Abstract: There is provided a pellicle for lithography which has at least, a pellicle film for dustproof protection, a pellicle frame to which the pellicle film is adhered, an adhesive layer provided on one end face of the pellicle frame in order to adhere the pellicle film, and a sticking layer formed on another end face of the pellicle frame, wherein the pellicle film is formed by a die coating machine and a method for producing it. There can be provided a relatively large-sized pellicle for lithography which has a pellicle film with little unevenness of film thickness and with a uniform and high light transmission can be produced easily and at low cost, compared with those using the conventional spin coater.

Abstract: There is disclosed a pellicle for lithography comprising a pellicle film, a pellicle frame to which the pellicle film is adhered, and a sticking layer placed on another end face of the pellicle frame, wherein the pellicle film consists of multi-layer structure of fluorine-doped silica and fluorocarbon resin. Thereby, there is provided a pellicle for lithography which has high transmittance and high light stability against light of short wavelength such as far-ultraviolet light in a range of 200-300 nm and especially vacuum ultraviolet light of 200 nm or less, and is sufficiently practicable.

Abstract: There is provided a pellicle for lithography which has at least, a pellicle film for dustproof protection, a pellicle frame to which the pellicle film is adhered, an adhesive layer provided on one end face of the pellicle frame in order to adhere the pellicle film, and a sticking layer formed on another end face of the pellicle frame, wherein the pellicle film is formed by a die coating machine and a method for producing it. There can be provided a relatively large-sized pellicle for lithography which has a pellicle film with little unevenness of film thickness and with a uniform and high light transmission can be produced easily and at low cost, compared with those using the conventional spin coater.

Abstract: A position display system using wireless mobile terminals for determining the route to be taken by a traveler is provided. The system utilizes information provided by the traveler such as the destination path, and other information for determining a fortune-wise optimal route, or for determining an azimuth or the lucky azimuth of destination.

Abstract: In an inspection method for a transparent object, a transparent object is irradiated with light from a light source, and the surface or interior of the transparent object is inspected by observing transmitted light on the side of the transparent object that is opposite to the light source. An inspection apparatus for a transparent object includes a transparent-object-moving unit, an irradiation unit, and a detection unit. The transparent-object-moving unit moves a transparent object to an inspection position and fixes the transparent object in the inspection position. The irradiation unit emits light from a light source disposed on one side of the transparent object so as to irradiate light onto the transparent object fixed in the inspection position by the transparent-object-moving unit. The detection unit is located on the side of the transparent object opposite the light source and has a detector for detecting light that has been emitted from the light source and has passed through the transparent object.

Abstract: Disclosed is a frame-supported pellicle, which is an integral body consisting of a rigid frame and a transparent plastic film adhesively bonded to one end surface of the frame in a slack-free fashion, for dustproof protection of a photomask used in a photolithographic patterning work in the manufacture of fine electronic devices such as LSIs and liquid crystal display panels. The frame-supported pellicle is prepared by bonding the frame and plastic film with an adhesive having a glass transition temperature substantially lower than that of the polymeric resin forming the film and the adhesive bonding work is performed at a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature of the adhesive but lower than that of the polymeric resin of the film so that excellent adhesive bonding strength can be obtained between the frame and the resin film still without causing any adverse influences on the resin film such as distortion and crease formation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a frame-supported pellicle for dust-proofing of a photolithographic photomask used for patteriwse light exposure in the manufacturing process of, for example, semiconductor devices, which comprises (a) a frame member, (b) a transparent polymeric film supported by the frame member and (c) a coating layer of a sticky adhesive on one surface of the polymeric film to capture any dust particles in the space between the photomask and the pellicle. The inventive pellicle is imparted with a greatly improved serviceable life with stability against ultraviolet irradiation relative to the adhesive coating layer which is formed from a specific organo-polysiloxane-based adhesive composition.

Abstract: Proposed is an improved frame-supported pellicle, which is an integral body consisting of a rigid frame, a transparent plastic resin film adhesively bonded to one end surface of the frame in a slack-free fashion and a layer of a pressure-sensitive adhesive on the other end surface of the frame. The improvement consists in the use of a specific pressure-sensitive adhesive capable of being imparted with a greatly decreased bonding strength when it is heated at a temperature higher than a critical temperature or irradiated with UV light in a dose exceeding a critical dose so as to facilitate demounting of the frame-supported pellicle from a photomask on which the pellicle is mounted when it is to be replaced with a new pellicle without leaving any fragments of the adhesive adherent to the photomask surface.

Abstract: In an injection molding machine which comprises a mold composed of a fixed mold attached to a fixed platen and a movable mold attached to a movable platen, and a driving source for driving the movable platen to open and close the mold, a distance sensor detects, as a platen interval, a distance between two positions preliminarily selected on the fixed platen and the movable platen and produces a distance detection signal. A pressure sensor detects a clamping pressure applied by the driving source and produces a pressure detection signal. A control unit controls the driving source to adjust the platen interval and the clamping pressure through a plurality of steps in response to the distance detection signal and the pressure detection signal.

Abstract: An improvement is proposed for a frame-supported pellicle for dustproof protection of a photomask, which consists of a rigid frame and a transparent plastic membrane adhesively bonded to one end surface of the frame in a slack-free fashion, used in the photolithographic patterning work for the manufacture of fine electronic parts and devices. The improvement is obtained by coating the whole surface of the pellicle frame with a coating composition by the method of electrodeposition so as to completely solve the heretofore unavoidable problem by the dust particle deposition on the pellicle membrane during transportation and handling.

Abstract: An improvement is proposed for a frame-supported pellicle for dustproof protection of a photomask, which consists of a rigid frame and a transparent plastic membrane adhesively bonded to one end surface of the frame in a slack-free fashion, used in the photolithographic patterning work for the manufacture of fine electronic parts and devices. The improvement is obtained by providing the whole surface of the pellicle frame made from an alluminum alloy with a metallic plating layer of nickel or chromium so as to completely solve the heretofore unavoidable problem by the dust particle deposition on the pellicle membrane during transportation and handling as a consequence of dust particle formation by contacting with the inner surface of the holder case by virtue of the extremely high smoothness of the metal-plated frame surface.

Abstract: Proposed is a novel frame-supported pellicle for dust-proof protection of a photomask used in the photolithographic patterning work in the manufacture of semiconductor devices and the like. The frame-supported pellicle of the invention consists of a pellicle membrane made from a specific fluorocarbon-containing polymer which is adhesively bonded in a slack-free fashion to a surface of a rigid pellicle frame by means of a hot-melt adhesive which is a fluorocarbon-containing polymer of the same type as or similar to the fluorocarbon-containing polymer of the membrane so that no problems are involved in the adhesive bonding relative to the compatibility between the adhesive and the membrane which otherwise is poorly susceptible to adhesive bonding.

Abstract: An improvement is proposed in the method for the preparation of a frame-supported pellicle involving a step in which a resin film for the pellicle membrane formed on the surface of a substrate plate by the solution casting method is adhesively bonded to a rigid pellicle frame and then the substrate plate is removed by separating from the resin film by pulling the substrate and the frame apart in a gaseous atmosphere of which the relative humidity is 80% or higher in contrast to the conventional procedures in which this step is conducted either in water or in a gaseous atmosphere of an air-conditioned clean room having a relative humidity never exceeding 60%. By virtue of this unique procedure, an outstandingly small number of dust particles are deposited on the pellicle membrane obtained by the removal of the substrate therefrom along with an advantage of very smooth and easy removal of the substrate not to cause slack or rupture of the membrane.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of a frame-supported pellicle membrane used for dust-proof protection of a photomask in the photolithographic patterning work of, for example, semiconductor devices. An improvement is proposed for trimming of a pellicle membrane formed on a base plate and adhesively bonded to a pellicle frame to remove the extraneous portion of the membrane protruded out of the pellicle frame. Instead of the mechanical punching method for trimming, the trimming work according to the invention is performed by using a cutting device having a cutter element heated at a temperature higher than the melting point of the thermoplastic resin forming the membrane so that the membrane is trimmed by melting of the resin. Different from the conventional mechanical punching method, the trimming process of the invention is free from the problem of occurrence of dust particles deposited on the membrane to adversely affect the quality of the pattern reproduction.

Abstract: Disclosed is an X-ray transmitting frame-supported membrane of silicon nitride suitable as a mask blank of an X-ray lithographic mask having outstandingly high resistance against irradiation with high-energy radiations and high transmission of light of a wavelength of 633 nm. These very desirable properties are obtained as a consequence of the extremely low content, i.e. 1.0 atomic % or less, of hydrogen in the silicon nitride, which can be achieved as a result of the specific preparation procedure by the CVD method in which the reactant gases are silane or disilane and ammonia in a specified mixing ratio to be reacted under a specified pressure and at a specified temperature.

Abstract: A method is proposed for the preparation of a resin membrane suitable for use, for example, as a covering pellicle of a photolithographic mask for patterning of semiconductor devices in the electronic industry. The method comprises the steps of: (a) coating a continuous-length substrate with a solution of the resin by using a roller coater to form a coating layer of the resin solution; (b) drying the coating layer by evaporating the solvent to form a dry resin film on the substrate surface; and (c) peeling the resin film from the surface of the substrate, preferably, in water.

Abstract: An improvement is proposed in a frame-supported pellicle consisting of a frame member and a thin transparent polymer membrane adhesively bonded to the frame member used for dustproof covering of a photomask in a photolithograpic patterning work of electronic devices. The improvement comprises using a specific fluorocarbon group-containing organosiloxane-based polymeric composition as an adhesive for adhesively bonding the frame member and the polymer membrane. This adhesive is effective even when the polymeric membrane is formed from a fluorocarbon polymer which is hardly susceptible to adhesive bonding with conventional adhesives. In addition, the adhesive bonding by use of this specific adhesive is highly durable even under irradiation with ultraviolet light.

Abstract: A pellicle for dust-proofing of a photolithographic mask used for patterning in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices. The drawback due to dust deposition can be greatly decreased in the use of a pellicle made from a fluorocarbon resin which is a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and another fluorocarbon monomer capable of introducing a cyclic perfluoroether group into the molecule when the pellicle film is rendered antistatically hydrophilic, for example, by a plasma treatment.

Abstract: An X-ray permeable membrane for an X-ray lithographic mask consisting of an inorganic thin film obtained by the sputtering method using a target and consisting of silicon carbide and carbon, said target consisting of silicon carbide and carbon in a molar ratio of 99.9:0.1 to 70:30, having a transmission of at least 37% at a light wavelength of 633 nm and a tensile strength of 1.times.10.sup.8 to 1.times.10.sup.10 dyn/cm.sup.2, and the membrane consisting of a silicon carbide constituted form silicon and carbon in a molar ratio in the range form 50.1:49.9 to 49.9:50.1.

Abstract: Disclosed is an X-ray-permeable membrane for X-ray lithographic mask for fine patterning in the manufacture of semiconductor devices having good transparency to visible light and exhibiting excellent resistance against high-energy beam irradiation. The membrane has a chemical composition expressed by the formula SiC.sub.x N.sub.y and can be prepared by the thermal CVD method in an atmosphere of a gaseous mixture consisting of gases comprising, as a group, the elements of silicon, carbon and nitrogen such as a ternary combination of silane, propane and ammonia.