Abstract: An exposure apparatus to be used with an exposure mask having an elastically deformable holding member and a light blocking film provided on the holding member and being formed with an opening pattern. For exposure, the mask is flexed, to be brought into contact with an object to be exposed. The apparatus includes a distance detecting device for detecting a distance between the exposure mask and the object to be exposed. The distance detecting device is adapted to detect the distance between the exposure mask and the object to be exposed before the exposure mask is flexed. The apparatus also includes a distance controlling device for controlling the distance between the exposure mask before the mask is flexed and the object to be exposed, on the basis of a signal from the distance detecting device.

Abstract: A sensor device is formed from a metal film having a plurality of openings, a sensor material positioned within each of the openings, a light source that emits light having a first wavelength, and a light detector that detects light emitted from the light source and transmitted through or reflected from the openings. The plurality of openings are arranged periodically in a first direction in the metal film, and both a size of each of the plurality of openings and an interval thereof in the first direction are equal to or less than the wavelength of the light.

Abstract: In the fields of biosensing and the like, achievement of high sensitivity and high performance has been demanded in the concentration detection of target substances. In order to meet such demand, disclosed is an optical element utilizing the localized surface plasmon resonance, including: a dielectric substrate; a first group of metal microstructures in which a plurality of metal microstructures is supported on a dielectric substrate in an in-plane direction of the substrate; and a second group of metal microstructures in which a plurality of metal microstructures is disposed in the in-plane direction, and each of the metal microstructures is partially exposed to the outside; wherein the first group of metal microstructures and the second group of metal microstructures are laminated so as to be separated from each other by 100 nm or more.

Abstract: A sensing apparatus comprises a sensing element having a metal member of a periodic structure formed on a substrate, a light source for projecting a light beam to the sensing element, and a photosensor for sensing the light beam from the sensing element, wherein the sensing element has an optical waveguide layer between the substrate and the metal member, and the light beam illuminated from the light source and propagating in the optical waveguide layer and the light of a Rayleigh mode formed by the metal member are phase-matched.

Abstract: In a chemical sensing apparatus utilizing a surface plasmon resonance in a small aperture formed in a metal thin film or on a surface of a metal fine particle, a capturing substance is disposed in the small aperture or on the surface of the metal fine particle for capturing a target substance. A marker substance, having a size comparable to that of the small aperture or the metal fine particle is combined with the target substance. As a result, a spectral change is increased in the transmitted light or the scattered light, induced by a surface plasmon resonance and resulting from the capture of the target substance.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for designing a light transmission device, which adjusts a wavelength region of a spectrum of transmitted light without expanding a width of a transmission spectrum and without lowering the transmittance. The method for designing a light transmission device having a metal thin film, and a rectangular aperture which is formed in a plane of the metal thin film, has a long side and a short side and makes light pass therethrough, wherein the short side has a dimension smaller than a wavelength of incident light, and the long side is determined to have such a dimension that a peak wavelength at which the transmittance of light passing through the rectangular aperture is maximal can be a predetermined value.

Abstract: An optical filter includes a light-shielding conductive layer provided with a plurality of apertures on a substrate surface that selectively transmits light of a first wavelength, and a dielectric layer in contact with the conductive layer. A size of the apertures is a size equal to or less than the first wavelength, and a ratio of a surface area of the conductive layer to a surface area of the substrate surface is within a range of equal to or greater than 36% and equal to or less than 74%. A transmissivity of the first wavelength is increased by surface plasmons induced in the apertures by light falling on the conductive layer.

Abstract: A plasmon sensor apparatus using a metallic fine periodic structure designed to reduce the dependences of the resonance wavelength and sensitivity on the incident angle. The plasmon sensor apparatus has a sensing element including a metallic member having periodic slit openings and metallic portions, and a substrate on which the metallic member is held, a light source which emits light so that the light is incident on the sensing element, and a photodetector which detects light obtained from the light source. If the period of the slit openings is ?; the width of the metallic portions is d; and the thickness of the metallic member is h, the aspect ratio h/(??d) of the slit openings is 3 or higher and the opening width (??d) is equal to or smaller than the wavelength of light applied from the light source to the sensing element.

Abstract: A near-field exposure method including preparing a photomask for near-field exposure, having a light blocking film provided on a base material constituting a membrane portion and a support member supporting the base material, wherein a first alignment mark for rough alignment is provided on the support member and a second alignment mark for fine alignment is provided on the membrane portion, setting the photomask and an object to be exposed in a near-field exposure apparatus, aligning the photomask and the object using the first alignment mark, flexing the membrane portion to contact with the object and detecting a positional relation between the membrane portion and the object using the second alignment mark, aligning the photomask and the object based on the detected positional relation and flexing the membrane portion to contact with the object, and exposing the object to light from a light source by way of the photomask.

Abstract: An exposure mask in which exposure of an exposure object is carried out on the basis of near field light leaking from a plurality of openings provided in a light blocking member in a mutually adjoining relation, in which the spacing between adjacent openings is not greater than the wavelength of light used for the exposure, and an end portion of the opening at the exposure object side has a structure effective to reduce scatter of a surface plasmon polariton wave going around to the exposure object side of the light blocking member.

Abstract: A substrate for forming a target substance detecting device includes a supporting member, an underlying layer disposed on a surface of the supporting member, and a metal pattern layer, disposed on a surface of the underlying layer, for being bound to a target substance trapping substance capable of trapping a target substance in a specimen solution at least containing water as a liquid medium to detect the target substance by utilizing plasmon resonance. The underlying layer has a refractive index nb satisfying the following relationship: 0.90na?nb?1.05na, wherein na represents a refractive index of water.

Abstract: A body assembly of a motor vehicle comprises an outer body structure of a motor vehicle, an interior member disposed between the outer body structure and a passenger compartment at a predetermined distance from the outer body structure, and an inner member comprising a moisture vapor permeable metalized composite sheet comprising a sheet layer having first and second outer surfaces and at least one multi-layer coating on said first outer surface of the sheet layer, the multi-layer coating comprising a first metal coating layer having a thickness between about 15 nanometers and 200 nanometers adjacent the first outer surface of the sheet layer and an outer organic coating layer of a composition containing a metal selected from the group consisting of organic polymers, organic oligomers and combinations thereof, having a thickness between about 0.2 micrometer and 2.5 micrometers deposited on the metal layer.

Abstract: A plasmon sensor apparatus using a metallic fine periodic structure designed to reduce the dependences of the resonance wavelength and sensitivity on the incident angle. The plasmon sensor apparatus has a sensing element including a metallic member having periodic slit openings and metallic portions, and a substrate on which the metallic member is held, a light source which emits light so that the light is incident on the sensing element, and a photodetector which detects light obtained from the light source. If the period of the slit openings is ?; the width of the metallic portions is d; and the thickness of the metallic member is h, the aspect ratio h/(??d) of the slit openings is 3 or higher and the opening width (??d) is equal to or smaller than the wavelength of light applied from the light source to the sensing element.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a device includes the steps of (i) providing a near-field photomask including a light shield film for constituting a light shield portion and openings formed in the light shield film, wherein the openings include two or more parallel first slit openings lengthening in a first direction and a second slit opening lengthening in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first directions, wherein the second slit opening interlinks the first slit openings, (ii) forming a photoresist layer on a substrate, (iii) exposing the photoresist layer to near-field light through the near-field photomask using polarized exposure light having an electrical field component parallel to the first direction, to form a latent image on the photoresist only in discrete regions at which the second slit opening crosses the light shield portion, (iv) forming a pattern of the photoresist layer based on the latent image, and (v) etching a surface of the substrate based on the pattern.

Abstract: An optical element 4 of the present invention includes a conductive microstructure 6 having a conductive property, and detects an optical spectrum signal varied by the binding of measured molecules on the surface of the conductive microstructure 6. The optical element 4 has a distribution in the direction to the electric displacement vector generated inside the conductive microstructure 6 by the binding capacity of the measured molecules on the surface of the conductive microstructure 6. As a result, it is possible to provide an optical element capable of measuring the density at high accuracy without depending on the binding position of the measured molecules.

Abstract: A sensor device is formed from a metal film having a plurality of openings, a sensor material positioned within each of the openings, a light source that emits light having a first wavelength, and a light detector that detects light emitted from the light source and transmitted through or reflected from the openings. The plurality of openings are arranged periodically in a first direction in the metal film, and both a size of each of the plurality of openings and an interval thereof in the first direction are equal to or less than the wavelength of the light.

Abstract: A near-field photoresist for formation of a fine pattern with by near-field exposure includes an alkali-soluble novalac resin, a diazyde-type photosensitizer which is photoreactive by near-field exposure, a photoacid generator which generates acid by the near-field exposure, and a solvent.

Abstract: A sensor device is formed from a metal film having a plurality of openings, a sensor material positioned within each of the openings, a light source that emits light having a first wavelength, and a light detector that detects light emitted from the light source and transmitted through or reflected from the openings. The plurality of openings are arranged periodically in a first direction in the metal film, and both a size of each of the plurality of openings and an interval thereof in the first direction are equal to or less than the wavelength of the light.

Abstract: In a chemical sensing apparatus utilizing a surface plasmon resonance in a small aperture formed in a metal thin film or on a surface of a metal fine particle, a capturing substance is disposed in the small aperture or on the surface of the metal fine particle for capturing a target substance. A marker substance, having a size comparable to that of the small aperture or the metal fine particle is combined with the target substance. As a result, a spectral change is increased in the transmitted light or the scattered light, induced by a surface plasmon resonance and resulting from the capture of the target substance.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a device includes the steps of (i) providing a near-field photomask including a light shield film for constituting a light shield portion and openings formed in the light shield film, wherein the openings include two or more parallel first slit openings lengthening in a first direction and a second slit opening lengthening in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first directions, wherein the second slit opening interlinks the first slit openings, (ii) forming a photoresist layer on a substrate, (iii) exposing the photoresist layer to near-field light through the near-field photomask using polarized exposure light having an electrical field component parallel to the first direction, to form a latent image on the photoresist only in discrete regions at which the second slit opening crosses the light shield portion, (iii) forming a pattern of the photoresist layer based on the latent image, and (iv) etching a surface of the substrate based on the pattern.