Abstract: Provided are a prefabricated scaffolding and a falsework capable of being easily assembled, and having a sufficient strength with high safety. Also provided is a support steel pipe to be used in the prefabricated scaffolding or falsework having a support column and a horizontal member coupled to each other using wedges. The support steel pipe includes a horizontal member coupling portion including a circular outer edge portion on an outer edge of a receiving fitting having a wedge-shaped hole. The horizontal member coupling portions are provided on an outer surface of the support column or an outer surface of assembled support columns at an equal interval. A plurality of hooks of safety belts can be engaged with the circular outer edge portion.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to a pattern of a mask by use of exposure light. The apparatus includes an optical system for directing the exposure light from a light source to the substrate, the optical system having an optical element, a first casing for accommodating therein an optical surface of the optical element, and a second casing for accommodating therein the optical element and the first casing, a first port provided in the first casing, a second port provided in the second casing, a supplier for supplying an inert gas into the first casing and the second casing, and a supplier for supplying an inert gas into the first casing and the second casing through the first port and the second port.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes a light source, which emits an exposure beam, an optical system including a casing and an optical element, the casing having a closed space and the optical element being disposed in the casing, a first supplier, which supplies an inert gas into the closed space, a second supplier, which supplies one of oxygen and clean air into the closed space and a controller, which changes a wavelength of the exposure beam between exposure of a substrate and cleaning of the optical element.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to a pattern of a mask by use of exposure light. The apparatus includes an optical system for directing the exposure light from a light source to the substrate, the optical system having an optical element, a first casing for accommodating therein an optical surface of the optical element, and a second casing for accommodating therein the optical element and the first casing, a first port provided in the first casing, a second port provided in the second casing, a supplier for supplying an inert gas into the first casing and the second casing, and a supplier for supplying an inert gas into the first casing and the second casing through the first port and the second port.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern of a mask onto a substrate. The apparatus includes a door and a sensor for detecting ozone in a space enclosed by the door. Opening of the door is prohibited when ozone concentration detected by the sensor is not less than a predetermined value.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an illumination system for illuminating a mask with an exposure beam having a wavelength of 250 nm or less, wherein a pattern of the mask can be lithographically transferred to a substrate through the illumination by the illumination system, a conditioning system for circulating an inside gas of the exposure apparatus and a control system for performing at least one of ozone removal and ozone detection, for ozone in the gas circulated.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern onto an object. The apparatus includes an optical member constituting part of an optical system arranged between a light source and the object, a rotor having a hole extending in an axial direction thereof, the optical member being mounted in the hole, a stator, the rotor and the stator constituting a motor for rotating the optical member, and a non-contact bearing for supporting the rotor.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an illumination system for illuminating a mask with an exposure beam having a wavelength of 250 nm or less, wherein a pattern of the mask can be lithographically transferred to a substrate through the illumination by the illumination system, a conditioning system for circulating an inside gas of the exposure apparatus; and a control system for performing at least one of ozone removal and ozone detection, for ozone in the gas circulated.

Abstract: This invention relates to an exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern onto a wafer, and includes a wedge prism constituting part of an optical system arranged between an excimer laser and a wafer to change the phase of interference fringes, a rotor frame to which the wedge prism is mounted, a non-contact gas bearing for supporting a rotor frame, and a driving mechanism for rotating the rotor frame together with the wedge prism.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus in which exposure process is performed by projecting an exposure beam of X-rays or ultraviolet rays from an excimer laser, for example, to a substrate, is provided with an arrangement wherein an inert gas containing a small amount of oxygen is supplied to a closed space where an optical element is disposed, and wherein the exposure beam is projected thereto by which ozone is produced in the closed space. Organic compound deposited on the optical element can be removed by photochemical reaction through projection of the exposure beam and the produced ozone.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an illumination system including an optical element and an inside movable portion, and a driving mechanism for driving the movable portion. The driving mechanism includes at least one of a non-contact type bearing and a non-contact type motor. The illumination system can be placed in a predetermined gas ambience, while the movable portion can be placed in the same gas ambience.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus in which an exposure process is performed by projecting an exposure beam of X-rays or ultraviolet rays from an excimer laser, for example, to a substrate, is provided with an arrangement wherein an inert gas containing a small amount of oxygen is supplied to a closed space where an optical element is disposed, and wherein the exposure beam is projected thereto by which ozone is produced in the closed space. An organic compound deposited on the optical element can be removed by a photochemical reaction through projection of the exposure beam and the produced ozone.

Abstract: A positioning system includes an X-Y table having a substrate holding surface for holding a substrate, the holding surface being movable in directions of X and Y axes, respectively, relative to a base table, a rotational table being rotationally movable about each of the X and Y axes and also being movable in a direction of a Z axis which is perpendicular to both of the X and Y axes, a controller for driving controlling the X-Y table and the rotational table and a storage device for storing, beforehand, information regarding rotation about the X or Y axis to be caused during motion of the X-Y table. The controller actuates the rotational table on the basis of the information stored in the storage device to correct rotation about the X or Y axis caused during motion of the X-Y table.

Abstract: A positioning system wherein a holding surface for holding a substrate is movable relative to a base in directions of X, Y and Z axes and in rotational directions about the X, Y and Z axes, wherein there are plural guiding devices associated respectively with motions in the directions of X, Y and Z axes and in the rotational directions about the X, Y and Z axes, respectively, and wherein each guiding device comprises a non-contact static bearing device.

Abstract: A substrate transfer system includes a temporary support for temporarily supporting a substrate, a chuck for holding the substrate by attraction, a stage for supporting the chuck movably in a predetermined direction intersecting a substrate supporting face of the temporary support, a driving system for moving the stage in the predetermined direction, a measuring system for measuring a position of the stage with respect to the predetermined direction, a position servo system for controlling the driving system on the basis of the measurement by the measuring system to thereby servo control the position of the stage with respect to the predetermined direction, and a control system adapted to release the substrate attracting and holding operation of the chuck on the basis of a value corresponding to an amount of operation applied from the position servo system to the driving system.

Abstract: A system for detecting yawing of an article movable in first and second orthogonal directions along a plane includes a first yawing detecting device for detecting any angular change of a first surface of the article opposed to the first yawing detecting device, during movement of the article in the first direction; and a second yawing detecting device for detecting any angular change of a second surface of the article different from the first surface and opposed to the second yawing detecting device, during movement of the article in the second direction.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus and an exposure method capable of performing high-precision superposition exposure by preventing the thermal deformation of a position measurement target, for controlling positioning of a moved member, from influencing the correction of an error in the positioning of the moved member. The exposure apparatus projects an image of a pattern, formed on a mask, onto a photosensitive substrate through a projection optical system. A stage, on which the photosensitive substrate is mounted, is movable in at least X-axis and Y-axis directions in an imaging plane of the projection optical system. Position measuring devices measure the position of the stage in each of the two directions and are disposed so that the Abbe error is substantially zero with respect to the position at which the substrate is exposed to the pattern image.

Abstract: A method of producing a vehicle body structure having a pipe-shaped structural part reinforced with a hard and high density foamed polyurethane resin. The method is carried out as follows: First, a plurality of pressed panels are prepared, the pressed panels being to be joined to form the pipe-shaped structural part. A band-shaped foamable rubber which has not yet foamed is attached onto the inner surface of each of a plurality of panels at a predetermined position. The panels are joined to form the pipe-shaped structural part. The foamable rubber is foamed under heating in a painting step to form a foamed rubber at the predetermined position. Then, a foamed member of a soft foamed polyurethane resin is inserted into an opening formed within the pipe-shaped structural part and defined by the foamed rubber in order to constitute a dam section for blocking the pipe-shaped structural part at the predetermined position.

Abstract: A plate-like article holding device particularly suitably usable in an exposure apparatus for printing a pattern of a reticle or mask on a semiconductor wafer, as a wafer holding device for holding the wafer at a pattern printing station, is disclosed. In an embodiment, the holding device includes a wafer chuck having a wafer attracting surface and a plurality of throughbores formed in relation to the attracting surface. Also, the device includes a plurality of support pillars provided in relation to the throughbores, respectively, and having end faces effective to support a wafer by attraction. There is provided a driving mechanism for moving the wafer chuck in a direction substantially perpendicular to the wafer attracting surface of the chuck so as to allow that the supporting end faces of the support pillars project outwardly beyond the wafer attracting surface of the wafer chuck or, alternatively, they are accommodated within the wafer chuck.

Abstract: A window structure of a vehicle body comprises a wall portion forming part of the vehicle body and defining an opening therein; a window panel closing the opening and having at least one edge portion extending along and spaced apart inwardly from the wall portion for forming a gap between the wall portion and the edge portion; a resilient molding having a decorative trim portion bridging the window panel and the vehicle body for covering the gap, a stem portion integral with the decorative trim portion and extending in the gap, and a plurality of retrorse fins extending outwardly from both sides of the stem portion and angled toward the decorative trim portion for engagement with the edge portion of the window panel and the wall portion of the vehicle body; and retaining means for retaining the retrorse fins in engagement with the edge portion of the window panel and the wall portion of the vehicle body.