Patents Issued in January 29, 2019
-
Patent number: 10191347Abstract: The invention relates to a reflecting cell including at least two substrates covered by an electrode and facing each other, the substrates delimiting between them a volume which separates them and which is filled with a cholesteric liquid crystal-type material, both electrodes being intended to be connected to a voltage source. This cell includes at least one half-wave plate arranged between both substrates and dividing the volume into two compartments, each enclosing a part of a same cholesteric liquid crystal.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2015Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignees: NEXTER SYSTEMS, INSTITUT MINES TELECOM—TELECOM BRETAGNEInventors: Laurent Dupont, Suman Manna
-
Patent number: 10191348Abstract: A vehicular rearview assembly with a mirror element having a curved or rounded edge on the first surface that is fully observable from the front of the assembly, a complex peripheral ring, and a user interface with switches and sensors that activate and configure pre-defined function(s) or device(s) of the assembly in response to the user input applied to the user interface. The mirror element is supported by a hybrid carrier co-molded of at least two materials, a portion of which is compressible between the housing shell and an edge of the mirror element. The peripheral ring may include multiple bands. Electrical communications between the electronic circuitry, the mirror element, and the user interface utilize connectors configured to exert a low contact force, onto the mirror element, limited in part by the strength of adhesive affixing the EC element to an element of the housing of the assembly.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: GENTEX CORPORATIONInventors: Henry A. Luten, George A. Neuman, David J. Cammenga, Juan C. Lara
-
Patent number: 10191349Abstract: A reflective display apparatus includes an image display panel including a liquid crystal panel and a backlight unit, a half mirror, and an electrochromic panel arranged in a layered manner. When the image display panel stops operating and power supply to the electrochromic panel is stopped, the half mirror reflects light coming from the rear of a vehicle and the reflected light is directed rearward. The reflected light enables a driver to check a situation behind the vehicle under such conditions.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventor: Takashi Yasumoto
-
Patent number: 10191350Abstract: A Mach-Zehnder waveguide modulator comprising a left arm including a left SiGe optical waveguide, and a right arm including a right SiGe optical waveguide; wherein each of the left and right optical waveguides comprises a junction region and a plurality of electrodes for providing a bias across the junction to enable control of the phase of light travelling through the junction regions via dispersion.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2016Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Rockley Photonics LimitedInventors: Guomin Yu, Aaron John Zilkie
-
Patent number: 10191351Abstract: A display device includes a display panel including a plurality of pixels configured to display an image, and a lens panel disposed on the display panel and including a plurality of lenses when operating in a 3D mode. The lens panel is partitioned into a plurality of domains. The lens panel includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and an optical modulation layer. The first electrode and the second electrode face each other and the optical modulation layer is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The optical modulation layer includes liquid crystal molecules forming the lenses. The first electrode includes first openings and the second electrode includes second openings. At least one of a first opening, of the first openings, and a second opening, of the second openings, has a shape corresponding to a shape of a plurality of unit figures overlapping each other at their edges.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.Inventors: Su Jung Huh, Jae Joong Kwon, Beom Shik Kim, Yi Joon Ahn, Yeon-Mun Jeon, Joo Woan Cho
-
Patent number: 10191352Abstract: Optical component (10) for modulating light field (1) incident thereon, particularly amplitude and/or phase in dependency on intensity (I) thereof, includes stack (11) of refractive layers (12, 13) on substrate (14), made of materials having third-order nonlinearity, and having alternatingly varying refractive indices (n), including linear contribution (n0) and non-linear contribution (n2), and determining reflectance and transmittance spectra of the optical component, wherein refractive layers (12, 13) are configured such that reflectance and transmittance of the optical component have a Kerr effect based dependency on intensity (I) of the incident light field with n=n0+I·n2, and refractive layers (12, 13) are made of at least one of dielectric and semiconductor layers, wherein non-linear contribution (n2) is below 10?12 cm2/W. A resonator device including the optical component, a method of modulating a light field using the optical component and a method of manufacturing the optical component are described.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignees: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften e.V., Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet MuenchenInventors: Elena Fedulova, Oleg Pronin, Michael Trubetskov, Kilian Fritsch, Vladimir Pervak
-
Patent number: 10191353Abstract: An optical switch is disclosed which is electrically activatable through received photon energy. The switch may include a substrate responsive to photon energy that forms an optical excitation signal. First and second electrodes may be disposed on first and second surfaces of the substrate. The substrate may have a characteristic of two-photon absorption to enable electrical conduction through the substrate, the two-photon absorption being enhanced by deep energy levels located in a bandgap between conductance and valence bands of the substrate, which are at least near resonant with the photon energy.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLCInventor: James S. Sullivan
-
Patent number: 10191354Abstract: A high-average-power OPCPA amplifier comprising a pump laser, a signal laser, and a nonlinear crystal amplifier. The pump laser includes an Nd:YVO4 laser oscillator-regenerative amplifier, an Nd:YAG boost amplifier, a frequency-doubling convertor, and a frequency-tripling convertor. The signal laser includes a supercontinuum generator, a pulse stretcher, and a pulse compressor. The chirped signal and the pump laser is intersected with a noncollinear angle of 3.0° to 4.0° in the nonlinear crystal amplifier and the temperature of the crystal amplifier is set at higher than 320K for simultaneous temperature- and wavelength-insensitive phase-matching.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2018Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityInventors: Liejia Qian, Daolong Tang, Jing Wang, Jingui Ma, Bingjie Zhou, Peng Yuan, Guoqiang Xie
-
Patent number: 10191355Abstract: A light adjusting apparatus includes substrates arranged in parallel, each including an opening to pass light, a rotary shaft member which is rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the substrates and movable in an axial direction, a light adjusting section fixed integrally to the rotary shaft member in a space between the substrates and configured to move to an insertion position or a retracted position along with the rotation of the rotary shaft member and adjust light that passes through the opening, and a holding member configured to restrict the rotation of the light adjusting section that moves to one substrate side in the space from the insertion/retracted position and allow the rotation of the light adjusting section that moves to the other substrate side in the space.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2016Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATIONInventor: Kaoru Matsuki
-
Patent number: 10191356Abstract: The present application relates to image capture and generation methods and apparatus and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus which detect and/or indicate a dirty lens condition. One embodiment of the present invention includes a method of operating a camera including the steps of capturing a first image using a first lens of the camera; determining, based on at least the first image, if a dirty camera lens condition exists; and in response to determining that a dirty lens condition exists, generating a dirty lens condition notification or initiating an automatic camera lens cleaning operation. In some embodiments multiple captured images with overlapping image regions are compared to determine if a dirty lens condition exists.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2015Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Light Labs Inc.Inventors: Rajiv Laroia, Sapna A. Shroff
-
Patent number: 10191357Abstract: A two-piece mounting system for a trail camera has a support with a fitting that is placed high in a tree on a tree branch. The support with an auger anchor is driven into the tree branch with an extension pole equipped with a companion fitting. The auger has a releasable spring-loaded turn-to-lock capture means to capture and hold a utility bar. The utility bar, like the auger support, is placed and attached to the support with the extension pole. The utility bar receives a universal camera mount attached to the bar through a swivel. The camera mount and swivel have an adjustment bar that has a fitting that can be received by the extension pole fitting, so once placed in the tree, the camera angle can be adjusted.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2016Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Inventors: Michael S. DeMers, Simon Evans
-
Patent number: 10191358Abstract: A moving head projector. The moving head projector includes a projector housing that is rotatably mounted to a yoke, which is in turn rotatably mounted to a base. The yoke includes a motor configured to selectively move the projector housing along multiple axes. A projector is located within the projector housing and directed towards an opening on a front side of the projector housing, wherein a lens is also positioned over the opening. A computer within the base is configured to control the moving head projector. The computer further includes non-transitory memory configured for operating more than one operating system. In one embodiment, the moving head projector system includes a dual boot computer.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Inventor: Angela Jorgensen
-
Patent number: 10191359Abstract: An illumination apparatus includes a solid state light source unit including a plurality of light emitting points that emits light and is arranged on a light emitting face, a plurality of optical elements configured to guide light emitted from the plurality of light emitting points to an illumination target face, a heat conduction member arranged in a space different from a space between the light emitting face of the solid state light source unit and the plurality of optical elements, configured to conduct heat from the solid state light source unit, and a cooling unit configured to supply a first fluid to the heat conduction member along a first flow path and supply a second fluid to the space between the light emitting face and the optical elements along a second flow path, wherein the second fluid is a fluid from which dust or dust and moisture is reduced.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Makoto Nomoto
-
Patent number: 10191360Abstract: A microarray LED flash, applied to a mobile phone for lighting an adjustable flashlight or projecting an image, comprises a ?LED array module, a mixing optical module and an optical module. The ?LED array module is configured in a shell of the mobile phone for generating a patterning light source. The mixing optical module and the optical module are detachably configured on an external surface of the shell to receive the patterning light source from the ?LED array module for lighting the flashlight or projecting the image respectively. A ?LED array chip could be used as the ?LED array module and combined with the outboard mixing optical module to generate a flashlight with adjustable color and light pattern. Furthermore, the invention can use the optical module to substitute for the mixing optical module for projecting an image from the patterning light source, therefore the mobile phone has a projection function.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2016Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: HONG KONG BEIDA JADE BIRD DISPLAY LIMITEDInventor: Jen-Shyan Chen
-
Patent number: 10191361Abstract: A light source device comprising: a light source section which generates any one of blue light, red light, and green light; a phosphor which generates a fluorescence including the two colors other than the color of the light emitted from the light source section; a color-changing section which changes one of the two colors of the fluorescence emitted from the phosphor to another color regularly and irradiates it to the image-forming element; and a light path-switching section which switches a light path in which a fluorescence excited by the color light emitted from the light source section passes towards the color-changing section and a light path in which the color light emitted from the light source section passes towards the image-forming element regularly.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Ikuo Maeda, Kazuhiro Fujita, Toshiharu Murai, Tatsuya Takahashi, Takehiro Nishimori
-
Patent number: 10191362Abstract: A light source unit includes: elemental light sources each including light emitting elements and drive circuits; an integrated control circuit that controls the drive circuits; and band optical characteristic acquisition sections that receive light of an amount correlated with a total light amount of output luminous fluxes to acquire light emitting intensity indicating values and wavelength deviation indicating values. The integrated control circuit at least intermittently acquires band optical characteristic acquisition data to generate the light emitting intensity indicating values and the wavelength deviation indicating values.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: USHIO DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masashi Okamoto, Takanori Samejima, Fumihiko Oda
-
Patent number: 10191363Abstract: Provided is a projection-type image display device which by means of a projection lens (2) magnifies and projects an optical image formed by a light source and an image display element, wherein an error indicator (5) for indicating anomalies in the device is disposed on the rear surface opposite the front surface of a device housing (1) to which the projection lens (2) is attached. The projection-type image display device further includes an AC voltage monitor unit (12) for monitoring voltage waveforms supplied form an external power source and retaining voltage waveform data during the latest prescribed period in a memory, and reads out the voltage waveform data from the external power source retained in the memory and displays the voltage waveform data on the error indicator (5) as said anomalies.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2012Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: MAXELL, LTD.Inventors: Koji Hirata, Miyuki Ikeda, Tatsuya Ishikawa, Hiroyuki Shinji
-
Patent number: 10191364Abstract: The invention generally relates to the display of images viewable from any direction and devices therefor. In some aspects, the invention provides an apparatus for displaying a hologram-like image. The apparatus includes an inverted, truncated pyramid bearing semi-reflective facets visible from outside of the apparatus in all horizontal directions. A base frame supports the truncated pyramid, houses an imaging system, and provides image source surfaces that display images beneath each of the facets to be reflected by each of the facets.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2015Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: 360Brandvision, Inc.Inventor: Olav Christensen
-
Patent number: 10191365Abstract: A reflective mask blank capable of facilitating the discovery of contaminants, scratches and other critical defects by inhibiting the detection of pseudo defects attributable to surface roughness of a substrate or film in a defect inspection using a highly sensitive defect inspection apparatus. The reflective mask blank has a mask blank multilayer film comprising a multilayer reflective film, obtained by alternately laminating a high refractive index layer and a low refractive index layer, and an absorber film on a main surface of a mask blank substrate, wherein the root mean square roughness (Rms), obtained by measuring a 3 ?m×3 ?m region on the surface of the reflective mask blank on which the mask blank multilayer film is formed with an atomic force microscope, is not more than 0.5 nm and the power spectrum density at a spatial frequency of 1 ?m?1 to 10 ?m?1 is not more than 50 nm4.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: HOYA CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuhiro Hamamoto, Tatsuo Asakawa, Tsutomu Shoki
-
Patent number: 10191366Abstract: Disclosed herein is a computer-implemented method to improve a lithographic process for imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic projection apparatus and for transferring the imaged portion of the design layout to the substrate by an etching process, which includes the following steps: determining a value of at least one evaluation point of the lithographic process for each of a plurality of variations of the etching process; computing a multi-variable cost function of a plurality of design variables that are characteristics of the lithographic process, wherein the multi-variable cost function is a function of deviation from the determined values of the at least one evaluation point; and reconfiguring the characteristics of the lithographic process by adjusting the design variables until a termination condition is satisfied. This method may reduce the need of repeated adjustment to the lithographic process when the etching process varies.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2015Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventor: Xiaofeng Liu
-
Patent number: 10191367Abstract: Provided are a pellicle for a photomask, which protects the photomask from external contamination and an exposure apparatus including the pellicle for the photomask. The pellicle for the photomask includes a pellicle membrane provided spaced apart from the photomask. The pellicle membrane includes a semiconductor having a two-dimensional (2D) crystalline structure.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hyunjae Song, Hyeonjin Shin
-
Patent number: 10191368Abstract: Techniques for delivering sub-5 nm overlay control over multiple fields. One such technique reduces overlay from the wafer side using wafer-thermal actuators. In another technique, the topology of the template is optimized so that the inter-field mechanical coupling between fields in the multi-field template is reduced thereby allowing overlay to be simultaneously reduced in multiple fields in the template. A further technique combines the wafer-thermal and template actuation techniques to achieve significantly improved single and multi-field overlay performance.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2016Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas SystemInventors: Sidlgata V. Sreenivasan, Paras Ajay, Anshuman Cherala
-
Patent number: 10191369Abstract: A colored composition of the present invention includes a dye compound having an anionic moiety including at least one of a structure represented by the following General Formula (A1), a structure represented by the following General Formula (A2), and a structure containing a boron atom, and a dye structure having a cationic moiety, in which the anionic moiety and the cationic moiety are bonded to each other via a covalent bond and present in the same molecule; a curable compound; and a solvent. (in General Formula (A1), R1 and R2 each independently represent —SO2— or —CO—) (in General Formula (A2), R4 represents —SO2— or —CO—; and R4 and R5 each independently represent —SO2—, —CO—, or —CN).Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2016Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: FUJIFILM CorporationInventors: Junichi Itou, Akihiro Hara, Kazuya Oota, Yushi Kaneko, Daisuke Sasaki
-
Patent number: 10191370Abstract: Compositions are for formation of etch-resistant resins. Such resins are useful for manufacturing components or devices.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2015Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Toyo Gosei Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takeshi Osaki, Taigo Akasaki, Risa Wada
-
Patent number: 10191371Abstract: A method of forming a pattern comprises diffusing an acid, generated by irradiating a portion of a photosensitive layer, into an underlayer comprising an acid sensitive copolymer comprising an acid decomposable group and an attachment group, to form an interpolymer crosslink and/or covalently bonded to the surface of the substrate. Diffusing comprises heating the underlayer and photosensitive layer. The acid sensitive group reacts with the diffused acid to form a polar region at the surface, in the shape of the pattern. The photosensitive layer is removed to forming a self-assembling layer comprising a block copolymer having a block with an affinity for the polar region, and a block having less affinity than the first. The first block forms a domain aligned to the polar region, and the second block forms a domain aligned to the first. Removing either the first or second domain exposes a portion of the underlayer.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2014Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: ROHM AND HAAS ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LLCInventors: Peter Trefonas, III, Phillip Dene Hustad, Cynthia Pierre
-
Patent number: 10191372Abstract: A polymer comprising recurring units derived from vinylanthraquinone, recurring units derived from acid labile group-substituted hydroxystyrene, and recurring units derived from hydroxystyrene is provided. The polymer is used as a base resin to formulate a positive resist composition having a high resolution and minimal LER.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.Inventors: Jun Hatakeyama, Daisuke Domon
-
Patent number: 10191373Abstract: A polymer comprising recurring units having an acid generator bound to the backbone, and recurring units having an optionally acid labile group-substituted carboxyl group and/or recurring units having an optionally acid labile group-substituted hydroxyl group is obtained by polymerizing corresponding monomers in a solution of a non-polymerizable compound containing a nitrogen atom to which an acid labile group is bound. This prevents deprotection reaction of the acid labile group in the case of positive resist-forming polymer or crosslinking reaction in the case of negative resist-forming polymer.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2016Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.Inventors: Jun Hatakeyama, Teppei Adachi, Kenji Funatsu
-
Patent number: 10191374Abstract: The present invention provides a novel resist underlayer film-forming composition capable of forming a resist underlayer film that has etching resistance and excellent embeddability in a surface having concave portions and/or convex portions. A resist underlayer film-forming composition comprising a polymer having a structural unit represented by formula (1) or formula (2): (wherein X is an arylene group, n is 1 or 2, and R1, R2, R3, and R4 are each independently a hydrogen atom, a hydroxy group, a C1-3 alkyl group, or a phenyl group), and a solvent.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2015Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: NISSAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Hirokazu Nishimaki, Keisuke Hashimoto, Takafumi Endo, Rikimaru Sakamoto
-
Patent number: 10191375Abstract: Provided are a resin composition for underlayer film formation with which a variation hardly occurs in the line width distribution after processing due to a small thickness of a residual film after mold pressing, a layered product, a method for forming a pattern, an imprint forming kit, and a process for producing a device. A resin composition for underlayer film formation includes a resin having a group represented by General Formula (A) and at least one group selected from a group represented by General Formula (B), an oxiranyl group and an oxetanyl group, a nonionic surfactant and a solvent.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: FUJIFILM CorporationInventors: Tadashi Oomatsu, Hirotaka Kitagawa, Yuichiro Goto
-
Patent number: 10191376Abstract: Lithographic apparatuses suitable for, and methodologies involving, complementary e-beam lithography (CEBL) are described. In an example, a column for an e-beam direct write lithography tool includes a first blanker aperture array (BAA) including a staggered array of openings having a pitch along an array direction. The array direction is orthogonal to a scan direction. Each opening has a first dimension in the array direction. The column also includes a second BAA including a staggered array of openings having the pitch along the array direction. Each opening has a second dimension in the array direction, the second dimension greater than the first dimension.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2014Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Intel CorporationInventor: Yan A. Borodovsky
-
Patent number: 10191377Abstract: An immersion lithographic apparatus is provided having a substrate table including a drain configured to receive immersion fluid which leaks into a gap between an edge of a substrate on the substrate table and an edge of a recess in which the substrate is located. A thermal conditioning system is provided to thermally condition at least the portion of the recess supporting the substrate by directing one or more jets of fluid onto a reverse side of the section supporting the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: ASML Netherlands, B.V.Inventors: Hrishikesh Patel, Johannes Henricus Wilhelmus Jacobs, Gerardus Adrianus Antonius Maria Kusters, Thibault Simon Mathieu Laurent, Marcio Alexandre Cano Miranda, Ruud Hendricus Martinus Johannes Bloks, Peng Feng, Johan Gertrudis Cornelis Kunnen
-
Patent number: 10191378Abstract: In a mask pattern forming method, a resist film is formed over a thin film, the resist film is processed into resist patterns having a predetermined pitch by photolithography, slimming of the resist patterns is performed, and an oxide film is formed on the thin film and the resist patterns after an end of the slimming step in a film deposition apparatus by supplying a source gas and an oxygen radical or an oxygen-containing gas. In the mask pattern forming method, the slimming and the oxide film forming are continuously performed in the film deposition apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Kazuhide Hasebe, Shigeru Nakajima, Jun Ogawa, Hiroki Murakami
-
Patent number: 10191379Abstract: In systems and methods for removing a photoresist film off of a wafer, the wafer is moved into a bath of a process liquid in a process tank. The process liquid removes the photoresist film from the wafer. The process liquid is pumped from the process tank to a filter assembly and moved through filter media to filter out solids from the process liquid, and the filtered process liquid is returned to the process tank. A scraper scrapes the filter media to prevent clogging of the filter media by accumulated solids.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Paul R. McHugh, Kyle Moran Hanson, John L. Klocke, Eric J. Bergman, Stuart Crane, Gregory J. Wilson
-
Patent number: 10191380Abstract: [Problem] To provide a composition capable of improving surface roughness of resist patterns, and also to provide a pattern formation method employing the composition. [Solution] The present invention provides a composition containing a particular nitrogen-containing compound, an anionic surfactant having a sulfo group, and water; and also provides a pattern formation method containing a step of applying the composition to a resist pattern beforehand developed and dried.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2015Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: AZ Electronic Materials (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l.Inventors: Kazuma Yamamoto, Tatsuro Nagahara
-
Patent number: 10191381Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light generator includes a generation region where a target generates EUV light, a mirror that focuses the EUV light, an illumination light source, and a light receiver to receive reflected light from the target. A reflection surface of the mirror defines first and second focuses at the generation region and a mirror focal point, respectively. A line segment that links a reflection surface outer peripheral edge and the first focus is rotated about an axis through the first and second focuses to form a first limit surface. The line segment and an extended line on the outer peripheral side rotated about the axis forms a second limit surface. At least one of an illumination light optical path and a reflected light optical path from the light source and the light receiver, respectively, passes through the first focus and extends between the first and second limit surfaces.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2018Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.Inventor: Takayuki Yabu
-
Patent number: 10191382Abstract: An illumination system of a micro-lithographic projection exposure apparatus is provided, which is configured to illuminate a mask positioned in a mask plane. The system includes a pupil shaping optical subsystem and illuminator optics that illuminate a beam deflecting component. For determining a property of the beam deflecting component, an intensity distribution in a system pupil surface of the illumination system is determined. Then the property of the beam deflecting component is determined such that the intensity distribution produced by the pupil shaping subsystem in the system pupil surface approximates the intensity distribution determined before. At least one of the following aberrations are taken into account in this determination: (i) an aberration produced by the illuminator optics; (ii) an aberration produced by the pupil shaping optical subsystem; (iii) an aberration produced by an optical element arranged between the system pupil surface and the mask plane.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2018Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventors: Erich Schubert, Alexander Kohl, Gerhard-Wilhelm Ziegler, Michael Patra, Markus Deguenther, Michael Layh
-
Patent number: 10191383Abstract: A movement area of a stage includes first-fifth areas. In the first area, three of four heads except for a first head respectively face three of four sections of a scale member except for a first section. In the second area, three of four heads except for a second head respectively face three of four sections except for a second section of the scale member. In the third area, three of four heads except for a third head respectively face three of four sections except for a third section of the scale member. In the fourth area, three of four heads except for a fourth head respectively face three of four sections of the scale member. In the fifth area, the four heads respectively face the four sections. The stage is moved from one of the first-fourth areas to another of those areas via the fifth area.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2018Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: NIKON CORPORATIONInventor: Yuichi Shibazaki
-
Patent number: 10191384Abstract: A method for improving a lithographic process for imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic projection apparatus, the method including: calculating a discrete pupil profile based on a desired pupil profile; selecting a discrete change to the discrete pupil profile; and applying the selected discrete change to the discrete pupil profile. The methods according to various embodiments disclosed herein may reduce the computational cost of discrete optimization from O(an) to O(n) wherein a is constant and n is the number of knobs that can generate discrete change in the pupil profile.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2014Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Xiaofeng Liu, Rafael C. Howell
-
Patent number: 10191385Abstract: An super-resolution system for nano-patterning is disclosed, comprising an exposure head that enables a super-resolution patterning exposures. The super-resolution exposures are carried out using electromagnetic radiation directed onto a medium using plasmonic structures, and in particular using plasmonic structures using specially designed super-resolution apertures, of which the “bow-tie” and “C-aperture” are examples. These specially designed apertures create small but bright images in the near-field transmission pattern. A printing head comprising an array of these apertures is held in close proximity to a medium for patterning. In some embodiments, a data processing system is provided to re-interpret the data to be patterned into a set of modulation signals used to drive the multiple individual channels and multiple exposures.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2018Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Inventors: Franklin Mark Schellenberg, Keith Edward Bennett
-
Patent number: 10191386Abstract: An imaging optical unit for EUV projection lithography serves to image an object field into an image field. Mirrors guide imaging light from the object field to the image field. An aperture stop is tilted by at least 1° in relation to a normal plane which is perpendicular to an optical axis. The aperture stop has a circular stop contour. In mutually perpendicular planes, a deviation of a numerical aperture NAx measured in one plane from a numerical aperture NAy measured in the other plane is less than 0.003, averaged over the field points of the image field. What emerges is an imaging optical unit, in which homogenization of an image-side numerical aperture is ensured so that an unchanging high structure resolution in the image plane is made possible, independently of an orientation of a plane of incidence of the imaging light in the image field.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventors: Johannes Ruoff, Josef Rapp
-
Patent number: 10191387Abstract: A reflective mirror is provided with a base and a multilayer film including a first layer and a second layer laminated alternately on the base and capable of reflecting at least a portion of incident light. The multilayer film is provided with a first portion having a first thickness, and with a second portion having a second thickness that is different from the first thickness, and which is provided at a position rotationally symmetric to that of the first portion about an optical axis of the reflective mirror.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventors: Yoshio Kawabe, Hiroshi Chiba
-
Patent number: 10191388Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate with illumination light via a liquid. A liquid immersion member of the exposure apparatus has a lower surface, a plurality of collection ports, and a plurality of supply ports. The lower surface has an opening through which illumination light passes. The collection ports are arranged at the lower surface to surround the opening, and the supply ports are arranged at the lower surface and between the opening and the collection ports to surround the opening, such that the liquid is supplied via the supply ports onto the substrate while the substrate is arranged opposite to a plane-convex lens of a projection optical system and such that the liquid is collected via the collection ports from the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2018Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: NIKON CORPORATIONInventor: Akimitsu Ebihara
-
Patent number: 10191389Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus includes a support structure to hold a patterning device, the patterning device configured to pattern a beam of radiation according to a desired pattern; a projection system to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate; a substrate table configured to hold the substrate, the substrate table including a support surface to support an intermediary plate between the projection system and at least one of the substrate and an object positioned on the substrate table and not in contact with the at least one of the substrate and the object; and a liquid supply system to provide a liquid, through which the beam is to be projected, in a space between the projection system and the at least one of the substrate and the object.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Joeri Lof, Hans Butler, Sjoerd Nicolaas Lambertus Donders, Aleksey Yurievich Kolesnychenko, Erik Roelof Loopstra, Hendricus Johannes Maria Meijer, Jeroen Johannes Sophia Maria Mertens, Johannes Catharinus Hubertus Mulkens, Roelof Aeilko Siebrand Ritsema, Frank Van Schaik, Timotheus Franciscus Sengers, Klaus Simon, Joannes Theodoor De Smit, Alexander Straaijer, Helmar Van Santen
-
Patent number: 10191390Abstract: A method including: providing a reference substrate with a first mark pattern; providing the reference substrate with a first resist layer on the reference substrate, wherein the first resist layer has a minimal radiation dose needed for development of the first resist; using a reference patterning device to impart a radiation beam with a second mark pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam; and exposing a target portion of the first resist layer of the reference substrate n times to said patterned radiation beam to create exposed areas in the target portion of the first resist layer in accordance with the second mark pattern that have been subjected to an accumulated radiation dose above the minimal radiation dose of the first resist layer, wherein n is an integer with a value of at least two.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2016Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Paul Cornelis Hubertus Aben, Sanjaysingh Lalbahadoersing, Jurgen Johannes Henderikus Maria Schoonus, David Frans Simon Deckers
-
Patent number: 10191391Abstract: Disclosed is a metrology apparatus for measuring a parameter of a lithographic process, and associated computer program and method. The metrology apparatus comprises an optical system for measuring a target on a substrate by illuminating the target with measurement radiation and detecting the measurement radiation scattered by the target; and an array of lenses. Each lens of the array is operable to focus the scattered measurement radiation onto a sensor, said array of lenses thereby forming an image on the sensor which comprises a plurality of sub-images, each sub-image being formed by a corresponding lens of the array of lenses. The resulting plenoptic image comprises image plane information from the sub-images, wavefront distortion information (from the relative positions of the sub-images) and pupil information from the relative intensities of the sub-images.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2016Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Nitesh Pandey, Zili Zhou, Armand Eugene Albert Koolen, Gerbrand Van Der Zouw
-
Patent number: 10191392Abstract: An actuator includes coil assemblies arranged in an array, wherein each coil assembly defines a core chamber having a core chamber height; and at least one magnetic member that extends partly along the core chamber height of the core chamber of a corresponding at least one coil assembly, wherein the at least one magnetic member is made of a magnetic material. A shape of the at least one magnetic member, a size of the at least one magnetic member, a position of the at least one magnetic member and/or the magnetic material of the at least one magnetic member may be selected so as to control one or more parameters of the actuator.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2015Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Johannes Adrianus Antonius Theodorus Dams, Dirk Hendrikus Marinus Engelen, Peter Michel Silvester Maria Heijmans, Simon Bernardus Cornelis Maria Martens, Hans Butler, Antonius Franciscus Johannes De Groot
-
Patent number: 10191393Abstract: A measurement system for a lithographic apparatus includes a sub-frame compliantly mounted on a reference frame. A measurement device, e.g. an alignment sensor, is mounted on the sub-frame. Soft mounting of the sub-frame isolates the alignment sensor from high-frequency disturbances, e.g. acoustic noise, by acting as a low-pass filter with a cut-off frequency, e.g. in the range of from 100 to 200 Hz.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2016Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Jan Steven Christiaan Westerlaken, Marcel Koenraad Marie Baggen, Fransiscus Mathijs Jacobs, Jeroen Arnoldus Leonardus Johannes Raaymakers, Frank Pieter Albert Van Den Berkmortel, Marc Wilhelmus Maria Van Der Wijst
-
Patent number: 10191394Abstract: A distortion detection method includes obtaining a positional deviation amount expression formula that expresses positional deviation amounts in two directions at each position on a substrate held by a chuck, based on information about a warping shape of the substrate in a state where the substrate is not yet held by the chuck, calculating positional deviation amounts in two directions at a plurality of positions on the substrate based on the obtained positional deviation amount expression formula, and obtaining a plurality of types of distortion components relating to a shot region of the substrate based on the positional deviation amounts in two directions obtained at the plurality of positions.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2016Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Yuhei Sumiyoshi
-
Patent number: 10191395Abstract: A thermal conditioning unit to thermally condition a substrate in a lithographic apparatus, the thermal conditioning unit including: a thermal conditioning element having a first layer, in use, facing the substrate and including a material having a thermal conductivity of 100 W/mK or more, a second layer and a heat transfer component positioned between the first and second layers; and a stiffening member which is stiffer than the thermal conditioning element and configured to support the thermal conditioning element so as to reduce mechanical deformation thereof, wherein the thermal conditioning element is thermally isolated from the stiffening member.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: ASML Neatherlands B.V.Inventors: Johannes Henricus Wilhelmus Jacobs, Jan Steven Christiaan Westerlaken
-
Patent number: 10191396Abstract: A temperature conditioning system for a lithographic apparatus. Temperature variations in an object cause object deformation which prevents the object being accurately positioned. Temperature condition systems use conduit systems, provided with fluid, in or on the object to control the temperature of the object to reduce object deformation. In this way, parts of the object can be more accurately positioned. However, acceleration of the object and the temperature conditioning system induces variation in pressure within the fluid inside the conduit system on or in the object, which may also cause object deformation. To provide an improved conduit system, the lithographic apparatus further includes a control system which is used to control the movement of the object based on measurements indicating pressure variation in the conduit.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2015Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Paul Corné Henri De Wit, Stijn Willem Boere, Youssef Karel Maria De Vos, Peter Paul Hempenius, Nicolaas Rudolf Kemper, Robertus Mathijs Gerardus Rijs, Frits Van Der Meulen