Nikon Corporation

Ntt Electronics Corporation

Yoshihiko Suzuki

Junji Suzuki

Toshiaki Tamamura

Keiichi Akagawa

Tohru Ishizuya

Katsuhiko Kurumada

Masatoshi Kanaya

Shinya Hara

Hiroshi Konishi

Hiroyuki Kondo

Katsushi Nakano

Makoto Satoh

Takashi Kawahito

Eiji Matsukawa

Kazuyasu Oone

Tetsuji Onuki

Madoka Nishiyama

Masaaki Tanabe

Takeshi Irita

Nobuyuki Nakagiri

Miyuki Niikura

A spatial light modulation element module having a large area is manufactured. A spatial light modulation element module comprising a base member and a plurality of spatial light modulation element arrays, wherein each of the plurality of spatial light modulation element arrays has a light modulation element which modulates and emits at least one of the intensity and the phase of an incident light, and the base member maintains the plurality of spatial light modulation element arrays in a predetermined relative position in a bare chip state. In the above-described spatial light modulation element module, the plurality of spatial light modulation element arrays may be in a staggered arrangement in at least 1 direction.

Spatial light modulation element module, photolithographing apparatus, exposure apparatus, method of manufacturing spatial light modulation element module and method of manufacturing device

A spatial light modulator comprises, a first light modulation element having a substrate, a reflecting mirror, a movable portion displaced relative to the substrate while supporting the reflecting mirror, and a top electrode adsorbing the movable portion by electrostatic force between the movable portion and the top electrode in a position farther away from the substrate than the movable portion, a second light modulation element placed adjacent to the first light modulation element in the substrate, having a reflecting mirror, a movable portion displaced relative to the substrate while supporting the reflecting mirror, and a top electrode adsorbing the movable portion by electrostatic force between the movable portion and the top electrode in a position farther away from the substrate than the movable portion, and electrode supporting portions commonly supporting the top electrodes of the first light modulation element and the second light modulation element relative to the substrate.

Spatial light modulator, photolithographing apparatus, exposure apparatus, and method of manufacturing device

The spatial light modulator is provided with: a substrate; a fixed electrode disposed on a surface of the substrate; a connecting section, which has one end of the connecting section connected to the surface of the substrate; a movable section, which is connected to another end of the connecting section; a supporting post section, which extends in the thickness direction of the substrate with one end of the supporting post section connected to the movable section; a reflecting member, which is connected to another end of the supporting post section; a movable electrode, which is disposed on a surface of the reflecting member, the surface of the reflecting member facing the fixed electrode; and a conductive layer, which is disposed on the supporting post section with a film thickness larger than that of the movable electrode, and which electrically connects between the movable section and the movable electrode.

Spatial light modulator and exposure apparatus

Provided is a spatial light modulation element comprising a substrate; a reflecting mirror that moves from an initial position relative to the substrate; an elastic member that exerts an elastic force in a direction causing the reflecting mirror to return to the original position; a support body that supports the elastic member; and an elastic support member that elastically supports the support body relative to the substrate. In the spatial light modulation element, the support body may be supported at a distance from a surface of the substrate. The spatial light modulation element may further comprise a connecting portion that connects the support body to the substrate such that the support body can move along a surface direction of the substrate.

Spatial light modulation element and exposure apparatus

Provided is a spatial light modulation element comprising a substrate; a flat portion that is movable relative to the substrate; a flat board attached to the flat portion; and a dielectric film that is formed on a surface of the flat board opposite the surface on which the flat portion is attached, and reflects incident light. In the spatial light modulation element the dielectric film may include two or more types of dielectric layers that are repeatedly layered in an alternating manner, such that adjacent layers have different refractive indexes from each other. Furthermore, the dielectric film may be formed by alternately layering an AlOfilm and a SiOfilm.

Spatial light modulation elements, method for manufacturing same, and spatial light modulators and exposure apparatus comprising same

Provided is a vibration actuator comprising an elastic body; an electromechanical transducer that causes the elastic body to vibrate; and a rotating body that rotates in response to a drive force received from contact with the elastic body at a vibrational antinode thereof, wherein the rotating body contacts the elastic body at a prescribed position along a direction in which an axis of the rotation extends. In the vibration actuator, the elastic body includes an elastic body contact member that is arranged in a region that includes the vibrational antinode of the elastic body, the rotating body includes a rotating body contact member that receives a drive force by contacting the elastic body contact member, and one of the elastic body contact member and the rotating body contact member has a contact surface that is oriented diagonally to the axis of rotation and contacts the other of the elastic body contact member and the rotating body contact member.

Vibration actuator and imaging device

High-frequency circuit components are disclosed in which parasitic capacitance between a high-frequency circuit element and a substrate is reduced and mechanical strength is improved. An exemplary component has a conductive substrate, a coil as the high-frequency circuit-element, a mounting board including a thin dielectric film on which the coil is mounted, and a support board that couples the mounting board to the substrate. The mounting board is coupled so that it floats relative to the substrate as a result of deliberate warping of the support board.

High-frequency circuit components

An optical element which includes a reflection portion capable of reflecting a light beam in a desired direction is provided. The optical element comprises a substrate, a light reflection portion, and a support portionwhich supports the light reflection portionover the substrate. Each of the light reflection portionand the support portionis constructed of at least one film. The support portionhas one endfixed to the substrateand has the other endjoined with the film constructing the light reflection portion, and it bends from one endtoward the other end, thereby to support the principal plane of the film constructing the light reflection portion, non-parallelly, for example, perpendicularly to the principal plane of the substrate

Optical element, thin film structure, optical switch, and method of manufacturing optical element

A movable plate is fastened to a substrate via flexure parts and can move upward and downward with respect to the substrate. The substrate serves as a fixed electrode. The movable plate has second electrode parts which generate an electrostatic force between these electrode parts and the substrate by virtue of a voltage that is applied across these electrode parts and the substrate and a current path which is disposed in a magnetic field, and which generates a Lorentz force when powered. A mirror advances into and withdraws from the optical path. When the movable plate moves from the lower position in which the electrostatic force is increased to the upper position, the control part controls the current so that the Lorentz force is generated in a downward orientation and gradually decreases while the movable plate moves from an intermediate position to the upper position.

Microactuator device and optical switching system using the same

An optical device is configured such that an insertion plate is held by a flat cantilever having electric wiring, and the flat magnet is placed in such a manner that the magnet faces a surface of the cantilever opposite to the other surface of the cantilever facing an optical waveguide, and that the current flowing through the electric wiring is controlled in this state so that the Lorentz force caused by the interaction between the current and the magnetic field displaces the cantilever to drive the insertion plate, and to insert or remove the insertion plate into or out of the slit provided in the optical waveguide to switch the optical path of signal light or to adjust the quantity of an optical beam.

Optical device

The light guide substratehas mirror receiving groovesand light guides. The light guides conduct light that is input into the input ports to selected output ports in accordance with the advance and retraction of the mirrorswith respect to the grooves. The actuator substratehas mirrorsand actuators which place the mirrorsin a state in which the mirrors are drawn in toward the substrate, or a state in which the mirrors protrude from the substrate. The light guide substrateand actuator substrateare aligned using alignment marks and joined with a spacerinterposed so that the mirrorsretract from the grooveswhen the mirrorsare drawn in toward the substrate, and so that the mirrorsadvance into the grooveswhen the mirrorsprotrude from the substrate. This alignment is performed in a state in which all of the mirrorsare drawn in toward the substrate

Light-beam switching/adjusting apparatus and manufacturing method thereof

The movable partis fastened to the substratevia flexure partsandand can move upward and downward with respect to the substrateThe substratealso serves as a fixed electrode. The movable parthas second electrode partsandwhich can generate an electrostatic force between these electrode parts and the substrateby means of a voltage that is applied across these electrode parts and the substrateand a current pathwhich is disposed in a magnetic field, and which generates a Lorentz force when a current is passed through this current path. A mirrorwhich advances into and withdraws from the light path is disposed on the movable partAs a result, the mobility range of the movable part can be broadened, and the power consumption can be reduced, without applying a high voltage or sacrificing small size.

Micro-actuator utilizing electrostatic and Lorentz forces, and micro-actuator device, optical switch and optical switch array using the same

An apparatus for measuring internal stress of a membrane formed in a reticle, including a temperature adjustment device configured to change a temperature of the membrane from a first temperature to a second temperature; a resonance frequency finding device configured to find a first resonance frequency of the membrane at the first temperature and a second resonance frequency of the membrane at the second temperature; and a stress calculating device configured to calculate the internal stress based on the first and second resonance frequencies.

Apparatus and method for measuring internal stress of reticle membrane

Reticles and reticle blanks are disclosed, especially for charged-particle-beam microlithography, that include a peripheral frame and a support frame bonded to each other in a manner that substantially reduces distortion at the bonds as well as membrane distortion. The peripheral frame is bonded peripherally to the support frame in any of various manners including an anodic weld of glass and silicon (the glass containing mobile ions) and a eutectic metal silicon bond wherein the metal can be, e.g., gold, aluminum, germanium, or tin. The glass-silicon and eutectic bonds in which the metal is, e.g., gold, are also resistant to chlorine gas used for routine cleaning of the reticle. In the case of the eutectic metal bond, an intervening layer of chrome or nichrome can be applied between the metal layer and the bonding surface to enhance bonding. Also, the eutectic bond can be formed by incubation at a temperature profile that favors formation, in the welds, of multiple, minute bonding points in metallic island structures on the bonding surfaces. Also disclosed are methods for making reticles and reticle blanks.

Reticles including support frame for charged-particle-beam microlithography, and methods for making same

Apparatus and methods are provided for measuring stresses in specimens (e.g., reticles and reticle blanks used in charged-particle-beam microlithography) that include a membrane. The disclosed apparatus and methods provide such measurements at a higher throughput than obtainable using conventional apparatus and methods. A representative stress-measuring apparatus includes a vibration-applying device that remotely (over a distance) applies a desired vibration to the membrane of the specimen. Meanwhile, a laser light source irradiates the vibrating membrane with laser light. A light receiver receives light reflected from the membrane. Electrical signals from the light receiver are processed to convert the output from the light receiver into a respective vibration spectrum. The vibration spectrum is analyzed against standard data to ascertain a strength characteristic of the membrane.

Growing community of inventors

Funabashi, Japan

Yoshihiko Suzuki