Patents by Inventor Nobutaka Magome

Nobutaka Magome 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).

  • Publication number: 20140233002
    Abstract: A liquid immersion exposure apparatus includes a projection system, a liquid supply inlet, a liquid collection outlet, a separator fluidically connected to the liquid collection outlet, the separator separating one of liquid and gas, which have been collected via the liquid collection outlet from the other, and a flow-meter configured to measure an amount of the liquid collected via the liquid collection outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobutaka MAGOME, Naoyuki KOBAYASHI
  • Patent number: 8749757
    Abstract: A liquid immersion exposure apparatus includes a movable member having a substrate holder and a surface disposed adjacent to the substrate holder, the surface capable of positioning under a projection optical system. A liquid immersion system has a supply path and a recovery path. The liquid immersion system supplies the liquid to a space between the projection optical system and the surface via the supply path and recovers the supplied liquid of a liquid immersion area formed under the projection optical system via the recovery path. A controller stops a supply of the liquid to the space under the projection optical system by the liquid immersion system on receipt of a signal indicating the occurrence of an abnormality. The abnormality causes a possibility of leakage due to at least a part of the supplied liquid not being recovered via the recovery path and outflowing from the liquid immersion area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Nobutaka Magome, Naoyuki Kobayashi, Yasuyuki Sakakibara, Hiroaki Takaiwa, Hisatsune Kadota
  • Patent number: 8451424
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus (EX) exposes a substrate (P) by projecting an image of a pattern on the substrate (P) via a projection optical system (PL) and a liquid (1). The exposure device (EX) has a liquid supply mechanism (10) which supplies the liquid (1) between the projection optical system (PL) and the substrate (P). The liquid feeding mechanism (10) stops the supply of the liquid (1) when abnormality is detected. This suppresses influence to devices and members in the periphery of the substrate caused by leakage of the liquid forming a liquid immersion area, thereby realizing satisfactory exposure processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Nobutaka Magome, Naoyuki Kobayashi, Yasuyuki Sakakibara, Hiroaki Takaiwa, Hisatsune Kadota
  • Patent number: 8384880
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system by which the pattern image is projected onto the substrate, and a movable member which is movable relative to the projection optical system. A liquid-repellent member, at least a part of a surface of which is liquid-repellent, is provided detachably on the movable member, the liquid-repellent member being different from the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Soichi Owa, Nobutaka Magome, Shigeru Hirukawa, Yoshihiko Kudo, Jiro Inoue, Hirotaka Kohno, Masahiro Nei, Motokatsu Imai, Hiroyuki Nagasaka, Kenichi Shiraishi, Yasufumi Nishii, Hiroaki Takaiwa
  • Patent number: 8208117
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system by which the pattern image is projected onto the substrate, and a movable member which is movable relative to the projection optical system. A liquid-repellent member, at least a part of a surface of which is liquid-repellent, is provided detachably on the movable member, the liquid-repellent member being different from the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Soichi Owa, Nobutaka Magome, Shigeru Hirukawa, Yoshihiko Kudo, Jiro Inoue, Hirotaka Kohno, Masahiro Nei, Motokatsu Imai, Hiroyuki Nagasaka, Kenichi Shiraishi, Yasufumi Nishii, Hiroaki Takaiwa
  • Publication number: 20110279794
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus illuminates a pattern with an energy beam and transfers the pattern onto a substrate via a projection optical system. The exposure apparatus includes a substrate stage, a supply mechanism, a recovery mechanism and an auxiliary recovery mechanism. The substrate stage mounts the substrate and moves within a two-dimensional plane while holding the substrate. The supply mechanism supplies liquid to a space between the projection optical system and the substrate on the substrate stage. The recovery mechanism recovers the liquid, and the auxiliary recovery mechanism recovers the liquid which could not be recovered by the recovery mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeru Hirukawa, Nobutaka Magome, Issey Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8040491
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system by which the pattern image is projected onto the substrate, and a movable member which is movable relative to the projection optical system. A liquid-repellent member, at least a part of a surface of which is liquid-repellent, is provided detachably on the movable member, the liquid-repellent member being different from the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Soichi Owa, Nobutaka Magome, Shigeru Hirukawa, Yoshihiko Kudo
  • Patent number: 8034539
    Abstract: An exposure system includes an exposure section for irradiating a formed resist film with exposing light through a mask with an immersion liquid provided on the resist film, and a drying section for drying a surface of the resist film after irradiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Nobutaka Magome, Hiroaki Takaiwa, Dai Arai
  • Patent number: 7911582
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus illuminates a pattern with an energy beam and transfers the pattern onto a substrate via a projection optical system. The exposure apparatus includes a substrate stage on which the substrate is mounted and that moves within a two-dimensional plane holding the substrate. A supply mechanism supplies liquid to a space between the projection optical system and the substrate on the substrate stage. A recovery mechanism recovers the liquid and an auxiliary recovery mechanism recovers the liquid which could not be recovered by the recovery mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Hirukawa, Nobutaka Magome, Issey Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20110051106
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus illuminates a pattern with an energy beam and transfers the pattern onto a substrate via a projection optical system. The exposure apparatus includes a substrate stage on which the substrate is mounted that moves within a two-dimensional plane holding the substrate. In addition, a supply mechanism supplies liquid to a space between the projection optical system and the substrate on the substrate stage. In addition, at least one bubble recovery mechanism recovers bubbles in the liquid in an upstream side of the liquid flow with respect to the projection optical system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Hirukawa, Nobutaka Magome, Issey Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7515246
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by illuminating a pattern with an exposure beam and transferring an image of the pattern through a liquid onto the substrate. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system which projects the image of the pattern onto the substrate. In addition, a liquid immersion unit fills, with the liquid, at least a part of a space between the projection optical system and the substrate. A conditional expression (v·d·?)/??2,000 is satisfied, in which d represents a thickness of the liquid, v represents a velocity of a flow of the liquid between the projection optical system and the substrate, ? represents a density of the liquid, and ? represents a coefficient of viscosity of the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nagasaka, Nobutaka Magome
  • Publication number: 20090079950
    Abstract: A liquid immersion exposure apparatus includes an optical member through which an exposure beam passes, a flow passage in which a liquid flows, the flow passage being in fluidic communication with a space between the optical member and an object opposite to the optical member, and an opening at which a plurality of slits are provided, and from which the liquid is supplied to the space through the flow passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nagasaka, Nobutaka Magome
  • Patent number: 7505115
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting an image of a pattern on the substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid. The exposure device has a liquid supply mechanism which supplies the liquid between the projection optical system and the substrate. The liquid feeding mechanism stops the supply of the liquid when abnormality is detected. This suppresses influence to devices and members in the periphery of the substrate caused by leakage of the liquid forming a liquid immersion area, thereby realizing satisfactory exposure processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Nobutaka Magome, Naoyuki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7483119
    Abstract: In exposing substrate by projecting an image of a pattern onto substrate via projection optical system and liquid, side surface and underside surface of substrate are applied with liquid-repellent treatment. By such a configuration, an exposure method by which when exposing edge areas of the substrate, the exposure can be performed in a condition that a liquid immersion region is formed well and that flowing out of the liquid to the outside of the substrate stage are prevented is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Soichi Owa, Nobutaka Magome, Shigeru Hirukawa, Yoshihiko Kudo, Jiro Inoue, Hiroyuki Nagasaka
  • Publication number: 20090015816
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system by which the pattern image is projected onto the substrate, and a movable member which is movable relative to the projection optical system. A liquid-repellent member, at least a part of a surface of which is liquid-repellent, is provided detachably on the movable member, the liquid-repellent member being different from the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Soichi Owa, Nobutaka Magome, Shigeru Hirukawa, Yoshihiko Kudo, Jiro Inoue, Hirotaka Kohno, Masahiro Nei, Motokatsu Imai, Hiroyuki Nagasaka, Kenichi Shiraishi, Yasufumi Nishii, Hiroaki Takaiwa
  • Publication number: 20090015807
    Abstract: An immersion lithographic system for patterning a work piece arranged at an image plane and covered at least partly with a layer sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, includes: a source emitting electromagnetic radiation onto an object plane; a mask arranged at the object plane to relay the electromagnetic radiation toward the work piece; and an immersion medium contacting at least a portion of an immersion optics of the lithographic system and a portion of the work piece. The immersion medium is supplied through at least one orifice arranged in the immersion optics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeru Hirukawa, Nobutaka Magome, Issey Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20090015808
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system by which the pattern image is projected onto the substrate, and a movable member which is movable relative to the projection optical system. A liquid-repellent member, at least a part of a surface of which is liquid-repellent, is provided detachably on the movable member, the liquid-repellent member being different from the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Soichi Owa, Nobutaka Magome, Shigeru Hirukawa, Yoshihiko Kudo, Jiro Inoue, Hirotaka Kohno, Masahiro Nei, Motokatsu Imai, Hiroyuki Nagasaka, Kenichi Shiraishi, Yasufumi Nishii, Hiroaki Takaiwa
  • Publication number: 20090002655
    Abstract: A liquid immersion exposure apparatus includes an optical member through which a substrate is exposed with an exposure beam, and a liquid supply system having a supply port from which a liquid is supplied. The liquid supply system supplies the liquid from the supply port to a space between the optical member and the substrate during the exposure. The optical member has a lyophobic surface which is lyophobic for the liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nagasaka, Nobutaka Magome
  • Patent number: 7466392
    Abstract: A device manufacturing method includes the steps of providing an immersion liquid between a substrate and at least a portion of a projection system of a lithographic projection apparatus, wherein a non-radiation sensitive material is carried by the substrate, the non-radiation sensitive material being at least partially transparent to radiation and being of a different material than the immersion liquid, the non-radiation sensitive material being provided over at least a part of a radiation sensitive layer of the substrate; and projecting a patterned beam of radiation, through the immersion liquid, onto a target portion of the substrate using the projection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nagasaka, Nobutaka Magome
  • Patent number: 7460207
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus, wherein an exposure of a substrate (P) is carried out by filling at least a portion of the space between a projection optical system and the substrate (P) with a liquid and projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate (P) via the projection optical system and the liquid, includes a bubble detector (20) which detects air bubble or bubbles in the liquid between the projection optical system and the substrate (P). Consequently, the exposure apparatus is capable of suppressing deterioration of a pattern image caused by bubbles in the liquid when an exposure is carried out while filling the space between the projection optical system and the substrate with the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Mizutani, Nobutaka Magome