Abstract: A method for producing an electrode substrate, having an organic insulating region formed of an organic insulating material and an inorganic insulating region formed of an inorganic insulating material on an identical side thereof, includes the steps of performing a plasma treatment of the organic insulating region; forming a first transparent conductive layer in contact with the organic insulating region and a second transparent conductive layer in contact with the inorganic insulating region; and etching the first transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer in the same step.

Abstract: A scanning exposure apparatus includes a first movable stage movable while carrying a first object thereon, a second movable stage movable while carrying a second object thereon, a projection optical system, a scanning system for scanningly moving the first and second stages relatively to the projection optical system to project a pattern of the first object onto the second object, reference plates provided on the first movable stage and having predetermined patterns, a detecting system for detecting positions of the reference plates with respect to an exposure optical axis direction of the projection optical system, a measuring system for measuring a position of the first movable stage with respect to a scan direction, a storing system for storing therein the positions with respect to the optical axis direction as detected by the detecting system and the position with respect to the scan direction at the corresponding moment, and a correcting system for correcting, during the scan of the first and second obj

Abstract: An active-matrix substrate includes: two kinds of lines arranged in a matrix on an insulating plate; switching elements each provided in the vicinity of an intersection of the two kinds of lines; an insulating film for flattening, covering an entire surface of the insulating plate so as to flatten the uneven surface of the insulating plate due to the presence of the lines and the switching elements; and pixel electrodes provided in a matrix on the insulating film for flattening. A concave portion for preventing a short-circuit from occurring between the pixel electrodes during a production process is formed in a region of the insulating film for flattening which corresponds to a gap between pixel electrodes which are adjacent to each other.

Abstract: In a glass substrate and thin film combination, the glass substrate has a surface which is at least partially non-smooth, and the thin film is provided on the glass substrate in contact with the non-smooth part of the surface. Such a glass substrate and thin film combination is produced by forming a non-smooth part on at least a part of a surface of a glass substrate; and depositing a thin film on the glass substrate so as to be in contact with the non-smooth part.

Abstract: An active matrix substrate includes an insulative plate; a plurality of switching elements arranged in a matrix on the insulative plate; a plurality of gate signal lines for controlling the switching elements; a plurality of source signal lines for providing data signals to the switching elements, the source signal lines being perpendicular to the gate signal lines; and a plurality of pixel electrodes respectively provided above and in electric connection with drain electrodes of the switching elements. At least one of the source signal lines and the drain electrodes include at least a transparent conductive layer, a first metal layer and a second metal layer.

Abstract: The active matrix liquid crystal panel of this invention includes: a plurality of scanning lines and a plurality of signal lines arranged to cross each other; a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in respective regions defined by the plurality of scanning lines and the plurality of signal lines; and a plurality of switching elements for driving the plurality of pixel electrodes, wherein each of the plurality of pixel electrodes overlaps at least one of the adjacent scanning lines and signal lines among the plurality of scanning lines and signal lines via an insulating film, and at least one of the plurality of pixel electrodes is electrically connected with the overlapped line.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device comprises a gate signal wiring formed on a substrate, a data signal wiring insulated from the gate signal wiring and formed to perpendicularly cross the gate signal wiring, a switching element provided near the perpendicularly crossing portion of the gate signal wiring and the date signal wiring and having a gate electrode and source/drain electrodes, an interlayer insulating film, and a pixel electrode disposed in the region surrounded by the gate signal wiring and the data signal wiring and on the interlayer insulating film, wherein the gate signal wiring is connected with the gate electrode, the data signal wiring is connected with one of the source/drain electrodes, the pixel electrode is connected with the other of the source/drain electrodes through a contact hole penetrating through an interlayer insulating film and via a connecting electrode, and, the width of the contact hole at the aperture surface of the contact hole is reduced by setting the height from the surface

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes an active-matrix substrate; a counter substrate; and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the active-matrix substrate and the counter substrate. The active-matrix substrate includes a plate; gate lines provided on the plate; a gate insulation layer provided on the plate; source lines provided on the gate insulation layer and Refining picture element areas together with the gate lines; switching elements provided at intersections of gate lines and the source lines, the switching elements each including a source electrode and a drain electrode as well as a gate electrode, connecting electrodes each connected to the drain electrode; an interlayer insulation layer provided on the gate insulation layers covering the gate lines, the source lines, and the switching elements; and picture element electrodes and counter electrodes provided on the interlayer insulation layer for driving liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer.

Abstract: A method of measuring an exposure condition for transfer of a pattern onto a photosensitive substrate or aberration of a projection optical system is disclosed, wherein the pattern is transferred onto the photosensitive substrate plural times in different exposure conditions, to form photosensitive patterns on the photosensitive substrate, and images of the photosensitive patterns are picked up. Frequency components of the photosensitive patterns are calculated from corresponding imagewise signals, and an optimum exposure condition for transfer of the pattern onto the photosensitive substrate is determined on the basis of the frequency components of the photosensitive patterns.

Abstract: An exposure method for use with an exposure apparatus that includes a projection optical system for projecting a pattern of a first object onto a second object, a mark position detecting optical system having a detection zone at a predetermined position with respect to the projection optical system, for detecting a position of a mark of the second object, and a plurality of surface position detecting devices having different detection zones at different positions predetermined with respect to the projection optical system, for detecting a surface position of the second object. The mark is moved into the detection zone of the mark position detecting optical system, and the surface position of the second object is detected by using the surface position detecting devices. The surface position detecting devices respectively produce plural detection results.

Abstract: A thin-film transistor circuit for a logic gate circuit includes: an amorphous silicon layer; a driver transistor having a source region, a drain region, and a channel region, the source, drain, and channel regions being formed in the amorphous silicon layer; and a load device formed in the amorphous silicon layer and made of n.sup.- amorphous silicon, the load device being connected to the driver transistor.

Abstract: A focusing method is disclosed wherein a substrate is moved substantially along a focal plane of a projection optical system up to a predetermined station adjacent to the focal plane of the projection optical system and then, at the predetermined station, the surface of the substrate is brought into substantial coincidence with the focal plane of the projection optical system. The method includes the steps of detecting a deviation of the surface of the substrate with respect to the focal plane of the projection optical system, before the substrate, being moved substantially along the focal plane of the projection optical system, is moved up to the predetermined station; and substantially correcting the deviation on the basis of the detection.

Abstract: A method of bringing a surface of a wafer into coincidence with an image plane of a projection optical system on the basis of the detection of the deviation of the wafer surface from a reference plane of a deviation detecting sensor, includes the steps of: moving the wafer surface along an optical axis of the projection optical system, to a position close to the reference plane; detecting a deviation of the wafer surface from the reference plane; and moving the wafer surface on the basis of the detection, to be brought into coincidence with the image plane of the projection optical system.

Abstract: A selector valve used for distributing and combining process flow.

Abstract: A distance calculating device includes a plurality of distance measuring systems for measuring the distance between a surface of an object and a predetermined plane, a storing element having portions corresponding respectively to the plurality of measuring systems, for storing therein information as to effectiveness/ineffectiveness of each of values detected, as the result of measurement by the plurality of measuring systems, respectively, in accordance with points of measurement on the surface of the object, and an element for calculating the distance between the surface of the object and the predetermined plane by reference to the storing element and by use of only an effective value, of the detected values, in accordance with the points of measurement on the surface of the object.