Patents by Inventor Tohru Isogami

Tohru Isogami 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).

  • Illumination-sensor calibration methods, and exposure methods and apparatus and device-manufacturing methods including same, and reflective masks used in same
    Patent number: 8018577
    Abstract: Exposure apparatus are disclosed that can control, to high precision, exposure doses on a photosensitive substrate of a mask pattern defined on a reflective mask as the pattern is being exposed on the substrate using a projection-optical system. An exemplary apparatus includes a first illumination sensor for detecting light that is incident on a reflective mask from an illumination system and a second illumination sensor for detecting light that has propagated from the illumination system to a reference reflective surface on the reflective mask, reflected from the reference reflective surface, and arrived at an image surface of the projection-optical system. Calibration of the first sensor is performed based on detection data obtained by the first sensor and detection data obtained by the second sensor. Exposure of the substrate is controlled based on the detection data obtained by the calibrated first sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Yamamoto, Tohru Isogami, Kazuaki Suzuki, Noriyuki Hirayanagi
  • Illumination-sensor calibration methods, and exposure methods and apparatus and device-manufacturing methods including same, and reflective masks used in same
    Publication number: 20060290916
    Abstract: Exposure apparatus are disclosed that can control, to high precision, exposure doses on a photosensitive substrate of a mask pattern defined on a reflective mask as the pattern is being exposed on the substrate using a projection-optical system. An exemplary apparatus includes a first illumination sensor for detecting light that is incident on a reflective mask from an illumination system and a second illumination sensor for detecting light that has propagated from the illumination system to a reference reflective surface on the reflective mask, reflected from the reference reflective surface, and arrived at an image surface of the projection-optical system. Calibration of the first sensor is performed based on detection data obtained by the first sensor and detection data obtained by the second sensor. Exposure of the substrate is controlled based on the detection data obtained by the calibrated first sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2006
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Inventors: Hajime Yamamoto, Tohru Isogami, Kazuaki Suzuki, Noriyuki Hirayanagi