Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using immersion exposure in which exposure is carried out with an immersion exposure liquid interposed between a projection lens and a substrate, includes preparing a photomask on which a plurality of patterns are formed, projecting the patterns formed on the photomask, on a predetermined surface via the projection lens and the immersion exposure liquid, acquiring dimensional information on dimension acquiring patterns based on the patterns projected on the predetermined surface, adjusting a refractive index of the immersion exposure liquid on the basis of the dimensional information, and projecting patterns formed on the photomask, on a substrate via the projection lens and the immersion exposure liquid with the refractive index adjusted.

Abstract: A method for evaluating a pattern formation process includes applying a photoresist on a substrate, transferring a first pattern and a second pattern adjacent to or at least partly overlapped with each other to the photoresist, wherein the first pattern includes a plurality of lines consisting of transparent regions, having the same length and a line-width less than or on the order of wavelengths of visible light, periodically located parallel to one another with end portions aligned on both sides thereof, and the second pattern comprises a transparent region having a larger area compared with each of the lines, and determining, in a first pattern formed on the substrate with the first pattern transferred to the photoresist, by an optical means, an amount of shorting of the lines in a direction parallel to the line.

Abstract: An exposure method includes preparing a photomask having first and second main openings by which corresponding patterns are to be formed in a photo resist and first and second assist openings by which no corresponding patterns are to be formed in the photo resist, preparing an illumination having first and second light emitting areas, and irradiating the photo resist with illumination light from the illumination via the photomask, the first light emitting area and the second light emitting area being symmetric with respect to a center of the illumination, the first light emitting area and the second light emitting area containing a first point and a second point, respectively, the first point and the second point being symmetric with respect to the center of the illumination, the first point and the second point being symmetric with respect to a straight line extending through the center of the illumination.

Abstract: There is disclosed an exposure apparatus which includes an illumination optical system including a light source which emits illumination light, a mask stage which holds a photomask having a mask pattern thereon to be illuminated with the illumination light, and a light intensity distribution filter arranged on a plane, which plane is positioned in the illumination optical system and is optically in relation of Fourier transform to the mask pattern, the light intensity distribution filter configured to vary a light intensity distribution of the illumination light in a cross section of a bundle of the illumination light.

Abstract: In a model-based OPC which makes a suitable mask correction for each mask pattern using an optical image intensity simulator, a mask pattern is divided into subregions and the model of optical image intensity simulation is changed according to the contents of the pattern in each subregion. When the minimum dimensions of the mask pattern are smaller than a specific threshold value set near the exposure wavelength, the region is calculated using a high-accuracy model and the other regions are calculated using a high-speed model.

Abstract: An exposure method is disclosed, which includes forming on a substrate a resist film having first and second exposure fields arranged in a column direction, mounting the substrate on a scanning exposure tool in order to project a design pattern on the first and second exposure fields, forming a liquid immersion medium fluid film by using a liquid immersion medium fluid film forming unit, and projecting the design pattern onto the first or second exposure fields by varying an optical pattern image generated at the optical pattern image generating unit while moving the substrate in a direction in parallel with the column direction, wherein the projection of the design pattern onto the first and second exposure fields is continuously carried out without a change in a moving direction of the substrate and a direction of the flow of the liquid immersion medium fluid film.

Abstract: An exposure system includes an exposure tool configured to project grating patterns oriented in different directions onto test areas by a linearly polarized light, respectively, each of the grating patterns having a space width preventing higher order diffracted lights from an image formation, a data collector configured to collect sets of test optical intensity data on the test areas, and a polarization direction monitor configured to monitor a polarization direction of the linearly polarized light by comparing the sets of the test optical intensity data.

Abstract: An exposure system includes: an illumination optical system defining, in an effective illumination source plane, a center region forming a perpendicularly incident light and first and second eccentric regions forming obliquely incident lights having a perpendicular electric vector component perpendicular to a straight line connecting the first and second eccentric regions, the electric vector component being larger than a parallel electric vector component parallel to the straight line, and illuminating the mask pattern with the perpendicularly incident light and the obliquely incident lights; and a projection optical system projecting an image of the mask pattern to a processing object.

Abstract: A method of forming a monitor mark includes forming an insulating film on a semiconductor substrate, and forming a first repetitive line pattern group and a second repetitive line pattern group by patterning the insulating film on the semiconductor substrate, such that the first repetitive line pattern group and the second repetitive line pattern group face each other with a predetermined space therebetween.

Abstract: A method for designing an illumination light source, includes acquiring a control feature to control a dimension of a transferred pattern of a mask pattern; designating a plurality of illumination elements illuminating the mask pattern; designating first illumination lights to each of first polarization states of a light emitted from each of the illumination elements; calculating a first optical image of the control feature, formed on a first imaging plane by each of the first illumination lights; and determining an illumination shape and a polarization state distribution of the light, based on an optical characteristic of the first optical image.

Abstract: A photomask unit includes a mask substrate having patterns arranged at a pitch P; and a pellicle which protects the mask substrate, wherein the pellicle is configured so that transmittance of incident light of an incident angle ?(0°<?<90°) is higher than transmittance of incident light of an incident angle 0°.

Abstract: An exposure method includes preparing a photomask having first and second main openings by which corresponding patterns are to be formed in a photo resist and first and second assist openings by which no corresponding patterns are to be formed in the photo resist, preparing an illumination having first and second light emitting areas, and irradiating the photo resist with illumination light from the illumination via the photomask, the first light emitting area and the second light emitting area being symmetric with respect to a center of the illumination, the first light emitting area and the second light emitting area containing a first point and a second point, respectively, the first point and the second point being symmetric with respect to the center of the illumination, the first point and the second point being symmetric with respect to a straight line extending through the center of the illumination.

Abstract: An inspection method for an exposure apparatus for illuminating a photomask on a first installation member by an illumination optical system, and for projecting an image of a pattern of the photomask onto a substrate on a second installation member through a projection optical system, the inspection method comprises disposing an inspection photosensitive substrate as the substrate on the second installation member, illuminating a first region which doesn't include a pupil end of the projection optical system and a second region which includes the pupil end of the projection optical system and which isn't overlapped with the first region, in a state in which a surface of the photosensitive substrate and a surface of a secondary light source of the illumination optical system are optically conjugate with each other, and inspecting an illumination axis offset of the exposure apparatus based on a pattern obtained by developing the photosensitive substrate.

Abstract: A method for evaluating a local flare in an exposure tool, includes: measuring a projection light intensity distribution by transferring a monitor mask pattern onto a semiconductor substrate; calculating a first ratio between an illumination light intensity on the monitor mask pattern and a first projection light intensity calculated based on the monitor mask pattern; calculating a distribution function of a local flare, due to a mask pattern coverage of the monitor mask pattern, based on the first ratio and the projection light intensity distribution; dividing a design mask pattern into a plurality of unit areas; calculating a second ratio between the illumination light intensity on each of the unit areas and a second projection light intensity calculated based on the design mask pattern; and calculating a local flare intensity in each of the unit areas, based on the second ratio and the distribution function.

Abstract: This invention discloses a photomask manufacturing method. A pattern dimensional map is generated by preparing a photomask in which a mask pattern is formed on a transparent substrate, and measuring a mask in-plane distribution of the pattern dimensions. A transmittance correction coefficient map is generated by dividing a pattern formation region into a plurality of subregions, and determining a transmittance correction coefficient for each of the plurality of subregions. The transmittance correction value of each subregion is calculated on the basis of the pattern dimensional map and the transmittance correction coefficient map. The transmittance of the transparent substrate corresponding to each subregion is changed on the basis of the transmittance correction value.

Abstract: A photomask designing apparatus designs a photomask provided with a light transmission region through which exposure light with a predetermined wavelength transmits, a semi-transmission region having an optical characteristic of 180-degree phase shift and a light shielding region shielding exposure light. The semi-transmission region has a width set so as to be larger as a distance from the semi-transmission region to the light shielding region becomes short with respect to a region in which the semi-transmission region, the light transmission region and the light shielding region are sequentially formed outward from an exposure light passing region side. The width of the semi-transmission region is set so as to be smaller as the distance becomes long.

Abstract: A photomask includes a mask substrate to be irradiated with irradiation light, and first and second phase shifters arranged on the mask substrate. The first phase shifter is arranged on the mask substrate with a first pitch not larger than eight times the wavelength of the irradiation light, has a transmittance of not more than 5% for the irradiation light, and phase-shifts the irradiation light by 180°. The second phase shifter is arranged on the mask substrate with a second pitch larger than eight times the wavelength, has a transmittance of not more than 5%, and phase-shifts the irradiation light by 180°.

Abstract: An inspection method for an exposure apparatus for illuminating a photomask on a first installation member by an illumination optical system, and for projecting an image of a pattern of the photomask onto a substrate on a second installation member through a projection optical system, the inspection method comprises disposing an inspection photosensitive substrate as the substrate on the second installation member, illuminating a first region which doesn't include a pupil end of the projection optical system and a second region which includes the pupil end of the projection optical system and which isn't overlapped with the first region, in a state in which a surface of the photosensitive substrate and a surface of a secondary light source of the illumination optical system are optically conjugate with each other, and inspecting an illumination axis offset of the exposure apparatus based on a pattern obtained by developing the photosensitive substrate.

Abstract: An inspection method for an exposure apparatus for illuminating a photomask on a first installation member by an illumination optical system, and for projecting an image of a pattern of the photomask onto a substrate on a second installation member through a projection optical system, the inspection method comprises disposing an inspection photosensitive substrate as the substrate on the second installation member, illuminating a first region which doesn't include a pupil end of the projection optical system and a second region which includes the pupil end of the projection optical system and which isn't overlapped with the first region, in a state in which a surface of the photosensitive substrate and a surface of a secondary light source of the illumination optical system are optically conjugate with each other, and inspecting an illumination axis offset of the exposure apparatus based on a pattern obtained by developing the photosensitive substrate.

Abstract: A method of optimally setting exposure conditions when light emitted from an effective light source is applied to a mask pattern formed on a mask for exposure and diffracted light emitted from the mask is projected onto a substrate via a projection lens to expose the substrate thereto, the method comprising defining an image evaluation amount which represents characteristics of an optical image or a resist pattern and which contains a factor indicating the influence of a dimensional error of the mask pattern on the image characteristics, determining an initial condition of the effective light source and the mask pattern, defining at least one of a parameter of the effective light source and a parameter of the mask pattern, and changing at least one of the parameters to calculate the image evaluation amount, and deciding an optimum parameter on the basis of the result of the calculation.