A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit (IC) device includes forming a photoresist layer on a substrate, and exposing the photoresist layer to light by using a photolithographic apparatus including a light generator. The light generator includes a chamber having a plasma generation space, an optical element in the chamber, and a debris shielding assembly between the optical element and the plasma generation space in the chamber, and the debris shielding assembly includes a protective film facing the optical element and being spaced apart from the optical element with a protective space therebetween, the protective space including an optical path, and a protective frame to support the protective film and to shield the protective space from the plasma generation space.

An on-line energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) analyser for mineralogical analysis of material in a process stream or a sample is disclosed. The analyser includes a collimated X-ray source to produce a diverging beam of polychromatic X-rays, and an energy resolving X-ray detector, and a substantially X-ray transparent member having the form of a solid of revolution which is circularly symmetric about a central axis between the collimated X-ray source and the energy resolving X-ray detector, an outer surface of the X-ray transparent member positionable adjacent the material to be analysed. A primary beam collimator is disposed adjacent to or within the substantially X-ray transparent member to substantially prevent direct transmission of polychromatic X-rays emitted from the source to the detector. The analyser is configured such that the diverging beam of polychromatic X-rays are directed towards the substantially X-ray transparent member, and where the energy resolving X-ray detector collects a portion of the beam of X-rays diffracted by the material and outputs a signal containing energy information of the collected, diffracted X-rays.

An atomic beam is irradiated with a first laser beam, a second laser beam, and a third laser beam. The first laser beam and the third laser beam each have a wavelength corresponding to a transition between a ground state and a first excited state. The second laser beam has a wavelength corresponding to a transition between the ground state and a second excited state. First, atoms each having a smaller velocity component than a predetermined velocity in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the atomic beam are changed from the ground state to the first excited state by the first laser beam. Subsequently, a momentum is provided for individual atoms in the ground state by the second laser beam, which removes the atoms from the atomic beam. Finally, atoms in the first excited state are returned from the first excited state to the ground state by the third laser beam.

An atomic beam is irradiated with a first laser beam, a second laser beam, and a third laser beam. The first laser beam and the third laser beam each have a wavelength corresponding to a transition between a ground state and a first excited state. The second laser beam has a wavelength corresponding to a transition between the ground state and a second excited state. First, atoms each having a smaller velocity component than a predetermined velocity in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the atomic beam are changed from the ground state to the first excited state by the first laser beam. Subsequently, a momentum is provided for individual atoms in the ground state by the second laser beam, which removes the atoms from the atomic beam. Finally, atoms in the first excited state are returned from the first excited state to the ground state by the third laser beam.

The disclosure provides systems and methods for adjusting a multi-leaf collimator (MLC). The MLC includes a plurality of cross-layer leaf pairs, each cross-layer leaf pair of the plurality of cross-layer leaf pairs includes a first leaf located in a first layer of leaves and a second leaf opposingly located in a second layer of leaves. For at least one cross-layer leaf pair, an effective cross-layer leaf gap to be formed between the first leaf and the second leaf may be determined; at least one of the first leaf or the second leaf may be caused to move to form the effective cross-layer leaf gap; and an in-layer leaf gap may be caused, based on the effective cross-layer leaf gap, to be formed between the first leaf and an opposing first leaf in the first layer. A size of the in-layer leaf gap may be no less than a threshold.

The disclosure provides systems and methods for adjusting a multi-leaf collimator (MLC). The MLC includes a plurality of cross-layer leaf pairs, each cross-layer leaf pair of the plurality of cross-layer leaf pairs includes a first leaf located in a first layer of leaves and a second leaf opposingly located in a second layer of leaves. For at least one cross-layer leaf pair, an effective cross-layer leaf gap to be formed between the first leaf and the second leaf may be determined; at least one of the first leaf or the second leaf may be caused to move to form the effective cross-layer leaf gap; and an in-layer leaf gap may be caused, based on the effective cross-layer leaf gap, to be formed between the first leaf and an opposing first leaf in the first layer. A size of the in-layer leaf gap may be no less than a threshold.

A planar-symmetry device for high-sensitivity gamma ray detection, which allows real-time tomography image reconstruction with very good spatial resolution. Advantageously, the multi-pinhole collimators of the device move during data collection and/or one or more of the pinholes thereof moves independently, thereby allowing possible artifacts resulting from overlap areas of the detector to be completely eliminated.

A planar-symmetry device for high-sensitivity gamma ray detection, which allows real-time tomography image reconstruction with very good spatial resolution. Advantageously, the multi-pinhole collimators of the device move during data collection and/or one or more of the pinholes thereof moves independently, thereby allowing possible artifacts resulting from overlap areas of the detector to be completely eliminated.

The present invention relates to an X-ray anti-scatter grid (10). The anti-scatter grid comprises a plurality of primary septa walls (20), and a plurality of secondary septa walls (30). The plurality of primary septa walls comprise an X-ray absorbing material. The plurality of primary septa walls are substantially parallel to one another. The plurality of secondary septa walls are located between adjacent pairs of walls of the plurality of primary septa walls such that each secondary septa wall is located between an adjacent pair of walls of the plurality of primary septa walls. Each secondary septa wall of the plurality of secondary septa walls is formed from a plurality of columnar structures (40) extending between the plurality of primary septa walls. The plurality of columnar structures comprise an X-ray absorbing material.

Provided herein are systems and methods for generating a plurality of different monoenergetic neutron energies using a plurality of interchangeable ion beam targets. In certain embodiments, each of the plurality of ion beam targets is configured to generate a monoenergetic energy value that is at least 100 kiloelectron volts (keV) different from the other ion beam targets. In some embodiments, the ion beam targets are composed of LiF, TiD.sub.1.5-1.8, TiT.sub.1-2, ErD.sub.1.5, ErT, or Li.