116 results about "Zeroth order" patented technology

For angular resolved spectrometry a radiation beam is used having an illumination profile having four quadrants is used. The first and third quadrants are illuminated whereas the second and fourth quadrants aren't illuminated. The resulting pupil plane is thus also divided into four quadrants with only the zeroth order diffraction pattern appearing in the first and third quadrants and only the first order diffraction pattern appearing in the second and third quadrants.

A polarization-selective diffractive optical element includes a liquid crystal polymer film supported by a substrate. The liquid crystal polymer film includes an array of pixels, each pixel encoded with a fixed liquid crystal director such that each liquid crystal director is aligned in a common plane perpendicular to the liquid crystal polymer film and provides a predetermined pattern of out-of-plane tilts. A size of the pixels in the array and the predetermined pattern are selected such that the liquid crystal polymer film forms a phase hologram for diffracting light polarized parallel to said common plane and a zeroth order diffraction grating for light polarized perpendicular to the said common plane. The non-etched and flat phase hologram is suitable for a wide range of applications.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for detecting a thickness of a surficial layer (e.g., metal or insulating layer) on a workpiece (e.g., semiconductor wafer) during a process for planarizing the layer, so as to stop the process when a suitable process endpoint is reached. Layer thickness is detected based on a spectral-characteristic signal of reflected or transmitted signal light, obtained by directing a probe light onto the surface of the workpiece. Example spectral characteristics are local maxima and minima of signal-light waveform, differences or quotients of the same, a dispersion of the signal-light waveform, a component of a Fourier transform of the signal waveform, a cross-correlation function of the signal waveform. Alternatively, the zeroth order of signal light is selected for measurement, or a spatial coherence length of the probe light is compared with the degree of fineness of the pattern on the surface illuminated with the probe light. An optical model can be determined based on the comparison, and at least one of the layer thickness and the process endpoint is detected by comparing the measured signal-light intensity with the calculated theoretical signal light intensity.

The present invention is directed to a heterodyne reflectometer system and method for obtaining highly accurate phase shift information from heterodyned optical signals, from which extremely accurate film depths can be calculated. A linearly polarized light comprised of two linearly polarized components that are orthogonal to each other, with split optical frequencies, is directed toward a film causing one of the optical polarization components to lag behind the other due to an increase in the optical path in the film for that component. A pair of detectors receives the beam reflected from the film layer and produces a measurement signal, and the beam prior to incidence on the film layer and generates a reference signal, respectively. The measurement signal and reference signal are analyzed by a phase detector for phase shift. The detected phase shift is then fed into a thickness calculator for film thickness results. A grating interferometer may be included with the heterodyne reflectometer system with a grating, which diffracts the reflected beam into zeroth- and first-order bands, which are then detected by separate detectors. A detector receives the zeroth-order beam and generates another measurement signal. Another detector receives the first-order beam and generates a grating signal. The measurement signal from the grating and reference signal may be analyzed by a phase detector for phase shift, which is related to the thickness of the film. Conversely, either measurement signal may be analyzed with the grating signal by a phase detector for detecting a grating phase shift. The refractive index for the film may be calculated from grating phase shift and the heterodyne phase shift. The updated refractive index is then used for calculating thickness.

Apparatus is disclosed for steering a directional audio beam that is self-demodulated from an ultrasound carrier. The apparatus includes means for modulating a carrier signal with an audio signal and means for adjusting the amplitude and phase of at least one of the audio signal and/or the carrier signal to steer the audio beam to a desired direction. The apparatus also includes means for generating an ultrasound beam in the desired direction driven by the modulated carrier signal. The apparatus may include means for weighting the audio and/or carrier signal by a zeroth order Bessel function to synthesize a Bessel distribution source. A corresponding method for steering a directional audio beam is also disclosed. A harmonic generator may be used to generate harmonics of low frequencies in the audio signal. The harmonics may provide (upon demodulation) a psycho-acoustic impression of improved perception of low frequencies. Further, a modulated ultrasonic signal or an unmodulated audio signal may be band-passed into two or more different band-limited signals. The band-limited signals may be amplified and transmitted by ultrasonic transducers having mechanical resonance frequencies substantially equal to a characteristic frequency of the band-limited signals. Ultrasonic processing of the audio signal may include square root methods without generating large numbers of harmonics.

A diffractive display system and a method of collecting first order light beams from a diffractive display of the system utilize holographic optical elements (HOEs) to deflect one of two first order diffracted light beams that emerge from each diffracting pixel of the diffractive display, so that the first order diffracted light beams can be separated from the zeroth order light beams. The utilization of the HOEs allows the system to be implemented in a compact optical configuration, without sacrificing any portion of the first order diffracted light. In a first embodiment, the system includes three HOEs that have static diffracting properties that are optimized for red, green and blue lights. For each set of light beams from a diffracting pixel of the diffractive display, the HOEs are holographically configured to deflect only one of the two first order diffracted light beams, such that the deflected first order light beam propagates in the same direction as the other non-deflected first order light beam. In a second embodiment, the system includes three HOEs that have reconfigurable diffracting properties that are also optimized for red, green and blue lights. In a third embodiment, the system further includes a holographic color filter that is comprised of three reconfigurable HOEs to sequentially illuminate the diffractive display with each of the tristimulus color lights.

A reflective diffraction grating having grooves and ridges and providing high throughput efficiency in the minus-first diffraction order. All but the zeroth diffraction order and the minus-first diffraction order may be prevented from existence by directing the radiation onto the grating at an appropriate angle. The radiation having a TM polarization is eliminated from the zeroth order by destructive interference by appropriate selection of a the groove width of the grating, and radiation having a TE polarization is eliminated from the zeroth order by destructive interference by depositing an overcoat of an appropriate thickness. A dielectric material may be deposited in the grooves.

A linearly polarized light comprised of two linearly polarized components, orthogonal to each other and with split optical frequencies, is directed toward a film. A detector receives the beam prior to incidence on the film layer and generates a reference signal. The reflected beam is diffracted into zeroth- and first-order bands, which are then detected by separate detectors; a measurement signal is generated from the zeroth-order beam and a grating signal from the first-order beam. The zeroth-order beam's measurement signal and reference signal are analyzed by a phase detector for a heterodyne phase shift, and an accurate film thickness calculated from this phase shift by knowing a refractive index for the film. Additionally, the zeroth-order beam measurement signal is analyzed with the grating signal by a phase detector for detecting a grating phase shift induced by the grating. The refractive index for the film can then be calculated directly from grating phase shift and the heterodyne phase shift for the grating pitch, and the beam's wavelength and incidence angle on the film of the measurement apparatus. Using the refractive index and heterodyne phase shift, the film's thickness is determined for the apparatus. Conversely, the thickness of the film can be calculated independent of the refractive index, and without knowing the film's refractive index, directly from the grating phase shift and the heterodyne phase shift for the apparatus.

The invention relates to an external cavity tunable laser with dual beam outputs. The first laser cavity of the tunable laser comprises a first laser cavity mirror, a laser gain medium, an intracavity collimating lens, an active optical phase modulator, a tunable acousto-optic filter, a tunable Fabry-Perot tunable filter, a second reflection mirror all disposed inside a laser cavity sequentially, and a laser driver and control system. The laser cavity beam reflected by the first laser cavity mirror enters the tunable acousto-optic filter to generate a zeroth order diffracted beam as the first laser output beam. The laser cavity beam reflected by the second laser cavity mirror enters the tunable acousto-optic filter to generate a zeroth order diffracted beam as the second laser output beam. The tunable laser further comprises a wavelength locker outside the laser cavity. The second laser cavity of the tunable laser has a Fabry-Perot etalon disposed in the first laser cavity to further compress the spectrum width of the laser output beams. The invention is compact with high performance without mechanical moving parts, stable laser output, low cost for volume production and installation.

A light guide plate (30) has a light incident surface (305) for receiving light, a light emitting surface (301) for emitting light, a bottom surface (303) opposite to the light emitting surface, and side surfaces (307, 309, 311). A subwavelength grating (302) is formed on the light incident surface for diffracting the light. The subwavelength grating is a zeroth-order grating which covers a wide wavelength band and diffracts the light into zeroth-order waves. So that the light guide plate has a high light utilization efficiency and yields high uniformity of outgoing light.

An antenna device for a portable terminal includes: a ground pattern provided on one surface of a circuit board; a first antenna pattern configured to resonate at a first frequency band and provided on an opposite surface of the circuit board; and a second antenna pattern configured to resonate at a second frequency band different from the first frequency band and arranged along a periphery of the ground pattern. The second antenna pattern is a zeroth order mode resonator including a plurality of capacitors and a plurality of inductors. The antenna device easily secures the operation characteristics of different operation frequency bands and contributes to miniaturization of the portable terminal. Thus, a user can conveniently carry and use the portable terminal.

A diffusion sheet (23) of the present invention includes a light incident surface (231) having a subwavelength grating (233) formed thereat, and a light emitting surface (232) opposite to the light incident surface. When light beams propagate through the subwavelength grating, they are diffracted forward and backward, to form front diffraction waves and back diffraction waves. Because the subwavelength grating is a zeroth-order grating, it only propagates the zeroth-order diffraction waves. Therefore, based on diffraction theory, the back diffraction waves can be eliminated by adjusting the period T and the shape of the subwavelength grating. If this is done, almost all the incident light beams are transmitted through the incident surface. Thereby, the efficiency of light utilization is enhanced. Moreover, the light beams are diffracted and distributed uniformly. Accordingly, the diffusion sheet yields high uniformity of outgoing light emitted from the emitting surface.