Abstract: A liquid crystal apparatus includes a rectangular plate member, a frame-shaped support member disposed with a prescribed gap from and so as to surround the plate member, and a first elastic member disposed at the prescribed gap to connect the plate member and the support member to each other. The plate member is made free from connection to the support member by means of the first elastic member at corners of the plate member. The structure is effective for alleviating the warping of the liquid crystal panel causing liquid crystal alignment defects.

Abstract: There is disclosed a liquid crystal display comprising a liquid crystal panel having a pair of boards each formed with an electrode and arranged opposedly, and a liquid crystal disposed between said boards, a heater provided near or adjacent said panel, means for detecting the temperature of said panel, and a control circuit for controlling the amount of heat generated by said heater in accordance with a comparison result between an output of said detecting means and a first set temperature for use when said liquid crystal panel is in a service state, or a second set temperature for use when said liquid crystal panel is in a non-service state.

Abstract: A rear right source device having a lamp chamber in which straight-tube light source lamps are arranged in the vertical direction. The light source device includes a ventilating hole formed on the upper lateral face of the lamp chamber for releasing the air of the lamp chamber heated by the light source lamps to the extrior, and a seal member mounted on the lower lateral face of the lamp chamber and substantially closing the gap between the lamp and an aperture for inserting the lamp.

Abstract: A method of producing an impact resistant liquid crystal display, for a nematic liquid crystal display or a chiral smectic ferroelectric liquid crystal display, includes the steps of fixing a liquid crystal panel onto a panel fixing member so as to substantially expose the liquid crystal panel through an opening of the panel fixing member and disposing an elastic member along a periphery of the panel fixing member. The elastic member is affixed to a supporting member so as to define an almost closed space with the liquid crystal panel, the panel fixing member, the elastic member and the supporting member, whereby an air damping effect is created to suppress flexural deformation of the liquid crystal panel.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus is constituted by: a housing; a liquid crystal panel comprising a liquid crystal disposed between a pair of substrates each provided with electrodes, the liquid crystal panel being affixed to the housing; and a backlight for illuminating the liquid crystal panel, detachably affixed to the housing. A light-transmissive plate, such as a diffusion plate, allowing transmission of light from the backlight is further disposed between the liquid crystal panel and the backlight so as to define an almost closed first space in cooperation with the liquid crystal panel, whereby the first space retaina its almost closed state even when the backlight is detached from the housing.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus is provided with a liquid crystal panel comprising a pair of substrates each provided with an electrode and a liquid crystal disposed between the pair of substrates. A supporting member having a frame supports the liquid crystal panel, and an elastic member for secures the liquid crystal panel in a floating state to the frame of the supporting member so as to define an almost closed space enclosed with the liquid crystal panel, the supporting member and the elastic member. A backlight illuminates the liquid crystal panel below the supporting member so as to define the almost closed space enclosed with the liquid crystal panel, the supporting member, the elastic member and the backlight.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for detecting the temperature of a substrate, and for controlling the radiation-annealing of the substrate, for example, measures the intensity of infrared light from the substrate when the substrate is irradiated by measuring infrared light and also when the substrate is not irradiated by the infrared light. The temperature is calculated from the transmissivity and emissivity of the substrate, which are calculated from the intensity measurements.

Abstract: An apparatus for annealing a substrate includes a plurality of annular light sources concentric about a predetermined axis, a holder for placing the substrate such that the substrate receives radiation from the plurality of annular light sources and is substantially perpendicular to the predetermined axis, and a measuring device having a measuring optical system with an optical axis substantially aligned with the predetermined axis. The measuring device is adapted to receive radiation through the measuring optical system from the substrate placed on the holder and to detect a temperature distribution of the substrate.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus has a pattern lighting optical system including an exposure light source for lighting a pattern on a photomask, a projection optical system for forming an image of the pattern lighted by the exposure light source on the surface of a wafer, an alignment lighting optical system including an alignment light source for lighting alignment marks on the photomask and the wafer, and an alignment optical system for detecting relative positional relationship between the mask pattern and the wafer through the projection optical system, and further the projection optical system includes an image-forming system which exhibits two extremums of axial aberration as a function of wavelength.

Abstract: A projection type exposure apparatus for projecting an image of a pattern formed on a reticle onto a wafer in which the exposure is carried out with first light and the alignment between reticle and wafer is carried out with a second light having a wavelength different from that of the first light. The apparatus includes an optical member disposed between alignment optical system and projection optical system for reflecting the first light and transmitting the second light.

Abstract: An optical apparatus comprising a laser light source, an optical system for focusing a beam of light from the laser light source onto an object surface through an objective lens and a spatial filter disposed at the entrance pupil of the objective lens or at a position conjugated with the entrance pupil, wherein the origin of the divergence of the laser beam having an angle of divergence emitted from the laser light source is projected on the entrance pupil of the objective lens by the optical system.

Abstract: The projection optical apparatus includes light-emitting means which are disposed on a stage movable along the image plane in the projection optical apparatus and which define a light-emitting plane having a predetermined shape; photoelectric detection means which is disposed at a position substantially in conjugate relationship with a pupil of said projection optical apparatus and which receives the light emitted from the light-emitting plane of the light-emitting means through the projection optical system and a mask in which a pattern is defined at a predetermined position; and position detection means which controls the stage in such a way that the image projected on the light-emitting plane is shifted in relation to the mask pattern and which detects the superposed position between the image and the pattern in response to the light signal derived from the photoelectric detection means while the projected image is shifted and to the position of the stage.

Abstract: An illumination optical system comprises a multi-beam generator which includes a plurality of each of two kinds of lens elements different in optical characteristics and which is interposed between a source for generating a collimated light beam and a light condenser. The multi-beam generator generates a large number of secondary light sources from the collimated light beam. The illumination optical system is capable of supplying illuminating light rays having an extremely uniform illumination distribution.

Abstract: A projection optical apparatus comprises illuminating means providing for an illuminating light beam, a projection optical system including optical elements disposed across the illuminating light beam and having an imaging plane, and detecting mean including temperature sensor means provided on at least one of the optical elements and producing an output corresponding to the temperature of the one optical element.

Abstract: An optical path length compensating device comprises a first objective having one focus coincident with a two-dimensional plane and provided for movement along the two-dimensional plane, a second objective having one focus coincident with a predetermined focal plane, first and second reflecting means provided in the optical path between the first objective and the second objective for movement along the optical path, the first reflecting means including at least one reflecting surface for turning the optical path from the first objective by a predetermined angle in a plane parallel to the two-dimensional plane, the second reflecting means including at least one pair of reflecting surfaces for directing the light from the first reflecting means to the second objective, means for moving the first objective and the first reflecting means in operative association with each other, and means for moving the second reflecting means so that the other focus of the first objective and the other focus of the second objec

Abstract: A position alignment apparatus aligns a photosensitive substrate and a mask (projection image) at high speed and with high precision. The apparatus has a projection optical system for projecting a pattern image on a mask or reticle onto a photosensitive substrate, a detector for detecting a two-dimensional misalignment of a projected pattern image and a wafer, and means for moving the wafer along orthogonal x- and y-axis directions and for rotating the wafer along a rotational direction within a plane defined by the x- and y-axis directions so as to eliminate the misalignment, wherein the detector has first detecting means with an optical system for detecting at least a misalignment of the wafer along the x-axis direction through the projection lens, and second detecting means with an optical system separate from the projection lens and for detecting at least a misalignment of the wafer along a rotational direction.

Abstract: A mirror converging-type illumination optical system for converging light rays from a light source into substantially parallel light rays using a concave reflecting mirror having a secondary curved surface comprises a conical refraction member having a convex conical refraction surface at an input or incident side thereof and another convex conical refraction surface at an output side thereof. The refraction member is arranged in a path of the parallel light rays with a vertex of the conical refraction member being substantially aligned with the optical axis of the illumination optical system. The refraction member inverts the inner and outer portions of the incident parallel light rays. The absence of incident parallel light around the optical axis thereof is corrected to achieve a uniform intensity of light rays.

Abstract: An illumination optical arrangement comprises light source means emitting a coherent light beam, and means for forming a substantially incoherent light source from the coherent light beam. The incoherent light source forming means includes means for periodically deflecting the coherent light beam and scanning a predetermined scanning area by the coherent light beam, and optical means for forming a plurality of optical paths for directing the coherent light beam passed through the predetermined scanning area to a plurality of different secondary scanning areas. Each of the plurality of secondary scanning areas is scanned by the periodically deflected coherent light beam.

Abstract: A projection lens for enlargedly projecting the image of a cathode ray tube onto a screen comprises, in succession from the screen side, a first lens having a positive refractive power, a second lens having a positive refractive power and having its surface of sharper curvature facing the screen side, the second lens being disposed at or near the entrance pupil position of the entire system, a biconvex third lens having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens having a negative refractive power and having its surface of sharper curvature facing the screen side.

Abstract: A double-conjugate maintaining optical system for maintaining the conjugate relation between an object and its image even if the distance between the object and the image varies and also maintaining another set of conjugate relation in a predetermined condition includes an afocal system comprising a plurality of lens units, a first positive lens unit disposed on the object side of the afocal system, and a second positive lens unit disposed on the image side of the afocal system. The first positive lens unit is movable relative to the second positive lens unit so that the object is positioned on the focal plane of the first positive lens unit opposite to the afocal system. The afocal system is movable along the optical axis thereof in a predetermined relation with the first positive lens unit.