Abstract: There is provided a system and method of measuring a lateral recess in a semiconductor specimen, comprising: obtaining a first image acquired by collecting SEs emitted from the surface of the specimen, and a second image acquired by collecting BSEs scattered from an interior region of the specimen between the surface and a target second layer, the specimen scanned using an electron beam with a landing energy selected to penetrate to a depth corresponding to the target second layer; generating a first GL waveform based on the first image, and a second GL waveform based on the second image; estimating a first width of the first layers based on the first GL waveform, and a second width with respect to at least the target second layer based on the second GL; and measuring a lateral recess based on the first width and the second width.

Abstract: A method is provided for characterizing a sample, by estimating a plurality of characteristic thicknesses, each being associated with a calibration material. The method includes acquiring an energy spectrum transmitted through the sample, located in an X and/or gamma spectral band; for each spectrum of a plurality of calibration spectra, calculating a likelihood from said calibration spectrum, and from the spectrum transmitted through the sample, each calibration spectrum corresponding to the energy spectrum transmitted through a stack of gauge blocks, each formed of a known thickness of a calibration material; and estimating the characteristic thicknesses associated with the sample according to the criterion of maximum likelihood.

Abstract: A method for semiconductor metrology includes depositing a first film layer on a semiconductor substrate and a second film layer overlying the first film layer. The first and second film layers are patterned to define a plurality of overlay targets comprising first target features formed in the first film layer having respective first locations, which are spaced apart by first nominal distances, and second target features formed in the second film layer having respective second locations, which are spaced apart by second nominal distances, which are different from the first nominal distances. An image of the semiconductor substrate is processed to measure respective displacements between the first and second target locations in each of the overlay targets, and to estimate both an actual overlay error between the patterning of the first and second film layers and a measurement error of the imaging assembly.

Abstract: A method for refining a magnetic domain of a grain-oriented electrical steel strip is provided, including a steel strip supporting roll position adjusting step of controlling a position of the steel strip in a vertical direction while supporting the steel strip proceeding along a production line, a laser irradiating step of forming a groove on a surface of the steel strip by irradiating a laser beam onto the surface of the steel strip to melt the steel strip, and a detecting step of detecting a defect in the groove formed on the surface of the steel strip while the steel strip proceeds, so as to be able to detect whether the groove is defective by confirming a machining state of a magnetic domain refined groove formed on the surface of the steel strip in a working process.

Abstract: A thickness measuring device is provided. The thickness measuring device may include a terahertz wave signal processing unit configured to receive a terahertz wave according to at least one mode of a reflection mode and a transmission mode, a refractive index information acquisition unit configured to acquire refractive index information of the thickness measurement sample in consideration of second-time difference information between a first reflected terahertz wave and a second reflected terahertz wave, and a thickness information acquisition unit configured to acquire thickness information of the thickness measurement sample in consideration of the refractive index information.

Abstract: Method for measuring a depth of a defect inside an inspection object is provided. The method comprises steps of: generating thermal image data corresponding to a temperature of a surface of the inspection object by photographing a heated surface of the inspection object at a predetermined time interval by a photographing device; obtaining a temperature curve showing a temporal change in temperature of the surface of the inspection object based on the thermal image data; fitting a theoretical equation obtained from a heat conduction equation including a parameter related to the depth of the defect of the inspection object to the temperature curve to obtain a theoretical curve showing a temporal change in temperature of the surface of the inspection object; and obtaining the depth of the defect of the inspection object based on a value of the parameter in the theoretical equation corresponding to the theoretical curve.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus is provided with: an irradiating device configured to irradiate a sample in which a plurality of layers are laminated with a terahertz wave; a detecting device configured to detect the terahertz wave from the sample to obtain a detected waveform; and an estimating device configured to estimate a position of a first boundary surface on the basis of a second boundary surface pulse wave and a library, the second boundary surface pulse wave appearing in the detected waveform to correspond to a second boundary surface that is farther from an outer surface than the first boundary surface, the library representing an estimated waveform of the terahertz wave from the sample.

Abstract: A measurement system measures various PCB panel characteristics, such as PCB panel thickness, surface feature thickness (height), surface feature width and length, and warpage. Various techniques are also described for steadying the PCB panel for measurement, whether the PCB panel is positioned horizontally or vertically. Z-height measurements as well as light intensity measurements can be used to determine the various PCB panel characteristics. Either the determined light intensity values, the determined Z-height values, or both can be used to determine pixel transition from one region, or material type, to another. Techniques are also provided to reduce PCB panel vibration and/or automatically adjusting a Z-height of the sensor to ensure a sampling point on the PCB panel is within an allowable Z-height range.

Abstract: A system for measuring a coating thickness on a target surface includes a terahertz spectroscopy device and a reference image projector. The terahertz spectroscopy device includes a radiation head that is operable to project a terahertz radiation beam onto the target surface and receive a reflected beam. The reference image projector includes a visible light device and is operable to project a reference image using the visible light device onto the target surface. A visual characteristic of the reference image indicates at least one of distance, rotational alignment, and angular alignment of the radiation head relative to the target surface.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention relates to an X-ray device, more particularly for phase-contrast imaging in the medical sector. In at least one embodiment, the X-ray device includes an X-ray radiation source, a coherence grid, a phase grid and an X-ray detector from a number of pixels arranged in a matrix, the pixels including a lens grid.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sensor device (30; 30a; 30b; 30c) for a packaging machine (100) designed as a capsule filling and sealing machine or for a capsule control device (100a), said device having a positioning element (35; 35a) for positioning a container (c) having a longitudinal axis (15) and filled with a filling material in the region of the sensor device (30; 30a; 30b; 30c) and at least one radiation source (31; 31 a; 3 b) and at least one detector (40; 40a; 40b) for detecting the radiation after said radiation radiates through the container (c). According to the invention, the at least one radiation source (31; 31a; 31b) radiates through the container (c) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (15) thereof and the positioning element is designed as a tubular or shaft-shaped conveying element (35; 35a) which can be penetrated by the radiation in a radiation cone (38) of the radiation source (31; 31a; 31b).

Abstract: A laser thickness gauge has three laser displacement sensors each transmitting a laser beam onto a target web. Two sensors are spaced along the web and face one surface of the web and the third sensor faces the opposite surface. The thickness of a web that is positioned along a passline plane between the sensor is measured even when the passline plane is not perpendicular to the beams of the sensors. A data processor computes the passline angle from the distance measurements communicated from the three sensors. During setup and calibration, data representing physical characteristics of the gauge are measured and stored and during operation are processed with currently measured data to generate correction factors that are used to correct thickness measurements determined from the three laser sensors.

Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor inspection device and a semiconductor inspection method such that in a specimen image in a single field of view obtained by an electron microscope, it is possible to suppress variations in the edge position measurement error attributable to the materials and structures of the lower layers of measured patterns by a first method, wherein the area in the field of view obtained by electron beam scanning is divided into a plurality of regions on the basis of information regarding the structures and materials of the object to be observed and the electron beam scanning conditions are changed for individual regions (805, 806), a second method, wherein, the image processing conditions are changed for individual regions resulting from division of the obtained images, or a third method, wherein the edge detection conditions are changed for individual regions resulting from the division within the edge inspection regions of the obtained images.

Abstract: A method for in-situ monitoring of gas-phase photoactive organic molecules in real time while depositing a film of the photoactive organic molecules on a substrate in a processing chamber for depositing the film includes irradiating the gas-phase photoactive organic molecules in the processing chamber with a radiation from a radiation source in-situ while depositing the film of the one or more organic materials and measuring the intensity of the resulting photoluminescence emission from the organic material. One or more processing parameters associated with the deposition process can be determined from the photoluminescence intensity data in real time providing useful feedback on the deposition process.

Abstract: To provide an X-ray imaging apparatus capable of easily adjusting the sensitivity or capable of easily extracting the amount of refraction of X-rays. An X-ray imaging apparatus irradiating an object to be measured with an X-ray beam from an X-ray source that generates X-rays of a first energy and X-rays of a second energy different from the first energy to measure an image of the object to be measured includes an attenuator and a detector. The attenuator attenuates the X-ray beam transmitted through the object to be measured and is configured so as to vary the amount of attenuation of the X-rays depending on a position on which the X-ray beam is incident. The detector detects the X-ray beam transmitted through the attenuator and is configured so as to detect the X-rays of the first energy and the second energy.

Abstract: An X-ray imaging apparatus acquiring a differential phase contrast image of a test object without using a light-shielding mask for X-ray. The apparatus includes an X-ray source, a splitting element configured to spatially divide an X-ray emitted from an X-ray source and a scintillator configured to emit light when a divided X-ray beam divided at the splitting element is incident on the scintillator. The apparatus also includes a light-transmission limiting unit configured to limit transmitting amount of the light emitted from the scintillator and a plurality of light detectors each configured to detect the amount of light that has transmitted through the light-transmission limiting unit. The light-transmission limiting unit is configured such that a light intensity detected at each of the light detectors changes in response to a change in an incident position of the X-ray beam.

Abstract: Embodiments for providing Doppler sounds are disclosed. In one embodiment, provided is an ultrasound system which may include: an ultrasound data acquiring unit configured to transmit ultrasound signals to a target object and receive ultrasound echo signals reflected therefrom, to acquire a plurality of ultrasound data associated with the target object, each of which having a synchronization (Sync) number uniquely assigned thereto; a storing unit to store the plurality of ultrasound data therein; an user input unit configured to allow a user to input a user instruction; and a processing unit coupled to the ultrasound data acquiring unit, the storing unit and the user input unit and configured to form a Doppler mode image having the Sync number based on the plurality of ultrasound data, the processing unit being further configured to extract ultrasound data with a Sync number corresponding to the user instruction from the storing unit, thereby forming the Doppler sound based on the extracted ultrasound data.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed to estimate road widths, irrespective of the presence of curbs or occlusions on the road surface. In the context of a method, a point cloud representing terrain is accessed. In one embodiment, the point cloud may be generated from lidar scanning during a trip. The point cloud is divided into sections representing portions of the terrain. The method further includes, for each section, identifying a ground planar surface of the section, estimating a drive plane of the section based on the ground planar surface and a drive direction, and calculating a road width of the section based on the ground planar surface and drive plane. The method may further include applying a smoothing algorithm to adjust the calculated road width of at least one section. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.

Abstract: Among other things, a machine based method comprises representing a plurality of spectra reflected from one or more substrates at a plurality of different positions on the one or more substrates in the form of a first matrix; decomposing, by one or more computers, the first matrix into products of at least two component matrixes of a first set of component matrixes; reducing dimensions of each of the at least two component matrixes to produce a second set of component matrixes containing the at least two matrixes with reduced dimensions; and generating, by the one or more computers, a second matrix by taking a product of the matrixes of the second set of component matrixes.

Abstract: Among other things, a computer-based method is described. The method comprises receiving, by one or more computers, a plurality of measured spectra reflected from a substrate at a plurality of different positions on the substrate. The substrate comprises at least two regions having different structural features. The method also comprises performing, by the one or more computers, a clustering algorithm on the plurality of measured spectra to separate the plurality of measured spectra into a number of groups based on the spectral characteristics of the plurality of measured spectra; selecting one of the number of groups to provide a selected group having a subset of spectra from the plurality of measured spectra; and determining, in the one or more computers, at least one characterizing value for the substrate based on the subset of spectra of the selected group.

Abstract: The fabrication of the wafer may be analyzed starting from when the wafer is in a partially fabricated state. The value of a specified performance parameter may be determined at a plurality of locations on an active area of a die of the wafer. The specified performance parameter is known to be indicative of a particular fabrication process in the fabrication. Evaluation information may then be obtained based on a variance of the value of the performance parameter at the plurality of locations. This may be done without affecting a usability of a chip that is created from the die. The evaluation information may be used to evaluate how one or more processes that include the particular fabrication process that was indicated by the performance parameter value was performed.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an RFID tag issuing apparatus includes a communication instructing unit, a search unit, and a misalignment amount detecting unit. The communication instructing unit instructs a reader-writer unit to communicate with the RFID tag at a reference position that is reached when the label is carried by a predetermined amount in a predetermined direction after the specific position on the label is detected by a label position detecting unit. The search unit repeats a carrying of the label and a communication instruction to the reader-writer unit when communication cannot be established with the RFID tag, and thus searches for a communication-available range with the RFID tag. The misalignment amount detecting unit detects an amount of carrying of the label to reach the communication-available range from the reference position, as a misalignment amount of the RFID tag.

Abstract: By using information collected on-site, estimation of a damage area at that time and also prediction regarding subsequent expansion of a disaster-affected area are performed. The estimation device includes a storage unit that stores an exposure calculation formula expressing an exposure amount, which is an integrated value of the concentration of a material with respect to time, at a certain time and a certain position, by using the diffusivity and flow rate of the material; an information-acquisition unit that acquires position information of disaster victims at a prescribed time as input information; and a calculation unit that obtains a critical value of the exposure amount by applying the position information of each disaster victim at the prescribed time to the exposure calculation formula and that specifies the disaster-affected area at the prescribed time on the basis of the exposure calculation formula for when the critical value is obtained.

Abstract: A weight monitoring system includes a biometric identification input device, a body weight scale, and a controller. The controller is operative to identify a subject using identification data acquired by the biometric identification input device, to store weight data for the subject acquired by the body weight scale, and to correlate the weight data with the subject.

Abstract: Provided are a thickness measuring apparatus and a thickness measuring method. The thickness measuring method includes irradiating first laser beam of a first wavelength ?1 to a transparent substrate and measuring intensity of first laser beam transmitting the transparent substrate; irradiating second laser beam of a second wavelength ?2 to the transparent substrate and measuring intensity of second laser beam transmitting the transparent substrate; and extracting a rotation angle on a Lissajous graph using the first and second laser beams transmitting the transparent substrate. A phase difference between adjacent rays by multiple internal reflection of the first laser beam and a phase difference between adjacent ray by multiple internal reflection of the second laser beam is maintained at ?/2.

Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to systems and methods for measuring a thickness of a container. For example, a control device may receive data indicating a surface topology of the container and based on the surface topology of the container, instruct a multi-axis positioning system to position a sensor relative to a first point of the container such that: a distance from the sensor to a surface at the first point is about equal to a predetermined distance; and the sensor direction is about normal to the surface at the first point. Data indicating the thickness at the first point may be received from the sensor.

Abstract: The light emission analyzing device includes: a first light intensity calculation unit that performs polynomial approximation on a spectroscopic spectrum indicating a light intensity for each wavelength in a container as measured by a spectrometer so as to calculate the light intensity; a second light intensity calculation unit that subtracts, for each wavelength, the light intensity calculated by the first light intensity calculation unit from the light intensity indicated by the spectroscopic spectrum measured by the spectrometer so as to calculate a light intensity corresponding to a bright-line spectrum of a molecule; and a ratio calculation unit that calculates, by using the light intensity calculated by the second light intensity calculation unit, a ratio between (a) a peak value of a molecular spectrum of a first molecule and (b) a peak value of a molecular spectrum of a second molecule.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods to extract information about the size and shape of an object by observing variations of the radiation pattern caused by illuminating the object with coherent radiation sources and changing the wavelengths of the source. Sensing and image-reconstruction systems and methods are described for recovering the image of an object utilizing projected and transparent reference points and radiation sources. Sensing and image-reconstruction systems and methods are also described for rapid sensing of such radiation patterns. A computational system and method is also described for sensing and reconstructing the image from its autocorrelation. This computational approach uses the fact that the autocorrelation is the weighted sum of shifted copies of an image, where the shifts are obtained by sequentially placing each individual scattering cell of the object at the origin of the autocorrelation space.

Abstract: A measurement method of the present invention is a measurement method which measures a target divided into a plurality of partial regions to measure a whole shape of the target by stitching the plurality of partial regions. The measurement method comprises Steps S501 to S511 which measures a plurality of partial regions, Step S102 which determines an error in a partial region that is a reference, Step S105 which calculates each of errors in the plurality of partial regions, and Step S107 which performs a correction depending on each of the errors to stitch the plurality of partial regions. Steps S102 to S107 are repeatedly performed by changing the partial region that is the reference (S110).

Abstract: Methodology for determining uncertainty in a data set which characterizes a sample involving elimination of the influence of sample alteration drift caused by data set acquisition, and/or elimination of the influence of system drift during data acquisition.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring a thickness of at least one insulating layer of a printed circuit board (PCB), the at least one insulating layer having a transmission line located thereon. The apparatus includes an impedance measurement unit configured to input a plurality of input signals to the transmission line, each of the input signals having a respective frequency, to receive output signals from the transmission line, and to determine impedance values of the at least one insulating layer based on the input signals and the output signals; and a thickness calculation unit configured to calculate a thickness of the at least one insulating layer based on the impedance values.

Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to systems and methods for measuring a thickness of a container. For example, a control device may receive data indicating a surface topology of the container and based on the surface topology of the container, instruct a multi-axis positioning system to position a sensor relative to a first point of the container such that: a distance from the sensor to a surface at the first point is about equal to a predetermined distance; and the sensor direction is about normal to the surface at the first point. Data indicating the thickness at the first point may be received from the sensor.

Abstract: Light reflected by a sample surface region and a reference surface interfere. A detector senses light intensity at intervals during relative movement along a scan path between the sample surface and the reference surface to provide a series of intensity values representing interference fringes. A data processor receives first intensity data including a first series of intensity values resulting from a measurement operation on a surface area of a substrate and second intensity data including a second series of intensity values resulting from a measurement operation on a surface area of a thin film structure. A gain is determined for each thin film of the thin film structure. Substrate and apparent thin film structure surface characteristics are determined on the basis of the first and second intensity data, respectively. The apparent thin film structure surface characteristic is modified using the substrate surface characteristic and the determined gain or gains.

Abstract: An analytical model simulates the propagation of radiation through a coated continuous web where layer thickness and refractive index, as variables, determine the speed and direction of transmitted radiation. The model predicts characteristics of transmitted radiation based on characteristics of incident radiation and initially assigned values for layer thicknesses. Coating thickness(s) are ascertained in a process whereby incident radiation of known characteristics is directed onto a coated web and thereafter, actual measurements of transmitted radiation are compared to predicted characteristics. Using a fitting algorithm, the assigned thickness(es) of the layer(s) of the model are adjusted and the process repeated until the actual and predicted values are within desired limits at which time, the assigned thickness(es) represent the measured calipers.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method to aid in these inspections that avoid the disadvantages of the prior art. The system and method are operative to take thickness measurements of, and thus evaluate the condition of, materials including but not limited to refractory materials, operating in frequency bands that result in less loss than previously known technologies, and utilizing a system configuration and signal processing techniques that isolate the reflected signal of interest from other spurious antenna reflections, particularly by creating (through the configuration of the antenna assembly) a time delay between such spurious reflections and the actual reflected signal of interest, thus enabling better isolation of the signal of interest.

Abstract: By using powerful data analysis techniques, such as PCR, PLS, CLS and the like, in combination with measurement techniques providing structural information, gradually varying material characteristics may be determined during semiconductor fabrication, thereby also enabling the monitoring of complex manufacturing sequences. For instance, the material characteristics of sensitive dielectric materials, such as ULK material, may be detected, for instance with respect to an extension of a damage zone, in order to monitor the quality of metallization systems of sophisticated semiconductor devices. The inline measurement data may be obtained on the basis of infrared spectroscopy, for instance using FTIR and the like, which may even allow directly obtaining the measurement data at process chambers, substantially without affecting the overall process throughput.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and method are provided for adjusting an on-line appearance sensor system (OnLASS) for color and other appearance characteristic(s) of a web product produced during a production run of a web production system. The OnLASS is calibrated and its setting(s) are sent to a color error minimizer (CEM). The OnLASS measures a first appearance characteristic of the web product during the production run and the on-line measurement is sent to the CEM. After the production run, a second appearance characteristic of the web product is measured with an off-line appearance sensor system (OffLASS) and the off-line measurement is sent to the CEM. The CEM compares the on-line and off-line appearance measurements and adjusts at least one setting based on the comparison. The adjusted setting(s) are sent to the OnLASS.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a detection and analysis apparatus, comprising a photo sensing device, comprising a plurality of sensing elements linearly arranged to form a first array, for detecting a signal of the thickness change of the cake at a linear position of the filter medium; a driving device, for driving the photo sensing device to move relatively parallel to the filter medium on the top of the cake so that the photo sensing device detects the thickness change of the cake on at least one local plane of the filter medium; and a data processing device, coupling to the photo sensing device, for continuously processing and analyzing the signal detected by the photo sensing device to thereby in-situ estimate the thickness change of the cake on the at least one local plane of the filter medium during the filtration process.

Abstract: A sensing device for sensing a substance includes a photonics integrated circuit having a resonator element that supports two different radiation modes, e.g. radiation modes of different polarisation, at a predetermined resonance wavelength. The resonator element is configured to convert a phase change or amplitude change experienced by the two different radiation modes upon formation of a layer of receptor molecules onto a sensing surface of the device into a resonance wavelength shift for the two different radiation modes. The sensing device also includes a detection unit arranged to detect the resonance wavelength shift for the two different radiation modes. The detection unit includes a processor that is configured to derive from the detected resonance wavelength shifts for the two different radiation modes, a layer thickness and refractive index of the layer of receptor molecules.

Abstract: An inspection method of an SOI wafer in which profiles P1 and P2 are calculated in the SOI wafer to be inspected and in an SOI wafer having a film thickness of the SOI layer thicker or thinner than that of the SOI wafer to be inspected, respectively; a profile P3 of a difference between P1 and P2, or a profile P4 of a change ratio of P1 and P2 is calculated; light having the wavelength band selected on the basis of a maximum peak wavelength within the calculated profiles P3 or P4 is irradiated to the surface of the SOI wafer to be inspected, to detect the reflected-light from the SOI wafer; and a place of a peak generated by an increase in reflection intensity of the detected reflected-light is found, as the defect caused by the change in the film thickness of the SOI layer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a substrate processing system includes a measuring unit, a data processing unit, and a processing unit. The measuring unit is configured to measure information relating to a thickness dimension of a substrate. The substrate includes a light emitting unit and a wavelength conversion unit. The wavelength conversion unit includes a phosphor. The data processing unit is configured to determine processing information relating to a thickness direction of the wavelength conversion unit based on the measured information relating to the thickness dimension of the substrate and based on information relating to a characteristic of light emitted from the light emitting unit. The processing unit is configured to perform processing of the wavelength conversion unit based on the determined processing information.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods to extract information about the size and shape of an object by observing variations of the radiation pattern caused by illuminating the object with coherent radiation sources and changing the wavelengths of the source. Sensing and image-reconstruction systems and methods are described for recovering the image of an object utilizing projected and transparent reference points and radiation sources such as tunable lasers. Sensing and image-reconstruction systems and methods are also described for rapid sensing of such radiation patterns. A computational system and method is also described for sensing and reconstructing the image from its autocorrelation. This computational approach uses the fact that the autocorrelation is the weighted sum of shifted copies of an image, where the shifts are obtained by sequentially placing each individual scattering cell of the object at the origin of the autocorrelation space.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for measuring the thickness of a transparent film by broad band interferometry, comprising the steps of preparing a correlogram of the film by an interferometer, applying a Fourier transformation to said correlogram to obtain a Fourier phase function, removing a linear component thereof, applying a second integral transformation to the remaining non-linear component to obtain an integral amplitude function of said non-linear component, identifying the peak location of said integral amplitude function and determining the thickness of the film as the double value of the abscissa at said peak location considering a refractive index of a film which is dependent on wavelength. The last two steps may be replaced by identifying the peak locations of said integral amplitude function and determining the thickness of the films as the double values of the abscissas at the peak locations.

Abstract: A simplified X-ray imaging apparatus is capable of computationally determining effective atomic numbers with small error factors even for light elements. In one embodiment, the X-ray imaging apparatus has an X-ray generation unit 101 (400) for generating X-rays and a detector 105 (405) for detecting X-rays transmitted through an object of examination 104 (403). A computing unit 106 (406) computationally determines a quantity of an X-ray phase attributable to the object of examination and an X-ray transmittance of the object of examination from data detected by the detector. The computing unit also computationally determines an effective atomic number of the object of examination from ?et determined from the quantity of the X-ray phase and ?t determined from the X-ray transmittance.

Abstract: A system and method for determining the shielding thickness of a detected radiation source. The gamma ray spectrum of a radiation detector is utilized to estimate the shielding between the detector and the radiation source. The determination of the shielding may be used to adjust the information from known source-localization techniques to provide improved performance and accuracy of locating the source of radiation.

Abstract: A measurement system that includes an industrial machine and an interferometer can detect when abnormality has occurred in measurement targeted at a reflector attached to a movable body, for example, in a case where the movable body has moved too close to the interferometer. A judging section of the interferometer judges that there is abnormality in measurement targeted at the reflector on the basis of a received-light signal. Upon such an abnormality judgment, a stop command outputting section of the interferometer outputs a stop command to the industrial machine. A stopping section of the industrial machine stops the driving operation of a moving mechanism upon receiving an input of the stop command, thereby stopping the movement of the movable body. The measurement system makes it possible to prevent the industrial machine, which includes the movable body and the moving mechanism, from colliding with the interferometer.

Abstract: A method for Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) sample creation. The use of a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)—Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM) detector in the dual-beam focused ion beam (FIB)/SEM allows a sample to be thinned using the FIB, while the STEM signal is used to monitor sample thickness. A preferred embodiment of the present invention can measure the thickness of or create TEM samples by using a precise endpoint detection method. Preferred embodiments also enable automatic endpointing during TEM lamella creation and provide users with direct feedback on sample thickness during manual thinning. Preferred embodiments of the present invention thus provide methods for endpointing sample thinning and methods to partially or fully automate endpointing.

Abstract: A method includes fitting a function to a subset of reflectivity data comprising values for the reflectivity of a test object for different wavelengths, different scattering angles, and/or different polarization states; determining values for the function at certain wavelengths and scattering angles and/or polarization states; and determining information about the test object based on the determined values.

Abstract: There are provided instruments for measuring and/or controlling the thickness of a coating applied to a substrate. An instrument embodied by the invention comprises coating removal means for removing a quantity of the coating to partially expose the surface of the substrate. The instrument also includes sensor means for emitting and detecting signals reflected from the surface of the coating and the exposed surface of the substrate to generate one or more data sets consisting of data indicative of the position of the surface of the coating and the position of the surface of the substrate. The sensor means is arranged so as to be distanced from the coating and the substrate, and is adapted to detect the signals reflected from the surface of the substrate during relative movement between the substrate and the sensor means. The data sets generated by the sensor means are processed by processing means of the instrument to determine the dry thickness of the coating on the substrate.

Abstract: An instrument is described for measuring the thickness of a paint coating on a rotating roll of a roll coating applicator roll for determination of the thickness of a paint coating to be applied to a moving substrate comprising: sensor means arranged for emitting and detecting signals reflected from the surface of the paint coating on at least one roll of the roll coating applicator to generate data indicative of the position of the surface of the paint on the roll, the sensor means being distanced from the paint coating for the emission and detection of the signals; and processing means for processing the data generated by the sensor means to determine the thickness of the paint coating to be applied to the substrate.