Slow light with a remarkably low group velocity is a promising solution for buffering and time-domain processing of optical signals. It also offers the possibility for spatial compression of optical energy and the enhancement of linear and nonlinear optical effects. Photonic-crystal devices are especially attractive for generating slow light, as they are compatible with on-chip integration and room-temperature operation, and can offer wide-bandwidth and dispersion-free propagation. Here the background theory, recent experimental demonstrations and progress towards tunable slow-light structures based on photonic-band engineering are reviewed. Practical issues related to real devices and their applications are also discussed. The unique properties of wide-bandwidth and dispersion-free propagation in photonic-crystal devices have made them a good candidate for slow-light generation. This article gives the background theory of slow light, as well as an overview of recent experimental demonstrations based on photonic-band engineering.

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Slow light in photonic crystals

A projection exposure apparatus including an irradiation optical system including a light source and irradiating a mask with irradiation light beams, a projection optical system for projecting an image of a pattern of the mask on a substrate, a plurality of first fly-eye type optical integrators each having an emission side focal plane disposed on a Fourier transformed surface with respect to the pattern of the mask in the irradiation optical system or on a plane adjacent to the same and having a center located at a plurality of positions which are eccentric from the optical axis of the irradiation optical system, a plurality of second fly-eye type optical integrators each having an emission side focal plane disposed on a Fourier transformed plane with respect to the incidental end of each of a plurality of the first fly-eye type optical integrators or on a plane adjacent to the same and being disposed to correspond to a plurality of the first fly-eye type optical integrators, and a light divider for dividing and causing the irradiation light beams from the light source to be incident on each of a plurality of the second fly-eye type optical integrators.

Projection exposure apparatus

The phase-shifting mask consists of a normal transmission mask that has been coated with a transparent layer patterned to ensure that the optical phases of nearest apertures are opposite. Destructive interference between waves from adjacent apertures cancels some diffraction effects and increases the spatial resolution with which such patterns can be projected. A simple theory predicts a near doubling of resolution for illumination with partial incoherence σ < 0.3, and substantial improvements in resolution for σ < 0.7. Initial results obtained with a phase-shifting mask patterned with typical device structures by electron-beam lithography and exposed using a Mann 4800 10× tool reveals a 40-percent increase in usuable resolution with some structures printed at a resolution of 1000 lines/mm. Phase-shifting mask structures can be used to facilitate proximity printing with larger gaps between mask and wafer. Theory indicates that the increase in resolution is accompanied by a minimal decrease in depth of focus. Thus the phase-shifting mask may be the most desirable device for enhancing optical lithography resolution in the VLSI/VHSIC era.

Improving resolution in photolithography with a phase-shifting mask

This work presents our recent progress in the development of an Si wire waveguiding system for microphotonics devices. The Si wire waveguide promises size reduction and high-density integration of optical circuits due to its strong light confinement. However, large connection and propagation losses had been serious problems. We solved these problems by using a spot-size converter and improving the microfabrication technology. As a result, propagation losses as low as 2.8 dB/cm for a 400/spl times/200 nm waveguide and a coupling loss of 0.5 dB per connection were obtained. As we have the technologies for the fabrication of complex, practical optical devices using Si wire waveguides, we used them to make microphotonics devices, such as a ring resonator and lattice filter. The devices we made exhibit excellent characteristics because of the microfabrication with the precision of a few nanometers. We have also demonstrated that Si wire waveguides have great potential for use in nonlinear optical devices.

Microphotonics devices based on silicon microfabrication technology

Process gas discharged from a bypass pipe to a gas exhaust system can be prevented from diffusing back to the inside of a process chamber without having to install a dedicated vacuum pump at the downstream side of the bypass pipe. The substrate processing apparatus includes a process chamber accommodating a substrate, a gas supply system supplying process gas from a process gas source to the process chamber for processing the substrate, a gas exhaust system configured to exhaust the process chamber, two or more vacuum pumps installed in series at the gas exhaust system, and a bypass pipe connected between the gas supply system and the gas exhaust system. The most upstream one of the vacuum pumps is a mechanical booster pump, and the bypass pipe is connected between the mechanical booster pump and the rest vacuum pumps located at a downstream side of the mechanical booster pump.

Substrate Processing Apparatus

In exposing and projecting a mask onto a substrate using projection optics, a first grating is provided between the substrate and the projection optics and a second grating is provided between the projection optics and the mask so that the image of the mask pattern is formed near the substrate surface by the interference of beams diffracted by the first grating. This arrangement produces the effect of virtually increasing the NA of the optical system by up to a factor of two, making it possible to manufacture LSIs with fine patterns.

Projection exposure apparatus and method which uses multiple diffraction gratings in order to produce a solid state device with fine patterns

A disk array apparatus including a rack-shaped basic frame, and a plurality of disk boxes that can be inserted into and pulled out of the basic frame depth-wise. Each disk box has: disk drive connectors for connecting a plurality of disk drives arranged in a matrix on a platter substrate, which is the bottom face of the disk box, roughly parallel to the depth direction of the basic frame; and a cooling module for cooling the disk drives. The disk box is a hermetically sealed structure.

Disk array apparatus

Provided are a magnetic recording medium suitable for use with a microwave assisted magnetic recording head and suitable for such recording and a method for manufacturing the same. A perpendicular magnetic recording medium includes a recording layer including a plurality of magnetic layers. A magnetic layer as an uppermost layer of the recording layer includes three or more of sub-layers each having thickness of more than 0 and 1 nm or less, the sub-layers including a first sub-layer and a second sub-layer to make up a lamination unit layer, the first sub-layer including, as a major element, 50% or more of at least one type of element selected from the group consisting of Co, Fe and Ni, the second sub-layer including, as a major element, an element different from the major element of the first sub-layer. The magnetic layer as the uppermost layer includes a plurality of lamination unit layers having different composition of sub-layers at least one sub-layer among the lamination unit layers and/or a different film thickness of sub-layers at least one sub-layer among the lamination unit layers.

Perpendicular magnetic recording medium and magnetic storage device

A disk drive box 10 accommodates a plurality of disk drives 20 within a case 11 . A side face of each of the drives 20 is provided with a heat-absorbing part 40 including a heat pipe, corresponding to heat producing area HP. The heat taken away by the heat-absorbing part 40 is transmitted to a heat sink 50 of the rear of a backboard 30 via a heat connector 60 . The heat sink 50 is cooled by cooling air flowing through an air duct 7 . By cooling the drive 20 with the heat pipe, clearances between the drives 20 can be substantially eliminated, and it is made unnecessary to form an opening for air cooling in the backboard 30 . Thus, size reduction is possible, and it is possible to increase the degree of freedom for a wiring pattern formed on the backboard 30.

Cooling structure for disk storage device

A comb-like or dot-like phase shifter pattern is added to a phase shifter used in phase shifting mask technology, which is then exposed onto a wafer. This enables the formation of extremely fine line patterns or space patterns having widths different from each other simultaneously. Further, when two reticles are disposed such that phase shifter patterns disposed therein intersect each other and are exposed consecutively onto a wafer, a fine hole pattern or dot pattern can be formed at a position where the phase shifter patterns intersect each other.

Hiroshi Fukuda

Papers

Projection exposure apparatus and method which uses multiple diffraction gratings in order to produce a solid state device with fine patterns

Disk array apparatus

Perpendicular magnetic recording medium and magnetic storage device

Cooling structure for disk storage device

Method of forming a pattern