In a data processing system in which access to a second unit by a first unit through a system bus is determined by an arbitration unit, when a requesting unit that receives access to the system bus is unable to use that access for interaction with the second unit, a busy signal is provided to the arbitration unit and to the units. The busy signal causes the units to reinstitute a request for access to the system bus when the subsystem had an aborted transaction. The busy signal enforces a delay in the next arbitration for the system bus until a unit, with an aborted transaction as a result of the busy signal, can reassert the request for access signal. Moreover, apparatus can be included with the arbitration unit that permits rearbitrating access to the bus using the priority conditions in effect at the time of the original arbitration.

Apparatus and method for responding to an aborted signal exchange between subsystems in a data processing system

An exposure apparatus (fig 10) usable with synchrotron radiation source (201) wherein the synchrotron radiation (202,204) is generated by electron injection (210) into a ring (201). The exposure apparatus is to transfer a semiconductor element pattern of a mask (208) onto a semiconductor wafer (209) by the synchrotron radiation. The apparatus includes a shutter (207) for controlling the exposure of the wafer (209). The shutter (207) controls the exposure with the illuminance distribution on the wafer surface taken into account. The illuminance distribution is determined (206,211,216) in response to the electron injection (210), and thereafter, the illuminance distribution is corrected (216,215,213,207) in a predetermined manner. By this, the illuminance distribution data for controlling (213,215) the shutter (207) always correspond to the actual illuminance distribution. The entire shot areas of the semiconductor wafer (209) are exposed with high precision.

An exposure apparatus

A method for printing a periodic pattern having a first symmetry and a first period into a photosensitive layer. The method includes providing a mask bearing a pattern of at least two overlapping sub-patterns which have a second symmetry and a second period, the features of each sub-pattern being formed in a transmissive material, providing a substrate bearing the layer, arranging the mask with a separation from the substrate, providing light having a central wavelength for illuminating the mask to generate a light-field in which light of the central wavelength forms a range of intensity distributions between Talbot planes, illuminating said mask pattern with said light while maintaining the separation or changing it by a distance whereby the photosensitive layer is exposed to an average of the range of intensity distributions, wherein the light transmitted by each sub-pattern is shifted in phase relative to that transmitted by another sub-pattern.

Method and apparatus for printing high-resolution two-dimensional periodic patterns

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce displacement of a fixed mirror for a laser interferometer fixed to the internal wall of the sample chamber of a charged particle beam device due to the thermal expansion of the chamber caused by temperature fluctuation. SOLUTION: The charged particle beam device is provided with a sample chamber (14) in which the fixed mirror (18) for the interferometer is fixed to an internal wall and has an opening in its top face, an electron gun (12) which emits a charged particle beam upon the sample set up in the chamber (18) through the opening, and an optical lens barrel (11) provided with the gun (12). The portion of the chamber (14) from the opening to the position of the mirror (18) is made of an inver alloy.

Charged particle beam device and sample chamber therefor

A light intensity modulation method implemented by using a mask (101) includes the steps of: 1) based on a circle of confusion (CoC) function of an illumination system (102), an initial light intensity distribution of an illumination field of view (FOV) and a target light intensity distribution of the illumination FOV, calculating a transmittance distribution of the mask (101) used to modulate the initial light intensity distribution into the target light intensity distribution; 2) meshing the mask (101) according to a desired accuracy of the target light intensity distribution and determining a distribution of opaque dots in each of cells resulting from the meshing based on the transmittance distribution of the mask (101) and a desired accuracy of the transmittance distribution; and 3) fabricating the mask (101) based on the determined distribution of the opaque dots and then deploying the mask (101) in the illumination system. Advantages including a high modulation accuracy, an applicability to wide FOV size, light intensity and wavelength ranges and compatibility with established manufacturing processes can be attained.

Light intensity modulation method

PURPOSE:To eliminate the disorder of a periodic lattice pattern by executing an exposure once, and thereafter, moving a lattice mask or a wafer by a prescribed distance in the direction parallel to a line of a lattice of a lattice mask on the surface parallel to each of them, and executing a multiple exposure again CONSTITUTION:A pattern of a fine periodic lattice is formed by applying a voltage to a piezoelectric element 1 in the course of executing an exposure, executing a multiple exposure by moving a moving stage 2 by a prescribed distance in the longitudinal direction of a periodic lattice pattern 18 on a periodic lattice mask 6, and irradiating a light having no disorder in the intensity of light A resist 5 is sensitized by moving a wafer 4 by a prescribed distance in the longitudinal direction of an exposure pattern having a disorder by using the piezoelectric element 1, and the disorder of the exposure pattern becomes a relaxed form In this way, by repeating the process of exposure-movement- exposure, a disorder of the intensity distribution of light is further averaged, and an exposure pattern whose disorder is smaller is obtained

Method and apparatus for forming fine periodic lattice

PURPOSE:To conduct an optional wave-length selection corresponding to a reactive kind and make a loss of light intensity extremely-small by a method wherein a thin film filter is positioned between a light source and a substrate so that the thin film can be exchanged without breaking a vacuum in accordance with a selected wave-length region and can be passed through, and a vacuum degree on the side of light sources of the thin film is equalized to that on the substrate. CONSTITUTION:When a photo-reaction is desired to induce on the substrate surface by changing a wave-length region, a filter holder 17 is moved with employment of a straight-line introductive device 19 in a filter exchanging mechanism to exchange thin films 14, 15, and 16. Here, the thin film is so placed in a desired position as to transmit a vacuum ultraviolet light beam L. In addition, by passing the vacuum ultraviolet light beam L through an empty inlet 18, the vacuum ultraviolet light beam having a large amount of intensity is directly introduced into a reactive container not through the thin film. In addition, when the vacuum of a reactive container 6 is broken, or when evacuation from the atmosphere, a vacuum valve 13 of a vacuum single pipe 12 for a bypass is opened to equalize pressure before and after a thin film filter 4.

Photo-reaction device

PURPOSE:To form patterns, which reduced the original patterns on a mask, on a resist by a method wherein after an exposure is performed on the mask one time using X-rays having a good directivity of a luminous flux as the light source for exposure, the relative position of the surface of the resist and the mask is deviated and a multiple exposure is performed. CONSTITUTION:The X-ray mask (a) is made in such a way that patterns 12 made of a substance easy to absorb X-rays are formed on the surface of a pattern supporting film 11 having a good X-ray transmittance on a substrate 10. The strength distribution of the transfer patterns to be exposed using the patterns 12 as masks becomes such a strength distribution as shown in the (b). After the patterns having the strength distribution shown in the (b) are transferred, the X-ray mask (a) is made to relatively shift to the right direction as much as a component equivalent to the prescribed distance S and when the patterns having a strength distribution (c) are transferred, it results in performing a double exposure in the shape of having superposed the strength distributions of the (b) and (c). When a positive-type resist is used as a photosensitive resin film 8, the patterns to be finally formed become resist patterns (d). Accordingly, the patterns having a fine line width L', which reduced the line width L of the patterns 12 on the X-ray mask (a), can be formed.

Method of forming fine pattern and device therefor

PURPOSE:To prevent the contamination of a light source by reactive gas and the damage thereof by contamination, by imparting predetermined conductance to the flow of gas in order to generate the predetermined difference in a vacuum degree between the light incident and emitting ends of a vacuum propagation part. CONSTITUTION:In a photo-reaction apparatus consisting of a light source 1 for emitting exciting light inducing predetermined photo-reaction, a reaction container 2 filled with reactive gas excited by said exciting light and a light propagation part 10 reaching the light incident part of the container 2 from the light source 1, the whole of the light propagation part 10 or a part of said light propagation part 10 contacted with said light incident part is evacuated to a predetermined vacuum degree. In order to generate the predetermined difference in a vacuum degree between the light incident and emitting ends of the evacuated vacuum light propagation part 10, a conductance reducing part 30 provided with a piercing hole by drilling along the beam shape of exciting light and predetermined conductance is imparted to the flow of gas. By this method, the contamination of the light source by reactive gas and the damage thereof by contamination can be prevented.

Contamination preventing mechanism of light source in photo-reaction apparatus

PURPOSE:To accurately detect the ending point of etching by introducing an optical beam having a wavelength coincident with that to be absorbed to a reactively generated species or secondarily generated species to be radiated from a semiconductor substrate to be etched into an etching vessel, and monitoring the temporal change of a generated fluorescent light. CONSTITUTION:An optical beam having a wavelength coincident with that to be absorbed of reactively generated species or its secondarily generated species radiated from a semiconductor substrate 3 to be etched is introduced into an etching vessel 1. Then, the active species or species generated by etching reaction is excited by the optical beam thereby to generate a fluorescent light, which is detected by a detector 7, the temporal change of the intensity of the fluorescent light is monitored, thereby detecting the ending point of etching. Thus, the accurate ending point of etching can be detected, and the distribution of the ending point of etching in the substrate 3 can be monitored.

Urisu Tsuneo

Papers

Method and apparatus for forming fine periodic lattice

Photo-reaction device

Method of forming fine pattern and device therefor

Contamination preventing mechanism of light source in photo-reaction apparatus

Method and apparatus for detecting ending point of dry etching