Patents by Inventor Yutaka Suenaga

Yutaka Suenaga 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).

  • Patent number: 6302548
    Abstract: A catoptric reduction projection optical system (5) is provided with a first catoptric optical system (10) that images an object (R) in first (object) plane (OP) into a second plane (12) and forming an intermediate image (II) therein, and a second catoptric optical system (20) that images the intermediate image in the second plane onto a third (image) plane (IP), thereby forming a reduced image of the object in the first (object) plane onto the third (image) plane. The first catoptric optical system comprises a first mirror pair comprising two reflective mirrors (M1, M2). The second catoptric optical system comprises a second mirror pair comprising a convex mirror (M3) and a concave mirror (M4). The system also preferably satisfied a number of design conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Tomowaki Takahashi, Yutaka Suenaga
  • Publication number: 20010024330
    Abstract: A catadioptric reduction projection optical system having a first lens unit having negative refractive power and widening a light beam from a reticle, a prism type beam splitter for transmitting therethrough a light beam from the first lens unit, a concave reflecting mirror for returning the light beam emerging from the beam splitter to the beam splitter while converging it, and a second lens unit having positive refractive power and converging the light beam returned to the beam splitter and reflected by the beam splitter, and forming the reduced image of a pattern on the reticle on a wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2001
    Publication date: September 27, 2001
    Inventors: Sumio Hashimoto, Yutaka Suenaga, Yutaka Ichihara
  • Patent number: 6259557
    Abstract: Disclosed is a dark field illumination apparatus which is capable of performing a dark field illumination which exhibits a sufficient brightness and a sufficiently suppressed unevenness in brightness. The apparatus comprises a shaping system for shaping a light beam from a light source into approximately parallel beam having a ring- shaped section; a fly-eye optical device for forming a plurality of light source images in the vicinity of its exit plane based on the approximately parallel beam, the light source images being arranged circularly; and a light collection optical system for collecting light beams from the light source images and superposing them on an object plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Miyashita, Yutaka Suenaga
  • Publication number: 20010002155
    Abstract: A catoptric reduction projection optical system (5) is provided with a first catoptric optical system (10) that images an object (R) in first (object) plane (OP) into a second plane (12) and forming an intermediate image (II) therein, and a second catoptric optical system (20) that images the intermediate image in the second plane onto a third (image) plane (IP), thereby and forming a reduced image of the object in the first (object) plane onto the third (image) plane. The first catoptric optical system comprises a first mirror pair comprising two reflective mirrors (M1, M2). The second catoptric optical system comprises a second mirror pair comprising a convex mirror (M3) and a concave mirror (M4). The system also preferably satisfied a number of design conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2001
    Publication date: May 31, 2001
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomowaki Takahashi, Yutaka Suenaga
  • Patent number: 6213610
    Abstract: A catoptric reduction projection optical system (5) is provided with a first catoptric optical system (10) that images an object (R) in first (object) plane (OP) into a second plane (12) and forming an intermediate image (II) therein, and a second catoptric optical system (20) that images the intermediate image in the second plane onto a third (image) plane (IP), thereby forming a reduced image of the object in the first (object) plane onto the third (image) plane. The first catoptric optical system comprises a first mirror pair comprising two reflective mirrors (M1, M2). The second catoptric optical system comprises a second mirror pair comprising a convex mirror (M3) and a concave mirror (M4). The system also preferably satisfied a number of design conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Tomowaki Takahashi, Yutaka Suenaga
  • Patent number: 6118596
    Abstract: A catadioptric reduction projection optical system having a first lens unit having negative refractive power and widening a light beam from a reticle, a prism type beam splitter for transmitting therethrough a light beam from the first lens unit, a concave reflecting mirror for returning the light beam emerging from the beam splitter to the beam splitter while converging it, and a second lens unit having positive refractive power and converging the light beam returned to the beam splitter and reflected by the beam splitter, and forming the reduced image of a pattern on the reticle on a wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Sumio Hashimoto, Yutaka Suenaga, Yutaka Ichihara
  • Patent number: 6108140
    Abstract: A catadioptric reduction projection optical system having a first lens unit having negative refractive power and widening a light beam from a reticle, a prism type beam splitter for transmitting therethrough a light beam from the first lens unit, a concave reflecting mirror for returning the light beam emerging from the beam splitter to the beam splitter while converging it, and a second lens unit having positive refractive power and converging the light beam returned to the beam splitter and reflected by the beam splitter, and forming the reduced image of a pattern on the reticle on a wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Sumio Hashimoto, Yutaka Suenaga, Yutaka Ichihara
  • Patent number: 6084723
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus having a high-performance projection optical system having a relatively large numerical aperture and achieving bitelecentricity and superior correction of aberrations, particularly distortion, in a very wide exposure area. Particularly, the protection optical system according to the present invention is composed of a first lens group G.sub.1 with a positive refracting power, a second lens group G.sub.2 with a negative refracting power, a third lens group G.sub.3 with a positive refracting power, a fourth lens group G.sub.4 with a negative refracting power, and a fifth lens group G.sub.5 with a positive refracting power in order from the side of a first object R. The present invention is directed to finding of suitable ranges of focal lengths for the first to fifth lens groups G.sub.1 -G.sub.5, based on the above arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Matsuzawa, Koji Shigematsu, Kazumasa Endo, Yutaka Suenaga
  • Patent number: 5978155
    Abstract: Objective lenses (e.g., for microscopy), and adapters for such lenses, are disclosed providing adjustability of the amount of spherical aberration imparted to an image by an objective lens due to variations in cover glass thickness. The adapter can be axially inserted imagewise of the objective lens, or between a first objective lens and a second objective lens of an objective lens system. The adapter comprises an axially movable lens group comprising a cemented lens including a negative lens and a positive lens and a cemented surface having negative refractive power. Spherical aberration of the objective lens is adjusted by axially moving the movable lens group. Where r.sub.1 is the curvature radius of the cemented surface, n.sub.P is the refractive index of the positive lens, n.sub.N is the refractive index of the negative lens, the lens satisfies the condition .vertline.(n.sub.N -n.sub.P)/r.sub.1 .vertline.<0.3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Yutaka Suenaga
  • Patent number: 5943172
    Abstract: In the projection optical system that projects an image of the first object onto the second object with a fixed reduction ratio and a projection aligner equipped therewith, said projection optical system comprises, viewed from said first object side, in order of succession, the first group of lenses with positive refractive power, and the second group of lenses virtually consists of afocal system, and the third group of lens with positive refractive power, and if the focal length of said projection optical system is represented by F, the projection magnification ratio of said projection optical system is represented by B, the distance between said first object and said second object is represented by L, the distance from said first object to the lens surface that is closest to said first group of lenses is represented by d.sub.0, the focal length of said first group of lenses is represented by f.sub.1, and the focal length of said third group of lenses is represented by f.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiro Sasaya, Kazuo Ushida, Yutaka Suenaga, Romeo I. Mercado
  • Patent number: 5940220
    Abstract: Microscope objective lenses are disclosed that comprise an axially movable second lens group for correcting aberrations that arise with changes in the thickness of a cover glass or other transparent body situated between the specimen and the objective lens. An objective lens according to one aspect of the invention comprises, in order from the specimen side, first, second, third, and fourth lens groups. The first lens group is positive and comprises a negative lens cemented to a positive lens, the positive lens having a convex surface facing the specimen side. The second lens group is positive and comprises a cemented lens having a cemented surface having negative refractive power. The third lens group is positive and causes a ray bundle from the specimen, propagating divergently from the specimen, to converge toward the optical axis. The fourth lens group is negative and comprises a positive lens cemented to a negative lens, the negative lens having a concave surface facing the image side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Yutaka Suenaga, Masayuki Mizusawa
  • Patent number: 5930049
    Abstract: A projection optical system is provided which forms an image of a first object onto a second object and includes, in order from the first object side:a first positive lens group G1 with a subgroup G-1p having at least two positives lenses;a second negative lens group G2 with a subgroup G-2n having at least three negative lenses;a third lens group G3 with a subgroup G-3p having at least three positives lenses and one negative lens;a four negative lens group G4 with a subgroup G-4n having at least three negative lenses;a fifth positive lens group G5 with a subgroup G-5p having at least five positives lenses and having a positive lens G-5g arranged closer to the second object side than the subgroup G-5p and having a concave surface facing the second object side. The projection optical system provides an optimal range for the focal length and the preferable range of the radius of curvature for the concave surface R5g of the positive lens G-5g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Yutaka Suenaga, Kotaro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 5920432
    Abstract: An objective lens comprising a positive-refractive power front-side lens group Lf having a junction meniscus lens or a meniscus single lens whose concave side faces the object and a rear-side lens group Lr placed behind said front-side lens group. In said front-side lens group, the refractive index nF and the Abbe's number .upsilon.F of the glass materials of the meniscus lens nearest the object and also the refractive index nR and the Abbe's number .upsilon.R of glass materials of convex lenses out of said rear-side lens group satisfy the following conditions:nF.ltoreq.1.50,.upsilon.F>65 (1)nR.ltoreq.1.65,35<.upsilon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Yutaka Suenaga, Katsuya Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5889617
    Abstract: This invention relates to a microscope objective lens system a part of which is immersed in a liquid to observe a sample present in the liquid. Particularly, this invention provides an apochromat-grade microscope objective lens system which can be machined cheaply and easily by the conventional technology, which is well corrected for chromatic aberration, and which is excellent in flatness of the image plane. This objective lens system has a plane-parallel plate on the most sample side, is constructed without using an embedded lens as used in the conventional objectives, and can take a variety of lens layouts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamada, Yutaka Suenaga, Itoe Ito
  • Patent number: 5844728
    Abstract: A catadioptric reduction projection optical system having a first lens unit having negative refractive power and widening a light beam from a reticle, a prism type beam splitter for transmitting therethrough a light beam from the first lens unit, a concave reflecting mirror for returning the light beam emerging from the beam splitter to the beam splitter while converging it, and a second lens unit having positive refractive power and converging the light beam returned to the beam splitter and reflected by the beam splitter, and forming the reduced image of a pattern on the reticle on a wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Sumio Hashimoto, Yutaka Suenaga, Yutaka Ichihara
  • Patent number: 5835282
    Abstract: A zoom lens system is provided having a relatively small F-number, which remains nearly constant as the zoom lens system is moved from its wide-angle end to its telephoto end, and which provides an excellent imaging quality. The zoom lens system includes at least a first lens group G.sub.1 having a positive refractive power, and a second lens group G.sub.2 having a negative refractive power. The second lens group G.sub.2 moves uniformly toward the image while the first lens group G.sub.1 remains stationary. When the zoom lens system is moved from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end. The F-number is equal to or less than 2.1 over the entire zoom range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Yutaka Suenaga, Junichi Misawa
  • Patent number: 5835285
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus using a projection optical system to realize a small size and the bitelecentricity as securing a wide exposure area and a large numerical aperture and to realize extremely good correction for aberrations, particularly for distortion. The projection optical system comprises a first lens group G.sub.1 with a positive refracting power, a second lens group G.sub.2 with a negative refracting power, a third lens group G.sub.3 with a positive refracting power, a fourth lens group G.sub.4 with a negative refracting power, a fifth lens group G.sub.5 with a positive refracting power, and a sixth lens group G.sub.6 with a positive refracting power in order from the side of the first object R, wherein the second lens group G.sub.2 comprises a front lens L.sub.2F with a negative refracting power, a rear lens L.sub.2R of a negative meniscus shape, and an intermediate lens group G.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Matsuzawa, Misako Kobayashi, Kazumasa Endo, Yutaka Suenaga
  • Patent number: 5831770
    Abstract: This invention is directed to a bitelecentric projection optical system very well corrected for various distortions, particularly for distortion (including higher-order distortions) as securing a relatively wide exposure area and a large numerical aperture. The projection optical system according to this invention comprises in order from the object side toward the image side a first lens group having a positive refractive power, a second lens group having a negative refractive power and not including a positive lens, a third lens group having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens group having a negative refractive power, a fifth lens group having a positive refractive power, and a sixth lens group having a positive refractive power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Matsuzawa, Yutaka Suenaga
  • Patent number: 5831776
    Abstract: A projection optical system that projects an image of an object in an object surface onto an image surface with a fixed reduction magnification comprises, in light path order from the object surface: a first group of lenses with positive refractive power; a second group of lenses forming an approximately afocal system; and a third group of lenses with positive refractive power. The projection optical system has a focal length F, the projection optical system has a projection magnification B, the object surface and the image surface are separated by a distance L, and a lens surface in the first group of lenses that is closest to the object surface is separated from the object surface by a distance d.sub.0. A paraxial marginal ray from an axial object point on the object surface enters the second group of lenses G.sub.2 at an entrance height h.sub.1 from an optical axis, and the paraxial marginal ray from the axial object point on the object surface emerges from the second group of lenses G.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiro Sasaya, Kazuo Ushida, Yutaka Suenaga, Romeo I. Mercado
  • Patent number: RE36740
    Abstract: In a cata-dioptric optical system having a combination of a reflection system and a refraction system for reduction-projecting an object on a first plane onto a second plane, a polarization beam splitter and a quarter wavelength plate are provided to split the incident light and the reflected light. The light beam directed to the polarization beam splitter is converted to a substantially collimated light beam by a first group of lenses. A second group of lenses are arranged between the polarization beam splitter and a concave reflection mirror to diverge the light beam. The light reflected by the concave reflection mirror is directed back to the polarization beam splitter with a substantially collimated state by the second group of lenses. The light beam from the second group of lenses transmitted through the polarization beam splitter is focused by a third group of lenses having a positive refraction power to form a reduced image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Yutaka Ichihara, Hideo Mizutani, Sumio Hashimoto, Yutaka Suenaga