Abstract: An OCT apparatus includes, in addition to a first light source that changes a wavelength of light that is emitted, a second light source that emits light having a particular wavelength. The OCT apparatus is formed so that, when light having the particular wavelength is emitted from the first light source, the light emitted from the second light source is detected by a second optical detector.

Abstract: An optical coherence tomographic imaging apparatus includes a wavelength-sweeping light source. The wavelength-sweeping light source includes an optical resonator in which a light amplifying medium and a dispersive element configured to give angular dispersion to light emitted from the light amplifying medium according to the wavelength are provided, and a wavelength selection element having a rotating mechanism. An arithmetic processing unit converts a selected wavelength obtained in correspondence with a rotation angle of the rotating mechanism into an optical frequency, and obtains a data string of interfering signals at equal optical frequency intervals by interpolation on the basis of data on interfering signals sampled in correspondence with the rotation angle.

Abstract: A light source device capable of varying a light oscillation wavelength includes a plurality of optical gain media, a dispersing element, and a wavelength selecting element. The optical gain media amplify light, and have gain wavelength bands that partially overlap and different maximum gain wavelengths. The dispersing element is formed of a single element. Each of light beams emitted from the optical gain media is incident on the dispersing element. The dispersing element disperses the light beams emitted from the optical gain media into light beams of different wavelengths. The wavelength selecting element selects a light beam of a predetermined wavelength from the light beams of different wavelengths into which the light beams emitted from the optical gain media are dispersed by the dispersing element. The light source device emits the light beam of the predetermined wavelength selected by the wavelength selecting element.

Abstract: The present invention provides a light source apparatus capable of producing stable oscillation and performing high-speed wavelength sweeping over a desired wavelength range. A swept light source apparatus in which oscillation wavelength is continuously changeable is provided. The apparatus includes, inside a resonator, an optical amplification medium that amplifies light, a first device configured to disperse light emitted from the optical amplification medium and thus produce beams having different wavelengths, a second device functioning as a non-focusing optical element and configured to collimate the beams having different wavelengths resulting from the dispersion by the first device, and a selecting device configured to select a beam having a specific wavelength from among the beams collimated by the second device. The beam having the specific wavelength selected by the selecting device is fed back to the optical amplification medium.

Abstract: A light source apparatus that emits pulsed light includes an optical resonator and a modulator. The optical resonator has an optical gain medium that amplifies light and an optical waveguide. The modulator modulates an intensity of the light in the optical resonator. The optical resonator with the optical gain medium includes a plurality of optical resonators having different optical path lengths from each other to make a difference between intervals of free spectral ranges in the plurality of optical resonators, to reduce a spectral line width of the pulsed light compared to that of a light source apparatus separately using the plurality of optical resonators as an individual optical resonator, the spectral line width determined by an envelope formed by a sideband wave of an oscillation mode which is generated by the modulation.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an illumination optical system configured to illuminate a reticle, a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of the reticle onto a substrate, a polarization adjuster configured to independently adjust each polarization state of plural areas in an effective light source distribution used to illuminate the reticle, a polarization measurement unit configured to measure a polarization state of light that has passed the polarization adjuster, and a controller configured to independently control each polarization state of the plural areas via the polarization adjuster based on a measurement result of the polarization measurement unit.

Abstract: A phase measuring apparatus for measuring phase characteristics of a film applied onto an object to be measured includes a shearing interference system for providing incident light onto the object or light reflected on the object with shearing interference, a detector for detecting shearing interference information, and a computing unit for calculating the phase characteristics of the film based on the shearing interference information.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an illumination optical system configured to illuminate a reticle, a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of the reticle onto a substrate, a polarization adjuster configured to independently adjust each polarization state of plural areas in an effective light source distribution used to illuminate the reticle, a polarization measurement unit configured to measure a polarization state of light that has passed the polarization adjuster, and a controller configured to independently control each polarization state of the plural areas via the polarization adjuster based on a measurement result of the polarization measurement unit.

Abstract: A phase measuring apparatus for measuring phase characteristics of a film applied onto an object to be measured includes a shearing interference system for providing incident light onto the object or light reflected on the object with shearing interference, a detector for detecting shearing interference information, and a computing unit for calculating the phase characteristics of the film based on the shearing interference information.

Abstract: A phase measuring apparatus for measuring phase characteristics of a film applied onto an object to be measured includes a shearing interference system for providing incident light onto the object or light reflected on the object with shearing interference, a detector for detecting shearing interference information, and a computing unit for calculating the phase characteristics of the film based on the shearing interference information.

Abstract: A position detecting system includes a light source device for providing coherent light, an incoherence-transforming device for transforming the coherent light from the light source device, into incoherent light, an optical system for dividing the incoherent light from the incoherence-transforming device into divided light, wherein one of the divided light beams produces an intermediate image, and light from the intermediate image is directed to illuminate a target upon a surface of an object while another of divided light beams is directed to be reflected by a surface which is optically conjugate with the intermediate image, and wherein light from the target and light reflected by the conjugate surface are re-combined, an image pickup device for producing an imagewise signal corresponding to the target on the basis of the light re-combined by the optical system, wherein positional information related to a position of the target with respect to a direction along the surface of the object can be produced on th

Abstract: A position detecting system includes a light source device for providing coherent light, an incoherence-transforming device for transforming the coherent light from the light source device, into incoherent light, an optical system for dividing the incoherent light from the incoherence-transforming device into divided light, wherein one of the divided light beams produces an intermediate image, and light from the intermediate image is directed to illuminate a target upon a surface of an object while another of divided light beams is directed to be reflected by a surface which is optically conjugate with the intermediate image, and wherein light from the target and light reflected by the conjugate surface are re-combined, an image pickup device for producing an imagewise signal corresponding to the target on the basis of the light re-combined by the optical system, wherein positional information related to a position of the target with respect to a direction along the surface of the object can be produced on th

Abstract: A position detecting system includes a light source device for providing coherent light, an incoherence-transforming device for transforming the coherent light from the light source device, into incoherent light, an optical system for dividing the incoherent light from the incoherence-transforming device into divided light, wherein one of the divided light beams produces an intermediate image, and light from the intermediate image is directed to illuminate a target upon a surface of an object while another of divided light beams is directed to be reflected by a surface which is optically conjugate with the intermediate image, and wherein light from the target and light reflected by the conjugate surface are re-combined, an image pickup device for producing an imagewise signal corresponding to the target on the basis of the light re-combined by the optical system, wherein positional information related to a position of the target with respect to a direction along the surface of the object can be produced on th

Abstract: A switch includes a switching mechanism, an operating mechanism with a key which normally causes the switching mechanism to be in a switched-off condition when it is pulled out and to be displaced against a biasing force to be in a switched-on condition when the key is inserted, and a locking mechanism for maintaining the switching mechanism locked in the switched-on condition and releasing it from the locked condition if a load greater than a specified magnitude is applied to the key while the switching mechanism is locked such that the switching mechanism is set back in the switched-off condition. The switching mechanism may be contained in a head case attached to a main case containing the operating mechanism. The main case also includes a forcing mechanism which tends to force the switching mechanism in the switched-off condition.

Abstract: A wafer having a plurality of areas is subjected to multiple exposures or a stitching exposure with a plurality of mask patterns being interchanged. A plurality of wafers are sequentially exposed to the plurality of mask patterns, with one wafer being replaced with a next wafer. When the one wafer is replaced with the next wafer, the next wafer is exposed to the mask pattern last used, prior to the replacement. When one mask pattern is interchanged with a next mask pattern, an area of the one wafer, last exposed to the one mask pattern, is first exposed to the next mask pattern.

Abstract: An alignment method for aligning first and second objects, in an exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern of the first object onto the second object as being coated with a resist, includes a process of producing an alignment offset value related to an alignment mark forming region on the second object, after formation of the resist coating thereon, and a process of aligning the first object with the second object as being coated with the resist, in the exposure apparatus, on the basis of the offset value as produced.

Abstract: A phase measuring apparatus for measuring phase characteristics of a film applied onto an object to be measured includes a shearing interference system for providing incident light onto the object or light reflected on the object with shearing interference, a detector for detecting shearing interference information, and a computing unit for calculating the phase characteristics of the film based on the shearing interference information.

Abstract: A pattern inspection system for detecting a state of a pattern formed on an object, includes a light projecting device for projecting input light on to a sensitized pattern defined on the object, a light receiving device for receiving signal light from the sensitized pattern, a processing device for detecting a change in the light by use of a signal from the light receiving device to detect the state of formation of the sensitized pattern, and a control device for changing a condition of incidence of light from the light projecting device.

Abstract: A switch includes a switching mechanism, an operating mechanism with a key which normally causes the switching mechanism to be in a switched-off condition when it is pulled out and to be displaced against a biasing force to be in a switched-on condition when the key is inserted, and a locking mechanism for maintaining the switching mechanism locked in the switched-on condition and releasing it from the locked condition if a load greater than a specified magnitude is applied to the key while the switching mechanism is locked such that the switching mechanism is set back in the switched-off condition. The switching mechanism may be contained in a head case attached to a main case containing the operating mechanism. The main case also includes a forcing mechanism which tends to force the switching mechanism in the switched-off condition.

Abstract: A pattern inspection system for detecting a state of a pattern formed on an object, includes a light projecting device for projecting input light on to a sensitized pattern defined on the object, a light receiving device for receiving signal light from the sensitized pattern, a processing device for detecting a change in the light by use of a signal from the light receiving device to detect the state of formation of the sensitized pattern, and a control device for changing a condition of incidence of light from the light projecting device.