Abstract: An apparatus for supporting a mask comprises a pair of members. The mask held against each member by a vacuum arrangement which prevents relative motion between the mask and members. The members are compliant such that they accommodate flatness variations in the mask but without deforming the mask.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of computing a defocus amount in lithography and lithographic process using the method. A first step executes plural double-exposure operations each including a pattern exposure for forming a pattern of a predetermined line width and a full-area exposure over an area covering the pattern, employing different dosages employed in the full-area exposures for different double-exposure operations. A developing operation is performed. subsequent to the double-exposure, whereby a plurality of resist patterns are obtained. In a second step, the edge roughness and the line width are measured on each resist pattern. In a third step, a Gaussian function is fitted to the edge roughnesses and the line widths. The distribution width of the Gaussian curve is determined as the defocus amount of a pseudo-profile of the beam which indicates a change in lithographic factors that affect the accuracy of lithography.

Abstract: An image printing apparatus is provided with a plurality of support legs having height-adjusting screws for providing a substantially horizontal support on an inclined installation surface, whereby a flow path is formed to exchanged atmosphere and heat through a gap formed between a lower surface portion and an installation surface.

Abstract: A supporting assembly for use in a lithographic projection apparatus includes a moveable member which is journalled in a housing such that substantially no vibration forces are transmitted between the moveable member and the housing. The assembly comprises a gas filled pressure chamber in which the gas in the pressure chamber acts on the moveable member so as to at least partially counteract the force due to the weight of the moveable member and any other object which it carries. The pressure chamber is supplied with gas and the whole assembly is constructed and arranged such that substantially no gas flows through the pressure chamber when the moveable member is substantially stationary. The supporting assembly may be applied to a lithographic projection apparatus, object table, or metrology frame.

Abstract: A chuck for detachably fixing an object to a rotatable base, the chuck comprising (a) a support detachably mountable to the base, (b) a clamp having opposite ends, the clamp being pivotally mounted to the support between the ends of the clamp, and (c) a resilient member connected to one end of the clamp, the resilient member being resiliently deformed when the support is mounted to the base, which applies a force to the one end of the clamp, thereby causing the other end of the clamp to pivot downward, and apply a pressing force against an object disposed between the base and the other end of the clamp, wherein when the base rotates, centrifugal force acts on the clamp and increases the pressing force against the object.

Abstract: In order to eliminate the cam member, which is mounted to the mounting member side and to which grease is applied, to prevent, as much as possible, the portions to which grease has been applied from becoming exposed to the side of an original placed on the contact glass, an original cover closer is arranged from a mounting member, which has a mounting base and side plates, which are raised from both sides of the mounting base, and has the abovementioned mounting base mounted to the main device unit side, a supporting member, which supports an original cover, has a back plate as well as side plates and a top plate, which are bent from the back plate, and has one end of each of the side plates being rotatably mounted via a hinge pin to the corresponding side plate of the abovementioned mounting member, a cam slider, which is fitted inside the supporting member in a manner enabling sliding towards the side of the abovementioned mounting member, a pressure bearing pin, which is axially mounted between the respect

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an image exposure apparatus whose installation area and height are reduced and which enables smooth conveying of a printing plate. In this image exposure apparatus, a cassette accommodating printing plates therein is loaded in such a manner as to be inclined at a predetermined angle, and preferably at an angle near 90°. A printing plate which has been taken out by a sheet unit is diverted in a curved manner and is sent to a recording section by a diverting unit. With this compact structure, the installation area and the height of the apparatus can be reduced.

Abstract: An apparatus has a pulse light source for emitting light pulses with varying light quantities, an illumination optical system for radiating the light pulses from the source onto a predetermined illumination region on a mask on which a transfer pattern is formed, and a projection optical system for projecting an image of the pattern onto a predetermined exposure region on a substrate, and which synchronously scans the mask and the substrate during the projection. The apparatus includes a measuring device for detecting intensities of the light pulses radiated onto the substrate during the scanning and measuring an integrated light quantity on each of a plurality of partial regions in the exposure region on the substrate on the basis of a detection signal of the intensities, wherein the partial regions are defined by a scanning speed of the photosensitive substrate and an oscillation interval of the light pulses.

Abstract: A method is described for exposing both sides of a light sensitive sheet such as a printed circuit board panel according to imaging data. The method uses a device that has an optical system for scanning the sensitive sheet by one or more beams. The optical system scans both sides with the scan lines on one side mutually positioned with respect to the scan lines on the other side. According to one implementation, the optical system includes two optical scanning units driven by a single source, with a switch alternating the beam from the source to one then the other optical scanning unit.

Abstract: An image projection system is provided for generating an energy efficient output representative of a desired input image. The image projection system includes a light source positioning device for directing the light from a light source onto a spatial light modulator. An image source provides the desired image to the spatial light modulator and also image information to a light source position controller for coordinating the light source positioning device, such that the light from the light source impinges substantially only the area of the spatial light modulator which contains the desired image. In particular, the controller actuates the light source positioning device by using a predefined scan that corresponds to the desired image. The spatial light modulator modulates the light with the desired input image and generates an output representative of the desired image.

Abstract: A digital camera loaded with a removable memory card storing image files and a print order file, in a wireless mode, sends the files to a computer via a handy phone set, and prepares a directory information file in which the files are virtually positioned in a preselected layer, so that the directory structure of the memory card can be reconstructed. The camera then accesses the handy phone set to send the files to the computer. The computer reconstructs the original directory structure and file names based on the directory information file and then prints out the image data of the image files in accordance with the print order file. The computer produces prints in the same manner as when directly reading the image data from the memory card.

Abstract: In one illustrative embodiment, a system is provided for controlling a lens of an optical system of a stepper. The system comprises the stepper, the optical system, and a controller. The stepper has a light source controllably energizable to provide light to a surface of a semiconductor device. The lens of the optical system has a controllable focus. The controller is capable of determining a temperature of the lens, and controllably varying the focus of the lens in response to the temperature of the lens.

Abstract: A stage apparatus includes a movable stage, a base supporting the stage on a reference plane, a driving mechanism for driving the stage, and a rotor acting on the stage and producing a moment so as to reduce a reaction force produced along with the movement of the stage. The rotor also reduces the reaction force produced upon movement of the stage by the movement of the base and the rotation of the rotor.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for enhancing an optical lithography process by capturing light diffracted from a mask having features to be exposed onto a wafer. In one embodiment, a system of the present invention has in place a mask, a wafer and a reduction lens such that the reduction lens is placed between the mask and the wafer in order to direct and expose the mask's features onto the wafer. Furthermore, a reflective member is disposed proximate to the reduction lens. In order to achieve finer resolution of the mask image on the wafer, this reflective member captures diffracted light diffracting beyond the reduction lens and redirects the diffracted light to pass through the reduction lens such that the diffracted light is redirected onto the wafer. In so doing, the reflective member resolves the mask image on the wafer in more detail than is possible by an optical lithography process using no such reflective member.

Abstract: A laser beam emitted from an exposure laser beam source has a uniform illuminance distribution after passing through a fly-eye lens selected according to the aperture stop. The exposure light is projected onto a reticle on which a predetermined pattern is formed, and the reticle pattern is projected onto a wafer by means of a projection optical system having a pupil filter inserted therein. A cleaning light beam branching off from the exposure light beam is projected through a beam splitter and a total reflection mirror onto the fly-eye lens located at a retraction position. A plane-parallel plate at the retraction position is irradiated with a cleaning light beam. The fly-eye lens and the plane-parallel plate are self-cleansed by the cleaning light beam, so that the transmissivity is kept higher than a predetermined value during standby.

Abstract: A pre-aligner receives wafers from a wafer carrier or process track and performs preparatory steps such as centering of the wafer. The prepared wafer is transferred to the wafer table using a robot arm that is isolated from the pre-aligner and the wafer table. The robot arm couples to the pre-aligner to pick up the wafer, decouples, couples to the wafer table and deposits the wafer. Positional accuracy of the wafer is thereby maintained during the transfer.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed to compensate for distortions in lithography by locally heating the membrane in a lithographic mask. The techniques may be used both to shrink and to expand areas of the mask locally, in order to adjust for varying magnitudes and signs of distortion. In one embodiment the correction method comprises two steps: (1) A send-ahead wafer is exposed and measured by conventional means to determine the overlay errors at several points throughout the field. (2) During exposure of subsequent wafers, calibrated beams of light are focused on the mask. The heating from the absorbed light produces displacements that compensate for the overlay errors measured with the send-ahead wafer. Any source of distortion may be corrected—for example, distortion appearing on the mask initially, distortion that only develops on the mask over time, or distortion on the wafer.

Abstract: A device is described for exposing both sides of a light sensitive sheet such as a printed circuit board panel according to imaging data. The device comprises an optical system for scanning the sensitive sheet by one or more beams. The optical system scans both sides with the scan lines on one side mutually positioned with respect to the scan lines on the other side. According to one implementation, the optical system includes two optical scanning units driven by a single source, with a switch alternating the beam from the source to one then the other optical scanning unit.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus comprises mask support portions, which support photo masks each having an exposure pattern thereon for movement between an exposure position in which the masks are in contact with a to-be-exposed object and a separate position in which the masks are kept off the object. Exposure light sources are used to expose the to-be-exposed object through the photo masks that are located in the exposure position. A clean air supplier runs clean air from a first supply portion into regions between the to-be-exposed object and the photo masks to prevent penetration of foreign substances when the photo masks are moved to the separate position. When the photo masks are moved to the exposure position, the supplier feeds clean air from a second supply portion onto the respective outer surfaces of the photo masks, thereby cooling the photo masks.

Abstract: A method for testing the image displacement of a reticle following a change in illumination comprising the steps of taking a first image displacement measurement with a test reticle (110) having a variable linewidth (L) and a variable pitch size (s) on an image displacement mark (30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100), changing the illumination conditions of the photolithographic equipment and taking a second image displacement measurement with the test reticle (110) to determine an image displacement offset due to changes in illumination, is disclosed.