Nikon Corporation

Masaki Shiozawa

Shigeru Sakuma

Tsutomu Mizugaki

Hiroki Jinbo

Norio Komine

Seishi Fujiwara

Tatsushi Nomura

Yasuhisa Tani

A projection exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with a liquid interposed between a surface of the substrate and an optical element on the substrate side of a projection optical system; includes liquid supply and discharge mechanisms, which supply the liquid via a liquid supply tube as they recover the liquid via a liquid recovery tube, and an adhesion preventing mechanism that prevents an adhesion of impurities on member forming a flow path for the liquid.

Projection exposure apparatus, cleaning and maintenance methods of a projection exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

An optical low pass filter includes: a light transmitting member (); and a refractive index distribution generation means () that generates a refractive index distribution cyclically changing within the plane of the light transmitting member (). The refractive index distribution generation means includes a piezoelectric element, for example, and generates the refractive index distribution by generating the compressional wave in the light transmitting member () with a high frequency voltage being applied to the piezoelectric element.

Optical low pass filter and image-capturing device

An optical member for photolithography made of a calcium fluoride crystal exhibits an internal transmittance of 99.5%/cm or greater with respect to light having a specific wavelength of 185 nm or shorter.

Optical member for photolithography and photolithography apparatus

An optical member for transmitting light of a wavelength less than about 200 nm including crystalline calcium fluoride with a potassium content less than about 0.5 ppm, wherein a degradation in a transmissivity of the optical member after an irradiation for a fixed period of time with the light of the wavelength of less than about 200 nm is less than about 5% of a transmissivity of the optical member before the irradiation.

Light-transmitting optical member, manufacturing method thereof, evaluation method therefor, and optical lithography apparatus using the optical member

An optical member is provided for use in an image-focusing optical system for guiding light having a wavelength shorter than about 300 nm. The optical member includes a calcium fluoride crystal having a sodium concentration of less than about 0.2 ppm.

Image-focusing optical system for ultraviolet laser

A projection exposure apparatus capable of projecting and exposing mask pattern images onto a substrate by means of a optical projection system, the apparatus includes an optical illumination system capable of illuminating a mask utilizing an excimer laser illuminating light source in a wavelength range of 230 nm or less, and an optical projection system including optical members that include a calcium fluoride crystal with a total alkaline earth metal impurity content of 1.times.10.sup.18 atom/cm.sup.3 or less, and which projects images of the mask pattern onto a substrate. The calcium fluoride crystal is manufactured by a method including the steps of adding a fluorinating agent to a powdered calcium fluoride forming a mixture, placing the mixture in a growing crucible inside a vacuum furnace, and evacuating the vacuum furnace. Once the vacuum furnace is evacuated, the temperature is elevated a first time inside the vacuum furnace to a temperature exceeding a melting point of the mixture and is maintained at a predetermined constant temperature inside the vacuum furnace until a polycrystalline material is formed. The polycrystalline material is then cooled and the temperature inside the vacuum furnace is elevated until the polycrystalline material is melted, wherein crystal growth of the polycrystalline material is promoted and a crystal ingot is formed.

Growing community of inventors

Sagamihara, Japan

Masaki Shiozawa