Abstract: A light irradiation method includes splitting light from a coherent light source, which outputs the light at a wavelength equal to or less than 300 nm, into a plurality of branch beams. A wavefront of the light is shaped before splitting the light. The light irradiation method also includes causing the branch beams to intersect at an interference angle equal to or less than 20° to generate interfered light, and irradiating a substrate with the interfered light while continuously conveying the substrate relative to the interfered light.

Abstract: A light irradiation method includes splitting light from a coherent light source, which outputs the light at a wavelength equal to or less than 300 nm, into a plurality of branch beams. A wavefront of the light is shaped before splitting the light. The light irradiation method also includes causing the branch beams to intersect at an interference angle equal to or less than 20° to generate interfered light, and irradiating a substrate with the interfered light while continuously conveying the substrate relative to the interfered light.

Abstract: Disclosed herein an exposure apparatus capable of implementing a microfabrication onto a work with a higher throughput and a lower cost. The exposure apparatus generates interfering light by crossing two or more branched light beams branched from output light from a coherent light source at a predetermined interfering angle, and exposes the substrate by repeating an irradiation onto the substrate with the interfering light and a conveyance of the substrate. At this moment, the exposure apparatus shapes in interfering light irradiation region on the substrate onto which the interfering light is irradiated into a predetermined shape. Then, the exposure apparatus disposes a plurality of the interfering light irradiation regions in successive shots to be located adjacent to each other on the substrate in a direction of conveying the substrate without the interfering light irradiation regions being overlapped when exposing the substrate while conveying the substrate in a stepwise manner.

Abstract: A method includes dividing a single beam emitted from a coherent light source into at least two branch beams, and causing the branch beams to cross each other at a predetermined interference angle thereby generating interference pattern. The method also includes irradiating a target surface of a substrate with the interference pattern. The method also includes dividing the target surface of the substrate into a plurality of predetermined shapes, and repeating a first substep of irradiating each predetermined shape with every shot of the interference pattern, and a second substep of conveying the substrate in a stepwise manner such that the predetermined shapes overlap each other in the stepwise manner. The method also includes causing a line-to-line pitch of the interference fringes in one of the predetermined shapes to align with the line-to-line pitch of the interference fringes in a next predetermined shape upon repeating the first and second substeps.

Abstract: Disclosed herein an exposure apparatus capable of implementing a microfabrication onto a work with a higher throughput and a lower cost. The exposure apparatus generates interfering light by crossing two or more branched light beams branched from output light from a coherent light source at a predetermined interfering angle, and exposes the substrate by repeating an irradiation onto the substrate with the interfering light and a conveyance of the substrate. At this moment, the exposure apparatus shapes in interfering light irradiation region on the substrate onto which the interfering light is irradiated into a predetermined shape. Then, the exposure apparatus disposes a plurality of the interfering light irradiation regions in successive shots to be located adjacent to each other on the substrate in a direction of conveying the substrate without the interfering light irradiation regions being overlapped when exposing the substrate while conveying the substrate in a stepwise manner.

Abstract: A method includes dividing a single beam emitted from a coherent light source into at least two branch beams, and causing the branch beams to cross each other at a predetermined interference angle thereby generating interference light. The method also includes irradiating a target surface of a substrate with the interference light. The method also includes shaping the target surface of the substrate to a plurality of predetermined shapes, and repeating a first substep of irradiating each predetermined shape with every shot of the interference light, and a second substep of conveying the substrate in a stepwise manner such that the predetermined shapes overlap each other in the stepwise manner. The method also includes causing a line-to-line pitch of the interference fringes in one of the predetermined shapes to align with the line-to-line pitch of the interference fringes in a next predetermined shape upon repeating the first and second substeps.

Abstract: A method manufactures a light emitting element of a fluorescent light source. The method includes forming a photosensitive material layer on a fluorescent substrate, and dividing a coherent beam into branch beams. The method includes causing the branch beams to cross each other thereby generating a first interference beam, and applying an exposure process to the photosensitive material layer with the first interference beam. The method includes producing a second interference beam, and applying the exposure process to the photosensitive material with the second interference beam. The method includes removing those areas of the photosensitive material layer which are irradiated with the first and second interference beams, thereby forming a fine pattern in the photosensitive material layer. The method includes applying an etching process to the fluorescent substrate with the fine pattern of the photosensitive material layer, thereby creating a photonic structure on the fluorescent substrate.

Abstract: A method manufactures a structure having a first fine pattern on a substrate. The method includes forming a resist layer on the substrate, dividing a laser beam into two branch beams, and causing the branch beams to cross each other at an interference angle thereby generating a first interference beam. The method also includes exposing the resist layer with the first interference beam. The method also includes producing a second interference beam from the branch beams such that the second interference beam crosses the first interference beam at a predetermined angle, and exposing the resist layer with the second interference beam. The method also includes removing those areas of the resist layer which are irradiated with the first and second interference beams, thereby forming a second fine pattern in the resist layer. The method also includes etching the substrate with the second fine pattern of the resist layer.

Abstract: A method manufactures a light emitting element of a fluorescent light source. The method includes forming a photosensitive material layer on a fluorescent substrate, and dividing a coherent beam into branch beams. The method includes causing the branch beams to cross each other thereby generating a first interference beam, and applying an exposure process to the photosensitive material layer with the first interference beam. The method includes producing a second interference beam, and applying the exposure process to the photosensitive material with the second interference beam. The method includes removing those areas of the photosensitive material layer which are irradiated with the first and second interference beams, thereby forming a fine pattern in the photosensitive material layer. The method includes applying an etching process to the fluorescent substrate with the fine pattern of the photosensitive material layer, thereby creating a photonic structure on the fluorescent substrate.