Nippon Seiko Kabushiki Kaisha

Toshio Fukasawa

Minoru Takubo

Masahiro Miyashita

Yousuke Takagi

Tatsuo Yamanaka

In a projection exposure device in which an exposure light from a light source device is transmitted through a mask having a predetermined pattern formed therein and then an image of a mask pattern is focused by a projection lens on an exposure member held by a holding mechanism, an exposure light is emitted from the light source device along a horizontal optical axis. The mask, the projection lens and the exposure member are disposed on the horizontal optical axis and the holding mechanism is formed such that the exposure member is movable at least within a plane perpendicular to the horizontal optical axis. The distortion of the exposure member can be prevented to enable exposure at high accuracy and, also, with high throughput by holding the exposure member vertically, mask alignment is facilitated, the effect of heat from the light source can be minimized, and the size and the cost of the device can be reduced.

Projection exposure device

An optically imaging method and an apparatus therefor are disclosed. The illuminating lens and first imaging lens of an optical lens system comprising the four lenses of first and second illuminating lenses and first and second imaging lenses sandwich a pattern source. Moving the second illuminating lens and first imaging lens in unit with a distance therebetween fixed can image a pattern image at a desired magnification at an image point of the second imaging lens falling within an allowable object space focal depth and produce an illuminant image of an illuminant falling within an allowable entrance pupil position range of a projection lens so that an opening ratio of the illuminant image falls within a predetermined range. An illuminant image of a high contrast and a good telecentricity is produced. In a magnification adjustment of the pattern image, a distance between the second imaging lens and projection lens need not be corrected but the second illuminating lens and first imaging lens may be simply moved in unit.

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Ebina, Japan

Toshio Fukasawa