Abstract: A method for non-invasively probing at least one physics property of a solid material. In one embodiment, the method has the steps of splitting a photon beam into a first photon beam and a second photon beam, exposing the solid material to the first photon beam to generate a coherent acoustic phonon wave in the solid material at time t, and exposing the solid material to the second photon beam at a time t+?t, where t+?t?t, to generate corresponding second harmonic generation signals, where from the corresponding second harmonic generation signals, the at least one physics property of the solid material is determinable.

Abstract: A method for non-invasively probing at least one physics property of a solid material. In one embodiment, the method has the steps of splitting a photon beam into a first photon beam and a second photon beam, exposing the solid material to the first photon beam to generate a coherent acoustic phonon wave in the solid material at time t, and exposing the solid material to the second photon beam at a time t+?t, where t+?t?t, to generate corresponding second harmonic generation signals, where from the corresponding second harmonic generation signals, the at least one physics property of the solid material is determinable.

Abstract: A method for non-invasively probing at least one interface property in a layered structure having at least one interface. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of exposing the layered structure to an incident photon beam at an incident angle to produce a reflection beam, measuring intensities of the second harmonic generation signals from the reflection beam, and identifying an initial second harmonic generation intensity and a time evolution of second harmonic generation intensity from the measured second harmonic generation intensities so as to determine the at least one interface property of the layered structure.

Abstract: A method and/or device (285) for determining first and second band offsets (100, 110) at a semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface (115), which includes the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface (115) exposed to incident photons (205) from a light source (200); a detector (275, 280) for generating a signal by detecting emitted photons (260, 265) from the semiconductor/dielectric heterointerface (115); and an element (310) for changing the energy of incident photons (205) to monitor the first and second band offsets (100, 110).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a neutral beam of oxygen or other gas for use in testing of materials and for heavy particle etching is disclosed. A beam of positively ionized gas is accelerated and filtered to produce a beam having ions of a selected energy. The beam is decelerated to an energy of the level required and directed toward a photo emissive surface at a grazing incidence angle causing electrons to be contributed to the beam thereby neutralizing part of the ionized atoms and molecules of the beam. The beam is directed through electrostatic deflection plates which separate out remaining ionized particles producing a neutral beam.

Abstract: Emission of characteristic electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible, or UV from excited particles, typically ions, molecules, or neutral atoms, desorbed from solid surfaces by an incident beam of low-momentum probe radiation has been observed. Disclosed is a method for characterizing solid surfaces based on the observed effect, with low-momentum probe radiation consisting of electrons or photons. Further disclosed is a method for controlling manufacturing processes that is also based on the observed effect. The latter method can, for instance, be advantageously applied in integrated circuit-, integrated optics-, and magnetic bubble device manufacture. Specific examples of applications of the method are registering of masks, control of a direct-writing processing beam, end-point detection in etching, and control of a processing beam for laser- or electron-beam annealing or ion implantation.