Abstract: A method of automatically controlling exposure when printing from film which is exposed under controlled lighting conditions. The prevailing lighting conditions are determined by photographing a standard subject in the form of a gray-scale board with at least one field of gray and illuminated by the studio lighting. The gray scale is recognized as a standard subject during region-by-region analysis of the film's frames and the results obtained from the gray scale are employed as a film-specific standard in computing the levels of light to use for printing.

Abstract: A method of determining an amount of exposure in a process of reproducing a face density, which is extracted from an original image of a photographed human subject, at a target density. When there are a plurality of people among photographed subjects and face densities differ greatly, the face densities are divided into two groups of higher and lower face densities. Thereafter, the face density of a group which is determined to be a standard density is finished as an appropriate density. Further, in a process of effecting reproduction at the target density, density correction of a face is not effected in a case in which a face density of a photographed subject is extremely high.

Abstract: A lamphouse for use with a photographic printer for controlling the exposure time of the additive primary colors in the lamphouse and thereby controlling the time of exposure of the light sensitive color print paper. The lamphouse includes a housing adapted to be positioned on the printer proximate the optical stage of the printer and defining a mixing chamber for directing light to the optical stage and a light generating assembly for delivering light to the mixing chamber. The light generating assembly is constructed as a plurality of structurally distinct modular subassemblies and the housing includes parallel side by side tracks to individually slidably receive each modular subassembly. Each modular subassembly is positioned in the housing and removed from the housing by sliding the modular subassembly along the respective track in the housing.

Abstract: In a wafer stepper for fabricating semiconductor ICs (Integrated Circuits), a glass substrate carries thereon a plurality of octagonal patterns formed of a transmissive material. With such a glass substrate, the stepper diffracts light not only in X and Y directions but also in 45.degree. directions and 135.degree. directions. A mask pattern is transferred to a wafer with enhanced resolution and depth of focus.

Abstract: To locate a reference exposure on a non-perforated leading and/or trailing portion of a filmstrip in conformity with scene exposures associated with respective exposure locating perforations in the filmstrip, a pair of perforation sensors are spaced apart a distance which is the same as the pitch of the exposure locating perforations. When one of the two sensors detects an exposure locating perforation and the other does not, the leading or trailing portion is determined.

Abstract: An imaging system is disclosed which incorporates a gradient index lens array to transmit focused light onto an image medium with increased Depth of Focus (DOF) and no loss of radiometric efficiency. The lens array is first constructed so that its exit pupil is generally symmetrical. This first step increases the radiometric efficiency of the lens array relative to prior art lens arrays. In a second step, the DOF is increased by reducing a quantity n.sub.o .sqroot.AR which is associated with the lens, n.sub.o being the axial refractive index of the fibers comprising the lens array, .sqroot.A being the gradient index constant of the material comprising the lens array and R being the radius of the individual optical rods, As this quantity is reduced, the DOF increases consistent with a trade off of reduced radiometric efficiency. Since the efficiency was initially increased from some optimum value, the DOF can be increased until the desired radiometric efficiency level is reached.

Abstract: An attenuated phase-shifted reticle is disclosed. The reticle comprises a device region and a scribeline region. The scribeline region further comprises metrology cells, which contain features to be patterned for the purpose of measurement, etc. Other portions of the scribeline region comprise a sub-resolution pattern of, for example, lines and spaces 180.degree. out of phase. Since the pattern is sub-resolution, it will not print. Since the pattern comprises features 180.degree. out of phase, the intensity of radiation underneath the pattern is significantly reduced. Therefore, in a lithography method incorporating multiple exposures of the scribeline region, the metrology cells are not overexposed by the overlapping exposures in the stepping system.

Abstract: A thin flexible film is loaded into an interior surface of a hollow image-processing drum by releasably adhering a sheet of the film to a carrier. The carrier is admitted into the drum and positioned in spaced relation to the interior surface of the drum. The upper surface of the carrier is urged to the surface of the drum to place the sheet in residence against the interior surface of the drum. The sheet of film is releasably adhered to the drum and the carrier is removed from the drum. A receptor sheet may be placed within the drum and a donor sheet placed over it in a similar manner.

Abstract: A substrate holding apparatus includes a pump, serving as a suction source, a conveying chuck for holding a wafer substrate by suction, a connection arrangement, including parallel lines intermediate the connection arrangement, for conneting the pump to the chuck, and a valve arrangement including at least one valve provided in at least one of the parallel lines. By selecting one of the parallel lines by controlling opening/closing of these valves, the conductance of the connection line is adjusted, whereby the optimum suction pressure for the chuck is set.

Abstract: A copier with an anamorphic magnification imaging system is provided with improvements which enable increased resolution of exposed line images at a photoreceptor. The improvement relates to reducing the effective imaging aperture through which the images is projected onto the surface of a photoreceptor. In one embodiment, a gradient index lens array which transmits light reflected from illuminated scan strip on a document platen is provided with two blockers attached to opposite sides of the lens array. Each blocker element has a blocking end which projects into the optical path and blocks a portion of the light that would otherwise be transmitted along the optical path. The effect of the two blockers is to form an effective imaging aperture having a width less than 1mm, in the preferred embodiment about 0.4mm. This narrow imaging width enables a high resolution output image.

Abstract: A lenticular lens provided on the viewer side of a transmission type screen is composed of at least two layers, that is, a surface layer and a base layer at least one of which contains a light dispersing material, and a visible light absorbing material is mingled in at least one of these two layers, or in the light dispersing material, thereby enhancing the image contrast of the transmission type screen.

Abstract: A projector for exposing a photosensitive substrate includes a mask having an exposure pattern thereon composed of half-transparent material which causes a phase difference among lights passing therethrough, a first optical system for illuminating the mask, a second optical system for projecting the exposure pattern on the photosensitive substrate, and a device, disposed ahead of the first optical system, for controlling a quantity of illumination light to be irradiated in a plurality of areas of the first optical system.

Abstract: A photographic printing apparatus in which images recorded on a photographic film are printed onto a photographic paper as printed images of print sizes of different aspect ratios and in which a printed photographic paper is conveyed distances corresponding to the print sizes and is cut. Indications symbolizing the print sizes are recorded at the photographic paper. The print sizes are identified by detection of the indications. Areas of the photographic paper in which the indications are detected based on identified print sizes are controlled. Mistakes in cutting can thereby be prevented.

Abstract: A pellicle which reduces the number of particles that migrate onto a stepping field of the mask is disclosed. The pellicle frame in a preferred embodiment has an inner and an outer wall. The pressure relief system has an indirect air path which reduces the chance of particle migration from outside the frame to the protected area. The pellicle membrane is attached to the top of the outer wall and stretches over the rounded top of the inner wall, which has a slightly greater height than the outer wall. The reticle is attached to the bottom of the outer wall, while the bottom of the inner wall is sealed against the reticle with an o-ring. In this way, none of the adhesives used to attach the frame to the membrane or to the reticle are in direct contact with the protected area of the reticle. The pressure relief system allows for equalization of pressure between the area protected by the pellicle and atmospheric pressure with a reduced chance of particle migration.

Abstract: A clamping arrangement essentially comprising two lever arms driven at one end by a solenoid and having a resilient clamp pad mounted on a flexure member at the other end thereof. The clamp pad is made of a resilient material such as, for example, urethane and has four non-parallel side walls defining an upper face which is complementary to the radial face of the scanning apparatus gate. The sloping side walls of the clamp pad act as a light baffle to prevent reflected light from entering the imaging lens, and the pad is gimballed so that any variations between the upper surface of the clamp pad and the radial surface of the gate will be eliminated attain as perfect a match therebetween as is possible. In another embodiment of the clamping arrangement, a single arm can be utilized in place of the dual arm arrangement described above. The single arm has a Y-shape in which the clamp pad is supported on the branched end of the arm and the solenoid drives the single member.

Abstract: A method of making photographic prints wherein photographic data relating to photographic conditions of an original frame is recorded on a photographic film at the time of photographing the original frame, so as to determine the print exposure amount for printing the original frame. When it is determined with reference to the photographic data that a primary subject of the original frame has a proper density on the photographic film, the original frame is printed at a basic print exposure amount which is determined without using density data of the original frame. If it is determined with reference to the photographic data that the basic print exposure amount should be corrected for the original frame, an exposure correction amount is calculated based on the photographic data and/or the density data of the original frame.

Abstract: A parallel-moving apparatus includes a fixed table with a static pressure bearing pad, and a movable table with an inclined static pressure bearing pad. A driving plate having a wedge-shaped cross-section is disposed between the fixed table and the movable table, and both surfaces thereof are parallel to the static pressure bearing pad of the movable table and the static pressure bearing pad of the fixed table, and are noncontact-supported thereby. When the driving plate is moved by an actuator, the movable table is moved toward or away from the fixed table while keeping its parallelism to the fixed table.

Abstract: A stepper is provided with an optical illumination system and an optical projection system having variable stops, respectively. Such a stepper is capable of preventing the harmful effects which are produced by the operation to be executed in a state where the direct rays passing the variable stop on the optical illumination system side irradiate the variable stop on the optical projection system side when the aperture numbers are set by the variable stops, respectively.

Abstract: An exposure condition is determined with reference to a difference between a density value Dx of a negative film to be printed and a corrected density value DNi (i=x) of a reference film. The method comprises the steps of: measuring density values DNi of a plurality of types of reference films and light amounts Li of a light source at times of measurement of the density values DNi; storing the density values DNi and the light amounts Li as memorized density values and memorized light amounts corresponding to the respective reference films; measuring a current light amount L of a current light source which is used for exposure of the negative film to be printed; calculating a difference logL-logLi=.delta.i between the light amount L and each of the memorized light amounts Li; correcting each of the memorized density values DNi by the use of the difference .delta.i.

Abstract: An optical processing apparatus utilizing multiple reflections of a light beam between a mask and a reflector has improved uniformity in the distribution of the light beam over a surface of the mask. In one form, the reflector is disposed in a face-to-face relation with respect to the mask with an angle of inclination relative thereto. In another form, the reflector has a flat or curved taper surface for decreasing an angle of reflection of the light beam at the mask surface at an initial stage, and a flat surface disposed in parallel with the mask surface. In a further form, the reflector is curved in a direction of transmission of the light beam. In a yet further form, an angle of incidence of the light beam is properly adjusted such that a portion of the light beam, which is first reflected from the mask and escapes outwardly from the reflector, is minimized.