Patents Assigned to Nikon Corporation
  • Patent number: 11921436
    Abstract: A lithography system is provided with: a measurement device measuring position information of marks on a substrate held in a first stage; and an exposure apparatus on a second stage, the substrate for which the position information measurement for the marks has been completed, performs alignment measurement to measure position information for part of marks selected from among the marks on the substrate, and performs exposure. The measurement device measures position information of marks on the substrate to obtain higher-degree components of correction amounts of an arrangement of divided areas, and the exposure apparatus measures position information of a small number of marks on the substrate to obtain lower-degree components of the correction amounts of the arrangement of the divided areas and exposes the plurality of divided areas while controlling the position of the substrate by using the obtained lower-degree components and the higher-degree components obtained by the measurement device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuichi Shibazaki
  • Patent number: 11921025
    Abstract: A slurry analysis system (14) for estimating a first characteristic of a slurry (12) having a plurality of particles (18) suspended in a dispersion medium (20) can include a slurry filter (40) that filters the slurry (12); and a control system (26) that estimates the first characteristic of the slurry (12) using a flow rate of a filtrate (50) through the slurry filter (40) and a slurry filtration pressure of the slurry (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Nagata, Ting-Chien Teng, Yohei Konishi, Kiyoshi Nozaki
  • Patent number: 11914125
    Abstract: A first lens group (G1) having positive refractive power, a second lens group (G2) having negative refractive power, a third lens group (G3) having positive refractive power, a fourth lens group (G4) having negative refractive power, and a fifth lens group (G5) having positive refractive power are arranged in order from an object, and zooming is performed by changing distances between each lens group, and the first lens group (G1) is composed of three or more lenses, the fourth lens group (G4) is composed of two or less lenses, and the fifth lens group (G5) is composed of two or less lenses and moves to an image surface side upon zooming from a wide angle end state to a telephoto end state, and the following conditional expression (1) is satisfied. 8.40<f1/(?f2)??(1) where, f1 denotes a focal length of the first lens group (G1), and f2 denotes a focal length of the second lens group (G2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Suzuki, Kenji Ishida, Saburo Masugi
  • Patent number: 11917310
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a first pixel having a first photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts light to generate a charge, a first accumulation unit that accumulates the charge generated by the first photoelectric conversion unit, and a first output unit that is connected to the first accumulation unit; a second pixel having a second photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts light to generate a charge, a second accumulation unit that accumulates the charge generated by the second photoelectric conversion unit, and a second output unit that is connected to and disconnected from the second accumulation unit via a second connection unit; and an adjustment unit that adjusts capacitances of the first accumulation unit and the second accumulation unit if a signal based on the charges generated by the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit is output from the first output unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shigeru Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11917292
    Abstract: A focus detection device includes: an imaging unit having a first and second pixel each of which receives light transmitted through an optical system and outputs signal used for focus detection, and a third pixel which receives light transmitted through the optical system and outputs signal used for image generation; an input unit to which information regarding the optical system is input; a selection unit that selects one of the first and second pixel based on the information to the input unit; a readout unit that reads out the signal from one of the first and second pixel based on a selection result at a timing different from reading out the signal from the third pixel to be read out; and a focus detection unit that performs the focus detection based on at least one of the signals of the first and second pixel read out by the readout unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sinsuke Sambongi, Akira Kinoshita, Yuki Kita
  • Patent number: 11911844
    Abstract: A shaping apparatus is equipped with: a beam shaping system having a beam irradiation section that includes a condensing optical system which emits a beam and a material processing section which supplies a shaping material irradiated by the beam from the beam irradiation section; and a controller which, on the basis of 3D data of a three-dimensional shaped object to be formed on a target surface, controls a workpiece movement system and the beam shaping system such that a target portion on the target surface is shaped by supplying the shaping material from the material processing section while moving the beam from the beam irradiation section and the target surface on a workpiece (or a table) relative to each other. Further the intensity distribution of the beam in the shaping plane facing the emitting surface of the condensing optical system can be modified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuichi Shibazaki
  • Patent number: 11915961
    Abstract: A measurement system used in a manufacturing line for micro-devices includes: a plurality of measurement devices in which each device performs measurement processing on a substrate; and a carrying system to perform delivery of a substrate with the plurality of measurement devices. The plurality of measurement devices includes a first measurement device that acquires position information on a plurality of marks formed on a substrate, and a second measurement device that acquires position information on a plurality of marks formed on a substrate. Position information on a plurality of marks formed on a substrate can be acquired under a setting of a first predetermined condition in the first measurement device, and position information on a plurality of marks formed on another substrate can be acquired under a setting of a second predetermined condition different from the first predetermined condition in the second measurement device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Go Ichinose, Tomonori Dosho
  • Publication number: 20240061394
    Abstract: The problem of addressing vibrational disturbances in mechanical positioning systems is addressed by systems and methods that use a combination of active vibration dampening and passive vibration dampening. A system described herein generally comprises a mechanical positioning system; a payload; and a vibration dampening module coupled to the mechanical position system and to the payload. The vibration dampening module generally comprises an active vibration dampener and/or a passive vibration dampener.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Matthew Parker-McCormick Bjork
  • Publication number: 20240064246
    Abstract: An electronic device includes: a communication unit that performs communication with an external device; and a control unit that issues a command to the external device via the communication unit, on the basis of at least one of capacity of the external device, and capacity of the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuhiro FUJINAWA, Setsu MITSUHASHI, Masakazu SEKIGUCHI, Takashi KURIYAMA, Hiroto NAGAMINE, Masami TAKEMOTO, Motoki TOYAMA
  • Patent number: 11910118
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a first photoelectric conversion unit that converts light incident through a first opening to an electric charge, a second photoelectric conversion unit that converts light incident through a second opening which is smaller than the first opening to an electric charge, and a signal output wiring that outputs a first signal generated by the electric charge converted by the first photoelectric conversion unit and a second signal generated by the electric charge converted by the second photoelectric conversion unit. The second photoelectric conversion unit is disposed between the second opening and the signal output wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hironobu Murata
  • Patent number: 11910113
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a first photoelectric conversion unit that photoelectrically converts light to generate an electric charge; a first output unit that outputs a first signal based on the electric charge generated by the first photoelectric conversion unit; a plurality of second photoelectric conversion units that photoelectrically convert light to generate electric charges; a plurality of second output units that output second signals based on the electric charges generated by the second photoelectric conversion units; an output line to which the first output unit and the plurality of second output units are connected, and from which at least one of the first signal and the second signals is output; a first control line for controlling the output of the first signal from the first output unit; and second control lines for controlling the outputs of the second signals from the plurality of second output units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryoji Ando, Toru Takagi, Shutaro Kato, Yoshiyuki Watanabe, Takashi Seo
  • Patent number: 11906431
    Abstract: A microscope apparatus including: an illumination optical system that radiates activation light to activate some of fluorescent materials included in a sample and excitation light to excite at least some of the activated fluorescent materials; an image forming optical system that: has an objective lens and an astigmatic optical system that generates astigmatism to at least part of fluorescence from the fluorescent materials; and forms an image of the fluorescence; an image-capturing unit that captures an image formed by the image forming optical system; a drive unit that moves an image-capturing position in the sample along an optical axis-direction of the objective lens; and a control unit, wherein the control unit causes the image-capturing unit to capture images in a plurality of numbers of frames respectively at a first image-capturing position and at a second image-capturing position different from the first image-capturing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ichiro Sase, Yasutoshi Kaneko, Tatsuo Fukui
  • Patent number: 11905000
    Abstract: A flying device includes a flight unit; and a flight control unit that performs, in a case where a flight position by the flight unit is out of a predetermined range, a control that is different from a control in a case where the flight position is within the predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuki Ohata, Takanori Shioda, Marie Shimoyama, Toru Kijima, Shinichi Miyauchi, Sho Nakamura, Ryo Tsubata, Masaki Kaneko
  • Patent number: 11906716
    Abstract: A zoom optical system includes a plurality of lens groups, and upon zooming distances between adjacent lens groups change. The zoom optical system has a focusing lens group that moves upon focusing and an image-side lens group disposed adjacent to an image side of the focusing lens group. The zoom optical system satisfies the conditional expression 0.000<dL0t/dL1t<1.000, where dL0t denotes a distance on an optical axis between the focusing lens group and the image-side lens group upon focusing on an infinity object in a telephoto end state, and dL1t denotes a distance on the optical axis between the focusing lens group and the image-side lens group upon focusing on a short-distance object in the telephoto end state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Kosuke Machida, Osamu Gomibuchi, Kenichi Kitano, Mizuki Wayu, Tsuneo Watanabe, Makoto Horikoshi, Ichiro Imaei
  • Publication number: 20240053572
    Abstract: To provide a small-sized voice coil motor, the voice coil motor includes a first yoke and a second yoke each having a length in a first direction, a third yoke that has a length in the first direction and is disposed between the first yoke and the second yoke, a first magnet disposed on the first yoke, a second magnet disposed on the second yoke, and a coil that is penetrated by the third yoke and is movable in the first direction by magnetic forces of the first magnet and the second magnet, wherein the coil includes a first section in which a winding wire is linearly wound and a second section in which the wiring wire is wound in an arc shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Azusa MUTO, Kazutoshi USUI
  • Publication number: 20240056681
    Abstract: A lens barrel of the invention includes: an imaging optical system including a focus adjustment lens; a driver that drives the focus adjustment lens in a direction of an optical axis; a transceiver that transmits and receives a signal to and from a camera body; and a controller that controls the transceiver to repeatedly transmit a first image plane transfer coefficient which is determined in correspondence with a position of the focus adjustment lens included in the imaging optical system and a second image plane transfer coefficient which does not depend on the position of the focus adjustment lens to the camera body at a predetermined interval, and, when the controller repeatedly transmits the second image plane transfer coefficient to the camera body, the controller varies the second image plane transfer coefficient over time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2023
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroyuki TOMITA
  • Patent number: 11899372
    Abstract: An optical device includes a plurality of laser light sources, an output module having an optical modulator, and a time divider that is disposed between the plurality of laser light sources and the output module and that is configured to divide laser beams emitted from the plurality of laser light sources in time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushi Mizuno, Masaki Kato
  • Patent number: 11899189
    Abstract: Comprising, in order from an object side: a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having negative refractive power, a third lens group having positive refractive power, a fourth lens group having positive refractive power, and a fifth lens group having negative refractive power; upon varying a magnification, the first lens group being fixed with respect to the image plane, and each distance between the neighboring lens groups being varied; upon focusing, at least a portion of the fourth lens group being moved; and predetermined conditional expression(s) being satisfied, thereby variations in various aberrations upon varying magnification being superbly suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoki Ito
  • Patent number: 11899371
    Abstract: A catoptric system having a reference axis and first, second, and third reflectors. The first reflector contains a pattern-source carrying a substantially one-dimensional pattern. A combination of the second and third reflectors is configured to form an optical image of the pattern, with a demagnification coefficient N>1 in extreme UV light, and with only two beams of light that have originated at the first reflector as a result of irradiation of the first reflector with light incident upon it. An exposure apparatus employing the catoptric system and method of device manufacturing with the use of the exposure apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Gene Smith, David M. Williamson
  • Patent number: 11902663
    Abstract: An electronic device is configured to send positional information to an external device configured to set the positional information to data, the electronic device includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire positional information; and a sender unit configured to send information to the external device, wherein the sender unit is configured to send the external device a command not to set positional information received from the electronic device in a case where a mode not allowing the external device to set positional information to data is chosen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naotaka Yamashita, Yuka Ono