Patents by Inventor Yasuhiro Omura
Yasuhiro Omura 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).
-
Patent number: 9316921Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 1, 2013Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Naoyuki Kobayashi, Soichi Owa, Shigeru Hirukawa, Yasuhiro Omura
-
Patent number: 9310696Abstract: An immersion projection optical system having, for example, a catadioptric and off-axis structure, reduces the portion of an image space filled with liquid (immersion liquid). The projection optical system, which projects a reduced image of a first plane onto a second plane through the liquid, includes a refractive optical element (Lp) arranged nearest to the second plane. The refractive optical element includes a light emitting surface (Lpb) shaped to be substantially symmetric with respect to two axial directions (XY-axes) perpendicular to each other on the second plane. The light emitting surface has a central axis (Lpba) that substantially coincides with a central axis (40a) of a circle (40) corresponding to a circumference of a light entering surface (Lpa) of the refractive optical element. The central axis of the light emitting surface is decentered in one of the two axial directions (Y-axis) from an optical axis (AX).Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2014Date of Patent: April 12, 2016Assignee: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Yasuhiro Omura, Takaya Okada, Hiroyuki Nagasaka
-
Patent number: 9086635Abstract: A catadioptric projection optical system includes a plurality of lenses which are arranged between a first plane on which the pattern is arranged and a second plane on which the substrate is arranged. Two mirrors are arranged in an optical path of the light beam between the plurality of lenses and the second plane. A dioptric optical system is arranged in an optical path of the light beam between the two mirrors and the second plane the dioptric optical system forming the image of the pattern onto the second plane by the light beam from the two mirrors. The dioptric optical system includes a first negative lens and a second negative lens, the second negative lens being adjacent to the first negative lens along the single optical axis.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2009Date of Patent: July 21, 2015Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventor: Yasuhiro Omura
-
Patent number: 9081295Abstract: A catadioptric projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective. The projection objective includes a first objective part that includes one or more refractive optical elements to image the pattern provided in the object plane into a first intermediate image, a second objective part that consists of reflective optical elements including at least one concave mirror to image the first intermediate image into a second intermediate image, and a third objective part that includes one or more refractive optical elements to image the second intermediate imaging onto the image plane. The projection objective includes at lease one double asphere having a first aspheric surface and a second aspheric surface immediately adjacent to the first aspheric surface, the double asphere being formed by facing adjacent aspheric surfaces of two consecutive lenses.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2011Date of Patent: July 14, 2015Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventor: Yasuhiro Omura
-
Publication number: 20150029482Abstract: An immersion projection optical system having, for example, a catadioptric and off-axis structure, reduces the portion of an image space filled with liquid (immersion liquid). The projection optical system, which projects a reduced image of a first plane onto a second plane through the liquid, includes a refractive optical element (Lp) arranged nearest to the second plane. The refractive optical element includes a light emitting surface (Lpb) shaped to be substantially symmetric with respect to two axial directions (XY-axes) perpendicular to each other on the second plane. The light emitting surface has a central axis (Lpba) that substantially coincides with a central axis (40a) of a circle (40) corresponding to a circumference of a light entering surface (Lpa) of the refractive optical element. The central axis of the light emitting surface is decentered in one of the two axial directions (Y-axis) from an optical axis (AX).Type: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2014Publication date: January 29, 2015Inventors: Yasuhiro OMURA, Takaya OKADA, Hiroyuki NAGASAKA
-
Publication number: 20150029476Abstract: An immersion projection optical system having, for example, a catadioptric and off-axis structure, reduces the portion of an image space filled with liquid (immersion liquid). The projection optical system, which projects a reduced image of a first plane onto a second plane through the liquid, includes a refractive optical element (Lp) arranged nearest to the second plane. The refractive optical element includes a light emitting surface (Lpb) shaped to be substantially symmetric with respect to two axial directions (XY-axes) perpendicular to each other on the second plane. The light emitting surface has a central axis (Lpba) that substantially coincides with a central axis (40a) of a circle (40) corresponding to a circumference of a light entering surface (Lpa) of the refractive optical element. The central axis of the light emitting surface is decentered in one of the two axial directions (Y-axis) from an optical axis (AX).Type: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2014Publication date: January 29, 2015Inventors: Yasuhiro OMURA, Takaya OKADA, Hiroyuki NAGASAKA
-
Patent number: 8854601Abstract: An immersion projection optical system having, for example, a catadioptric and off-axis structure, reduces the portion of an image space filled with liquid (immersion liquid). The projection optical system, which projects a reduced image of a first plane onto a second plane through the liquid, includes a refractive optical element (Lp) arranged nearest to the second plane. The refractive optical element includes a light emitting surface (Lpb) shaped to be substantially symmetric with respect to two axial directions (XY-axes) perpendicular to each other on the second plane. The light emitting surface has a central axis (Lpba) that substantially coincides with a central axis (40a) of a circle (40) corresponding to a circumference of a light entering surface (Lpa) of the refractive optical element. The central axis of the light emitting surface is decentered in one of the two axial directions (Y-axis) from an optical axis (AX).Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2011Date of Patent: October 7, 2014Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Yasuhiro Omura, Takaya Okada, Hiroyuki Nagasaka
-
Publication number: 20140211182Abstract: A projection objective includes at least four curved mirrors, which include a first curved mirror that is a most optically forward mirror and a second curved mirror that is a second most optically forward mirror, as defined along a light path. In addition, an intermediate lens element is disposed physically between the first and second mirrors, the intermediate lens element being a single pass type lens. The objective forms an image with a numerical aperture of at least substantially 1.0 in immersion.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2014Publication date: July 31, 2014Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventor: Yasuhiro OMURA
-
Publication number: 20140211183Abstract: A projection objective includes at least four curved mirrors, which include a first curved mirror that is a most optically forward mirror and a second curved mirror that is a second most optically forward mirror, as defined along a light path. In addition, an intermediate lens element is disposed physically between the first and second mirrors, the intermediate lens element being a single pass type lens. The objective forms an image with a numerical aperture of at least substantially 1.0 in immersion.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2014Publication date: July 31, 2014Applicant: Nikon CorporationInventor: Yasuhiro OMURA
-
Publication number: 20140211180Abstract: A projection objective includes at least four curved mirrors, which include a first curved mirror that is a most optically forward mirror and a second curved mirror that is a second most optically forward mirror, as defined along a light path. In addition, an intermediate lens element is disposed physically between the first and second mirrors, the intermediate lens element being a single pass type lens. The objective forms an image with a numerical aperture of at least substantially 1.0 in immersion.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2014Publication date: July 31, 2014Applicant: Nikon CorporationInventor: Yasuhiro OMURA
-
Patent number: 8665418Abstract: A projection optical system for forming an image of a first surface on a second surface has a first imaging optical system and a second imaging optical system, and a folding member for guiding light from the first imaging optical system to the second imaging optical system. Every optical element having a power in the second imaging optical system is a refractive element.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2008Date of Patent: March 4, 2014Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventor: Yasuhiro Omura
-
Publication number: 20140055763Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 1, 2013Publication date: February 27, 2014Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Naoyuki KOBAYASHI, Soichi OWA, Shigeru HIRUKAWA, Yasuhiro OMURA
-
Patent number: 8605252Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 16, 2012Date of Patent: December 10, 2013Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Naoyuki Kobayashi, Soichi Owa, Shigeru Hirukawa, Yasuhiro Omura
-
Patent number: 8436983Abstract: An optical system is able to achieve a substantially azimuthal polarization state in a lens aperture while suppressing loss of light quantity, based on a simple configuration. The optical system of the present invention is provided with a birefringent element for achieving a substantially circumferential distribution or a substantially radial distribution as a fast axis distribution in a lens aperture, and an optical rotator located behind the birefringent element and adapted to rotate a polarization state in the lens aperture. The birefringent element has an optically transparent member which is made of a uniaxial crystal material and a crystallographic axis of which is arranged substantially in parallel with an optical axis of the optical system. A light beam of substantially spherical waves in a substantially circular polarization state is incident to the optically transparent member.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2005Date of Patent: May 7, 2013Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventor: Yasuhiro Omura
-
Patent number: 8351021Abstract: An optical system is able to achieve a substantially azimuthal polarization state in a lens aperture while suppressing loss of light quantity, based on a simple configuration. The optical system of the present invention is provided with a birefringent element for achieving a substantially circumferential distribution or a substantially radial distribution as a fast axis distribution in a lens aperture, and an optical rotator located behind the birefringent element and adapted to rotate a polarization state in the lens aperture. The birefringent element has an optically transparent member which is made of a uniaxial crystal material and a crystallographic axis of which is arranged substantially in parallel with an optical axis of the optical system. A light beam of substantially spherical waves in a substantially circular polarization state is incident to the optically transparent member.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2010Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventor: Yasuhiro Omura
-
Patent number: 8339578Abstract: An optical system is able to achieve a substantially azimuthal polarization state in a lens aperture while suppressing loss of light quantity, based on a simple configuration. The optical system of the present invention is provided with a birefringent element for achieving a substantially circumferential distribution or a substantially radial distribution as a fast axis distribution in a lens aperture, and an optical rotator located behind the birefringent element and adapted to rotate a polarization state in the lens aperture. The birefringent element has an optically transparent member which is made of a uniaxial crystal material and a crystallographic axis of which is arranged substantially in parallel with an optical axis of the optical system. A light beam of substantially spherical waves in a substantially circular polarization state is incident to the optically transparent member.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2010Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventor: Yasuhiro Omura
-
Publication number: 20120224154Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2012Publication date: September 6, 2012Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Naoyuki KOBAYASHI, Soichi OWA, Shigeru HIRUKAWA, Yasuhiro OMURA
-
Patent number: 8253924Abstract: An exposure apparatus is provided with an optical system including a liquid, a sensor system for acquiring energy information of an energy beam which is incident on the liquid, and a controller which predicts variation of optical properties of the optical system including the liquid due to energy absorption of the liquid based on the energy information acquired using the sensor system and controls exposure operation with respect to an object based on the prediction results. According to the exposure apparatus, exposure operation without being influenced by the variation of the optical properties of the optical system including the liquid due to the energy absorption of the liquid becomes possible.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2006Date of Patent: August 28, 2012Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Yusaku Uehara, Kousuke Suzuki, Katsushi Nakano, Yasuhiro Omura
-
Patent number: 8208119Abstract: An exposure apparatus (EX) exposes a substrate (P) by irradiating exposure light (EL) on the substrate (P) through liquid (LQ). The exposure apparatus (EX) has a substrate holder (PH) for holding the substrate (P), a substrate stage (PST) capable of moving the substrate (P) held by the substrate holder (PH), and a temperature adjusting system (60) for adjusting the temperature of the substrate holder (PH). The temperature of the substrate (P) is controlled so that there is no difference in temperature between the substrate (P) and the liquid (LQ), thereby preventing a reduction in exposure accuracy resulting from variation in temperature of the liquid (LQ).Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2005Date of Patent: June 26, 2012Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Naoyuki Kobayashi, Soichi Owa, Shigeru Hirukawa, Yasuhiro Omura
-
Publication number: 20120092760Abstract: A catadioptric projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective. The projection objective includes a first objective part that includes one or more refractive optical elements to image the pattern provided in the object plane into a first intermediate image, a second objective part that consists of reflective optical elements including at least one concave mirror to image the first intermediate image into a second intermediate image, and a third objective part that includes one or more refractive optical elements to image the second intermediate imaging onto the image plane. The projection objective includes at lease one double asphere having a first aspheric surface and a second aspheric surface immediately adjacent to the first aspheric surface, the double asphere being formed by facing adjacent aspheric surfaces of two consecutive lenses.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 18, 2011Publication date: April 19, 2012Applicant: Nikon CorporationInventor: Yasuhiro OMURA