Patents by Inventor Masayuki Akagawa
Masayuki Akagawa 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).
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Patent number: 7963736Abstract: A semiconductor-processing apparatus includes: a wafer handling chamber; a wafer processing chamber; a wafer handling device; a first photosensor disposed in the wafer handling chamber in front of the wafer processing chamber at a position where the wafer partially blocks light received by the first photosensor at a ready-to-load position and substantially entirely blocks light received by the first photosensor when the wafer moves from the ready-to-load position toward the wafer processing chamber in the x-axis direction; and a second photosensor disposed in the wafer handling chamber in front of the wafer processing chamber at a position where the wafer does not block light received by the second photosensor at the ready-to-load position and partially blocks light received by the second photosensor when the wafer moves from the ready-to-load position toward the wafer processing chamber in the x-axis direction.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2008Date of Patent: June 21, 2011Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.Inventors: Masahiro Takizawa, Masaei Suwada, Masayuki Akagawa
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Publication number: 20090252580Abstract: A semiconductor-processing apparatus includes: a wafer handling chamber; a wafer processing chamber; a wafer handling device; a first photosensor disposed in the wafer handling chamber in front of the wafer processing chamber at a position where the wafer partially blocks light received by the first photosensor at a ready-to-load position and substantially entirely blocks light received by the first photosensor when the wafer moves from the ready-to-load position toward the wafer processing chamber in the x-axis direction; and a second photosensor disposed in the wafer handling chamber in front of the wafer processing chamber at a position where the wafer does not block light received by the second photosensor at the ready-to-load position and partially blocks light received by the second photosensor when the wafer moves from the ready-to-load position toward the wafer processing chamber in the x-axis direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2008Publication date: October 8, 2009Applicant: ASM Japan K.K.Inventors: Masahiro Takizawa, Masaei Suwada, Masayuki Akagawa
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Patent number: 6762412Abstract: The optical apparatus of the present invention comprises; an optical member such as a lens; a casing containing the optical member; a gas supply device that supplies gas at a predetermined flow rate to inside the casing; and a gas introduction mechanism that reduces the flow rate of the gas supplied to inside the casing to below the predetermined flow rate. The casing has an inlet through which gas is supplied from the gas supply device to the inside. The gas introduction mechanism comprises an impingement member which is disposed between the inlet and a surface of the optical member, and the gas introduced from the inlet impinges against the impingement member. As a result, contamination of the optical member due to gas introduced to inside the casing can be reduced.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2000Date of Patent: July 13, 2004Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Masayuki Akagawa, Taichi Taniuchi
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Publication number: 20040008328Abstract: A reticle (R) is irradiated with an ArF excimer laser beam to transfer a pattern on the reticle (R) onto a wafer (W) through a projection optical system (PL). Each of a plurality of illuminating lens units (2) arranged in the illuminating optical passage has a barrel containing a plurality of lenses, and caps are so provided as to be spaced from the lenses at both ends. Lens chambers among the lenses are filled with an inert gas, and the spaces between the caps and the lenses are also filled with an inert gas. When the illuminating lens unit (2) are housed in and illuminating optical path housing, the caps are removed while purging the spaces. Therefore, the lenses at both ends are prevented from being contaminated and the transmittance of the optical lens device for exposure with light having a wavelength of shorter than 300 nm is prevented from lowering.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2003Publication date: January 15, 2004Applicant: Nikon CorporationInventors: Masayuki Akagawa, Osamu Yamashita, Taichi Taniuchi
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Patent number: 6671033Abstract: A reticle (R) is irradiated with an ArF excimer laser beam to transfer a pattern on the reticle (R) onto a wafer (W) through a projection optical system (PL). Each of a plurality of illuminating lens units (2) arranged in the illuminating optical passage has a barrel containing a plurality of lenses, and caps are so provided as to be spaced from the lenses at both ends. Lens chambers among the lenses are filled with an inert gas, and the spaces between the caps and the lenses are also filled with an inert gas. When the illuminating lens unit (2) are housed in and illuminating optical path housing, the caps are removed while purging the spaces. Therefore, the lenses at both ends are prevented from being contaminated and the transmittance of the optical lens device for exposure with light having a wavelength of shorter than 300 nm is prevented from lowering.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2002Date of Patent: December 30, 2003Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Masayuki Akagawa, Osamu Yamashita, Taichi Taniuchi
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Publication number: 20020109826Abstract: A reticle (R) is irradiated with an ArF excimer laser beam to transfer a pattern on the reticle (R) onto a wafer (W) through a projection optical system (PL). Each of a plurality of illuminating lens units (2) arranged in the illuminating optical passage has a barrel containing a plurality of lenses, and caps are so provided as to be spaced from the lenses at both ends. Lens chambers among the lenses are filled with an inert gas, and the spaces between the caps and the lenses are also filled with an inert gas. When the illuminating lens unit (2) are housed in and illuminating optical path housing, the caps are removed while purging the spaces. Therefore, the lenses at both ends are prevented from being contaminated and the transmittance of the optical lens device for exposure with light having a wavelength of shorter than 300 nm is prevented from lowering.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 10, 2002Publication date: August 15, 2002Applicant: Nikon CorporationInventors: Masayuki Akagawa, Osamu Yamashita, Taichi Taniuchi
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Publication number: 20010055099Abstract: A reticle (R) is irradiated with an ArF excimer laser beam to transfer a pattern on the reticle (R) onto a wafer (W) through a projection optical system (PL). Each of a plurality of illuminating lens units (2) arranged in the illuminating optical passage has a barrel containing a plurality of lenses, and caps are so provided as to be spaced from the lenses at both ends. Lens chambers among the lenses are filled with an inert gas, and the spaces between the caps and the lenses are also filled with an inert gas. When the illuminating lens unit (2) are housed in and illuminating optical path housing, the caps are removed while purging the spaces. Therefore, the lenses at both ends are prevented from being contaminated and the transmittance of the optical lens device for exposure with light having a wavelength of shorter than 300 nm is prevented from lowering.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2001Publication date: December 27, 2001Applicant: Nikon CorporationInventors: Masayuki Akagawa, Osamu Yamashita, Taichi Taniuchi
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Patent number: 6288769Abstract: An exposure method for irradiating a mask with an illuminating light and transferring a pattern on the mask onto a substrate through a projection optical system includes supplying a gas having a lower capability of absorbing illuminating light to each of plural chambers formed between optical elements disposed in a barrel, floating a contaminating substance on the plural elements in the gas by irradiation, exhausting the gas and contaminating substances from the barrel, supplying the plural chambers with further gas, after exhausting the gas containing the contaminating substance, and transferring the pattern onto the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 1999Date of Patent: September 11, 2001Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Masayuki Akagawa, Osamu Yamashita, Taichi Taniuchi
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Patent number: 5888327Abstract: A pellicle pasting system and method pastes a pellicle on a mask. The system includes a washing apparatus to wash the mask; a first mask transport apparatus to transport the mask washed by the washing apparatus; a first inspection apparatus to inspect whether foreign objects are attached to the mask received from the first mask transport apparatus; a second mask transport apparatus to transport the mask when the first inspection apparatus determines that the foreign objects are substantially absent from the mask; and a pellicle pasting apparatus to paste the pellicle on the mask received from the second mask transport apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 1997Date of Patent: March 30, 1999Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Masayuki Akagawa, Yoshihiro Kimura
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Patent number: 4856904Abstract: Semiconductor wafer inspecting apparatus comprises plural supports each adapted to support a wafer to be inspected and a feeder for feeding a wafer to each of the plural supports. The apparatus can effect accurate and rapid positioning of the wafer.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 1988Date of Patent: August 15, 1989Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventor: Masayuki Akagawa