Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus includes a light source for emitting light, a condensing optical system for receiving the light from the light source, for condensing the received light and for impinging the condensed light on a mask having a circuit pattern, a projection lens system for projecting the light passed through the mask onto a surface of a wafer, and an aperture member provided between the light source and the condensing optical system. The aperture member has a circular light transmitting portion for transmitting the light from the light source and a light blocking member extending across the circular light transmitting portion.

Abstract: An imaging method for imaging a fine pattern having linear features extending along orthogonal first and second directions, is disclosed which method is characterized by: providing a light source having decreased intensity portions at a center thereof and on first and second axes defined to intersect with each other at the center and defined along the first and second directions, respectively; and illuminating the pattern with light from the light source.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus and a device manufacturing method for transferring a device pattern on a substrate by illuminating the device pattern with light from a light source include features of changing a photointensity distribution of the light source and adjusting an illuminance distribution on the substrate in accordance with a change of the photointensity distribution.

Abstract: An imaging method for imaging a fine pattern having linear features extending along orthogonal first and second directions, is disclosed which method is characterized by: providing a light source having decreased intensity portions at a center thereof and on first and second axes defined to intersect with each other at the center and defined along the first and second directions, respectively; and illuminating the pattern with light from the light source.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for forming an image of a fine pattern having linear features extending in orthogonal first and second directions. The apparatus includes an illumination optical system for illuminating the pattern, the illumination optical system including a device for forming a secondary light source having decreased intensity portions at a center thereof and on first and second axes defined to intersect with each other at the center and defined along the first and second directions, respectively, wherein the secondary light source includes four sections being distributed in four quadrants defined by the center and the first and second axes, a projection optical system for projecting, on an image plane, an image of the pattern illuminated with light from the secondary light source, and a quartered detector, having four detector sections, for detecting a light quantity distribution of the secondary light source.

Abstract: A lithography process for forming a pattern having different sizes or different shapes of pattern components, comprises steps of exposing a resist to a predetermined light pattern by modified illumination, and removing, at least one step of forming the resist pattern, a region of the resist by employing a lithography-developing solution containing a surfactant, the surfactant being capable of promoting dissolution of a smaller pattern component to be removed of the resist.The surfactant is represented by the general formula below:HO(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.a (CH(CH.sub.3)CH.sub.2 O).sub.b (CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.c Hwhere a, b, and c are respectively an integer.The surfactant satisfies the relation:(A+C)/(A+B+C).ltoreq.0.3where A represents the molecular weight of HO(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.a, B represents the molecular weight of (CH(CH.sub.3)CH.sub.2 O).sub.b, and C represents the molecular weight of (CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.c H.

Abstract: An imaging method for imaging a fine pattern having linear features extending along orthogonal first and second directions is disclosed, which method is characterized by: providing a light source having decreased intensity portions at a center thereof and on first and second axes defined to intersect with each other at the center and defined along the first and second directions, respectively; and illuminating the pattern with light from the light source.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for and a method of forming an image of a fine pattern having linear features extending in orthogonal first and second directions. The apparatus includes an illumination optical system for illuminating the pattern. The illumination optical system includes a device for forming a secondary light source having decreased intensity portions at a center thereof and on first and second intersecting axes defined along the first and second directions, respectively. A projection optical system projects, on an image plane, an image of the pattern illuminated with light from the light source. The light source includes four sections having substantially the same intensity and being distributed in the four quadrants defined by the axes. An image of the light source is projected onto a pupil of the projection optical system.

Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing method is disclosed, which includes the steps of illuminating obliquely an original having a grating-like pattern, with a light beam having a main wavelength .lambda., and projecting a portion of diffraction light produced by the pattern onto a pupil plane of a projection optical system having a numerical aperture NA, so as to project the pattern onto a predetermined plane related to a photosensitive substrate, wherein the original has a partially isolated pattern and an auxiliary pattern, the partially isolated pattern is such a pattern having no adjoining pattern within a range of D.ltoreq.(.lambda./NA) where D is the distance from one side thereof as measured on the predetermined plane, the auxiliary pattern has a linewidth L which satisfies the relation L.ltoreq.0.2(.lambda.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus includes an illumination optical system for constituting illumination source for illuminating an original having an exposure pattern, the illumination optical system including changing mechanism for changing a shape of the illumination source; a projection optical system for projecting an image of the exposure pattern onto a surface to be exposed; an adjuster responsive to the changing mechanism to adjust the projection optical system.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus includes an illumination optical system for constituting illumination source for illuminating an original having an exposure pattern, the illumination optical system including changing mechanism for changing a shape of the illumination source; a projection optical system for projecting an image of the exposure pattern onto a surface to be exposed; an adjuster responsive to the changing mechanism to adjust the projection optical system.

Abstract: An imaging method for imaging a fine pattern having linear features extending along orthogonal first and second directions is disclosed, which method is characterized by: providing a light source having decreased intensity portions at a center thereof and on first and second axes defined to intersect with each other at the center and defined along the first and second directions, respectively; and illuminating the pattern with light from the light source.