Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Kohei Maeda

Takashi Nakahara

Hiroshi Fuse

Atsushi Wada

Tomoko Tanaka

Hitoshi Ueki

Daisuke Nakajima

Shinichi Shima

Yasuhiro Yazawa

Masayoshi Iino

Hiroki Nakano

Apparatus inspects the presence/absence of foreign substance on object having inspection region and non-inspection region arranged outside the inspection region. The apparatus includes sensor for illuminating the object and output, as image, result acquired by detecting light from region including the inspection region, and processor for detecting foreign substance based on inspection region image acquired by excluding non-inspection region image, which is image of the non-inspection region, from the image output from the sensor. The non-inspection region image includes first part generated by light from predetermined part of the non-inspection region of the inspected object and second part whose pixel value is continuous from pixel value of the first part and the processor specifies the second part based on fact that the pixel value of the second part is continuous from that of the first part.

Foreign substance inspection apparatus and foreign substance inspection method

A foreign particle inspection apparatus includes a light projecting unit, a photo-receiving unit which receives the scattered light, and a controller. The photo-receiving unit is arranged such that its optical axis is tilted by a first angle with respect to a plane including the optical axis and the normal axis to the surface. When the angle of the polarization axis of the projected light with respect to the plane is defined as a second angle, the controller controls at least one of the polarization axis and the arrangement of the photo-receiving unit so that the differences between the first angle and the second angle become a first state and a second state, thereby determining a foreign particle based on the outputs from the photo-receiving unit in the first state and the second state.

Foreign particle inspection apparatus, exposure apparatus, and method of manufacturing device

An exposure method for exposing a pattern of a reticle onto a plate, via a projection optical system, while synchronously scanning the reticle and the plate. The exposure method includes the steps of (a) measuring before exposing, the measuring step including (i) a first substep of obtaining surface form data that shows a surface form of the reticle, and (ii) a second substep of detecting a measurement position having an abnormal measurement result as an error measurement position among measurement positions, to measure the surface form of the reticle based on a measurement result of the obtaining substep, and (b) controlling synchronous scanning of the reticle and the plate using the measurement result of the detecting substep, except for the detecting result of the error measurement position.

Exposure method that obtains, prior to exposure, reticle surface form data and measurement position error, for scanning control

An exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system for projecting a pattern formed a mask onto an object to be exposed, a correction optical element, provided between the mask and the projection optical system, for reducing a deformation of the pattern, and a detector of an oblique light projection system, provided at a side of a pattern surface of the mask, for detecting a surface shape of the mask through the correction optical element.

Exposure apparatus

A position detecting sensor for detecting that a sheet having come into an openable both-face conveying path for reversing the surfaces of the sheet having an image formed on one surface thereof and conveying the reversed sheet to an image forming portion has arrived at a predetermined re-feeding position, and the position detecting sensor is designed to be capable of detecting also the presence or absence of the occurrence of jam in the both-face conveying path, the mounting and dismounting of a both-face conveying portion and the opening and closing of the both-face conveying path.

Image forming apparatus

In a one-face mode, a first sheet discharge portion arranged on an upper face of an apparatus body, or a second sheet discharge portion arranged in the apparatus body so as to be freely opened and closed is opened, and a sheet forming an image on one surface thereof is discharged to this second sheet discharge portion. In a both-face mode, a sheet forming images on both surfaces thereof is conveyed to the first sheet discharge portion through a sheet discharge path formed by closing the second sheet discharge portion. When it is detected in the both-face mode that the second sheet discharge portion is opened on the basis of a detecting signal from a second sheet discharge portion open and close detecting portion, a controller controls the rotating direction of a forward and reverse rotatable conveying device on the basis of timer information from a timer device at the detecting time and the sheet forming the image on one surface thereof is conveyed to the first sheet discharge portion or the second sheet discharge portion, or a both-face conveying portion.

Growing community of inventors

Utsunomiya, Japan

Kohei Maeda