Patents by Inventor Takehito Kudo
Takehito Kudo 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: 7515247Abstract: An illumination optical system for, when installed in an exposure system, realizing a suitable illumination condition by varying the polarized state of the illumination light according to the pattern characteristics of the mask while suppressing the loss of the intensity of the light. The illumination optical system has a light source unit for supplying a linearly polarized light for illuminating surfaces to be illuminated therewith, and a polarized state changing device for changing the polarized state of the illuminating light from a predetermined polarized state to a nonpolarized state and vice versa. The polarized state changing device is arranged in the optical path between the light source unit and the surfaces to be illuminated. The polarized state changing device can be removed from the illumination optical path and has a depolarizer for selectively depolarizing the incident linearly polarized light.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2007Date of Patent: April 7, 2009Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Osamu Tanitsu, Hirohisa Tanaka, Kenichi Muramatsu, Norio Komine, Hisashi Nishinaga, Tomoyuki Matsuyama, Takehito Kudo
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Patent number: 7515248Abstract: An illumination optical system for, when installed in an exposure system, realizing a suitable illumination condition by varying the polarized state of the illumination light according to the pattern characteristics of the mask while suppressing the loss of the intensity of the light. The illumination optical system has a light source unit for supplying a linearly polarized light for illuminating surfaces to be illuminated therewith, and a polarized state changing device for changing the polarized state of the illuminating light from a predetermined polarized state to a nonpolarized state and vice versa. The polarized state changing device is arranged in the optical path between the light source unit and the surfaces to be illuminated. The polarized state changing device can be removed from the illumination optical path and has a depolarizer for selectively depolarizing the incident linearly polarized light.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2007Date of Patent: April 7, 2009Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Osamu Tanitsu, Hirohisa Tanaka, Kenichi Muramatsu, Norio Komine, Hisashi Nishinaga, Tomoyuki Matsuyama, Takehito Kudo
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Patent number: 7446858Abstract: An exposure method and apparatus simultaneously transfer patterns with various pitches with high resolution. On the pupil surface of an illumination system, nine areas are set. The nine areas are a first area including the optical axis, four second areas each smaller than the first area and arranged along a first circumference surrounding the first area, and four third areas each smaller than the first area and arranged along a second circumference surrounding the first circumference and arranged along a second circumference. The distribution of intensity of light over the pupil surface is so set that the intensities of light over the nine areas are approximately equal to one another, and the intensity of light over the other area is smaller than those over the nine areas. This distribution of intensity of light is set using a diffraction optical element or a diaphragm.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2005Date of Patent: November 4, 2008Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Takehito Kudo, Shigeru Hirukawa
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Publication number: 20080239274Abstract: An illumination optical system for, when installed in an exposure system, realizing a suitable illumination condition by varying the polarized state of the illumination light according to the pattern characteristics of the mask while suppressing the loss of the intensity of the light. The illumination optical system has a light source unit for supplying a linearly polarized light for illuminating surfaces to be illuminated therewith, and a polarized state changing device for changing the polarized state of the illuminating light from a predetermined polarized state to a nonpolarized state and vice versa. The polarized state changing device is arranged in the optical path between the light source unit and the surfaces to be illuminated. The polarized state changing device can be removed from the illumination optical path and has a depolarizer for selectively depolarizing the incident linearly polarized light.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2008Publication date: October 2, 2008Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Osamu Tanitsu, Hirohisa Tanaka, Kenichi Muramatsu, Norio Komine, Hisashi Nishinaga, Tomoyuki Matsuyama, Takehito Kudo
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Illumination optical system, exposure apparatus, and exposure method with polarized switching device
Patent number: 7423731Abstract: An illumination optical system for, when installed in an exposure system, realizing a suitable illumination condition by varying the polarized state of the illumination light according to the pattern characteristics of the mask while suppressing the loss of the intensity of the light. The illumination optical system has a light source unit for supplying a linearly polarized light for illuminating surfaces to be illuminated therewith, and a polarized state changing device for changing the polarized state of the illuminating light from a predetermined polarized state to a nonpolarized state and vice versa. The polarized state changing device is arranged in the optical path between the light source unit and the surfaces to be illuminated. The polarized state changing device can be removed from the illumination optical path and has a depolarizer for selectively depolarizing the incident linearly polarized light.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2005Date of Patent: September 9, 2008Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Osamu Tanitsu, Hirohisa Tanaka, Kenichi Muramatsu, Norio Komine, Hisashi Nishinaga, Tomoyuki Matsuyama, Takehito Kudo -
Publication number: 20080094602Abstract: An illumination optical system for, when installed in an exposure system, realizing a suitable illumination condition by varying the polarized state of the illumination light according to the pattern characteristics of the mask while suppressing the loss of the intensity of the light. The illumination optical system has a light source unit for supplying a linearly polarized light for illuminating surfaces to be illuminated therewith, and a polarized state changing device for changing the polarized state of the illuminating light from a predetermined polarized state to a nonpolarized state and vice versa. The polarized state changing device is arranged in the optical path between the light source unit and the surfaces to be illuminated. The polarized state changing device can be removed from the illumination optical path and has a depolarizer for selectively depolarizing the incident linearly polarized light.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2007Publication date: April 24, 2008Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Osamu Tanitsu, Hirohisa Tanaka, Kenichi Muramatsu, Norio Komine, Hisashi Nishinaga, Tomoyuki Matsuyama, Takehito Kudo
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Publication number: 20080074632Abstract: An illumination optical system for, when installed in an exposure system, realizing a suitable illumination condition by varying the polarized state of the illumination light according to the pattern characteristics of the mask while suppressing the loss of the intensity of the light. The illumination optical system has a light source unit for supplying a linearly polarized light for illuminating surfaces to be illuminated therewith, and a polarized state changing device for changing the polarized state of the illuminating light from a predetermined polarized state to a nonpolarized state and vice versa. The polarized state changing device is arranged in the optical path between the light source unit and the surfaces to be illuminated. The polarized state changing device can be removed from the illumination optical path and has a depolarizer for selectively depolarizing the incident linearly polarized light.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2007Publication date: March 27, 2008Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Osamu Tanitsu, Hirohisa Tanaka, Kenichi Muramatsu, Norio Komine, Hisashi Nishinaga, Tomoyuki Matsuyama, Takehito Kudo
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Publication number: 20080068572Abstract: An exposure method and apparatus simultaneously transfer patterns with various pitches with high resolution. On the pupil surface of an illumination system, nine areas are set. The nine areas are a first area including the optical axis, four second areas each smaller than the first area and arranged along a first circumference surrounding the first area, and four third areas each smaller than the first area and arranged along a second circumference surrounding the first circumference and arranged along a second circumference. The distribution of intensity of light over the pupil surface is so set that the intensities of light over the nine areas are approximately equal to one another, and the intensity of light over the other area is smaller than those over the nine areas. This distribution of intensity of light is set using a diffraction optical element or a diaphragm.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2007Publication date: March 20, 2008Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Takehito Kudo, Shigeru Hirukawa
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Publication number: 20080024747Abstract: An exposure method and apparatus simultaneously transfer patterns with various pitches with high resolution. On the pupil surface of an illumination system, nine areas are set. The nine areas are a first area including the optical axis, four second areas each smaller than the first area and arranged along a first circumference surrounding the first area, and four third areas each smaller than the first area and arranged along a second circumference surrounding the first circumference and arranged along a second circumference. The distribution of intensity of light over the pupil surface is so set that the intensities of light over the nine areas are approximately equal to one another, and the intensity of light over the other area is smaller than those over the nine areas. This distribution of intensity of light is set using a diffraction optical element or a diaphragm.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2007Publication date: January 31, 2008Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Takehito Kudo, Shigery Hirukawa
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Publication number: 20060072095Abstract: An exposure method and apparatus simultaneously transfer patterns with various pitches with high resolution. On the pupil surface of an illumination system, nine areas are set. The nine areas are a first area including the optical axis, four second areas each smaller than the first area and arranged along a first circumference surrounding the first area, and four third areas each smaller than the first area and arranged along a second circumference surrounding the first circumference and arranged along a second circumference. The distribution of intensity of light over the pupil surface is so set that the intensities of light over the nine areas are approximately equal to one another, and the intensity of light over the other area is smaller than those over the nine areas. This distribution of intensity of light is set using a diffraction optical element or a diaphragm.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 11, 2005Publication date: April 6, 2006Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Takehito Kudo, Shigeru Hirukawa
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Publication number: 20060055834Abstract: An illumination optical system for, when installed in an exposure system, realizing a suitable illumination condition by varying the polarized state of the illumination light according to the pattern characteristics of the mask while suppressing the loss of the intensity of the light. The illumination optical system has a light source unit for supplying a linearly polarized light for illuminating surfaces to be illuminated therewith, and a polarized state changing device for changing the polarized state of the illuminating light from a predetermined polarized state to a nonpolarized state and vice versa. The polarized state changing device is arranged in the optical path between the light source unit and the surfaces to be illuminated. The polarized state changing device can be removed from the illumination optical path and has a depolarizer for selectively depolarizing the incident linearly polarized light.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2005Publication date: March 16, 2006Applicant: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Osamu Tanitsu, Hirohisa Tanaka, Kenichi Muramatsu, Norio Komine, Hisashi Nishinaga, Tomoyuki Matsuyama, Takehito Kudo