Patents by Inventor Shigeru Hirukawa

Shigeru Hirukawa has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20190137886
    Abstract: An exposure method and apparatus for illuminating a pattern with an illumination system to expose a substrate through a projection system. The pattern is illuminated with illumination light with a light amount distribution in which an amount of light is larger in a pair of first areas and a pair of second areas than in an area other than the first and second areas on a pupil plane of the illumination system. The pair of the first areas being arranged outside an optical axis, the pair of the second areas being arranged on ten same straight line as the pair of the first areas are arranged on, and the pair of the second areas being arranged outside the pair of the first areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehito KUDO, Shigeru HIRUKAWA
  • Publication number: 20190011840
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus has a projection optical system having a last optical element disposed at an end portion of the projection optical system, a substrate stage having a holding portion on which a substrate is held, the substrate stage being movable in a plane perpendicular to a first axis direction parallel to an optical axis of the last optical element of the projection optical system, a liquid supply system which has supply ports arranged at different positions in the first direction, and a liquid recovery system which has recovery ports arranged at different positions in the first direction. The position of each liquid supply port of the liquid supply ports is arranged in the first axis direction with respect to the position of a respective liquid recovery port of the liquid recovery ports.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shigeru HIRUKAWA
  • Publication number: 20180364581
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with light via liquid includes a stage which holds the substrate and is movable relative to a projection system; and a liquid supply system which supplies liquid onto the substrate held on the stage to form a liquid immersion area on part of the substrate The stage includes a substrate holder arranged in a recess of the stage to hold the substrate inside the recess so that an upper surface of the substrate is substantially flush with an upper surface of the stage around the recess; a flow passage connected to an internal space of the recess to remove liquid from the internal space; and a sensor which receives light from the projection optical system and is arranged so that an upper surface of the sensor is substantially flush with the upper surface of the stage around the recess.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki NAGASAKA, Hiroaki TAKAIWA, Shigeru HIRUKAWA, Ryuichi HOSHIKA, Hitoshi ISHIZAWA
  • Publication number: 20180348653
    Abstract: A liquid immersion exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by irradiating an exposure beam on the substrate through liquid. The apparatus has a substrate stage which is provided with a substrate holding portion on which the substrate is held and is provided with a stage member having an upper surface. The upper surface of the stage member is provided adjacent to the upper surface of the held substrate with a gap between the held substrate and the stage member. A temperature adjustment system, a part of which is provided under the upper surface of the stage member, performs temperature adjustment for the stage member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoyuki KOBAYASHI, Soichi OWA, Shigeru HIRUKAWA, Yasuhiro OMURA
  • Patent number: 10088760
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus (EX) is an apparatus which exposes a substrate (P) by irradiating exposure light (EL) onto the substrate (P) via a projection optical system (PL) and a liquid (1). The exposure apparatus (EX) has a substrate table (PT) for holding the substrate (P), and a plate member (30) having a liquid repellent flat surface (30A) is replaceably provided to the substrate table (PT) to prevent the liquid from remaining, maintaining excellent exposure accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nagasaka, Hiroaki Takaiwa, Shigeru Hirukawa, Ryuichi Hoshika, Hitoshi Ishizawa
  • Patent number: 10082739
    Abstract: A liquid immersion exposure apparatus includes a projection system having a last element and a liquid supply system by which an immersion liquid is supplied to form a liquid immersion area under the projection system. The liquid supply system has a first supply port and a second supply port. A position of the first supply port is different from a position of the second supply port, and the liquid supply system is capable of supplying the immersion liquid having a first temperature via the first supply port and supplying the immersion liquid having a second temperature different from the first temperature via the second supply port. The liquid immersion area is formed to cover only a portion of an upper surface of the substrate, and the substrate is exposed with an exposure beam through the immersion liquid in the liquid immersion area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shigeru Hirukawa
  • Patent number: 10048602
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by irradiating exposure light on the substrate through liquid. The exposure apparatus has a substrate holder for holding the substrate, a substrate stage capable of moving the substrate held by the substrate holder, and a temperature adjusting system for adjusting the temperature of the substrate holder. The temperature of the substrate is controlled so that there is no difference in temperature between the substrate and the liquid, thereby preventing a reduction in exposure accuracy resulting from variation in temperature of the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoyuki Kobayashi, Soichi Owa, Shigeru Hirukawa, Yasuhiro Omura
  • Patent number: 9885959
    Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, a deflecting member arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, which deflects the illumination light, a lens element arranged in the optical path between the deflecting member and the optical integrator, which distributes the illumination light in a region, on a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus, away from an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus, and a polarization member arranged in the optical path between the lens element and the optical integrator, which changes a polarization state of the illumination light so that a polarization direction of the illumination light in the region is substantially coincident with a circumferential direction about the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehito Kudo, Shigeru Hirukawa
  • Patent number: 9857691
    Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, a deflecting member arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, which deflects the illumination light, a lens element arranged in the optical path between the deflecting member and the optical integrator, which distributes the illumination light in a region, on a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus, away from an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus, and a polarization member arranged in the optical path between the lens element and the optical integrator, which changes a polarization state of the illumination light so that a polarization direction of the illumination light in the region is substantially coincident with a circumferential direction about the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehito Kudo, Shigeru Hirukawa
  • Patent number: 9846371
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system by which the pattern image is projected onto the substrate, and a movable member which is movable relative to the projection optical system. A liquid-repellent member, at least a part of a surface of which is liquid-repellent, is provided detachably on the movable member, the liquid-repellent member being different from the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Soichi Owa, Nobutaka Magome, Shigeru Hirukawa, Yoshihiko Kudo, Jiro Inoue, Hirotaka Kohno, Masahiro Nei, Motokatsu Imai, Hiroyuki Nagasaka, Kenichi Shiraishi, Yasufumi Nishii, Hiroaki Takaiwa
  • Publication number: 20170329234
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system by which the pattern image is projected onto the substrate, and a movable member which is movable relative to the projection optical system. A liquid-repellent member, at least a part of a surface of which is liquid-repellent, is provided detachably on the movable member, the liquid-repellent member being different from the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Soichi OWA, Nobutaka MAGOME, Shigeru HIRUKAWA, Yoshihiko KUDO, Jiro INOUE, Hiroyuki NAGASAKA, Hirotaka KOHNO, Masahiro NEI, Motokatsu IMAI, Kenichi SHIRAISHI, Yasufumi NISHII, Hiroaki TAKAIWA
  • Patent number: 9785053
    Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, a deflecting member arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, which deflects the illumination light, a lens element arranged in the optical path between the deflecting member and the optical integrator, which distributes the illumination light in a region, on a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus, away from an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus, and a polarization member arranged in the optical path between the lens element and the optical integrator, which changes a polarization state of the illumination light so that a polarization direction of the illumination light in the region is substantially coincident with a circumferential direction about the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehito Kudo, Shigeru Hirukawa
  • Publication number: 20170248853
    Abstract: An exposure method and apparatus for illuminating a pattern with an illumination system to expose a substrate through a projection system. The pattern is illuminated with illumination light with a light amount distribution in which an amount of light is larger in a pair of first areas and a pair of second areas than in an area other than the first and second areas on a pupil plane of the illumination system. The pair of the first areas being arranged outside an optical axis, the pair of the second areas being arranged on ten same straight line as the pair of the first areas are arranged on, and the pair of the second areas being arranged outside the pair of the first areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehito KUDO, Shigeru HIRUKAWA
  • Patent number: 9684242
    Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, a deflecting member arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, which deflects the illumination light, a lens element arranged in the optical path between the deflecting member and the optical integrator, which distributes the illumination light in a region, on a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus, away from an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus, and a polarization member arranged in the optical path between the lens element and the optical integrator, which changes a polarization state of the illumination light so that a polarization direction of the illumination light in the region is substantially coincident with a circumferential direction about the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehito Kudo, Shigeru Hirukawa
  • Patent number: 9678437
    Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator, a polarization member arranged in an optical path of the illumination light on an incidence side of the optical integrator, which changes a polarization state of the illumination light, and a distribution changing member arranged in the optical path between the polarization member and the optical integrator, which can change a light amount distribution of the illumination light on a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus. The polarization member changes the polarization state of the illumination light so that a polarization direction of the illumination light, which is distributed away from an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus on the pupil plane, is substantially coincident with a circumferential direction about the optical axis on the pupil plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehito Kudo, Shigeru Hirukawa
  • Publication number: 20170146913
    Abstract: An exposure method and apparatus for illuminating a pattern with an illumination system to expose a substrate through a projection system. The pattern is illuminated with illumination light with a light amount distribution in which an amount of light is larger in a pair of first areas and a pair of second areas than in an area other than the first and second areas on a pupil plane of the illumination system. The pair of the first areas being arranged outside an optical axis, the pair of the second areas being arranged on ten same straight line as the pair of the first areas are arranged on, and the pair of the second areas being arranged outside the pair of the first areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehito KUDO, Shigeru HIRUKAWA
  • Patent number: 9625825
    Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator, a polarization member arranged in an optical path of the illumination light on an incidence side of the optical integrator, which changes a polarization state of the illumination light, and a distribution changing member arranged in the optical path between the polarization member and the optical integrator, which can change a light amount distribution of the illumination light on a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus. The polarization member changes the polarization state of the illumination light so that a polarization direction of the illumination light, which is distributed away from an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus on the pupil plane, is substantially coincident with a circumferential direction about the optical axis on the pupil plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehito Kudo, Shigeru Hirukawa
  • Patent number: 9625826
    Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, a deflecting member arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, which deflects the illumination light, a lens element arranged in the optical path between the deflecting member and the optical integrator, which distributes the illumination light in a region, on a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus, away from an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus, and a polarization member arranged in the optical path between the lens element and the optical integrator, which changes a polarization state of the illumination light so that a polarization direction of the illumination light in the region is substantially coincident with a circumferential direction about the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehito Kudo, Shigeru Hirukawa
  • Patent number: 9588432
    Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, a deflecting member arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, which deflects the illumination light, a lens element arranged in the optical path between the deflecting member and the optical integrator, which distributes the illumination light in a region, on a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus, away from an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus, and a polarization member arranged in the optical path between the lens element and the optical integrator, which changes a polarization state of the illumination light so that a polarization direction of the illumination light in the region is substantially coincident with a circumferential direction about the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehito Kudo, Shigeru Hirukawa
  • Publication number: 20170003599
    Abstract: A liquid immersion exposure apparatus includes a projection system having a last element and a liquid supply system by which an immersion liquid is supplied to form a liquid immersion area under the projection system. The liquid supply system has a first supply port and a second supply port. A position of the first supply port is different from a position of the second supply port, and the liquid supply system is capable of supplying the immersion liquid having a first temperature via the first supply port and supplying the immersion liquid having a second temperature different from the first temperature via the second supply port. The liquid immersion area is formed to cover only a portion of an upper surface of the substrate, and the substrate is exposed with an exposure beam through the immersion liquid in the liquid immersion area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shigeru HIRUKAWA