Abstract: An imaging device comprises a lens barrel having an optical system with an adjustable focal point, and has a first state can focus relative to an imaging face, and a second state can not focus relative to the imaging face, a changing unit for changing the lens barrel from the second state to the first state when the imaging unit is activated, a discriminating unit which discriminates whether the state of the barrel is the first state or the second state, and a control unit which, at a time of activating the imaging unit, changes the lens barrel to the first state by the changing unit if it is discriminated that the state of the barrel is the second state, and which maintains the first state if it is discriminated that the state of the barrel is the first state.

Abstract: An aperture control device includes: an aperture first driving member that controls an aperture of a diaphragm through which light flux passes; an aperture second driving member that drives the aperture first driving member; a motor that drives the aperture second driving member; a detection device that detects start of movement of the aperture first driving member caused by the aperture second driving member driven by the motor; and a motor control device that controls an aperture value of the diaphragm by controlling a rotational amount of the motor after the detection device detects the start of movement of the aperture first driving member.

Abstract: The subject fluid gauges measure actual position of a workpiece relative to a target position. A gauge body that is positionable relative to the workpiece and that includes multiple differential-pressure (DP) sensors has a measurement channel and respective reference channels. Each DP sensor measures, over a respective individual dynamic pressure range, a differential pressure established by a respective fluid flow in the measurement channel relative to a fluid flow in a respective reference channel. The dynamic pressure ranges of the DP sensors substantially overlap each other. A controller is connected to and monitors the DP sensors. The controller is configured to select, for obtaining a differential pressure indicative of the position of the workpiece, a DP sensor sensing the smallest magnitude of DP.

Abstract: A lens system comprises, on a side closest to an object, a first lens component having a positive refractive power and a second lens component having a positive refractive power in order from the object; and on a side closest to an image, a cemented lens constructed by cementing together a positive lens and a negative lens in order from the object; wherein the lens system satisfies the following conditional expressions: (n1+n2)/2>1.49 (?1+?2)/2>60 where n1 and ?1 denote a refractive index and an Abbe number of the first lens component at d-line, respectively, and n2 and ?2 denote a refractive index and an Abbe number of the second lens component at d-line, respectively.

Abstract: There is provided a measuring apparatus including: an imaging optical system configured to form an image of an object to be measured; and an imaging section including a transmissive member which is arranged in the vicinity of an image plane of the imaging optical system to be inclined with respect an optical axis of the imaging optical system. The imaging optical system includes a first optical member which is non-coaxial with respect to the optical axis.

Abstract: There is provided an exposure method for exposing a substrate by using an immersion exposure apparatus provided with a water-repellent area which has a water repellent film and which is at least a part of an area configured to make contact with a liquid so as to irradiate an exposure light onto the substrate via the liquid, the exposure method including: a measuring step of performing a measurement via the liquid with respect to at least a part of the water-repellent area having the water repellent film; and an exposure step of irradiating the exposure light onto the substrate via the liquid. In the measuring step and/or the exposure step, oxidation-reduction potential of the liquid is controlled to a predetermined value.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus is provided with: an imaging unit including an imaging sensor for imaging light from an object and a storage unit for storing image data generated based on an imaging signal output from the imaging sensor; and a GPS module. The GPS module is used for executing a process of calculating location information based on received data from a satellite. The GPS module shifts from the low power consumption mode or the power OFF state to a normal operation mode in which the process of calculating the location information is executed as a result of the imaging unit shifting from a low power consumption mode or a power OFF state to a normal image-capture mode.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus can use a reading time from an image sensor efficiently. To achieve the object, the image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing unit which separates a color image of a subject being captured by an image sensor having pixels of colors into three or more fields and outputs said three or more fields successively, and an image processing unit which generates a low-resolution image which is lower in resolution than the color image obtained by the image capturing unit, based on output of one or more fields among said three or more fields, said one or more fields being able to extract color information of all the colors, wherein the image processing unit starts generation of the low-resolution image in a period in which fields other than said one or more fields for generating the low-resolution image are read.

Abstract: A compact optical assembly for a laser radar system is provided, that is configured to move as a unit with a laser radar system as the laser radar system is pointed at a target and eliminates the need for a large scanning (pointing) mirror that is moveable relative to other parts of the laser radar. The optical assembly comprises a light source, a lens, a scanning reflector and a fixed reflector that are oriented relative to each other such that: (i) a beam from the light source is reflected by the scanning reflector to the fixed reflector; (ii) reflected light from the fixed reflector is reflected again by the scanning reflector and directed along A line of sight through the lens; and (iii) the scanning reflector is moveable relative to the source, the lens and the fixed reflector, to adjust the focus of the beam along the line of sight.

Abstract: An exemplary device has a stationary portion and a movable portion. The stationary portion has a first corner-cube, an optical system including a beamsplitter, and a light detector. The movable portion comprises a second corner-cube mountable on an object that is displaceable in a principal direction relative to the stationary portion. The beamsplitter splits a beam of collimated broadband light into a reference beam and a measurement beam that are directed by the optical system to make multiple roundtrip passes from the optical system to the respective corner cubes and back. The reference beam and measurement beam interfere with each other to produce a coherence envelope sensed by the detector, wherein a detected displacement of the coherence envelope corresponds to a respective position of the object in the principal direction.

Abstract: An image data processing apparatus includes a data size conversion device that changes a data size of an image data at an optional ratio, the image data has a plurality of pixels each of which includes any one of a plurality of color components, and the plurality of color components being arranged in a specific order. The data size conversion device newly calculates a value of color component of each pixel after changing the data size based upon values of color components of a plurality of same color pixels before changing the data size, while maintaining the order of arrangement of the plurality of color components.

Abstract: An immersion projection optical system having, for example, a catadioptric and off-axis structure, reduces the portion of an image space filled with liquid (immersion liquid). The projection optical system, which projects a reduced image of a first plane onto a second plane through the liquid, includes a refractive optical element (Lp) arranged nearest to the second plane. The refractive optical element includes a light emitting surface (Lpb) shaped to be substantially symmetric with respect to two axial directions (XY-axes) perpendicular to each other on the second plane. The light emitting surface has a central axis (Lpba) that substantially coincides with a central axis (40a) of a circle (40) corresponding to a circumference of a light entering surface (Lpa) of the refractive optical element. The central axis of the light emitting surface is decentered in one of the two axial directions (Y-axis) from an optical axis (AX).

Abstract: An external accessory that can be attached to and detached from an electronic apparatus equipped with a power source unit includes: a first power receiving unit that receives power from the power source unit of the electronic apparatus; a second power receiving unit that receives power from the power source unit of the electronic apparatus; a decision-making unit that makes a decision as to whether or not the first power receiving unit is receiving power; a function execution unit that executes a predetermined function by using power received at one of the first power receiving unit and the second power receiving unit; and a control unit that engages the function execution unit in operation continuously when an affirmative decision is made by the decision-making unit, and engages the function execution unit in operation intermittently when a negative decision is made by the decision-making unit.

Abstract: The terminals that oppose each other when substrates are bonded are designed to be reliably joined. Comprised in a semiconductor device design system are a numerical value acquiring part, which acquires the respective numerical values of a plurality of calculation parameters, a junction estimating part, which, in the case in which a plurality of substrates has been pressed at a prescribed pressure so that the bump front end faces come into contact, estimates whether or not the respective mutually opposing bumps will be joined based on the respective numerical values of the calculation parameters acquired by the numerical value acquiring part, and a change processing part, which, in the case in which it has been estimated by the junction estimating part that any of the bumps will not be joined, gives a warning or performs processing so as to change the numerical value of at least one calculation parameter among the plurality of calculation parameters.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided, for improving contrast detected in a fringe projection autofocus system that projects light from a substrate to a digital camera. The method and apparatus reduce the fill factor of the digital camera in a direction that improves the contrast at spatial frequencies near or above the Nyquist limit in that direction.

Abstract: A position detecting apparatus includes a light source, which supplies a detecting light; a light-collecting optical system which collects the detecting light onto a diffracted light generating portion provided on the object; a light guiding optical system which guides, to a predetermined position, a diffracted measuring light generated from the diffracted light generating portion by receiving the detecting light and a reference light generated from a reference surface by receiving the detecting light; and a photodetector which is arranged at the predetermined position and which detects interference fringes generated by the diffracted measuring light and the reference light. Three-dimensional positional information of, for example, a mask pattern surface or an exposure surface of a photosensitive substrate can be highly accurately detected by a relatively simple construction.

Abstract: A modeling technique is provided. The modeling technique includes inputting tool parameters into a model and inputting basic model parameters into the model. The technique further includes generating a simulated, corrected reticle design using the tool parameters and the basic model parameters. An image of test patterns is compared against the simulated, corrected reticle design. A determination is made as to whether ?1<?1, wherein ?1 represents model vs. exposure difference and ?1 represents predetermined criteria. The technique further includes completing the model when ?1<?1.

Abstract: An imaging device includes an imaging sensor that outputs an imaging signal representing a sequence of frame images of a photographic subject. A buffer memory temporarily stores data of the sequence of frame images from the imaging signal. A release switch is actuated by a user to output an image-taking signal. A controller, upon receipt of the image-taking signal from the release switch: (i) generates moving image data from at least some of the plurality of frame images stored in the buffer memory, (ii) generates at least one piece of still image data based on at least one frame image of the plurality of frame images stored in the buffer memory, and (iii) associates the moving image data with the still image data and records the moving image data and the still image data in a recording medium.

Abstract: Exposure apparatus is equipped with an illumination optical device which illuminates a mask with an exposure beam, a mask table which holds a periphery of a pattern area of the mask from above so that a pattern surface of the mask becomes substantially parallel to an XY plane and makes a force at least parallel to an XY plane and on the mask, and a wafer stage which moves along the XY plane, holding a wafer substantially parallel to the XY plane. Therefore, an overlay with high precision of a pattern of a mask and an underlying pattern on the substrate can be realized, even though the exposure apparatus employs a proximity method, that is, the exposure apparatus does not use a projection optical system.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus and method exposes a substrate by projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate through a liquid. A projection optical system projects the image of the pattern onto the substrate. A recovery port recovers the liquid supplied onto the substrate. A temperature sensor measures a temperature of the liquid recovered via the recovery port.