The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 12, 1994
Filed:
Apr. 22, 1992
Masaki Yamamoto, Tokyo, JP;
Keishi Kubo, Osaka, JP;
Takeo Satoh, Kawasaki, JP;
Ushio Sangawa, Kawasaki, JP;
Hiroyuki Takeuchi, Kawasaki, JP;
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
An alignment apparatus for use in an exposure system for exposing fine patterns on a wafer, the alignment apparatus comprising a light source optical system for emitting coherent alignment light, a positional deviation detecting optical system for receiving the alignment light reflected from the wafer, and a light-receiving optical system for detecting a positional deviation of the wafer on the basis of the alignment light received by the positional deviation detecting optical system. These three optical systems are arranged to be coupled through flexible optical fibers to each other. This coupling arrangement using the flexible optical fiber can reduce the size of the positional deviation detecting optical system whereby the positional deviation detecting optical system can be disposed directly under a projection lens of the exposure system, thereby accurately effecting the alignment of the wafer with respect to the projection lens.