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:
Mar. 16, 2004
Filed:
Jul. 06, 1999
Applicant:
Inventors:
Masaaki Aoyama, Chigasaki, JP;
Hiroyasu Fujita, Tokyo, JP;
Assignee:
Nikon Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G03B 2/700 ; G03B 2/742 ; B65G 4/907 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G03B 2/700 ; G03B 2/742 ; B65G 4/907 ;
Abstract
An exposure apparatus is made so as to have respective chambers in which a main exposure system, a substrate carrying system, and a mask carrying system are housed. The apparatus is structured so that the respective environments in the chambers are substantially independently maintained from each other. Substrate processing can be facilitated by incorporating photoelectric detection of the substrate center in association with handing-over of the substrate from one substrate carrying member to another, and/or storage of a cleaning substrate in a storage member which also holds substrates being processed by the apparatus.