Abstract: An exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern formed on a mask to a photosensitive substrate is provided with an illumination optical system for illuminating a local area on the mask with a light beam, a projection optical system for projecting the pattern of the mask to the photosensitive substrate and a relative scanning device for relatively scanning the mask and the photosensitive substrate in a perpendicular direction to the optical axis of the projection optical system so as to transfer the pattern of the mask to the photosensitive substrate.

Abstract: A first pattern is illuminated in a first exposure step with a light beam which is inclined by a predetermined amount in a direction perpendicular to a line direction of a first L/S pattern with respect to an optical axis of a projection optical system. The illumination in this manner causes two-beam illumination effected by a 0-order diffracted light beam and a −1-order diffracted light beam generated from the first pattern formed on a mask. Modified illumination is performed in a second exposure step for a mask formed with an L/S second pattern including a line pattern in a direction perpendicular to the first line pattern. A pattern image, which has a high resolution and a large depth of focus in the respective line directions, can be formed on a photosensitive substrate by performing multiple exposure by using the modified illumination in the separate steps respectively for the first and second patterns which are in an orthogonal relationship.

Abstract: A scan type projection exposure apparatus which includes an illumination optical system for forming a slit-shaped illumination area on a pattern on a mask by using illuminating light, and a projection optical system for forming an image of a portion of the pattern in the illumination area on a substrate, includes: a mask stage which moves at least in one direction while holding the mask; a substrate stage which moves two-dimensionally while holding the substrate; a control system for synchronously scanning the mask stage and the substrate stage; and an image forming performance adjusting system for adjusting image forming performance of the projection optical system and having a component placed in an area through which the illuminating light incident from the illumination area on the mask to the projection optical system does not pass.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus has a triangular shaped stage which is movable in a two-dimensional plane while holding a substrate. The stage has a reflecting surface provided on a side face of the stage so that the surface extends in a specific direction intersecting Y axis and X axis. An interferometer radiates a beam onto the reflecting surface to measure a position of the stage in a direction perpendicular to the specific direction. Using the measured position and an angle of the specific direction, a calculator can calculate the position of the stage on rectangular coordinate system defined by X and Y axes. The size and weight of the stage can be reduced, and the throughput of the exposure apparatus is improved.

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: 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. During maintenance, air having ozone removed therefrom is supplied to these units through the gas changeover device.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus transfers an image of a pattern on a reticle onto a wafer W by synchronously scanning the reticle and the wafer with respect to a projection optical system in a state in which the reticle is illuminated with an exposure light beam from an exposure light source subjected to pulse light emission via a fly's eye lens, a movable blind, a main condenser lens system, and a fixed blind. First and second uneven illuminance-correcting plates, on which shielding line groups for correcting convex and concave uneven illuminance are depicted, are arranged at a position defocused from a conjugate plane with respect to a pattern plane of the reticle. A third correcting plate for roughly correcting uneven illuminance is arranged at a position further defocused therefrom. It is possible to enhance the uniformity of the totalized exposure amount on the wafer or the telecentricity when the exposure is performed in accordance with the scanning exposure system.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus has a triangular shaped stage which is movable in a two-dimensional plane while holding a substrate. The stage has a reflecting surface provided on a side face of the stage so that the surface extends in a specific direction intersecting Y axis and X axis. An interferometer radiates a beam onto the reflecting surface to measure a position of the stage in a direction perpendicular to the specific direction. Using the measured position and an angle of the specific direction, a calculator can calculate the position of the stage on rectangular coordinate system defined by X and Y axes. The size and weight of the stage can be reduced, and the throughput of the exposure apparatus is improved.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting images of patterns formed on a plurality of masks onto the substrate through a projection system sequentially. At least one part of a first mask-driving system is disposed on one side of the projection system, and moves a first mask in a predetermined plane. A second mask-driving system moves a second mask independently from the first mask, in a plane which is the same as or parallel to that for the first mask. At least one part of the second mask-driving system is disposed on the one side of the projection system. A control system is associated with the first and second mask-driving systems, and controls the first and second mask-driving systems respectively in order to project an image of a pattern formed on the first mask and an image of a pattern formed on the second mask onto the substrate sequentially.

Abstract: A reflective member is fixedly or movably provided near the pupil plane of a projection optical system with which a projection exposure apparatus is equipped. A collimated measuring beam with an exposure wavelength is incident from the object plane side or image plane side of the projection optical system, and the intensity of the beam reflected by the reflective member is detected photoelectrically to measure a value corresponding to the attenuation factor (transmissivity or reflectivity) of the projection optical system or the variation with time of the attenuation factor (transmissivity or reflectivity) of the projection optical system.

Abstract: Lactoferrin tablets comprising as the active ingredients lactoferrin and lactulose and having a horizontal hardness of at least 4 kg and a vertical hardness of at least 3 kg; and lactoferrin tablets comprising as the active ingredients a microbial cell powder of at least one microorganism selected from among lactic acid bacteria, lactoferrin and lactulose and having a horizontal hardness of at least 4 kg and a vertical hardness of at least 3 kg. These tablets can be produced by using the conventional tableting apparatuses and yet have high hardness. Thus, they do not adhere to the inner wall of the oral cavity and have a favorable taste. Since no excessive tableting pressure is needed in the production process, moreover, these tablets can contain much viable cells of lactic acid bacteria, though they are in the form of rigid tablet.

Abstract: A pattern region of a working reticle is divided into existing pattern portions and newly-forming pattern portions. With respect to the existing pattern portions, already-formed master reticle patterns are reduction-projected while stitching screens using an optical-type projection exposure apparatus. With respect to the newly-forming portions, enlarged patterns are formed by an electron beam drawing apparatus to form new master reticles, and reduced images of the newly formed master reticles are exposed while stitching screens using an optical-type projection exposure apparatus.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with an exposure light beam passing through a mask comprises a movable stage for moving the substrate, a stage chamber for accommodating the movable stage, a transport system for transporting the substrate into the stage chamber, and a first alignment system for performing positional adjustment for the substrate with respect to the movable stage in the stage chamber. The position of an exposure objective delivered from the transport system into the stage chamber can be subjected to positional adjustment by using the first alignment system. The stage chamber and the movable stage can be assembled to a frame of the exposure apparatus in accordance with the module system. The exposure apparatus includes a second alignment system for performing positional adjustment for the substrate installed on the movable stage at an exposure position.

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: In order to produce an exposure apparatus, a frame mechanism is assembled with a base plate, a column, and a support plate. After that, a sub-chamber provided with an illumination system is installed, and a projection optical system PL is placed on the support plate. Concurrently with this operation, a reticle chamber and a reticle stage system are assembled and adjusted, and a wafer chamber and a wafer stage system are assembled and adjusted. The reticle chamber and the wafer chamber are incorporated into the frame mechanism on which the projection optical system is carried. Piping and other components for supplying the purge gas for transmitting an exposure light beam therethrough are arranged at the inside of the reticle chamber and the wafer chamber. The space between the projection optical system and the wafer chamber is tightly closed with a film-shaped soft shield member having flexibility.

Abstract: A method for positioning a wafer with respect to a reticle in a projection exposure apparatus for a photolithographic process capable of high speed search alignment of a wafer without any limitation imposed on the arrangement of the search marks on the wafer. For the first wafer in one lot, a first alignment sensor system is used to detect the positions of first and second search marks, and define a coordinate system with reference to the positions of the search marks based on the detection results. Then, while the first search mark is detected by the first alignment sensor system, the position of a street-line is detected by a second alignment sensor system and stored.

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: In the exposure method of the present invention, exposure is effected with respect to shot areas S1 to S24 in a first layer on a wafer W using a scanning type exposure apparatus having an exposure field of a three-chip size and subsequently, exposure is effected with respect to shot areas SA1 to SAM in a second layer on the first layer, using a one-shot type exposure apparatus having an exposure field of, for example, a single-chip size. For exposure of the second layer, shot areas S1, S3, S5, . . . , S24 in the first layer are selected from the shot areas in the first layer and the respective central chip patterns C2 in the shot areas S1, S3, S5, . . . , S24 are selected as sample shots. Accordingly, sample shots 37A to 37J are selected from the shot areas in the second layer, and alignment is conducted by the EGA method, based on the positions of wafer marks included in the sample shots.

Abstract: A composition for crosslinking fibers. The composition displays little foaming, is self-emulsifiable and has good emulsion stability. The composition comprises a compound represented by formula (I) below, and a nonionic surfactant, where R1, R2, R3 and R4 each represent an alkyl group; or R1 and R2, and R3 and R4 may form a ring to be an alkylene group; R5 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group; and n represents a number of from 2 to 10. The composition may also contain an anionic surfactant.

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.