Abstract: A scanning exposure method moves a mask and a substrate synchronously. A first mask and a second mask are provided for a mask stage. The mask stage has a reflective surface extending in a scanning direction, and the first and second masks are arranged along the scanning direction. Surface curvature data is prepared on the reflective surface in relation to positions of the first and second masks. Positional information of the mask stage is detected by irradiating the reflective surface with a measuring beam. Then, the mask stage is moved based on the surface curvature data and the detected positional information in a direction other than the scanning direction.

Abstract: An projection exposure apparatus and method for illuminating a transfer pattern and forming an image upon a mask for exposure from the illumination light and transfer exposing the image of the pattern of the mask under the illumination light. Switching is performed between a normal illumination condition and a modified illumination condition based upon the numerical aperture of the illumination light; wherein the normal illumination condition occurs when the light quantity distribution at the illumination pupil plane is in a first region, including the optical-axis; and the modified illumination condition occurs when the light quantity distribution at the illumination pupil plane is in a second region, not including the optical-axis and wherein the pupil plane is an optical Fourier conversion surface of a pattern surface of the mask in an illumination system.

Abstract: The stage apparatus can improve static and dynamic features by reducing the number of electrical wiring or tubes for air pressure disposed in a movable main stage member of a movable stage apparatus. The movable stage apparatus has a base structure body and a movable stage structure body. When the movable stage structure body is transferred on the base structure body to a position in which to exchange wafers, a receiving terminal part disposed on the movable stage structure body comes into contact with a feed terminal part disposed on the base structure body and a battery loaded on the movable stage structure body is charged with electric current supplied from the feed terminal part. When the stage structure body is apart from the position in which to exchange wafers, adsorption of the wafer loaded on the stage structure body is sustained electrically by utilizing the electricity of the battery.

Abstract: The present invention provides an alignment apparatus and method for successively bringing a plurality of shot regions to be processed on a substrate into alignment with a predetermined reference position. The invention performs a pre-alignment of the substrate and then repeatedly measures the position of wafer marks on selected preparatory sample shot regions using various coordinate systems. The invention determines the both the linear and rotational error in the position of the wafer marks relative to a predetermined reference position and determines the amount of movement of the substrate and reticle necessary to compensate for the error.

Abstract: A first main body unit for supporting a substrate stage is supported at four points by vibration isolators, and a second main body unit is supported on the first main body unit at three points by second vibration isolators. This allows the first main body unit and the substrate stage to be supported in a stable manner with high rigidity, and for example, allows maintenance operations on the stage portion from the back side of the apparatus (−X side), which is not possible when the first main body unit is supported at three points. In addition, since the apparatus comprises vibration isolation units that are connected in series in two platforms, such an arrangement has a great effect of suppressing background vibration from the floor surface.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a substrate transport apparatus which enables prompt transfer of a substrate, and a substrate processing apparatus incorporating this. A substrate transport apparatus of the invention comprises a transport arm (45, 46, 145, 146) for supporting a peripheral portion of a substrate (W) at at least two places on the peripheral portion, and transporting the substrate to a stage (7).

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus is able to monitor changes in transmissivity of the projection optical system so as to provide a high degree of control over the exposure illuminance to produce precision printing of circuit patterns on a substrate. A referencing member, having reference marks and a window section for determining the illuminance of the transmitting exposure beam, is provided on the sample stage for the substrate. During scanning/exposure process, any positional deviation of projection optical system is checked by the alignment system by comparing reticle marks on the reticle with reference marks on the sample stage illuminated with alignment beams. Simultaneously, illuminance of exposure light passing through the projection optical system is checked to determine if there is any change in the transmission coefficient of the optical system, and illumination power is adjusted to provide near real-time compensation for any change in transmissivity in the optical system.

Abstract: A first object is illuminated with illumination light, and with the first object and a second object being synchronously moved, the second object is scan-exposed with the illumination light that has passed a pattern on the first object. Ultraviolet pulse light obtained by wavelength-converting pulse laser light amplified by a fiber optical amplifier is used as the illumination light, and with measuring, on the optical path up to the second object, an intensity of the ultraviolet pulse light on a plurality-of-pulse basis or on a predetermined-time-interval basis; and an exposure amount on the second object is controlled based on the measurement results.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for use in a photolithographic process, in which an illumination beam is attenuated, split by a beam splitter, and received by an integrator sensor which produces an illuminance detection signal. The illuminance detection signal and a desired illuminance signal from an exposure control system are supplied to a power supply system which powers a mercury-vapor lamp with a predetermined resolution such that the two signals may be equal to each other. The exposure control system determines any error in the illuminance on the wafer from the illuminance detection signal, and supplies a stage control system with correction values for the velocities at which a reticle stage and a wafer stage is to be moved for scanning. The light source may be powered with a constant input power, and an adjustment rod for adjusting the quantity of light of the illumination beam may be disposed in a light travelling region through which the light of the illumination beam from the light source travels.

Abstract: Two stages (WS1), (WS2) holding wafers can independently move between a positional information measuring section (PIS) under an alignment system (24a) and an exposing section (EPS) under a projection optical system (PL). The wafer exchange and alignment are performed on the stage (WS1), during which wafer (W2) is exposed on the stage (WS2). A position of each shot area of wafer (WS1) is obtained as a relative position with respect to a reference mark formed on the stage (WS1) in the section (PIS). Relative positional information can be used for the alignment with respect to an exposure pattern when the wafer (WS1) is moved to the section (EPS) to be exposed. Therefore, it is not necessary that a stage position is observed continuously in moving the stage. Exposure operations are performed in parallel by the two wafer stages (WS1) and (WS2) so as to improve the throughput.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus and method exposes a substrate with an image of a pattern on a mask via a projection optical system. The exposure apparatus and method reduce the influence of the driving reaction force of the reticle stage and/or the wafer stage on, for example, the positioning accuracy of the reticle and the wafer so that exposure can be performed highly accurately. The exposure apparatus having a mask stage which includes a first stage member which is movable in a predetermined direction and a second stage member which is movable in the predetermined direction together with the first stage member while holding the mask and which is finely movable with respect to the first stage member in a plane parallel to a plane of the base member on which the mask stage is moved, so that a position of the mask is adjusted.

Abstract: A projection optical system includes a first objective portion and an optical axis turn portion, each having an optical axis perpendicular to a reticle; an optical axis deflecting portion having an optical axis perpendicularly intersecting the above optical axis; and a second objective portion having an optical axis parallel to the above optical axis. An image-forming light beam from the reticle is returned toward the reticle by the first objective portion and a concave mirror provided in the optical axis turn portion to form a one-to-one image of the reticle. The returned image-forming light beam is led to the second objective portion through the optical axis deflecting portion to form a demagnified image on a wafer. During exposure, nitrogen gas is supplied through a gas changeover device to an illumination system unit, a reticle stage system unit, and a wafer stage system unit.

Abstract: A static image distortion characteristic is averaged in the width of a projection area in a scanning direction and becomes a dynamic image distortion characteristic, when a mask pattern is scan-exposed onto a photosensitized substrate by a projection exposure apparatus. At least a random component included in the dynamic image distortion characteristic is corrected by a arranging an image correction plate obtained by locally polishing the surface of a transparent parallel plate. Correction plates which minimize other aberrations beforehand are manufactured and installed within a projection optical path, considering that also the other aberrations are averaged and become dynamic aberration characteristics at the time of scan-exposure.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus for exposing a photosensitive substrate with a pattern on a circular mask by projection through a projection optical system. The apparatus includes a prealignment stage for previously correcting an error of the circular mask in its rotational direction, and a transport arm and a rotatable arm for transporting the circular mask from the prealignment stage to a mask stage. The prealignment stage includes an optical detecting system for detecting the rotational error of the circular mask from a predetermined orientation on the prealignment stage, a rotatable stage for rotating the circular mask on the prealignment stage, and a unit for controlling the rotatable stage on the basis of the rotational error so that the circular mask has the predetermined orientation. Orientational adjustment can be previously performed before importing the circular mask to the mask stage of the projection exposure apparatus.

Abstract: In a scanning exposure apparatus and method, first and second interferometers of an interferometer system monitor first and second stages of a stage system, one of which holds a mask and the other of which holds a substrate. The first stage is moved at a first scanning speed during scanning exposure, and the second stage is moved at a second scanning speed during the scanning exposure, the speeds differing in accordance with a projecting magnification of a projection unit. The first stage is moved in accordance with a deviation, obtained by using the interferometer system, between the first stage and the second stage in a direction other than the scanning direction during the scanning exposure.

Abstract: There is disclosed an exposure method for transferring, using an optical system for illuminating a mask having patterns to be transferred on a substrate and a projection optical system for projecting images of the patterns to the substrate, the patterns to the substrate through the projection optical system by means of scanning the mask and the substrate synchronously relative to the projection optical system. The method comprises the steps of providing a plurality of measuring marks on the mask formed along a relative scanning direction, and providing a plurality of reference marks formed on the stage corresponding to the measuring marks, respectively, moving the mask and the substrate synchronously in the relative scanning direction to measure successively a displacement amount between the measuring marks on the mask and the reference marks, and obtaining a correspondence relation between a coordinate system on the mask and a coordinate system on the stage according to the displacement amount.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus carries out scan exposure with illumination flux of slit(s) by moving a mask and a substrate in a direction of one-dimension at synchronized speeds with each other. The mask is inclined with a predetermined angle relative to the substrate in the direction of one-dimensional movement. The substrate is also moved in a direction of optical axis of projection optical system when moved in the direction of one-dimension, such that a central part of transfer area on the substrate is located on a best focal plane of projection optical system upon scan exposure.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus carries out scan exposure with illumination flux of slit(s) by moving a mask and a substrate in a direction of one-dimension at synchronized speeds with each other. The mask is inclined with a predetermined angle relative to the substrate in the direction of one-dimensional movement. The substrate is also moved in a direction of optical axis of projection optical system when moved in the direction of one-dimension, such that a central part of transfer area on the substrate is located on a best focal plane of projection optical system upon scan exposure.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus carries out scan exposure with illumination flux of slit(s) by moving a mask and a substrate in a direction of one-dimension at synchronized speeds with each other. The mask is inclined with a predetermined angle relative to the substrate in the direction of one-dimensional movement. The substrate is also moved in a direction of optical axis of projection optical system when moved in the direction of one-dimension, such that a central part of transfer area on the substrate is located on a best focal plane of projection optical system upon scan exposure.

Abstract: In a scanning-type projection exposure system, curvature of a movable mirror that is used to measure mask stage coordinate positions is determined while the mask stage is moved in the scanning direction, by measuring coordinate positions, perpendicular to the scan direction, of the mask stage and of a mask mark elongated in the scan direction. The results of the measurements are used for correcting or compensating positional deviation during scanning. Rotational deviation of a mask pattern area is determined and is corrected or compensated. Also, a mask is aligned with respect to a coordinate system of the mask stage as pre-processing for exposure, using a mask alignment mark having two crossing linear patterns and determining a coordinate position of the crossing point by moving the mask relative to an observation area.