Abstract: An optical system includes an aperture stop, a unit A configured to move during a distortion adjustment, and a unit B disposed at an image side relative to the unit A and configured to move with a locus different from a locus of the unit A during the distortion adjustment, the optical system changes from a first optical state having a first distortion to a second optical state having a second distortion larger than the first distortion, and focal lengths of the units A and B, moving amounts of the units A and B during a change from the first to second optical states, distances from the aperture stop to the units A and B, distances from a lens surface of the unit A closest to the object side to an image plane, and a total optical length of the optical system satisfy a predetermined condition.

Abstract: An optical system includes a first lens unit that has positive refractive power, a second lens unit that moves during focusing and that has positive refractive power or negative refractive power, and a third lens unit that has positive refractive power or negative refractive power. The first lens unit, the second lens unit, and the third lens unit are disposed in that order from an object side to an image side. During focusing, an interval between adjacent lens units changes. In the optical system, a focal length f of the entire optical system, a distance LD along an optical axis from a lens surface of the first lens unit that is closest to the object side to an image plane, and focal lengths of positive and negative lenses that are included in the first lens unit are appropriately set.

Abstract: An optical system includes a plurality of lenses. The distance from the object side lens surface of a lens arranged an the most object side to the image plane is longer than the focal length of the entire system. The material of a positive lens G1p arranged on the most object side among positive lenses included in the optical system, and the arrangement and material of a negative lens Gn located on the most object side among negative lenses arranged an the image side of the positive lens G1p are appropriately set.

Abstract: An optical system includes a first lens unit that has a positive refractive power; a second lens unit that is arranged to move during focusing and has a positive or negative refractive power; and a third lens unit that has a positive or negative refractive power. The first lens unit, the second lens unit, and the third lens unit are disposed in that order from an object side to an image side. During the focusing, an interval between adjacent lens units changes. In the optical system, a focal length f of the entire optical system, a distance LD along an optical axis from a lens surface of the first lens unit that is closest to the object side to an image plane, a material of positive lenses included in the first lens unit, and an arrangement of the positive lenses included in the first lens unit are appropriately set.

Abstract: Provided is an optical system, comprising, in order from an object side: a positive first unit; a negative second unit; and a positive third unit, in which, during focusing from infinity to a close distance, the second unit moves toward the image side, and an interval between adjacent units is changed, in which the first unit consists of, in order from the object side: a negative first sub-unit, which does not move for image stabilization; a positive second sub-unit, which moves during the image stabilization; and a third sub-unit, which does not moves for the image stabilization, and in which a distance from a lens surface closest to the object side in the first unit to an image plane when focusing at infinity, and a distance from a lens surface closest to the object side in the second sub-unit to the image plane when focusing at infinity are appropriately set.

Abstract: A method which determines patterns for a plurality of masks to be executed by a processor includes acquiring data on a pattern containing a plurality of pattern elements, and assigning the acquired plurality of pattern elements into masks, decomposing the acquired plurality of pattern elements into patterns of the masks, and calculating an evaluation value for an evaluation index, based on a number of masks, the distances between a plurality of pattern elements in each mask, and an angle of a line connecting a plurality of pattern elements in each mask. In the method, a pattern of each mask is determined based on the calculated evaluation value.

Abstract: A zoom lens includes positive first, negative second, positive third units, and rear group. An interval between first and second units is larger and that between second and third units is smaller at telephoto end (TE) than at wide angle end. Second unit or a negative sub-unit corresponding to a part of second unit serves as first image stabilizing (IS) unit moving during image blur correction in a direction having a component in a direction perpendicular to optical axis. A negative sub-unit corresponding to a part of third unit or a negative unit included in rear group serves as second IS unit. A distance from a surface closest to object side of first IS unit to image plane at TE, a distance from a surface closest to object side of second IS unit to image plane at TE, and focal length of the zoom lens at TE are appropriately set.

Abstract: A mask data generating method for generating data of a plurality of masks used in a plurality of exposures in which exposure light is irradiated onto a substrate using a mask, and then exposure light is irradiated onto the substrate using another mask. The method includes the steps of obtaining data for a pattern including a plurality of pattern elements, determining formulation of a disposition limitation condition for the pattern elements, analyzing the distance between the pattern elements, determining formulation of the distance limitation condition, and applying a first variable configured to express a number of pattern divisions and a second variable configured to express a distance related to all pattern elements in a cost function and thereby dividing the pattern.

Abstract: The present invention provides a determination method of determining exposure conditions of an exposure apparatus including an illumination optical system which illuminates a mask, and a projection optical system which projects a pattern of the mask onto a substrate, the method including a step of setting an illumination parameter for a light intensity distribution formed on a pupil plane of the illumination optical system, and an aberration parameter for an aberration of the projection optical system, and a step of determining a value of the illumination parameter and a value of the aberration parameter so that an image performance of an optical image of the pattern of the mask satisfies an evaluation criterion set for a target pattern to be formed on an image plane of the projection optical system.

Abstract: Provided is a method for forming a pattern on a layer on a substrate. The method includes forming a line-and-space pattern on the layer; coating a resist on the line-and-space pattern and filling the resist in a space portion of the line-and-space pattern; exposing a pattern to the resist, developing the exposed resist, and forming a resist pattern on the space portion; and forming a pattern on the layer using a pattern which is a combination of a line portion of the line-and-space pattern and the resist pattern as a mask.

Abstract: An optical system includes an aperture stop, a unit A configured to move during a distortion adjustment, and a unit B disposed at an image side relative to the unit A and configured to move with a locus different from a locus of the unit A during the distortion adjustment, the optical system changes from a first optical state having a first distortion to a second optical state having a second distortion larger than the first distortion, and focal lengths of the units A and B, moving amounts of the units A and B during a change from the first to second optical states, distances from the aperture stop to the units A and B, distances from a lens surface of the unit A closest to the object side to an image plane, and a total optical length of the optical system satisfy a predetermined condition.

Abstract: The present invention provides an exposure method including the steps of generating a plurality of element light sources formed on a pupil plane of an illumination optical system, setting a plurality of aberration states which are expected to exist in a projection optical system, calculating, for each of all combinations of the plurality of aberration states and the plurality of element light sources, an optical image of a pattern of a mask, which is formed in an evaluation area when one aberration state among the plurality of aberration states is produced in the projection optical system, and the pattern of the mask is illuminated with one element light source among the plurality of element light sources, determining, based on the calculated optical images, as a light intensity distribution to be formed on the pupil plane, a light source obtained by combining the plurality of element light sources applied with weights.

Abstract: A mask data generating method for generating data of a plurality of masks used in a plurality of exposures in which exposure light is irradiated onto a substrate using a mask, and then exposure light is irradiated onto the substrate using another mask. The method includes the steps of obtaining data for a pattern including a plurality of pattern elements, determining formulation of a disposition limitation condition for the pattern elements, analyzing the distance between the pattern elements, determining formulation of the distance limitation condition, and applying a first variable configured to express a number of pattern divisions and a second variable configured to express a distance related to all pattern elements in a cost function and thereby dividing the pattern.

Abstract: A computer readable storage medium is provided, storing a computer-executable program for causing a computer to determine at least one of mask pattern and exposure condition of an exposure apparatus having an illumination optical system for illuminating a mask with light from a light source and a projection optical system for projecting the mask pattern onto a substrate. The program causes the computer to perform calculation of an image of a pattern on an object plane of the projection optical system using information about lateral shift of an image caused by the exposure apparatus, and determination of at least one of the exposure condition and the mask pattern based on a calculation result.

Abstract: A method for generating, via a computer, a mask pattern to be used for an exposure apparatus that exposes an image of the mask pattern on a substrate by irradiating a mask includes obtaining data of a main pattern to be formed on the substrate, and data of a pattern of a lower layer of a layer to which the main pattern is transferred, setting a generation condition for an auxiliary pattern with respect to the main pattern using data of the pattern of the lower layer, determining the auxiliary pattern using the generation condition, and generating data of the mask pattern including the main pattern and the determined auxiliary pattern.

Abstract: A method of determining a pattern of a mask to be used in an exposure apparatus. The mask is arranged on an object plane of a projection optical system. The method includes calculating a value of a first evaluation function used to evaluate a cost of drawing a provisional pattern on a mask blank to manufacture the mask, calculating a value of a second evaluation function used to evaluate an image of the provisional pattern, which is formed on an image plane of the projection optical system when a mask having the provisional pattern is arranged on the object plane, and changing the provisional pattern. The calculations are repeated, and the provisional pattern is determined as the pattern of the mask, when the value of the first evaluation function meets a first predetermined standard and the value of the second evaluation function meets a second predetermined standard.

Abstract: A method which determines patterns for a plurality of masks to be executed by a processor includes acquiring data on a pattern containing a plurality of pattern elements, and assigning the acquired plurality of pattern elements into masks, decomposing the acquired plurality of pattern elements into patterns of the masks, and calculating an evaluation value for an evaluation index, based on a number of masks, the distances between a plurality of pattern elements in each mask, and an angle of a line connecting a plurality of pattern elements in each mask. In the method, a pattern of each mask is determined based on the calculated evaluation value.

Abstract: The present invention provides a determination method of determining a light intensity distribution to be formed on a pupil plane of an illumination optical system in an exposure apparatus, the method including a step of setting a cutline used to evaluate an image of a pattern of a mask, which is formed on an image plane of a projection optical system, and a target position of the image, and a step of determining an intensity of an element light source such that the position of a midpoint between edges of the image of the pattern of the mask on the cutline from a calculated image comes close to the target position, thereby determining the light intensity distribution.

Abstract: Provided is a method for forming a pattern on a layer on a substrate. The method includes forming a line-and-space pattern on the layer; coating a resist on the line-and-space pattern and filling the resist in a space portion of the line-and-space pattern; exposing a pattern to the resist, developing the exposed resist, and forming a resist pattern on the space portion; and forming a pattern on the layer using a pattern which is a combination of a line portion of the line-and-space pattern and the resist pattern as a mask.

Abstract: The present invention provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to decide an exposure condition in an exposure apparatus, the program causing the computer to execute a step of selecting an evaluation item of interest from a plurality of evaluation items to be used to evaluate an image formed on an image plane of a projection optical system in correspondence with the exposure condition, a step of selecting, as an auxiliary evaluation item, an evaluation item which is different from the evaluation item of interest and changes a value in the same direction as that of a change in a value of the evaluation item of interest upon changing parameter values included in the exposure condition, and a step of setting an evaluation function including the evaluation item of interest and the auxiliary evaluation item as values.