Abstract:
A lens barrel capable of increasing the moving range of a lens includes: a lens retainer frame for holding a lens; a drive unit for driving the lens retainer frame along the optical axis direction; a first cylinder that holds the drive unit and has a cam follower; a second cylinder that has a cam groove for engaging the cam follower; and a bias part for biasing the first cylinder along the optical axis.
Abstract:
A lens barrel capable of increasing the moving range of a lens includes: a lens retainer frame for holding a lens; a drive unit for driving the lens retainer frame along the optical axis direction; a first cylinder that holds the drive unit and has a cam follower; a second cylinder that has a cam groove for engaging the cam follower; and a bias part for biasing the first cylinder along the optical axis.
Abstract:
When a reticle stage capable of moving while holding a reticle is at a predetermined unloading position, an unloading arm performs unloading of a reticle. Also, the instant or immediately after the reticle is separated from the reticle stage by the unloading arm, the reticle stage is moved to a predetermined loading position where a reticle is loaded onto the reticle stage by a loading arm. This allows the reticle to be loaded onto the reticle stage before the unloading arm completely withdraws from the unloading position, which reduces the downtime between the retile unloading and the reticle loading. Accordingly, the throughput of the exposure apparatus can be improved, since the time required for reticle exchange is reduced.
Abstract:
Reticle-holding devices (reticle nullpodsnull) are disclosed for holding circular reticles as used microlithography systems that use circular reticles. An exemplary reticle pod includes a base and cover. Mounted to the base are multiple (desirably three) reticle-support blocks providing three respective, equally spaced, reticle-contact surfaces that support a reticle in the peripheral nullhandling zonenull of the reticle. Mounted to the inside surface of the cover are corresponding compliant pressure-application members (desirably respective flat springs terminating with respective reticle-contact members) that apply a holding force to the reticle. A respective portion of the reticle is situated between each pressure-application member and a respective reticle-support surface. Thus, the reticle, configured as a SEMI standard wafer, is stably held at three points in the handling zone of the reticle without damaging the reticle.
Abstract:
An electrical characteristics evaluation apparatus comprises a terahertz pulse light source that irradiates terahertz pulse light onto a semiconductor material, a light detector that detects pulse light having been transmitted through or having been reflected by the semiconductor material, a measurement device that obtains a spectral transmittance or a spectral reflectance by using a time-series waveform of the electric field intensity of the transmitted pulse light or the reflected pulse light and an arithmetic operation unit that calculates an electrical characteristics parameter of the semiconductor material based upon the spectral transmittance or the spectral reflectance. By adopting this electrical characteristics evaluation apparatus and the corresponding electrical characteristics evaluation method, the electrical material quantities (such as the carrier density, the mobility, the resistivity and the electrical conductivity) of the measurement target, i.e.,the semiconductor material, can be measured and inspected without contaminating or damaging the semiconductor material.
Abstract:
An image signal output device including an acquisition section configured to acquire a fundus image, a selection section configured to select a projection for displaying the acquired fundus image from plural projections, a conversion section configured to convert the fundus image into the selected projection, and a processing section configured to output an image signal of the converted fundus image.
Abstract:
An imaging control device includes: a position setting unit configured to set a first position indicating a position at which tracking of a subject starts in an imaging range in which the subject is imaged; and a tracking control unit configured to track the subject on the basis of a result of detection of the subject overlapping the first position set by the position setting unit.
Abstract:
A cell evaluation method includes acquiring a first evaluation index and a first index calculated using the first evaluation index with respect to comparative target cells in a culture process including a cell differentiation-inducing process in which cell differentiation is induced, calculating a second index on the basis of the first evaluation index with respect to evaluation target cells different from the comparative target cells, and evaluating differentiation of the evaluation target cells by comparing the first index with the second index.
Abstract:
A variable magnification optical system comprising, in order from an object side, a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having negative refractive power, a third lens group having positive refractive power, and a rear lens group having positive refractive power; upon varying a magnification, a distance between the first lens group and the second lens group being varied, a distance between the second lens group and the third lens group being varied, and a distance between the third lens group and the rear lens group being varied; the rear lens group comprising a focusing lens group which is moved upon carrying out focusing from an infinitely distant object to a closely distant object; and predetermined conditional expression(s) being satisfied, thereby various aberrations being corrected superbly.
Abstract:
A method of controlling vibration of a structural element of an exposure apparatus includes receiving data of a position of the structural element, determining a position error signal based at least in part on the position data and a specified position of the structural element, determining a force command to damp a specified vibration mode frequency of the structural element based at least in part on the position error signal and the specified vibration mode frequency, and transmitting the force command to an actuator such that the actuator applies force to the structural element and damps vibration of the structural element at least at the specified vibration mode frequency of the structural element.