Patent Number: 060977906
Section: claims

1. A pressure partition, comprising: a thin film for dividing a predetermined space into two spatial zones; and  supporting means for supporting said film at an outside peripheral portion thereof, said supporting means having a curved surface for producing curvature in the outside peripheral portion of said film, wherein said curved surface is disposed at one of the two spatial zones having a lower pressure as compared with the other, and said curved surface has a convex shape with respect to a plane intersecting said film.  dividing a predetermined space into two spatial zones by use of a thin film;  supporting an outside peripheral portion of the film so that, due to a pressure difference between the two spatial zones, the film is deformed to follow a curved surface portion of a support; and  exposing a substrate with X-rays passed through the film.  dividing a predetermined space into two spatial zones by use of a thin film;  supporting an outside peripheral portion of the film so that, due to a pressure difference between the two spatial zones, the film is deformed to follow a curved surface portion of a support;  exposing a substrate with X-rays passed through the film; and  developing the exposed substrate.  a thin film for dividing a predetermined space into two spatial zones; and  supporting means for supporting said film at an outside peripheral portion thereof, said supporting means having a curved surface for producing curvature in the outside peripheral portion of said film, along a predetermined curvature plane, wherein said curved surface has a curvature radius which increases toward the center of said film.  a pressure partition comprising (i) a thin film for dividing a predetermined space into two spatial zones, and (ii) supporting means for supporting said film at an outside peripheral portion thereof, said supporting means having a curved surface for producing curvature in the outside peripheral portion of said film, along a predetermined curvature plane, wherein said curved surface has a curvature radius which increases toward the center of said film; and  substrate holding means for holding a substrate to be exposed with X-rays being extracted through said pressure partition.  providing a pressure partition that includes (i) a thin film for dividing a predetermined space into two spatial zones, and (ii) supporting means for supporting the film at an outside peripheral portion thereof, the supporting means having a curved surface for producing curvature in the outside peripheral portion of the film, along a predetermined curvature plane, wherein the curved surface has a curvature radius which increases toward the center of the film;  holding a substrate to be exposed with X-rays being extracted through the pressure partition; and  transferring a pattern onto a substrate to manufacture a device.  dividing a predetermined space into two spatial zones by use of a thin film; and  supporting an outside peripheral portion of the film so that, due to a pressure difference between the two spatial zones, the film is deformed to follow a curved surface portion of a support. 2. A pressure partition according to claim 1, wherein said curved surface has a curvature radius which is larger than the value of the curvature radius to be defined when a tension stress .sigma.f to be produced at the outside peripheral portion of said film by flexure thereof along said curved surface becomes equal to a difference between tension stresses .sigma..sub.1 and .sigma..sub.2, to be produced at the center portion and the outside peripheral portion of the film, respectively, by deflection of the film due to a pressure difference between the two spatial zones. 3. A pressure partition according to claim 1, wherein said curved surface has a curvature radius which increases toward the center of said film. 4. An exposure method, comprising the steps of: 5. A device manufacturing method, comprising the steps of: 6. A pressure partition, comprising: 7. An X-ray exposure apparatus, comprising: 8. An X-ray exposure apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said curved surface has a curvature radius which is larger than the value of the curvature radius to be defined when a tension stress .sigma.f to be produced at the outside peripheral portion of said film by flexure thereof along said curved surface becomes equal to a difference between tension stresses .sigma..sub.1 and .sigma..sub.2, to be produced at the center portion and the outside peripheral portion of the film, respectively, by deflection of the film due to a pressure difference between the two spatial zones. 9. A device manufacturing method comprising: 10. A device manufacturing method according to claim 9, wherein the curved surface has a curvature radius which is larger than the value of the curvature radius to be defined when a tension stress .sigma.f to be produced at the outside peripheral portion of the film by flexure thereof along the curved surface becomes equal to a difference between tension stresses .sigma..sub.1 and .sigma..sub.2, to be produced at the center portion and the outside peripheral portion of the film, respectively, by deflection of the film due to a pressure difference between the two spatial zones. 11. A partitioning method, comprising the steps of: 12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the curved surface portion of the support has a convex shape with respect to a plane intersecting the film. 13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the curved surface has a curvature radius which is larger than the value of the curvature radius to be defined when a tension stress .sigma.f to be produced at the outside peripheral portion of the film by flexure thereof along the curved surface becomes equal to a difference between tension stresses .sigma..sub.1 and .sigma..sub.2, to be produced at the center portion and the outside peripheral portion of the film, respectively, by deflection of the film due to a pressure difference between the two spatial zones. 14. A method according to claim 11, wherein the curved surface has a curvature radius which increases toward the center of the film.