Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Masaki Mizutani

Shoji Nishida

Katsumi Nakagawa

Takehito Yoshino

Tatsumi Shoji

Noritaka Ukiyo

Masaaki Iwane

Tetsuro Saito

Yukiko Iwasaki

Makoto Iwakami

Isao Tanikawa

Hiroshi Sato

Shunichi Ishihara

Kenichiro Mori

Seiya Miura

Takehiko Yoshino

An apparatus configured to expose a substrate to light includes an illumination optical system configured to illuminate a mask, a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of the mask onto the substrate, and a decentering mechanism configured to decenter at least one optical element of the illumination optical system with respect to an optical axis of the projection optical system, or to decenter at least one optical element of the projection optical system with respect to an optical axis of the illumination optical system, and rotational asymmetry distortion that occurs at a position defocused from a focus position of the projection optical system is changed by decentering the optical element by the decentering mechanism.

Exposure apparatus and article manufacturing method

Provided is an illumination optical apparatus for illuminating a mask with light from a light source. The apparatus includes an optical integrator configured to cause a light intensity distribution to be uniform in an emission end surface by reflecting the light incident from an incident end surface in an inner surface a plurality of times, an image forming optical system configured to form an image of the emission end surface of the optical integrator on the mask, and an adjustment unit configured to adjust telecentricity of the light so that a principal ray incident on the mask and a normal line of the mask approach parallelism and configured to be disposed outside the image forming optical system.

Illumination optical apparatus and device manufacturing method

Provided is an illumination optical apparatus that illuminates the surface with light from a light source and includes an optical integrator (the integrator) configured to form a plurality of secondary source images (the images); a adjuster having a plurality of adjusting elements for adjusting a light of the images; and a consensor configured such that the adjuster is in a conjugate relationship with the end surface of the integrator, wherein the element is located at positions, which corresponds to a secondary source formed by an odd reflection times in the first direction by the integrator and a secondary source formed by an even times and a secondary source formed by an odd times in the second direction and a secondary source formed by an even times, wherein the element is not located at a position which corresponds to a secondary source formed by no reflection in the integrator.

The present invention provides a forming method of forming a through electrode, in a second substrate joined on a first substrate having an electrode pad, to electrically connect a pattern to be formed on the second substrate to the electrode pad, the method comprising steps of detecting a position of a first mark formed on the first substrate and a position of a second mark formed on the second substrate in a state in which the first substrate and the second substrate are joined, determining, based on the position of the first mark and the position of the second mark detected in the detecting, a point to form the through electrode in the second substrate so as to electrically connect the pattern to the electrode pad, and forming the through electrode at the determined point.

Forming method and method of manufacturing article

A liquid-phase growth apparatus for growing a crystal on a substrate includes a crucible containing a solution that contains a raw material for forming the crystal, and a substrate holder for vertically holding the substrate. The substrate holder includes connectors, a receiving component, and a push component. The receiving component and the push component are opposite to each other and are connected by the connectors. The push component holds an upper portion of the substrate while the receiving component holds a lower portion of the substrate. The substrate holder containing the vertically held substrate is dipped into the solution. The receiving component ascends with buoyancy in the solution contained in the crucible, so that the substrate is now held securely and prevented from cracking due to thermal expansion.

Liquid-phase growth apparatus and method

A liquid-phase growth apparatus for growing a crystal on a substrate includes a crucible containing a solution that contains a taw material for forming the crystal, and a substrate holder for vertically holding the substrate. The substrate holder includes connectors, a receiving component, and a push component. The receiving component and the push component are opposite to each other and are connected by the connectors. The push component holds an upper portion of the substrate while the receiving component holds a lower portion of the substrate. The substrate holder containing the vertically held substrate is dipped into the solution. The receiving component ascends with buoyancy in the solution contained in the crucible, so that the substrate is now held securely and prevented from cracking due to thermal expansion.

A solar cell is produced by dipping a multicrystalline silicon substratein a solutioncontaining silicon, growing a silicon layer on the substratewhile decreasing with time the temperature drop rate of the solution during the dipping of the substrate in the solution, and forming a pn junction in the silicon layer. Thereby, there is provided a silicon layer production method that can form a thick layer while restraining the degree of roughness, whereby a low-cost, multicrystalline-silicon solar cell production method is provided that realizes both a large current and a high FF.

Silicon layer production method and solar cell production method

There is provided a process of producing a multicrystalline silicon substrate having excellent characteristics as a solar cell substrate. A multicrystalline silicon ingot made by directional solidificationis cut such that a normal line of a principal surfaceof a multicrystalline silicon substrateis substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of crystal grainsof the multicrystalline silicon ingot made by directional solidification

Process of producing multicrystalline silicon substrate and solar cell

With respect to a liquid phase growth method for a silicon crystal in which the silicon crystal is grown on a substrate by immersing the substrate in a solvent or allowing the substrate to contact the solvent, a gas containing a raw material and/or a dopant is supplied to the solvent after at least a part of the gas is decomposed by application of energy thereto. In this manner, a liquid phase growth method for a silicon crystal, the method capable of achieving continuous growth and suitable for mass production, a manufacturing method for a solar cell and a liquid phase growth apparatus for a silicon crystal are provided.

Liquid phase growth method for silicon crystal, manufacturing method for solar cell and liquid phase growth apparatus for silicon crystal

A liquid-phase growth process for continuously growing a crystal film on a plurality of substrates with respect to their one side surfaces, characterized in that said plurality of substrates are kept afloat on the surface of a flowing solution for liquid-phase epitaxy which comprises a crystallizing material dissolved in a solvent in a supersaturated state and which is flowing in a solution flow passage, and while said plurality of substrates being moved by virtue of said flowing solution in said solution flow passage, a crystal film is grown on the surfaces of said plurality of substrates which are in contact with said flowing solution. A liquid-phase growth apparatus suitable for practicing said liquid-phase growth process.

Liquid-phase growth process and liquid-phase growth apparatus

In a liquid phase growth process comprising immersing a substrate in a melt held in a crucible, a crystal material having been dissolved in the melt, and growing a crystal on the substrate, at least a group of substrates to be immersed in the melt held in the crucible are fitted to the supporting rack at a position set aside from the center of rotation of the crucible or supporting rack, and the crystal is grown on the surface of the substrate thus disposed. This can provide a liquid phase growth process which can attain a high growth rate, can enjoy uniform distribution of growth rate in each substrate and between the substrates even when substrates are set in a large number in one batch, and can readily keep the melt from reaction and contamination even when the system has a large size, and provide a liquid phase growth system suited for carrying out the process.

Liquid phase growth process, liquid phase growth system and substrate member production method

A wafer cassette comprises a holding member having a depression corresponding to the shape of the substrate, and a cover having an opening smaller than the surface size of the substrate. The substrate is to be held in the depression by means of the holding member and the cover, and the substrate is to be covered at its one-side surface, side and all peripheral region of the other-side surface, with the holding member at its depression and with the cover at the edge of its opening. Also disclosed are a liquid-phase growth system and a liquid-phase growth process which make use of the wafer cassette.

Wafer cassette, and liquid phase growth system and liquid-phase growth process which make use of the same

An apparatus for producing semiconductor thin films in which the semiconductor thin films are allowed to grow on a plurality of substrates by dipping the plurality of substrates into a solution filled in a crucible, the solution containing a semiconductor as a solute, while moving the same in the solution. An angle between a direction of a normal line on a central portion of a growing surface of each substrate and the direction of the movement of the substrates is set to be in 87 degrees or less and the movement of the substrates generates a flow of the solution.

Apparatus for producing semiconductor thin films on moving substrates

A liquid-phase growth process comprising immersing a base substrate in a solution containing reactant species to be grown dissolved therein which is accommodated in a crucible and growing a crystal film on said substrate, characterized in that a capping member is kept afloat on the surface of said solution before said substrate is immersed in said solution and said capping member is subsided in said solution upon immersing said substrate in said solution. A liquid-phase growth apparatus suitable for practicing said liquid-phase growth process.

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Nara, Japan

Masaki Mizutani