Patents Examined by Diane I. Lee
  • Patent number: 7586582
    Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an exposure apparatus which includes a chamber, an evacuating device configured to evacuate the chamber, a sensor configured to measure at least any one of the position and the height of a substrate, and a cover for hermetically sealing at least part of the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Ina, Koichi Sentoku, Gaku Takahashi, Yoshinori Miwa
  • Patent number: 7583361
    Abstract: A precision assembly (210) for positioning a device (226) includes a stage (260) that retains the device (226), a dual mover assembly (228) that moves the stage (260), and the device (226) along a movement axis (266), a measurement system (222) and a control system (224). The dual mover assembly (228) includes a first mover (262) that moves the stage (260) along the movement axis (266) and a second mover (264) that moves the device (226) along the movement axis (266). The second mover (264) is rigidly coupled to the first mover (262) so that movement of the first mover (262) results in movement of the second mover (264). Further, the total output of the dual mover assembly (228) along the movement axis (266) is equal to the sum of the movement of the first mover (262) and the movement of the second mover (264). The measurement system (222) measures a movement position along the movement axis (266). The control system (224) controls the dual mover assembly (228) utilizing the movement position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Yi-Ping Hsin, Hideyuki Hashimoto, Jin Nishikawa, Bausan Yuan, Douglas C. Watson
  • Patent number: 7581835
    Abstract: A light show device includes a light source configured to generate a light beam having a substantially constant diameter, a container having a substantially transparent portion, a plurality of mirrors, each mirror connectable or connected to the container rotatably about at least one axis, and a particulate source configured to create inside the container a substantial suspension of particulates, where the device is configured to allow a reflection of the light beam between at least a majority of the mirrors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Inventor: Brian W. Walker
  • Patent number: 7583362
    Abstract: A stray light feedback system and method for a lithography exposure tool. The stray light feedback helps control critical dimension (CD) within a stray light specification limit. A stray light dose control factor is calculated as a function of the stray light measured in the exposure tool and the sensitivity of the resist. The stray light dose control factor is used to adjust the exposure dose to achieve the desired CD. The stray light may be monitored, and if a threshold level of stray light is reached or exceeded, the use of the exposure tool may be discontinued for a particular type of semiconductor product, resist, or mask level, until the lens system is cleaned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Sajan Marokkey, Wai-Kin Li, Todd C. Bailey
  • Patent number: 7580112
    Abstract: A containment system contains an immersion fluid in an immersion area to fill a gap between a projection system and an object to be exposed with the immersion fluid. The containment system includes an immersion fluid barrier formed by a pressurized gas that is supplied to a location adjacent to the immersion area. A supply of the pressurized gas to the immersion fluid barrier is intermittently stopped during an exposure operation of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Sogard
  • Patent number: 7580109
    Abstract: A substrate supporting unit includes a supporter for supporting a substrate, and a temperature controller for controlling the supporter. The supporter includes liquid supply openings opened at a top surface of the supporter. A liquid is supplied between the substrate and the supporter through the liquid supply opening. Liquid discharge grooves are formed in the top surface of the supporter near the liquid supply openings, and the liquid between the substrate and the supporter is discharged through the liquid discharge grooves. Liquid discharge openings are opened in the liquid discharge grooves, and the liquid is discharged through the liquid discharge openings. Further, the supporter includes exhaust grooves formed in the top surface of the supporter and exhaust openings opened in the exhaust grooves, the exhaust grooves and the exhaust openings also serving as the liquid discharge grooves and the liquid discharge openings, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Yutaka Akaike
  • Patent number: 7575325
    Abstract: An image displaying apparatus is capable of maintaining the contrast ratios of displayed images even if the f-value of an optical system of the apparatus is lowered to provide bright images, efficiently utilizing a beam from a light source, minimizing the size and weight of the optical system, and being easy to manufacture. The image displaying apparatus includes first to third reflective polarizing plates (120, 121, 122) provided for first to third reflective spatial light modulators (130, 131, 132), respectively. The reflective polarizing plates polarize and separate beams to be injected into the reflective spatial light modulators. In the image displaying apparatus, a color separating optical system has a larger effective diameter than a color composition prism (140).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Limited
    Inventors: Tetsuji Suzuki, Satoru Moriya
  • Patent number: 7576832
    Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a movable object and a control system to control the position of the movable object. The control system includes a position measurement system configured to measure the position of the movable object, a comparative unit configured to generate a servo error signal by subtracting a position signal representative of an actual position of the movable object from a reference signal, a control unit configured to generate a first control signal based on the servo error signal, a feed-forward unit configured to generate a feed-forward signal based on the reference signal, an addition unit configured to generate a second control signal by adding the first control signal and the feed-forward signal, and an actuator unit configured to actuate the movable object. A gain of the feed-forward unit is dependent on the position of the movable object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Ramidin Izair Kamidi, Yin Tim Tso, Rob Tousain
  • Patent number: 7572014
    Abstract: An image display device comprises an optical imaging arrangement for providing image information to illumination light and for transmitting the light as an optical image signal; a display for receiving the optical image signal and for displaying an image based on the image information; and a projecting optical arrangement including a reflecting part having a reflecting surface for reflecting the optical image signal, and a refracting optical part having a refracting surface for projecting the optical image signal onto the reflecting part. At least one of the reflecting surface and the refracting surface is aspherical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Suzuki, Kohei Teramoto, Jiro Suzuki, Shinsuke Shikama
  • Patent number: 7568803
    Abstract: An aerial display system comprising inexpensive optical elements and a highly brightened LCD display or similar video image display types provides floating images in an expensive enclosure. In the aerial display system, either an anti-reflective acrylic plastic layer or a circular polarizer is disposed proximate and parallel to a beam splitter so that the focal point of the floating image is proximate to the plastic layer or polarizer. This image position yields both a wider filed of view and wider perceived field of view. The aerial projection system includes a plastic spherical mirror of low cost, which includes a plastic part of at least the following descriptions: mirror surface supported by wall structures of sufficient sphericity, of a plastic material formulation, having excellent optical grade finish, a reflective metal coating, and a protective overcoat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Provision Interactive Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Vrachan, Curtis L. Thornton
  • Patent number: 7568806
    Abstract: A light source unit includes a mirror tunnel which has a prism-like shape and whose external sides are formed to taper, and a light source which includes a light emitting device and which is disposed on a side of the mirror tunnel. A reflecting mirror is provided at a first end face of the mirror tunnel, and a second end face of the mirror tunnel, that lies on an opposite side from the first end face, is an end face from which light is emitted, and has an area wider than that of the first end face. The light emitting device of the light source includes red LED's, blue LED's and green LED's, and the LED's are disposed on the side of the mirror tunnel such that the LED's of the same color do not lie adjacent to each other in a longitudinal direction of the mirror tunnel and a direction which is at right angles to the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yukio Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7567380
    Abstract: The ultra-thin rear projection display device described herein includes a wide angle lens system and one or more planar mirrors that are parallel to a screen on which an image is to be displayed. In one embodiment, the screen that has multiple groove angles to provide better illumination than screens with a single groove angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: InFocus Corporation
    Inventors: Mark David Peterson, Jeffrey Alan Gohman
  • Patent number: 7562987
    Abstract: A rear projection display according to the present disclosure includes a complex mirror as an optical element to simplify the optical design. The mirror may be symmetrical about at least one axis to require optimization of only half the optical system. The mirror may also provide a geometrically distorted image that may be corrected in software of the image generator. This display uses a mathematical formulation which inherently creates a surface which is symmetric about one linear axis but free form in an orthogonal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Fakespace Labs, Inc.
    Inventor: Ian McDowall
  • Patent number: 7557905
    Abstract: A wafer loading apparatus comprises a plate adapted to support a wafer, and a plurality of protrusion elements located within the plate. The protrusion elements partially extrude above the plate to support the wafer. The wafer loading apparatus further comprises a plurality of control elements formed under the protrusion elements to control movement of the protrusion elements such that a distance between a lower surface of the wafer and an upper surface of the plate is substantially uniform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sung-Soo Heo
  • Patent number: 7556383
    Abstract: A projection display apparatus comprises a liquid crystal unit assembly which includes a liquid crystal panel, an incident side polarizing plate and an emitting side polarizing plate which are arranged on an incident side and on an emitting side of the liquid crystal panel, respectively, and a color combining prism. The apparatus further comprises a fan; a duct which is connected to the fan and which is provided with an opening for supplying cooling air, wherein the opening is arranged near the liquid crystal panel and the incident side polarizing plate; a holder for holding the emitting side polarizing plate and the color combining prism; and a heat exchanger which is connected to the holder, wherein the heat exchanger uses liquid coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: NEC Viewtechnology, Ltd.
    Inventor: Motoyasu Utsunomiya
  • Patent number: 7556385
    Abstract: A projector for image projection, includes: an optical element included by an optical system to project an image; a tripod that supports the projector; and a tripod-fixing part that is connected with the optical element and fixes the tripod, wherein the tripod and tripod-fixing part are each constituted by a heat-conductive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Kitahara
  • Patent number: 7556384
    Abstract: A trifold display device comprising panel opening mechanism(s) which open the device, in a damped motion, from a closed position wherein display surfaces are concealed from view to an open configuration wherein three display surfaces are exposed. The panel operating mechanisms exert forces on two panels, thereby urging the panels toward an open position. Upon actuation of a release latch, the opening mechanisms move a support panel around to the back of the mirror, thereby raising the device into a tilted position (if the device is resting on a surface). Preferably simultaneously, the two movable display panels are also moved to an open configuration wherein they are exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: C.C. & L Company Limited
    Inventor: Sik Leung Chan
  • Patent number: 7553025
    Abstract: A polarization splitting section has a structure in that a polarization splitting layer is formed of a light reflecting grid member which is arranged in a grid-shaped pattern on an optically-transparent substrate, and an optically-transparent medium is filled between the grid member and the substrate in contact with the grid member surface and the substrate surface, and the grid member and the filled optically-transparent medium are bonded to the substrate with another adhesive agent or tackiness agent formed of an optically-transparent medium interposed. The polarization splitting layer is partly protruded externally from the surfaces of prism materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Hirata, Masahiko Yatsu
  • Patent number: 7553029
    Abstract: A structure of a projector engine section includes: an engine section that projects through a projector lens an optical image formed by modulating a light flux depending on image information; a circuit board that has a digital mirror device control circuit and attached to the engine section; a heat sink that faces the circuit board so as to prevent a heat generation due to the fullness of heat in the engine section; and a gasket plate that is made of a sheet metal and is inserted into the space between the circuit board and the heat sink, such that the gasket plate elastically contacts with a ground pattern of the circuit board and the heat sink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naohito Doi
  • Patent number: 7553030
    Abstract: A projector includes a fan unit having a fan, supporting members functioning as a supporting base of the fan, and at least one resilient member operatively connected to the fan. The supporting members include a first supporting portion and a second supporting portion distant from the first supporting portion in the axis direction of the resilient member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryuji Suzuki