Patents by Inventor Kenji Nishi

Kenji Nishi 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).

  • Publication number: 20070075917
    Abstract: Gravity center position GRA of image display device 15 is, in a human state of standing, located in a more backward position compared with eyeball 9 and in a more downward position compared with eyeball 9. In this case, assuming that the rotation axes of the head are the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis, the intersection point of these axes is the head's rotational movement center CNT. By this, GRA comes close to CNT, and thus, even when rotational movement of the head occurs around CNT, inertia forces other than moment of inertia are successfully made small. Therefore, the image display device can smoothly follow the movements of human head even if the device is heavy in weight.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2004
    Publication date: April 5, 2007
    Inventor: Kenji Nishi
  • Patent number: 7177008
    Abstract: A scanning exposure apparatus includes a projection system, a stage system, a first detector and a control system. The stage system has first and second stages, each of which is movable independently in a plane while holding a substrate. The first detector detects focusing information of a vicinity of an outer circumference of the substrate during a detecting operation. The control system controls the stage system to perform the detecting operation with the first stage, while performing a first exposure operation on the substrate held by the second stage. After the first exposure operation, a second exposure operation for the substrate held on the first stage is performed, in which a shot area in the vicinity of the outer circumference of the substrate is exposed by moving the first stage while adjusting a position of the substrate surface held by the first stage using the detected focusing information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Nishi, Kazuya Ota
  • Publication number: 20070018124
    Abstract: It is configured such that one lens surface of the convex lenses (L21, L22) which are located near to pupil H of the eyeball and with respect to which the deflection angles of the light beams are larger is made a conic surface having a conic constant K<0 and, at the same time, such that, to correct the chromatic aberration, a cemented lens (L23, L24) made by combining glass materials which are different from each other is provided. The cemented lens is constituted by at least two lenses; the cemented portion of the cemented lens is made a concave surface on the pupil side; the color dispersion of the pupil side lens of the cemented lens is smaller than that of the other lens; and the cemented lens has a convex-concave-convex form, which form has a high chromatic aberration correcting effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2004
    Publication date: January 25, 2007
    Inventor: Kenji Nishi
  • Patent number: 7126689
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with an exposure light beam passing through a mask comprises a movable stage for moving the substrate, a stage chamber for accommodating the movable stage, a transport system for transporting the substrate into the stage chamber, and a first alignment system for performing positional adjustment for the substrate with respect to the movable stage in the stage chamber. The position of an exposure objective delivered from the transport system into the stage chamber can be subjected to positional adjustment by using the first alignment system. The stage chamber and the movable stage can be assembled to a frame of the exposure apparatus in accordance with the module system. The exposure apparatus includes a second alignment system for performing positional adjustment for the substrate installed on the movable stage at an exposure position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Nishi
  • Patent number: 7068444
    Abstract: An intermediate image of an image from the LCD module 142 is deflected by reflection mirrors M1 and M2 via zoom automatic focus control system (g) and then is formed on diffusion glass 131 via relay lens (b) and reflection mirrors M3 and M4. The LCD image is projected on the retina of eyeballs via eyepiece lens 132 by the light flux diffused at an order of ±20 degrees by diffusion glass 131. One side of the eyepiece lens 132 close to the crystal balls 2 has an aspherical shape of a Conic surface and a Conic coefficient of the Conic surface is ?1 and less. Thereby the optical system that has a viewing angle of 60 degrees and over and has a small aberration can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Inventor: Kenji Nishi
  • Patent number: 7068350
    Abstract: After exposure of a divided area on a wafer is completed, for exposure of the next divided area, a control unit sends configuration information on control parameters necessary to expose the next divided area to a stage control system, sometime before the stage control system begins deceleration of a reticle stage and a wafer stage in a scanning direction. Therefore, both stages do not have to be suspended before acceleration for the stage control system to receive the configuration information on control parameters necessary to expose the next divided area, and since suspension time is not required, throughput can be improved. In this case, no serious problems occur, so the performance of other devices is not disturbed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Nishi, Masahiko Okumura, Hiroki Okuno
  • Patent number: 7037377
    Abstract: A lactulose-containing powder composition is produced by preparing a raw material liquid so that a lactulose content within a powder produced following spray drying is 10 to 50% by weight, a protein content is 0.2 to 9.0 parts by weight per 1 part by weight of lactulose, and a chlorine content is no more than 0.08 parts by weight per 1 part by weight of protein, and subsequently subjecting this raw material liquid to spray drying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mamoru Tomita, Sadayuki Kokubo, Teruhiko Mizota, Nobuo Ichihashi, Nobuo Seki, Kenji Nishi
  • Publication number: 20060072215
    Abstract: An intermediate image of an image from the LCD module 142 is deflected by reflection mirrors M1 and M2 via zoom automatic focus control system (g) and then is formed on diffusion glass 131 via relay lens (b) and reflection mirrors M3 and M4. The LCD image is projected on the retina of eyeballs via eyepiece lens 132 by the light flux diffused at an order of ±20 degrees by diffusion glass 131. One side of the eyepiece lens 132 close to the crystal balls 2 has an aspherical shape of a Conic surface and a Conic coefficient of the Conic surface is ?1 and less. Thereby the optical system that has a viewing angle of 60 degrees and over and has a small aberration can be obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2003
    Publication date: April 6, 2006
    Inventor: Kenji Nishi
  • Patent number: 6937319
    Abstract: A high exposure accuracy is obtained while mitigating the influence of vibration by using an exposure method and an exposure apparatus. Columns (59A, 59B) are installed on a base plate (12), a reticle base (62) is supported at the inside of the columns (59A, 59B) by the aid of variable mount sections (61A, 61B) having high rigidity, a finely movable stage (63) is movably placed on the reticle base (62) by the aid of air bearings, and a reticle (R1) as an exposure objective is placed on the finely movable stage (63). A coarsely movable stage (64) is hung on a bottom surface of a support plate (66) arranged over the reticle base (62) in a state capable of being driven in a scanning direction. The finely movable stage (63) is driven by the coarsely movable stage (64) in the scanning direction in a non-contact state with respect to the reticle base (62).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Nishi
  • Publication number: 20050166911
    Abstract: A lactulose-containing powder composition is produced by preparing a raw material liquid so that a lactulose content within a powder produced following spray drying is 10 to 50% by weight, a protein content is 0.2 to 9.0 parts by weight per 1 part by weight of lactulose, and a chlorine content is no more than 0.08 parts by weight per 1 part by weight of protein, and subsequently subjecting this raw material liquid to spray drying.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Publication date: August 4, 2005
    Inventors: Mamoru Tomita, Sadayuki Kokubo, Teruhiko Mizota, Nobuo Ichihashi, Nobuo Seki, Kenji Nishi
  • Patent number: 6906782
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus has a triangular shaped stage which is movable in a two-dimensional plane while holding a substrate. The stage has a reflecting surface provided on a side face of the stage so that the surface extends in a specific direction intersecting Y axis and X axis. An interferometer radiates a beam onto the reflecting surface to measure a position of the stage in a direction perpendicular to the specific direction. Using the measured position and an angle of the specific direction, a calculator can calculate the position of the stage on rectangular coordinate system defined by X and Y axes. The size and weight of the stage can be reduced, and the throughput of the exposure apparatus is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Nishi
  • Patent number: 6900879
    Abstract: A scanning exposure apparatus includes a masking blade provided between an optical integrator and an optical system, and which is movable in a predetermined direction on a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the optical system. The masking blade has a pair of edges substantially parallel to each other and perpendicular to the predetermined direction in the plane, and is moved so that the pair of edges are respectively imaged at a beginning and an end of scanning exposure onto a light shielding border by the optical system to change a width of an illuminated region with respect to a scan direction at both the beginning and the end of the scanning exposure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Nishi
  • Patent number: 6894449
    Abstract: In order to remove vibration or improve a vibration control effect, and achieve device size reduction, an adjusting device is provided in which a weight of a support target object is supported by a pressure of an internal gas of a first chamber gas via a holding member and which adjusts a position in a gravity direction of the holding member by driving a movable member which changes an internal volume of the first gas chamber by changing an internal volume of a second gas chamber based on a state change of at least one of first and second gas chambers. Because of this, when the holding member is displaced in the gravity direction because of the vibration or the like, as the movable member is driven by the adjusting device, the holding member is maintained at an original position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Nishi
  • Patent number: 6891603
    Abstract: A manufacturing method for exposure apparatuses is provided in which a reticle R1 held on a reticle stage system (RST) is illuminated by exposure light from an exposure light source (16) via the illumination systems (IL1) and (IL2). In a first manufacturing line, a main body module composed of a frame caster (2), a main body support section 3), and a main body column (5) is assembled, and an illumination system and the projection optical system PL are mounted on this main body module. Then a stage module, which is assembled and adjusted using another main body module in a second manufacturing line, is mounted on the main body module of the first manufacturing line. Therefore exposure apparatuses can be efficiently manufactured without using dedicated large scale adjustment jigs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Nishi
  • Patent number: 6885437
    Abstract: When a reticle stage capable of moving while holding a reticle is at a predetermined unloading position, an unloading arm performs unloading of a reticle. Also, the instant or immediately after the reticle is separated from the reticle stage by the unloading arm, the reticle stage is moved to a predetermined loading position where a reticle is loaded onto the reticle stage by a loading arm. This allows the reticle to be loaded onto the reticle stage before the unloading arm completely withdraws from the unloading position, which reduces the downtime between the retile unloading and the reticle loading. Accordingly, the throughput of the exposure apparatus can be improved, since the time required for reticle exchange is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignees: Nikon Corporation, Sendai Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Nishi, Katsunobu Ogura, Hidekazu Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 6870598
    Abstract: A projection optical system includes a first objective portion and an optical axis turn portion, each having an optical axis perpendicular to a reticle; an optical axis deflecting portion having an optical axis perpendicularly intersecting the above optical axis; and a second objective portion having an optical axis parallel to the above optical axis. An image-forming light beam from the reticle is returned toward the reticle by the first objective portion and a concave mirror provided in the optical axis turn portion to form a one-to-one image of the reticle. The returned image-forming light beam is led to the second objective portion through the optical axis deflecting portion to form a demagnified image on a wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Nishi
  • Patent number: 6864955
    Abstract: The stage apparatus has a movable stage structure body which holds a substrate plate to be processed and is movable on a base structure body. This stage apparatus comprises a receipt edge orifice disposed at least at a portion of a fluid path which is disposed at said stage structure body; and a feed edge orifice being detachably engageable with said receipt edge orifice at a predetermined position on a base structure body and providing or discharging a predetermined fluid to the receipt edge orifice during said engagement of said feed edge orifice with said receipt edge orifice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Nishi, Toru Kiuchi
  • Patent number: 6853443
    Abstract: A first main body unit for supporting a substrate stage is supported at four points by vibration isolators, and a second main body unit is supported on the first main body unit at three points by second vibration isolators. This allows the first main body unit and the substrate stage to be supported stably with high rigidity, and for example, allows maintenance on the stage portion from the back side of the apparatus, which is not possible with the first main body unit supported at three points. Further, the apparatus comprises vibration isolation units connected in series in two platforms, which has a great effect of suppressing background vibration from the floor surface. Accordingly, exposure with high precision can be performed which improves the yield of devices, and the reduced maintenance time can improve the operation rate, consequently leading to an improvement in productivity of devices as end products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Nishi
  • Patent number: RE38798
    Abstract: Constant speed drive of a reticle and a wafer in a relative scanning direction and positioning of the reticle and the wafer are simultaneously performed with high precision by a slit scanning exposure scheme. A reticle side scanning stage for scanning a reticle relative to a slit-like illumination area in the relative scanning direction is placed on a reticle side base. A reticle side fine adjustment stage for moving and rotating the reticle within a two-dimensional plane is placed on the reticle side scanning stage. The reticle is placed on the reticle side fine adjustment stage. Constant speed drive and positioning of the reticle and a wafer are performed by independently controlling the reticle side scanning stage and the reticle side fine adjustment stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Nishi
  • Patent number: RE39083
    Abstract: Constant speed drive of a reticle and a wafer in a relative scanning direction and positioning of the reticle and the wafer are simultaneously performed with high precision by a slit scanning exposure scheme. A reticle side scanning stage for scanning a reticle relative to a slit-like illumination area in the relative scanning direction is placed on a reticle side base. A reticle side fine adjustment stage for moving and rotating the reticle within a two-dimensional plane is placed on the reticle side scanning stage. The reticle is placed on the reticle side fine adjustment stage. Constant speed drive and positioning of the reticle and a wafer are performed by independently controlling the reticle side scanning stage and the reticle side fine adjustment stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Nishi