Abstract: A photolithography exposure apparatus exposes a substrate to a pattern image formed on a mask to transfer the pattern onto the substrate. The apparatus includes a substrate stage on which the substrate is mounted. The substrate stage together with the substrate is movable when the substrate is being exposed to the pattern image. A memory stores pattern image distortion information generated in accordance with an exposure position on the substrate when the pattern image is being transferred onto the substrate. A compensator compensates for the distortion so that the pattern is formed cleanly on the substrate.

Abstract: In projecting a pattern formed on a mask onto a substrate by using a progressive focus exposure method and transferring/forming an image of the pattern on a substrate, a control unit changes the distribution of energy amounts supplied onto the substrate based on the relative positions of the imaging plane and the substrate surface, and the integrated energy amount supplied onto the substrate in accordance with the position of an irradiation area on the substrate surface which is irradiated with an energy beam through the projection optical system. With this operation, in accordance with information about the distribution of variations in resist layer thickness on the substrate, which is obtained in advance, at least one of the distribution of energy amounts and the integrated energy, which reduce the influences of this distribution, can be changed.