Abstract: A process apparatus includes a differential pumping device and a focused ion beam column. The differential pumping device includes a head which has a plurality of annular grooves formed in a surface thereof which faces a substrate to be processed. The annular grooves surround the center of the head. An orifice is formed inside an innermost one of the annular grooves and defines a processing space serving to achieve processing of a process surface of the substrate. A vacuum pump is connected to at least one of the annular grooves to suck gas from the one of the annular grooves with the surface of the head facing the processing surface of the substrate to create a high-level vacuum in the processing space. The focused ion beam column is equipped with a cylindrical chamber leading to the orifice in communication with the processing space. The chamber has disposed therein a focused ion beam optical system which works to emit a focused ion beam through the orifice.

Abstract: A focused energy beam apparatus includes a substrate support and a focused energy beam column equipped with a differential pumping device movable to a location facing an area of a process target surface of the substrate. The support supports a periphery of the substrate with a horizontal orientation. A positive pressure chamber is disposed below the substrate and exerts a positive pressure on the process target area to cancel deflection of the substrate arising from its own weight. A local depressurizing mechanism is arranged in the positive pressure chamber, out of contact with the substrate, and exerts a negative pressure on a lower surface of the substrate to cancel a suction force created by the differential pumping device. The local depressurizing mechanism is movable relative to the substrate following movement of the differential pumping device while facing the differential pumping device through the substrate.

Abstract: A differential pumping apparatus for creating a high vacuum inside a processing space includes a displacement drive unit configured to move a substrate to be processed or a head, to adjust parallelism and distance between a surface to be processed and a surface of the head. Gap measurement devices are placed at three or more locations along the periphery of the surface of the head to provide distance information. A gap control unit is configured to control the displacement drive unit in response to the distance information between the surface to be processed and the surface adapted to face the surface to be processed, so that the surface to be processed and the surface adapted to face the surface to be processed are parallel.

Abstract: A photo-aligning exposure device that performs a photo-aligning process by performing scanning exposure on an irradiated plane in one direction includes: a light source that emits scattering light toward the irradiated plane; an optical filter that selectively emits an ultraviolet ray out of the light emitted from the light source; and an irradiation angle restriction member that selectively emits light with which irradiation is diagonally performed with respect to the scanning direction out of the light emitted from the optical filter. The irradiation angle restriction member has a plurality of flat-plate-shaped light direction restriction plates slanted at a certain angle with respect to the irradiated plane and arrayed in parallel along the scanning direction at a predetermined distance.

Abstract: A laser irradiation device includes a light source for generating a laser beam, a projection lens for irradiating a prescribed region of an amorphous silicon thin film deposited on a substrate with the laser beam, and a projection mask pattern that is disposed on the projection lens and that includes a rectangular transmission region for transmitting the laser beam in a prescribed projection pattern; and is characterized in that a short side of the rectangular transmission region has a length that causes the irradiation energy of the laser beam passing through the projection mask pattern to become substantially uniform in the prescribed region.

Abstract: A laser irradiation device is provided with a light source that generates a laser beam, a projection lens that irradiates a prescribed region of an amorphous silicon thin film deposited on a substrate with the laser beam, and a projection mask pattern that is disposed on the projection lens and provided with a plurality of opening portions such that the prescribed region of the amorphous silicon thin film is irradiated with the laser beam; wherein the projection lens irradiates the prescribed region of the amorphous silicon thin film on the substrate moving in a prescribed direction with the laser beam through the projection mask pattern and the areas of at least neighboring opening portions in the projection mask pattern differ from each other in one row orthogonal to the movement direction.

Abstract: In a second direction (y direction) substantially orthogonal to a first direction (x direction), a distance between a light transmission region formed on a mask and an optical axis Ax is A times as long as a distance between an exposure pattern formed on a substrate W by light that passed through the light transmission region (A is a number that is equal to or greater than 1).

Abstract: A scanning exposure device includes a stage that supports a substrate, wherein a space is provided between a stage surface and the substrate; a light source unit that radiates light to a light irradiation area that extends in one direction above the substrate; and a scanning device that moves one or both of the stage and the light source unit relatively in a scanning direction that intersects the one direction. The scanning device is provided with an acceleration zone from a position in which the stage and the light source unit are at a standstill to a position in which the substrate supported by the stage enters the light irradiation area. The stage comprises a light shielding member that covers the space between the stage surface and the substrate at an end part of the stage.

Abstract: Polarized light emitted from a light source and transmitted through a light transmission region formed in a mask is radiated onto an exposure target object placed on a stage. The polarized light is radiated onto the exposure target object from a direction inclined by approximately 50° to approximately 70° in relation to a direction that is substantially orthogonal to a top surface of the stage.

Abstract: A laser irradiation apparatus includes a light source configured to generate a laser beam, a projection lens configured to irradiate a predetermined region of an amorphous silicon thin film deposited on each of a plurality of thin film transistors on a glass substrate with the laser beam, and a projection mask pattern provided on the projection lens and including a plurality of masks to which transmittances that are proportions of laser beams passing therethrough are set, wherein the projection lens irradiates the plurality of thin film transistors on the glass substrate moving in a predetermined direction with the laser beam via the plurality of masks included in the projection mask pattern, and each of the plurality of masks included in the projection mask pattern is set to any one of the plurality of transmittances.

Abstract: A scanning exposure device includes a stage that supports a substrate, wherein a space is provided between a stage surface and the substrate; a light source unit that radiates light to a light irradiation area that extends in one direction above the substrate; and a scanning device that moves one or both of the stage and the light source unit relatively in a scanning direction that intersects the one direction. The scanning device is provided with an acceleration zone from a position in which the stage and the light source unit are at a standstill to a position in which the substrate supported by the stage enters the light irradiation area. The stage comprises a light shielding member that covers the space between the stage surface and the substrate at an end part of the stage.

Abstract: An alignment correction method includes: the step of detecting coordinates of a first observation point 14 and a second observation point 15 set in advance on a substrate to be exposed 1 that is being scanned in a scanning direction A, in order to observe an alignment deviation of the substrate to be exposed 1; the step of computing a correction amount based on a deviation between the detected coordinates and a reference line set in advance according to the first observation point 14 and the second observation point 15; and the step of correcting alignment of a subsequent substrate to be exposed 1 based on the computed correction amount.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus and an optical member wherein impurities can be prevented from infiltrating between microlens arrays and a substrate, and microlenses can be prevented from being scratched by the impurities and by getting abnormally close to the substrate. Microlens arrays in which pluralities of microlenses are formed are arranged above a transparent substrate, and the microlens arrays are bonded and the end surfaces to a mask. Alignment mark supports are bonded to the mask at both sides of the microlens arrays, and alignment marks are formed in the surfaces of the alignment mark supports that face the substrate. The spaces between the alignment mark supports and the substrate are smaller than the spaces between the microlens arrays and the substrate.

Abstract: A photo-alignment exposure method divides each unit image area of a liquid crystal display into a plurality of divided areas and photo-aligns an alignment material film of each of the divided areas in mutually different directions. The method includes a first exposure process that radiates light at an inclined photo-irradiation angle onto an exposed surface of entire the unit image area; and a second exposure process that radiates light onto one area of the divided areas at an inclined photo-irradiation angle different from the photo-irradiation angle in the first exposure process. In the second exposure process, the light is radiated through a mask pattern corresponding to one area of the divided areas, and transmitted light of the mask pattern is condensed by condensing element and radiated onto the area.

Abstract: A photo-alignment exposure device that includes a first mask and a first exposure device that independently proximity-exposes a first divided area, a second mask and a second exposure device that independently proximity-exposes a second divided area adjacent to the first divided area, and a third mask and a third exposure device that exposes an area on a side of the first divided area near a boundary between the first divided area and the second divided area. The third exposure device is provided with a photo-irradiation angle same as that of the first exposure device or the second exposure device with respect to an exposed surface. A condensing element that condenses the mask transmitted light on the area on a side of the first divided area near the boundary is provided between the mask opening of the third mask and the exposed surface.

Abstract: An exposure method includes a step of moving a photomask by a predetermined distance and switching a first mask pattern group to a second mask pattern group when an exposure to a first exposure area on an object to be exposed by the first mask pattern group of the photomask formed by arranging the first and the second mask pattern groups corresponding to an exposure patterns at predetermined intervals in a conveying direction of the object to be exposed is completed, and a step of performing an exposure on the second exposure area on the object to be exposed by the second mask pattern group, in which a moving speed of the photomask is controlled so that a moving distance of the object to be exposed is longer than a moving distance of the photomask in a period of time when switching the first and the second mask pattern groups.

Abstract: A scanning exposure apparatus uses a plurality of microlens arrays to project a mask exposure pattern onto a substrate. A CCD line camera detects an image on the substrate at this time, and using a first-layer pattern on the substrate as a reference pattern, detects whether or not the mask exposure pattern matches the reference pattern. In a case in which the patterns do not match, the microlens array is tilted from a direction that is parallel to the substrate, and the mask exposure pattern is made to match the reference pattern by using the microlens array to adjust the exposure area on the substrate. When the exposure pattern deviates from the reference pattern, it is thereby possible to detect the deviation during exposure and to prevent an exposure pattern misregistration, thereby enhancing the precision of the exposure pattern in an overlay exposure.

Abstract: A photo-alignment exposure method divides each unit image area of a liquid crystal display into a plurality of divided areas and photo-aligns an alignment material film of each of the divided areas in mutually different directions. The method includes a first exposure process that radiates light at an inclined photo-irradiation angle onto an exposed surface of entire the unit image area; and a second exposure process that radiates light onto one area of the divided areas at an inclined photo-irradiation angle different from the photo-irradiation angle in the first exposure process. In the second exposure process, the light is radiated through a mask pattern corresponding to one area of the divided areas, and transmitted light of the mask pattern is condensed by condensing element and radiated onto the area.

Abstract: A photo-alignment exposure device that includes a first mask and a first exposure device that independently proximity-exposes a first divided area, a second mask and a second exposure device that independently proximity-exposes a second divided area adjacent to the first divided area, and a third mask and a third exposure device that exposes an area on a side of the first divided area near a boundary between the first divided area and the second divided area. The third exposure device is provided with a photo-irradiation angle same as that of the first exposure device or the second exposure device with respect to an exposed surface. A condensing element that condenses the mask transmitted light on the area on a side of the first divided area near the boundary is provided between the mask opening of the third mask and the exposed surface.

Abstract: A method for alignment processing including making a substrate 4, coated with an aligned film, closely face the photo mask 7 having a first mask pattern group having a plurality of elongated first openings formed at a fixed array pitch and a second mask pattern group provided in parallel with the first mask pattern group and having a plurality of elongated second openings formed at the same pitch as the array pitch of the first openings and moving the substrate in a direction crossing the first and second mask pattern groups, applying P polarizations with different incidence angles ? to the first and second mask pattern groups of the photo mask, and alternately forming, on the aligned film, first and second slit alignment regions in different aligned states.