Abstract: The preparation apparatus 4 determines the target distribution of the amount of polishing on the basis of the film thickness of the wafer 2 measured by the measuring apparatus 3. The preparation apparatus 4 assumes a control program for the purpose of controlling the polishing apparatus 1, and predicts the distribution of the amount of polishing that is obtained after the wafer 2 is polished by the polishing apparatus 1 in accordance with the assumed control program. In this case, the amount of polishing in individual partial regions of the polished surface of the wafer 2 is predicted using an indicator that indicates the height distribution of the polishing surface of the polishing pad 14 (when no pressure is applied to this polishing pad) as one parameter. The preparation apparatus 4 judges the acceptability of the assumed control program by comparing the predicted distribution of the amount of polishing and the target distribution of the amount of polishing.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus and method in which a mark on an object is illuminated, and plural pairs of two diffractive beams of same order are generated and directed to different reference gratings to detect positional information of the mark. Beams received from the different reference gratings have different order.

Abstract: An intermittent photo-taking device for a microscope includes a condition setting means that sets an intermittent photo-taking condition composed of a given time lapse and the number of frames to be photo-taken, an image obtaining means that obtains an image taken under the intermittent photo-taking condition, a setting change means that changes the intermittent photo-taking condition in the middle of an operation based on the intermittent photo-taking condition set by the condition setting means, and a memory that, when the intermittent photo-taking condition has been changed by the setting change means, stores an image taken under the changed intermittent photo-taking condition following an image taken under the intermittent photo-taking condition before changing.

Abstract: An optical element is used for an exposure apparatus which is configured to illuminate a mask with an exposure light beam for transferring a pattern on the mask onto a substrate through a projection optical system and to interpose a given liquid in a space between a surface of the substrate and the projection optical system. The optical element includes a first anti-dissolution member provided on a surface of a transmissive optical element on the substrate's side of the projection optical system.

Abstract: A reticle is loaded on a reticle measuring instrument (step S50), and the surface shape of the reticle in a state held by a reticle holder of the reticle measuring instrument is measured in advance (step S52). Because the surface shape difference between the reticle holder of the reticle measuring instrument and a reticle holder of an exposure apparatus is known, the surface shape of the reticle in a state equivalent to the state held by the reticle holder of the exposure apparatus can be calculated (step S56) by adding to the measurement results such surface shape difference.

Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus and projection exposure apparatus capable of reducing a light quantity loss when a mask is illuminated with a polarized illumination light. An illumination optical system for illuminating a reticle with an illumination light and a projection optical system for projecting the pattern image of the reticle onto a wafer are provided. An illumination light emitted from an exposure light source in a linearly polarized state in the illumination optical system passes through first and second birefringent members having different fast axis directions and is converted into a polarized state that is substantially linearly polarized in a circumferential direction with the optical axis as the center in an almost specific annular area, and them illuminates the reticle under an annular illuminating condition after passing through a fly-eye lens.

Abstract: An image vibration reduction apparatus comprises a correction lens, a first moving member having a lens frame that holds the correction lens, a second moving member having an aperture portion in which the lens frame is slidably fitted, a first actuator that drives the first moving member, a second actuator that drives the second moving member, and a holding member that supports the first moving member and the second moving member. Driving direction of the first actuator and the second actuator is oriented in a first direction that is perpendicular to the optical axis of the correction lens, and a second direction in which the second actuator displaces the lens frame via the second moving member is perpendicular to the first direction.

Abstract: This position measuring device comprising a calculation unit 19 calculates mark position information relating to the position of the mark by using a mark signal obtained by irradiating a detection beam onto the mark formed on an object W, and a correction device 19 for correcting the calculation results from the calculation unit 19 based on the asymmetry of the mark signal. As a result, positional deviation resulting from asymmetry can be detected, and by correcting for this deviation the effect that the image asymmetry has on the measurement can be reduced. Therefore, a more accurate high precision alignment can be performed, and there is no requirement to increase the NA of the detection optical system, nor to prepare a special short wavelength light source, meaning increases in the size and cost of the apparatus can also be prevented.

Abstract: An exposure system is provided which can maintain a predetermined performance of the exposure apparatus stably by maintaining a cooling capacity by preventing a negative pressure from being generated in a circulation path of the liquid and preventing the back pressure from increasing even if at least a part of a temperature adjusting device is disposed under a disposition surface of the exposure apparatus due to the disposition area. A sealed tank which stores the cooling agent which is circulated in the circuiting systems and a pump, etc., which circulates the cooling agent are disposed under the disposition surface FL of the exposure system. The reticle stage and the wafer stage which are objects of which the temperature is supposed to be controlled are disposed above the disposition surface FL. A tank which open to air is provided so as to prevent the negative pressure from being generated in the reticle stage, etc. such that the tank and the tank are connected by a connecting piping arrangement.

Abstract: A first interpolation processing apparatus that engages in processing on image data which are provided in a calorimetric system constituted of first˜nth (n?) color components and include color information corresponding to a single color component provided at each pixel to determine an interpolation value equivalent to color information corresponding to the first color component for a pixel at which the first color component is missing, includes: an interpolation value calculation section that uses color information at pixels located in a local area containing an interpolation target pixel to undergo interpolation processing to calculate an interpolation value including, at least (1) local average information of the first color component with regard to the interpolation target pixel and (2) local curvature information corresponding to at least two color components with regard to the interpolation target pixel.

Abstract: There is provided an attenuator device having a simple configuration and capable of selecting an output of beam of an arbitrary wavelength range from a plurality of output ports. The attenuator device comprises: a plurality of output fibers (1-3 and 1-5) having an end surface serving as an output port; discarding optical fibers (1-2 and 1-4) having an end surface serving as a discarding port and each arranged adjacently to the output optical fiber; a diffraction grating (5) which diffracts an incident beam into various directions according to the wavelength thereof; and a micro mirror array (7) which adjusts the output direction of the diffracted beam for each of the wavelength ranges output from the diffraction grating (5). The micro mirror array (7) adjusts the output direction of the diffracted beam so that a part of the diffracted beam may be output to the output port while the rest being output to the discarding port.

Abstract: The evaluation method comprises a step (S11) of setting an aberration polynomial that generally expresses the aberration of the imaging optical system as a function of the image plane coordinates and pupil coordinates, a measurement step (S12) of measuring the wavefront aberration of the imaging optical system for a plurality of points in the image plane of the imaging optical system, an approximation step (S13) of approximating a specified polynomial as a function of the pupil coordinates to the wavefront aberration obtained in the measurement step, and a step (S14) of determining the coefficients of the respective terms of the aberration-polynomial on the basis of the coefficients of the respective terms in the specified polynomial obtained in the approximation step.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an eyepiece lens having a large pupil diameter of 10 mm or more, securing higher magnification, equipped with a high quality diopter adjustment function at low cost. The eyepiece lens includes, in order from an eye point side EP, a negative meniscus lens L1 having a concave surface facing to the eye point side EP, a double convex lens L2, and a negative lens L3. Diopter of the eyepiece lens is adjusted by moving the double convex lens L2 along an optical axis. At least one surface of the double convex lens L2 has an aspherical surface having positive refractive power getting weaker in accordance with increase in a distance to the surface from the optical axis, and given conditional expressions are satisfied.

Abstract: Wavefront aberration of a projection optical system is measured and information on the wavefront aberration is obtained (step 102). Furthermore, a pattern of a reticle is transferred onto a wafer via a projection optical system (steps 104 to 108). Then, the waver on which the pattern is transferred is developed, and line width measurement is performed on the resist image formed on the wafer and line width difference of images of a first line pattern extending in a predetermined direction and a second line pattern that is orthogonal to the first line pattern is measured (steps 112 to 118). And, according to a value of the 12th term of the Zernike polynomial, which is an expansion of the wavefront aberration, and the line width difference, the projection optical system is adjusted so that magnitude of the 9th term (a low order spherical aberration term) is controlled (steps 120 to 124).

Abstract: A multilayer mirror aims to reduce incidence angle dependence of reflectivity. A substrate is made of low thermal polished expansion glass with 0.2 nm RMS or less roughness of the surface. On the surface thereof formed is a Ru/Si multilayer having a wide full-width half maximum of peak reflectivity, and on the Ru/Si multilayer formed is a Mo/Si multilayer having a high peak reflectivity value. This enables higher reflectivity than when Ru/Si alone provided and a reflectivity peak having a wider full-width half maximum than when the Mo/Si multilayer alone provided. Since Ru absorbs EUV ray more than Mo does, higher reflectivity is obtainable than that of a structure having the Ru/Si multilayer formed on the Mo/Si multilayer. The multilayer with a wide full-width half maximum has small incidence angle dependence of reflectivity in spectral reflectivity, thereby achieving high imaging performance in projection optical system.

Abstract: A surface inspection apparatus and a surface inspection method aim to securely deal with finer repetition pitch without shortening the wavelength of illumination light. To this end, the apparatus includes a unit illuminating repetitive pattern(s) formed on the substrate surface to be inspected with linearly polarized light, a unit setting to an oblique angle an angle between the direction of an intersecting line of a vibration plane of the linearly polarized light on the substrate surface and the repetition direction of repetitive pattern(s), a unit extracting a polarized light component perpendicular to the vibration plane of the linearly polarized light, from light having been emitted from the repetitive pattern(s) in a specular direction, and a unit detecting a defect of the repetitive pattern(s) according to the light intensity of the polarized light component.

Abstract: An electronic camera includes: an image sensor that captures an image of a subject and outputs image data; a projection device that projects an image based upon image data; a single mode switching operation member operated to select a mode; and a control device that selects a photographing operation mode in which image data output by the image sensor are saved into a recording medium or a projection operation mode in which an image is projected by the projection device based upon image data read out from the recording medium in correspondence to a position to which the single mode switching operation member is operated.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a pattern of a mask is transferred onto a substrate via a projection optical system using an energy beam by placing a substrate on side of an energy beam emitting end portion of projection optical system, when the substrate is exposed, and placing an object on the side of the energy beam emitting end portion of the projection optical system in place of the substrate when the substrate is exchanged. This can adequately remove a light absorptive substance from the region near an output end of the projection optical system and can maintain the gas state even at a time of moving or replacing the substrate.

Abstract: The light source unit includes a single wavelength oscillation light source, a light generating portion which has an optical modulator converting and emitting light from the light source into a pulse light, a light amplifying portion made up of an optical fiber group in which each fiber has a fiber amplifier to amplify the pulse light from the optical modulator, and a light amount controller. The light amount controller performs a step-by-step light amount control by individually turning on/off the light output of each fiber making up the optical fiber group, and a light amount control of controlling at least either of the frequency or the peak power of the emitted pulse light of the optical modulator.

Abstract: Catadioptric projection systems are disclosed for projecting an illuminated region of a reticle onto a corresponding region on a substrate. The systems are preferably used with ultraviolet light sources (e.g., 193 nm). The systems comprise a first imaging system, a concave mirror, and a second imaging system. The first imaging system comprises a single-pass lens group and a double-pass lens group. The single-pass lens group comprises a first negative subgroup, a positive subgroup, and a second negative subgroup. Light from the illuminated region of the reticle passes through the single-pass lens group and the double-pass lens group, and reflects from the concave mirror to pass back through the double-pass lens group to form an intermediate image of the illuminated region of the reticle. The light is then directed to the second imaging system that re-images the illuminated region of the reticle on the substrate.