A polarized Raman Spectrometric system for defining parameters of a polycrystaline material, the system comprises a polarized Raman Spectrometric apparatus, a computer-controlled sample stage for positioning a sample at different locations, and a computer comprising a processor and an associated memory. The polarized Raman Spectrometric apparatus generates signal(s) from either small sized spots at multiple locations on a sample or from an elongated line-shaped points on the sample, and the processor analyzes the signal(s) to define the parameters of said polycrystalline material.

The invention discloses a Trace Microanalysis Microscope System for high throughput screening. A multimodal imaging sensor arrangement acquires color, multispectral, hyperspectral and multi-directional polarized imaging, independently and in combinations thereof. In one aspect of this disclosure, the multimodal acquisition is combined with a plurality of sample illumination modes, further expanding the dimensionality of the generated data. In another aspect of this invention, machine learning-based methods combining and comparing a- priori data with the acquired multimodal data space, provide unique identifiers for the composition of the analyzed target objects. In yet another aspect of this invention, projection mapping of the identified compositional features navigates secondary sampling for subsequent analyses.

The invention discloses a Trace Microanalysis Microscope System for high throughput screening. A multimodal imaging sensor arrangement acquires color, multispectral, hyperspectral and multi-directional polarized imaging, independently and in combinations thereof. In one aspect of this disclosure, the multimodal acquisition is combined with a plurality of sample illumination modes, further expanding the dimensionality of the generated data. In another aspect of this invention, machine learning-based methods combining and comparing a- priori data with the acquired multimodal data space, provide unique identifiers for the composition of the analyzed target objects. In yet another aspect of this invention, projection mapping of the identified compositional features navigates secondary sampling for subsequent analyses.

An optical light reflectance measurement system above an imaging member surface measures fountain solution surface light reflectance interference on reflective substrate portions of the imaging member surface in real-time during a printing operation. The measured light reflectance interference corresponds to a thickness of the fountain solution layer and may be used in a feedback loop to actively control fountain solution layer thickness by adjusting the volumetric feed rate of fountain solution added onto the imaging member surface during a printing operation to reach a desired uniform thickness for the printing. This fountain solution monitoring system may be fully automated.

Methods for determining suitability of a silicon substrate for epitaxy and/or for determining slip resistance during epitaxy and post-epitaxy thermal treatment are disclosed. The methods involve evaluating different substrates of the epitaxial wafers by imaging the wafer by infrared depolarization. An infrared depolarization parameter is generated for each epitaxial wafer. The parameters may be compared to determine which substrates are well-suited for epitaxial and/or post-epi heat treatments.

A method and device for measuring the profile of the surface of a flat object of unknown materials, including an interferometry measuring system, ellipsometry measuring system, beam splitter for splitting a light beam of a light source into an interferometry light beam and an ellipsometry light beam, and an analysis unit designed to ascertain the profile height in the measured region on the object surface from an analysis beam analyzed in a detector unit of the interferometry measuring system and a sensor beam received in an ellipsometry sensor. The interferometry measuring system includes a beam divider, reference mirror, and the detector unit, and the ellipsometry measuring system includes a polarizer for polarizing an ellipsometry light beam and transmitting same onto the measuring region on the object surface as well as the ellipsometry sensor, which includes a polarization filter in order to determine the polarization state of a received sensor beam.

The invention relates to a method for measuring a multilayered substrate (1, 1′, 1″), particularly with at least one structure (7, 7′, 7″, 7′″, 7.sup.IV, 7.sup.V) with critical dimensions, particularly with a surface structure (7, 7′, 7″, 7′″, 7.sup.IV, 7.sup.V) with critical dimensions, characterized in that the method has at least the following steps, particularly the following procedure:

producing (110) the substrate (1, 1′, 1″) with a plurality of layers (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6′, 6″), particularly with a structure (7, 7′, 7″, 7′″, 7.sup.IV, 7.sup.V), particularly with a structure (7, 7′, 7″, 7″′, 7.sup.IV, 7.sup.V) on a surface (6o, 6′o, 6″o) of an uppermost layer (6, 6′, 6″), wherein the dimensions of the layers and in particular the structures are known,

measuring (120) the substrate (1, 1′, 1″), and in particular the structure (7, 7′, 7″, 7′″, 71.sup.IV, 7.sup.V)) using at least one measuring technology,

creating (130) a simulation of the substrate using the measurement results from the measurement of the substrate (1, 1′, 1″),

comparing (140) the measurement results with simulation results from the simulation of the substrate (1, 1′, 1″),

optimizing the simulation (130) and renewed creation (130) of a simulation of the substrate using the measurement results from the measurement of the substrate (1, 1′, 1″), in the event that there is a deviation of the measurement results from the simulation results, or calculating (150) parameters of further substrates, in the event that the measurement results correspond to the simulation results.

Methods and systems for characterizing dimensions and material properties of semiconductor devices by transmission small angle x-ray scatterometry (TSAXS) systems having relatively small tool footprint are described herein. The methods and systems described herein enable Q space resolution adequate for metrology of semiconductor structures with reduced optical path length. In general, the x-ray beam is focused closer to the wafer surface for relatively small targets and closer to the detector for relatively large targets. In some embodiments, a high resolution detector with small point spread function (PSF) is employed to mitigate detector PSF limits on achievable Q resolution. In some embodiments, the detector locates an incident photon with sub-pixel accuracy by determining the centroid of a cloud of electrons stimulated by the photon conversion event. In some embodiments, the detector resolves one or more x-ray photon energies in addition to location of incidence.

Embodiments described herein generally relate to: sensing and/or authentication using luminescence imaging; diagnostic assays, systems, and related methods; temporal thermal sensing and related methods; and/or to emissive species, such as those excitable by white light, and related systems and methods.

A system for imaging, including a source of coherent light; a polarization state generator for generating polarized optical photons from the light originating in the source of coherent light; a sample environment; a polarization state analyzer for permitting photons having a desired polarization to interact with a detector; and an imaging unit for generating an image based on the interactions of the photons with the detector. The sample environment includes a plurality of electromagnets, each connected to one or more power supply components; and a controller, connected to the electromagnets and including software for generating and controlling a desired magnetic field created by each of the electromagnets in concert with each other.