Abstract: Disclosed is an exposure apparatus for illuminating a reflection type mask with light from a light source and for exposing a substrate with a pattern of the illuminated reflection type mask, wherein the apparatus includes a projection optical system for projecting the pattern of the reflection type mask onto the substrate, the projection optical system having a stop, wherein the stop has a first opening for defining a numerical aperture of the projection optical system, and a second opening through which light from the reflection type mask passes. This structure effective avoids unwanted physical interference among optical components of an illumination system or the projection optical system even when the size of the whole exposure apparatus is made compact to some degree.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an illumination optical system for illuminating a reflection mask that forms a pattern, by using light from a light source, wherein the illumination optical system includes a field stop that defines an illuminated area on the reflection mask, and has an opening, and an imaging system for introducing the light from the opening in the field stop into the reflection mask, the imaging system being a coaxial optical system, wherein a principal ray of the imaging system at a side of the reflection mask forming an inclination angle to a common axis of the coaxial optical system, the inclination angle being approximately equal to an angle between a principal ray of the projection optical system at the side of the reflection mask and a normal to a surface of the reflection mask.

Abstract: Attempting to provide an illumination optical system and an exposure apparatus using the same, which provide a more uniform angular distribution of light for illuminating a mask than the prior art, an illumination optical system for illuminating an object surface includes an optical unit that converts light from a light source section into approximately parallel light, and includes first and second mirrors, wherein the first mirror has an opening, through which light reflected by the second mirror passes.

Abstract: A diffractive optical element having a design wavelength ?, includes a diffractive surface for diffracting predetermined light corresponding to the design wavelength, and a mark shaped so that, with regard to the predetermined light, a phase difference corresponding to a multiple, by an integer, of the design wavelength ? is produced between (i) a light ray, of the predetermined light, as transmitted through or reflected by the mark and (ii) a light ray, of the predetermined light, as transmitted through or reflected by a portion adjacent to the mark, and that, with regard to second light of a second wavelength ?? different from the design wavelength ?, no phase difference corresponding to a multiple, by an integer, of the second wavelength ? is produced between (a) a light ray, of the second light, as transmitted through or reflected by the mark and (b) a light ray, of the second light, as transmitted through or reflected by a portion adjacent to the mark.

Abstract: Disclosed is an exposure apparatus for illuminating a reflection type mask with light from a light source and for exposing a substrate with a pattern of the illuminated reflection type mask, wherein the apparatus includes a projection optical system for projecting the pattern of the reflection type mask onto the substrate, the projection optical system having a stop, wherein the stop has a first opening for defining a numerical aperture of the projection optical system, and a second opening through which light from the reflection type mask passes. This structure effective avoids unwanted physical interference among optical components of an illumination system or the projection optical system even when the size of the whole exposure apparatus is made compact to some degree.

Abstract: An illumination system for illuminating a surface by use of light from a light source, which includes an emission angle conserving optical unit effective to emit the light from the light source at a constant divergent angle, and a diffractive optical element for producing a desired light intensity distribution on a predetermined plane. The diffractive optical element is disposed at or adjacent to a position where light from the emission angle conserving optical unit is collected.

Abstract: A reference mark is formed on an under-surface of a reference mark member that is disposed on a mask stage. The mask stage can be part of a projection exposure apparatus in which a substrate and a mask are moved in respective scanning directions during scanning exposure. The projection exposure apparatus also may include a projection system disposed under the mask stage, with the mask and substrate being provided on opposite sides of projection system. The mask stage may be moved into the image field of the projection system, and the reference mark is detected.

Abstract: An illumination system for illuminating a surface by use of light from a light source. The system includes an emission angle conserving optical unit having a lens array, for receiving light from the light source, and a diffractive optical element for diffracting light to produce a desired light intensity distribution on a predetermined plane. The diffractive optical element is disposed at or adjacent to a position which is optically conjugate with a light exit surface of said emission angle conserving optical unit.

Abstract: A position detection device for detecting a position of an object. The detection device includes an irradiation device for irradiating light onto an alignment mark formed on a surface of the object, a probe for detecting near-field light in the vicinity of the alignment mark upon irradiation by the irradiation device and a detector for detecting position information of the object on the basis of the near-field light detected by the probe.

Abstract: The present invention provides an exposure method and exposure apparatus that enable the effects on an apparatus main body of heat generated by a control system to be suppressed when an error occurs in an air-conditioning system or temperature control system. In the exposure apparatus of the present invention, if an error occurs in an air-conditioning system (50) that air-conditions an interior of a chamber (11 to 16) in which an exposure body section (STP) is housed or occurs in a temperature control system (52) that controls a temperature of the exposure body section (STP), a power supply of a control system (53 to 56) that controls the exposure body section (STP) is shut down.

Abstract: A scanning exposure apparatus includes an illumination optical system for defining an illumination region, having a slit-like section, on an original with use of laser light from a continuous emission type excimer laser, and a driving device for relatively, scanningly moving an original and a substrate relative to the illumination region. The illumination optical system includes a scanning optical system for scanning a pupil plane of the illumination system with the laser light to produce a secondary light source thereon, such that the illumination region is defined by light from the secondary light source. When the width of the illumination region is W (mm), the scan speed of at least one of the original and the substrate is V (mm/sec/), and the time necessary for defining the secondary light source once is T (sec), a relation W/V=nT is satisfied, in which n is an integer.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus is provided for performing exposure processes with high accuracy by accurately performing pressure control inside a chamber having a plurality of air-conditioning chambers. The inside of the main chamber which accommodates the exposure apparatus is divided into a plurality of air-conditioning chambers, and a pressure detection device which detects the pressure is provided with each of the plurality of air-conditioning chambers. Also, among the plurality of the air-conditioning chambers, the pressure inside a main column which accommodates an exposure stage on which a wafer in mounted and subjected to an exposure process, is set to be higher than the pressure of the other air-conditioning chambers based on detection results obtained from the pressure detection devices.

Abstract: Disclosed is an exposure apparatus for illuminating a reflection type mask with light from a light source and for exposing a substrate with a pattern of the illuminated reflection type mask, wherein the apparatus includes a projection optical system for projecting the pattern of the reflection type mask onto the substrate, the projection optical system having a stop, wherein the stop has a first opening for defining a numerical aperture of the projection optical system, and a second opening through which light from the reflection type mask passes. This structure effective avoids unwanted physical interference among optical components of an illumination system or the projection optical system even when the size of the whole exposure apparatus is made compact to some degree.

Abstract: An optical unit includes an optical element for propagating incident light toward a predetermined direction, a barrel for supporting the optical element, and an attenuating device including a plurality of grooved portions, for attenuating, through multiple reflection, at least a portion of light emitted from the optical element toward a direction different from the predetermined direction. The attenuating device includes two recesses each having a horn-like section shape, the two recesses being bent in directions away from each other.

Abstract: An illuminance measurement apparatus of the present invention is comprised of a chassis (20) having a detection surface (22) formed with a light receiving aperture (21) and a light receiving element having a light receiving surface arranged at a position corresponding to the light receiving aperture (21) in the chassis (20), wherein the chassis (20) is provided with a reflection surface (23) for detection light for detecting at least one of the position and posture of the detection surface (22).

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for use in a photolithographic process, in which an illumination beam is attenuated, split by a beam splitter, and received by an integrator sensor which produces an illuminance detection signal. The illuminance detection signal and a desired illuminance signal from an exposure control system are supplied to a power supply system which powers a mercury-vapor lamp with a predetermined resolution such that the two signals may be equal to each other. The exposure control system determines any error in the illuminance on the wafer from the illuminance detection signal, and supplies a stage control system with correction values for the velocities at which a reticle stage and a wafer stage is to be moved for scanning. The light source may be powered with a constant input power, and an adjustment rod for adjusting the quantity of light of the illumination beam may be disposed in a light travelling region through which the light of the illumination beam from the light source travels.

Abstract: An illuminance meter is provided to simplify measuring tasks and labor associated with the process of determining the energy level of a radiation used in an exposure apparatus. A wafer-type illuminance meter has an optical sensor fabricated integrally within a dummy wafer, which is made of a thin disk so that it may be handled in a manner similar to a substrate wafer to be imprinted. The illuminance meter is retained on a wafer stage in a manner similar to the substrate wafer so as to be loaded on and unloaded off a number of exposure apparatuses to determine a level of illuminance in the vicinity of the image plane of each exposure apparatus that uses a type of radiation assigned to each exposure apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a beam output control method in which an output from a pulse energy source that emits pulses of exposure beam used in an exposure apparatus is controlled. This method controls an output from the pulse energy source by changing a control mode in accordance with an operation of the exposure apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of detecting an image formation characteristic of a projection optical system for projecting a reference pattern on a reticle on a substrate. According to the detection method, a reticle stage is moved so that a reference mark on the reticle comes to a first reference position and a second reference position, and a wafer stage is moved so that a light transmission portion on the wafer stage crosses an image forming position of a projected image of the reference mark obtained through the projection optical system. The positions of the reticle stage and the wafer stage at the first and second reference positions are measured as moved distances of the stages, respectively. From the distances of movement of the reticle and wafer stages measured, the image formation characteristic of the projection optical system is calculated.

Abstract: Disclosed is an illumination system for illuminating an illumination region with uniform illuminance, wherein the light intensity gravity center of light impinging on the illumination region is registered with the center of light rays. The illumination system includes a first reflection type integrator, a first condensing mirror system for superposing light beams from the first reflection type integrator one upon another on the surface to be illuminated, a second reflection type integrator disposed between the light source and said first reflection type integrator, and a second condensing mirror system for superposing light beams from the second reflection type integrator one upon another on the first reflection type integrator. Also disclosed is an exposure apparatus having such illumination system, and a device manufacturing method using the same.