Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

Yoneta Tanaka

Manabu Goto

Hiromi Kai

Shoichi Okada

Toshiyuki Matsuki

A carbon fiber reinforced plastic structure has a low surface roughness and has reduced deformation due to residual stress, changes in temperature, etc., and a processing apparatus that uses the structure, are disclosed. The carbon fiber reinforced plastic structure (CFRP structure) includes a carbon fiber reinforced plastic member (CFRP member), and a resin layer formed on a first surface of the carbon fiber reinforced plastic member, the resin layer including an opposite surface that is opposite to a surface facing the first surface, the opposite surface having a surface roughness that is less than a surface roughness of the first surface of the carbon fiber reinforced plastic member.

Carbon fiber reinforced plastic structure and processing apparatus

A plain surface stage apparatus includes a platen having a plain surface, stationary type supports comprising at least three supporting members, and displacement type supports, each of which supports the platen and forms a displacement type supporting point at a position other than those of supporting points formed by the stationary type supports, wherein the displacement type supports expand and contract in a direction perpendicular to the plain surface of the platen so as to be displaced, and holds a selected displaced state of the displacement type supports.

Plain surface stage apparatus

An exposure device and method that transfers a pattern on a mask onto a workpiece including a movable mask stage that holds the mask with the pattern, an alignment microscope movably mounted relative to the workpiece and is adapted to detect a mask alignment mark formed on the mask and a workpiece alignment mark formed on the workpiece, and a control unit adapted to move the mask stage to align the mask alignment mark and the workpiece alignment mark to thereby align the mask and the workpiece. In one embodiment, the alignment microscope is integrated with the mask stage and moves with the mask stage. In another embodiment, the alignment microscope includes an alignment microscope drive device that allows independent movement of the alignment microscope relative to the mask stage. In both embodiments, the control unit may be adapted to move the alignment microscope in search for the workpiece alignment mark if the workpiece alignment mark is initially not detected to be within a field of the alignment microscope.

Exposure device capable of aligning while moving mask

A contact exposure device and process in which there is no danger of damage to the mask, and in which the workpiece is not damaged is achieved by a back up ring or the like being provided between a mask carrier and a workpiece carrier. The workpiece carrier and the mask carrier are moved apart from one another by a stipulated distance. The mask and the workpiece are attached by vacuum suction or the like on the mask carrier and the workpiece carrier, respectively. A subatmospheric pressure is produced in the space between the mask and the workpiece. Since the workpiece carrier and the mask carrier are moved apart from one another by a stipulated distance, the mask does bend when the pressure is reduced, but the mask and the workpiece do not come into contact. In this state, air is supplied from a compressor to openings in the workpiece carrier, causing the workpiece to be raised and arranged tightly against the mask, at which point, exposure is performed.

Contact exposure process and device

A process for pattern searching in which position coordinates of patterns on a workpiece with a rough surface can be determined automatically and with high precision, and a device for executing the process are achieved by CCD cameras and the like picking up patterns which are located on a workpiece with a rough surface, and which are formed only by intersecting lines, and by a storage means storing light-dark signals. Furthermore, according to the invention, the image signals are integrated in directions which are each parallel to the lines of the patterns, by which integral signals .SIGMA.Xn, .SIGMA.Yn are determined. By integrating the image signals, the images which are formed as a result of surface roughness are averaged. The integration signals clearly yield boundary positions of the patterns, and by differentiating these integral signals, the pattern positions are determined based on their peak positions.

Process for pattern searching and a device for positioning of a mask to

A proximity printing device in which the angle of the light with which a workpiece is irradiated can be changed has an exit part attached on a base and a light source part supported by two bearings. Light emitted from a lamp is focused by an oval focusing mirror and is radiated onto the workpiece via a mask. In one embodiment, two ends of the base are joined to guides of arc-shaped arms. Rotating the base tilts the exit part and the workpiece can be obliquely irradiated with light. Because the light source part is held by two bearings, the lamp of the light source part can be held in a vertical state even when the base is tilted. Furthermore, the direction of motion of the light source part can be limited by means of a ball spline or the like to a horizontal direction, and can be moved by means of a drive so that the exit part can be tilted while holding the light source part vertical.

Proximity printing device with variable irradiation angle

A process for positioning, in which a dummy is not used, in which multichromatic light can be used as the light source for purposes of alignment, and in which aberration correction is unnecessary, and a device for executing the process is achieved according to the invention by executing projection onto a first mask by projection lenses in which at least the workpiece facing sides of the lenses are telocentric. In a state in which a workpiece is remote, light with exposure wavelengths is emitted from a light irradiation part onto a second mask. The first mask (or second mask) is moved such that the projected images of the alignment marks of the second mask and the alignment marks of the first mask come to lie on top of one another. Furthermore, the irradiation light is branched off by beam splitters and positions of the alignment marks of the second mask are stored. Next, emission of the light with exposure wavelengths is stopped, a workpiece is inserted into a predetermined position, from another light irradiation part light multichrome with nonexposure wavelengths is emitted, positions of the alignment marks of the workpiece are determined and the workpiece is moved to bring these alignment marks into position on top of the stored position of the alignment marks of the second mask.

Process for positioning of a mask relative to another mask, or masks

A polarized light irradiation device in which formation of an alignment layer of a liquid crystal cell element is enabled by optical alignment is obtained by the fact that light which contains UV light and which is emitted from a discharge lamp is focused by an oval focusing mirror and is reflected by a first flat mirror. This light is incident via a shutter on an integrator lens. The light emerging from the integrator lens is reflected by a second flat mirror and is converted into parallel light by a collimation lens, and is incident in the polarization element. In the polarization element, there are several glass plates spaced parallel to one another and inclined by the Brewster angle relative to the incident light. The polarization element transmits the P-polarized light and reflects the S-polarized light for the most part. The P-polarized light which has emerged from the polarization element irradiates a workpiece via a mask.

Polarized light irradiation device for purposes of optical alignment of

A process for positioning a mask relative to a workpiece in which positioning can be done with high accuracy, and which can be advantageously used for step and repeat exposure. An improved device for executing the process of the present invention is also provided. The invention includes a reflection component positioned on a workpiece carrier in a position removed from the workpiece attachment site. The exposure light from an exposure light irradiation device is projected onto the mask and alignment marks provided on the mask are projected onto the reflection component. The alignment mask projection images are detected, their relative positions are stored, and emission of the exposure light terminated. The workpiece carrier, on which a workpiece is placed, is moved into a position in which the mask alignment marks are projected onto the workpiece. Furthermore, nonexposure light is emitted onto the alignment marks of the workpiece, the workpiece alignment marks are detected and their relative positions are determined. Then the workpiece and/or the mask are/is moved such that the mask and workpiece alignment marks come to rest on top of one another.

Process for the positioning of a mask relative to a workpiece and device

A process for projection exposure in which, using alignment marks on the back of a workpiece, positioning of the mask to the workpiece is performed, and a device for executing the process is achieved by the fact that exposure light is emitted from an exposure light irradiation device without the workpiece being in place. Images of alignment marks of the mask are imaged on image sensors of alignment units, and by an image processing part positions thereof are determined. According to the invention, then, a workpiece is placed on a workpiece carrier, light is emitted from alignment light irradiation devices and positions of the alignment marks of the workpiece are determined. Furthermore, the workpiece carrier is moved by the carrier drive device such that the alignment marks of the mask and workpiece come to rest on top of one another, and thus positioning of the mask to the workpiece is done. Then the exposure surface of the workpiece and the imaging position of the mask are brought into agreement with one another, exposure light is emitted from the exposure light irradiation device, and the workpiece is exposed.

Process for projection exposure of a workpiece with back alignment marks

A process and apparatus for positioning a mask relative to a workpiece in which the relative positions of the alignment marks of the alignment mark of the mask and the workpiece can be easily recognized are achieved according to the invention by the fact that alignment light is emitted onto the mask alignment marks, projected images of the alignment marks of the mask are recorded by alignment units and undergo image processing, the relative positions are determined and stored, then emission of alignment light is stopped, alignment light is then emitted onto the alignment marks of the workpiece from the partial illumination systems, the alignment marks of the workpiece are recorded and undergo image processing, the relative positions thereof are determined and stored, data of the relative positions of the alignment marks of the mask and workpiece are computed, and relative movement of the workpiece and the mask is produced to position the two alignment marks one on top of the other.

Process for positioning a mask relative to a workpiece and device for

A process and device for adjusting distance for purposes of parallel positioning of a workpiece relative to a mask at a preset distance in which production can be done easily and with low costs. A workpiece is held at a distance from a mask on a work-holding fixture and one of the work-holding fixture and a mask carrier carrying the mask is moved by a moving device toward the other to bring the workpiece comes into contact with the mask. After such contact has occurred, movement of the moving device is continued until a signal is transmitted to a system controller from each of at least three alignment devices which are arranged on the work-holding fixture or the mask carrier, the alignment devices having calibration device which essentially begin to move beginning at a time at which the workpiece and mask come into contact with one another and can no longer execute any further relative movement. Movement of the work-holding fixture or the mask carrier is stopped when the system controller receives a signal from all of the calibration devices, which thus is assessed as achievement of a parallel alignment of the workpiece and mask relative to one another, at which time the displacement of the calibration device of each alignment device is fixed. Thereafter, the direction of movement of the one of the work-holding fixture and the mask carrier is reversed until the desired spacing distance is achieved.

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Yoneta Tanaka