Abstract: A heating apparatus for performing heat treatment on a wafer applied with a resist before or after exposure includes a heating plate for heating a wafer which is placed on the heating plate, a light intensity detecting apparatus for irradiating light on the wafer to detect intensity of reflected light from the resist on the wafer, and a control section for controlling heating performed by the heating plate on the basis of the detected intensity of reflected light so that heating amount applied to a plurality of wafers becomes constant. Accordingly, the heating amount of the wafer can be controlled to be constant and variations in dimension of resist patterns can be reduced.

Abstract: Disclosed is a scanning exposure method, in which, when a pattern formed on a mask is transferred onto a wafer via an optical projection, the projecting region of the mask is limited by a slit, and the mask and the wafer are scanned in synchronism with the slit fixed so as to transfer the entire pattern region of the mask onto the wafer. In the scanning exposure method of the present invention, the exposure of the entire mask by the scanning of mask and the wafer is carried out twice by changing the exposure conditions. The first exposure and the second exposure are made opposite to each other in the scanning direction of the mask and the wafer so as to improve the pattern transfer accuracy.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for detecting the inclination of an object is provided. This image processing apparatus has a read means which reads the object and outputs image data, an amount of change calculation means which calculates the sum of the amounts of change of the image data of the object in at least one direction, and an inclination calculation means which calculates the inclination of the object based on the sum calculated by the amount of change calculation means.

Abstract: In order to obtain a simple, inexpensive and low-maintenance monitoring device for controlling the setting width of individual teeth of saw blades or belt-saw blades, in particular for controlling the setting result of a setting machine the present invention invisages that the monitoring device comprises at least one photo-detector whose light beam at least partly runs through one or both regions laterally next to the running-past saw blade or belt-saw blade, into said regions the set teeth project.

Abstract: An electronic camera adopts an image pickup and optical system of a mirror scan type in which a mirror for scanning is disposed at a forward side of a taking lens. A line image sensor relatively scans an object while rotating the mirror to perform photographing. When controlling the exposure, the taking lens is moved synchronously along with rotation of the mirror to adjust the focal position thereof each time a slender sub-image of the object is picked up by the CCD. Driving the taking lens to focus the sub-image each time of scanning the sub-image enables picking up an entirety of the object image perfectly in a focused state.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus having a visible light source for emitting visible light, an invisible light source for emitting invisible light, an imaging optical system for irradiating a document by these light sources to form optical images of the document, and a CCD for photoelectrically converting the optical images Of the document turns on the visible light source to acquire a visible light image signal by the CCD. Then, the apparatus turns on the invisible light source to acquire an invisible light image signal by the CCD. After the invisible light image signal is acquired, the apparatus turns off the invisible light source, and turns on the visible light source regardless of whether to read the document.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for processing visible image information and invisible image information obtained from visible light and invisible light directed onto an original and from the original onto an image pick-up element via a focusing optical system. The image processing apparatus includes an infrared light source, a visible light source, a focus correction unit that corrects the focus of the images when the images are formed on the image pick-up element and acquired, and a signal processor that corrects a partial magnification difference between the visible image and the infrared image.

Abstract: In an image processing device which carries out processing for detecting and correcting defective portions of an image, it is possible to pre-emptively prevent the defective portion detecting and correcting processing from causing a deterioration in image quality or an excessive processing requiring time requirement. In cases in which a film type of a photographic film on which the image is recorded is a film type known to have a characteristic that an IR image is also formed at a time of image exposure and recording, and in cases in which a density distribution width of IR data is a predetermined value or more, defect detection-correction processing is cancelled. Further, in cases in which a non-image region is included in the image, either defect detection-correction is carried out only on regions other than the non-image region, or defective portion detection-correction is cancelled.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products are described for specifying a scanning area of a substrate. In accordance with one method, steps include receiving location data corresponding to a plurality of probe-feature locations on the substrate, storing the location data, accessing the location data, and scanning the substrate based on the accessed location data. A scanning system is described that includes a computer, a scanner, and a computer program product. The product, when executed on the computer, accesses location data corresponding to a plurality of probe-feature locations on a substrate, and controls the scanner's scanning of the substrate based on the accessed location data.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for highly efficient imaging of selected object features utilizing, in combination, a 2D imaging subsystem and a 3D imaging subsystem wherein data from the 2D imaging subsystem is used to predetermine areas containing 3D features of interest such that delay attributable to imaging of areas of non-interest for 3D features is minimized.

Abstract: A microprobe chip for detecting evanescent waves includes a photoconductive material and a substrate for supporting the photoconductive material. The photoconductive material is connected to electrodes formed on the substrate. A method for making a microprobe chip for detecting evanescent waves includes forming a film comprising a photoconductive material on a peeling layer of a first substrate, the film having a shape of the microprobe chip, and transferring the film on the peeling layer onto a junction layer provided on a second substrate. A method for making a probe provided with a microprobe chip for detecting evanescent waves includes forming a film comprising a photoconductive material and having the shape of the microprobe chip on a peeling layer of a first substrate, forming a thin film cantilever on a second substrate, and transferring the film on the peeling layer onto a junction layer formed on the thin film cantilever.