A sheet material measurement system includes an optical system for identifying at least a first area of a moving sheet material suspected of including at least one defect. A terahertz (THz) system includes a THz generator for generating a THz beam and a THz detector and a scanner including a scanner head for positioning the THz system over the first area. A computing device is coupled to receive signals sensed by the THz detector after interacting with the first area. The computing device determines whether the first area is a metal-contaminated area including metal particles.

Analyzers and analyzer systems that include an analyzer for determining multiple label species, methods of using the analyzer and analyzer systems to analyze samples, are disclosed herein. The analyzer includes one or more sources of electromagnetic radiation to provide electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths within the excitation bands of one or more fluorophore species to an interrogation space that is translated through the sample to detect the presence or absence of molecules of different target analytes. The analyzer may also include one or more detectors configured to detect electromagnetic radiation emitted from the one or more fluorophore species. The analyzer for determining multiple target molecule species provided herein is useful for diagnostics because the concentration of multiple species of target molecules may be determined in a single sample and with a single system.

A method of irradiating a target with a high power density irradiation beam is described. The method can use an irradiation system configured to output an irradiation beam through a vacuum window. The irradiation beam is scanned repetitively back and forth between two angular orientations of the irradiation beam as the irradiation beam strikes and traverses the vacuum window. The target is moved as the irradiation beam is scanned. The irradiation beam and the target are aligned. The scanning of the irradiations beam and the moving of the target are synchronized to each other. The scanning of the irradiation beam prevents localized overheating of the vacuum window and allows the irradiation beam to have a power density that would damage the vacuum window if the irradiation beam were not scanned.

Angle-resolved reflectometers and reflectometry methods are provided, which comprise a coherent light source, an optical system arranged to scan a test pattern using a spot of coherent light from the light source to yield realizations of the light distribution in the collected pupil, wherein the spot covers a part of the test pattern and the scanning is carried out optically or mechanically according to a scanning pattern, and a processing unit arranged to generate a composite image of the collected pupil distribution by combining the pupil images. Metrology systems and methods are provided, which reduce diffraction errors by estimating, quantitatively, a functional dependency of measurement parameters on aperture sizes and deriving, from identified diffraction components of the functional dependency which relate to the aperture sizes, correction terms for the measurement parameters with respect to the measurement conditions.

A method of irradiating a target with a high power density irradiation beam is described. The method can use an irradiation system configured to output an irradiation beam through a vacuum window. The irradiation beam is scanned repetitively back and forth between two angular orientations of the irradiation beam as the irradiation beam strikes and traverses the vacuum window. The target is moved as the irradiation beam is scanned. The irradiation beam and the target are aligned. The scanning of the irradiations beam and the moving of the target are synchronized to each other. The scanning of the irradiation beam prevents localized overheating of the vacuum window and allows the irradiation beam to have a power density that would damage the vacuum window if the irradiation beam were not scanned.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel technology capable of evaluating a subsurface damaged layer without destroying a semiconductor substrate. As means for solving this object, the present invention includes a measurement step of causing laser light having penetration characteristics to be incident from a surface of a semiconductor substrate having a subsurface damaged layer under the surface and measuring an intensity of scattered light scattered under the surface, and an evaluation step of evaluating the subsurface damaged layer on the basis of the intensity of the scattered light obtained in the measurement step.

A dual-beam optomechanical steerer includes first and second rotators mounted to a two-axis gimbal system. Each rotator is adjustable to control the azimuthal and elevation angles at which an optical transmitter affixed to the rotator transmits a beam of light. Thus, the two-axis gimbal system orients two optical transmitters identically while the first and second rotators orient the two optical transmitters independently with respect to the two-axis gimbal system. Examples of each rotator include a tip-tilt stage, goniometer, and rotation stage. Alternatively, a deflector may be used instead of each rotator. Examples of the deflector include an acousto-optic deflector, translatable lens, and Risley prism. The dual-beam steerer may be used to perform remote gas detection with two separate optical beams.

The present invention relates to a measuring device having a structure for adjusting inclination of an observation surface of a sample with respect to a reference surface which is orthogonal to an optical axis of an objective lens, and the like. The measuring device includes a scanner, arranged on a propagation path of illumination light traveling from a light source toward the sample, configured to change an emission angle of the illumination light, and inclination information of the sample is obtained by associating a signal value of a detection signal for reflected light from the sample and the emission angle of the illumination light, while changing the emission angle of the illumination light by the scanner.

Angle-resolved reflectometers and reflectometry methods are provided, which comprise a coherent light source, an optical system arranged to scan a test pattern using a spot of coherent light from the light source to yield realizations of the light distribution in the collected pupil, wherein the spot covers a part of the test pattern and the scanning is carried out optically or mechanically according to a scanning pattern, and a processing unit arranged to generate a composite image of the collected pupil distribution by combining the pupil images. Metrology systems and methods are provided, which reduce diffraction errors by estimating, quantitatively, a functional dependency of measurement parameters on aperture sizes and deriving, from identified diffraction components of the functional dependency which relate to the aperture sizes, correction terms for the measurement parameters with respect to the measurement conditions.

Angle-resolved reflectometers and reflectometry methods are provided, which comprise a coherent light source, an optical system arranged to scan a test pattern using a spot of coherent light from the light source to yield realizations of the light distribution in the collected pupil, wherein the spot covers a part of the test pattern and the scanning is carried out optically or mechanically according to a scanning pattern, and a processing unit arranged to generate a composite image of the collected pupil distribution by combining the pupil images. Metrology systems and methods are provided, which reduce diffraction errors by estimating, quantitatively, a functional dependency of measurement parameters on aperture sizes and deriving, from identified diffraction components of the functional dependency which relate to the aperture sizes, correction terms for the measurement parameters with respect to the measurement conditions.