Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Nobuaki Ogushi

Masaya Ogura

Yoshito Yoneyama

Hirohisa Ohta

Hideki Ina

Akira Miyake

Yutaka Watanabe

Takayuki Hasegawa

Ichiro Kano

Shinji Utamura

Kaoru Mizushiri

Masahiro Ohtake

Takashi Sugimori

Eiichi Murakami

Hideyuki Chinju

Factories (-) have host computers () for monitoring industrial equipment (). Each host computer () is connected to a management host computer () on a vendor () side through the internet (). The host computer () on the factory side detects occurrence of a trouble of the industrial equipment () and notifies the vendor side of status information representing a trouble state. In response to this, the host computer () on the vendor side notifies the factory side of response information representing a countermeasure against the trouble state.

Remote maintenance system

An information providing system includes a reception unit that receives first information concerning a process to be performed by an apparatus from a customer via a network, a processing unit which simulates the process based on the first information and prepares second information based on a result of the simulation, and a transmission unit which transmits the second information to the customer via a network.

Information providing method and system

Factories () have host computers () for monitoring industrial equipment (). Each host computer () is connected to a management host computer () on a vendor () side through the internet (). The host computer () on the factory side detects occurrence of a trouble of the industrial equipment () and notifies the vendor side of status information representing a trouble state. In response to this, the host computer () on the vendor side notifies the factory side of response information representing a countermeasure against the trouble state.

An information providing system which includes a reception unit that receives first information concerning a process to be performed by an apparatus from a customer via a network, a processing unit which simulates the process based on the first information and prepares second information based on a result of the simulation, and a transmission unit which transmits the second information to the customer via a network.

Factories () have host computers () for monitoring industrial equipments (). Each host computer () is connected to a management host computer () on a vendor () side through the internet (). The host computer () on the factory side detects occurrence of a trouble of the industrial equipment () and notifies the vendor side of status information representing a trouble state. In response to this, the host computer () on the vendor side notifies the factory side of response information representing a countermeasure against the trouble state.

A system for quickly and easily optimizing the parameters of an industrial machine or solving any trouble in industrial machine is provided. A factory () and vendor () are connected through a data communication network (). A management apparatus () selectively gives the operation right of an industrial machine () to a factory-side operation apparatus () or a vendor-side operation apparatus () arranged at a remote site. The operation apparatus having the given operation right can operate the industrial machine () and obtain information representing the operation condition of the industrial machine.

Industrial machine management system and method

A differential pumping system includes a first chamber for storing a light source that emits light, a second chamber that receives light from the first chamber, and a vacuum pump, provided between the first and second chambers, which includes a hollow shaft through which the light passes, and exhausts the hollow shaft.

Differential pumping system and exposure apparatus

A debris removing system prevents debris from being scattered from an X-ray source. The debris removing system includes an attracting unit, disposed between a light emission point of the X-ray source and the optical system, for attracting debris. The attracting unit has an attracting surface parallel or approximately parallel to an axis passing through the light emission point. The debris removing system further includes a rotation unit for rotating the attracting unit about the axis. This debris removing system assures a superior debris removing effect and a good EUV light utilization efficiency, being compatible with each other.

Debris removing system for use in X-ray light source

An exposure apparatus having an illuminating optics unit for irradiating a reticle, on which a predetermined pattern has been formed, with exposing light emitted from an exposure light source, a reticle stage on which the reticle is placed, a projection optics unit for projecting the predetermined pattern of the reticle onto a substrate, and a substrate stage on which the substrate is placed. The apparatus includes at least one chamber for internally accommodating the illuminating optics unit, the reticle stage, the projection optics unit and the substrate stage, a first pressure control device for making a value of pressure inside the at least one chamber higher than a value of pressure outside the at least one chamber, and a first correction device for correcting optical characteristics of the projection optics unit, by performing at least one of (i) moving an adjustment unit for adjusting the optical characteristics of the projection optics unit and (ii) shifting a wavelength of the exposing light, in accordance with the value of the pressure inside the at least one chamber.

Exposure apparatus, method of manufacturing semiconductor devices and plant therefor

A measurement apparatus has a first detector for measuring an intensity such that a sheet-shaped beam of synchrotron radiation is integrated over the entire range of the beam in the thickness direction thereof; a second detector for measuring the intensity of the beam at two points where positions along the direction are different; and a calculating device for calculating the magnitude of the beam in the direction on the basis of the detections by the first and second detectors.

Synchrotron radiation measurement apparatus, X-ray exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

Factories ( ) have host computers ( ) for monitoring industrial equipments ( ). Each host computer ( ) is connected to a management host computer ( ) on a vendor ( ) side through the internet ( ). The host computer ( ) on the factory side detects occurrence of a trouble of the industrial equipment ( ) and notifies the vendor side of status information representing a trouble state. In response to this, the host computer ( ) on the vendor side notifies the factory side of response information representing a countermeasure against the trouble state.

A synchrotron radiation measuring system includes an X-ray detector movable in a direction of intensity distribution of synchrotron radiation to follow shift of the synchrotron radiation, and a computing device for reserving therein one of (i) a relation between a signal of the X-ray detector and the intensity of synchrotron radiation and (ii) a relation among a signal of the X-ray detector, the level of vacuum at a synchrotron ring and the intensity of synchrotron radiation, wherein the intensity of synchrotron radiation is measured through the computing device on the basis of an output signal of the X-ray detector.

X-ray exposure apparatus with synchrotron radiation intensity measurement

An X-ray system includes a radiation source for producing a radiation beam containing X-rays, a mirror device for reflecting X-rays, a beam duct for introducing the X-rays reflected by the mirror device, to an irradiation zone where an object to be irradiated can be exposed, and a shutter capable of blocking the radiation beam. A protection wall is disposed downstream of the mirror device with respect to the radiation source, for blocking the radiation beam. When the protection wall has a thickness t, the beam duct passing through the protection wall has an opening size a, and the beam duct has a tilt angle .theta., there is a relation (t-t.sub.0) sin .theta..gtoreq.a, where t.sub.0 is a minimum thickness of the protection wall required to substantially block the radiation beam from a radiation source.

X-ray system and X-ray exposure apparatus

A discrimination apparatus and method usable in an exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern of an original onto a substrate includes a device and step for producing information related to the relative positional deviation between the original and the substrate, and a device and step for discriminating an error shot on the basis of the information. The condition for positioning discrimination is changed in accordance with a layer or shot.

Growing community of inventors

Utsunomiya, Japan

Nobuaki Ogushi