Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Nhk Spring Co., Ltd.

Nhk International Corporation

Ryuichi Sato

Shinichi Nishizawa

Senri Moriyama

Takahiro Nakamura

Kazuo Furukawa

Akihiro Nakauchi

Naoki Ayata

Bunei Hamasaki

Masanori Numata

A coil spring modeling apparatus includes a first attachment member disposed on a lower spring seat, a second attachment member disposed on an upper spring seat, an actuator unit formed of a Stewart-platform-type parallel mechanism, a hydraulic pressure supply device, a torsion detection mechanism, and a controller. The torsion detection mechanism is constituted of displacement gauges such as a linear variable differential transformer. The displacement gauges are provided on hydraulic cylinders, and detect amounts of displacement relative to the reference lengths of the hydraulic cylinders, respectively. The controller calculates a relative torsional angle between the first attachment member and the second attachment member based on the detected displacement.

Coil spring modeling apparatus and method utilizing a torsion detection to control an actuator unit

A coil spring modeling apparatus includes a first attachment member disposed on a lower spring seat, a second attachment member disposed on an upper spring seat, an actuator unit formed of a Stewart-platform-type parallel mechanism, a spring height detection mechanism, and a controller. The spring height detection mechanism is constituted of displacement gauges such as a linear variable differential transformer. These gauges are provided on hydraulic cylinders, and detect amounts of displacement relative to the reference lengths of the hydraulic cylinders, respectively. A hydraulic pressure supply device is controlled by the controller and supplies fluid pressure according to the displacement detected by the gauges to the respective hydraulic cylinders.

Coil spring modeling apparatus and method of the same

A coil spring modeling apparatus includes an actuator unit formed of a Stewart-platform-type parallel mechanism, a first inner load cell accommodated in a first attachment member, a second inner load cell accommodated in a second attachment member, and a rotation support mechanism. The actuator unit is rotatably supported by the rotation support mechanism about an axis. The first inner load cell is arranged on the first seat adapter coaxially with the rotation support mechanism, and detects an axial force acting on the lower spring seat and a moment. The second inner load cell is arranged under the second seat adapter coaxially with the rotation support mechanism, and detects an axial force acting on the upper spring seat and a moment.

Coil spring modeling apparatus

An apparatus for measuring a shape of a surface, comprises a measurement head which measures a distance between a reference point and the surface by detecting interference between test light obtained when light that passes through the reference point is emitted, is reflected by the surface, and returns to the reference point, and reference light, a scanning mechanism which scans the measurement head, and a processor which calculates the shape of the surface based on the distance measured using the measurement head and coordinates of the reference point.

Surface shape measurement apparatus

An apparatus for measuring a shape of a surface, comprises a measurement head which measures a direction of a normal from the surface to a reference point by detecting test light obtained when light that passes through the reference point is emitted, is reflected by the surface, and returns to the reference point, a scanning mechanism which scans the measurement head, and a processor which calculates the shape of the surface based on the direction of the normal measured using the measurement head and a position of the reference point.

An apparatus for measuring a shape of a surface, comprises a measurement head which measures at least one of a distance between a reference point and the surface and a direction of a normal from the surface to the reference point, a scanning mechanism which scans the measurement head, and a processor which calculates the shape of the surface based on a measurement result measured using the measurement head and coordinates of the reference point, wherein the coordinates of the reference point are calibrated using a measurement result measured by scanning the measurement head along a scanning path in association with a first surface to be measured, and a shape of a second surface to be measured is calculated based on a measurement result measured by scanning the measurement head along the same scanning path in association with the second surface, and the calibrated coordinates of the reference point.

A wavefront splitting element includes a diffraction grating for splitting light into multiple beams including transmitting light and reflected light.

Wavefront splitting element for EUV light and phase measuring apparatus using the same

A projection exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system arranged to project a pattern onto a substrate, a holding portion arranged to hold an optical element which propagates light toward the projection optical system, a mask having a transmission portion and being disposed on or near an image plane or object plane of the projection optical system or a plane conjugate to the image plane and the object plane, an actuator arranged to drive the mask along a plane of an image of the optical element formed by the projection optical system, and a measurement device arranged to measure an intensity of light while the mask is driven. The light emerges from the optical element, and passes through the projection optical system and the transmission portion of the mask. The measurement device includes a measurement surface positioned at a plane conjugate to a pupil plane of the projection optical system or a plane spaced apart from the mask enough to separately detect respective rays emerging from plural points of the pupil plane and passing through the transmission portion.

Projection exposure apparatus having aberration measurement device

A measurement method of measuring wavefront aberration of a projection optical system in a projection exposure apparatus for projecting a reticle pattern onto a substrate via the projection optical system. The method includes a measurement step of measuring intensity of a light beam having passed through the projection optical system and a phase shift pattern at a plane conjugate to a pupil plane of the projection optical system or a plane spaced apart from the phase shift pattern enough to separately detect respective rays emerging from plural points of the pupil plane, when the phase shift pattern set near an image plane or object plane of the projection optical system for forming an image of a pattern is scanned in one or a plurality of directions perpendicular to an optical axis of the projection optical system. The method also includes a signal processing step of calculating the wavefront aberration of the projection optical system on the basis of a measurement result of the measurement step.

Wavefront aberration measurement method and projection exposure apparatus

An exposure apparatus for and a method of producing devices, in which an original pattern such as a reticle is projected onto an object such as a wafer to be exposed, through a projection optical system. The projection optical system includes at least one optical element, optical characteristics thereof having been tested using a measuring beam having a first wavelength region. An exposure light source emits a light beam having a second wavelength region, selected independently from the first wavelength region, to irradiate the original pattern with the beam from the exposure light source, so that an image of the pattern is projected onto the object through the projection optical system, thereby exposing the object to produce the device.

Exposure and method which tests optical characteristics of optical

A system for controlling operation of a fine pattern printing apparatus. The system including a command storing portion in which a plurality of unit-operation instructing commands capable of instructing execution of corresponding unit operations which are components of the pattern printing operation of the apparatus and at least one sequential operation instructing command including a combination of at least a predetermined portion of the unit-operation instructing commands are stored. A command selecting portion for allowing selection of the commands stored in the command storing portion; a sequence setting portion cooperative with the command selecting portion so as to set, in the command storing portion, a desired sequential operation instructing command formed by a plurality of unit-operation instructing commands each of which is stored in the command storing portion. The sequential operation instructing command set in the storing portion by the sequence setting portion is selectable by the command selecting portion and operation controlling portion cooperative with the command selecting portion so as to control the operation of the apparatus in accordance with such one of the commands stored in the storing portion that is selected by the selection portion.

Growing community of inventors

Sendai, Japan

Ryuichi Sato