Abstract: In the present invention, a partition wall having a matrix shape is formed on anode electrodes so as to divide them further into dots of a small region, which are surrounded by the partition wall. With this structure, if a dark spot which is a non-light emitting region, is created in one dot, the growth of the spot can be stopped by the partition wall. Therefore, good display property can be maintained for a long time.

Abstract: A substrate holding device includes a vacuum supplying device for supplying a vacuum to a holding surface to hold a substrate, a hollow member surrounding at least a portion of the holding surface and movable between a position in which the holding member protrudes from the holding surface and a position in which the hollow member does not protrude from the holding surface, and a moving mechanism for relatively moving between the hollow member and the holding surface.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method having structure and steps for projecting, for scan exposure of a substrate through an original, a plurality of light pulses from a pulse light source to the substrate through the original, changing an emitted light intensity of light pulses from the pulse light source during the scan exposure, and changing timing of light emission from the pulse light source during the scan exposure, whereby both the emitted light intensity and the timing of light pulses may be controlled during the scan exposure.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes a mask scanning device for scanning a mask on which a pattern is formed, a projection optical system for projecting the pattern on the mask onto a wafer, a wafer scanning device for scanning the wafer, onto which the pattern is projected by the projection optical system, an illuminating device for illuminating the mask in an illumination area narrower than the pattern by synchronously scanning the mask and the wafer relative to each other, using the mask scanning device and the wafer scanning device, so as to expose and transfer the pattern on the wafer, a detection device for detecting information regarding exposure before exposing and transferring the pattern onto the wafer by the illuminating device and for producing detection results, and a display for displaying exposure information obtained from the detection results. Also disclosed are methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices, for example, using such an exposure apparatus.

Abstract: A scanning projection exposure apparatus includes an illumination optical system for illuminating an original with pulse light, a projection optical system for projecting a pattern of the original, illuminated with the pulse light, onto a substrate, a moving device for moving the original and the substrate relative to each other, a position measuring device for measuring a relative positional relation between the original and the substrate, and a controller for discriminating whether the positional relation measured by the position measuring device is in a predetermined range. The discrimination is performed within a period after the moving device initiates the relative movement of the original and the substrate and before the illumination optical system initiates the projection exposure with the pulse light. The controller stops the projection exposure with the pulse light from the illumination optical system when the positional relation is discriminated as being out of a predetermined range.

Abstract: A substrate holding apparatus in which first and second vacuum clamping devices each have a holding surface for holding a portion of a substrate, a first driving device for rotating the first vacuum clamping device relative to the second vacuum clamping device, and a second driving device for reciprocally moving the first vacuum clamping device between a position in which it protrudes by a predetermined amount from the holding surface of the second vacuum clamping device and a position in which it does not protrude from that holding surface. Also disclosed is a substrate holding device in which a vacuum clamping device creates a vacuum clamp force on the holding surface thereof, a cylindrical delivering member surrounds at least a portion of the holding surface and is reciprocally movable between a position in which it protrudes by a predetermined amount from the holding surface and a position in which it does not protrude from the holding surface, and a driving device for moving the delivering member.

Abstract: An output control method for an excimer laser includes providing plural light pulses, and changing an emission interval for the light pulses, wherein the emission interval is controlled so that an average laser output of each light pulse becomes higher than that when the emission interval is unchanged.

Abstract: A positioning method and positioning system wherein a driving device, for moving a movable table on a rough-motion stage by a small amount, is alternately controlled through a pair of switchable control systems. The amounts by which the table is driven are initially adjusted to the same amounts by the pair of control systems when the paired control systems are switched.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for measuring the amount of free sulfurous acid and bound sulfurous acid in a sample using a bacterium belonging to Thiobacillus thiooxidans or Thiobacillus ferrooxidans of in which the sample is treated with acid and/or alkali to give free sulfurous acid alone in the sample. Then, the total amount of free sulfurous acid in the sample is measured by an oxidation reaction of free sulfurous acid to sulfuric acid using a bacterium belonging to Thiobacillus thiooxidans or Thiobacillus ferrooxidans.

Abstract: An exposure method for manufacture of semiconductor devices, includes moving a shutter having an edge so that the edge is related to a predetermined exposure region; projecting an exposure beam to the edge of the shutter and to at least a portion of the exposure region; determining a position of a shadow of the edge of the shutter formed by the exposure beam with respect to a predetermined coordinate system related to movement of a movable chuck; adjusting the shutter in accordance with the determination; placing a substrate on the chuck; moving the chuck so that the substrate is related to the exposure region; and controlling the exposure of the substrate with the exposure beam through the shutter.

Abstract: Exposure control method and apparatus particularly suitably usable in an X-ray exposure apparatus, for exposing a mask and a wafer to radiation (X-rays) from a synchrotron to transfer a pattern formed on a mask onto the wafer, is disclosed. A shutter device for controlling passage and interception of the synchrotron radiation is provided between the synchrotron and the wafer. The shutter device includes a blade member having a leading edge and a trailing edge which are rectilinearly movable in a direction in which there exists non-uniformness in illuminance of the radiation. The leading edge is used to determine the timing of start of passage of the radiation to the wafer, while the trailing edge is used to determine the timing of interception of the radiation. The moving speeds of the leading edge and the trailing edge are controlled independently of each other to provide different exposure times for different portions of an exposure region on the wafer, in accordance with the non-uniformness in illuminance.

Abstract: The automatic focusing apparatus of this invention focuses the measuring beam emitted from a light source on a sample through one side of the pupil of an objective lens, causes light reflected by the sample to pass through the pupil of the objective lens again, focuses the light passing through the pupil of the objective lens on a light-receiving unit, and detects the spot position of the focused light. Especially, this automatic focusing apparatus has a first light-shielding member for shielding light reflected by the lower surface of a transparent thin plate in the vicinity of the focal point of the light reflected by the lower surface of the transparent thin plate, or a second light-shielding member for transmitting therethrough only light reflected by the upper surface of the transparent thin plate in the vicinity of the focal point of the light reflected by the upper surface of the transparent thin plate.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for printing a pattern of a mask to a wafer includes a mask moving mechanism for moving the mask; a wafer moving mechanism or moving the wafer along a predetermined movement coordinate; a measuring system for measuring an error with respect to the movement coordinate, resulting from the movement of the mask by the mask moving mechanism; and a memorizing device for memorizing a data table prepared on the basis of the error measured by the measuring system; wherein the wafer moving mechanism uses the data in the data table when it moves the wafer for positioning of the wafer with respect to the mask.

Abstract: An exposure method for manufacture of semiconductor devices, includes moving a shutter having an edge so that the edge is related to a predetermined exposure region; projecting an exposure beam to the edge of the shutter and to at least a portion of the exposure region; determining a position of a shadow of the edge of the shutter formed by the exposure beam with respect to a predetermined coordinate system related to movement of a movable chuck; adjusting the shutter in accordance with the determination; placing a substrate on the chuck; moving the chuck so that the substrate is related to the exposure region; and controlling the exposure of the substrate with the exposure beam through the shutter.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus usable with synchrotron radiation source wherein the synchrotron radiation is generated by electron injection into a ring. The exposure apparatus is to transfer a semiconductor element pattern of a mask onto a semiconductor wafer by the synchrotron radiation. The apparatus includes a shutter for controlling the exposure of the wafer. The shutter controls the exposure with the illuminance distribution on the wafer surface taken into account. The illuminance distribution is determined in response to the electron injection, and thereafter, the illuminance distribution is corrected in a predetermined manner. By this, the illuminance distribution data for controlling the shutter always correspond to the actual illuminance distribution. The entire shot areas of the semiconductor wafer are exposed with high precision.

Abstract: An alignment system usable in an exposure apparatus for printing a pattern of a mask on a wafer, for aligning the mask and the wafer, is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of position detecting devices; a plurality of driving stages corresponding to the position detecting devices, respectively, each driving stage being adapted to move a corresponding one of the position detecting devices two-dimensionally along a plane which is substantially opposed to the mask; a plurality of contacts corresponding to the position detecting devices, respectively, each contact being provided at an end portion of a corresponding one of the position detecting devices, along the plane and facing the pattern side; a detecting device for detecting mutual approach of the position detecting devices through at least one of the contacts; and a control device for controlling movement of at least one of the driving stages in accordance with the detection by the detecting device.

Abstract: Novel immobilized cells are prepared by immobilizing cells of at least one aerobic microorganism and cells of at least one anaerobic microorganism in a single gel immobilizing carrier. The immobilized cells are utilized in a fermentation method. Many useful fermentation products can be readily and economically obtained by using the immobilized cells which accommodate both aerobic and anaerobic metabolic function simultaneously.

Abstract: A parabolic antenna dish has a circumferential reinforcement flange portion defined by a ridge line which is devoid of air holes and a mesh plate portion integrally connected to the inner periphery of the reinforcement flange portion, the mesh plate portion having as many air holes as possible formed in a region which is not smaller than 80% in terms of the radius of the radiowave reflecting surface.

Abstract: A parabolic antenna comprises a parabolic reflector having a flange at outer periphery of reflector contiguously and an antenna fitting integrally formed with upper and lower fitting arms to be secured to upper and lower portions of the flange, respectively. The back of the parabolic reflector is fixedly mounted to the antenna fitting through the upper and lower fitting arms and fixed on an antenna support post.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a spherical shell from a blank utilizing dies, comprising the steps of forming and clamping a flange portion of the blank by pressing with the dies and applying fluid pressure to an elastic diaphragm or flat metal sheet to cause the diaphragm or sheet to bulge the blank so as to form a curved shell surface.