Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a chamber; a placing table; an exhaust path provided around the placing table to surround the placing table, and configured to exhaust a gas within a processing space above the semiconductor wafer placed on the placing table; an exhaust device configured to exhaust the gas within the processing space through the exhaust path; a baffle plate having a plurality of through holes and provided between the processing space and the exhaust path to surround the placing table; and a rectifying plate provided around the placing table to surround the placing table within the exhaust path at a position farther from the processing space than the baffle plate, and forming an opening within the exhaust path to make a sectional area of a flow path within the exhaust path larger at a position farther from a position within the exhaust path connected to the exhaust device.

Abstract: An encoder includes a scale having a continuous part where physical characteristics varies and a discontinuous part that interrupts the continuous part, a detector that be relatively displaced with respect to the scale and that detects the physical characteristics of the scale, and a processor that detects an origin of the scale on the basis of a signal for displacement detection output from the detector. The detector includes a sensitive part having sensitivity contributing to the signal for displacement detection and an insensitive part having no sensitivity contributing to the signal for displacement detection. The processor detects the origin on the basis of signal intensity of each of signals for displacement detection that the detector outputs when the sensitive and insensitive parts detect physical characteristics of the discontinuous part.

Abstract: Certain implementations provide a form-fill-seal machine that can efficiently seal a packaging material. The transverse sealing unit may have first members to sandwich the packaging material and sealing the packaging material in a transverse direction, and second members for squeezing the packaging material while sandwiching the packaging material with a prescribed gap left therebetween. The control unit may cause the packaging material to be squeezed by the second members by causing the transverse sealing unit located at a reference position to descend faster than the packaging material being conveyed downward. The control unit may cause the transverse sealing unit to ascend while the packaging material is being sealed by the first members. The control unit may cause the transverse sealing unit to move such that the first members are separated from the packaging material.

Abstract: Provided is a device management system to suppress decreases in producibility. A device management system manages a plurality of production-line-configuring devices configuring a production line to produce products, and has a device state data storage part, an analysis part, and a server output part. The production-line-configuring devices include a combination weighing machine to weigh the products, a bag-making and packaging machine to package the products, and a boxing device to box the packaged products into boxes. The device state data storage part accumulates device state data, which is information pertaining to the components included in the production-line-configuring devices. The analysis part performs an analysis process to analyze the device state data accumulated in the device state data storage part. The server output part outputs maintenance information, which pertains to maintenance of the components, on the basis of the results of the analysis process.

Abstract: A heat transfer sheet formed of a plurality of layers provided between a mounting stage and a focus ring on an outer side of a substrate to be mounted on the mounting stage inside a plasma treatment apparatus, wherein the plurality of layers includes a heat insulating layer having thermal conductivity lower than thermal conductivity of the focus ring, and an adhesive layer having adhesiveness higher than adhesiveness of the heat insulating layer.

Abstract: An encoder includes a scale having a pattern column with patterns periodically changing a physical characteristic, a detection element array disposed movable relatively to the scale and including detection elements configured to detect light from the pattern column are arranged in a moving direction, a signal processor configured to convert an output signal from the detection element array into position information. The detection element array includes first to fourth detection elements are arranged in order of the first detection elements, the second detection elements, the first detection elements, the second detection elements, the third detection elements, the fourth detection elements, the third detection elements, and the fourth detection elements. The signal processor generates a first signal based on an output signal from the first and third detection elements and a second signal based on an output signal from the second and fourth detection elements.

Abstract: Provided is a bag making and packaging machine capable of accurately detecting, with a simple configuration, the timing at which an article that is dropped and supplied from an article supply device disposed above the bag making and packaging machine, will arrive at a lateral sealing mechanism. A bag making and packaging machine receives articles dropped and supplied from a combination weighing machine disposed above the bag making and packaging machine and packages the articles in a bag to be made. The bag making and packaging machine includes a lateral sealing mechanism, a servo motor, and a falling time detector. The lateral sealing mechanism laterally seals a packaging material of a cylindrical shape. The servo motor drives the lateral sealing mechanism.

Abstract: Certain implementations provide a form-fill-seal machine that can efficiently seal a packaging material. The transverse sealing unit may have first members to sandwich the packaging material and sealing the packaging material in a transverse direction, and second members for squeezing the packaging material while sandwiching the packaging material with a prescribed gap left therebetween. The control unit may cause the packaging material to be squeezed by the second members by causing the transverse sealing unit located at a reference position to descend faster than the packaging material being conveyed downward. The control unit may cause the transverse sealing unit to ascend while the packaging material is being sealed by the first members. The control unit may cause the transverse sealing unit to move such that the first members are separated from the packaging material.

Abstract: An origin detector includes detecting element groups having a first to a fourth detector, is configured so that a first signal sensitivity of the detectors of a center is larger than a second signal sensitivity of the detectors of a periphery, reads an origin detecting pattern including an origin pattern having a length along a detecting direction of a part having a physical characteristic different from an origin peripheral part larger than a length along the detecting direction of each detecting element group, and outputs a first signal using the first and third detectors, and a second signal using the second and fourth detectors. A processor acquires a third signal from the first signal and a first threshold, and a fourth signal from the second signal and a second threshold, and outputs a fifth signal using the third and fourth signals as an origin signal.

Abstract: A method for cold-forging a thin-walled portion by which a thin-walled portion having a set thickness is formed directly from a metal base plate having a sufficiently large thickness and an explosion-proof valve are provided. Blade side surfaces of upper and lower dies for shearing the metal base plate are set in an overlapping manner with a predetermined clearance ? therebetween. Sheared surfaces are formed with the blade side surfaces of the upper and lower dies in the metal base plate along a processing direction while leaving the set thickness t2 therebetween and the metal base plate is compressed by the overlapped portions until work-hardened to form the thin-walled portion with the horizontal width ? and the set thickness t2 between the sheared surfaces.

Abstract: The present invention provides an evaluation method of evaluating optical characteristics of a projection optical system by obtaining, by a prediction formula, a predicted value for a fluctuation amount of the optical characteristics relative to an exposure period of a substrate via the projection optical system, the method comprising determining the prediction formula by using a dedicated pattern in which a plurality of marks are arranged in a matrix on an object plane of the projection optical system, wherein the determining includes selecting, from the plurality of marks, at least two marks located in an illuminated region to be formed on the object plane when exposing the substrate, and obtaining the prediction formula based on positions of images of the at least two marks formed on an image plane of the projection optical system.

Abstract: The present invention provides an exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate via a projection optical system, the apparatus including a supply unit including a first channel to which a first gas containing air is supplied, a second channel to which a second gas higher in oxygen concentration than the first gas is supplied, and a third channel to which a third gas lower in oxygen concentration than the first gas is supplied, and configured to generate a mixture gas by using at least two of the first gas, the second gas, and the third gas, and supply the mixture gas to a space between the substrate and the projection optical system.

Abstract: A film roll supporting device comprises a shaft body part, a shaft tip part, and a projection part. The shaft body part extends through a central hole of a film roll and having the film roll mounted thereon. The shaft tip part extends in an axis direction of a shaft from one end of the shaft body part on a side to be inserted into the central hole of the film roll. The projection part extends in a direction intersecting the axis direction of the shaft body part from the shaft tip part. The projection part abuts from below to a core of the film roll provisionally placed on the shaft tip part when the mounting of the film roll is performed. A cutout recessed in a direction intersecting the axis direction of the shaft body part is formed in the projection part.

Abstract: An observation method of a sample containing a target substance, the observation method including an imaging step in which a step of obtaining a speckle image including, as a speckle, light emitted from a luminescent substance in which a medium is brought into contact with the sample is performed a plurality of times so as to obtain a plurality of speckle images, the medium containing a probe that contains the luminescent substance emitting light and that repeatedly binds to and dissociates from the target substance directly and specifically, and an observation image generation step of generating an observation image of the target substance in the sample from the plurality of speckle images, wherein a half-life of a probe-target complex formed by binding between the probe and the target substance is equal to or more than 10 milliseconds and equal to or less than 3 seconds.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes: a projection optical system; an adjusting unit configured to adjust imaging characteristics of the projection optical system; and a controller configured to divide the plurality of shot regions into groups based on data of a shift in the pattern of each shot region and an order of the exposure, determine setting amounts of the imaging characteristics for each group, and control the adjusting unit to set the imaging characteristics to the setting amounts for each group. The setting amount is common to a plurality of shot regions in the group and varies among the groups. The controller performs the division such that the shot regions belonging to the same group have a sequential exposure order and all values of the shift in the shot regions belonging to the same group fall within a predetermined range.

Abstract: An encoder includes a scale having a continuous part where physical characteristics varies and a discontinuous part that interrupts the continuous part, a detector that be relatively displaced with respect to the scale and that detects the physical characteristics of the scale, and a processor that detects an origin of the scale on the basis of a signal for displacement detection output from the detector. The detector includes a sensitive part having sensitivity contributing to the signal for displacement detection and an insensitive part having no sensitivity contributing to the signal for displacement detection. The processor detects the origin on the basis of signal intensity of each of signals for displacement detection that the detector outputs when the sensitive and insensitive parts detect physical characteristics of the discontinuous part.

Abstract: The present invention provides an evaluation method of evaluating optical characteristics of a projection optical system by obtaining, by a prediction formula, a predicted value for a fluctuation amount of the optical characteristics relative to an exposure period of a substrate via the projection optical system, the method comprising determining the prediction formula by using a dedicated pattern in which a plurality of marks are arranged in a matrix on an object plane of the projection optical system, wherein the determining includes selecting, from the plurality of marks, at least two marks located in an illuminated region to be formed on the object plane when exposing the substrate, and obtaining the prediction formula based on positions of images of the at least two marks formed on an image plane of the projection optical system.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a chamber; a placing table; an exhaust path provided around the placing table to surround the placing table, and configured to exhaust a gas within a processing space above the semiconductor wafer placed on the placing table; an exhaust device configured to exhaust the gas within the processing space through the exhaust path; a baffle plate having a plurality of through holes and provided between the processing space and the exhaust path to surround the placing table; and a rectifying plate provided around the placing table to surround the placing table within the exhaust path at a position farther from the processing space than the baffle plate, and foil ling an opening within the exhaust path to make a sectional area of a flow path within the exhaust path larger at a position farther from a position within the exhaust path connected to the exhaust device.

Abstract: An encoder includes a scale including an origin detecting pattern, an origin detector, and a processor. The origin detector includes a plurality of detecting element groups including a first, second, third, and fourth detectors. The first and second detectors and the third and fourth detectors are symmetrically arranged to a center of each detecting element group, respectively. A part of the origin detecting pattern having a physical characteristic different from an origin peripheral part is shorter than each detecting element group. The origin detector outputs a first signal from the first and third detectors, and a second signal from the second and fourth detectors. The processor outputs a fifth signal based on a third signal from the first signal and a first threshold, and a fourth signal from the second signal and a second threshold as an origin signal.

Abstract: A receptacle, fixed to a first case, has a central conductor portion, an outer conductor portion that concentrically surrounds the central conductor portion, and a receptacle-side convex portion that extends in a connector circumferential direction and is formed on a top end portion of the outer conductor portion. A plug, fixed to a second case, has a plurality of inner contact pieces that make contact with an outer peripheral surface of the central conductor portion with fitting into the receptacle, a plurality of outer contact pieces that extend in a connector axial direction on an outer peripheral surface of the outer conductor portion with intervals therebetween, and plug-side convex portions that are freely displaceable in the connector axial direction in a state of being in surface contact with the outer peripheral surface of the outer conductor portion and are formed on the outer contact pieces of the plug.