Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an apparatus which includes an original stage, to hold an original, which moves in a scan direction, an illumination optical system configured to illuminate the original held by the original stage with exposure light, a substrate stage configured to hold a substrate and to move in a scan direction, a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of the original onto the substrate with the exposure light, and an irradiation unit configured to irradiate the original held by the original stage. Irradiation by the irradiation unit and movement of the original stage in the scan direction are carried out substantially in parallel with each other so as to remove a contaminant on the original.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus that exposes onto a substrate a pattern of a mask that is located in a vacuum or reduced atmosphere and includes a multilayer film that is made of a lamination of a molybdenum layer and a silicon layer includes a laser irradiation unit for irradiating onto the mask a pulsed laser beam that has a wavelength of 200 nm or below.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate. The apparatus includes an optical system being set at a reference temperature, for directing light to the substrate, an exposure chamber for storing the optical system in a vacuum ambience, and a load-lock chamber, disposed adjacent to the exposure chamber, for converting an ambience of a space surrounding the substrate into a vacuum ambience. When the load-lock chamber converts the ambience of the space surrounding the substrate into a vacuum ambience, the temperature of the load-lock chamber is made higher than the reference temperature.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate. The apparatus includes an optical system being set at a reference temperature, for directing light to the substrate, an exposure chamber for storing the optical system in a vacuum ambience, and a load-lock chamber, disposed adjacent to the exposure chamber, for converting an ambience of a space surrounding the substrate into a vacuum ambience. When the load-lock chamber converts the ambience of the space surrounding the substrate into a vacuum ambience, the temperature of the load-lock chamber is made higher than the reference temperature.

Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an apparatus which includes an original stage, to hold an original, which moves in a scan direction, an illumination optical system configured to illuminate the original held by the original stage with exposure light, a substrate stage configured to hold a substrate and to move in a scan direction, a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of the original onto the substrate with the exposure light, and an irradiation unit configured to irradiate the original held by the original stage. Irradiation by the irradiation unit and movement of the original stage in the scan direction are carried out substantially in parallel with each other so as to remove a contaminant on the original.

Abstract: Disclosed is an exposure apparatus having a load-lock chamber being arranged to avoid condensation of water vapors in the load-lock chamber or to reduce the amount of condensation of the water vapors, with a simple structure and a simple control method. Specifically, an exposure apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention comprises an optical system being set at a reference temperature, for directing light to the substrate, an exposure chamber for storing the optical system in a vacuum ambience, and a load-lock chamber disposed adjacent the exposure chamber, for converting an ambience of a space surrounding the substrate into a vacuum ambience, wherein, when the load-lock chamber converts the ambience of the space surrounding the substrate into a vacuum ambience, the temperature of the load-lock chamber is made higher than the reference temperature.

Abstract: A processing system includes a supplying part for storing an object to be fed and for being maintained at an atmospheric pressure a processing chamber for being maintained at a reduced pressure or vacuum atmosphere and for executing a predetermined processing to the object, the object being fed between the supplying part and the processing chamber, a vacuum chamber, arranged between the supplying part and the processing chamber, for storing the object at a pressure of 100 Pa or less, the vacuum chamber having a replaceable atmosphere, and a first load lock chamber, arranged between the supplying part and said vacuum chamber, for receiving and supplying the object between the supplying part and said vacuum chamber, the first load lock chamber having a replaceable atmosphere.

Abstract: Accurate alignment can be attained irrespective of strains of the main body structure. An exposure apparatus, which has a substrate stage (13, 15) which holds and moves a substrate (18), a position measurement unit (14) for measuring the position of the substrate stage, and a control unit (16) for performing drive control of the substrate stage to align the substrate on the basis of the measured position, and which aligns the substrate and a master plate (2), and forms a pattern on the master plate on the substrate by exposure, has a strain measurement unit (9) for measuring strain of a structure (8) to which the position measurement unit is fixed, and the control unit aligns the substrate by the drive control of the stage in consideration of the measured strain.

Abstract: In an exposure apparatus for projecting illumination light irradiating a reticle on a wafer via an optical system, a mark magnification variation &Dgr;&bgr;M is calculated from the displacement amounts of a plurality of position measurement marks used for reticle alignment. From the mark magnification variation &Dgr;&bgr;M, a shot magnification &Dgr;&bgr;S is estimated using an estimation equation having an aspect ratio A and area ratio S of the exposure region as parameters: &Dgr;&bgr;S=c·Ap·Sq·&Dgr;&bgr;M (where c, p, q are coefficients). The shot magnification is corrected based on the estimation result using the magnification correction function of a projection lens.

Abstract: In an exposure apparatus for projecting illumination light irradiating a reticle on a wafer via an optical system, a mark magnification variation &Dgr;&bgr;M is calculated from the displacement amounts of a plurality of position measurement marks used for reticle alignment.

Abstract: Accurate alignment can be attained irrespective of strains of the main body structure. An exposure apparatus, which has a substrate stage (13, 15) which holds and moves a substrate (18), a position measurement unit (14) for measuring the position of the substrate stage, and a control unit (16) for performing drive control of the substrate stage to align the substrate on the basis of the measured position, and which aligns the substrate and a master plate (2), and forms a pattern on the master plate on the substrate by exposure, has a strain measurement unit (9) for measuring strain of a structure (8) to which the position measurement unit is fixed, and the control unit aligns the substrate by the drive control of the stage in consideration of the measured strain.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus, which includes a projection optical system for forming an image of a pattern formed on a master plate, a substrate stage for holding and moving a substrate to be exposed to an imaging position, a position measurement device for measuring a position of the master plate or substrate or relative positions of the master plate and substrate, an alignment device for moving the master plate or substrate on the basis of a measurement value of the position measurement device to adjust the position or relative positions, a main body structure for holding the projection optical system, the substrate stage, and the position measurement device, and a support base for supporting the main body structure.

Abstract: A projection aligner and a projection aligning method for projecting light onto a circuit pattern on a reticle and for aligning and projecting the circuit pattern onto a substrate via a projection lens assembly. A reticle reference data curve is generated, which indicates a relationship between exposure time of the reticle and a variation in the exposure magnification of the reticle, which curve is obtained when exposure is performed under a reference exposure condition established using a parameter governing the exposure magnification of the reticle. A projection lens reference data curve is generated, indicating a relationship between exposure time of the projection lens assembly and a variation in the exposure magnification of the lens assembly, which curve is obtained when exposure is performed under a reference exposure condition established using a parameter governing the exposure magnification of the projection lens assembly.

Abstract: A projection optical apparatus includes a projection optical system including lenses, a measurement unit for measuring a change in the shape of one of the lenses, and an adjustment unit for adjusting the optical characteristics of the projection optical system in accordance with a signal from the measurement unit. Since a change in the shape of the lens due to a thermal change of the lens is directly measured and optical characteristics of the projection optical system are adjusted in accordance with the result of the measurement, projection can be performed with high stability and precision.

Abstract: Disclosed is a projection exposure apparatus for projecting a pattern of an original onto different regions on a substrate sequentially, wherein, on the basis of information related to a chip layout upon the substrate and of at least a chip layout within a projection exposure field and a chip layout within the pattern of the original, a first shot layout with which the number of shots is minimum when the shot layout takes a grid-like form, is determined. Also, on the basis of the information, a second shot layout with which shots are placed in sequence, from an end of the chip layout upon the substrate, without overlap of shots, is determined. The first and second shot layouts are then compared with each other, and one of them which provides a smaller number of shots is selected as a shot layout for the projection exposure operation.

Abstract: A projective exposure apparatus for imaging a pattern formed on an original onto a substrate at a predetermined magnification to form a pattern image on the substrate includes an original support member, a substrate support member, and a projection lens disposed between these support members for imaging the pattern onto the substrate. In the projection exposure apparatus, a partial deviation of positions of portions of the pattern image from regular positions are obtained in at least one of the directions along and perpendicular to a surface of the pattern image, and the partial deviation is eliminated by deforming at least one of the original and the substrate based on the thus obtained result.