Abstract: A shot configuration measuring mark transferred onto a resist film formed on a semiconductor wafer includes four straight-line marks arranged in parallel to each other and a centerline between outer two of the four straight-line marks is coincident with a centerline between inner two of the four straight-line marks.

Abstract: In order to achieve a magazine structure in which any necessary cartridge can be removed or inserted while a magazine is mounted in an autoloading device, a carrier unit is equipped with a lock releasing mechanism at the distal ends of openable/closable arms thereof so that a cartridge received in the magazine may be individually released from locking. This prevents any failure on the reading and writing of data due to removal of any wrong cartridge since the cartridge to be released can be defined by a programmable operation of the carrier unit.

Abstract: In order to reliably lock a door element and detect its state, a pressing unit is mounted to a part of a door element so that it may press in the closing direction independently of the door body, and latch means is mounted to the mating part of the door element so that it may be engaged with a distal end of the pressing unit at a distance less than a predetermined spacing to finely move the door element. A projecting part is mounted to the pressing unit so as to project toward the mating part. The mating part includes resilient means acting to repel a force of the projecting part influenced in the direction of the mating part, and a switching element operable to detect the closing state of the door element when the projecting part presses the resilient means with more than a predetermined pressing force.

Abstract: A present invention provides a frequency determination circuit to determine whether the frequency of a clock signal is higher or lower than a reference frequency with a high precision. A capacitor element is charged/discharged with a power supply voltage that is cycled by a switching transistor according to a clock signal. A comparator circuit compares a constant reference voltage produced by a bad gap regulator circuit from the power supply voltage with a voltage stored in the capacitor element. A high/low determination circuit determines, from the output signal of the comparator circuit, whether the clock signal frequency is higher or lower than a predetermined reference frequency. This makes it is possible to determine whether the clock signal has a low frequency or a high frequency with precision.

Abstract: In a distortion measuring method, a mask having at least a first diffraction grating pattern having an array of a plurality of large patterns and a second diffraction grating pattern having arrays of a plurality of micropatterns spaced apart from the first diffraction grating pattern by a predetermined interval is formed. The plurality of micropatterns are arrayed in a direction perpendicular to an array direction of the second diffraction grating pattern at a predetermined pitch. At least the first and second diffraction grating patterns formed on the mask are projected on a photosensitive substrate through a lens. Distortion including a positional shift component of an image point by aberration of the lens is measured by scanning the photosensitive substrate using coherent light having a diffractable wavelength and by measuring an interval between at least the first and second diffraction grating patterns. A distortion measuring apparatus and reticle are also disclosed.

Abstract: When the through holes are formed in the first to the eighth insulation layers, an alignment is performed by using an alignment mark provided in the lowermost wiring layer. The alignment marks provided in the insulation layers are formed by being alternately overlapped in two areas of a scribe line having a saucer, thereby, the area occupied by the alignment marks is reduced.

Abstract: Two coma aberration automatic measuring marks M1 and M2 of a first-order diffraction grating are each composed of a plurality of elongated isosceles triangle patterns which are so arranged that the axis of symmetry passing on the center of each elongated isosceles triangle is parallel to one another, that a half P1, P2, and P3 of the elongated isosceles triangle patterns have the widths thereof which extend in a direction opposite to that of the remaining half P4, P5 and P6 of the elongated isosceles triangle patterns, and the elongated isosceles triangle patterns are located separately from one another, in a direction perpendicular to the axis of symmetry passing on the center of each elongated isosceles triangle, and at a pitch diffracting a measuring coherent light.

Abstract: A method of making a resist pattern is provided, which decreases or eliminates the fluctuation of deformation of original openings of a resist layer which is induced by the change of their density (i.e., the count of the original openings within a unit area) or by their location in the reflowing process. The method comprises the steps of (a) forming a resist layer on a target layer; (b) patterning the resist layer to form original openings and at least one slit in the resist layer; the slit surrounding the original openings and having a specific width; and (c) reflowing the resist layer patterned in the step (b) under heat to cause deformation in the original openings and the at least one slit, thereby contracting the original openings and eliminating the at least one slit; the original openings thus contracted serving as resultant openings for forming desired contact/via holes in the target layer; the resist layer having the resultant openings constituting a resist pattern.

Abstract: A frequency detection circuit has a transistor switching device between first and second electric potentials, and a gate applied with a clock signal. A resistor and a capacitor are connected in parallel between the output of the transistor switching device and the second potential. The capacitor is charged toward the first potential when the clock signal assumes one level and discharged toward the second potential in accordance with a time constant determined by the resistor and the capacitor when the clock signal changes to the other level.