In a multi-color CARS microscope, it has been difficult to accurately bring optical axes of pump light and Stokes light into correspondence and to stably acquire a spectral signal.

Accordingly, in an optical analysis device, CARS light is generated from, a sample by using a residual component of the pump light introduced to an optical waveguide and the Stokes light generated in an optical waveguide.

An inspection system that may include an illumination module that may be configured to scan a sample during multiple scan iterations; wherein during each scan iteration the illumination module scans each beam of a plurality of spaced apart beams along a scan line; a mechanical stage that may be configured to move the sample during the multiple scan iterations; a detection module; and a processor; wherein when the inspection system operates in an interlaced mode, the mechanical stage may be configured to move at a first speed thereby preventing a substantial overlap between scan lines obtained during the multiple scan iterations; wherein when the inspection system operates in a non-interlaced mode: the mechanical stage may be configured to move at a second speed that differs from the first speed thereby introducing an overlap between scan lines of different beams that may be obtained during different scan iterations; the detection module may be configured to generate detection signals in response to a detection of radiation emitted from the sample as a result of each scan line; and wherein the processor may be configured to independently process detection signals relating to different scan lines.

An optical inspector includes a time varying beam reflector, a radiating source that irradiates the time varying beam reflector, a telecentric scan lens configured to direct the radiation reflected by the time varying beam reflector onto a first surface of a transparent sample, a first detector that receives at least a portion of top surface specular reflection, a second detector that receives at least a portion of the bottom surface specular reflection. A turning mirror may also be included. The turning mirror is a switchable mirror that can be adjusted to a first position where the turning mirror reflects the top and bottom surface specular reflection, and can be adjusted to a second position where the turning mirror does not reflect the top or the bottom surface specular reflection. A first and second polarizing element may also be included to detect additional types of defects on either surface.

A method for detecting defects includes directing a scanning beam to a location on a surface of a transparent sample, measuring top and bottom surface specular reflection intensity, and storing coordinate values of the first location and the top and bottom surface specular reflection intensity in a memory. The method may further include comparing the top surface specular reflection intensity measured at each location with a first threshold value, comparing the bottom surface specular reflection intensity measured at each location with a second threshold value, and determining if a defect is present at each location and on which surface the defect is present. The method may further include comparing the top surface specular reflection intensity measured at each location with a first intensity range, comparing the bottom surface specular reflection intensity measured at each location with a second intensity range, and determining on which surface the defect is present.

A detection device includes: a light source that emits, toward an object, light of a first wavelength band, and light of a second wavelength band that is less readily absorbed by water than the light of the first wavelength band; a polarization splitter that splits at least one of S-polarized light and P-polarized light from light that has been reflected or scattered at the object; a photoreceptor that receives light reflected or scattered at the object via the polarization splitter; and a control unit that determines a state of the object from information based on light received by the photoreceptor. The light emitted by the light source is random polarized light where the ratio of P-polarized light and S-polarized light is generally uniform.

A confocal chromatic device for inspecting the surface of an object such as a wafer, including a plurality of optical measurement channels with collection apertures arranged for collecting the light reflected by the object through a chromatic lens at a plurality of measurement points, the plurality of optical measurement channels including optical measurement channels with an intensity detector for measuring a total intensity of the collected light. A method is also provided for inspecting the surface of an object such as a wafer including tridimensional structures.

Provided is a system for observing an object that emits fluorescence when irradiated with excitation light. The system includes: a hole unit having holes on a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the objective lens to allow the excitation light to pass through the holes in a direction parallel to the optical axis; and an imaging unit including: an imaging lens configured to focus the fluorescence; a microlens array having microlenses arranged on a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the imaging lens; and an image sensor having pixels configured to: receive the fluorescence via the objective lens, at least one of the holes, and the microlens array, the fluorescence being emitted when the object is irradiated with the excitation light having passed through at least one of the holes and the objective lens; and output an image signal in accordance with an intensity of the received fluorescence.

Various embodiments for a multi-focal selective illumination microscopy (SIM) system for generating multi-focal patterns of a sample are disclosed. The multi-focal SIM system performs a focusing, scaling and summing operation on each generated multi-focal pattern in a sequence of multi-focal patterns that completely scan the sample to produce a high resolution composite image.

The present invention provides a light-field microscope including: an illumination optical system that radiates excitation light onto a sample; and a detection optical system including an objective lens that collects fluorescence generated in the sample as a result of the sample being irradiated with the excitation light by the illumination optical system, an image-acquisition element that acquires an image of the fluorescence collected by the objective lens, and a microlens array disposed between the image-acquisition element and the objective lens. The illumination optical system radiates a beam of the excitation light having a predetermined width in the optical-axis direction of the objective lens so as to include the focal plane of the objective lens onto the sample in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis.

A system for non-invasively interrogating an in vivo sample for measurement of analytes comprises a pulse sensor coupled to the in vivo sample for detect a blood pulse of the sample and for generating a corresponding pulse signal, a laser generator for generating a laser radiation having a wavelength, power and diameter, the laser radiation being directed toward the sample to elicit Raman signals, a laser controller adapted to activate the laser generator, a spectrometer situated to receive the Raman signals and to generate analyte spectral data; and a computing device coupled to the pulse sensor, laser controller and spectrometer which is adapted to correlate the spectral data with the pulse signal based on timing data received from the laser controller in order to isolate spectral components from analytes within the blood of the sample from spectral components from analytes arising from non-blood components of the sample.