Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a copper-containing silica glass which emits fluorescence having a peak in a wavelength range of from 520 nm to 580 nm under irradiation of ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 400 nm or less, and which is excellent in long term stability even in the high output use. The copper-containing silica glass is made to have copper of from 5 wtppm to 200 wtppm, which emits fluorescence having a peak in a wavelength range of from 520 nm to 580 nm under irradiation of ultraviolet light with a wavelength ranging from 160 nm to 400 nm, and in which an internal transmittance per 2.5 mm thickness at a wavelength of 530 nm is 95% or more.

Abstract: On an EUV light-reflecting surface of titania-doped quartz glass, an angle (?) included between a straight line connecting an origin (O) at the center of the reflecting surface to a birefringence measurement point (A) and a fast axis of birefringence at the measurement point (A) has an average value of more than 45 degrees. Since fast axes of birefringence are distributed in a concentric fashion, a titania-doped quartz glass substrate having a high flatness is obtainable which is suited for use in the EUV lithography.

Abstract: A titania-doped quartz glass which experiences a reduction in OH group concentration of less than or equal to 100 ppm upon heat treatment at 900° C. for 100 hours is suitable as the EUV lithography member.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a copper-containing silica glass which emits fluorescence having a peak in a wavelength range of from 520 nm to 580 nm under irradiation of ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 400 nm or less, and which is excellent in long term stability even in the high output use. The copper-containing silica glass is made to have copper of from 5 wtppm to 200 wtppm, which emits fluorescence having a peak in a wavelength range of from 520 nm to 580 nm under irradiation of ultraviolet light with a wavelength ranging from 160 nm to 400 nm, and in which an internal transmittance per 2.5 mm thickness at a wavelength of 530 nm is 95% or more.

Abstract: A robot handling system using a robot hand to convey a workpiece, provided with a first wrist element at a front end of an arm of the robot, a second wrist element perpendicular to this, a third wrist element perpendicular to this, and a connecting means connecting the third wrist element and a hand body of the robot hand, the hand body being arranged so that an inertia moment of the hand body about a vertical axial line becomes larger than the inertia moments of the hand body about two mutually perpendicular horizontal axial lines, the connecting means connects the third wrist element and hand body so that a third axial line of the third wrist element and the hand body are arranged in a horizontal plane, and a posture of the hand body is changed about the vertical axial line in the state with the third axial line of the third wrist element arranged in a horizontal plane. Due to this, the robot hand can be made to rotate over the limit of the allowable inertia moment.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to overcome the problems of the prior art technique, and to provide a heat treatment method as well as a heat treatment apparatus capable of heat treating, with higher efficiency, a synthetic quartz glass for optical use having higher homogeneity and higher purity. Another object of the present invention is to provide and a synthetic quartz glass for optical use.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an improved blank such that an optical member of a high homogeneity can be obtained therefrom, and to provide a vessel and a heat treatment method for heat-treating a highly uniform synthetic quartz blank. In a first aspect of the invention a special designed blank is provided showing a concave shaped outer surface. In a second aspect of the invention a special designed vessel for heat-treating blanks is provided, whereby the degree of heat emission at the center is set higher than that of the surroundings.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an improved blank such that an optical member of a high homogeneity can be obtained therefrom, and to provide a vessel and a heat treatment method for heat-treating a highly uniform synthetic quartz blank. In a first aspect of the invention a special designed blank is provided showing a concave shaped outer surface. In a second aspect of the invention a special designed vessel for heat-treating blanks is provided, whereby the degree of heat emission at the center is set higher than that of the surroundings.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a synthetic quartz glass optical material having a high optical transmittance for a radiation 157 nm in wavelength emitted from F2 excimer laser and a high resistance against irradiation of a F2 excimer laser radiation, yet having a uniformity suitable for such a fine patterning using a F2 excimer laser, and to provide an optical member using the same. The problems above are solved by a synthetic quartz glass optical material for F2 excimer lasers having an OH group concentration of 0.5 ppm or lower, a fluorine concentration of 0.1 to 2 mol %, a hydrogen molecule concentration of 5×1016 molecules/cm3 or lower, a difference between the maximum and minimum fluorine concentrations within 20 mol ppm, and a difference between the maximum and minimum refraction indices of 2×10−5 or lower.

Abstract: An arrayed waveguide grating of the present invention comprises a first circuit A and a second circuit B. When multiplexed lights are inputted from a fiber array which is connected to input/output waveguides at multiplex side, the multiplexed lights propagate through the input/output waveguides at multiplex side, and are outputted to a slab waveguides at multiplex side. The outputted multiplexed lights are spread in a radial pattern and inputted to an arrayed waveguide group by equally segmented optical power, and then outputted to slab waveguides at demultiplex side being provided with phase shift at the fixed difference in length. Demultiplexed lights outputted to the core of input/output waveguides at demultiplex side, generating a multiple beam diffraction interference at the slab waveguides at demultiplex side, are outputted into an optical fiber of a tape fiber by the fiber array.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to overcome the problems of the prior art technique, and to provide a heat treatment method as well as a heat treatment apparatus capable of heat treating, with higher efficiency, a synthetic quartz glass for optical use having higher homogeneity and higher purity. Another object of the present invention is to provide and a synthetic quartz glass for optical use.

Abstract: A method for heat treating a synthetic quartz glass for optical use in a heating furnace, that comprises covering the surroundings of a synthetic quartz glass body with a SiO2 powder having a mean dissolved hydrogen molecule concentration of 1×1019 molecules/cm3 or higher, and then heat treating the body.

Abstract: A method for heat treating a synthetic quartz glass for optical use in a heating furnace, that comprises covering the surroundings of a synthetic quartz glass body with a SiO2 powder having a mean dissolved hydrogen molecule concentration of 1×1019 molecules/cm3 or higher, and then heat treating the body.

Abstract: An arrayed waveguide grating for multiplexing or demultiplexing WDM optical signals is fabricated by forming an input waveguide, an input slab waveguide, arrayed waveguides, an output slab waveguide and output waveguides on a circuit substrate, and integrated with a thin film heater. Since the arrayed waveguide grating does not necessitate an independent component for controlling temperature, such as a thin heater or Peltier, and the structure thereof is simplified and unified.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a synthetic quartz glass optical material having a high optical transmittance for a radiation 157 nm in wavelength emitted from F2 excimer laser and a high resistance against irradiation of a F2 excimer laser radiation, yet having a uniformity suitable for such a fine patterning using a F2 excimer laser, and to provide an optical member using the same.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an improved blank such that an optical member of a high homogeneity can be obtained therefrom, and to provide a vessel and a heat treatment method for heat-treating a highly uniform synthetic quartz blank. In a first aspect of the invention a special designed blank is provided showing a concave shaped outer surface. In a second aspect of the invention a special designed vessel for heat-treating blanks is provided, whereby the degree of heat emission at the center is set higher than that of the surroundings.

Abstract: An arrayed waveguide grating of the present invention comprises a first circuit A and a second circuit B. When multiplexed lights are inputted from a fiber array which is connected to input/output waveguides at multiplex side, the multiplexed lights propagate through the input/output waveguides at multiplex side, and are outputted to a slab waveguides at multiplex side. The outputted multiplexed lights are spread in a radial pattern and inputted to an arrayed waveguide group by equally segmented optical power, and then outputted to slab waveguides at demultiplex side being provided with phase shift at the fixed difference in length. Demultiplexed lights outputted to the core of input/output waveguides at demultiplex side, generating a multiple beam diffraction interference at the slab waveguides at demultiplex side, are outputted into an optical fiber of a tape fiber by the fiber array.

Abstract: A optical switch comprising: a substrate; and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer circuit provided on the substrate, the Mach-Zehnder interferometer circuit comprising two directional couplers and two optical transmission lines for connecting the directional couplers to each other; elements having Peltier effect provided respectively on the two optical transmission lines; and energizing means for energizing the elements in such a manner that heat is generated from one of the elements with absorption of heat being created in the other element. By virtue of the above construction, the optical switch can realize low power consumption, low extinction ratio, and low crosstalk.

Abstract: An optical coupling device for optically coupling a laser light source with an optical waveguide having low coupling loss. A V-shaped groove is provided near an input end of an optical waveguide, and a short GI optical fiber is mounted in the V-shaped groove. By aligning the optical axes of the optical waveguide and the GI optical fiber, laser light emitted from a laser light source can be focused on a point on the input end surface of the optical waveguide by the optical beam focusing property of the GI optical fiber, caused by the parabolic distribution of the refractive index of the core of the short GI optical fiber in the radial direction. Leakage of the optical energy outside of the optical waveguide core can be prevented, and the laser light source and the optical waveguide can be optically connected with low coupling loss.

Abstract: An optical connector has a ferrule for accommodating an optical fiber. The ferrule includes a glass capillary and a coating. The glass capillary is formed at the distal end portion of the ferrule and is inserted in a ceramic sleeve that performs optical connection. The glass cylinder has a first through hole at the central axis portion thereof to accommodate a bare optical fiber. The coating is made of a material having a higher hardness than that of the sleeve, and coats an entire outer circumferential surface of the glass capillary. A method of manufacturing an optical connector is also disclosed.