This disclosure relates to an apparatus and methods for applying X-ray reflectometry (XRR) in characterizing three dimensional nanostructures supported on a flat substrate with a miniscule sampling area and a thickness in nanometers. In particular, this disclosure is targeted for addressing the difficulties encountered when XRR is applied to samples with intricate nanostructures along all three directions, e.g. arrays of nanostructured poles or shafts. Convergent X-ray with long wavelength, greater than that from a copper anode of 0.154 nm and less than twice of the characteristic dimensions along the film thickness direction, is preferably used with appropriate collimations on both incident and detection arms to enable the XRR for measurements of samples with limited sample area and scattering volumes.

Methods and systems for measuring structural and material characteristics of semiconductor structures based on wavelength resolved, soft x-ray reflectometry (WR-SXR) at multiple diffraction orders are presented. WR-SXR measurements are simultaneous, high throughput measurements over multiple diffraction orders with broad spectral width. The availability of wavelength resolved signal information at each of the multiple diffraction orders improves measurement accuracy and throughput. Each non-zero diffraction order includes multiple measurement points, each different measurement point associated with a different wavelength. In some embodiments, WR-SXR measurements are performed with x-ray radiation energy in a range of 10-5,000 electron volts at grazing angles of incidence in a range of 1-45 degrees. In some embodiments, the illumination beam is controlled to have relatively high divergence in one direction and relatively low divergence in a second direction, orthogonal to the first direction. In some embodiments, multiple detectors are employed, each detecting different diffraction orders.

An X-ray collimator (30) that comprises: a collimator body (31) comprising: a collimation conduit (32) provided with an inlet (320), configured to be connected to an X-ray source (20) for the inlet of a beam (B) of X-rays, and an outlet (321), configured to emit a collimated portion (B1) of the X-ray beam (B); and a derivation conduit (33) inclined with respect to the collimation conduit (32), wherein the derivation conduit (33) is provided with an inlet (330), configured to be connected to the X-ray source (20) for the inlet of a peripheral portion (B2) of the same X-ray beam (B) emitted by the source (20), and an outlet (331); a reference detector (40) fixed to the collimator body (31) and provided with an inlet window (41) facing the outlet (331) of the derivation conduit (33).

A spectrometer includes a crystal analyzer having a radius of curvature that defines a Rowland circle, a sample stage configured to support a sample such that the sample is offset from the Rowland circle, an x-ray source configured to emit unfocused x-rays toward the sample stage, and a position-sensitive detector that is tangent to the Rowland circle. A method performed via a spectrometer includes emitting, via an x-ray source, unfocused x-rays toward a sample that is mounted on a sample stage such that the sample is offset from the Rowland Circle, thereby causing the sample to emit x-rays that impinge on the crystal analyzer or transmit a portion of the unfocused x-rays to impinge on the crystal analyzer; scattering, via the crystal analyzer, the x-rays that impinge on the crystal analyzer; and detecting the scattered x-rays via a position-sensitive detector that is tangent to the Rowland circle.

The present disclosure provides a substance identification device and a substance identification method. The substance identification device comprises: a classifier establishing unit configured to establish a classifier based on scattering density values reconstructed for a plurality of known sample materials, wherein the classifier comprises a plurality of feature regions corresponding to a plurality of characteristic parameters for the plurality of known sample materials, respectively; and an identification unit for a material to be tested, configured to match the characteristic parameter of the material to be tested with the classifier, and to identify a type of the material to be tested by obtaining a feature region corresponding to the characteristic parameter of the material to be tested.

To shorten a waiting time for a belongings inspection, the present invention provides an inspection system 10 including: an electromagnetic wave transmission/reception unit 11 that irradiates an electromagnetic wave having a wavelength of equal to or more than 30 micrometers and equal to or less than one meter, and receives a reflection wave; a detection unit 12 that performs detection processing of detecting an abnormal state, based on a signal of the reflection wave; a decision unit 13 that decides, for an inspection target person from which the abnormal state is detected, whether to perform a secondary inspection at a place or perform a secondary inspection later; and a registration unit 16 that registers, in association with a result of the detection processing, identification information about the inspection target person decided that a secondary inspection is performed later.

Methods and systems for determining one or more characteristics of light in an optical system are provided. One system includes first detector(s) configured to detect light having one or more wavelengths shorter than 190 nm emitted from a light source at one or more first angles mutually exclusive of one or more second angles at which the light is collected from the light source by an optical system for illumination of a specimen and to generate first output responsive to the light detected by the first detector(s). In addition, the system includes a control subsystem configured for determining one or more characteristics of the light at one or more planes in the optical system based on the first output.

A magnetic field sensing system may include a first magnetic field sensing element; a second magnetic field sensing element; means for generating a first magnetic field having a first non-zero frequency; means for generating a second magnetic field having a second frequency; a conductive target positioned to generate a reflected magnetic field in response to the first magnetic field; means for producing a first signal representing the first magnetic field and the reflected magnetic field during a first alternating time period; means for producing a second signal representing the second magnetic field during a second alternating time period; means for calculating an error value as a function of the first and second signals, wherein the error value is based, at least in part, on the second signal during the first time period; and means for applying the error value to the first signal during the first alternating time period.

This disclosure relates to an apparatus and methods for applying X-ray reflectometry (XRR) in characterizing three dimensional nanostructures supported on a flat substrate with a miniscule sampling area and a thickness in nanometers. In particular, this disclosure is targeted for addressing the difficulties encountered when XRR is applied to samples with intricate nanostructures along all three directions, e.g. arrays of nanostructured poles or shafts. Convergent X-ray with long wavelength, greater than that from a copper anode of 0.154 nm and less than twice of the characteristic dimensions along the film thickness direction, is preferably used with appropriate collimations on both incident and detection arms to enable the XRR for measurements of samples with limited sample area and scattering volumes. In one embodiment, the incident angle of the long-wavelength focused X-ray is 24, and the sample area is 25 m25 m.

A method for monitoring property changes in a composite material structure includes: transmitting a radio-frequency (RF) signal towards the composite material structure using a millimeter-wave radar sensor embedded in the composite material structure; receiving a reflected signal from the composite material structure using the millimeter-wave radar sensor; processing the reflected signal; and determining a property change in the composite material structure based on processing the reflected signal.