Author: claimsbot

1. An image calibration method, comprising:
(a) sensing at least one target pixel of a sensing row from an effective pixel region of an image sensor to generate at least one target pixel value;
(b) at a same time point when step (a) is executed, sensing at least one reference pixel of a shading region in the image sensor to generate a calibration value, wherein the reference pixel and the sensing row do not belong to the same row; and
(c) referring to the calibration value to calibrate and output the target pixel value.
2. The image calibration method of claim 1, wherein the shading region comprises a plurality of regions, and step (b) senses a fixed region within the plurality of regions to generate the calibration value.
3. The image calibration method of claim 1, wherein the shading region comprises a plurality of regions, and step (b) senses at least one reference pixel of a specific area, which bears a specific relation with the sensing row sensed in step (a), within the shading region.
4. The image calibration method of claim 3, wherein the specific area is located in a row N, and the sensing row sensed in step (a) is a row N+X, where N and X are integers larger than 1.
5. The image calibration method of claim 1, wherein step (b) senses a plurality of pixel values of reference pixels of the shading region, and calculates an average value of the pixel values of the reference pixels to serve as the calibration value.
6. The image calibration method of claim 5, further comprising:
discarding a maximum value and a minimum value of the pixel values of the reference pixels, and then calculating an average value of pixel values of remaining reference pixels to serve as the calibration value.
7. An image processing system, comprising:
a pixel array, comprising:
an effective pixel region, comprising a plurality of sensing rows; and
a shading region;

a row sensor, for sensing at least one target pixel of one of the sensing rows to generate at least one target pixel value, and at a same time point when sensing one of the sensing rows, sensing at least one reference pixel of the shading region to generate a reference pixel value, wherein the reference pixel and the sensing row do not belong to the same row; and
a calculating unit, for referring to the reference pixel value to generate a calibration value and for calibrating the target pixel value according to the calibration value.
8. The image processing system of claim 7, wherein the shading region comprises a plurality of regions, and the row sensor senses a fixed region within the plurality of regions to generate the calibration value.
9. The image processing system of claim 7, wherein the shading region comprises a plurality of regions, and the row sensor senses at least one reference pixel of a specific area, which bears a specific relation with a sensing row sensed by the row sensor, within the shading region.
10. The image processing system of claim 9, wherein the specific area is located in a row N, and the sensing row sensed by the row sensor is a row N+X, where N and X are integers larger than 1.
11. The image processing system of claim 7, wherein the calculating unit calculates an average value of pixel values of reference pixels to serve as the calibration value.
12. The image processing system of claim 11, wherein the calculating unit discards a maximum value and a minimum value of the pixel values of the reference pixels, and then calculates an average value of pixel values of remaining reference pixels to serve as the calibration value.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. A projection optical system having both sides telecentric for projecting a pattern of a first object onto a second object, comprising:
a first lens group having a positive power and arranged between said first object and said second object;
a second lens group having a negative power, and arranged between said first lens group and said second object;
a third lens group having a positive power and arranged between said second lens group and said second object;
a fourth lens group having a negative power and arranged between said third lens group and said second object;
a fifth lens group having a positive power and arranged between said fourth lens group and said second object; and
wherein two lens surfaces of the first lens satisfy the condition 1exp3.5,
wherein said first material satisfies the condition n11.57,
wherein said projection optical system including a second lens made of a second material,
wherein two lens surfaces of the second lens satisfy the condition 2exp>3.5,
and wherein said second material satisfies the condition n2>1.57, where
exp: a diameter of an exposure area on the second object,
1: a diameter of a clear aperture of the two lens surfaces of the first lens,
2: a diameter of a clear aperture of the two lens surfaces of the second lens,
n1: a refractive index of the first lens, and
n2: a refractive index of the second lens.
2. The projection optical system of claim 1, wherein a sum of axial thicknesses (t5) of first said lens in the fifth lens group divided by a sum of axial thicknesses of all the lenses in the fifth lens group (t5) is greater than or equal to 0.2.
3. The projection optical system of claim 2, wherein at least one conditional expression is satisfied among the following conditional expressions:
0.04<f1L<0.40.015<f2L<0.150.02<f3L<0.20.015<f4L<0.150.03<f5L <0.3
where the focal length of said first lens group is designated as f1, the focal length of said second lens group is designated as f2, the focal length of said third lens group is designated as f3, the focal length of said fourth lens group is designated as f4, the focal length of said fifth lens group is designated as f5, and L is designated as the axial distance between said first object and said second object.
4. The projection optical system of claim 1, wherein at least one conditional expression is satisfied among the following conditional expressions:
0.04<f1L<0.40.015<f2L<0.150.02<f3L<0.20.015<f4L<0.150.03<f5L <0.3
where the focal length of said first lens group is designated as f1, the focal length of said second lens group is designated as f2, the focal length of said third lens group is designated as f3, the focal length of said fourth lens group is designated as f4, the focal length of said fifth lens group is designated as f5, and L is designated as the axial distance between said first object and said second object.
5. The projection optical system of claim 4, wherein each the following conditional expressions are satisfied simultaneously:
0.04<f1L<0.40.015<f2L<0.150.02<f3L<0.20.015<f4L<0.15
0:03<f5L<0.3.
6. The projection optical system of claim 1, wherein a maximum clear aperture (5n) among clear apertures of negatives lenses in said fifth lens group divided by a maximum clear aperture (5n) among the clear apertures of a plurality of lenses in said fifth lens group is greater than or equal to 0.7.
7. The projection optical system of claim 1, wherein the focal length (F) of said projection optical system divided by the distance (L) between said first object and said second object is greater than or equal to 0.6.
8. A projection exposure apparatus for projecting an image of patterns formed on a mask onto a workpiece, comprising:
a first stage that secures a mask as a first object;
an illumination system that illuminates an exposure light of a predetermined wavelength;
a second stage that secures said workpiece as a second object; and
a projection optical system arranged in an optical path between said mask and said workpiece,
wherein the projection optical system comprising:
a first lens group with a positive power, arranged between said mask and said workpiece;
a second lens group with a negative power, arranged between said first lens group and said workpiece;
a third lens group with a positive power, arranged between said second lens group and said workpiece;
a fourth lens group with a negative power, arranged between said third lens group and said workpiece;
a fifth lens group with a positive power, arranged between said fourth lens group and said workpiece; and
wherein said fifth lens group including at least two negative lens and a first lens made of a first material,
wherein two lens surfaces of the first lens satisfy the condition 1exp3.5,
wherein said first material satisfies the condition n1<1.57,
wherein said projection optical system including a second lens made of a second material,
wherein two lens surfaces of the second lens satisfy the condition 2exp>3.5,
and wherein said second material satisfies the condition n2>1.57, where
exp: a diameter of an exposure area on the second object,
1: a diameter of a clear aperture of the two lens surfaces of the first lens,
2: a diameter of a clear aperture of the two lens surfaces of the second lens,
n1: a refractive index of the first lens, and
n2: a refractive index of the second lens.
9. A method for transferring a pattern arranged on a mask onto a workpiece, comprising the steps of:
providing a projection optical system including:
a first lens group having a positive power and arranged between the mask and the workpiece;
a second lens group having a negative power and arranged between said first lens group and said workpiece;
a third lens group having a positive power and arranged between said second lens group and said workpiece;
a fourth lens group having a negative power and arranged between said third lens group and said workpiece;
a fifth lens group having a positive power and arranged between said fourth lens group and said workpiece;
wherein said fifth lens group including at least two negative lens and a first lens made of a first material,
wherein two lens surfaces of the first lens satisfy the condition 1exp3.5,
wherein said first material satisfies the condition n1<1.57,
wherein said projection optical system including a second lens made of a second material,
wherein two lens surfaces of the second lens satisfy the condition 2exp>3.5,
and wherein said second material satisfies the condition n2>1.57, where
exp: a diameter of an exposure area on the second object,
1: a diameter of a clear aperture of the two lens surfaces of the first lens,
2: a diameter of a clear aperture of the two lens surfaces of the second lens,
n1: a refractive index of the first lens, and
n2: a refractive index of the second lens;
illuminating said mask by use of a predetermined wavelength; and
operating the projection optical system so as to form in one lot a reduced image of an illuminated said mask into a predetermined field on the workpiece.
10. A method for transferring a pattern arranged on a mask onto a workpiece, comprising the steps of:
illuminating said mask by use of a predetermined wavelength;
forming in one lot a reduced image of an illuminated said mask into a predetermined field on the substrate by use of a projection optical system with a predetermined workpiece side numerical aperture, such that said predetermined field includes a rectangular field of at least 2533 mm, and the maximum value of said predetermined workpiece side numerical aperture is over 0.5 at said substrate side.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein said step for illumination includes a sub-step that forms a secondary light source of a predetermined distribution at an illumination pupil, and said predetermined distribution in said sub-step is an area on the illumination pupil where the light intensity in the center area of the pupil including the optical axis is set to be smaller than one in the peripheral area of said center area of pupil.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein said predetermined distribution in said sub-step is substantially annular shaped.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein a ratio of the internal diameter to the external diameter of the light intensity distribution of said annular shape is set within the range of 0.3 through 0.7.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the light intensity distribution of said illuminated pupil is substantially formed without loss of light quantity.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein said predetermined wavelength includes 365 nm.
16. A projection exposure apparatus for projecting an image of a pattern that is arranged on a mask onto a workpiece comprising:
an illumination system that illuminates an exposure light of a predetermined wavelength to the mask;
a projection optical system arranged in the optical path between said mask and said workpiece, configured to form in one lot a reduced image of said illuminated mask into a predetermined field on said substrate, and having a predetermined workpiece side numerical aperture;
wherein said projection optical system includes a plurality of optical elements, and the shape and position of said plurality of optical elements is such that said predetermined field includes a rectangular field of at least 2533 mm, and also the maximum value of said predetermined workpiece side numerical aperture is determined to be over 0.5.
17. The projection exposure apparatus of claim 16, wherein said illumination system forms the secondary light source of a predetermined distribution on an illumination pupil which is conjugate to the pupil of said projection optical system, and said predetermined distribution on said illumination pupil is an area on the illumination pupil where the light intensity in the center area of the illumination pupil including the optical axis is set to be smaller than one in the peripheral area of said center area of the illumination pupil.
18. The projection exposure apparatus of claim 16, wherein said predetermined distribution on said illumination pupil formed by said illumination system is substantially annular shaped.
19. The projection exposure apparatus of claim 16, wherein the ratio of the internal diameter over the external diameter of the light intensity distribution of said annular shape is set within the range between 0.3 and 0.7.
20. The projection exposure apparatus of claim 16, wherein the light intensity distribution on said illumination pupil is substantially formed without loss of light quantity.
21. The projection exposure apparatus of claim 16, wherein said predetermined wavelength of said exposure light includes 365 nm.
22. A photolithography method comprising the steps of:
transferring a first pattern to a rectangular pattern transfer area on a workpiece by use of a scanning type projection exposure apparatus; and
transferring a second pattern to said rectangular pattern transfer area by using a batch exposure type projection exposure apparatus having a shape similar to said rectangular pattern transfer area,
wherein said batch exposure type projection exposure apparatus comprising a projection optical system having an exposure area with a nearly integer multiples of said rectangular transfer area and having a predetermined workpiece side numerical aperture, and wherein said projection optical system including a plurality of optical elements shaped and positioned such that said exposure area includes a rectangular field of at least 2533 mm, and a maximum value of said predetermined workpiece side numerical aperture is greater than or equal to 0.5.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein said batch type projection exposure apparatus includes an illumination system that illuminates the exposure light of the predetermined wavelength to the mask, said illumination system forms the secondary light source of the predetermined distribution to the illumination pupil which is conjugate to a pupil of said projection optical system, and said predetermined distribution on said illumination pupil is such that the light intensity in the center area of the illumination pupil including the optical axis in the area on said illumination pupil is set smaller than one in the periphery area of said center area of the illumination pupil.
24. The method of claim 22, wherein the resolving power of said projection optical system of said batch type projection exposure apparatus is at least 0.35 nm.
25. An exposure system comprising:
a scanning type projection exposure device configured for transferring a first pattern onto a rectangular pattern transfer area of a workpiece;
a batch exposure type projection exposure device configured for transferring a second pattern to said rectangular pattern transfer area, said batch type projection exposure apparatus being of a similar shape to said rectangular pattern transfer area;
a projection optical system having an exposure area with an area of nearly integer multiples of said rectangular pattern transfer area and a plurality of optical elements shaped and positioned such that said exposure area includes a rectangular field of at least 2533 mm, and also the maximum value of said predetermined numerical aperture at a side of said workpiece is determined to be greater than or equal to 0.5.
26. The exposure system of claim 25, wherein said batch type projection exposure apparatus includes an illumination system configured for illuminating the exposure light at a predetermined wavelength to the mask, and said illumination system forms a secondary light source of the predetermined distribution to an illumination pupil which is conjugate to the pupil with said projection optical system, and said predetermined distribution on said illumination pupil is such that the light intensity in the center area of the illumination pupil including the optical axis in the area on said illumination pupil is set smaller than one in the periphery area of said center area of the illumination pupil.
27. The exposure system of claim 25, wherein the resolving power of said projection optical system of said batch type projection exposure apparatus is at least 0.35 nm.
28. A projection optical system for projecting onto a workpiece a reduced image pattern arranged on the mask based on the exposure light of a predetermined wavelength, comprising:
a plurality of optical elements arranged to each receive said exposure light, each of said plurality of optical elements being shaped and positioned to be substantially aberration-free within an image circle having a diameter of at least 42 mm, such that a maximum value of a numerical aperture at a side of the workpiece is determined to be greater than or equal to 0.5.
29. The projection optical system of claim 28, wherein each of said plurality of optical elements is arranged along an optical axis that is extends along a straight line.
30. The projection optical system of claim 28, wherein each of said plurality of optical elements of said projection optical system are shaped and positioned such that both sides of said mask and said workpiece are set to be telecentric.
31. A batch type projection exposure apparatus for being used in conjunction with a scanning type exposure apparatus, comprising:
an illumination optical including a light source, that illuminates an exposure light from the light source onto a mask; and
a projection optical system including an image field, that projects a reduction image of a pattern on the mask onto the image field on a workpiece,
wherein said image field includes a rectangular shaped maximum exposure area of the scanning type exposure apparatus,
and wherein said projection optical system having a numerical aperture at the side of workpiece is greater than or equal to 0.5.
32. The batch type projection exposure apparatus of claim 31, wherein said rectangular shaped maximum exposure area of the scanning type exposure apparatus includes rectangular field of at least 2533 mm.
33. The product of the process according to claim 22.

1. An electrical contact with double-knife coupling, particularly for disconnectors, switches or the like, comprising a main contact pin and two mutually facing knives which can move toward or away from each other, said knives being movable together in order to pass from an active position, in which they engage said main contact pin with their mutually facing faces, to an inactive position, in which they are disengaged from said main contact pin, or vice versa; a spacer being interposed between said knives and limiting the maximum mutual approach of said knives in order to allow the insertion of said main contact pin between said knives in their transition from said inactive position to said active position, and elastic means being provided which contrast elastically the mutual spacing of said knives starting from the condition of maximum mutual approach in order to maintain the contact of said knives, in said active position, with said main contact pin, and further comprising means for indicating the degree of wear of the region of contact of said knives with said main contact pin.
2. The electrical contact according to claim 1, wherein said means for indicating the degree of wear comprise a connecting pin, which mutually connects said knives in a detection region, which is spaced from their region that can engage said main contact pin, and is arranged so that its axis is perpendicular to the mutually facing faces of said knives; said knives being able to slide along said connecting pin toward each other, due to the action of said elastic means, or away from each other due to engagement with said main contact pin; an indicator being fitted on said connecting pin and being lockable on said connecting pin by the contact of said knives against the axial ends of said indicator; said indicator having dimensions, parallel to the axis of said connecting pin, which correspond to the maximum mutual acceptable approach, at said detection region, for said knives in engagement with said main contact pin.
3. The electrical contact according to claim 2, wherein said indicator comprises a sleeve, which is fitted around said connecting pin and whose axial ends face the mutually facing faces of said knives; said sleeve being able to rotate freely with respect to said connecting pin about its own axis in the absence of contact of said knives against its axial ends.
4. The electrical contact according to claim 1, wherein said knives are substantially parallel to each other and in that said sleeve has an axial length equal to the dimensions of said main contact pin along a direction which is perpendicular to the planes of arrangement of said knifes minus the acceptable wear for said knives along the same direction.
5. The electrical contact according to claim 3, wherein said spacer is constituted by said sleeve.
6. The electrical contact according to claim 3, wherein said sleeve can slide freely axially along said connecting pin in the absence of contact of said knives against its axial ends.
7. The electrical contact according to claim 3, wherein the outer lateral surface of said sleeve is knurled.
8. The electrical contact according to claim 1, wherein said connecting pin passes coaxially through two through holes, which are formed in said knives and are mutually aligned along a direction which is perpendicular to the planes of arrangement of said knives; said connecting pin having, at its axial ends, two portions which form two mutually opposite shoulders which engage the faces of said knives that lie opposite with respect to the mutually facing faces; said two portions of the connecting pin being movable away from each other in contrast with said elastic means.
9. The electrical contact according to claim 8, wherein said elastic means are contained within the axial dimensions of said connecting pin.
10. The electrical contact according to claim 8, wherein said elastic means are accommodated in said connecting pin.
11. The electrical contact according to claim 1, wherein said connecting pin comprises a substantially cylindrical body inside which there is a coaxial cylindrical cavity starting from one of its axial ends; a first one of said two portions being constituted by a flange of the lateral surface of said body at said axial end, the second of said portions being associated with a shaft which is accommodated coaxially within said cavity and protrudes from the axial end of said body that lies opposite with respect to the axial end provided with said flange, said elastic means being accommodated in said body and being interposed between the bottom of said cavity and the axial end of said shaft that lies opposite with respect to the end that supports said second portion.

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 method of providing a media cartridge to a data storage and retrieval system, comprising:
inserting at least one media cartridge into a first opening of a cartridge storage device, wherein access to said first opening is provided by an opening in the data storage and retrieval system, the first opening being accessible when the cartridge storage device is fully inserted in the data storage and retrieval system;
removing said at least one media cartridge from said cartridge storage device from a second opening thereof, wherein said second opening is on an opposite side of the cartridge storage device than the first opening, the at least one cartridge being movable along a path of movement between the first and second openings, wherein the openings respectively lie on lines tangent to the path of movement of the at least one cartridge through the cartridge storage device and generally parallel to a portion of the path of movement of the at least one cartridge through the cartridge storage device; and
inserting said at least one media cartridge into a tape drive of said data storage and retrieval system.
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising retrieving information about the at least one media cartridge in the cartridge storage device using a method selected from a group consisting of: viewing the at least one media cartridge in the cartridge storage device, reading a nonvolatile memory of the at least one media cartridge, and optically scanning the at least one media cartridge.
3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising simultaneously performing the method of claim 1 using a second cartridge storage device, a second at least one media cartridge, and the same data storage and retrieval system.
4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising removing the cartridge storage device from the data storage and retrieval system and coupling the cartridge storage device to a second data storage and retrieval system.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge storage device comprises a housing having a front and a back; a plurality of cells in the housing, each cell adapted for receiving a media cartridge; and a drive mechanism for selectively driving the cells towards the second opening of the housing, the second opening allowing insertion and retrieval of the cartridges from the cells.
6. A data storage and retrieval system, comprising:
a plurality of slots adapted for receiving system components;
at least one drive for reading data from a media cartridge;
at least one cartridge storage device capable of storing several of the cartridges, the at least one cartridge storage device having a front side, a back and sidewalls extending between the front side and the back, the at least one cartridge storage device being positioned in the slot front side first, wherein each slot in which a cartridge storage device is positioned has an opening for allowing access to the front of the cartridge storage device while inserted in the slot; and
a picker for retrieving and inserting cartridges from the at least one cartridge storage device and transporting the cartridges between the at least one drive and the at least one media storage device,
wherein at least one of the cartridge storage devices is not adjacent to any of the drives.