Abstract: An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate to light. An illumination optical system illuminates a mask with illumination light, and a projection optical system projects a pattern of the mask onto the substrate. The illumination light contains a primary component of polarized light and a secondary component of the polarized light, which are perpendicular to each other, and the illumination optical system includes a phase difference adjusting unit configured to adjust a phase difference between the primary component of the polarized light and the secondary component of the polarized light, without changing a direction of the primary component of the polarized light.

Abstract: An exposure method for exposing a pattern of a reticle onto a plate using a light from a light source and an optical system includes the steps of obtaining a relationship between an exposure parameter that determines a mode to expose a plate, and an electrical characteristic of a device derived from the device, determining whether the device obtained from the set exposure parameter has a predetermined electrical characteristic, and adjusting the set exposure parameter based on the relationship between the exposure parameter and the electrical characteristic, if the determining step determines that the device does not have the predetermined electrical characteristic.

Abstract: An illumination optical system comprises a first polarization control unit which is located between a light source and a pupil of an illumination optical system, and a second polarization control unit which is located between the first polarization control unit and the pupil, wherein a region on the pupil includes a plurality of partial regions which are classified into a first group including a partial region having a largest area, and a second group including a partial region different from the partial region having the largest area, and the second polarization control unit controls a polarization state in the partial region which belongs to only the second group.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus comprises an illumination optical system configured to illuminate a reticle with a light beam from a light source, a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of the reticle onto a substrate, a measurement unit configured to measure a light quantity distribution in an exposure area on an image plane of the projection optical system, and a detection unit configured to detect an existence of a foreign particle in the illumination optical system and the projection optical system based on the light quantity distribution measured by the measurement unit.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate to light includes an illumination optical system which illuminates a mask with illumination light, and a projection optical system which projects the pattern of the mask onto the substrate. The illumination light contains the primary component of polarized light and the secondary component of the polarized light, which are perpendicular to each other. The illumination optical system includes a phase difference adjusting unit including a function of continuously adjusting the phase difference between the primary component of the polarized light and the secondary component of the polarized light without changing the direction of the primary component of the polarized light.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus comprises an illumination optical system and a projection optical system. The illumination optical system includes an optical integrator configured to emit a plurality of light fluxes from an exit surface thereof, a diffraction optical element configured to form a predetermined light intensity distribution on an incident surface of the optical integrator, and a polarization optical element configured to adjust a polarization state of the incident light. The polarization optical element has a pattern with which the polarization optical element functions as a birefringent element, the pattern changing in density between a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and having a sub wavelength structure having a cycle not more than a wavelength of the light from the light source, and the polarization optical element is arranged near or on the incident surface on which the diffraction optical element forms the light intensity distribution.

Abstract: An illumination optical system for illuminating a target surface using light from a light source, said illumination optical system includes a polarizing element that is arranged in an optical path from the light source to the target surface, and adjusts a polarization ratio of the light, and an optical element that is arranged in an optical path from the polarizing element to the target surface, wherein the total birefringence of the optical element is m+2?<1.0 nm/cm, where an average of birefringence amount of a glass material of the optical element is m, and standard variation birefringence amount of a glass material of the optical element is ?.

Abstract: An exposure method for exposing a pattern of a reticle onto a plate using a light from a light source and an optical system includes the steps of obtaining a relationship between an exposure parameter that determines a mode to expose a plate, and an electrical characteristic of a device derived from the device, determining whether the device obtained from the set exposure parameter has a predetermined electrical characteristic, and adjusting the set exposure parameter based on the relationship between the exposure parameter and the electrical characteristic, if the determining step determines that the device does not have the predetermined electrical characteristic.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an illumination optical system for illuminating an reticle using light from a light source, a projection optical system for projecting a pattern of the reticle onto a substrate, and a variable stop having an opening for regulating an illumination area on the substrate, said variable stop is arranged near a position conjugate with the substrate, wherein a position of the variable stop is variable along an optical axis of the illumination optical system or an optical axis of the projection optical system.

Abstract: An illumination optical system for illuminating a target surface using light from a light source, includes a sensor for detecting a light intensity of the light, a light splitter for splitting part of the light, and an optical element, arranged between the light source and the light splitter, for transmitting the light, and for reflecting the part of the light that has been split by the light splitter, towards the sensor.

Abstract: A method for forming a three-dimensional structure made of a photosensitive material on a substrate includes the steps of determining a film thickness of the photosensitive material necessary to form the desired three-dimensional structure, comparing a predetermined maximum film thickness with the film thickness determined by the determining step, and applying, when the film thickness determined by the determining step is greater than the predetermined maximum film thickness, the photosensitive material within the maximum film thickness plural times until the photosensitive material has the film thickness on the substrate.

Abstract: An illumination optical system for illuminating a target surface using light from a light source, said illumination optical system includes a polarizing element that is arranged in an optical path from the light source to the target surface, and adjusts a polarization ratio of the light, and an optical element that is arranged in an optical path from the polarizing element to the target surface, wherein the total birefringence of the optical element is m+2?<1.0 nm/cm, where an average of birefringence amount of a glass material of the optical element is m, and standard variation birefringence amount of a glass material of the optical element is ?.

Abstract: An illumination optical system for illuminating a target surface using light from a light source, includes a sensor for detecting a light intensity of the light, a light splitter for splitting part of the light, and an optical element, arranged between the light source and the light splitter, for transmitting the light, and for reflecting the part of the light that has been split by the light splitter, towards the sensor.

Abstract: Disclosed is an illumination optical system for illuminating a surface, to be illuminated, with use of light from a light source, which includes a diffractive optical element for forming a desired light intensity distribution upon a predetermined plane, and an angular distribution transforming unit for transforming an angular distribution of light incident or to be incident on the diffractive optical element into a desired distribution.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an illumination optical system for illuminating an reticle using light from a light source, a projection optical system for projecting a pattern of the reticle onto a substrate, and a variable stop having an opening for regulating an illumination area on the substrate, said variable stop is arranged near a position conjugate with the substrate, wherein a position of the variable stop is variable along an optical axis of the illumination optical system or an optical axis of the projection optical system.

Abstract: An exposure method illuminates a mask that forms a desired pattern and an auxiliary pattern smaller than the desired pattern, and projects light from the mask onto an object to be exposed via a projection optical system at a position offset from a focus position that provides the highest resolution so that the auxiliary pattern is not resolved.

Abstract: An exposure amount control method includes steps of illuminating an original with exposure light, emitted from a light source, through one or more light intensity uniforming optical systems, so that a pattern of the original illuminated is projected and printed on a substrate, measuring, by use of a first illuminance sensor, and illuminance of the exposure light as branched at a light source of the or one of the light intensity uniforming optical systems which is closest to the original, controlling an exposure amount of the substrate on the basis of a measurement output of the first illuminance sensor, measuring, by use of a second illuminance sensor, an illuminance at a position substantially conjugate with the substrate, and calibrating an output of the first illuminance sensor on the basis of a measurement output of the second illuminance sensor.

Abstract: A three-dimensional structure forming method that forms a three-dimensional structure made of a photosensitive material on a substrate includes the steps of determining a film thickness of the photosensitive material necessary to form the desired three-dimensional structure, comparing a predetermined maximum film thickness with the film thickness determined by the determining step, and applying, when the film thickness determined by the determining step is greater than the predetermined maximum film thickness, the photosensitive material within the maximum film thickness plural times until the photosensitive material has the film thickness on the substrate.

Abstract: An exposure method illuminates a mask that forms a desired pattern and an auxiliary pattern smaller than the desired pattern, and projects light from the mask onto an object to be exposed via a projection optical system at a position offset from a focus position that provides the highest resolution so that the auxiliary pattern is not resolved.

Abstract: An illumination system includes an optical system, an optical integrator and a condenser. The optical system collects light from a light source and includes a mirror for reflecting the light. The mirror has an ellipsoidal reflection surface of a shape being out of axial symmetry for defining an aperture of rectangular or semicircular shape as seen in an optical axis direction. The optical integrator produces plural light beams by use of light from the optical system and includes an array of condensing elements having a light entrance surface of rectangular shape as seen in the optical axis direction. A lengthwise direction of the rectangular-shaped or semicircular-shaped aperture of the ellipsoidal reflection surface corresponds to a lengthwise direction of the rectangular-shape light entrance surface of the condensing elements. The condenser illuminates a surface to be illuminated by use of the plural light beams.