Abstract: A method of controlling a conveying device having a gripping hand for gripping an article to be conveyed and a conveying mechanism for conveying the gripping hand, wherein a pressing force applied to the gripping hand through the article being conveyed is detected and the conveying operation of the conveying mechanism is stopped when the pressing force exceeds a predetermined force.

Abstract: A method of exposing a wafer to exposure energy such as ultraviolet rays or X-rays through a mask to transfer a pattern of the mask onto the wafer, for example. The temperature of the mask and/or the wafer increases during the exposure operation by absorption of the exposure energy. While the wafer is being exposed, the temperature of the mask and/or the wafer is detected. If the temperature is going to exceed an exposable temperature range determined on the basis of the line width of the pattern to be transferred, the exposure operation is interrupted. Then, the heat accumulated in the mask and/or the wafer is removed. Thereafter, the exposure operation is resumed. This is repeated until the predetermined or required amount of exposure is reached, for one shot. By this, thermal expansion of the mask and the wafer during the exposure operation is prevented to assure the precision of the pattern transfer.

Abstract: A temperature controlling device suitably usable in a semiconductor microcircuit manufacturing exposure apparatus exposes a semiconductor wafer to a mask to print a pattern of the mask on the wafer. The device includes a constant-temperature liquid medium supplying system for controlling temperature of a liquid at high precision, a distributing system for distributing the supplied liquid medium into plural flow passages, to supply the liquid medium to plural subjects of control such as, for example, a mask stage, a wafer stage and the like. The device further includes a plurality of temperature controls each being provided in corresponding one of the flow passages, for correction of any variance in temperature of the distributed liquid medium, resulting from pressure loss energies in the respective flow passages. Thus, temperatures of plural subjects of control can be controlled efficiently and with a simple structure.

Abstract: A position detecting apparatus usable for aligning mask and a semiconductor wafer, wherein a laser beam produced by a semiconductor laser is projected through a predetermined optical system to alignment marks formed on the mask and the wafer, and the light reflected by the marks are detected by an accumulation type sensor to produce an electrical signal, from which the relative positional relation between the mask and the wafer are detected on the basis of the electrical signal. To obtain proper mark signals, the quantity of light incident on the accumulation sensor is controlled. In this apparatus, the beam emitting strength of the semiconductor laser is made constant, and the control of thee amount of light incident on the accumulation sensor is effected by controlling the operation period of the semiconductor laser.

Abstract: An exposure method for manufacture of semiconductor devices, includes moving a shutter having an edge so that the edge is related to a predetermined exposure region; projecting an exposure beam to the edge of the shutter and to at least a portion of the exposure region; determining a position of a shadow of the edge of the shutter formed by the exposure beam with respect to a predetermined coordinate system related to movement of a movable chuck; adjusting the shutter in accordance with the determination; placing a substrate on the chuck; moving the chuck so that the substrate is related to the exposure region; and controlling the exposure of the substrate with the exposure beam through the shutter.

Abstract: A wafer table includes a wafer holding surface for holding a wafer by attraction; a flow passageway through which a temperature adjusting medium flows to remove any heat in the wafer table; a temperature measuring system for measuring the temperature of the wafer held by the wafer holding surface; a temperature adjusting system disposed between the wafer holding surface and the flow passageway; a temperature setting system for setting a temperature related to the wafer held by the wafer holding surface; a flow rate controlling system for controlling the flow rate of the temperature adjusting medium to be circulated through the flow passageway; and a temperature controlling system for controlling the operation of the temperature adjusting system related to heat, on the basis of a value set by the temperature setting system and a value measured by the temperature measuring system.

Abstract: A conveying apparatus includes a plurality of position limiting devices provided along the direction of conveyance and a selecting device operable to select one of or those of the plurality of position limiting devices which are effective in view of a target position, before a start of conveyance. The selecting device is further operable to select, again, one of or those of the plurality of position limiting devices which are effective in view of the current position of an article being conveyed, after a start of conveyance.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for printing a pattern of a mask to a wafer includes a mask moving mechanism for moving the mask; a wafer moving mechanism or moving the wafer along a predetermined movement coordinate; a measuring system for measuring an error with respect to the movement coordinate, resulting from the movement of the mask by the mask moving mechanism; and a memorizing device for memorizing a data table prepared on the basis of the error measured by the measuring system; wherein the wafer moving mechanism uses the data in the data table when it moves the wafer for positioning of the wafer with respect to the mask.

Abstract: An exposure method for manufacture of semiconductor devices, includes moving a shutter having an edge so that the edge is related to a predetermined exposure region; projecting an exposure beam to the edge of the shutter and to at least a portion of the exposure region; determining a position of a shadow of the edge of the shutter formed by the exposure beam with respect to a predetermined coordinate system related to movement of a movable chuck; adjusting the shutter in accordance with the determination; placing a substrate on the chuck; moving the chuck so that the substrate is related to the exposure region; and controlling the exposure of the substrate with the exposure beam through the shutter.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus usable with synchrotron radiation source wherein the synchrotron radiation is generated by electron injection into a ring. The exposure apparatus is to transfer a semiconductor element pattern of a mask onto a semiconductor wafer by the synchrotron radiation. The apparatus includes a shutter for controlling the exposure of the wafer. The shutter controls the exposure with the illuminance distribution on the wafer surface taken into account. The illuminance distribution is determined in response to the electron injection, and thereafter, the illuminance distribution is corrected in a predetermined manner. By this, the illuminance distribution data for controlling the shutter always correspond to the actual illuminance distribution. The entire shot areas of the semiconductor wafer are exposed with high precision.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes a chamber for placing an article in a predetermined ambience; a holding device for holding the article in the chamber; a fluid supplying device for supplying a temperature adjusting fluid into the holding device through a flow passageway; a detecting device for detecting leakage of the fluid from the flow passageway; and a flow rate controlling device for controlling the flow rate of the fluid to be supplied to the holding device on the basis of the detection by the detecting device.

Abstract: An alignment system usable in an exposure apparatus for printing a pattern of a mask on a wafer, for aligning the mask and the wafer, is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of position detecting devices; a plurality of driving stages corresponding to the position detecting devices, respectively, each driving stage being adapted to move a corresponding one of the position detecting devices two-dimensionally along a plane which is substantially opposed to the mask; a plurality of contacts corresponding to the position detecting devices, respectively, each contact being provided at an end portion of a corresponding one of the position detecting devices, along the plane and facing the pattern side; a detecting device for detecting mutual approach of the position detecting devices through at least one of the contacts; and a control device for controlling movement of at least one of the driving stages in accordance with the detection by the detecting device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a temperature control system for a lithographic exposure apparatus wherein a mask and wafer are closely disposed, and predetermined exposure energy is applied to respective shot areas of the wafer through the mask. The exposure energy is a soft-X-ray source, for example. The pattern of the mask is transferred onto the respective shot areas in a step-and-repeat manner. In the apparatus, a temperature control medium liquid is supplied into the wafer chuck which supports the wafer at the exposure position. The flow rate of the temperature control liquid is different during an exposure operation than during a non-exposure-operation. The flow control is determined in consideration of the wafer chuck vibration attributable to the supply of the liquid medium and also, of the heat generation in the wafer by the exposure energy, so that the vibration of the wafer chuck during the exposure operation is suppressed. Simultaneously the temperature rise of the wafer can also be suppressed.

Abstract: An alignment system for aligning a mask and a wafer into a predetermined positional relationship uses alignment marks provided on the mask and the water. In this system, light from a light source is directed to the alignment marks of the mask and the wafer and, then, the light from these alignment marks is detected by an accumulation type photoelectric converting device, for alignment of the mask and the wafer. The accumulation time of the photoelectric converting device is controlled to be sufficiently longer than or to be equal to a multiple, by an integral number, of the period of relative and natural vibration of the mask and the wafer. This makes it possible to reduce the effect of the relative vibration of the mask and the wafer upon the alignment result and, therefore, makes it possible to enhance the alignment precision.

Abstract: Exposure apparatus and control of the same, for exposing a semiconductor wafer to a mask with a predetermined radiation energy, for manufacture of semiconductor devices, is disclosed. During a time period in which the mask-to-wafer alignment or the exposure of the wafer to the mask is made, the operation of any other driving device that has no participation in the aligning operation or the exposure operation, is prohibited. This ensures high-precision pattern printing.

Abstract: Synchrotron orbital radiation (SOR) exposure system includes a SOR ring and a plurality of exposure apparatus each being coupled to the SOR ring and being arranged to expose a wafer to a mask pattern with X-rays contained in synchrotron radiation from the SOR ring to thereby print the mask pattern on the wafer. Specific arrangement is provided to allow communication of a control of the SOR ring and respective controls of the exposure apparatuses. If any abnormality such as vacuum leakage occurs in one exposure apparatus, the information is transmitted to all the controls to start, in all the exposure apparatuses, appropriate operations to protect the exposure apparatuses against the abnormality. This makes it possible to prevent stoppage of the SOR exposure system as a whole even when any abnormality occurs in one exposure apparatus.

Abstract: An alignment and exposure apparatus in which sequential operations of pattern projection for projecting a pattern of a first object, at a reduced ratio, onto a second object through an optical system, stepwise movement for moving the second object stepwise relative to the first object, detection for detecting any positional deviation between the first and second objects at a position at which the stepwise movement of the second object is terminated, and correction for correcting the positional relation between the first and second objects on the basis of the detected positional deviation, are repeated relative to the second object to thereby print the patterns onto the second object in a reduced scale.