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:
Feb. 22, 2000
Filed:
Jul. 02, 1997
Yasutoshi Kaneko, Yokohama, JP;
Nikon Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
Apparatus and methods are disclosed for automatically performing detection of a possible exposure error before scanning exposure of a shot field on a substrate. Upon detection of a possible error, the apparatus will automatically continue an exposure sequence without stopping the apparatus. If the detected error is, e.g., a focusing error, the scanning direction for exposure of the shot field and all subsequent shot fields on the substrate are reversed. If the detected error is, e.g., a synchronization error between the mask and substrate, the prescan distance for the subject shot field is increased and the scanning direction for exposure of the shot field and all subsequent shot fields are reversed.