Nikon Corporation

Masaaki Doi

Hiroshi Ohki

Hideki Akasaka

Soichi Owa

Takashi Shionoya

Jun Iwasaki

Tomoko Ohtsuki

Niichi Atsumi

The light source unit includes a single wavelength oscillation light source, a light generating portion which has an optical modulator converting and emitting light from the light source into a pulse light, a light amplifying portion made up of an optical fiber group in which each fiber has a fiber amplifier to amplify the pulse light from the optical modulator, and a light amount controller. The light amount controller performs a step-by-step light amount control by individually turning on/off the light output of each fiber making up the optical fiber group, and a light amount control of controlling at least either of the frequency or the peak power of the emitted pulse light of the optical modulator. Accordingly, in addition to the step-by-step light amount control, fine adjustment of the light amount in between the steps becomes possible due to the control of at least either the frequency or the peak power of the pulse light, and if the set light amount is within a predetermined range, the light amount can be made to coincide with the set light amount.

Light source unit and wavelength stabilizing control method, exposure apparatus and exposure method, method of making exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method and device

In an optical amplifying section that includes a specific amplifying medium that may be effected by a giant pulse, light subject to amplifying is continuously incoming, while exciting light is continuously supplied. Therefore, in the specific amplifying medium, the giant pulse is not generated, which allows continuous amplified light to be emitted stably from the specific amplifying medium. Meanwhile, of the light outgoing from the optical amplifying section, a light quantity controlling section controls the light quantity of light proceeding a predetermined optical path to a wavelength conversion section, which controls the light quantity of light outgoing from wavelength conversion section as outgoing light of the light source unit. As a consequence, light with high luminance whose wavelength has been converted can be stably emitted.

Light source unit and light irradiation unit, and device manufacturing method

Optical waveguide device and optical microscope using the same

A first region diffused with a first diffusion material containing at least one element and a second region diffused with a second diffusion material containing at least another element are formed in a substrate. At least part of the second region overlaps part of the first region. A region of the first region which does not overlap the second region has a refractive index higher than that of a region where the first region overlaps the second region and that of the substrate. The region of the first region which does not overlap the second region serves as a core for propagating a light beam. The region where the first region overlaps the second region and the region of the substrate not diffused with the first and second diffusion materials serve as a clad.

Optical waveguide with overlapping diffusion regions containing

A device comprises five wave guides and two interposed TE-TM mode splitters, formed on a substrate. A first mode splitter splits a first wave guide into second and third wave guides, and a second mode splitter splits a third wave guide into fourth and fifth wave guides. A light beam directed to the first wave guide through the second wave guide is radiated to a magneto-optical recording medium. A signal light beam carrying the information recorded on the medium, reflected by the medium, is directed to the third wave guide through the first mode splitter, and the polarization plane of the signal light beam is rotated by a polarization plane rotation device. The signal light beam is further split by the second mode splitter and directed to the fourth and fifth wave guides, thence to external detectors.

Optical integrated device for magneto-optical reproducing head

An optical waveguide device for polarization rotation comprises a substrate, a waveguide path arranged on the substrate, a mode converting element arranged at an intermediate region of the waveguide path, and a polarization rotating element arranged at a location in the waveguide path between a place where light is incident and the mode converting element. The mode converting element includes a phase shifter for relatively shifting a phase between TE and TM components of light transmitted through the waveguide path, in response to an applied voltage, and also includes a mode converter for converting modes between the TE and TM components. The polarization rotating element rotates a polarization plane of the light transmitted through the waveguide path by (90+180 .times.n) degrees, where n is zero or an integer.

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Masaaki Doi