What is claimed is:
1. A method for exposure processing of a semiconductor device in which a predetermined pattern is transferred onto a semiconductor device, comprising:
a step of reading, from a database, illumination parameters, photoresist parameters, circuit pattern information and aberration information of projection lenses used in a plurality of exposure devices, for carrying out the pattern transfer;
a step of performing optical development simulation based on the illumination parameters, photoresist parameters, circuit pattern information and the plurality of sets of aberration information, for carrying out the pattern transfer;
a step of calculating margins of exposure energy and focus as well as optimum values of exposure energy and focus offset; and
a step of carrying out the exposure process using, from the plurality of exposure devices, an exposure device for which the margins of exposure energy and focus satisfy a predetermined tolerance.
2. The method for exposure processing of a semiconductor device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:
a step of calculating an assignment priority order of exposure devices using the margins of exposure energy and focus in the plurality of exposure devices calculated by the calculation step; and
an exposure device assignment step of selecting an exposure device used for the exposure processing based on the priority order of the exposure devices.
3. The method for exposure processing of a semiconductor device in accordance with claim 1,
wherein the exposure parameter calculation step determines, with an optical development simulator, ranges of exposure energy and focus in which variations of the transfer pattern are within a predetermined range, and takes their central values as the optimum values of exposure energy and focus offset.
4. The method for exposure processing of a semiconductor device in accordance with claim 2,
wherein the exposure device assignment step comprises:
(1) a step of calculating an assignment priority order for each exposure device, based on order conditions for the semiconductor device and on production progress information of a semiconductor fabrication line;
(2) a step of calculating an assignment priority order from margins of exposure energy and focus calculated in the exposure parameter calculation step; and
(3) a step of calculating an assignment priority order in a process using weighting functions set for the semiconductor device in accordance with the assignment priority orders of the exposure devices calculated in said steps (1) and (2).
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. An implantable medical system configured to deliver electrical stimulation from within a lumen of a blood vessel within a patient to nerve tissue located adjacent to and outside of the blood vessel, the system comprising:
a generally cylindrical expandable and contractible lead member arranged within the blood vessel lumen relative to the nerve tissue; and
a plurality of electrodes connected to the lead member;
wherein the lead member is temporarily deployable for testing multiple combinations of the plurality of electrodes before deploying the lead member for chronic therapy of the patient.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrodes are arranged on an exterior surface of the lead member in one or more columns substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the lead member.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrodes are arranged on an exterior surface of the lead member in one or more columns oriented at an angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the lead member.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the lead member comprises a helical structure with the plurality of electrodes on the helical structure.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the electrodes are arranged on an exterior of the helical structure in one or more columns generally parallel to a trajectory of the helical ribbon.
6. The system of claim 4, wherein the helical structure is expandable in a transverse direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the lead member by bringing two ends of the lead member closer to one another and contractible in the transverse direction by pulling the two ends of the lead member away from each other.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the helical structure comprises one of a helical ribbon or an elongated substantially cylindrical helical structure.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the lead member comprises a stent.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the stent lead member comprises a mesh of material segments each of which is pivotally joined at either end to another segment at a vertex to form a plurality of polygons.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the mesh stent lead member is expandable and contractible by rotation of the material segments with respect to each other at the plurality of vertices at which the segments are pivotally joined.
11. The system of claim 9, wherein the electrodes are arranged at a plurality of the vertices pivotally joining the material segments forming the mesh stent lead member.
12. The system of claim 8, wherein the stent lead member comprises a drug-eluting layer configured to interact with tissue of the blood vessel.
13. The system of claim 1 further comprising a catheter configured to hold the lead member in an at least partially contracted state.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the catheter comprises a lumen in which the lead member is arranged and including one or more apertures arranged over one or more of the plurality of electrodes connected to the lead member.
15. The system of claim 1, wherein the nerve tissue comprises one of a vagus nerve, a hypoglossal nerve, a nerve plexus, nerve ganglia, or a vascular baroreceptors.
16. A method comprising:
arranging a generally cylindrical expandable and contractible lead member within a lumen of a blood vessel adjacent target nerve tissue;
temporarily deploying the cylindrical lead member within the lumen relative to the nerve tissue;
energizing one or more electrodes connected to the cylindrical lead member to deliver electrical stimulation from within the blood vessel lumen to the nerve tissue; and
chronically deploying the cylindrical lead member in an expanded state within the lumen relative to the nerve tissue.
17. The method of claim 16 further comprising determining an efficacy of the nerve tissue stimulation.
18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:
comparing the efficacy of the nerve tissue stimulation to a threshold efficacy; and
redeploying the cylindrical lead member within the lumen relative to the nerve tissue, if the efficacy of the nerve tissue stimulation does not meet or exceed the threshold efficacy.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein, if the efficacy of the nerve tissue stimulation does not meet or exceed the threshold efficacy, then further comprising:
energizing one or more electrodes connected to the redeployed cylindrical lead member to deliver electrical stimulation from within the blood vessel lumen to the nerve tissue; and
determining if an efficacy of the electrical stimulation delivered by the redeployed cylindrical lead member meets or exceeds the threshold efficacy.
20. The method of claim 16, wherein deploying the cylindrical lead member within the lumen relative to the nerve tissue comprises:
orienting the electrodes connected to the cylindrical lead member within the lumen relative to the nerve tissue; and
selecting one or more combinations of the plurality of electrodes to deliver electrical stimulation from within the blood vessel lumen to the nerve tissue.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein deploying the cylindrical lead member within the lumen relative to the nerve tissue further comprises expanding the cylindrical lead member.
22. The method of claim 16, wherein the nerve tissue comprises one of a vagus nerve, a hypoglossal nerve, a nerve plexus, nerve ganglia, or a vascular baroreceptor.