Abstract: A drawing method is to draw a pattern on a substrate. First, cumulative exposure amount distribution data containing a cumulative exposure amount to be applied to each position on the substrate is read. Next, a region R11 and a region R12 on the substrate are specified based on the cumulative exposure amount distribution data. The region R11 is a region where the cumulative exposure amount does not exceed Ma corresponding to a maximum exposure amount capable of being applied to the substrate in one exposure scanning by an exposure apparatus. The region R22 is a region where the cumulative exposure amount exceeds Ma. Then, pattern data containing information about an exposure amount for each position in a region including the region R11 is generated. Further, pattern data containing information about an exposure amount for each position in a region including the region R12 is generated.

Abstract: A supply part for supplying resin, a smoothing part for smoothing the resin, and an objective lens for exposing the smoothed resin to light are provided in separate positions within substantially the same horizontal plane, and a modeling part is movable by a horizontal drive mechanism under the three above-mentioned components. For processing in the three above-mentioned components, the modeling part is moved to positions immediately under the three above-mentioned components in order by the horizontal drive mechanism. Thus, the modeling part is brought as close to the three above-mentioned components as possible for processing. The exposure is performed, with the objective lens fixed to a base body. Exposure light is focused onto a resin layer on a modeling base, and the light reflected from the resin layer is received by the objective lens, directed by a beam splitter toward an image surface optical system and received as an image by a CCD camera.

Abstract: A photo-fabrication apparatus (1) has a stage (2) for holding a base board (9) thereon, a feeding part (3) for feeding photosensitive material onto the base board (9), a layer forming part (4) for smoothly spreading the fed photosensitive material to form a material layer and a light emitting part (5) for emitting a spatially-modulated light beam onto the material layer. The photo-fabrication apparatus (1) forms a lot of elastic microstructures for fine probe and arranges the microstructures at microscopic intervals in a very small range with high positional accuracy on the base board (9) by repeating formation of a material layer and light emission. The microstructures become elastic probes through plating in a later process.

Abstract: Using a silicon single crystal with (100) plane orientation as a base material, a pectinate portion having a slope portion and a patterning material guiding groove is formed through photolithography process. A liquid reservoir for keeping a patterning material common to tooth portions of the pectinate portion is formed in the same step as a step for forming the guiding grooves. In forming slope portion, anisotropic wet etching allows easy and accurate formation of a slope portion with (111) plane orientation to (100) plane orientation, by taking advantage of differences in speed due to the plane orientations. In addition, by forming a groove portion using anisotropic dry etching, the patterning material guiding groove having a perpendicular sidewall reaching the slope portion may be formed at high accuracy. A pattern forming apparatus with high accuracy and low cost is provided.

Abstract: A supply part for supplying resin, a smoothing part for smoothing the resin, and an objective lens for exposing the smoothed resin to light are provided in separate positions within substantially the same horizontal plane, and a modeling part is movable by a horizontal drive mechanism under the three above-mentioned components. For processing in the three above-mentioned components, the modeling part is moved to positions immediately under the three above-mentioned components in order by the horizontal drive mechanism. Thus, the modeling part is brought as close to the three above-mentioned components as possible for processing. The exposure is performed, with the objective lens fixed to a base body. Exposure light is focused onto a resin layer on a modeling base, and the light reflected from the resin layer is received by the objective lens, directed by a beam splitter toward an image surface optical system and received as an image by a CCD camera.

Abstract: A photo-fabrication apparatus comprises a stage for holding a photosensitive member which is a substrate coated with a photosensitive material, a head part for emitting a spatially-modulated light beam to said photosensitive member and a computer. The head part has a DMD having a plurality of micromirrors arranged in a two-dimensional array, and a light beam from a light source is reflected on only some of the group of micromirrors in the DMD which have a predetermined tilt angle and led onto the photosensitive member. In the photo-fabrication apparatus, the tilt angle of each micromirror in the DMD is controlled by the computer. This can control the quantity of irradiation light for an irradiation region on the photosensitive member corresponding to each micromirror, to perform an exposure in accordance with a three-dimensional shape of a desired object for a short time. The exposed photosensitive member is developed by another apparatus.

Abstract: A writing head (15) of a pattern writing apparatus has an LD board (20) having a plurality of semiconductor lasers, a fiber coupling part (21), optical fibers (22), an optical waveguide array (23) having a plurality of optical waveguides, mirrors (24, 28), optical units (25, 27, 29) and a polygon mirror (26). In the pattern writing apparatus, a large number of light beams generated in the LD board (20) are aligned by optical waveguide array (23) at a reduced pitch with high precision and deflected by the polygon mirror (26) for scanning a substrate (9). This achieves size reduction of the apparatus and allows high-speed writing of a high-definition pattern on a substrate (9).

Abstract: A photo-fabrication apparatus (1) comprises a stage (2) for holding a photosensitive member (9) which is a substrate coated with a photosensitive material, a head part (3) for emitting a spatially-modulated light beam to said photosensitive member (9) and a computer (5). The head part (3) has a DMD (32) having a plurality of micromirrors arranged in a two-dimensional array, and a light beam from a light source (31) is reflected on only some of the group of micromirrors in the DMD (32) which have a predetermined tilt angle and led onto the photosensitive member (9). In the photo-fabrication apparatus (1), the tilt angle of each micromirror in the DMD (32) is controlled by the computer (5). This can control the quantity of irradiation light for an irradiation region on the photosensitive member (9) corresponding to each micromirror, to perform an exposure in accordance with a three-dimensional shape of a desired object for a short time. The exposed photosensitive member (9) is developed by another apparatus.

Abstract: Front end clamps are disposed on the cylindrical surface of a recording drum, and rear end clamps are attached in any of a plurality of positions at the cylindrical surface of the recording drum. A controller controls a front end clamp opening/closing device to open the front end clamps and controls a pair of rollers to feed a plate held on a plate carry-in path. The controller also controls the front end clamp opening/closing device to close the plate fixing portion of the front end clamps to fix the front end of the plate on the cylindrical surface, controls a driving device to rotate the recording drum for a predetermined amount, and controls a rear end clamp attaching/detaching device to attach the rear end clamps to the cylindrical surface to fix the rear end of the plate on the recording drum cylindrical surface.

Abstract: In a light source device for image recording, a plurality of LED bare chips (211) and driving chips (213) on each of which current supply circuits are formed are directly mounted on one surface (214a) of a substrate (214). A plurality of LED bare chips (211) are two-dimensionally arranged in an area (211a) in high density, and this achieves downsizing of the light source device (21). One of the LED bare chips (211) is supplied with current from a plurality of current supply circuits formed on the driving chip (213). Therefore, if a trouble occurs in some of a plurality of current supply circuits, the LED bare chips (211) can be appropriately lighted up by changing the amount of current supply from other current supply circuits.

Abstract: Annular grooves are formed on both end surfaces of a recording drum to be rotated, and two balance weights are disposed inside each of the annular grooves. The balance weight is composed of a magnet, and is attracted to the end surface of the recording drum by its magnetic force. The two balance weights are arranged at a predetermined attaching angle such that an unbalance force caused by centrifugal forces developed by a plate, a movable clamp, and so forth is canceled. Every time the size and the mass of the plate are changed, the positions of the two balance weights are adjusted, so that forced vibration in the recording drum is restrained.

Abstract: Annular grooves are formed on both end surfaces of a recording drum to be rotated, and two balance weights are disposed inside each of the annular grooves. The balance weight is composed of a magnet, and is attracted to the end surface of the recording drum by its magnetic force. The two balance weights are arranged at a predetermined attaching angle such that an unbalance force caused by centrifugal forces developed by a plate and a movable clamp, for example, is canceled. Every time the size and the mass of the plate are changed, the positions of the two balance weights are adjusted, so that forced vibration in the recording drum is restrained.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for optically detecting the position of an object having a surface including first and second reflecting regions each having a different reflectance coefficient. First a ratio of reflectance of the first reflecting region to that of the second reflecting region is obtained. Incident optical beams are projected onto the measured surface of the object, and first and second reflected optical beams reflected by the first and second reflecting regions of the measured surface are received at a photoelectric conversion element to obtain first and second light receiving signals, respectively. Thereafter, the second light receiving signal is multiplied by the reflectance ratio to produce a correction light receiving signal. Further, the central position of the reflected optical beams is obtained on the basis of the first light receiving signal and the correction light receiving signal. Thus, the central position of the reflected optical beams can be obtained with very high accuracy.