PCGrate-S(X) release 6.4 32/64-bit is available   PCGrate-S(X) v. 6.4 32/64-bit series software with some changes and improvements in comparison with version 6.3 is available for release as from June 3. The PCGrate-S(X) v. 6.4 64-bit release allows to allocate a huge RAM and solve time- and memory-consuming problems with paralleling. The installer automatically detects if you have 64-bit operation sustem instralled and installs native 64-bit executable files and dynamic link libraries, otherwise 32-bit executable files and dynamic link libraries are installed. With PCGrate-S(X) v. 6.4 32/64-bit series software one can simulate effects of scattering in periodical and non-periodical structures having multilayer micro/nano-roughnesses of various nature, design variable-groove-depth (VGD) & variable-line-spaced (VLS) multi-section gratings, model gratings covered with very thin or/and thick layers having arbitrary profiled borders including real & non-function ones, calculate photonic crystals & aspherical gratings, and work with conical mountings & non-planar incident waves as well as with a general polarization state.   This version enables the calculations both multilayer resonance and small wavelength-to-period ratio cases at very high speed using two independent solvers based on the modified boundary integral equation method, i.e. Penetrating and Separating. The solvers have different behavior and mutually complementary capabilities for many difficult cases such as deep & shallow gratings & mirrors with very thin layers, grazing incidence, and photonic crystals.   PCGrate®-S(X) v. 6.4 32/64-bit has two series: S and SX; and each series have three types: PCGrate®-S(X) v. 6.4 GUI, PCGrate®-S(X) v. 6.4 XML and PCGrate®-S(X) v. 6.4 Complete. PCGrate®-S v. 6.4 series have the minimal value of the wavelength-to-period ratio λ/d of 0.02 and the maximal number of layers of the grating surface multilayer material of 20. PCGrate®-SX v. 6.4 series have the minimal value of the wavelength λ of 0.01 nm (there is no a restriction on wavelength-to-period ratios) and the maximal number of layers of the grating surface multilayer material of 10 000. The PCGrate-S(X) v. 6.4 XML and PCGrate-S(X) v. 6.4 Complete types make it possible to calculate the grating efficiency from the command line with input/output data in XML format. The PCGrate-S(X) v. 6.4 GUI and PCGrate-S(X) v. 6.4 Complete types make it possible to obtain the calculated data using the Graphical User Interface and work with the results including saving, coping, exporting, plotting, printing, etc. The type is determined by the HASP® SRM USB key, which is shipped with the product. Software has the same input and output formats as in v. 6.3.       Click here to download PCGrate DEMO v.6.4 Complete.

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Discounts are announced for updated PCGrate-S(X) v.6.3 software     The prices of all the types of software from PCGrate-S(X) v.6.3 series are cut down, on the average, by more than 21%. The price of updated PCGrate-S XML-type software is €3,499, GUI-type - €4,999, and Complete-type - €6,999. The price of updated PCGrate-SX XML-type software is €9,999, GUI-type - €13,999, and Complete-type - €19,999. We allow additional discounts for upgrading to higher program versions, series, and types.     This version enables the calculations both multilayer resonance and small wavelength-to-period ratio cases at very high speed using two independent solvers based on the modified boundary integral equation method, i.e. Penetrating and Separating. The solvers have different behavior and mutually complementary capabilities for many difficult cases such as deep & shallow randomly rough gratings & mirrors, very thin layers, grazing incidence, and photonic crystals.     PCGrate®-S v. 6.3 series have the minimal value of the wavelength-to-period ratio of 0.02 and the maximal number of layers of the grating surface multilayer material of 20. PCGrate®-SX v. 6.3 series have the minimal value of the wavelength of 0.01 nm (there is no a restriction on wavelength-to-period ratios) and the maximal number of layers of the grating surface multilayer material of 10 000. The PCGrate-S(X) v. 6.3 XML and PCGrate-S(X) v. 6.3 Complete types make it possible to calculate the grating efficiency from the command line with input/output data in XML format.  The PCGrate-S(X) v. 6.3 GUI and PCGrate-S(X) v. 6.3 Complete types make it possible to obtain the calculated data using the Graphical User Interface and work with the results including saving, coping, exporting, plotting, printing, etc.     Some improvements were made and some minor bugs were fixed in the updated version. Optimizations of the borders' checking for intersections lead to speeding-up calculations by many times. Software has the same input and output formats.     Click here to download PCGrate DEMO v.6.3 Complete.

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PCGrate-S(X) release 6.3 is available   New PCGrate-S(X) v.6.3 series with many principal changes and improvements in comparison with versions 6.1 and 6.2 is available for release as from November 24. With PCGrate-S(X) v. 6.3 series software one can simulate rigorously effects of scattering in periodical and non-periodical structures having multilayer micro/nano-roughnesses of various nature, design variable-groove-depth (VGD) & variable-line-spaced (VLS) multi-section gratings, model gratings covered with very thin or/and thick layers having arbitrary profiled borders including real & non-function ones, calculate photonic crystals & aspherical gratings, and work with conical mountings & non-planar incident waves including Gaussian ones as well as with a general polarization state.   This version enables the calculations both multilayer resonance and small wavelength-to-period ratio cases at very high speed using two independent solvers based on the modified boundary integral equation method, i.e. Penetrating and Separating. The solvers have different behavior and mutually complementary capabilities for many difficult cases such as deep & shallow gratings & mirrors with very thin layers, grazing incidence, and photonic crystals.   PCGrate®-S(X) v. 6.3 has two series: S and SX; and each series have three types: PCGrate®-S(X) v. 6.3 GUI, PCGrate®-S(X) v. 6.3 XML and PCGrate®-S(X) v. 6.3 Complete. PCGrate®-S v. 6.3 series have the minimal value of the wavelength-to-period ratio λ/d of 0.02 and the maximal number of layers of the grating surface multilayer material of 20. PCGrate®-SX v. 6.3 series have the minimal value of the wavelength λ of 0.01 nm (there is no a restriction on wavelength-to-period ratios) and the maximal number of layers of the grating surface multilayer material of 10 000. The PCGrate-S(X) v. 6.3 XML and PCGrate-S(X) v. 6.3 Complete types make it possible to calculate the grating efficiency from the command line with input/output data in XML format.  The PCGrate-S(X) v. 6.3 GUI and PCGrate-S(X) v. 6.3 Complete types make it possible to obtain the calculated data using the Graphical User Interface and work with the results including saving, coping, exporting, plotting, printing, etc. The type is determined by the HASP® HL USB key, which is shipped with the product.     Click here to download PCGrate DEMO v.6.3 Complete.

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PCGrate-S(X) v.6.1 & v.6.2 are updated for Vista SP1 & Server 2008     We issue an update of PCGrate-S(X) v.6.1 and v.6.2 series software for Microsoft® Windows® Vista SP1 and Server 2008. They work also for Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003. Some minor improvements are added to the installation packages of PCGrate-S(X) 6.1&6.2 and editions of the documentation (User's Guide and HTML Help) are issued.     Click here to download updated PCGrate Demo v.6.1 & v.6.2 Complete.

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Discounts are announced for PCGrate-S(X) v.6.1 software     The prices of all the types of software from PCGrate-S(X) v.6.1 Series are cut down, on the average, by more than 28%. The price of updated PCGrate-S XML-type software is €1,499, GUI-type - €2,499, and Complete-type - €3,499. The price of updated PCGrate-SX XML-type software is €3,499, GUI-type - €4,999, and Complete-type - €7,499. We allow additional discounts for upgrading to higher program versions, series, and types.     Click here to download PCGrate DEMO v.6.1 Complete.

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Discounts are announced for PCGrate-SX v.6.1 software     The prices of all the types of software from PCGrate-SX v.6.1 Series are cut down, on the average, by more than 30%. The price of updated PCGrate-SX XML-type software is €4,999, GUI-type - €7,499, and Complete-type - €9,999. All programs have a GUI-->XML converter of input data. We allow an additional discount for upgrading to any programs from PCGrate-S v.6.1 Series.     Click here to download PCGrate DEMO v.6.1 Complete.

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PCGrate-S(X) Series v.6.2 is updated for Vista     The installation procedure has been fully redesigned to correspond to Microsoft® Windows® Vista security requirements. You have to delete all previous PCGrate* v. 6.2 installations before installing the last release (the second edition updated 09.21.2007 for Vista - it works also for Windows 2000, Millennium, XP, and Server 2003). You may do it by using the Add/Remove Programs applet. This requirement is based on the ActiveX components registration and storing configurations settings in the registry. The installation package is an MSI-file.     Some improvements are added to the installation packages of PCGrate-S(X) 6.2 and an edition of the documentation (User's Guide and HTML Help) is issued. The updated PCGrate 6.2 Border Profile Editor has new randomization features to generate rough borders of any kinds including those having the Gaussian autocorrelation function. Two independent solvers, i.e. Penetrating and Separating, are included in PCGrate 6.2 packages to calculate multilayer gratings and mirrors, as well as multiple quantum dot (QD) ensembles, with most realistic border profiles having irregularities of any kinds including real ones. Click here to download updated PCGrate Demo v.6.2 Complete.

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PCGrate-S(X) Series v.6.1 is updated for Vista     The installation procedure has been fully redesigned to correspond to Microsoft® Windows® Vista security requirements. You have to delete all previous PCGrate* v. 6.1 installations before installing the last release (the forth edition updated 08.28.2007 for Vista - it works also for Windows 2000, Millennium, XP, and Server 2003). You may do it by using the Add/Remove Programs applet. This requirement is based on the ActiveX components registration and storing configurations settings in the registry. The installation package is an MSI-file. Nowadays MSI is the common format of installation packages for Windows operation systems. An MSI package is the database with instructions and files for the Windows Installer service. You may download the latest version of the Windows Installer from the Microsoft website.     Some improvements are added to the installation packages of PCGrate-S(X) 6.1 and an edition of the documentation (User's Guide and HTML Help) is issued. Two solvers for accounting random micro-/nano-roughness and/or interdiffusion using the Debye-Waller or Nevot-Croce amplitude factors are included in the packages. Click here to download updated PCGrate Demo v.6.1 Complete.

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Presentations at the 15th International Symposyum Nanostructures: Physics and Technology (Zh. Alferov and L. Esaki, co-chairs, Proceedings 2007, pp. 118-119), June 26 (Novosibirsk, Russia)     Determination of the structural properties of multiple quantum dot ensembles based on a rigorous X-ray specular and diffuse scattering analysis and comparison with measurements   L. I. Goray, G. E. Cirlin, E. Alves, Yu. B. Samsonenko, A. A. Tonkikh, N. K. Polyakov   and V. A. Egorov     ABSTRACT   Multiple and multi-wave diffraction, absorption, and resonances influence significantly X-ray scattering from multiple quantum dots (QDs), and these effects are taken into account by known theories only approximately. The present report dwells on application of a rigorous theoretical analyses of X-ray reflection from In(Ga)As/GaAs QD ensembles to the investigation of their structural properties. The angle dependences of diffuse scattering exhibit very strong peaks near the angles corresponding to specular reflection from the QD facets (the so-called blaze condition for gratings). These peaks exist at nearly the same diffraction angles for QDs with the equal slope angle; their intensities, however, may differ by a few times for vertically correlated and non-correlated QDs.   © 2007 Ioffe Institute     The presentation is published in Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute, St. Petersburg [ISBN 5-93634-022-8]. Click here to download the full text.

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Presentations at SPIE Europe Optical Metrology 2007, the Modeling Aspects of Optical Metrology Conference (H. Bosse, B. Bodermann, and R. M. Silver, eds., Proceedings of SPIE Vol. # 6617), June 19 (Munich, Germany)     Rigorous solution for electromagnetic scattering from multilayer structures having asperities of any kind in X-ray-EUV ranges   L. I. Goray     ABSTRACT   The rigorous integral equation method (viz MIM) in which the border structure is represented by a multilayer 1-D grating working at small wavelength-to-period ratios is used for taking into account electromagnetic scattering from different-types of nano-irregularities, such as periodical, random, self-organized, and their combinations. An example of the third type is multiple quantum dot (QD) ensembles and quantum molecules. The borders may contain a few or a large number of asperities of any kind. The program deals with a structure that is a grating from a mathematical point of view but that can model a rough surface if the groove spacing becomes large compared with the width (or correlation length) of asperities. This classical model for scattered light computation of bulk or few-border rough mirrors and gratings at visible and IR wavelengths is applied in PCGrate®-SX v.6.2 software based on the MIM to calculate multilayer structures in the X-ray-VUV range, which is a very difficult problem for any rigorous method, even for 1-D surfaces. Border profiles of most realistic types including real ones (e.g. AFM-measured) have both periodical and random components, and some ensemble averaging is required to obtain exact specular and nonspecular (diffuse) scattering intensities. The PCGrate results are compared with the data obtained by approximated approaches and measurements. Calculated intensities of scattering from gratings and rough mirrors as well as multiple QD structures can differ from those obtained for ideal and average border profiles or from approximations by a few percent up to a few orders of magnitude. The method can be applied both to forward computations of efficiencies over a wide range of angles and to fitting of the border metrological performance by comparing to measured data..   © 2007 SPIE     The paper is published in SPIE [DOI: 10.1117/12.726038]. Click here to download the full text.

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