Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Other

National Space Development Agency of Japan

Kenji Itoga

Akimasa Yuuki

Toyoki Kitayama

Hideki Ina

Shunichi Uzawa

Yutaka Watanabe

Seiji Sakai

Naoko Iwasaki

Hiroshi Watanabe

Suguru Nagae

Kazunori Ikegami

Koji Kise

Takafumi Kokusho

Kazutada Takaira

Yuji Tsuchiyama

Souichiro Okuda

Shinichi Yoda

The present invention relates to an area light source device and a display device using the area light source device. The present invention includes a point light source, and a light guide plate. The light guide plate includes a protruding structure on a light entrance surface side. The protruding structure protrudes from a light exit surface side or a counter light exit surface side opposite from the light exit surface. The point light source includes an arrangement of point light sources. The protruding structure is configured such that oblique cylinders each having a semicircular upper surface protrude and arranged in a direction of the arrangement of the point light sources. The point light sources are arranged so that the lines of intersection of adjacent ones of the oblique cylinders coincide with the middles of the point light sources, respectively.

Area light source device and display device using same

It is an object of the invention to provide a technique capable of suppressing variations in luminance in the vicinity of a light entrance surface of a light guide plate. An illumination device includes a point light source, and a light guide plate having a side surface serving as a light entrance surface opposed to the point light source, and a main surface serving as a light exit surface. The light entrance surface of the light guide plate is provided with unevenness formed by arraying at predetermined pitches a plurality of protrusions each projecting from the light entrance surface and extending in a direction perpendicular to the light exit surface. Each of the top surface and the bottom surface of the unevenness is provided with a plurality of micro protrusions each extending in the direction perpendicular to the light exit surface and having a height smaller than the above protrusion.

Illumination device and liquid crystal display having a light guide plate with protrusions of multiple heights

A planar light source device capable of increasing light use efficiency and preventing color breakup without using any reflection polarizing plate nor performing multiple reflection. The planar light source device includes a planar light guide plate, light sources arranged as to be opposed to end surfaces of the light guide plate on its both sides, and a divided prism formed in a back surface inside the light guide plate and that reflects light incident upon the light guide plate from the light sources toward a front surface side of the light guide plate. The divided prism includes a prism portion and a dividing portion both of which have a width equal to or less than the wavelength of light from the light sources and is formed with the prism portion and the dividing portion alternately repeated along a direction parallel to the end surfaces of the light guide plate which are opposed to the light sources.

Planar light source device and method of manufacturing divided prism mold

In fabricating an X-ray mask, a chromium oxide film serving as an etching stopper is formed on a diamond film serving as an X-ray transmitter. Then, a diamond layer serving as a first X-ray absorber is formed on the chromium oxide film. Thereafter, a tungsten layer serving as a second X-ray absorber is formed on the diamond layer. Consequently, the diamond layer and the tungsten layer form an X-ray absorber having a laminated structure. When the X-ray absorber has a laminated structure including substances having different compositions, the transmittance and the phase shift quantity of the overall X-ray absorber can be readily adjusted. Thus, a method of fabricating an X-ray mask providing improved resolution of the pattern of a semiconductor device or the like is obtained.

Method of fabricating X-ray mask and method of fabricating semiconductor device using the X-ray mask

An X-ray exposure apparatus extracts exposure X-rays from light called synchrotron radiation from a synchrotron radiation source by an optical path including an X-ray mirror and performs exposure using the extracted X-rays. The X-ray mirror contains a material having an absorption edge in at least one of a wavelength range of less than 0.45 nm and a wavelength range exceeding 0.7 nm, thereby implementing exposure using the X-ray in the range of 0.45 nm to 0.7 nm. The X-ray mirror contains at least one material selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, manganese, chromium, and their alloys, nitrides, carbides, and borides.

X-ray exposure apparatus and method, semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and microstructure

An X-ray exposure apparatus comprises an X-ray mirror containing a material having an absorption edge only in at least either one of a wavelength region of less than 0.45 nm and a wavelength region exceeding 0.7 nm as to X-rays.

X-ray exposure apparatus, X-ray exposure method, X-ray mask, X-ray mirror, synchrotron radiation apparatus, synchrotron radiation method and semiconductor device

The pattern dimensions of an X-ray absorber are made approximately 1.5 times (approximately 75 nm) a pattern half pitch (L/2=50 nm). Thereby, a high quality optical image can be obtained since the contrast in regard to X-rays of wavelengths shorter than approximately 8 &#x212b; to 9 &#x212b; is improved vis-&#xe0;-vis the contrast of a 50 nm line and space periodic mask pattern. As a result, an X-ray exposure method produces a high resolution, and a semiconductor device manufactured by this X-ray exposure method as well as an X-ray mask, X-ray exposure unit and resist material.

X-ray exposure method and semiconductor device manufactured using this X-ray exposure method as well as X-ray mask, X-ray exposure unit and resist material

Disclosed is an X-ray mask for use in an exposure apparatus for transferring a circuit pattern onto an exposure substrate by use of an X-ray beam to produce a semiconductor device, wherein the X-ray mask includes an X-ray transmission film having a layered X-ray absorptive material formed thereon, and a holding frame for holding the X-ray transmission film, and wherein the X-ray transmission film is held by the holding frame with an even step-like structure defined at its peripheral portion. With this arrangement, a dust particle adhered to the X-ray mask surface and having a predetermined height can be detected precisely, such that a large integration device can be produced effectively.

Dust particle inspection method for X-ray mask

An X-ray exposure method and an X-ray exposure apparatus using exposure X-rays having short wavelengths for formation of a fine pattern in X-ray lithography and suppressing fogging due to secondary electrons from a substrate bearing a resin film. The X-ray exposure method includes forming, by coating, a resist film on a substrate made of a material having an absorption-edge in or near an illumination wavelength range; and illuminating the resist film with X-rays having a wavelength range, including the absorption-edge wavelength, through an X-ray mask. The X-ray intensity is reduced in the wavelength range of an absorption spectrum including the absorption-edge of the material of the substrate in an optical path leading to the substrate.

X-ray exposure method, x-ray exposure apparatus, fine structure and semiconductor device

A dust particle inspection apparatus for detecting size information and height information of a dust particle on the surface of a mask or a wafer, as well as a device manufacturing method using the same, are disclosed. Light from a light source is directed to a predetermined surface to be inspected, and reflection light from a dust particle on the predetermined surface is detected by a detecting system. An output signal of the detecting system is processed by a signal processing system, so that size information of the dust particle along the predetermined surface and height information thereof with respect to a direction of a normal to the predetermined surface are detected.

Dust particle inspection apparatus, and device manufacturing method using the same

A levitator which is mounted on a space station; for example, for use in material science experiments in space. The levitator has a position detector for detecting the position of a sample, a variable power supply whose output voltage varies in accordance with the signal output from the position detector, a pair of planar electrodes connected to two ends, respectively, of the variable power supply and disposed in opposing relation to each other, and a ring electrode disposed so as to surround each of the planar electrodes and to which is applied a higher voltage than that applied to the corresponding planar electrode from a DC power supply, thereby holding the sample stationary at a desired position by means of the planar and ring electrodes. The levitator further has a means for rotating the sample being held stationary. Thus, it is possible to rotate the sample in a controlled manner and hence possible to carry out an experiment in which the sample is uniformly heated in a microgravity environment.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Kenji Itoga