Patents by Inventor Saburo Kamiya
Saburo Kamiya 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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Patent number: 7876452Abstract: Process tools and methods are disclosed that involve interferometric and other measurements of movements and positions relative to a process position, such as movements and positions of a stage relative to a lithographic optical system. An exemplary apparatus includes a stage that places a workpiece relative to the tool, and that is movable in at least one direction relative to the tool. At least one first interferometer system is situated relative to the stage to determine stage position in a movement direction relative to the process position. A movement-measuring device determines displacement of the tool from the process position. Using data from the interferometer system and movement-measuring device a processor determines a position of the stage relative to the tool. The processor also corrects the determined position for displacement of the tool.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2008Date of Patent: January 25, 2011Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Michael R. Sogard, Bausan Yuan, Masahiko Okumura, Yosuke Shirata, Kiyoshi Uchikawa, Saburo Kamiya, Akikazu Tanimoto
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Publication number: 20100033694Abstract: An exposure apparatus which exposes a wafer with an illumination light via a reticle includes a vortex tube which generates a cool gas and a warm gas from a compressed gas injected from a compressed gas supply tube; a flow rate control valve and a Y-shaped joint which mix the cool gas and the warm gas generated from the vortex tube at a variable mixing ratio to output a temperature-controlled gas; and a gas supply duct which supplies the temperature-controlled gas to a heat source or a vicinity thereof. It is possible to perform the local temperature control or the local cooling by the simple mechanism without using any refrigerant or any cooling medium.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2009Publication date: February 11, 2010Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Saburo Kamiya, Shigeru Hagiwara
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Patent number: 7471372Abstract: An exposure apparatus which transfers a pattern image formed on a mask on to a substrate through a projection optical system, comprising a substrate table which holds said substrate, a first sensor which measures a gap between said substrate surface held by said substrate table and a control target position, and a second sensor which measures a distance between said projection optical system and said substrate table in an optical axis direction and corrects the control target position of said first sensor.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2004Date of Patent: December 30, 2008Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventor: Saburo Kamiya
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Publication number: 20080291464Abstract: Process tools and methods are disclosed that involve interferometric and other measurements of movements and positions relative to a process position, such as movements and positions of a stage relative to a lithographic optical system. An exemplary apparatus includes a stage that places a workpiece relative to the tool, and that is movable in at least one direction relative to the tool. At least one first interferometer system is situated relative to the stage to determine stage position in a movement direction relative to the process position. A movement-measuring device determines displacement of the tool from the process position. Using data from the interferometer system and movement-measuring device a processor determines a position of the stage relative to the tool. The processor also corrects the determined position for displacement of the tool.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2008Publication date: November 27, 2008Inventors: Michael R. Sogard, Bausan Yuan, Masahiko Okumura, Yosuke Shirala, Kiyoshi Uchikawa, Saburo Kamiya, Akikazu Tanimoto
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Patent number: 7283200Abstract: A measurement system (222) for measuring the position of a stage (248) along a first axis includes a first system (260) having a first beam source (260A) that directs a first beam (260H) on a first path that is parallel with a second axis and a first redirector (260D) that redirects the first beam so that the redirected first beam (260H) is on a first redirected path that is parallel with the first axis irrespective to the orientation of the first redirector (260D) about a third axis. The measurement system (222) can include a shield (380) that protects the first beam (260H) from environmental conditions.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2003Date of Patent: October 16, 2007Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Alex Ka Tim Poon, Leonard Wai Fung Kho, Toru Kawaguchi, Hisashi Tazawa, Saburo Kamiya, Yasuhiro Hidaka
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Patent number: 6897963Abstract: A stage device suitable for exposure apparatus used to produce semiconductor devices, is movable in an area wider than the measurement area of interferometer for position measurement, and is capable of measuring the position with high precision. When a movable stage moves from the position where the laser beams from laser interferometers are not applied into the measurement area of the laser interferometer, the position of reference mark is measured by a wafer alignment sensor, and the measurement value measured by the laser interferometer is corrected based on the results of the measurement by the wafer alignment sensor. When another movable stage enters the measurement area of the laser interferometer, the position of the reference mark is similarly measured by a wafer alignment sensor, and the measurement value measured by the laser interferometer is corrected based on the results of the measurement by the wafer alignment sensor.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2000Date of Patent: May 24, 2005Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Tetsuo Taniguchi, Saburo Kamiya
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Publication number: 20050012918Abstract: A measurement system (222) for measuring the position of a stage (248) along a first axis includes a first system (260) having a first beam source (260A) that directs a first beam (260H) on a first path that is parallel with a second axis and a first redirector (260D) that redirects the first beam so that the redirected first beam (260H) is on a first redirected path that is parallel with the first axis irrespective to the orientation of the first redirector (260D) about a third axis. The measurement system (222) can include a shield (380) that protects the first beam (260H) from environmental conditions.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2003Publication date: January 20, 2005Inventors: Alex Poon, Leonard Kho, Toru Kawaguchi, Hisashi Tazawa, Saburo Kamiya, Yasuhiro Hidaka
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Patent number: 6784972Abstract: An air conditioner arranged in a machine chamber supplies gas for air conditioning into an exposure chamber via a supply path, and performs air conditioning of the exposure chamber. Then, the gas for air conditioning that has performed air conditioning returns to the machine chamber via an exhaust path. A chemical filter is provided in part of the exhaust path returning to the machine chamber from the exposure chamber. This filter securely removes contaminants that are introduced by outgassing and the like in an exposure apparatus main body and that are contained in the gas for air conditioning returning to the machine chamber from the exposure chamber. Accordingly, the inside of the exposure chamber can be kept chemically clean. Therefore, highly accurate exposure quantity control and thus highly accurate exposure can be performed for a long period of time, and high throughput can be maintained for a long period of time.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2001Date of Patent: August 31, 2004Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Yoshitomo Nagahashi, Saburo Kamiya, Koichi Katsura
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Publication number: 20040165166Abstract: An exposure apparatus which transfers a pattern image formed on a mask on to a substrate through a projection optical system, comprising a substrate table which holds said substrate, a first sensor which measures a gap between said substrate surface held by said substrate table and a control target position, and a second sensor which measures a distance between said projection optical system and said substrate table in an optical axis direction and corrects the control target position of said first sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2004Publication date: August 26, 2004Applicant: Nikon CorporationInventor: Saburo Kamiya
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Publication number: 20040156026Abstract: A temperature adjusting unit is attached to a support member supporting a laser interferometer, and a temperature of air sent out of an air sending outlet is measured by a sensor, while a temperature of the support member is measured by a sensor, so that the temperature of the air sent and the temperature of the support member are made to coincide with each other. Thereby, the occurrence of temperature fluctuation in the optical path of detection light of the laser interferometer is suppressed.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 26, 2003Publication date: August 12, 2004Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventor: Saburo Kamiya
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Patent number: 6741358Abstract: An exposure apparatus which transfers a pattern image formed on a mask on to a substrate through a projection optical system, comprising a substrate table which holds said substrate, a first sensor which measures a gap between said substrate surface held by said substrate table and a control target position, and a second sensor which measures a distance between said projection optical system and said substrate table in an optical axis direction and corrects the control target position of said first sensor.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2000Date of Patent: May 25, 2004Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventor: Saburo Kamiya
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Patent number: 6714278Abstract: An exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern on a reticle, through a projection optical system, onto a wafer having a photosensitive material coated thereon. The exposure apparatus includes a vacuum heat insulation panel which is applied to at least a part of the structure of the exposure apparatus so as to improve performance of temperature-control in the exposure apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2001Date of Patent: March 30, 2004Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventor: Saburo Kamiya
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Patent number: 6710854Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus including an irradiation optical system including a light source and irradiating a mask with irradiation light beams, a projection optical system for projecting an image of a pattern of the mask on a substrate, a plurality of first fly-eye type optical integrators each having an emission side focal plane disposed on a Fourier transformed surface with respect to the pattern of the mask in the irradiation optical system or on a plane adjacent to the same and having a center located at a plurality of positions which are eccentric from the optical axis of the irradiation optical system, a plurality of second fly-eye type optical integrators each having an emission side focal plane disposed on a Fourier transformed plane with respect to the incidental end of each of a plurality of the first fly-eye type optical integrators or on a plane adjacent to the same and being disposed to correspond to a plurality of the first fly-eye type optical integrators, and a light divider for dividingType: GrantFiled: November 26, 2001Date of Patent: March 23, 2004Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Naomasa Shiraishi, Yuji Kudo, Saburo Kamiya
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Publication number: 20020050572Abstract: An air conditioner arranged in a machine chamber supplies gas for air conditioning into an exposure chamber via a supply path, and performs air conditioning of the exposure chamber. Then, the gas for air conditioning that has performed air conditioning returns to the machine chamber via an exhaust path. A chemical filter is provided in part of the exhaust path returning to the machine chamber from the exposure chamber. This filter securely removes contaminants that are introduced by outgassing and the like in an exposure apparatus main body and that are contained in the gas for air conditioning returning to the machine chamber from the exposure chamber. Accordingly, the inside of the exposure chamber can be kept chemically clean. Therefore, highly accurate exposure quantity control and thus highly accurate exposure can be performed for a long period of time, and high throughput can be maintained for a long period of time.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2001Publication date: May 2, 2002Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Yoshitomo Nagahashi, Saburo Kamiya, Koichi Katsura
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Publication number: 20020048008Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus including an irradiation optical system including a light source and irradiating a mask with irradiation light beams, a projection optical system for projecting an image of a pattern of the mask on a substrate, a plurality of first fly-eye type optical integrators each having an emission side focal plane disposed on a Fourier transformed surface with respect to the pattern of the mask in the irradiation optical system or on a plane adjacent to the same and having a center located at a plurality of positions which are eccentric from the optical axis of the irradiation optical system, a plurality of second fly-eye type optical integrators each having an emission side focal plane disposed on a Fourier transformed plane with respect to the incidental end of each of a plurality of the first fly-eye type optical integrators or on a plane adjacent to the same and being disposed to correspond to a plurality of the first fly-eye type optical integrators, and a light divider for dividingType: ApplicationFiled: November 26, 2001Publication date: April 25, 2002Inventors: Naomasa Shiraishi, Yuji Kudo, Saburo Kamiya
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Patent number: 6377336Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus including an Irradiation optical system including a light source and irradiating a mask with irradiation light beams, a projection optical system for projecting an image of a pattern of the mask on a substrate, a plurality of first fly-eye type optical integrators each having an emission side focal plane disposed on a Fourier transformed surface with respect to the pattern of the mask in the irradiation optical system or on a plane adjacent to the same and having a center located at a plurality of positions which are eccentric from the optical axis of the irradiation optical system, a plurality of second fly-eye type optical integrators each having an emission side focal plane disposed on a Fourier transformed plane with respect to the incidental end of each of a plurality of the first fly-eye type optical integrators or on a plane adjacent to the same and being disposed to correspond to a plurality of the first fly-eye type optical integrators, and a light divider for dividingType: GrantFiled: March 30, 1999Date of Patent: April 23, 2002Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Naomasa Shiraishi, Yuji Kudo, Saburo Kamiya
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Publication number: 20010050759Abstract: An exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern on a reticle, through a projection optical system, onto a wafer having a photosensitive material coated thereon. The exposure apparatus includes a vacuum heat insulation panel which is applied to at least a part of the structure of the exposure apparatus so as to improve performance of temperature-control in the exposure apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 19, 2001Publication date: December 13, 2001Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventor: Saburo Kamiya
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Patent number: 6002987Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an exposure system which transfers a pattern of a mask onto a substrate; a chamber in which the exposure system is housed; an air-conditioner which is associated with the chamber and which air-conditions the chamber; and a noise eliminating device which is arranged between the exposure system and the air-conditioner and which eliminates at least a portion of the noise components near a resonant frequency of the exposure system from noise that is generated in the air-conditioner.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 1997Date of Patent: December 14, 1999Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Saburo Kamiya, Naoyuki Kobayashi
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Patent number: 5790253Abstract: To accurately correct the deformation component of a moving mirror on a wafer stage measure the curving data of the moving mirrors prior to the installation onto the wafer stage and store the data as a function of the distance from one end of the mirror. Then, measure the discrete curving error data of the moving mirrors after installation onto the wafer stage at every distance, d, using two laser interferometers arranged in parallel at a distance, d. Store the measurement results in the memory. Finally, a main controller creates a continuous curving error data of the moving mirror after installation onto the wafer stage based on the relationship between curving data and curving error data of the moving mirror before and after installation onto the above wafer stage to use it as the correction data.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 1997Date of Patent: August 4, 1998Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventor: Saburo Kamiya
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Patent number: 5719704Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus including an irradiation optical system including a light source and irradiating a mask with irradiation light beams, a projection optical system for projecting an image of a pattern of the mask on a substrate, a plurality of first fly-eye type optical integrators each having an emission side focal plane disposed on a Fourier transformed surface with respect to the pattern of the mask in the irradiation optical system or on a plane adjacent to the same and having a center located at a plurality of positions which are eccentric from the optical axis of the irradiation optical system, a plurality of second fly-eye type optical integrators each having an emission side focal plane disposed on a Fourier transformed plane with respect to the incidental end of each of a plurality of the first fly-eye type optical integrators or on a plane adjacent to the same and being disposed to correspond to a plurality of the first fly-eye type optical integrators, and a light divider for dividingType: GrantFiled: October 27, 1995Date of Patent: February 17, 1998Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Naomasa Shiraishi, Yuji Kudo, Saburo Kamiya