1151 results about "Interferometry" patented technology

Apparatus, method, logic arrangement and storage medium are provided for increasing the sensitivity in the detection of optical coherence tomography and low coherence interferometry (“LCI”) signals by detecting a parallel set of spectral bands, each band being a unique combination of optical frequencies. The LCI broad bandwidth source can be split into N spectral bands. The N spectral bands can be individually detected and processed to provide an increase in the signal-to-noise ratio by a factor of N. Each spectral band may be detected by a separate photo detector and amplified. For each spectral band, the signal can be band p3 filtered around the signal band by analog electronics and digitized, or, alternatively, the signal may be digitized and band pass filtered in software. As a consequence, the shot noise contribution to the signal is likely reduced by a factor equal to the number of spectral bands, while the signal amplitude can remain the same. The reduction of the shot noise increases the dynamic range and sensitivity of the system.

A pulsed light source in used conjunction with a ramping scanning mechanism for phase-shift and vertical-scanning interferometry. The pulse length and the scanning velocity are selected such that a minimal change in OPD occurs during the pulse. As long as the duration of the pulse is shorter than the detector's integration time, the effective integration time and the corresponding phase shift are determined by the length of the pulse, rather than the detector's characteristics. The resulting minimal phase shift produces negligible loss of fringe modulation, thereby greatly improving signal utilization during phase-shifting and vertical-scanning interferometry.

An integrated optical sensor, using low coherence interferometry, is capable of determining analyte concentration in a material sample based on absorption, scattering and polarization. The sensor includes one or more light collectors, with each collector having a separation distance from the region where the sample is illuminated by the source. The light backscattered from the sample is combined with reference arm light at the same optical path length for each light collector. The intensity of interference may be correlated with the concentration of an analyte in the material, for example the glucose concentration in a turbid medium like skin. The sensor operation can be based on fiber optics technology, integrated optics, or a combination of these. The operation is such that the spectrally resolved scattering and absorption coefficients can be measured simultaneously. In addition, the operation of the sensor can be synchronized with other sensors, for example temperature, pressure, or heartrate.

Apparatus and methods are provided for analyzing surface characteristics of a test object using broadband scanning interferometry. Test objects amenable to these apparatus and methods include but are not limited to semiconductor wafers, semiconductor devices, metallic surfaces, and the like. An interferometry system is used to obtain an interferometry signal and related to data embodied in the signal representative of the test object surface. This signal and/or data is used to construct an n-dimensional function that includes an independent frequency variable and an independent time variable, and/or an n-dimensional function that includes an independent scale variable and an independent time variable, and/or a multi-domain function. These functions are compared with various models to obtain a best match that is then used to characterize the test object surface.

A method and an arrangement are provided for scalable confocal interferometry for distance measurement, for 3-D detection of an object, for OC tomography with an object imaging interferometer and at least one light source. The interferometer has an optical path difference not equal to zero at each optically detected object element. Thus, the maxima of a sinusoidal frequency wavelet, associated with each detected object element, each have a frequency difference Δf_Objekt. At least one spectrally integrally detecting, rastered detector is arranged to record the object. The light source preferably has a frequency comb, and the frequency comb differences Δf_Quelle are changed in a predefined manner over time in a scan during measuring. In the process, the frequency differences Δf_Quelle are made equal to the frequency difference Δf_Objekt or equal to an integer multiple of the frequency differences Δf_Objekt at least once for each object element.

A ultra high speed photonic Analog to Digital Converted (ADC) for sampling and quantizing an electrical voltage signal, internally enabled by photonics uses coherent optical detection architectures for photonic quantization. Coherent light is phase modulated by the test signal. Using an interferometer, or an array of interferometers the phase of modulated light is compared with a reference light. Flash ADC, successive approximation ADC and delta-sigma ADC configurations are presented.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for improving optical sensing of a plasma process through the use of a fiber optic sensor placed within a standard showerhead hole of a standard gas showerhead positioned in an upper electrode of a plasma system during the plasma processing of a substrate. A film property can be calculated based on the measured plasma emission from the surface of the substrate. The film property can be film deposition rate, refractive index, film thickness, etc. Based on the measured film property, the plasma processing of the substrate can be adjusted and/or terminated. In addition, a window is provided that is positioned in the upper electrode assembly for viewing the plasma emission through the standard showerhead hole.

An eye examination system is presented that obtains several parameters of the eye. A system according to some embodiments of the present invention include a keratometry system, a low coherence reflectometry system, and a low coherence interferometry system co-coupled to the eye. In some embodiments, the low coherence interferometry system can provide interferometric tomography data. A processor can be coupled to receive data from the keratometry system, the low coherence reflectometry system, and the low coherence interferometry system and calculate at least one parameter of the eye from that data.

Apparatus and method for increasing the sensitivity in the detection of optical coherence tomography and low coherence interferometry (“LCI”) signals by detecting a parallel set of spectral bands, each band being a unique combination of optical frequencies. The LCI broad bandwidth source is split into N spectral bands. The N spectral bands are individually detected and processed to provide an increase in the signal-to-noise ratio by a factor of N. Each spectral band is detected by a separate photo detector and amplified. For each spectral band the signal is band pass filtered around the signal band by analog electronics and digitized, or, alternatively, the signal may be digitized and band pass filtered in software. As a consequence, the shot noise contribution to the signal is reduced by a factor equal to the number of spectral bands. The signal remains the same. The reduction of the shot noise increases the dynamic range and sensitivity of the system.

The magnetic tape device includes a TMR head (reproducing head); and a magnetic tape including a magnetic layer including ferromagnetic hexagonal ferrite powder, a binding agent, and fatty acid ester, in which an XRD intensity ratio obtained by an X-ray diffraction analysis of the magnetic layer by using an In-Plane method is 0.5 to 4.0, a vertical direction squareness ratio is 0.65 to 1.00, Ra measured regarding a surface of the magnetic layer is equal to or smaller than 2.0 nm, full widths at half maximum of spacing distribution measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the magnetic layer before and after performing a vacuum heating with respect to the magnetic tape are greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 7.0 nm, and a difference between spacings before and after the vacuum heating is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 8.0 nm.

The magnetic tape has a magnetic layer and a backcoat layer, wherein, each of the magnetic layer and backcoat layer contains a fatty acid ester, the Ra measured on the magnetic layer side surface is less than or equal to 2.8 nm, the difference between the spacing measured by optical interferometry on the magnetic layer side surface after and before vacuum heating is greater than 0 nm but less than or equal to 8.0 nm, the FWHM_before on the backcoat layer side surface is greater than 0 nm but less than or equal to 10.0 nm, the FWHM_after on the backcoat layer side surface is greater than 0 nm but less than or equal to 10.0 nm; and the difference between the spacing measured on the backcoat layer side surface after and before vacuum heating is greater than 0 nm but less than or equal to 8.0 nm.

Provided is a magnetic tape with the total thickness of a non-magnetic and magnetic layers is equal to or smaller than 0.60 μm, a C—H derived C concentration calculated from a C—H peak area ratio of C1s spectra by ESCA on the surface of the magnetic layer at a photoelectron take-off angle of 10 degrees is equal to or greater than 45 atom %, full widths at half maximum of spacing distribution measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the magnetic layer before and after vacuum heating with respect to the magnetic tape are respectively greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 7.0 nm, and a difference between a spacing measured after the vacuum heating and a spacing measured before the vacuum heating is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 8.0 nm.

Provided is a magnetic tape in which a thickness of a back coating layer is equal to or smaller than 0.20 μm, a C—H derived C concentration calculated from a C—H peak area ratio of C1s spectra obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis performed on the surface of the back coating layer at a photoelectron take-off angle of 10 degrees, is equal to or greater than 35 atom %, full widths at half maximum of spacing distribution measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the back coating layer before and after performing a vacuum heating with respect to the magnetic tape are respectively greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 10.0 nm, and a difference between a spacing measured after performing the vacuum heating and a spacing measured before performing the vacuum heating is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 8.0 nm.

Provided is a magnetic tape in which the total thickness of a non-magnetic layer and a magnetic layer is equal to or smaller than 0.60 μm, the magnetic layer includes a timing-based servo pattern, the magnetic layer includes fatty acid ester, a full width at half maximum of spacing distribution measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the magnetic layer before performing vacuum heating with respect to the magnetic tape is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 7.0 nm, a full width at half maximum of spacing distribution measured after performing the vacuum heating is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 7.0 nm, and a difference between a spacing measured after performing the vacuum heating and a spacing measured before performing the vacuum heating is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 8.0 nm.