Abstract: An excimer lamp includes a discharge tube, a band-shaped foil electrode provided in the discharge tube, and a dielectric configured to cover the foil electrode and maintain close contact with the foil electrode. The foil electrode extends along the axis of said discharge tube. The opposite sides of the foil electrode are flattened along the width direction of the foil electrode. Both edge portions of the foil electrode are pointed.

Abstract: An exposure device can exposes a circuit pattern while information data is suitably changed. An exposure device comprises a first light source (20) for irradiating a first light including ultraviolet rays, a projection exposure unit (70) for exposing a circuit pattern drawn on a photomask on a substrate, with the first light, a substrate stage (60) for mounting the substrate, a housing (11) for arranging the substrate stage, a second light source (41) for irradiating a second light including ultraviolet rays, arranged at a position different from the first light source, a spatial light modulation unit (40) for exposing information data formed electrically using the second light on the substrate, and a spatial optical light modulation unit driving means (5) for moving the spatial light modulation unit arranged on the housing (11) in a direction parallel to a moving direction of the substrate stage.

Abstract: A projection aligner comprises a projection optical system for radiating a luminous flux including ultraviolet rays onto a photomask, and projecting said luminous flux which has passed through the photomask onto a substrate to which photoresist is applied; a substrate table for mounting the substrate, and a light blocking means for covering the peripheral portion of the substrate to block luminous flux. The light blocking means (80) includes a first light blocking member (84) and a second light blocking member (86) each having a substantially semicircular opening, and moving means (82, 83) for moving the first light blocking means and the second light blocking means approaching each other and away from each other. As the first light blocking member and the second light blocking member are moved to approach each other, the first light blocking member and the second light blocking member form an annular shape and cover the peripheral portion of the substrate (CB).

Abstract: A photolithography system has at least one spatial light modulator, a scanning mechanism configured to move an exposure area relative to a target object in a scanning direction, a plurality of memories (1st to Nth memories), a data processor, and exposure controller. The exposure area is defined as a projection area of the spatial light modulator. The plurality of memories corresponds to a plurality of partial exposure areas that is defined by dividing the exposure area. The data processor successively writes exposure data into each memory in accordance with the timing of an exposure, and the exposure controller controls the plurality of light modulating elements on the basis of the relative position of the exposure area. The data processor writes newly generated exposure data into the first memory, and shifts exposure data stored in the 1st to (N?1)st memories to the 2nd to Nth memories, respectively.

Abstract: An exposure device can exposes a circuit pattern while information data is suitably changed. An exposure device comprises a first light source (20) for irradiating a first light including ultraviolet rays, a projection exposure unit (70) for exposing a circuit pattern drawn on a photomask on a substrate, with the first light, a substrate stage (60) for mounting the substrate, a housing (11) for arranging the substrate stage, a second light source (41) for irradiating a second light including ultraviolet rays, arranged at a position different from the first light source, a spatial light modulation unit (40) for exposing information data formed electrically using the second light on the substrate, and a spatial optical light modulation unit driving means (5) for moving the spatial light modulation unit arranged on the housing (11) in a direction parallel to a moving direction of the substrate stage.

Abstract: A projection aligner comprises a projection optical system for radiating a luminous flux including ultraviolet rays onto a photomask, and projecting said luminous flux which has passed through the photomask onto a substrate to which photoresist is applied; a substrate table for mounting the substrate, and a light blocking means for covering the peripheral portion of the substrate to block luminous flux. The light blocking means (80) includes a first light blocking member (84) and a second light blocking member (86) each having a substantially semicircular opening, and moving means (82, 83) for moving the first light blocking means and the second light blocking means approaching each other and away from each other. As the first light blocking member and the second light blocking member are moved to approach each other, the first light blocking member and the second light blocking member form an annular shape and cover the peripheral portion of the substrate (CB).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a transfer device that can feed a work in a stable condition without applying it any excess loads. The transfer device for feeding a tape-shaped work to a process stage standing in an upright position, which is placed on one side of the process stage and which includes a supply reel, a take-up reel and a work feeding mechanism. Specifically, the supply reel, around which the work and a protective sheet are wound, is adapted to feed the work and the protective sheet therefrom. The take-up reel is adapted to wind the work and the protective sheet that have been fed from the supply reel, and it is located below the supply reel. The work feeding mechanism is adapted to forward the work from the supply reel to the take-up reel through the process stage.

Abstract: An excimer lamp has a single tubular discharge chamber configured to enclose a discharge gas that is a noble gas or a mixing gas consisting of a noble gas and a halogen gas; a pair of electrodes configured to be arranged along opposite sides of the exterior surface of the discharge chamber; and an outer tube configured to cover the discharge chamber and the electrodes. Excimer molecules are produced by either dielectric barrier discharge or capacitive-coupled high-frequency discharge. An interior of a space formed between the outer tube and the discharge chamber is either in a vacuum state that is necessary and sufficient for preventing discharge, or is filled with an arc-suppression gas.

Abstract: To prevent the continuation of the abnormal state occurring immediately after the lighting start of the electrodeless discharge lamp excited by a DC driven magnetron and to recover promptly from the abnormal state at the steady state period. Lighting start of an electrodeless discharge lamp is performed in soft start mode. Increasing the power supply to the magnetron gradually, the lamp is turned into a lighting state for longer time than the time for the luminescence medium to evaporate fully absorbing microwave. At that period, the output of DC power supply is periodically cut off momentarily, resetting the abnormal state. Then, stable DC power is supplied. At the steady state period, the anode current of the magnetron is controlled to be constant. When rise of the operation voltage of the magnetron is detected, the output of DC power supply is cut off momentary to recover to the steady state.

Abstract: A photolithography system is equipped with a light modulator that comprises a plurality of regularly arrayed light modulation elements; a scanning mechanism configured to move an exposure area relative to an object in a main scanning direction, in a state in which the exposure area is inclined in the main scanning direction; an exposure controller that controls the plurality of light-modulating elements in accordance with a given exposure pitch to carry out an overlapping exposure process in both the main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction; and an exposure pitch adjuster that calculates an exposure pitch that allows exposure points to be distributed evenly on the basis of an effective area of the light modulator.

Abstract: The present invention relates to provide a projection exposure device having a small volume, thereby not occupying a large installation space. The projection exposure device is configured to transfer patterns formed on a mask to a surface of film-shaped tape on an upright exposure stage by projecting the patterns onto the surface using light. This projection exposure device includes a transfer mechanism for feeding the tape to the exposure stage vertically, and a projection optical mechanism for irradiating the surface of the tape with the light. The projection optical mechanism is composed of Dyson optics located opposite the transfer mechanism across the exposure stage, and has an optical axis that is substantially perpendicular to the exposure stage.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a transfer device that can feed a work in a stable condition without applying it any excess loads. The transfer device for feeding a tape-shaped work to a process stage standing in an upright position, which is placed on one side of the process stage and which includes a supply reel, a take-up reel and a work feeding mechanism. Specifically, the supply reel, around which the work and a protective sheet are wound, is adapted to feed the work and the protective sheet therefrom. The take-up reel is adapted to wind the work and the protective sheet that have been fed from the supply reel, and it is located below the supply reel. The work feeding mechanism is adapted to forward the work from the supply reel to the take-up reel through the process stage.

Abstract: An exposure-data generating apparatus comprises a first memory, a second memory, and an exposure data memory. The first memory stores drawing data in bitmap format as first data that is used for an exposure. The second memory stores second data whose data unit in a column direction is converted to a resolution unit of information of each cell based on the first data. The exposure data memory stores exposure data that is raster data obtained by a burst transfer of third data at every column unit. The second data is rearranged and converted to the third data, where an arrangement of data of each cell of the second data in the column direction is changed to a row direction. The cell constitutes a display element of a Digital Micro-mirror Device that performs the exposure based on said exposure data.

Abstract: An excimer lamp has a single tubular discharge chamber configured to enclose a discharge gas that is a noble gas or a mixing gas consisting of a noble gas and a halogen gas; a pair of electrodes configured to be arranged along opposite sides of the exterior surface of the discharge chamber; and an outer tube configured to cover the discharge chamber and the electrodes. Excimer molecules are produced by either dielectric barrier discharge or capacitive-coupled high-frequency discharge. An interior of a space formed between the outer tube and the discharge chamber is either in a vacuum state that is necessary and sufficient for preventing discharge, or is filled with an arc-suppression gas.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an exposure device for transferring circuit patterns of a mask to a roll-film-shaped object. The exposure device includes a supply reel rotation section that is constituted by a supply reel around which the object is wound and that feeds the object by rotating the supply reel, at least one guide roller for guiding the object fed from the supply reel rotation section, an exposure stage on which the circuit patterns are transferred to the object guided by the guide roller, and an alignment mark forming section which forms, on the object, alignment marks that are used to align the mask with the object and which is positioned between the guide roller and the exposure stage.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a transfer device that can feed a work in a stable condition without applying it any excess loads. The transfer device for feeding a tape-shaped work to a process stage standing in an upright position, which is placed on one side of the process stage and which includes a supply reel, a take-up reel and a work feeding mechanism. Specifically, the supply reel, around which the work and a protective sheet are wound, is adapted to feed the work and the protective sheet therefrom. The take-up reel is adapted to wind the work and the protective sheet that have been fed from the supply reel, and it is located below the supply reel. The work feeding mechanism is adapted to forward the work from the supply reel to the take-up reel through the process stage.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an exposure device for forming circuit patterns onto a surface of an object. The exposure device includes at least one spatial light modulator which includes a plurality of reflection elements being arranged in a matrix fashion, at least one optical source which supplies exposure light to the reflection elements, and a bias voltage controller which applies a first voltage to the reflection elements, thereby setting the reflection elements to a first state and which does not apply a voltage to the reflection elements, thereby setting the reflection elements to a second state. In addition, the exposure light is delivered to the surface of the object in the first state, and the exposure light is not delivered to the surface of the object in the second state.

Abstract: The object of this invention is to prevent surface discharge even when a high voltage is applied in a dielectric-barrier discharge lamp or a capacitively coupled high frequency discharge lamp with no electrodes in a discharge space. Ribbon foil electrodes 3 are embedded in the wall of a quartz discharge vessel 1. The discharge vessel 1 is disposed such that the foil electrodes 3 face each other on both sides of the axis of the quartz discharge vessel 1. It may be disposed such that the foil electrodes 3 have a truncated V-shaped cross-section. The single tube quartz discharge vessel 1 is filled with discharge gas to form excimer molecules by dielectric barrier discharge or capacitively coupled high-frequency discharge.

Abstract: The present invention presents an exposure device, which includes an object stage on which the object is to be set, at least one aperture member for splitting a light beam from an optical source into first and second light beams, first and second spatial light modulators for spatially modulating the first and second light beams, respectively, first and second projection optical systems for irradiating the object with the first and second light beams, at least one first optical sensor for detecting intensity of the light beam from the optical source, one or more second optical sensors for detecting intensities of the first and second light beams from the first and second projection optical systems, respectively, and a decision section for diagnosing status of a route between the aperture member and the object, based on the results of the first and second sensors.

Abstract: The present invention presents an exposure device, which includes an optical source for emitting a UV ray, a lighting system for shaping the UV ray into a collimated light beam, an aperture member for producing rectangular first and second light beams based on the light beam from lighting system by using the first and second rectangular windows, first and second spatial light modulators for spatially modulating the first and second light beams, respectively, and first and second projection lighting systems for guiding the modulated first and second light beams to the object.