Abstract: A spectroscopic instrument of the type providing an infrared light beam from an infrared light source along an infrared light path, where the infrared light beam includes a wide range of wavelengths of radiation within a target range of from about two microns to about three hundred microns, where the infrared light source includes a supercontinuum source having a CO2 pumping laser adapted to fire into a solid-core photonic crystal fiber formed at least in part of at least one of AlClxBr(1-x), NaCl, and ZnSe, which solid-core photonic crystal fiber produces the infrared light beam when excited by the pumping laser.

Abstract: An x-ray metrology tool having only one x-ray source. The x-ray source includes a liquid metal source for heating and melting at least one metal and producing a liquid metal jet, a liquid metal collector for acquiring the liquid metal jet, a liquid metal circulation system for returning liquid metal from the liquid metal collector to the liquid metal source, and an electron beam source for directing an electron beam at the liquid metal jet anode, thereby producing an incident x-ray beam that is directable towards a sample. A detector receives emissions from the sample in response to the incident x-ray beam, and produces signals indicative of properties of the sample. A controller controls the x-ray source, acquires the signals from the detector, and determines the properties of the sample based at least in part on the signals.

Abstract: In a near-field heterodyne spectroscopy system, a near-field generation device receives the output of a pump beam source and is also made to vibrate or move at a frequency f to generate a modulated near-field beam having a near-field component. The outputs of the pump beam source and a probe beam source (optional) as well as the modulated near-field beam are directed to the same point on a sample. At least one of the outputs of the pump beam source and probe beam source is modulated at a frequency ?. Thus, the reflected beam that results from the interaction with the region illuminated by the modulated near-field beam is modulated at frequencies ?+f and ??f. Because the excitation is near-field, the electric field in the sample is evanescent and ensures a shallow probing depth as well as smaller lateral dimensions beyond diffraction limit.