Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Limited

Mitsubishi Materials Corporation

Mitsubishi Metal Corporation

Sumiden Opcom, Ltd.

Kazuo Iizuka

Nobuyoshi Tanaka

Masao Kosugi

Junji Isohata

Hidehisa Shiratori

Tatsuo Arai

Ryoei Hasegawa

Hiroshi Sato

Ryuichiro Sato

Takayoshi Saito

Kazunari Hattori

Masahito Komasaki

Yukio Tokuda

Shunzo Imai

Masahiro Hamada

Kanji Hosoki

Tadashi Konuki

Katsumi Haga

Jiro Sano

Hiroshi Shibaya

Hidetoshi Hongu

Masumi Fukai

The optical fiber fusion-splice device comprises a pair of electric discharge electrodes provided opposed to each other along a predetermined axis, a conductor electrode disposed on one side with respect to a plane with the predetermined axis contained therein, and section for generating electrostatic attraction in the direction tending from the above-described plane toward the one side, between the conductor electrode and the electric discharge path produced between the electric discharge electrodes. The means for generating electrostatic attraction is connected to the conductor electrode. This fusion splicer fusion-splices together the end portions of optical fibers disposed on the other side with respect to the above plane by electric discharge produced between the electric discharge electrodes.

Optical fiber fusion splicer

A projection exposure mask including a first mask pattern for exposing a member to form a continuous pattern thereon, and a second mask pattern for exposing the member to form a discontinuous pattern thereon. One of the first and second mask patterns is a reflecting type mask pattern and the other mask pattern is a transmitting type mask pattern.

Projection exposure mask, projection exposure apparatus, and projection exposure method

A projection exposure apparatus with a small size and low cost suitable for repeated pattern exposure. The apparatus includes an illumination system which irradiates light to a mask including plural columns of a mask pattern for repeated exposure to a member to form plural columns of an exposure pattern, a projection system which projects light from the mask onto the member, an exposure stage which moves the member, and a mask stage which moves the mask. The light irradiation and step driving of the exposure stage for moving the member by a movement amount equal to n times a pitch of the columns of the exposure pattern are alternately performed. The mask is moved by a movement amount equal to n times a pitch of the columns of the mask pattern with step driving of the exposure stage in early and later phases of the repeated exposure.

Projection exposure apparatus

A projection exposure apparatus includes a projection exposure mask. The projection exposure mask includes a first mask pattern for exposing a member to form a continuous pattern thereon and a second mask pattern for exposing the member to form a discontinuous pattern thereon, one of the first and second mask patterns being a reflecting type mask and the other mask pattern being a transmitting type mask pattern, a projection system which projects light from the reflecting type mask pattern and light from the transmitting type mask pattern onto the member, a first illumination system which irradiates light to the reflecting type mask pattern from one side of the projection exposure mask, a second illumination system which irradiates light to the transmitting type mask pattern from the opposite side of the one side of the projection exposure mask, and a substrate stage which moves the member in a direction substantially orthogonal to a projection light axis of the projection system.

The invention provides a wafer polishing apparatus and a wafer manufacturing method which can improve uniformity in polishing wafer surfaces. A wafer holding head comprises a head body; a diaphragm stretched inside the head body; a carrier fixed to the diaphragm to be displaceable in the direction of a head axis while holding the wafer; a retainer ring disposed around the carrier in concentric relation and fixed to the diaphragm to be displaceable in the direction of the head axis; and a thin plate disposed so as to project from the head body along a surface of the diaphragm. With the provision of the thin plate, an excessive pressing force acting upon the retainer ring from the diaphragm is suppressed, and the wafer surface can be prevented from being excessively polished at an outer peripheral edge.

Wafer polishing apparatus and wafer manufacturing method

Herein disclosed are a method and an apparatus for supplying an electrical energy to a pair of discharge electrodes spaced apart from each other to cause an electric discharge in a gap between the discharge electrodes. There are firstly provided an alternating voltage generator for generating, as the electrical energy, an alternating voltage having a frequency, and a capacitor connected to the discharge electrodes in series. The alternating voltage generator has a series resonant frequency. The alternating voltage of the alternating voltage generator is applied to the discharge electrodes through the capacitor. The frequency of the alternating voltage is set approximately to the series resonant frequency of the alternating voltage generator to cause a dielectric breakdown in and allow an electric discharge current to flow through the gap between the discharge electrodes. Alternatively, the frequency of the alternating voltage may be approximated to the series resonant frequency of the alternating voltage generator, for example, from a frequency higher than the series resonant frequency.

Electric discharge method and apparatus

In a rotary cutting tool for use with at least one cutting insert, a cutter body is rotatable about a rotational axis. The cutting insert is mounted to an outer periphery of a forward end of the cutter body. A chip moving unit is arranged outwardly of an outer peripheral surface of the cutter body for moving chips generated by the cutting insert, to a desirable location. A cover assembly is provided for covering the outer peripheral surface of the cutter body, having a flow passageway defined between an inner peripheral surface of the cover assembly and the outer peripheral surface of the cutter body. An air sending assembly is arranged within the flow passageway for sending air adjacent the cutting insert, toward the desirable location during rotation of the cutter body about the rotational axis.

Rotary cutting tool

In a rotary cutting tool for use with at least one cutting tip, a cutter body has its forward end whose outer periphery has mounted thereto the cutting tip. A chip suction device is arranged outwardly of an outer peripheral surface of the cutter body for drawing chips generated by the cutting tip. The chip suction device includes a generally cylindrical cover unit having a wall for covering the cutter body. The cover unit is supported by the cutter body for rotation relative thereto. A chip accommodating chamber is defined between an inner peripheral surface of the cover unit and the outer peripheral surface of the cutter body. A suction port unit is provided in the wall of the cover unit and communicates with the chip accommodating chamber. A chip guide unit is arranged at the forward end of the cutter body in facing relation to the face of the cutting tip for guiding the chips generated by the cutting tip to the chip accommodating chamber.

There is disclosed a rotary cutting tool having a cutter body and at least one pair of end and peripheral cutting edges provided on the cutter body. A covering of a generally cylindrical shape is disposed rotatably relative to the cutter body so as to surround the circumferential surface of a forward end portion of the cutter body to define a chip disposal space therebetween. A guide member is secured to the forward end portion of the cutter body for guiding chips produced during a cutting operation to the chip disposal space. Furthermore, a chip disposal pipe is connected to the covering for removing the chips in the chip disposal space.

A reticle conveying system includes a reticle keeping shelf for keeping therein a plurality of reticles; a first conveying portion for selecting and extracting a desired reticle out of the reticle keeping shelf and for conveying the extracted reticle to a predetermined position; and a second conveying portion for conveying the reticle from the predetermined position back into the reticle keeping shelf; wherein the first conveying portion is operable to convey the extracted reticle to the predetermined position by way of a first conveying path defined exclusively for the reticle as it is conveyed to the predetermined position and wherein said second conveying portion is operable to convey the reticle back into the reticle keeping shelf by way of a second conveying path different from the first conveying path and defined exclusively for the reticle as it is conveyed back into the reticle keeping shelf.

Reticle conveying device

A container for a sheet-like article, comprising a tray member for substantially accommodating therein the article, the tray member having an opening, a cover member for substantially sealingly covering the opening of the tray member, supporting elements provided in the tray member for supporting the article when it is accommodated in the tray member, wherein a portion of the article is protruded out of the container and through the opening of the tray member, when the article is supported by the supporting elements and the cover member is opened.

Container for a sheet-like article

An apparatus includes a plurality of cassettes each for containing a mask or reticle having thereon an integrated circuit pattern, each cassette having a holder for holding the mask or reticle while covering the lower surface thereof, the apparatus further including a carrier for storing therein the cassettes in a layered fashion, a fork for selectively taking out one of the holders from the carrier and an elevator for feeding the take-out holder to a separation station so that the mask or reticle is automatically taken out from, fed from and moved back into the carrier.

Original feeding apparatus and a cassette for containing the original

A device for supplying masks to be used in a chamber having a wall, comprises an opening formed in the wall of the chamber, and a rotatable shelf disposed in the opening and for carrying thereon the masks. The rotatable shelf is coupled, by way of a rotational shaft, to a portion of the wall adjacent to the opening and the rotational shelf has a mask carrying portion which is rotationally movable, about the rotational shaft, through the opening to and from the inside of the chamber and from and to the outside of the chamber.

Mask storing mechanism

Between the object plane and the image plane of a projection optical system, a liquid is held by and between a plurality of plate-like solid optical elements formed of a transparent material, and the spacing between these solid optical elements is varied to vary the layer thickness of the liquid, thereby adjusting the focus position of the optical system.

Projection system capable of effecting precise focus adjustment

A mask aligner for stepping and exposing a wafer in accordance with a shot arrangement, including an input device to which wafer dimension, chip dimension and a chip pattern for one shot are inputted, a selector for selecting a shot arrangement mode from plural shot arrangement modes based on the above input signals, a controller for effecting the shots in accordance with the selected modes to minimize the time required for exposing the one entire wafer or to maximize the number of chips exposed per unit.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Kazuo Iizuka