Abstract: A pair of reference plates is so arranged as to have a predetermined positional relationship on a carriage that integrally holds a mask and a photosensitive substrate such that the mask and the photosensitive substrate oppose each other on two sides of a projecting optical system. By periodically detecting the positional relationship between the reference plates in the optical axis direction, a variation with time occurring in the detection characteristics of position detecting devices is detected. Both stable image formation characteristics and a high throughput are realized by correcting a driving signal to be supplied to a driving device in accordance with the detected variation.

Abstract: The illumination optical apparatus of this invention is so arranged that light from a discharge lamp is collected by a rotationally symmetric collector mirror, the thus collected light is collimated into nearly parallel light by a collimator optical system, an optical integrator splits the parallel light into a plurality of light beams to form a plurality of secondary light sources, and thereafter the light from the secondary light sources is projected through a condenser optical system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an illumination optical apparatus capable of correcting unevenness of an illuminance distribution on an illuminated surface, particularly slant unevenness thereof. The illumination optical apparatus comprises a light source unit for supplying a nearly parallel beam, a multi-light-source forming system for forming a plurality of light source images, based on the light beam from the light source unit, a condenser optical system for condensing the light from the multi-light-source forming system to illuminate a surface of an object in a superimposed manner, and a deflecting device for changing an angle of incidence of the light into the multi-light-source forming system, disposed in an optical path between the light source unit and the multi-light-source forming system.

Abstract: An automatic film development apparatus includes a cartridge case for carrying a group of film cartridges loaded with undeveloped films. A feeder unit stores a plurality of the cartridge cases and delivering them one by one to an unloading station for unloading sheets of undeveloped film from respective film cartridges in the cartridge case. The undeveloped film sheet is rewound at a rewinding station into a takeup cartridge. A splicer unit joins one end of the undeveloped film sheet from the takeup cartridge to a short film leader supplied from a film leader supply unit for feeding short film leaders one at the time. A development unit developes the undeveloped film sheet joined to the short film leader. A separator unit separates a developed film sheet from the short film leader. The developed film sheet separated from the short film leader is loaded at a loading station back into its film cartridge.

Abstract: A transfer method includes a step of disposing a mask and a substrate with a projection optical system interposed therebetween in planes substantially perpendicular to the optical axis thereof; and a step of moving the image plane of the projection optical system and the substrate relative to each other along the optical axis in accordance with a variation in the positional relationship between the mask and the projection optical system along the optical axis while the mask and the substrate are moved perpendicular to the optical axis of the projection optical system, in order to transfer a pattern on the mask onto the substrate.

Abstract: An electrophotographic recording apparatus including a photosensitive drum, a charging section, an exposure section, a developing section, and a transfer section. The charging section is used for recharging the photosensitive drum. In the electrophotographic recording apparatus, the photosensitive drum is recharged after a developed image is transferred to a transfer sheet. Thus, after the transfer section is stopped, the charging and developing sections remain active for at least a rotation of the photosensitive drum. Accordingly, the electric voltage level of the photosensitive drum is uniform.

Abstract: An exposure method and apparatus usable with a mask stage for holding a mask having an original pattern, a projection optical system for projecting at least a portion of the original pattern at a predetermined magnification and a substrate stage for holding a photosensitive substrate on an imaging plane of the projection optical system. The mask stage and the substrate stage are moved in a timed relation along a scan direction at a speed ratio corresponding to the magnification of the projection optical system by which a projected image of the original pattern can be scanningly printed on shots of the photosensitive layout. Scanning exposure is controlled on the basis of a shot layout of the photosensitive substrate which is determined per chip from information related to a chip structure and a chip size of the original pattern. The original pattern includes a plurality of original chip patterns.

Abstract: Alignment between a mask and a photosensitive substrate is performed using a first reference mark formed on the mask and a second reference mark formed on the photosensitive substrate. After that, the mask and the photosensitive substrate are relatively moved, so that an image of one of a light-shielding pattern and a light-transmitting pattern formed at a position different from the first reference mark on the mask is formed on the second reference mark on the photosensitive substrate. Then, a circuit pattern formed on the mask is transferred onto the photosensitive substrate, and a partial region including the second reference mark is exposed with the image of one of the light-shielding pattern and the light-transmitting pattern.

Abstract: A plurality of ridge-shaped contact portions are formed on a wafer holder to extend in a direction parallel to the scanning direction, and chucking grooves for chucking the lower surface of a wafer are formed on these contact portions. The lower surface of the wafer is pushed up by movable members which are vertically movably arranged in the Z direction between the contact portions, thereby correcting any curve of the wafer in the transverse direction. Alternatively, the curve of the wafer is corrected by adjusting the pressure in a space defined by adjacent contact portions and the wafer.

Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus has an optical integrator and a condenser optical system. The optical integrator has first and second stages in which a plurality of lens elements each having a rectangular lens surface with long and short sides are arranged while the short sides are set adjacent to each other. The first and second stages are arranged adjacent to each other. A position where the short sides are adjacent to each other in the first stage is different from that in the second stage along a longitudinal direction. Therefore, in the illumination optical apparatus, a resolution difference between a pattern along the vertical direction and that in the horizontal direction caused by a rectangular illuminated area with long and short sides or an arcuated illuminated area can be prevented, so that resolution with a uniform line width can be achieved.

Abstract: Full color, two-pass imaging process using black, magenta, cyan and yellow toners and Non-Interactive Development (NID) without fringe field development. A switchable wavelength flood lamp structure is provided for producing blue and red light. One wavelength is used during the first pass of a photoreceptor through various processing stations for revealing an imagewise voltage for development with magenta toner using an NID system. The other wavelength is used during a second pass of the photoreceptor for revealing another imagewise voltage to be developed with magenta toner.

Abstract: A toner image processing apparatus performs a printing operation and a cleaning operation. A toner-attracting electrode includes first and second electrodes disposed closer to the charged surface of a photosensitive drum and outside of a path through which the light from the exposing device illuminates the charged surface. During the toner attracting operation, a toner-recovering device causes the toner-attracting electrode to attract the toner particles floating in the air surrounding the exposing device, and reversely charged toner particles and residual toner particles left on the photosensitive drum after the toner image is transferred to the print medium. During the toner-releasing operation, the toner-recovering device causes the toner-attracting electrode to release the attracted toner particles to the photosensitive drum. The toner-attracting operation is performed during the printing operation and the toner-releasing operation is performed during the cleaning operation.

Abstract: A compact ADF (auto-document feeder) for feeding a duplex document includes, a first feeding path starting from a document setting table to an exposing area and is formed in a U-shaped state, a second feeding path starting from the exposing area to an ejecting roller, a switch-back path disposed downstream of the second feeding path and above a document ejecting tray, and an inverting path starting from an entrance of the switch-back path to the first feeding path. A switching gate is pivotally disposed downstream of the second feeding path and above the ejecting tray to selectively lead the document either to the ejecting tray, or the switch-back path, or to the inverting path each from the second feeding path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises an image bearing member for bearing an image, an image forming means for forming the image on the image bearing member, a movable member which can be shifted along a transfer station of the image bearing member and onto which a first image and a second image on the image bearing member are successively transferred in a superimposed fashion, and a shifting speed switching means for switching a shifting speed of the movable member between a first shifting speed during a transferring operation and a second shifting speed slower than the first shifting speed, after the first image was transferred to the movable member and before the second image is transferred onto the movable member.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a both-side telecentric projection optical system and an exposure apparatus equipped with this projection optical system. In particular, the projection optical system has a structure for quite favorably correcting various kinds of aberration such as distortion in particular, while securing a relatively broad exposure area and a large numerical aperture.

Abstract: The toner supply roller 20 is so constructed that the outer diameter L of the toner supply roller 20 is set in a range of 10-13 mm, the outer diameter M of the roller shaft 20B is set in a range of 5-6 mm, and a difference between the distance between the rotating center E1 of the toner supply roller 20 and the rotating center E2 of the developing roller 19 and the sum of the radius R1 of the toner supply roller 20 and the radius R2 of the developing roller 19, i.e., the compression amount is set in a range of 0.5-0.8 mm so that there is a good balance between the rigidity of the roller shaft 20B and the rigidity of the roller member 20C. Accordingly, this makes it possible to use the toner supply roller 20 having a small roller diameter L and to supply just sufficiently toner to the developing roller 19. As a result, a resultant image excellent in image quality can be formed for a long period.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image bearing member, charging means for uniformly charging the image bearing member, electrostatic image forming means for forming an electrostatic image on the image bearing member charged by the charging means, developing means for developing the electrostatic image on the image bearing member with a toner and also recovering any residual toner on the image bearing member, and transferring means for transferring the toner image to a transfer member conveyed. Upon re-operation after jam, at least one full rotation of the image bearing member effects the recovery of the toner on the image bearing member by the developing means with the charging by the charging means being rendered OFF.

Abstract: A scanning exposure apparatus is arranged to illuminate a mask, to project an image of the mask through a projection optical system onto a photosensitive substrate, and to move the mask and the photosensitive substrate relative to the projection optical system, thereby effecting exposure of an entire surface of the mask on the photosensitive substrate, and the exposure apparatus comprises a position detector which detects a relative positional relation between the mask and the photosensitive substrate; a memory which stores positional information obtained by the position detector; a position correcting device which corrects the relative positional relation between the mask and the photosensitive substrate, based on the positional information read out from the memory device; and a controller which makes the position detector detect the relative positional relation between the mask and the photosensitive substrate while the mask and the photosensitive substrate are carried past a projection region of the projec

Abstract: An electrographic printer device is designed for printing tape-shaped recording media (10) with different tape widths in different operating modes such as single-color and multi-color simplex printing, single-color and multi-color duplex printing and for simultaneous printing of two recording medium webs in parallel operation. It comprises a module-like device structure with a printer module having a means for generating toner images arranged therein. A single fixing station (18) is arranged above this means. Via a deflection means (28), the recording medium (10) is supplied in single-color or multi-color duplex mode to a return channel (38) that contains a turn-over station (30).

Abstract: A sheet processing device which is mounted on an image forming apparatus having a both-side copy mode of forming an image on each side of a sheet member, including a bin module provided with a plurality of bins for accepting sheet members exhausted from the image forming apparatus, and a processor for taking out sheet members exhausted from the bin and processing the sheet members. When the maximum number of sheets continuously producible per unit in the both-side copy mode for the image forming apparatus is N, and the number of bins is m, the number of bins m is set to satisfy the following relational expression:m.gtoreq.N.