Abstract: A polluted soil remediation apparatus comprising a treatment tank in which pollutants degradable with light irradiation in the presence of chlorine is extracted as a gas containing the pollutants from polluted soil and a mixture of the gas containing the pollutants and chlorine-containing air is irradiated with light to degrade the pollutants, wherein the apparatus comprises a unit for aspirating the gas containing the pollutants from the polluted soil, a chlorine-containing air generation unit for generating the chlorine-containing gas, a mixing unit for mixing the gas containing the pollutants extracted by the aspiration unit and the chorine-containing air generated by the chlorine-containing gas generation unit to form a mixed gas, the treatment tank comprising a treatment region where the mixed gas is introduced and a light irradiation unit for irradiating the treatment region with light to degrade the pollutants contained in the mixed gas, and an exhaust unit for exhausting the degradation-treated gas fr

Abstract: An illumination optical system for illuminating a substrate and a light receiving optical system that receives diffracted light from the wafer are provided in a defect inspection apparatus that inspects for a defect present at the wafer based upon an image of the wafer obtained at the light-receiving optical system, with a numerical aperture at the illumination optical system set different from a numerical aperture at the light-receiving optical system and the absolute value of the difference between the numerical apertures at the illumination optical system and the light-receiving optical system set at a value equal to or larger than the quantity of the angular offset manifesting between the direction along which the diffracted light advances and the direction along which an optical axis of the light-receiving optical system extends.

Abstract: Provided is a process for remedying a contaminated soil characterized in that a contaminated region of the ground is purified by the steps of first freezing the contaminated region, then injecting to the same a microorganism and a liquid agent or gas which is required for a biological treatment using the microorganism's ability to decomposing a pollutant, to enable more efficient and rapid remediation.

Abstract: A biologically pure culture of Pseudomonas cepacia strain KK01 (FERM BP-4235) is capable of degrading trichloroethylene. A method for obtaining microorganisms having a trichloroethylene degrading ability comprises the steps of culturing microorganisms separated from the bodies of termites in a culture medium. A method for remediating a soil contaminated with trichloroethylene comprises the steps of providing a soil contaminated with trichloroethylene and bringing microorganisms having a trichloroethylene degrading ability derived from intestine of termites into contact with the soil, and biodegrading trichloroethylene in the soil.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for transferring a pattern defined by a mask onto a surface of a substrate. The apparatus includes an illumination optical system for illuminating the pattern on the mask. A projection optical system forms an erect image of the pattern on the substrate. For exposure, the mask and substrate are movable together in a scanning direction relative to the projection optical system. First and second relative-displacement measuring systems, the first being separated from the second by a predetermined distance perpendicular to the scanning direction, measure displacement of the mask relative to the substrate in the scanning direction. First and second detection systems detect displacement of the mask and substrate, respectively, in the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction. A position-adjusting system adjusts the position of at least one of the mask and substrate.

Abstract: There are here provided a method for biodegrading trichloroethylene which comprises the step of bringing an aqueous medium containing trichloroethylene into contact with microorganisms having a trichloroethylene degrading ability derived from intestines of termites to degrade trichloroethylene; a method for obtaining the microorganisms; a method for remediating a soil by the use of the microorganisms; and a method for biodegrading an chlorinated organic compound with the microorganisms.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus performs focus adjustment to correct variations in the focal position of a projection optical system which are caused by absorption of exposure light by a refraction system in the projection optical system. The projection optical system arranged in this projection exposure apparatus includes a refraction system having a positive refracting power, and a reflecting mirror positioned to be coaxial with the refraction system. The projection exposure apparatus includes a photodetection device for detecting light, of light emitted from an illumination optical system and transmitted through a first substrate, which is transmitted through the reflecting mirror, and an adjustment device for adjusting the in-focus state between the first substrate, a second substrate, and the projection optical system in accordance with an output from the photodetection device.

Abstract: A foreign substance inspecting apparatus and method for detecting a foreign substance on a surface, includes a light source for providing light; a plurality of condensing optical systems for collecting the light from the light source and for forming a plurality of light spots on the surface; a scanning system for scanning the surface using the light spots formed by the condensing optical systems; a detecting optical system for detecting light scattered from at least one of the light spots by the foreign substance on the surface; and a surface shape measuring system for measuring a shape of the surface, wherein a focus of each one of the condensing optical systems is individually adjusted according to the surface shape measured by the surface shape measuring system.

Abstract: Disclosed is a projection exposure method for transferring a pattern formed on a mask onto a photosensitive substrate through a projection optical system. A light beam having a first wavelength for exposure is radiated through the projection optical system onto a first mark area including a fiducial mark on a fiducial plate installed on a substrate stage, reflected light from the first mark area is detected to obtain a position of the fiducial mark. A light beam having a second wavelength to which the photosensitive substrate is not photosensitive is radiated through the projection optical system onto the first mark area, reflected light from the first mark area is detected to obtain a position of the fiducial mark. A positional discrepancy of the fiducial mark caused by the difference in wavelength between the first and second wavelengths is previously calculated on the basis of results of the detection.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus of a large-substrate single scan-exposure type by which a mask mark and a plate mark are two-dimensionally scanned in relatively narrow respective scan areas at the same time to effect highly accurate alignment. In the present invention, a first substrate and a second substrate are relatively moved in a predetermined direction with respect to a projection optical system, while an image of a pattern formed in the first substrate projectively impinges on the second substrate by way of the projection optical system. The projection optical system comprises a plurality of projection optical units arranged in a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction in order to form, on the second substrate, a same-magnification erected image of the pattern formed on the first substrate.

Abstract: A method for forming an oligonucleotide comprises the steps of synthesizing a pair of oligonucleotides, one oligonucleotide having a base sequence portion comlementary to that of the other at a part of the terminal end region thereof; binding the pair of oligonucleotides at the complementary base sequence portions; and polymerizing nucleic acid bases onto the resulting pair of oligonuceotides. The method may further comprise the step of separating the oligonucleotides thus obtained into single strands.

Abstract: A bacterial strain J1 (FERM BP-5102) which can effectively degrade aromatic compounds and/or chlorinated organic compounds such as trichloroethylene (TCE) is disclosed. Also the degradation occurs at a lower temperature such as 15.degree.. Further, a method for purifying waste water, soil or a gas polluted with the above chemical compounds utilizing the bacterium is disclosed.

Abstract: This invention relates an interferometer having a structure for suppressing measurement errors arising from leakage light by minimizing nonlinear errors due to the leakage light in a polarization beam splitter for splitting incident light into a first polarized light component and a second polarized light component, and apparatuses to which the interferometer is applied. The interferometer includes an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the angle of light incidence on the beam splitting surface of the polarization beam splitter such that the extinction ratio of the polarization beam splitter is minimized by using the dependence of the polarization beam splitter on the incident angle.

Abstract: A polymer dispersed liquid crystal optical device is presented which has optical elements which control reflection, transmission and diffraction of incident light entering the device by adjusting the magnitude of the electrical field applied to the device between a maximum and a minimum limits. An optical element consists of a polymer material having an electrical field-independent refractive index, and a liquid crystal material having an electrical field-dependent refractive index. The optical elements are distributed through the device at specific inter-element spacings, thus enabling to generate reflection of incident light in accordance with Bragg's law of reflection. The inter-element spacings can also be varied by the application of the field, thus enabling to generate reflection of light of a desired wavelength. Such optical elements are ideal for use in full color optical display apparatus of a matrix driven type.

Abstract: A polymer dispersed liquid crystal optical device is presented which has optical elements which control reflection, transmission and diffraction of incident light entering the device by adjusting the magnitude of the electrical field applied to the device between a maximum and a minimum limits. An optical element consists of a polymer material having an electrical field-independent refractive index, and a liquid crystal material having an electrical field-dependent refractive index. The optical elements are distributed through the device at specific inter-element spacings, thus enabling to generate reflection of incident light in accordance with Bragg's law of reflection. The inter-element spacings can also be varied by the application of the field, thus enabling to generate reflection of light of a desired wavelength. Such optical elements are ideal for use in full color optical display apparatus of a matrix driven type.

Abstract: There is disclosed an exposure apparatus for, while moving a first object and a second object in a certain moving direction, effecting projection exposure of an image of the first object onto the second object.

Abstract: In an exposure apparatus, an alignment-detecting light component of a mask and that of a plate are spatially separated from each other, thereby enabling highly accurate alignment with little influence of the light from the plate on detection of the mask position.

Abstract: A method of biodegradation of a polluting substance by a microorganism is disclosed, wherein the microorganism is an auxotrophic microorganism and the action of the auxotrophic microorganism is controlled by the amount of a required nutrient for the auxotrophic microorganism. A carrier for supporting an auxotrophic microorganism for use for biodegradation contains a required nutrient for the auxotrophic microorganism.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus and an exposure method which minimize defocusing of the transferred pattern even with a large-sized mask. When the exposure apparatus is used which transfers the pattern formed on a first substrate through a substantially real-size projection optical system onto a second substrate, the positions of the mask and the substrate are detected, and based on the information on the positions the distance between the mask and the substrate is controlled to be substantially constant. According to the present invention, defocusing of the transferred pattern may be substantially avoided by detecting positions of the mask and the plate by making use of, e.g., an obliquely incident light focus detection optical system, and controlling the distance therebetween to be held constant or at a predetermined distance.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus and method having a projection optical system with a plurality of projection optical units and being excellent in matching between images formed through the respective projection optical units. First and second substrates are moved relatively to a projection optical system to project a pattern formed on the first substrate through the projection optical system onto the second substrate to effect exposure thereon. The projection optical system is provided with a plurality of projection optical units each forming a real-size erect image of the pattern formed on the first substrate on the second substrate. Each of the projection optical units has a plurality of reflective surfaces and is telecentric at least on an image side. The projection exposure apparatus also has a correcting mechanism disposed to correct an error of orientation between a plurality of images formed on the second substrate by the plurality of projection optical units.