Photocopying inventions 10/09

20090244501 - Apparatus for real-time contamination, environmental, or physical monitoring of a photomask: An apparatus for real-time contamination, environmental, or physical monitoring of a photomask. The apparatus includes a photomask having a patterned region configured to correspond to features of an integrated circuit and a sensor physically coupled with the photomask. The sensor is configured to monitor an attribute related to the photomask.... Agent: Wood, Herron & Evans, LLP (ibm-bur)

20090244503 - Exposure apparatus, device manufacturing method, maintenance method, and exposure method: An exposure apparatus can prevent disadvantages of supplying liquid of reduced cleanliness and formation of watermarks. The exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by irradiating exposure light onto the substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid, and includes a liquid supply mechanism for supplying the liquid, and a measuring... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090244502 - Methods of compensating lens heating, lithographic projection system and photo mask: Embodiments relate to compensating for lens heating, lithographic projection system and photo mask. Accordingly, lens heating is compensated by providing a layout pattern including a regular pattern being arranged substantially symmetrical in a first region and a sub-resolution pattern including a plurality of sub-resolution structural elements, wherein the sub-resolution pattern... Agent: Slater & Matsil, L.L.P.

20090244504 - Projection exposure method: A projection exposure method that projects the shape of a hole onto a wafer by projecting a diffracted light, which is produced by applying light to a mask having a pattern for forming a hole pattern, onto the wafer through a projection optical system for exposure, wherein, in a plane... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20090244505 - Positioning unit of optical element, optical system, exposure apparatus, adjustment method of optical system: A positioning unit is configured to position an optical element in a barrel, and includes a holder configured to hold the optical element, a first intermediate plate mounted with the holder, a second intermediate plate configured to support the first intermediate plate, a plurality of drivers each configured to drive... Agent: Canon U.s.a. Inc. Intellectual Property Division

20090244508 - Method and device for connecting an optical element to a frame: A method and a device for the material-fit connection of an optical element to a frame are disclosed.... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20090244507 - Optical member, light routing unit, and exposure apparatus: Embodiment of the present invention is to provide an optical member composed of calcium fluoride (fluorite) and being capable of preventing deterioration and demonstrating a long life even in use under severe conditions. An optical member of a preferred embodiment has a base material having an entrance face into which... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090244509 - Optical system with an exchangeable, manipulable correction arrangement for reducing image aberrations: The disclosure relates to an optical system, such as a projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography, including a manipulable correction arrangement for reducing image aberrations. In some embodiments, the system includes at least one manipulator configured to reduce image aberrations. The manipulator can include at least one optical element which... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20090244506 - Slm calibration: Apparatus and methods are used to calibrate an array of individually controllable elements within a lithographic apparatus. A calibration unit can switch between a first state in which the modulated beam of radiation passes into a projection system for projecting the modulated beam of radiation onto a substrate and a... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20090244510 - Process and apparatus for the production of collimated uv rays for photolithographic transfer: The present invention provides an improved process and an apparatus for producing collimated UV radiation for exposing printed circuit boards. The process consists in shortening the optical length of the downstream optics by dividing the UV radiation over many radiation sources, and in distributing the UV radiation uniformly on the... Agent: Moetteli & Associates Sarl

20090244511 - Electroactive polymers for lithography: Systems and methods for lithography include actuating an electroactive polymer member to position mask and/or substrate.... Agent: Searete LLC Clarence T. Tegreene

20090244512 - Lithography process window analyzing method and analyzing program: A lithography process window analyzing method for setting a process window based on ranges of exposure amounts and focus positions, and giving evaluation of reliability of the set process window, includes setting, based on a plurality of process conditions including exposure amounts and focus positions in the performed exposure processing,... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20090244513 - Position detection apparatus, position detection method, exposure apparatus, and device fabrication method: The present invention provides a position detection apparatus including a first obtaining unit configured to obtain imaging characteristics of an imaging optical system for a plurality of light beams, having different wavelength with each other, of the light having the wavelength width, a second obtaining unit configured to obtain optical... Agent: Canon U.s.a. Inc. Intellectual Property Division