Abstract: A lithography system is disclosed that provides an array of areas of imaging electromagnetic energy that are directed toward a recording medium. The reversible contrast-enhancement material is disposed between the recording medium and the array of areas of imaging electromagnetic energy.

Abstract: A position of a chuck 10 is detected. The movements of the stages 5 and 7 are controlled according to a result of detecting the position of the chuck 10, so as to position the chuck 10. Further, a light receiving means 51 is disposed on the chuck 10 for receiving a light beam irradiated from a head 20a of a light beam irradiation device 20. The misalignment of the head 20a of the light beam irradiation device 20 is detected based on the received light beam. According to a result of detecting the misalignment, a coordinate of drawing data supplied to a DMD driving circuit 27 of each light beam irradiation device 20 is modified. Moreover, the drawing data with the modified coordinate is supplied to the DMD driving circuit 27 of each light beam irradiation device 20.

Abstract: In an exposure system for substrate members which bear a photosensitive coating on a substrate surface, comprising a machine frame, a substrate carrier bearing the substrate member and an exposure device, wherein the substrate member and the exposure device can be moved relative to one another such that the photosensitive coating can be exposed as a result of this relative movement, it is suggested for an exposure of the photosensitive coating which is as precise as possible that the exposure device have an optics slide which can be moved in the second direction and on which an optical imaging device for the exposure of the substrate member is arranged, and that the exposure device have a light source unit which is arranged on the machine frame separately from the optics slide and has a plurality of light sources, the radiation of which can be coupled into the optical imaging device.

Abstract: A system for forming printing features (10) on a printing plate includes a high energy density light source (20) that has an emission spectrum that includes actinic radiation and non-actinic radiation. A reflector assembly (22) directs light produced by the high energy density light source (20) in a light path. The printing plate (28) has a mask that defines locations of the printing features. A filter (24) is situated in the light path between the high energy density light source (20) and the printing plate (28), and is configured to remove the non-actinic radiation produced by the high energy density light source (20). A relative motion system (26/30, 32) is provided to cause the light emitted by the high energy density light source (20) to move with respect to the printing plate (28).

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for inspecting an object surface. An illumination source illuminates the object surface. An optic intercepts scattered light from the illuminated object surface and projects a real image of an area of the object surface. A sensor receives the projected real image. A computer system, coupled to the sensor, stores and analyzes the real image. The real image is processed to detect particles located on the object surface. This arrangement is particularly useful for detecting contaminants or defects on a reticle of a lithography device.

Abstract: Provided is an exposure apparatus, including a plurality of exposure lamps and a luminance changing mechanism disposed between the exposure lamps and an exposure target. The luminance changing mechanism changes the location at which the exposure light generated from the exposure lamps reaches the exposure target by changing the direction in which the exposure light travels.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a light source with a first luminescent portion that outputs light with a first wavelength range and a second luminescent portion that outputs light with a second wavelength range, the wavelength ranges being different from each other; a light-receiving portion that receives light reflected from an original irradiated by the light source; a scanning portion that shifts a reading position of the original in a vertical scanning direction by changing a relative position between the original and the light-receiving portion; a switching portion that alternately turns on the first and second luminescent portions when the scanning portion shifts the reading position, wherein a vertical scanning resolution for a first data obtained when the first luminescent portion is turned on is independently set from a vertical scanning resolution for a second data obtained when the second luminescent portion is turned on.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus (10) for transferring a first mask pattern (29A) from a first mask (26A) and a second mask pattern (29B) from a second mask (26B) to a substrate (28) includes a first mask stage assembly (18A), a second mask stage assembly (18B), an illumination system (14A), a substrate stage assembly (20), and an optical assembly (16). The first mask stage assembly (18A) positions the first mask (26A). The second mask stage assembly (18B) positions the second mask (26B). The illumination system (14A) selectively generates a first illumination beam (32A) that is directed at the first mask (26A) to generate a first pattern beam (38A), and a second illumination beam (32B) that is directed at the second mask (26B) to generate a second pattern beam (38B). The substrate stage assembly (20) positions the substrate (28).

Abstract: An alignment mark on a substrate includes a periodic structure of a plurality of first elements and a plurality of second elements. The elements are arranged in an alternating repetitive sequence in a first direction. An overall pitch of the periodic structure is equal to a sum of a width of the first element and a width of the second element in the first direction. Each first element has a first periodic sub-structure with a first sub-pitch and each second element has a second periodic sub-structure with second sub-pitch. An optical property of the first element for interaction with a beam of radiation having a wavelength ? is different from the optical property of the second element. The overall pitch is larger than the wavelength ?, and each of the first and the second sub-pitch is smaller than the wavelength.

Abstract: A belt-like work (11) provided with a photosensitive layer is conveyed in a work conveying direction F at a work conveying speed V. An illuminating section (30) illuminates a photomask (29) in an exposure period T synchronized with the work conveying speed V. The photomask (29) is disposed at a proximity gap from the belt-like work (11). Mask patterns (33) on the photomask (29) are exposed on the belt-like work (11) to form periodic patterns thereon.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate coated with a photoresist to form a latent image to the photoresist, comprises an original holding unit configured to hold an original including a phase-modulation diffraction grating so that an interference pattern is formed on a surface of the substrate by a light beam diffracted by the original, a substrate holding unit configured to hold the substrate, and a light beam dividing optical system configured to divide a light beam to form a plurality of light beams which enter the original, wherein a latent image is formed on the substrate by superposition of a plurality of interference patterns formed on the surface of the substrate, the plurality of interference patterns respectively corresponding to the plurality of light beams which enter the original.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an illumination system, such as an illumination system for use in microlithography. The illumination system can include an optical element with multiple primary light sources. The illumination system can illuminate a field in a field plane having a field contour. The illumination system can be configured so that each primary light source illuminates an area in the field plane that is smaller than a size of an area encircled by the field contour.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus (100) which exposes a substrate to light having a set light source shape via a mask (400) includes a plurality of light sources (201) arrayed two-dimensionally, and a light source control unit (700) which controls turning on and off of each of the plurality of light sources (201) by referring to data of illumination modes (703) according to the light source shape.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved process and an apparatus for producing collimated UV radiation for exposing printed circuit boards. The process consists in shortening the optical length of the downstream optics by dividing the UV radiation over many radiation sources, and in distributing the UV radiation uniformly on the substrate by using a scanning slide.

Abstract: An optical unit for a printing apparatus, and a printing apparatus that uses the optical unit. The optical unit includes a plurality of light emitting elements, a lens that collects light from the plurality of light emitting elements, and a light filter that is positioned in light paths from the plurality of light emitting elements. The light filter compensates an intensity of the lights which pass through the lens.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus comprises an illumination optical system which illuminates an original, a light intensity distribution along a scanning direction of the original formed by the illumination optical system having a slope at a peripheral portion thereof, a projection optical system which projects a pattern of the original onto a substrate, an original stage which holds and scans the original, a substrate stage which holds and scans the substrate, one of the original and the substrate being scanned while the one of the original and the substrate is tilted with respect to an image plane of the projection optical system, and a control unit which controls the projection optical system so as to reduce an asymmetry of a light intensity distribution formed on a plane on which the substrate is located, due to the tilt of the one of the original and the substrate with respect to the image plane.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus has a projection optical system for projecting a pattern of a reticle onto a wafer, a wafer stage to hold and to move the wafer, and a position detecting system to detect a position of the wafer in an optical-axis direction. The position detecting system has (i) an irradiation unit for irradiating plural lights having different wavelengths from each other onto the wafer, oblique to a surface of the wafer, the irradiation unit irradiating the plural lights onto plural places on a shot on the wafer, (ii) a detector for detecting the plural lights reflected on the plural places on the wafer, and (iii) a controller for calculating the position of the wafer in the optical-axis direction based on a detection result of the detector, the controller having a memory to store the detection, a selector to select one of the plural lights based on the stored detection result in the memory, and a calculator to calculate the position of the wafer in the optical-axis direction.

Abstract: An ion beam irradiating apparatus has: a beam profile monitor 14 which measures a beam current density distribution in y direction of an ion beam 4 in the vicinity of a target 8; movable shielding plate groups 18a, 18b respectively having plural movable shielding plates 16 which are arranged in the y direction so as to be opposed to each other across an ion beam path on an upstream side of the position of the target, the movable shielding plates being mutually independently movable in x direction; shielding-plate driving devices 22a, 22b which reciprocally drive the movable shielding plates 16 constituting the groups, in the x direction in a mutually independent manner; and a shielding-plate controlling device 24 which, on the basis of measurement information obtained by the monitor 14, controls the shielding-plate driving devices 22a, 22b to relatively increase an amount of blocking the ion beam 4 by the opposed movable shielding plates 16 which correspond to a position where a measured y-direction beam curr

Abstract: Provided is a method and system for facilitating use of a plurality of individually controllable elements to modulate the intensity of radiation received at each focusing element of an array of focusing elements to control the intensity of the radiation in the areas on the substrate onto which the focusing elements direct the radiation.

Abstract: An image projector according to the present invention includes a first light source that emits visible light and a second light source that emits invisible light and projects the visible light and the invisible light onto a screen. The screen includes a material, at least one of the visible light reflectance, transmittance and absorbance of which changes when irradiated with the invisible light projected. The image projector further includes a modulating section for modulating the intensities of the visible light and invisible light based on an image signal and a control section for controlling the modulating section.

Abstract: A method able to provide illumination source parameters for illumination of a lithographic mask in order to project a three-dimensional image into a resist system. Source intensities of incident beams are determined using a near linear program and responsive to an allowed range of variation. Computer program, apparatus and system are detailed and variations are described.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus in which beams of radiation are projected onto an array of individually controllable elements, such that the beams interfere. Radiation that is further modulated by the array of individually controllable elements is projected onto a substrate.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a light source with a first luminescent portion that outputs light with a first wavelength range and a second luminescent portion that outputs light with a second wavelength range, the wavelength ranges being different from each other; a light-receiving portion that receives light reflected from an original irradiated by the light source; a scanning portion that shifts a reading position of the original in a vertical scanning direction by changing a relative position between the original and the light-receiving portion; a switching portion that alternately turns on the first and second luminescent portions when the scanning portion shifts the reading position, wherein a vertical scanning resolution for a first data obtained when the first luminescent portion is turned on is independently set from a vertical scanning resolution for a second data obtained when the second luminescent portion is turned on.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system is disclosed that includes an illuminator having a source that produces light waves having a first wavelength, and a mask. The mask includes at least one partly opaque area and at least one opening within the opaque area includes a slanted, sub-resolution feature that redistributes a portion of the light passing through the open area to an off-axis location. A method of forming a device by way of photolithography might include forming unresolvable features on a mask and projecting light through the mask. Other systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed.

Abstract: An illumination unit for use in an image read apparatus is provided which illuminates a surface of an original document with illumination light, reads an image of the original document by a light receiving element, and adjusts an amount of specular light reflection from the surface of the original document on a light receiving plane of the light receiving element by adjusting at least one of an incident angle of the illumination light and a divergence thereof. It includes a plurality of light source units emitting the illumination light and arranged in a direction so that a direction in which intensity of light emitted from at least one of the light source units closest to a center of the arrangement thereof is to be highest makes a non-perpendicular angle with the direction of arrangement.

Abstract: There is provided an illumination system for lithography with wavelengths of ?193 mn. The system comprises a first optical element, which is divided into first raster elements and lies in a first plane. The first plane defines an x-direction and a y-direction, the first raster elements each have an x-direction and a y-direction with an aspect ratio, and at least two of the first raster elements have aspect ratios of different magnitude.

Abstract: An embodiment relates generally to an apparatus for reducing defects.

Abstract: A digital exposure apparatus for a color enlarging photo printer is disclosed, in which an exposure unit comprising a Liquid Crystal on Silicon, a polarization splitting prism, a condenser lens, a light source, and a digital enlarging objecting lens, wherein the optical axis of the Liquid Crystal on Silicon, the polarization splitting prism and the digital enlarging objective lens coincides with the optical axis of the printing lamp, the filter and the mixed light barrel. The whole structure of this apparatus is simplified and the light intensity of existing digital exposure apparatus is increased. The technology is advanced so that the digital exposure apparatus will be more productive.

Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus includes an illumination system configured to provide a beam of radiation; a support configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device configured to impart the beam of radiation with a pattern in its cross section; a substrate table configured to hold a substrate, and a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation onto a target portion of the substrate. The illumination system includes a plurality of radiation sources; a pupil facet mirror; and a plurality of field facet mirrors, each field facet mirror being associated with one of the radiation sources and each field facet of a given field facet mirror being configured to image the associated source onto one of a plurality of pupil facets on the pupil facet mirror, each pupil facet being adapted to direct the source image received to a predetermined area to form the beam of radiation.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a pulse-to-pulse dose reproducibility of a radiation system for use in maskless lithography is improved by providing a plurality of lasers and combining the radiation beams produced by each to form a single projection beam of radiation.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for projecting a pattern of a reticle onto an object to be exposed with first light having a wavelength of 20 nm or smaller, said exposure apparatus comprising a projection optical system for projecting the pattern onto the object, and a position detecting system for detecting a positional information of a mark by receiving a second light having a wavelength different from that of the first light via the projection optical system.

Abstract: Provided is a method and system for facilitating use of a plurality of individually controllable elements to modulate the intensity of radiation received at each focusing element of an array of focusing elements to control the intensity of the radiation in the areas on the substrate onto which the focusing elements direct the radiation.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a master screen for a silk screen imaging process. Photo activated emulsion is applied to a printing screen and the emulsion is exposed according to a digitized pattern using a light emitting diode (LED) source. The LED source in one embodiment is an array of UV emitting devices which scans the printing screen in a line by line basis.

Abstract: An inexpensive and highly productive exposure device for directly scanning and exposing a photosensitive material sensitive to at least a UV region, based on digital data. As a motor controller moves an exposure head at a fixed speed in Y direction, image data is read one line of image data, each GLV element of a light modulator array is switched on/off by the read image data, and laser light from a high power light source of the exposure head is switched on/off. A UV-sensitive object to be exposed is exposed in X direction in a number of pixel units that substantially corresponds to the number of the GLV elements. The image data is scanned and exposed by one line in Y direction (main-scan). The motor controller moves a flat stage by one step in X direction (sub-scan). The object to be exposed is imagewise-exposed by repeating such scans.

Abstract: The invention aims at obtaining an original illuminating apparatus and an image reader having the same with which “the reflection” phenomenon is reduced, and much quantity of light for illumination is obtained in an area to be read of an original to thereby be able to perform the reading operation at high speed.

Abstract: A high resolution and high data rate spot grid array printer system is provided, wherein an image is formed by scanning spot-grid array of optical beams across a substrate layered with a resist. High resolution is achieved by apodizing the optical beams to provide a narrower main lobe. Unwanted recordation of side lobes upon the substrate is prevented by assuring that the side lobes do not include energy above the threshold of the resist, using a memoryless resist, and by using a slanted and interleaved scan pattern adapted for use with the spot-grid array pattern and the memoryless characteristic of the resist.

Abstract: A dual exposure source lithography system forms a first and a second portion of a pattern on a wafer. An optical lithography module forms the first portion of the pattern. A non-optical lithography module forms the second portion of the pattern using a non-optical lithography exposure source. The non-optical exposure source is an electron beam lithography source, an EUV source, an x-ray source, or another next generation lithography system exposure source. A mask design file is decomposed into separate design files reflecting critical and non-critical components of the pattern to be formed on the wafer.

Abstract: A photographic film product is configured and purchased by providing an electronic database of information describing at least one photographic film product that can be configured by a purchaser via a digital communications network; displaying at the purchaser's location remote from the electronic database information describing instructions to enable the purchaser to configure the at least one photographic film product; the purchaser uploading at least one digital image from the purchaser's location remote from the electronic database; the purchaser providing a payment identifier specifying an account to be debited to pay for the configured photographic film product; configuring the photographic film product to include the uploaded digital image; and sending the configured photographic film product to a designee of the purchaser.

Abstract: A 1:1 laser projection system and method are provided for laser irradiating a semiconductor film. The method comprises: exposing a mask to a beam of laser light; projecting laser light passed through the mask by a factor of one; exposing the area of a semiconductor film to the projected laser light having a first energy density; exposing an area of semiconductor film to a lamp light having a second energy density; and, summing the first and second energy densities to heat the area of film. When the semiconductor film is silicon, the film heating typically entails melting, and then, crystallizing the film. In some aspects of the method, the lamp is an excimer lamp having a wavelength of less than 550 nanometers (nm), and the laser is an excimer laser having a wavelength of less than 550 nm. In some aspects, the lamp is mounted to expose the bottom surface of the film including an area underlying the area being laser irradiated.

Abstract: Disclosed is an illumination system which includes a first optical system for combining plural light fluxes from plural light sources and for projecting the plural light fluxes to a surface to be illuminated, a second optical system for separating a portion of one of the combined plural light fluxes, and a first detecting system for detecting the light quantity of the portion separated by the second optical system.

Abstract: In an exposure apparatus, a buffer that can stock a plurality of masks and can be loaded/unloaded is disposed in a mask carrier route ranging from the load/unload ports of an SMIF pod to a mask stage RST. Furthermore, a mask carrier system carries the masks between the load/unload ports, the buffer, and the mask stage. The masks can be housed to the maximum, since the masks, which are loaded into the apparatus housed in the SMIF pod, are sequentially loaded into the buffer by the carrier system. Accordingly, the apparatus can keep the number of masks necessary for exposure at all times inside itself. In addition, since the carrier system carries the masks between the load/unload ports, the buffer, and the mask stage, the operator does not have to manually exchange the mask container.

Abstract: An electronically programmable mask for lithography comprises an array of individually controllable light sources aligned with an array of individually controllable liquid crystals, so that individual pixels may be turned on or off and phase-shifted to provide a desired light intensity distribution on a wafer. The mask may be used in a contact printing mode or in a reduction projection mode.

Abstract: A writing apparatus (10) for forming images from digital data onto color motion picture film or other photosensitive media (32), the apparatus employing a single spatial light modulator (30) and having a hybrid light source (20) with three components: a red laser (40), a green laser (42), and one or more blue LEDs (18). Each component of the light source is adapted to the sensitometric response characteristics of a particular motion picture film type. The apparatus allows high-speed imaging to photosensitive media (32).

Abstract: The invention relates to an exposure device for exposing a transparent photographic original and reproducing said photographic original on photosensitive material. The exposure device has a first light source comprising a number of elements that emit light of different spectral bands, whose light strikes the photographic original along a first optical path or can be directed onto the photographic original using optical elements. The exposure device has additional real and/or virtual light sources, whose light strikes the photographic original along additional optical paths, or can be directed onto the photographic original using optical elements. The light that falls along the additional optical paths strikes the photographic original at different angles from the angle of incidence of the first optical path.

Abstract: Light sources of a light beam scanning device of the present invention are an AlGaInP semiconductor laser emitting a light beam of a wavelength of 680 nm, a GaN extremely small surface area light emitting diode (EELED) emitting a light beam of a wavelength of 530 nm, and a GaN EELED emitting a light beam of a wavelength of 470 nm. Such a structure provides a light beam scanning device which is compact, whose manufacturing cost is low, and with which light beams having light emission distributions corresponding to spectral sensitivities of a photosensitive material.

Abstract: An illuminance measurement apparatus of the present invention is comprised of a chassis (20) having a detection surface (22) formed with a light receiving aperture (21) and a light receiving element having a light receiving surface arranged at a position corresponding to the light receiving aperture (21) in the chassis (20), wherein the chassis (20) is provided with a reflection surface (23) for detection light for detecting at least one of the position and posture of the detection surface (22).

Abstract: The invention concerns an illumination system for wavelengths<193 nm, especially for EUV-lithography with a plurality of light sources a mirror device for creating secondary light sources comprising several mirrors, said mirrors are comprising raster elements. The invention is characterized in that the plurality of light sources are coupled together in order to illuminate the exit pupil of the illumination system up to a predetermined degree of filling.

Abstract: An inspection tool or inspection system can be utilized to determine whether the appropriate pattern is on a reticle. The reticle can be associated with EUV lithographic tools. The system utilizes an at least two wavelengths of light. The light is directed to the reticle at the at least two wavelengths of light.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus and a method which make it possible to enhance the fineness of pattern in spite of the trend to enlarge the size of the photosensitive substrate and device. In this apparatus, a mask and the photosensitive substrate are allowed to synchronously scan, and the optical projecting system thereof is provided with a scanning direction adjusting means which is designed to adjust the position of scanning direction of a projected image to be projected onto the substrate, wherein a non-linear component of error is determined in advance and the result thus determined is stored as a correction value for the apparatus, thereby enabling the pattern exposure to be performed while continuously controlling the image-adjusting mechanism on the basis of the correction value.

Abstract: One embodiment is a system for the development of a film includes an infrared light source and a visible light source. The system also includes at least one sensor operable to collect a first set of optical data from light associated the infrared light source and a second set of optical data from light associated with the visible light source. The system further includes a processor in communication with the at least one sensor, the processor operable to determine an image on the film in response to the first and second sets of optical data.