Abstract: In a line-narrowed gas laser system such as a line-narrowed molecular fluorine laser system, ASE is cut off to obtain a spectral linewidth of 0.2 pm or lower and a spectral purity of 0.5 pm or lower. The laser system comprises a laser chamber filled with an F2-containing laser gas, discharge electrodes located in the laser chamber, a laser resonator and a line-narrowing module located in the laser resonator with a wavelength selection element, so that a line-narrowed laser beam emerges from the laser resonator. To cut off ASE from the laser beam emerging from the laser resonator, the duration from laser emission by discharge to generation of a laser beam is preset. Rise of the sidelight is made so gentle that the starting point of a laser pulse can exist after the time of the first sidelight peak.

Abstract: This invention provides a processing device allowing a plurality of types of processing including electron beam processing to be carried out on a substance disposed in a processing chamber, and processing methods that use such a processing device and allow prescribed processing to be carried out in an advantageous way, the processing device has a processing chamber provided with a support member, an electron beam source provided in the processing chamber and emits an electron beam toward the substance supported by the support member, and an emission gas supply system provided in the processing chamber and supplies an emission gas that emits UV light upon being subjected to an electron beam, moreover, a low pressure system that reduces the pressure in the processing chamber and a process gas supply system that supplies a process gas are preferably provided in the processing chamber, and in the processing methods, such a processing device is used, and by adjusting the pressure in the processing chamber, electro

Abstract: A flash lamp device having a flash lamp that includes an arc tube in which a pair of electrodes are disposed in opposition and a high voltage supply proximal conductor which extends parallel to the electrodes, on the exterior of the arc tube of the flash lamp. The high voltage supply proximal conductor is supported in an interior space of a sealed tubular body having a dielectric member with a greater permittivity than that of air.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for thermal processing a semiconductor wafer wherein the semiconductor wafer is heat-treated by means of flash radiation means constituted by a flash discharge lamp after preheating the semiconductor wafer to a predetermined temperature by means of preheating means, the preheating is performed at a preheating temperature capable of controlling that the maximum tension of the semiconductor wafer when heated by the flash radiation means is to be less than the tense strength of the semiconductor wafer itself.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a two stage laser system in which a desired spectral line width can be obtained at high output even when the integrated spectral characteristic of oscillator laser does not have the desired spectral line width, comprising an oscillator laser device 10 which has discharge electrodes 2 within a laser chamber 1 filled with laser gas containing F2 and emits laser beam which is band-narrowed by means of a band narrowing module 3 arranged in a laser resonator, and an amplifier laser device 20 which has discharge electrodes 2 within a laser chamber 1 filled with laser gas containing F2 and amplifies laser pulse injected from said oscillator laser device 10. In the system, a synchronous time interval having a predetermined spectral line width exists in laser pulse from the oscillator laser 10, and the system is set such that a discharge occurs in the amplifier laser 20 within the synchronous time interval.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a flash lamp unit with a long service life which allows a high radiant efficiency to be obtained and a flash radiation device demonstrating excellent flash radiant performance despite a small size, and the flash lamp unit comprises a flash lamp having mercury sealed in a discharge container, wherein preheating means is provided for preheating the flash lamp, the quantity of contained mercury in the flash lamp is in the range of 0.2 to 55 mg/cm3, and the flash lamp is ignited under the specified conditions, and the flash radiation device comprises the above-described flash lamp as a light source.

Abstract: The oscillation pulse width is extended in a gas laser apparatus emitting ultraviolet radiation by a high-repetition rate oscillating operation. The gas laser apparatus has a pair of laser discharge electrodes connected to the output terminals of a magnetic pulse compression circuit and disposed in a laser chamber. The pulse width is extended by determining circuit constants so that the period of the oscillating current flowing between the discharge electrodes is shortened and, at the same time, the peak value of the current is increased, whereby the laser gas is continuously excited even during at least one half-cycle subsequent to the first half-cycle of the oscillating current to sustain the laser oscillating operation.

Abstract: A system for bleaching discolored teeth is provided, and this system has a function irradiating light emitted from a light-emitting section to the surface of teeth applied with a chemical agent including titanium dioxide and hydrogen peroxide, a irradiation energy of wavelength 380 to 420 nm of the light emitted from the light-emitting section is at least 37 mW/cm2 and the ratio of irradiation energy of wavelength 380 to 420 nm with respect to the irradiation energy of wavelength 200 to 800 nm thereof is at least 36% at this light-emitting section, and whereby it is possible to obtain high bleaching effect of the teeth, to reduce the heat applied to the teeth to a low level (no more than 40° C.) and to reduce emission of ultraviolet light that has an adverse effect on the human body to a low level.

Abstract: A short arc type mercury lamp in which a cathode and an anode are disposed opposite one another inside an arc tube, at least a noble gas and mercury are filled into the arc tube, cathode contains thorium oxide, a cone-shaped part that continues on from a cathode body is formed on the cathode, and a protruding part that continues on from the cone-shaped part is formed, wherein the number of grain boundaries on a straight line that passes through the approximate center of an arbitrary section in the radial direction of the protruding part is at least 0.5 per mm but not more than 100 per mm.

Abstract: The invention provides a two-stage laser mode of photolithographic molecular fluorine laser system for matching the center wavelength of an oscillation-stage laser to the center wavelength of an amplification-stage laser, thereby oscillating a laser beam having a low spectral purity and a narrow linewidth. The laser system is of the two-stage mode comprising an oscillation-stage laser 10 and an amplification-stage mode 20. The center wavelength of a laser beam emitted out of the oscillation-stage laser 10 is compared with and substantially matched to the center wavelength of a laser beam emitted out of the amplification-stage laser 20 when the latter is oscillated by itself.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus for removing organic matters such as phthalates that have deposited on the surface of a semiconductor substrate while restraining the growth of a natural oxide film includes a device for irradiating the semiconductor substrate contaminated by the organic matters. The device emits a vacuum ultraviolet light having a wavelength within a range from 165 to 179 nm in an atmosphere of oxygen or air that is introduced from an O2 or air intake port, thereby decomposing and removing the contaminant.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a flash lamp unit with a long service life which allows a high radiant efficiency to be obtained and a flash radiation device demonstrating excellent flash radiant performance despite a small size, and the flash lamp unit comprises a flash lamp having mercury sealed in a discharge container, wherein preheating means is provided for preheating the flash lamp, the quantity of contained mercury in the flash lamp is in the range of 0.

Abstract: A corona preionization electrode unit for use in gas laser apparatus, wherein the electric field for corona discharge is concentrated, and ultraviolet radiation is not blocked, and further the laser gas stream is not obstructed, thereby allowing efficient, stable and uniform corona preionization. The corona preionization electrode unit is disposed in a gas laser apparatus together with a pair of main discharge electrodes for ionizing and exciting a laser gas. The corona preionization electrode unit includes a first electrode covered with a dielectric material and a second electrode placed in contact with the outer surface of the dielectric material around the first electrode. The corona preionization electrode unit is positioned in the vicinity of either one of the main discharge electrodes. The second electrode is a plate-shaped member having a straight edge contacting at least the outer surface of the dielectric material.

Abstract: A resist removal method and device therefor are provided that are excellent from the point of view of washing costs and environmental preservation and that also offer extremely high removal performance, and this method of resist removal using functional water according to the present invention includes the following steps:

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ArF excimer laser apparatus for lithography capable of stretching the laser pulse width even when the repetition rate exceeds 4 kHz and also relates to a KrF excimer laser apparatus and fluorine laser apparatus for lithography capable of stretching the laser pulse width even when the repetition rate exceeds 2 kHz.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a flash lamp device and a flash emitting device with a long working life and in which sufficient trigger energy is produced without emission errors, and the flash lamp device comprises a flash lamp with an arc tube in which a pair of electrodes are disposed in opposition, and a high voltage supply proximal conductor which extends between the electrodes on the exterior of the arc tube of this flash lamp, wherein a dielectric member with a greater permittivity than that of air is installed between the arc tube of the flash lamp and the proximal conductor, and the flash emitting device comprises a plurality of these flash lamp devices, wherein the arc tubes, high voltage supply proximal conductors, and dielectric materials of each of this plurality of flash lamp devices are supported separately on a common base.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for thermal processing a semiconductor wafer wherein the semiconductor wafer is heat-treated by means of flash radiation means constituted by a flash discharge lamp after preheating the semiconductor wafer to a predetermined temperature by means of preheating means, the preheating is performed at a preheating temperature capable of controlling that the maximum tension of the semiconductor wafer when heated by the flash radiation means is to be less than the tense strength of the semiconductor wafer itself.

Abstract: A short arc type mercury lamp in which a cathode and an anode are disposed opposite one another inside an arc tube, at least a noble gas and mercury are filled into the arc tube, cathode contains thorium oxide, a cone-shaped part that continues on from a cathode body is formed on the cathode, and a protruding part that continues on from the cone-shaped part is formed, wherein the number of grain boundaries on a straight line that passes through the approximate center of an arbitrary section in the radial direction of the protruding part is at least 0.5 per mm but not more than 100 per mm.

Abstract: The present invention is a short arc type ultra-high pressure discharge lamp in which a pair of electrodes 3 are disposed inside an arc tube 1 that comprises quartz glass, seal portions 2 are formed that comprise quartz glass and extend to both sides of the arc tube 1, and at least 0.15 mg/mm3 of mercury is filled into the arc tube 1, wherein a metal foil 4 is embedded in each of the seal portions 2, and metal granular lumps 6 are protrusively provided on surfaces of each metal foil 4.

Abstract: This invention provides a processing device allowing a plurality of types of processing including electron beam processing to be carried out on a substance disposed in a processing chamber, and processing methods that use such a processing device and allow prescribed processing to be carried out in an advantageous way, the processing device has a processing chamber provided with a support member, an electron beam source provided in the processing chamber and emits an electron beam toward the substance supported by the support member, and an emission gas supply system provided in the processing chamber and supplies an emission gas that emits UV light upon being subjected to an electron beam, moreover, a low pressure system that reduces the pressure in the processing chamber and a process gas supply system that supplies a process gas are preferably provided in the processing chamber, and in the processing methods, such a processing device is used, and by adjusting the pressure in the processing chamber, electro