A curved mirrored surface is used to collect radiation scattered by a sample surface and originating from a normal illumination beam and an oblique illumination beam. The collected radiation is focused to a detector. Scattered radiation originating from the normal and oblique illumination beams may be distinguished by employing radiation at two different wavelengths, by intentionally introducing an offset between the spots illuminated by the two beams or by switching the normal and oblique illumination beams on and off alternately. Beam position error caused by change in sample height may be corrected by detecting specular reflection of an oblique illumination beam and changing the direction of illumination in response thereto. Butterfly-shaped spatial filters may be used in conjunction with curved mirror radiation collectors to restrict detection to certain azimuthal angles.

Sample inspection system

A method and an apparatus for an optical inspection of an object (12), having upper (12A) and lower (12B) faces, so as to detect defects existing on the object. First and second beams (118A, 130A) of an incident radiation are produced and directed onto the object. A light component (140) of the first incident beam, which is reflected from one face of the object, and a light component (142) of the second incident beam, which is transmitted through the upper and lower faces of the object, are simultaneously sensed. First and second images, formed, respectively by reflected and transmitted light components are acquired and analyzed so as to provide data indicative of the defects.

Optical inspection method and apparatus

Surfactants (e.g., fluorosurfactants) for stabilizing aqueous or hydrocarbon droplets in a fluorophilic continuous phase are presented. In some embodiments, fluorosurfactants include a fluorophilic tail soluble in a fluorophilic (e.g., fluorocarbon) continuous phase, and a headgroup soluble in either an aqueous phase or a lipophilic (e.g., hydrocarbon) phase. The combination of a fluorophilic tail and a headgroup may be chosen so as to create a surfactant with a suitable geometry for forming stabilized reverse emulsion droplets having a disperse aqueous or lipophilic phase in a continuous, fluorophilic phase. In some embodiments, the headgroup is preferably non-ionic and can prevent or limit the adsorption of molecules at the interface between the surfactant and the discontinuous phase. This configuration can allow the droplet to serve, for example, as a reaction site for certain chemical and/or biological reactions. In another embodiment, aqueous droplets are stabilized in a fluorocarbon phase at least in part by the electrostatic attraction of two oppositely charged or polar components, one of which is at least partially soluble in the dispersed phase, the other at least partially soluble in the continuous phase. One component may provide colloidal stability of the emulsion, and the other may prevent the adsorption of biomolecules at the interface between a component and the discontinuous phase. Advantageously, surfactants and surfactant combinations of the invention may provide sufficient stabilization against coalescence of droplets, without interfering with processes that can be carried out inside the droplets.

Fluorocarbon emulsion stabilizing surfactants

Substrate inspection apparatus and methods, and illumination apparatus. The inspection apparatus and method includes memory for storing the desired features of the surface of the substrate, focussed illuminator for substantially uniformly illuminating a region of the surface of the substrate to be inspected. Additionally there is a sensor for imaging the region of the substrate illuminated by the illuminator, and a comparator responsive to the memory and sensor for comparing the imaged region of the substrate with the stored desired features of the substrate. The illumination apparatus is designed to provide substantially uniform focussed illumination along a narrow linear region. This apparatus includes first, second and third reflectors elliptically cylindrical in shape, each with its long axis substantially parallel to the long axes of each of the others. Fourth and fifth reflectors are also included with each being flat and mounted parallel to each other and at opposite ends of each of said first, second and third reflectors, and first, second and third linear light sources each mounted parallel to a corresponding one of said first, second and third reflectors with each of the light sources mounted so that it is at the first focus of the corresponding reflector and the illuminated linear region is at the second focus of each of the first, second and third reflectors.

Method and apparatus for optical inspection of substrates

A light beam is directed towards a surface along a direction normal to the surface. The surface is caused to move so that the beam scans the surface along a spiral path. An ellipsoidal mirror is placed with its axis along the surface normal to collect light scattered by the surface and any anomalies at the surface at collection angles away from the surface normal. In some applications, a lens arrangement with its axis along the surface normal is also used to collect the light scattered by the surface and any anomalies. The light scattered by the mirror and lenses may be directed to the same or different detectors. Preferably light scattered by the surface within a first range of collection angles from the axis is detected by a first detector and light scattered by the surface within a second range of collection angles from the axis is detected by a second detector. The two ranges of collection angles are different, with one detector optimized to detect scattering from large particles and defects and the other detector optimized to detect light from small particles and defects.

Process and assembly for non-destructive surface inspections

A method is provided for inspecting defects in the surface of an object to be inspected, wherein oblique lighting and perpendicular lighting are alternately applied to a location where a defect or a foreign substance possibly exists. Brightness detected in the location under the application of oblique lighting is evaluated as a foreign substance so as to be discriminated from a defect. Defects are classified through shape recognition of a defect pattern obtained under the application of perpendicular lighting.

Method of inspecting microscopic surface defects

A synthetic lubricant comprising a compound represented by the following general formula (I): ##STR1## wherein Rf and Rf' represent a fluorine-containing polyoxyalkylene group, X and X' a polar group, Y of one or more selected from the group consisting of methylane, ethylene, propylene, oxygen, ketone, imino, sulfon and sulfur or no atom or group, and n an integer of 0 to 5, and a magnetic recording medium coated with this lubricant.

Synthetic lubricant for lubricating thin film and magnetic recording medium

A latch mechanism, especially for use in a disk drive, includes a locking arm that rotates about a pivot and engages a slot on the moving member that is to be locked, such as a head-arm. In a fixed coil embodiment, a permanent magnet is attached to an inboard end of the locking arm within the windings of a coil. Ferrous elements are mounted between the coil and the pivot of the locking arm. The ferrous elements attract the permanent magnet to hold the locking arm securely in either a latching or an unlatching state. When the coil is energized, poles are induced in the ferrous elements such that one repels the permanent magnet away from its then current state into the opposite state, while the other ferrous element attracts the permanent magnet to the other state. The magnetic field of the coil simultaneously applies a pure torque to the locking arm. This torque rotates the locking arm so that the arm changes to its other state. In a moving coil embodiment, the coil and ferrous elements are attached to the inboard end of the locking arm, and fixed permanent magnets are mounted in a housing or yoke on either side of the coil. No external power is necessary to hold the locking arm in either the latched or unlatched state. The state of the locking arm is determined by the last direction of electric current flow in the coil.

Power loss actuated magnetic latch system for head-arm assembly

A magnetic recording device comprises a magnetic disk having a magnetic recording layer formed on a substrate, a slider, a magnetic core attached to the slider, and a magnetic head adapted to be brought into contact with and separated from the surface of the magnetic disk. In this magnetic recording device, the magnetic recording layer of the magnetic disk is made of a Co-based alloy and the slider of the magnetic head has stabilized zirconia as the main phase thereof.

Magnetic head having a stabilized zirconia slider

A head positioning system for a magnetic disk drive includes an actuator arm that is mounted on a pivot bearing so that the axis of rotation of the arm passes through the center of mass of the arm. A Faraday-type motor using a single coil applies a force couple to the arm at a location offset from the center of mass of the arm with a constant moment arm. The offset force couple creates a pure torque about the axis of rotation of the arm (that is, about the pivot bearing) in order to substantially eliminate reaction forces on the bearing; this greatly lessens wear on the bearing and in turn reduces the non-repeatable run-out error of the read/write head mounted at the end of the arm. Various arrangements of permanent magnets and motor windings are provided to create the force couple. Furthermore, in certain embodiments, yokes are included to increase the magnetic field strength of the motor, thus increasing its power and reducing magnetic leakage and the risk of disturbing the data stored in the magnetic disk medium.

Juro Endo

Papers

Method of inspecting microscopic surface defects

Synthetic lubricant for lubricating thin film and magnetic recording medium

Power loss actuated magnetic latch system for head-arm assembly

Magnetic head having a stabilized zirconia slider

Minimum bearing load, high precision actuator arm with force couple actuation