Abstract:
Disclosed are laterally compact ellipsometer, polarimeter, reflectometer and the like material system investigating systems, and methods for their use. Input and output optical elements effect changes in orientation, (propagation direction), of a beam of electromagnetic radiation caused to pass therethrough by an essentially total internal reflection therein. In addition, a propagation direction diverted beam of electromagnetic radiation can be simultaneously, optionally, caused to have a phase retardation entered between orthogonal polarization components thereof by at least one of the input and output optical elements. The present invention enables relatively simple investigation of a sample system with a polarized beam of electromagnetic radiation which impinges thereupon at a less than Brewster Angle, small "spot" size effecting angle-of-incidence, with respect to a normal to a surface of an investigated material system.
Abstract:
Disclosed is an electromagnetic beam directing system and method which enables changing the direction of propagation of a spectroscopic beam of electromagnetic radiation while maintaining significant sensitivity of both (PSI) and (DELTA) ellipsometric parameters to changes in surfaces of monitored sample systems, while minimizing sensitivity to changes in electromagnetic beam directing means orientation.
Abstract:
An Echelle polychromator 50 has disposed upstream thereof a pre-monochromator 14 comprising a prism 20. The linear dispersion of the pre-monochromator 14 is variable by varying the angular dispersion of the prism 20. A particular spectral position and the close vicinity thereof are analyzed by an Echelle grating 54 with high resolution. Care must be taken that, on the one hand, the detector array 66 of the Echelle polychromator 50 is fully exploited in response to the central wavelength respectively observed and that, on the other hand, interfering orders are kept away from the Echelle polychromator 50. The linear dispersion of the pre-monochromator is variable for this purpose.
Abstract:
Apparatus for isotopic analysis of hydrogen comprises a low pressure chamber into which a sample of hydrogen is introduced and then exposed to an electrical discharge to excite the electrons of the hydrogen atoms to higher energy states and thereby cause the emission of light on the return to lower energy states, a Fresnel prism made at least in part of a material anomalously dispersive to the wavelengths of interest for dispersing the emitted light, and a photodiode array for receiving the dispersed light. The light emitted by the sample is filtered to pass only the desired wavelengths, such as one of the lines of the Balmer series for hydrogen, the wavelengths of which differ slightly from one isotope to another. The output of the photodiode array is processed to determine the relative amounts of each isotope present in the sample. Additionally, the sample itself may be recovered using a metal hydride.
Abstract:
Light is examined utilizing a wide slit and a dispersion means such as a prism to produce two pairs of diverging beams separated by an intermediate converging beam of white light. The light emerging from the dispersion means impinges upon a narrow slit situated between the dispersion means and a point at which the intermediate beam of white light converges. In a monochrometer, the first pair of diverging beams comprise red and yellow rays and emanate from one side of the dispersion means and the second pair of diverging beams comprises blue and violet rays and emanate from the other side of the dispersion means. A narrow slit located between the dispersion means and a point at which the intermediate white beam converges passes rays of a single color, either red, yellow, blue or violet, to a second dispersion means and light emerging from the second dispersion means impinges upon a means for measuring the dispersion of rays passing through the narrow slit with respect to a reference point. In the spectrometer, a narrow slit having a sufficient width to pass red and yellow rays while blocking blue and violet rays and vice versa is located between a dispersion means and a measuring means. The measured displacement of the rays provides a signature for the source of light illuminating the wide slit.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for monitoring optical radiation which, in a preferred embodiment, takes the form of a biologically weighted ultraviolet radiant energy monitor which provides a direct indication of the hazards to humans from the ultraviolet radiant energy emanating from the optical radiation source being monitored. The source of radiation is first spectrally dispersed by passage through a suitable prism or diffraction grating. Portions of the spectrally dispersed radiation are mechanically masked in accordance with a predetermined biological weighting. The subsequent weighted output from the mechanical mask is then fed to a suitable detector. In the various embodiments of the ultraviolet hazard monitor, a quartz prism or diffraction grating spectrograph is utilized to spectrally disperse the incident radiation spatially and a plate coated with sodium salicylate or other suitable converter is placed in the exit plane of the spectrograph. The sodium salicylate plate fluoresces in the blue in response to incident ultraviolet radiation. The intensity of the biologically weighted blue light may then be conveniently and readily detected by a blue sensitive detector to provide an immediate readout of the potential ultraviolet radiation hazard from the unknown optical source.
Abstract:
The use of an optical fiber for providing a point source of radiation at the entrance of a spectrometer obviates the necessity for an entrance slit at the input end of the device. Improved optical imaging at decreased expense is achieved.
Abstract:
Light is disbursed such that its wave length components are displaced approximately as a linear function of wave length by subtracting deviation which is non-linear in one manner from deviation which is non-linear in another manner. By altering degree of deviation and by selecting the manner of non-linearity in deviation, a composite deviation results which when graphed against wave length appears as an undulation about a straight line of relatively high slope. The graph crosses the straight line at one point more than the number of non-linear deviation curves that are contained in composite graph when the composite is formed by alternate addition and subtraction of such deviation. The method may be practiced by arranging a number of prisms in series so that deviation is alternately added and subtracted. Prism composition is changed to achieve different non-linear characteristics.
Abstract:
This compact monochromator employs two concave collimating mirrors of different sizes mounted off-axis adjacent one another edge-to-edge in such a manner that the central ray of the larger dispersed light collimating mirror makes a larger acute angle relatively to the entrance face of the dispersing prism array than the central ray of the incident-light collimating mirror makes thereto. This insures that the collimating mirrors cover the full aperture of the dispersing prism array yet at the same time obtains the most compact monochromator housing. Incident light from a light source is transmitted through an entrance slit at one side of the monochromator and reflected by an incidentlight reflector to the smaller incident-light collimating mirror, whereas dispersed light from the larger dispersed-light collimating mirror is reflected by a dispersed-light reflector through an exit slit at the opposite side of the monochromator.