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:
Dec. 21, 2004
Filed:
Feb. 03, 2003
Takashi Kamono, Tochigi, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
The object of this invention is to provide a technique of effectively purging a space almost closed with a master and pellicle film with inert gas in an exposure apparatus which uses ultraviolet rays as exposure light, purges the interior of the apparatus with inert gas, and projects the pattern of a master onto a photosensitive substrate via a projection optical system. To achieve this object, a plurality of vent holes are formed in a structure obtained by surrounding by a surrounding member a gas purge space to be purged with inert gas. A vessel which forms a space around the structure is filled with inert gas to cause inert gas to enter the gas purge space, purging the gas purge space with inert gas.