Abstract: A mold capable of a highly accurate alignment with a member to be processed in such a state that a photocurable resin material is disposed between the mold and the member to be processed, and is constituted by a substrate 2010 formed of a first material and an alignment mark 2102 formed of a second material different from the first material. The first material and the second material have transmissivities to light in a part of an ultraviolet wavelength range. The second material has a refractive index of not less than 1.7.

Abstract: An exposure method for projecting a pattern formed on a reflection plate onto a substrate, via a projection optical system, using extreme ultraviolet light. The method includes a detection step of detecting a relative position between a second mark formed on a plate holding unit for holding the reflection plate and a third mark formed on the reflection plate. The detection step includes sub-steps of (i) detecting light reflected from the second mark with a detector, (ii) detecting light reflected from the third mark with the detector, and (iii) changing a relative position between the plate holding unit and the detector between sub-steps (i) and (ii).

Abstract: A method for calculating an offset of an exposure dose and a focus position in an exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate via an original includes the steps of obtaining information of a shape of a pattern formed on the substrate using the exposure apparatus, calculating a shift amount between a critical dimension contained in the information of the shape of the pattern and a reference value of the critical dimension, and calculating an offset of the focus position based on the information of the shape of the pattern, and calculating the offset of the exposure dose based on the shift amount and the offset of the focus position.

Abstract: A two-dimensional image of an alignment mark 30 is acquired by an alignment scope 15 at step S61, and the two-dimensional image acquired at step S61 is converted to a light-intensity signal line by line at step S62. A selection as to whether each line signal is valid or unnecessary is made at step S63. The amount of positional deviation of the alignment mark 30 is calculated using only valid line signals at step S64.

Abstract: An information providing system includes a reception unit that receives first information concerning a process to be performed by an apparatus from a customer via a network, a processing unit which simulates the process based on the first information and prepares second information based on a result of the simulation, and a transmission unit which transmits the second information to the customer via a network.

Abstract: In order to provide a mold and an imprint apparatus which permit adjustment of a depth of an imprint pattern after the imprint pattern is formed, the mold is constituted by a mold substrate including a first material and a surface layer, constituting a projection of the mold and including a second material, for forming a pattern on the photocurable resin material. The first material is more etchable than the second material. The first material and the second material have optical transmittances capable of curing the photocurable resin material with respect to at least a part of wavelength range of ultraviolet light.

Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an exposure apparatus which includes a chamber, an evacuating device configured to evacuate the chamber, a sensor configured to measure at least any one of the position and the height of a substrate, and a cover for hermetically sealing at least part of the sensor.

Abstract: An alignment apparatus for aligning a reflective reticle includes a light source for emitting alignment light, an optical alignment mark provided on the reticle, and a reference mark provided on a reticle stage that holds the reticle. A detecting unit detects the alignment light reflected from the alignment mark and the reference mark, and the reticle is aligned on the basis of the result of detection by the detection unit.

Abstract: measuring method for measuring a position of the surface of a substrate, wherein measurement light is obliquely projected onto the substrate surface and the measurement light on that surface is detected and wherein, on the basis of a position of the detected measurement light and a predetected offset, the position of the substrate surface with respect to a direction of an optical axis of the projection optical system is measured, the method including: memorizing, as a first position, a position of a measurement point on the substrate while using, as a reference, a reference mark provided on a substrate stage configured to hold and move the substrate; measuring, in accordance with information concerning the memorized first position and in relation to the measurement point, the position of the measurement light as a first measurement position; rotating the substrate by 180 deg.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus which are arranged to detect magnitude of correlation between (i) an explanatory variable corresponding to operation data related to an operation made by an exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate, and (ii) a response variable corresponding to inspection data related to a result of inspection made to the substrate after the same is exposed, the magnitude of correlation between the explanatory variable and the response variable being detected with respect to each of different combinations of operation data pieces, and also arranged to specify, on the basis of detected correlation magnitudes and with respect to one of the different combinations of operation data pieces, a category of the operation data and the correlation between the explanatory variable and the response variable.

Abstract: An imaging optical system for imaging a pattern of an object plane onto an image plane includes a first imaging optical system for imaging at a first imaging position, the first imaging optical system having a magnification ? in a vacuum atmosphere, and a second imaging optical system for imaging at a second imaging position, the second imaging optical system having a magnification ? in the vacuum atmosphere, wherein when an environment in which the imaging optical system is placed changes from the vacuum atmosphere to an air atmosphere or vise versa, a direction of the first imaging position that moves along an optical axis is opposite to a direction of the second imaging position that moves along the optical axis.

Abstract: A pattern forming method for forming a pattern includes: preparing a mold 104 provided with a first surface including a pattern area 1000, a second surface located opposite from the first surface, and an alignment mark 2070 provided at a position at which the alignment mark 2070 is away from the second surface and is close to the first surface; contacting the pattern area 1000 of the mold 104 with the coating material disposed on a substrate 5000; obtaining information about positions of the mold 104 and the substrate 5000 by using the alignment mark 2070 and a mark 5300 provided to the substrate 5000 in a state in which the coating material is disposed on the substrate 5000 at a portion where the alignment mark 2070 and the substrate 5000 are opposite to each other; and effecting alignment of the substrate 5000 with the mold 104 with high accuracy on the basis of the information.

Abstract: A method of determining relative position between a reflective reticle and a substrate includes a detection step of detecting relative position between a transmissive reference mark on a reticle stage and a substrate alignment mark on a substrate stage through a reflective optical system which projects a pattern of the reflective reticle onto the substrate with extreme ultraviolet light, and a determination step of determining relative position between the reflective reticle and the substrate based on the detection result in the detection step.

Abstract: A position detection method for detecting the position of marks comprises the following steps: a step for detecting first information relating to the position of the mark by detecting light from the mark under first measurement conditions; a step for detecting second information relating to the position of the mark by detecting light from the mark under second measurement conditions which differ from the first measurement conditions; and a step for detecting the position of the mark based on the first and second information, thereby providing a high-precision position detecting method and device serving as an alignment or overlaying detection device in an exposure apparatuses used in manufacturing semiconductor devices, wherein position detection precision is not lost even in the event that the alignment marks are not symmetrical or there are irregularities in the non-symmetry of multiple alignment marks within the same wafer.

Abstract: A method for producing a library includes the steps of calculating a plurality of conditions for a reflection light from a periodic pattern by changing the sectional shape of the periodic pattern, a condition of an incident light which is emitted to the periodic pattern, an optical constant of a material which forms the periodic pattern, relating a plurality of the libraries to the plurality of the reflection light's conditions, and the optical constant corresponding to the plurality of the reflection light's conditions respectively.

Abstract: An alignment apparatus for aligning a reflective reticle includes a light source for emitting alignment light, an optical alignment mark provided on the reticle, and a reference mark provided on a reticle stage that holds the reticle. A detecting unit detects the alignment light reflected from the alignment mark and the reference mark, and the reticle is aligned on the basis of the result of detection by the detection unit.

Abstract: An exposure method for exposing a pattern on a reticle onto plural shots on an object, includes the steps of measuring flatness information of each of the plural shots on the object, identifying a shot as a specific shot among the plural shots, the specific shot having flatness that is measured in the measuring step and outside a predetermined range, obtaining positional information by measuring plural measurement points on the object, the obtaining step obtaining more detailed positional information of the specific shot identified by the identifying step than that of a non-specific shot that is not the specific shot, and controlling at least one of a position and a tilt of the object using the positional information obtained by the obtaining step.

Abstract: A position detection method for detecting the position of marks includes the following steps: a step for detecting first information relating to the position of the mark by detecting light from the mark under first measurement conditions; a step for detecting second information relating to the position of the mark by detecting light from the mark under second measurement conditions which differ from the first measurement conditions; and a step for detecting the position of the mark based on the first and second information, thereby providing a high-precision position detecting method and device serving as an alignment or overlaying detection device in an exposure apparatuses used in manufacturing semiconductor devices, wherein position detection precision is not lost even in the event that the alignment marks are not symmetrical or there are irregularities in the non-symmetry of multiple alignment marks within the same wafer.

Abstract: A management system including an acquisition device for acquiring actual processing results obtained by operating an industrial device with a set parameter value and another parameter value, and an estimated processing result, an inspection device for inspecting the processing result obtained with the set parameter value, and acquiring and accumulating an inspection result value, a change device for changing the set parameter value on the basis of the processing results acquired by the acquisition device and the inspection result value obtained by the inspection device, an evaluation device for evaluating a variation state of the processing results on the basis of an inspection result value accumulated by the inspection device, and a decision device for deciding, on the basis of an evaluation result by the evaluation device, a frequency at which the acquisition device is executed.

Abstract: Provided is a polishing method of polishing a substrate by rotating the substrate and a pad while keeping the pad in contact with the substrate, the method including: a first polishing step of polishing the substrate by rotating the substrate and the pad in a first direction; and a second polishing step of polishing the substrate by rotating the substrate and the pad in a second direction opposite to the first direction.