For example, the device can comprises a small gap separating two electrodes, wherein the gap can be closed as a result of the swelling or stressing of an organic polymer coating on one or both sides of the gap. In certain embodiments, the swelling or stressing is due to the organic polymer reacting with a target analyte.

Abstract: Inverted Nanocone Structures and Its Fabrication Process. The method of fabricating nanotextured structures includes making a master mold having an array of tapered structures to be replicated. The master mold is pressed into a curable polymer supported on a substrate and the polymer is cured. Thereafter, the mold is detached from the cured polymer to form the nanotextured structure.

Abstract: A chemical sensor that works while being submerged in a highly conductive medium is described. The chemical sensor includes hydrophobic structures that are distributed on conductive electrodes and are separated by small air cavities while submerged in the conductive medium. The hydrophobic structures are arranged such that their hydrophobicity varies in response to exposure to a target analyte. The change in the level of hydrophobicity results in permeation of the conductive liquid on to the conductive electrodes, thereby reducing the resistance levels between the conductive electrodes. The sensor indicates presence of the target analyte in response to detection of a change in resistance between at least two of the conductive electrodes.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention relates to an ultrathin micro-electromechanical chemical sensing device which uses swelling or straining of a reactive organic material for sensing. In certain embodiments, the device comprises a contact on-off switch chemical sensor. For example, the device can comprises a small gap separating two electrodes, wherein the gap can be closed as a result of the swelling or stressing of an organic polymer coating on one or both sides of the gap. In certain embodiments, the swelling or stressing is due to the organic polymer reacting with a target analyte.

Abstract: Phase differences associated with a defocused wavefront can be determined from a single color image. The color image, which is a measurement of intensity as a function of wavelength, is used to calculate the change in intensity with respect to wavelength over the image plane. The change in intensity can then be used to estimate a phase difference associated with the defocused wavefront using two-dimensional fast Fourier transform solvers. The phase difference can be used to infer information about objects in the path of the defocused wavefront. For example, it can be used to determine an object's shape, surface profile, or refractive index profile. It can also be used to calculate path length differences for actuating adaptive optical systems. Compared to other techniques, deriving phase from defocused color images is faster, simpler, and can be implemented using standard color filters.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus precisely adjusts the position and size of a light spot formed on a substrate, enabling formation of a target pattern or elimination of an unnecessary pattern in an accurate and rapid manner. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a light source, a light modulator to modulate light irradiated from the light source into a plurality of beams to correspond to a target pattern, a diffraction element to adjust a direction of each of the plurality of beams, and an optics system to allow the plurality of beams, the direction of which has been controlled by the diffraction element, to form a light spot having a target size.

Abstract: Fabrication method. At least first and second hardmasks are deposited on a substrate, the thickness and materials of the first and second hardmask selected to provided etch selectivity with respect to the substrate. A nanoscale pattern of photoresist is created on the first hardmask and the hardmask is etched through to create the nanoscale pattern on a second hardmask. The second hardmask is etched through to create the desired taper nanocone structures in the substrate. Reactive ion etching is preferred. A glass manufacturing process using a roller imprint module is also disclosed.

Abstract: A volume holographic imaging system, apparatus, and/or method enables the projection of a two-dimensional (2D) slice of a four-dimensional (4D) probing object. A 4D probing source object is illuminated to emit or scatter an optical field. A holographic element having one or more recorded holograms receives and diffracts the optical field into a diffracted plane beam having spectral information. A 4-f telecentric relay system includes a pupil filter on the relayed conjugate plane of the volume hologram and images the pupil of the volume hologram onto the front focal plane of the collector lens. A collector lens focuses the diffracted plane beam to a 2D slice of the 4D probing source object. The focused 2D slice is projected onto a 2D imaging plane. The holographic element may have multiple multiplexed holograms that are arranged to diffract light from the corresponding slice of the 4D probing source object.

Abstract: A volume holographic imaging system enables the projection of a two-dimensional (2D) slice of a four-dimensional (4D) object. The 4D source object is illuminated to emit or scatter an optical field. A holographic element having one or more recorded holograms receives and diffracts the optical field into a diffracted plane beam. A phase mask is encoded in one or more multiplexed holographic gratings of the holographic element using a spatial filter. A collector lens focuses the diffracted plane beam to a 2D slice of the 4D probing source object. The focused 2D slice is projected onto a 2D imaging plane. The holographic element may have multiple multiplexed holograms that are arranged to diffract light from a corresponding slice of the 4D probing source object to a non-overlapping region of the detector.

Abstract: A volume holographic imaging system, apparatus and/or method enables the projection of a two-dimensional (2D) slice of a four-dimensional (4D) probing object A 4D probing source object is illuminated to emit or scatter an optical field. A holographic element having one or more recorded holograms receives and diffracts the optical field into a diffracted plane beam having spectral information. A 4-f telecentric relay system includes a pupil filter on the relayed conjugate plane of the volume hologram and images the pupil of the volume hologram onto the front focal plane of the collector lens. A collector lens focuses the diffracted plane beam to a 2D slice of the 4D probing source object. The focused 2D slice is projected onto a 2D imaging plane. The holographic element may have multiple multiplexed holograms that are arranged to diffract light from the corresponding slice of the 4D probing source object.

Abstract: A volume holographic imaging system, apparatus, and/or method enables the projection of a two-dimensional (2D) slice of a four-dimensional (4D) probing object A 4D probing source object is illuminated to emit or scatter an optical field A holographic element having one or more recorded holograms receives and diffracts the optical field into a diffracted plane beam having spectral information A 4-ftelecent?c relay system includes a pupil filter on the relayed conjugate plane of the volume hologram and images the pupil of the volume hologram onto the front focal plane of the collector lens A collector lens focuses the diffracted plane beam to a 2D slice of the 4D probing source object The focused 2D slice is projected onto a 2D imaging plane The holographic element may have multiple multiplexed holograms that are arranged to diffract light from the corresponding slice of the 4D probing source object.

Abstract: An optical structure is provided. The optical structure includes a substrate structure. A photosensitive material layer is positioned on said substrate structure. The photosensitive material layer having uniform periodic geometry and a period length throughout associated with a 2D periodic pattern. The 2D periodic pattern includes a period length greater than the exposing light wavelength and spatial variation in the duty cycle of the features of a mask layer used in the formation of said 2D periodic pattern.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for reducing or eliminating reflection at the interface between a binary or multi-level diffractive element and a surrounding medium. A non-planar diffractive surface of a diffractive optical element is coated forming a plurality of nanostructures on the non-planar diffractive surface and, in certain embodiments, on a planar surface as well. The nanostructures are chosen for providing adiabatic refractive index matching at the optical interface between the non-planar diffractive surface and a surrounding medium subject to matching tangential fields at surface discontinuities.

Abstract: Phase differences associated with a defocused wavefront can be determined from a single color image. The color image, which is a measurement of intensity as a function of wavelength, is used to calculate the change in intensity with respect to wavelength over the image plane. The change in intensity can then be used to estimate a phase difference associated with the defocused wavefront using two-dimensional fast Fourier transform solvers. The phase difference can be used to infer information about objects in the path of the defocused wavefront. For example, it can be used to determine an object's shape, surface profile, or refractive index profile. It can also be used to calculate path length differences for actuating adaptive optical systems. Compared to other techniques, deriving phase from defocused color images is faster, simpler, and can be implemented using standard color filters.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus precisely adjusts the position and size of a light spot formed on a substrate, enabling formation of a target pattern or elimination of an unnecessary pattern in an accurate and rapid manner. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a light source, a light modulator to modulate light irradiated from the light source into a plurality of beams to correspond to a target pattern, a diffraction element to adjust a direction of each of the plurality of beams, and an optics system to allow the plurality of beams, the direction of which has been controlled by the diffraction element, to form a light spot having a target size.

Abstract: An apparatus for replicating holographically recorded data, comprising a holographic master media having holographically recorded data thereon; a holographic copy media; a light source for generating a master reference beam and a copy reference beam, coherent with the first object beam, the first master reference beam incident on the holographic master media, the holographic master media diffracting the master reference beam to provide a first object beam; the copy reference beam incident on the holographic copy media; and a first optical relay system, disposed between the holographic master media and the holographic copy media, for relaying the first object beam from the holographic master media to the holographic copy media, the holographic copy media recording an interference pattern between the first object beam and the copy reference beam, thereby replicating at least a portion of holographically recorded data.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention relates to an ultrathin micro-electromechanical chemical sensing device which uses swelling or straining of a reactive organic material for sensing. In certain embodiments, the device comprises a contact on-off switch chemical sensor. For example, the device can comprises a small gap separating two electrodes, wherein the gap can be closed as a result of the swelling or stressing of an organic polymer coating on one or both sides of the gap. In certain embodiments, the swelling or stressing is due to the organic polymer reacting with a target analyte.

Abstract: A passive nanomagnet alignment method is described to self-align a membrane to another surface. The membrane and the surface each have a plurality of nanomagnets patterned on it, wherein the nanomagnets are magnetized based on an applied external magnetic field. The membrane is brought into close proximity and coarse alignment to the surface by a positioning mechanism (e.g., an actuation force), such that the nanomagnets on the membrane attract to and self-align with the nanomagnets on said surface based on the nanomagnet magnetizations.

Abstract: An apparatus for replicating holographically recorded data, comprising a holographic master media having holographically recorded data thereon; a holographic copy media; a light source for generating a master reference beam and a copy reference beam, coherent with the first object beam, the first master reference beam incident on the holographic master media, the holographic master media diffracting the master reference beam to provide a first object beam; the copy reference beam incident on the holographic copy media; and a first optical relay system, disposed between the holographic master media and the holographic copy media, for relaying the first object beam from the holographic master media to the holographic copy media, the holographic copy media recording an interference pattern between the first object beam and the copy reference beam, thereby replicating at least a portion of holographically recorded data.

Abstract: An optical structure is provided. The optical structure includes a substrate structure. A photosensitive material layer is positioned on said substrate structure. The photosensitive material layer having uniform periodic geometry and a period length throughout associated with a 2D periodic pattern. The 2D periodic pattern includes a period length greater than the exposing light wavelength and spatial variation in the duty cycle of the features of a mask layer used in the formation of said 2D periodic pattern.