Patents by Inventor Hideki Komatsuda

Hideki Komatsuda 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: 11934104
    Abstract: An optical apparatus, which illuminates a first area with light from a light source while the first area is longer in a second direction intersecting a first direction than in the first direction, includes a collector optical member which is arranged in an optical path between the light source and the first area, and condenses the light from the light source to form a second area in a predetermined plane, the second area being longer in a fourth direction intersecting a third direction than in the third direction; and a first fly's eye optical member which is provided within the predetermined plane including the second area, and has a plurality of first optical elements guiding the light of the collector optical member to the first area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Komatsuda, Yoshio Kawabe
  • Publication number: 20230024028
    Abstract: There is provided a reflective image-forming optical system which is applicable to an exposure apparatus using, for example, EUV light and which is capable of increasing numerical aperture while enabling optical path separation of light fluxes. In a reflective imaging optical system (6) forming an image of a first plane (4) onto a second plane (7), the numerical aperture on a side of the second plane with respect to a first direction (X direction) on the second plane is greater than 1.1 times a numerical aperture on the side of the second plane with respect to a second direction (Y direction) crossing the first direction on the second plane. The reflecting imaging optical system has an aperture stop (AS) defining the numerical aperture on the side of the second plane, and the aperture stop has an elliptic-shaped opening of which size in a major axis direction (X direction) is greater than 1.1 times that in a minor axis direction (Y direction).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventor: Hideki KOMATSUDA
  • Patent number: 11467501
    Abstract: There is provided a reflective image-forming optical system which is applicable to an exposure apparatus using, for example, EUV light and which is capable of increasing numerical aperture while enabling optical path separation of light fluxes. In a reflective imaging optical system (6) forming an image of a first plane (4) onto a second plane (7), the numerical aperture on a side of the second plane with respect to a first direction (X direction) on the second plane is greater than 1.1 times a numerical aperture on the side of the second plane with respect to a second direction (Y direction) crossing the first direction on the second plane. The reflecting imaging optical system has an aperture stop (AS) defining the numerical aperture on the side of the second plane, and the aperture stop has an elliptic-shaped opening of which size in a major axis direction (X direction) is greater than 1.1 times that in a minor axis direction (Y direction).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Komatsuda
  • Publication number: 20220260923
    Abstract: An optical apparatus, which illuminates a first area with light from a light source while the first area is longer in a second direction intersecting a first direction than in the first direction, includes a collector optical member which is arranged in an optical path between the light source and the first area, and condenses the light from the light source to form a second area in a predetermined plane, the second area being longer in a fourth direction intersecting a third direction than in the third direction; and a first fly's eye optical member which is provided within the predetermined plane including the second area, and has a plurality of first optical elements guiding the light of the collector optical member to the first area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2022
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki KOMATSUDA, Yoshio KAWABE
  • Patent number: 11353795
    Abstract: An optical apparatus, which illuminates a first area with light from a light source while the first area is longer in a second direction intersecting a first direction than in the first direction, includes a collector optical member which is arranged in an optical path between the light source and the first area, and condenses the light from the light source to form a second area in a predetermined plane, the second area being longer in a fourth direction intersecting a third direction than in the third direction; and a first fly's eye optical member which is provided within the predetermined plane including the second area, and has a plurality of first optical elements guiding the light of the collector optical member to the first area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Komatsuda, Yoshio Kawabe
  • Publication number: 20210200100
    Abstract: There is provided a reflective image-forming optical system which is applicable to an exposure apparatus using, for example, EUV light and which is capable of increasing numerical aperture while enabling optical path separation of light fluxes. In a reflective imaging optical system (6) forming an image of a first plane (4) onto a second plane (7), the numerical aperture on a side of the second plane with respect to a first direction (X direction) on the second plane is greater than 1.1 times a numerical aperture on the side of the second plane with respect to a second direction (Y direction) crossing the first direction on the second plane. The reflecting imaging optical system has an aperture stop (AS) defining the numerical aperture on the side of the second plane, and the aperture stop has an elliptic-shaped opening of which size in a major axis direction (X direction) is greater than 1.1 times that in a minor axis direction (Y direction).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventor: Hideki KOMATSUDA
  • Publication number: 20210026251
    Abstract: An optical apparatus, which illuminates a first area with light from a light source while the first area is longer in a second direction intersecting a first direction than in the first direction, includes a collector optical member which is arranged in an optical path between the light source and the first area, and condenses the light from the light source to form a second area in a predetermined plane, the second area being longer in a fourth direction intersecting a third direction than in the third direction; and a first fly's eye optical member which is provided within the predetermined plane including the second area, and has a plurality of first optical elements guiding the light of the collector optical member to the first area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki KOMATSUDA, Yoshio KAWABE
  • Patent number: 10866522
    Abstract: There is provided a reflective image-forming optical system which is applicable to an exposure apparatus using, for example, EUV light and which is capable of increasing numerical aperture while enabling optical path separation of light fluxes. In a reflective imaging optical system (6) forming an image of a first plane (4) onto a second plane (7), the numerical aperture on a side of the second plane with respect to a first direction (X direction) on the second plane is greater than 1.1 times a numerical aperture on the side of the second plane with respect to a second direction (Y direction) crossing the first direction on the second plane. The reflecting imaging optical system has an aperture stop (AS) defining the numerical aperture on the side of the second plane, and the aperture stop has an elliptic-shaped opening of which size in a major axis direction (X direction) is greater than 1.1 times that in a minor axis direction (Y direction).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Komatsuda
  • Patent number: 10831106
    Abstract: An optical apparatus, which illuminates a first area with light from a light source while the first area is longer in a second direction intersecting a first direction than in the first direction, includes a collector optical member which is arranged in an optical path between the light source and the first area, and condenses the light from the light source to form a second area in a predetermined plane, the second area being longer in a fourth direction intersecting a third direction than in the third direction; and a first fly's eye optical member which is provided within the predetermined plane including the second area, and has a plurality of first optical elements guiding the light of the collector optical member to the first area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Komatsuda, Yoshio Kawabe
  • Patent number: 10459343
    Abstract: An object is to provide an illumination apparatus that achieves illumination with a uniform illuminance distribution, while reducing a light quantity loss. An illumination apparatus for illuminating an illumination target surface has: a deflection member configured to form an illuminance distribution with a periodic pattern along a predetermined direction on a predetermined face traversing an optical path; and an optical integrator system having a plurality of wavefront division facets arrayed on the predetermined face and configured to form secondary light sources with use of a beam from the deflection member; the deflection member forms the illuminance distribution with the periodic pattern of an integer times or a unit fraction times an array period of the plurality of wavefront division facets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideki Komatsuda
  • Publication number: 20190302435
    Abstract: An optical apparatus, which illuminates a first area with light from a light source while the first area is longer in a second direction intersecting a first direction than in the first direction, includes a collector optical member which is arranged in an optical path between the light source and the first area, and condenses the light from the light source to form a second area in a predetermined plane, the second area being longer in a fourth direction intersecting a third direction than in the third direction; and a first fly's eye optical member which is provided within the predetermined plane including the second area, and has a plurality of first optical elements guiding the light of the collector optical member to the first area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki KOMATSUDA, Yoshio KAWABE
  • Publication number: 20190302621
    Abstract: There is provided a reflective image-forming optical system which is applicable to an exposure apparatus using, for example, EUV light and which is capable of increasing numerical aperture while enabling optical path separation of light fluxes. In a reflective imaging optical system (6) forming an image of a first plane (4) onto a second plane (7), the numerical aperture on a side of the second plane with respect to a first direction (X direction) on the second plane is greater than 1.1 times a numerical aperture on the side of the second plane with respect to a second direction (Y direction) crossing the first direction on the second plane. The reflecting imaging optical system has an aperture stop (AS) defining the numerical aperture on the side of the second plane, and the aperture stop has an elliptic-shaped opening of which size in a major axis direction (X direction) is greater than 1.1 times that in a minor axis direction (Y direction).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventor: Hideki KOMATSUDA
  • Patent number: 10345708
    Abstract: An optical apparatus, which illuminates a first area with light from a light source while the first area is longer in a second direction intersecting a first direction than in the first direction, includes a collector optical member which is arranged in an optical path between the light source and the first area, and condenses the light from the light source to form a second area in a predetermined plane, the second area being longer in a fourth direction intersecting a third direction than in the third direction; and a first fly's eye optical member which is provided within the predetermined plane including the second area, and has a plurality of first optical elements guiding the light of the collector optical member to the first area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Komatsuda, Yoshio Kawabe
  • Publication number: 20190086812
    Abstract: An object is to provide an illumination apparatus that achieves illumination with a uniform illuminance distribution, while reducing a light quantity loss. An illumination apparatus for illuminating an illumination target surface has: a deflection member configured to form an illuminance distribution with a periodic pattern along a predetermined direction on a predetermined face traversing an optical path; and an optical integrator system having a plurality of wavefront division facets arrayed on the predetermined face and configured to form secondary light sources with use of a beam from the deflection member; the deflection member forms the illuminance distribution with the periodic pattern of an integer times or a unit fraction times an array period of the plurality of wavefront division facets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideki KOMATSUDA
  • Patent number: 10228623
    Abstract: There is provided a reflective image-forming optical system which is applicable to an exposure apparatus using, for example, EUV light and which is capable of increasing numerical aperture while enabling optical path separation of light fluxes. In a reflective imaging optical system (6) forming an image of a first plane (4) onto a second plane (7), the numerical aperture on a side of the second plane with respect to a first direction (X direction) on the second plane is greater than 1.1 times a numerical aperture on the side of the second plane with respect to a second direction (Y direction) crossing the first direction on the second plane. The reflecting imaging optical system has an aperture stop (AS) defining the numerical aperture on the side of the second plane, and the aperture stop has an elliptic-shaped opening of which size in a major axis direction (X direction) is greater than 1.1 times that in a minor axis direction (Y direction).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Komatsuda
  • Patent number: 10162269
    Abstract: An object is to provide an illumination apparatus that achieves illumination with a uniform illuminance distribution, while reducing a light quantity loss. An illumination apparatus for illuminating an illumination target surface has: a deflection member configured to form an illuminance distribution with a periodic pattern along a predetermined direction on a predetermined face traversing an optical path; and an optical integrator system having a plurality of wavefront division facets arrayed on the predetermined face and configured to form secondary light sources with use of a beam from the deflection member; the deflection member forms the illuminance distribution with the periodic pattern of an integer times or a unit fraction times an array period of the plurality of wavefront division facets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideki Komatsuda
  • Publication number: 20180210347
    Abstract: There is provided a reflective image-forming optical system which is applicable to an exposure apparatus using, for example, EUV light and which is capable of increasing numerical aperture while enabling optical path separation of light fluxes. In a reflective imaging optical system (6) forming an image of a first plane (4) onto a second plane (7), the numerical aperture on a side of the second plane with respect to a first direction (X direction) on the second plane is greater than 1.1 times a numerical aperture on the side of the second plane with respect to a second direction (Y direction) crossing the first direction on the second plane. The reflecting imaging optical system has an aperture stop (AS) defining the numerical aperture on the side of the second plane, and the aperture stop has an elliptic-shaped opening of which size in a major axis direction (X direction) is greater than 1.1 times that in a minor axis direction (Y direction).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Inventor: Hideki KOMATSUDA
  • Patent number: 9939733
    Abstract: There is provided a reflective imaging optical system forming an image of a first plane onto a second plane, wherein the numerical aperture with respect to a first direction on the second plane is greater than 1.1 times a numerical aperture with respect to a second direction crossing the first direction on the second plane. The reflecting imaging optical system has an aperture stop defining the numerical aperture on the side of the second plane, and the aperture stop has an elliptic-shaped opening of which size in a major axis direction is greater than 1.1 times that in a minor axis direction. The reflective image-forming optical system is applicable to an exposure apparatus using, for example, EUV light and capable of increasing numerical aperture while enabling optical path separation of light fluxes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Komatsuda
  • Publication number: 20170343902
    Abstract: An object is to provide an illumination apparatus that achieves illumination with a uniform illuminance distribution, while reducing a light quantity loss. An illumination apparatus for illuminating an illumination target surface has: a deflection member configured to form an illuminance distribution with a periodic pattern along a predetermined direction on a predetermined face traversing an optical path; and an optical integrator system having a plurality of wavefront division facets arrayed on the predetermined face and configured to form secondary light sources with use of a beam from the deflection member; the deflection member forms the illuminance distribution with the periodic pattern of an integer times or a unit fraction times an array period of the plurality of wavefront division facets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideki KOMATSUDA
  • Publication number: 20170285314
    Abstract: An optical apparatus, which illuminates a first area with light from a light source while the first area is longer in a second direction intersecting a first direction than in the first direction, includes a collector optical member which is arranged in an optical path between the light source and the first area, and condenses the light from the light source to form a second area in a predetermined plane, the second area being longer in a fourth direction intersecting a third direction than in the third direction; and a first fly's eye optical member which is provided within the predetermined plane including the second area, and has a plurality of first optical elements guiding the light of the collector optical member to the first area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki KOMATSUDA, Yoshio KAWABE