Abstract: An apparatus for depicting contour lines on the surfaces of a model, the apparatus comprising a bed for supporting the model, and at least one laser for projecting a plane of light at a predetermine height from the bed. A method of depicting contour lines on surfaces of a model, the method comprising projecting a plurality of planes of light in spaced relation over the surface of a support to illuminate contour lines on objects on the surface that break the planes of light.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for accurately measuring a three-dimensional shape of a measuring subject independent of the surface shape of the measuring subject, and another object thereof is to shorten the time from the measurements of the measuring subject until three-dimensional shape data is obtained so as to carry out efficient measuring operations. In a three-dimensional measuring system 1 that measures a three-dimensional shape of a measuring subject, two three-dimensional measuring devices 10, 20 are placed. The three-dimensional measuring device 10 measures a measuring subject placed in a measuring space 3 by allowing a laser slit light L1 in a longitudinal direction to scan in a lateral direction. Moreover, the three-dimensional measuring device 20 measures the measuring subject placed in a measuring space 3 by allowing the laser slit light L1 in a lateral direction to scan in a longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit inspecting apparatus inspecting a terminal provided on a mount surface of a semiconductor integrated circuit includes a light emitter, a photographing unit and an inspector. The light emitter emits a linear light obliquely to the mount surface. The photographing unit photographs the mount surface to which the light is emitted to output a photograph signal. The inspector inspects the terminal in accordance with the photograph signal. The photographing unit has N (N is a positive integer) photographing elements. The photograph signal is outputted respectively only from M (M is a positive integer smaller than the N) photographing elements of the N photographing elements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining optical mask corrections for photolithography. A plurality of grating patterns is printed onto a wafer utilizing a photomask having at least one grating. Each grating pattern within the plurality of grating patterns is associated with known photolithographic settings. Each grating pattern is illuminated independently with a light source, so that light is diffracted off each grating pattern. The diffracted light is measured utilizing scatterometry techniques to determine measured diffracted values. The measured diffracted values are compared to values in a library to determine a profile match. A 2-dimensional profile description is assigned to each grating pattern based on the profile match. A database is compiled of the profile descriptions for the plurality of grating patterns. Photomask design rules are then generated by accessing the database containing the 2-dimensional profile descriptions.

Abstract: The present invention provides a three-dimensional measuring apparatus comprising a light projector for projecting light to an object, a light receiving element, a light receiving optical system for leading light projected on and then reflected by the object to the light receiving element, and a calculator for obtaining measured data for three-dimensional shape measurement based on signals output from the light receiving element. The light receiving optical system includes a first optical filter which transmits only light having substantially the same range of wavelengths as that of the light projected from the light projector, at least one second optical filter which transmits light having a different range of wavelengths as that of the first optical filter and a filter selector which selectively locates one of the first optical filter or the second filter or filters at an optical path of the light receiving optical system.