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:
Sep. 11, 2001
Filed:
Dec. 10, 1999
Applicant:
Inventors:
Assignee:
Nikon Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G03B 2/752 ; G03B 2/742 ; G03B 2/732 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G03B 2/752 ; G03B 2/742 ; G03B 2/732 ;
Abstract
An exposure method for irradiating a mask with an illuminating light and transferring a pattern on the mask onto a substrate through a projection optical system includes supplying a gas having a lower capability of absorbing illuminating light to each of plural chambers formed between optical elements disposed in a barrel, floating a contaminating substance on the plural elements in the gas by irradiation, exhausting the gas and contaminating substances from the barrel, supplying the plural chambers with further gas, after exhausting the gas containing the contaminating substance, and transferring the pattern onto the substrate.