Patents by Inventor Nozomu Emura
Nozomu Emura 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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Publication number: 20180348643Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes a sensor for detecting light arriving from a projection optical system via a liquid provided on an image plane side of the projection optical system. The sensor includes a light transmissive member provided on a stage and a light receiving element for receiving light arriving from the projection optical system via the light transmissive member. The light transmissive member includes a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is arranged on the stage, comes into contact with the liquid, and is a surface on which the light arriving from the projection optical system is incident via the liquid. At least one of the first and second surfaces diffuses or diffracts the light having arrived from the projection optical system. The light receiving element receives the light that has been diffused or diffracted.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2018Publication date: December 6, 2018Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Hisashi NISHINAGA, Ikuo HIKIMA, Mitsunori TOYODA, Masahiro NAKAGAWA, Tsuneyuki HAGIWARA, Yasushi MIZUNO, Naonori KITA, Osamu TANITSU, Nozomu EMURA
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Patent number: 10025194Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an optical member that can be provided on a stage. The optical member has a first surface contacting a liquid when moved to face a projection system, and a second surface contacting a gas and transmitting light having come from the projection system via the liquid and the first surface. The optical member is configured such that at least a large-angle ray of the light, which has an angle with an optical axis of the projection system sufficiently large to undergo total reflection at an end surface of the projection system when the liquid is absent, travels from the projection system to the second surface without passing through gas. The second surface transmits the large-angle ray, which is received by the light-receiving surface.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2016Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Hisashi Nishinaga, Ikuo Hikima, Mitsunori Toyoda, Masahiro Nakagawa, Tsuneyuki Hagiwara, Yasushi Mizuno, Naonori Kita, Osamu Tanitsu, Nozomu Emura
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Publication number: 20170082925Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an optical member that can be provided on a stage. The optical member has a first surface contacting a liquid when moved to face a projection system, and a second surface contacting a gas and transmitting light having come from the projection system via the liquid and the first surface. The optical member is configured such that at least a large-angle ray of the light, which has an angle with an optical axis of the projection system sufficiently large to undergo total reflection at an end surface of the projection system when the liquid is absent, travels from the projection system to the second surface without passing through gas. The second surface transmits the large-angle ray, which is received by the light-receiving surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2016Publication date: March 23, 2017Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Hisashi NISHINAGA, Ikuo HIKIMA, Mitsunori TOYODA, Masahiro NAKAGAWA, Tsuneyuki HAGIWARA, Yasushi MIZUNO, Naonori KITA, Osamu TANITSU, Nozomu EMURA
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Patent number: 9513558Abstract: An exposure apparatus irradiates a substrate with light via a projection system and liquid, and includes a stage that moves below the projection system, and a light-receiving element having a light-receiving surface. An optical member provided on the stage has a first surface contacting the liquid when moved to face the projection system, and a second surface contacting a gas and transmitting light having come from the projection system via the liquid and the first surface. The optical member is configured such that at least a large-angle ray of the light, which has an angle with an optical axis of the projection system sufficiently large to undergo total reflection at an end surface of the projection system when the liquid is absent, travels from the projection system to the second surface without passing through gas. The second surface transmits the large-angle ray, which is received by the light-receiving surface.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2014Date of Patent: December 6, 2016Assignee: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Hisashi Nishinaga, Ikuo Hikima, Mitsunori Toyoda, Masahiro Nakagawa, Tsuneyuki Hagiwara, Yasushi Mizuno, Naonori Kita, Osamu Tanitsu, Nozomu Emura
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Publication number: 20140240685Abstract: An exposure apparatus irradiates a substrate with light via a projection system and liquid, and includes a stage that moves below the projection system, and a light-receiving element having a light-receiving surface. An optical member provided on the stage has a first surface contacting the liquid when moved to face the projection system, and a second surface contacting a gas and transmitting light having come from the projection system via the liquid and the first surface. The optical member is configured such that at least a large-angle ray of the light, which has an angle with an optical axis of the projection system sufficiently large to undergo total reflection at an end surface of the projection system when the liquid is absent, travels from the projection system to the second surface without passing through gas. The second surface transmits the large-angle ray, which is received by the light-receiving surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 2, 2014Publication date: August 28, 2014Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Hisashi NISHINAGA, Ikuo HIKIMA, Mitsunori TOYODA, Masahiro NAKAGAWA, Tsuneyuki HAGIWARA, Yasushi MIZUNO, Naonori KITA, Osamu TANITSU, Nozomu EMURA
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Patent number: 8749759Abstract: A part of exposure beam through a liquid via a projection optical system enters a light-transmitting section, enters an optical member without passing through gas, and is focused. The exposure apparatus receives the exposure light from the projection optical system to perform various measurements even if the numerical aperture of the projection optical system increases.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2012Date of Patent: June 10, 2014Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Hisashi Nishinaga, Ikuo Hikima, Mitsunori Toyoda, Masahiro Nakagawa, Tsuneyuki Hagiwara, Yasushi Mizuno, Naonori Kita, Osamu Tanitsu, Nozomu Emura
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Patent number: 8139198Abstract: A part of exposure beam through a liquid via a projection optical system enters a light-transmitting section, enters an optical member without passing through gas, and is focused. The exposure apparatus receives the exposure light from the projection optical system to perform various measurements even if the numerical aperture of the projection optical system increases.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2006Date of Patent: March 20, 2012Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Hisashi Nishinaga, Ikuo Hikima, Mitsunori Toyoda, Masahiro Nakagawa, Tsuneyuki Hagiwara, Yasushi Mizuno, Naonori Kita, Osamu Tanitsu, Nozomu Emura
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Publication number: 20080042068Abstract: A sensor is used at a substrate level in a lithographic projection apparatus having a projection system with a numeric aperture that is greater than 1 and is configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate The sensor includes a radiation-detector; a transmissive plate having a front surface and a back surface, the transmissive plate being positioned such that radiation projected by the projection system passes into the front surface of the transmissive plate and out of the back surface thereof to the radiation detector; and a luminescent layer provided on the back surface of the transmissive plate, the luminescent layer absorbing the radiation and emitting luminescent radiation of a different wavelength, wherein the back surface is rough.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2007Publication date: February 21, 2008Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Hisashi Nishinaga, Ikuo Hikima, Mitsunori Toyoda, Masahiro Nakagawa, Tsuneyuki Hagiwara, Yasushi Mizuno, Naonori Kita, Osamu Tanitsu, Nozomu Emura
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Publication number: 20060181690Abstract: A part of exposure beam through a liquid via a projection optical system enters a light-transmitting section, enters an optical member without passing through gas, and is focused. The exposure apparatus receives the exposure light from the projection optical system to perform various measurements even if the numerical aperture of the projection optical system increases.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 14, 2006Publication date: August 17, 2006Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Hisashi Nishinaga, Ikuo Hikima, Mitsunori Toyoda, Masahiro Nakagawa, Tsuneyuki Hagiwara, Yasushi Mizuno, Naonori Kita, Osamu Tanitsu, Nozomu Emura
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Publication number: 20060170891Abstract: A part of exposure beam through a liquid via a projection optical system enters a light-transmitting section, enters an optical member without passing through gas, and is focused. The exposure apparatus receives the exposure light from the projection optical system to perform various measurements even if the numerical aperture of the projection optical system increases.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2006Publication date: August 3, 2006Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Hisashi Nishinaga, Ikuo Hikima, Mitsunori Toyoda, Masahiro Nakagawa, Tsuneyuki Hagiwara, Yasushi Mizuno, Naonori Kita, Osamu Tanitsu, Nozomu Emura