1. A lithography apparatus comprising:
an irradiating unit configured to irradiate a charged particle beam;
first and second aperture plate members configured to shape the charged particle beam;
first and second coils configured to be arranged between the irradiating unit and the first aperture plate member, to temporarily deflect the charged particle beam, to change a direction of the charged particle beam after the temporarily deflecting, and to deflect the charged particle beam to a position where the charged particle beam passes through the first aperture plate member by the changing;
a lens configured to be arranged between the first and second aperture plate members and to control a focal position of the charged particle beam having passed through the first aperture plate member; and
a calculating unit configured to calculate a difference between positions of the charged particle beam on the second aperture plate member obtained by different sets of amounts of deflection at a same focal position when a combination of one of focal positions of the charged particle beam controlled by the lens and one of sets of amounts of deflection of the charged particle beam obtained by the first and second coils is changed.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the calculating unit calculates the difference between positions of the charged particle beam when the one of sets of amounts of deflection of the charged particle beam obtained by the first and second coils is changed for each of focal positions of the charged particle beam controlled by the lens.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the calculating unit calculates the difference between positions of the charged particle beam when the one of focal positions of the charged particle beam controlled by the lens is changed for each of the sets of amounts of deflection of the charged particle beam obtained by the first and second coils.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a deflector configured to be arranged between the first and second aperture plate members and to deflect the charged particle beam having passed through the first aperture plate member; and
a detector configured to detect a current of the charged particle beam having passed through the second aperture plate member when the one of sets of amounts of deflection of the charged particle beam obtained by the first and second coils is changed for each of the focal positions of the charged particle beam controlled by the lens, wherein
the calculating unit calculates the difference between the positions of the charged particle beam by using a current value of the charged particle beam detected and an amount of deflection of the charged particle beam obtained by the deflector.
5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
when the one of sets of amounts of deflection of the charged particle beam is changed, a ratio of current values flowing in the first and second coils is used.
6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
when the one of sets of amounts of deflection of the charged particle beam is changed, a current value flowing in one of the first and second coils is calculated by multiplying the ratio by a current value of the other coil.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the lens adjusts a focal point of the charged particle beam to a focal position where the difference between the positions of the charged particle beam is smaller.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the calculating unit calculates differences between the positions of the charged particle beam in directions of two-dimensional directions on the second aperture plate member.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein
the lens adjusts a focal point of the charged particle beam to a focal position where a sum of squares of the differences of the charged particle beam in the directions of the two-dimensional directions on the second aperture plate member is smaller.
10. A focusing method for a charged particle beam comprising:
irradiating a charged particle beam;
temporarily deflecting the charged particle beam by a first coil and deflecting the charged particle beam by a second coil to a position where the charged particle beam passes through a first aperture plate member after the temporarily deflecting by the first coil;
measuring a position of the charged particle beam on a second aperture plate member in combinations of one of focal positions of the charged particle beam controlled by a lens arranged between the first aperture plate member and the second aperture plate member and one of sets of amounts of deflection of the charged particle beam obtained by the first and second coils when the combinations are changed; and
adjusting a focal point of the charged particle beam to a focal position where a difference between positions of the charged particle beam obtained by different sets of amounts of deflection at a same focal position on the second aperture plate member or a sum of squares of differences between positions of the charged particle beam obtained by different sets of amounts of deflection at a same focal position on the second aperture plate member in directions of two-dimensional directions is smaller.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A process line for mining an oil sands ore body, the process line comprising:
an excavator for mining oil sands ore;
a comminutor for receiving mined ore from the excavator, comminuting the mined ore to conveyable size and transferring the comminuted ore to a mobile conveyor for transporting the comminuted ore;
the mobile conveyor having a free end, a discharge end and at least one drive for advancing the conveyor through an operational arc generally about the discharge end;
whereby the excavator mines a section of ore within operational reach along the length of the mobile conveyor and supplies the mined ore to the comminutor, and the comminutor supplies conveyable ore to the mobile conveyor, and wherein the mobile conveyor is periodically moved about the discharge end to locate another portion of the ore body within operational reach of the mobile conveyor until substantially all of the ore body within the operational arc has been mined.
2. A mobile conveyor for transferring mined oil sands ore from a mine face, the conveyor comprising:
two or more conveyor sections;
each of the two or more sections having at least one drive for advancing the conveyor, and at least one alignment device for detecting misalignment between at least one adjacent section and controlling the drive responsive to a detection of misalignment to align adjacent sections.
3. A method of mining oil sands ore with a mobile conveyor, the method comprising:
at a first conveyor position:
excavating and sizing ore at a mine face within operational reach of the first position;
transferring the sized ore to the conveyor;
conveying the sized ore along the conveyor; and
discharging the sized ore;
after excavating, sizing and transferring substantially all the ore within operational reach of the conveyor in the first conveyor position, advancing the conveyor generally about the discharge end to a second conveyor position; and,
excavating, sizing and transferring substantially all the ore within operational reach of the conveyor at the second position.
4. The method of claim 3 comprising the additional steps of, after excavating, sizing and transferring substantially all the ore within operational reach of the conveyor in an nth conveyor position, advancing the conveyor generally about the discharge end to an n+1 conveyor position; and, excavating, sizing and transferring substantially all the ore within operational reach of the conveyor at the n+1 position
5. A method of mining oil sand ore with a mobile conveyor, the method comprising:
excavating, sizing and transferring to the conveyor all ore within operational reach along the length of the conveyor;
conveying the sized ore along the conveyor to a discharge end of the conveyor;
advancing the conveyor generally about the discharge end to locate the conveyor within operational reach of a further section of oil sand ore;
excavating, sizing and transferring to the conveyor all ore in the further section within operational reach along the length of the conveyor;
continuing to advance the conveyor about the discharge end to locate the conveyor within operational reach of additional sections of oil sand ore and after each advancement excavating, sizing and transferring the respective additional section of oil sand ore, until substantially all ore within an operational arc sector generally about the discharge end has been excavated, sized and transferred to the conveyor.
6. A method of extracting a body of oil sand ore for conveyance to a mobile slurry facility, the method comprising:
locating the mobile slurry facility near a mine face of a body of oil sand ore;
positioning a mobile conveyor within operational reach of a section of the ore body and locating a discharge end of the mobile conveyor to convey mined ore to the mobile slurry facility;
extracting the section of the ore body and conveying it to the mobile slurry facility;
advancing the mobile conveyor generally about the discharge end to locate the mobile conveyor within operational reach of a further section of the ore body;
extracting the further section of the ore body and conveying it to the mobile slurry facility;
continuing to advance the conveyor and convey additional sections of the ore body to the mobile slurry facility until the ore within an arc sector about the discharge end of the conveyor has been extracted.
7. A method of increasing the effective length of a mobile conveyor for conveying a mined ore, the method comprising:
(f) Locating a mobile conveyor within operational reach of a section of ore;
(g) Extracting the section of ore within operational reach of the conveyor and transferring the extracted ore to the conveyor;
(h) Advancing the conveyor generally about the discharge end to locate the conveyor within operational reach of a further section of ore;
(i) Repeating steps (b) and (c) until substantially all ore within operational reach of the conveyor has been extracted. and,
(j) relocating the discharge end of the conveyor to a substantial center of the arc.
7. A method for increasing the mineable volume of ore capable of being transported from the mine site to a discharge point using a mobile conveyor, the method comprising:
Locating the mobile conveyor near a mine face with a discharge end located in communication with the discharge point;
Excavating a section of ore within operational reach of the mobile conveyor along the length of the conveyor;
Repeatedly advancing the mobile conveyor through an operational arc generally about the discharge end to locate and extract additional sections of ore within operational reach along the length of the conveyor; and,
Relocating the mobile conveyor to locate the discharge end in communication with a new discharge point located near the perimeter of the operational arc.
8. A process line for excavating and processing oil sands ore near a mine face, the process line comprising:
a mobile excavator for excavating ore along the length of a mobile mining conveyor;
a mobile comminutor for receiving and comminuting excavated ore and transferring comminuted ore to the mobile mining conveyor;
the mobile mining conveyor conveying the comminuted ore to a transfer conveyor;
the transfer conveyor conveying the comminuted ore to a mobile slurry facility;
the mobile slurry facility converting the comminuted ore into a slurry and pumping and conditioning the slurry through a hydro-transport pipeline to a mobile extraction facility;
the mobile extraction facility receiving the slurry and combining with a water stream to separate a bitumen stream and a tailings stream from the slurry;
wherein the bitumen stream is directed to a separation facility and the tailings stream is directed to a tailings treatment facility.
9. The process line of claim 8 wherein
the tailings treatment facility combines the tailings stream with an additive to produce treated tailings and the treated tailings are delivered to a tailings pond.
10. The process line of claim 9 wherein recovered water from the treated tailings is collected and recycled into the process line.
11. The process line of claim 10 wherein the recovered water is recycled to the mobile extraction facility.
12. The process line of claim 10 or 11, wherein the recovered water is recycled to the mobile slurry facility.
13. A process line for excavating and processing oil sands ore near a mine face, the process line comprising:
a mobile excavator for excavating ore along the length of a mobile mining conveyor;
a mobile comminutor for receiving and comminuting the excavated ore and transferring the comminuted ore to the mobile mining conveyor;
the mobile mining conveyor conveying the comminuted ore to a transfer conveyor;
the transfer conveyor conveying the comminuted ore to a mobile slurry facility;
at the mobile slurry facility combining the comminuted ore with process water to produce a slurry and pumping and conditioning the slurry through a hydro-transport pipeline to a mobile extraction facility as a slurry feed;
at the mobile extraction facility receiving the slurry feed and directing the slurry feed and a water stream as inputs to a three stage countercurrent cyclone separator;
the cyclone separator producing a bitumen rich stream and a tailings stream;
the bitumen rich stream being directed to a froth concentration unit;
the froth concentration unit separating the bitumen rich stream into a bitumen product stream, a recycled water stream and a fine tailings stream;
the fine tailings stream being combined with the tailings stream to produce a tailings product stream;
the tailings product stream being directed to a tailings treatment facility;
the tailings treatment facility receiving the tailings product and combining the tailings product with an additive to produce a treated tailings stream;
the treated tailings stream being directed to a tailings pond;
the treated tailings stream being separated into a dry tails phase and a water phase; and,
the water phase being collected at the tailings pond and recycled as industrial process water.
14. The process line of claim 13 wherein the industrial process water is recycled to the mobile extraction facility.
15. The process line of either claim 13 of 14 wherein the industrial process water is recycled to the mobile slurry facility.
16. The process line of any of claims 13, 14 or 15, wherein the recycled water stream is combined with the water stream as the input to the mobile extraction facility.
17. The process line of any of claims 13, 14, 15 or 16, wherein the recycled water stream is combined with the process water.
18. A process line for mining an oil sands ore body, the process line comprising:
one or more excavators for mining oil sands ore;
one or more comminutors for receiving mined ore from the excavator, comminuting the mined ore to conveyable size and transferring the comminuted ore to one or more mobile conveyors for transporting the comminuted ore;
the one or more mobile conveyors each having a free end, a discharge end and at least one drive for advancing each of the one or more conveyors through an operational arc generally about the discharge end;
whereby the one or more excavators mine a section of ore within operational reach along the length of the one or more mobile conveyors and supply the mined ore to the one or more comminutors, and the one or more comminutors supply conveyable ore to the one or more mobile conveyors, and wherein the one or more mobile conveyors are each periodically moved about their discharge ends to locate another portion of the ore body within operational reach of the one or more mobile conveyors until substantially all of the ore body within the operational arc of each of the one or more mobile conveyors has been mined.