Patents by Inventor Akimitsu Ebihara

Akimitsu Ebihara has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8767172
    Abstract: A projection optical device includes a projection optical system which projects an image of a pattern, a support member attached to the projection optical system, and a plurality of coupling members connected to the support member. The coupling members suspend and support the projection optical system through the support member from an upper direction of the support member. The projection optical device can include a frame to which one end of each of the coupling members is attached, such that the projection optical system hangs from the frame via the support member and the coupling members. A projection optical device also can include a liquid supply which supplies a temperature-controlled liquid to a side surface of a projection optical system utilizing gravity to cause the temperature-controlled liquid to flow along the side surface of the projection optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Akimitsu Ebihara, Martin E. Lee, Bausan Yuan
  • Patent number: 8767177
    Abstract: A support structure of a lithographic projection apparatus is configured to hold a patterning device, the patterning device being configured to pattern a beam of radiation according to a desired pattern. A substrate table is configured to hold a substrate. A projection system is configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate. A liquid supply system includes a container at least partly defining a space between the projection system and the substrate, the container having a selectively openable and closeable aperture therein, the aperture having an area smaller than an area of the substrate, the patterned beam capable of being projected through liquid in the space and the aperture onto the substrate. A closure is configured to selectively close and open the aperture, and the closure is separable from the remainder of the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Akimitsu Ebihara
  • Patent number: 8724085
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus and method exposes a substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid. A liquid immersion system supplies liquid to form a liquid immersion region below the projection optical system. First and second tables each can mount a substrate. A drive system drives the first and second tables, which are positionable below the projection optical system. The drive system is controlled to move the first and second tables below the projection optical system relative to the liquid immersion region to replace one of the first and second tables positioned below the projection optical system with the other of the first and second tables such that the liquid immersion region is transferred from the one of the first and second tables to the other of the first and second tables while the liquid immersion region is maintained below and in contact with the projection optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Akimitsu Ebihara
  • Patent number: 8717537
    Abstract: Exposure apparatus and methods expose a substrate with an energy beam via a projection optical system and has first and second tables on each of which a substrate is mountable. A mark detection system is arranged in a second area different from a first area in which the projection optical system is arranged. A substrate mounted on one of the first and second tables is moved in the first area while the one table is held by a first movable member. A substrate mounted on another of the first and second tables is moved in the second area while the another table is held by a second movable member. The tables held by the first and second movable members are driven so that the another table is moved from the second to the first movable member to be held in place of the one table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Akimitsu Ebihara
  • Patent number: 8705001
    Abstract: An immersion liquid is supplied to a space between a projection system and a substrate, and a patterned beam of radiation is projected through the liquid onto a target portion of the substrate using the projection system. A liquid retaining member is replaced with a table member that holds the substrate at an opposite position to the projection system while the liquid is maintained in contact with the projection system so as to transit from a first state to a second state, the first state in which the liquid is maintained between the projection system and the liquid retaining member, the second state in which the liquid is maintained between the projection system and the table member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Akimitsu Ebihara
  • Patent number: 8692976
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus and method exposes a substrate via a projection optical system and liquid. A liquid immersion member having a lower surface and a recovery port at its lower surface side supplies liquid to form a liquid immersion region below the projection optical system and recovers the liquid via the recovery port. First and second tables, on which a substrate is mountable, are positionable opposite to the lower surface of the liquid immersion member. A drive system moves the first and second tables below the projection optical system relative to the liquid immersion member to replace one of the tables positioned opposite to the lower surface of the liquid immersion member with the other of the tables, whereby the liquid immersion region is transferred from the one to the other of the tables while the liquid immersion region is maintained below and in contact with the projection optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Akimitsu Ebihara
  • Patent number: 8681314
    Abstract: A stage device includes a base, a movable table arranged above the base, a position information measurement device that measures position information of the movable table, a deformation amount detection unit that detects an amount regarding deformation of at least one of the base and the movable table, and a correction device that corrects the measured result of the position information measurement unit based on the detected result of the deformation amount detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Akimitsu Ebihara, Masato Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8674586
    Abstract: A motor device includes a rotor, a transmission member wound around at least a portion of an outer periphery of the rotor, a moving part connected to the transmission member to move the transmission member, and a control unit which makes the moving part perform the driving operation of moving the transmission member by a predetermined distance in a state where a torque transmission state is brought between the rotor and the transmission member, and the returning operation of returning the transmission member to a predetermined position in a state where the torque transmission state is released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Akimitsu Ebihara
  • Publication number: 20130250257
    Abstract: Exposure apparatus and methods expose a substrate with an energy beam via a projection optical system and has first and second tables on each of which a substrate is mountable. A mark detection system is arranged in a second area different from a first area in which the projection optical system is arranged. A substrate mounted on one of the first and second tables is moved in the first area while the one table is held by a first movable member. A substrate mounted on another of the first and second tables is moved in the second area while the another table is held by a second movable member. The tables held by the first and second movable members are driven so that the another table is moved from the second to the first movable member to be held in place of the one table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akimitsu EBIHARA
  • Publication number: 20130229637
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus and method exposes a substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid. A liquid immersion system supplies liquid to form a liquid immersion region below the projection optical system. First and second tables each can mount a substrate. A drive system drives the first and second tables, which are positionable below the projection optical system. The drive system is controlled to move the first and second tables below the projection optical system relative to the liquid immersion region to replace one of the first and second tables positioned below the projection optical system with the other of the first and second tables such that the liquid immersion region is transferred from the one of the first and second tables to the other of the first and second tables while the liquid immersion region is maintained below and in contact with the projection optical system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akimitsu EBIHARA
  • Patent number: 8441171
    Abstract: A motor device comprises a transmission substrate formed with a transmission portion that is wound around at least part of the outer periphery of a rotator; and a driving substrate that has a driving portion which moves the transmission portion by a certain distance in a state in which a rotational force is transmitted between the rotator and the transmission portion returns the transmission portion to a predetermined position in a state in which the rotation force transmission state is released, and is connected to the transmission substrate so that the driving force due to the driving portion acts on the transmission portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi Okada, Akimitsu Ebihara
  • Patent number: 8436979
    Abstract: An immersion liquid is supplied to a space between a projection system and a substrate, and a patterned beam of radiation is projected through the liquid onto a target portion of the substrate using the projection system. Substrates can be held on first and second tables. The first and second tables are moved together so as to transit from a first state to a second state, the first state in which the liquid immersion is maintained between the projection system and one of the first and second tables, the second state in which the liquid immersion is maintained between the projection system and the other one of the first and second tables. During the transition, the liquid immersion is maintained just below the projection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Akimitsu Ebihara
  • Patent number: 8436981
    Abstract: An exposing method that forms a pattern of a reticle on a wafer is provided. In the method, part of the pattern of the reticle in an illumination area, which is illuminated by illumination light from an illumination optical system, is illuminated, and while scanning the illumination area with respect to the reticle in the +Y direction (or the ?Y direction) by pivoting a deflection mirror, the reticle is moved in the corresponding ?Y direction (or the +Y direction) and the wafer is moved in a direction that corresponds to the movement direction of the reticle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Akimitsu Ebihara
  • Patent number: 8436978
    Abstract: A liquid immersion exposure apparatus includes an optical element through which an exposure beam passes, a first table which is movable relative to the optical element, while holding a substrate and a second table which is movable relative to the optical element while holding a substrate. The optical element is kept in contact with an exposure liquid while the first table and the second table are moved from a first state in which the first table is opposite to the optical element to a second state in which the second table is opposite to the optical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Akimitsu Ebihara
  • Patent number: 8319941
    Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus includes an illumination system that conditions a radiation beam, a support structure that holds a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern. A substrate table that holds a substrate, and a projection system that projects the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate. In addition, a liquid supply system provides a liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate, the liquid supply system having a member. A liquid seal device forms a liquid seal between the member and the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Akimitsu Ebihara
  • Publication number: 20120200837
    Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus includes an illumination system that conditions a radiation beam, a support structure that holds a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern, a substrate table that holds a substrate, and a projection system that projects the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate. In addition, a liquid supply system provides a liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate, the liquid supply system having a member. A liquid seal device forms a liquid seal between the member and the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akimitsu EBIHARA
  • Publication number: 20120127445
    Abstract: An optical isolation assembly (30) for reducing the transmission of vibration from an optical barrel (25) to an optical element assembly (28) includes an optical mover assembly (256), a first measurement system (258), a second measurement system (260), and a control system (24). The optical mover assembly (256) moves, positions and supports the optical element assembly (28) relative to the optical barrel (25). The first measurement system (258) generates one or more first measurement signals that relate to the relative position between the optical element assembly (28) and the optical barrel (25). The second measurement system (260) generates one or more second measurement signals that relate to the absolute movement of the optical element assembly (28) along the first axis. The control system (24) controls the optical mover assembly (256) utilizing the first measurement signals and the second measurement signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Inventors: Akimitsu Ebihara, Yi-Ping Hsin, Kunitomo Fukai, Hideyuki Hashimoto, Bausan Yuan
  • Publication number: 20120008111
    Abstract: A support structure of a lithographic projection apparatus is configured to hold a patterning device, the patterning device being configured to pattern a beam of radiation according to a desired pattern. A substrate table is configured to hold a substrate. A projection system is configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate. A liquid supply system includes a container at least partly defining a space between the projection system and the substrate, the container having a selectively openable and closeable aperture therein, the aperture having an area smaller than an area of the substrate, the patterned beam capable of being projected through liquid in the space and the aperture onto the substrate. A closure is configured to selectively close and open the aperture, and the closure is separable from the remainder of the apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akimitsu Ebihara
  • Publication number: 20110241485
    Abstract: A motor device includes a base portion; a transmission portion that is formed with the base portion as one member and is wound around at least a part of an outer periphery of a rotator; and a driving portion which is supported by the base portion, moves the transmission portion by a certain distance in a state in which a rotational force is transmitted between the rotator and the transmission portion, and returns the transmission portion to a predetermined position in a state in which the rotation force transmission state is released.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Nagase, Masashi Okada, Akimitsu Ebihara
  • Publication number: 20110241484
    Abstract: A motor device comprises a transmission substrate formed with a transmission portion that is wound around at least part of the outer periphery of a rotator; and a driving substrate that has a driving portion which moves the transmission portion by a certain distance in a state in which a rotational force is transmitted between the rotator and the transmission portion returns the transmission portion to a predetermined position in a state in which the rotation force transmission state is released, and is connected to the transmission substrate so that the driving force due to the driving portion acts on the transmission portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi OKADA, Akimitsu EBIHARA