Abstract: A method of manufacturing an optical component includes the steps of irradiating a base material that is substantially transparent to light having a wavelength for which the optical component is used with linearly polarized ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 200 nm or less, stacking a polymerizable liquid crystal compound on the base material after the irradiation with the linearly polarized ultraviolet light, and forming a retardation layer by allowing the polymerizable liquid crystal compound to be aligned in accordance with the state of the base material.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a work stage for holding an organic substrate and an exposure apparatus using the work stage. The work stage comprises: a base having a recess into which vacuum is supplied; a number of substrate holding sections arranged inside the recess and configured to hold an approximately entire surface of the organic substrate; and an intake hole configured to supply vacuum into the recess and allow the substrate holding sections to vacuum suction the organic substrate on top surfaces of the substrate holding sections.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide an appropriate configuration of a VUV polarizer that can be used for such a process as photo-alignment. The VUV polarizer can polarize VUV light not more than 200 nm in wavelength, and has a substrate transparent to the VUV light and a grid on the substrate. The grid is formed of a lot of linear parts in parallel and structured with no filler between the linear parts. A material of each linear part is an oxide of a Group 3 element or Group 4 element, and makes PE not less than 0.2 under an optical constant combination making PE maximum in the VUV range, where PE=T2×log10(ER), T is the transmittance of the grid, and ER is the extinction ratio of the grid. A workpiece is subjected to a photo-alignment processing by irradiation of VUV polarized light emitting from the VUV polarizer.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide an appropriate configuration of a VUV polarizer that can be used for such a process as photo-alignment. The VUV polarizer can polarize VUV light not more than 200 nm in wavelength, and has a substrate transparent to the VUV light and a grid on the substrate. The grid is formed of a lot of linear parts in parallel and structured with no filler between the linear parts. A material of each linear part is an oxide of a Group 3 element or Group 4 element, and makes PE not less than 0.2 under an optical constant combination making PE maximum in the VUV range, where PE=T2×log10(ER), T is the transmittance of the grid, and ER is the extinction ratio of the grid. A workpiece is subjected to a photo-alignment processing by irradiation of VUV polarized light emitting from the VUV polarizer.

Abstract: The present invention is to solve the problem of residues in nanoimprint lithography without losing the merits thereof, i.e., low cost and high productivity, and provides a metal film formation technique advantageous in pattern accuracy and product reliability over time. A metal film formation method according to the present invention comprises a first step where a nanoimprint lithography material is deposited on an insulating substrate to form an underlayer, a second step where the underlayer is pressed with a mold having protrusions to pattern by nanoimprint lithography, a third step where residues of the underlayer at regions pressed with the protrusions of the mold are evaporated by heating to be removed, and forming a metal film at least on the patterned underlayer. A nanoimprint lithography material according to the present invention contains a catalyst for a metal plating.

Abstract: Disclosed herein an exposure apparatus capable of implementing a microfabrication onto a work with a higher throughput and a lower cost. The exposure apparatus generates interfering light by crossing two or more branched light beams branched from output light from a coherent light source at a predetermined interfering angle, and exposes the substrate by repeating an irradiation onto the substrate with the interfering light and a conveyance of the substrate. At this moment, the exposure apparatus shapes in interfering light irradiation region on the substrate onto which the interfering light is irradiated into a predetermined shape. Then, the exposure apparatus disposes a plurality of the interfering light irradiation regions in successive shots to be located adjacent to each other on the substrate in a direction of conveying the substrate without the interfering light irradiation regions being overlapped when exposing the substrate while conveying the substrate in a stepwise manner.

Abstract: Disclosed herein an exposure apparatus capable of implementing a microfabrication onto a work with a higher throughput and a lower cost. The exposure apparatus generates interfering light by crossing two or more branched light beams branched from output light from a coherent light source at a predetermined interfering angle, and exposes the substrate by repeating an irradiation onto the substrate with the interfering light and a conveyance of the substrate. At this moment, the exposure apparatus shapes in interfering light irradiation region on the substrate onto which the interfering light is irradiated into a predetermined shape. Then, the exposure apparatus disposes a plurality of the interfering light irradiation regions in successive shots to be located adjacent to each other on the substrate in a direction of conveying the substrate without the interfering light irradiation regions being overlapped when exposing the substrate while conveying the substrate in a stepwise manner.

Abstract: A stripe-shaped grid provided on a transparent substrate is made from dielectrics or semiconductors. For each linear segment of the grid, a gap (t) on one side of the linear segment, and an opposite gap (T) on an opposite side of the linear segment materially satisfy the relation t<T in a periodic fashion. The phase of s-polarized light propagating between two linear segments that are adjacent to each other over the narrow gap (t) is delayed by at least ?/2 relative to s-polarized light propagating between two linear segments that are adjacent to each other over the wider gap (T). As a result, the former s-polarized light and the latter s-polarized light weaken each other and become attenuated.