Nikon Corporation

Kanefumi Nakahara

Yutaka Endo

Masao Nakajima

Akio Nishikata

Shinichi Hirakawa

Toshinori Tsuruya

Tsuneaki Orikasa

This mask case is a mask case for accommodating a reticle formed with a pattern to be transferred to a substrate, in which one outer wall face of the mask case is formed with first and second depressions and the form of the first depression is one of conical and triangular pyramidal forms, whereas the second depression has a V-groove form.

Photomask case, transporting apparatus, and transporting method

An exposure method, which exposes a pattern of a mask carried on a mask stage onto a substrate, includes transferring the mask to the mask stage by a transfer device, and moving the transfer device to a position in which it does not hinder an exposure.

Method of manufacturing exposure apparatus and method for exposing a pattern on a mask onto a substrate

A master plate transporting system automatically detects the presence/absence of master plates accommodated in a container and also detects the position of each master plate in the container as well as the type of the container being used. In this arrangement, the master plate transporting system executes the automatic transporting operation without transport errors. Containers each holding one or more reticles, are positioned in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. A reticle detection sensor detects the presence and the position of the reticle in each container. A controller controls the transporting operation of a reticle transporting mechanism based on the detection results of the detection sensor to reliably retrieve the reticle, transport it to an exposure system, and return it to the container.

Master plate transporting system

An apparatus for carrying a substrate having a substrate storage part for storing substrate casings that encase substrates, and a carrier system for carrying the substrate to a substrate stage from the substrate storage part. The apparatus a first carrier device, a temporary storage part and a second carrier device. The first carrier device carries the substrate to a first substrate carry position from the substrate storage part. The temporary storage unit incorporates a holding mechanism for individually adsorptively holding the substrate by vacuum in a predetermined state and is provided between the first substrate carry position and the substrate stage. The second carrier device is capable of carrying the substrate to the substrate stage from the first carry position and also carrying the substrate between the temporary storage unit and the substrate stage.

Method of carrying and aligning a substrate

A case for housing a substrate which limits the accumulation of dust, due to static electricity, while allowing visual access to the substrate. A box-like case portion has an open front end and a front lid pivotally provided on the case portion to close the front end and in which a predetermined substrate is housed in the case portion. A predetermined portion of the box-like case portion and the front lid are made of synthetic resin formed with electrically conductive copolymer. A predetermined position of the box-like case is formed of transparent electrically conductive material.

Case for housing a substrate

An apparatus for carrying a substrate having a substrate storage part for storing substrate casings that encase substrates, and a carrier system for carrying the substrate to a substrate stage from the substrate storage part. The apparatus comprises a first carrier device, a temporary storage part and a second carrier device. The first carrier device carries the substrate to a first substrate carry position from the substrate storage part. The temporary storage unit incorporates a holding mechanism for individually adsorptively holding the substrate by vacuum in a predetermined state and is provided between the first substrate carry position and the substrate stage. The second carrier device is capable of carrying the substrate to the substrate stage from the first carry position and also carrying the substrate between the temporary storage unit and the substrate stage.

Apparatus for and method of carrying a substrate

An exposure apparatus equipped with a substrate supervisory device is contained in an air-conditioned chamber with a front door. The device has a library for storing a plurality of reticle cases with respective reticles therein, a bar code reader for reading respective bar codes of the reticle cases and shifting means for shifting the bar code reader for the reading. When an operator stores the cases in the library by opening the door of the chamber, the bar code reader is retreated to a predetermined position and the shifting means will not be activated for the operator's safety.

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Kanefumi Nakahara