Abstract: For a photolithography apparatus, an adjustment method is provided which comprises first and second processes. In the first process, a semiconductor wafer is successively set in one of cell positions. In each of the cell positions, a laser beam is directed to the surface of the wafer and light reflecting off the wafer surface is detected and analyzed to determine a vertical offset position of the wafer at each cell position. Data representing the vertical offset position is stored in a memory and the first process is repeated until the offset position data are derived from all cell positions. In the second process, tilt angles of the wafer at all cell positions are determined from the stored offset position data, and angle data representing the determined tilt angles are stored in a memory. The wafer is then set in one of the cell positions, and the angle data is read from the memory corresponding to the set cell position and the wafer surface is horizontally aligned.

Abstract: A phase-shifting mask is provided, which suppresses effectively the increase of the minimum, formable pattern-element size due to the optical proximity effect. The mask comprises a first pattern region formed on a transparent substrate and including a first blocking part for forming at least one first pattern element. The mask further comprises a second pattern region formed on the substrate and including second blocking parts for forming second pattern elements arranged periodically. In the first pattern region, a first phase-shifting part and a first transparent part are formed at each side of the first blocking part. In the second pattern region, a second phase-shifting part and a second transparent part are formed at each side of a second blocking part to the second phase-shifting part. The intensity of exposing light penetrated through the first pattern region is set to be approximately equal to that of the light penetrated through the second pattern region.

Abstract: A reticle is provided, which improves the alignment or stacking accuracy and reduces the error or incorrectness of alignment accuracy measurement using the alignment mark in the optical lithographic process. The reticle comprises a first area including a desired circuit pattern and a second area including alignment marks arranged at specific positions, the first area and the second area being located in an exposure range of an optical exposure apparatus. Each of the alignment marks comprises mark elements arranged to form a first geometric shape. Each of the mark elements has main sub-elements arranged in a specific direction at first pitches to from a second geometric shape, a first auxiliary sub-element located at one end of the second geometric shape, a second auxiliary sub-element located at the other end of the second geometric shape. The first auxiliary sub-element is apart from a first one of the main sub-elements at a second pitch.

Abstract: As a phase-shift mask 10, a positive type Levenson phase-shift mask is used. For example, a device having such a minimum line-width of about 100 nm as that of a gate layer circuit pattern 14 is exposed by a projection exposure apparatus using a KrF-Excimer laser as its light source. The circuit pattern 14 is formed by performing exposure twice using the phase-shift mask 10 and an ordinary mask 12 respectively. In this case, during the first time of exposure by use of the phase-shift mask 10, a substrate 141 is moved along an optical axis to expose the pattern onto a plurality of image-forming surfaces. By this multiple-focus exposure method, the errors in pattern dimensions can be averaged into a small value.

Abstract: A coma aberration measuring method which takes the following steps. An object is exposed to light with a mask which bears a plurality of evaluation patterns each having at least two line patterns, wherein the width of lines in each of the plural evaluation patterns is different from that in any of the other evaluation patterns. Alternatively, a plurality of exposures are made on an object with a mask bearing evaluation patterns each having at least two line patterns, while varying the amount of light exposure for each exposure. As a result, a plurality of transfer patterns are created on the object. A detection is made as to in which one or ones among these plural transfer patterns either of the two line patterns is missing. Depending on the magnitude of coma aberration in the optical system used to make exposures, a line pattern with a certain line width among the line patterns to be transferred is not actually transferred.

Abstract: In a method for predicting a width of a photo-resist pattern, a first optical intensity at mask edges and a second optical intensity at a center of the photo-resist pattern are determined on the basis of a spatial image of a mask pattern to be transferred under reference conditions, and the distance between the mask edges at the first optical intensity and a third intensity at the center of the photo-resist pattern are determined on the basis of a spatial image of the mask pattern to be transferred under actual conditions, wherein the width of the photo-resist pattern is accurately predicted as the product between the distance and the ratio between the second optical intensity and the third optical intensity.

Abstract: A reticle system includes a reticle film having thereon a plurality of scale patterns each having a plurality of scale marks plotted therein, and a shield film having a plurality of pinholes each disposed corresponding to one of the scale patterns. A light emitted from a point light source having an effective coherent factor “x” and passing the reticle film at a scale mark “x” or below “x” in one of the scale patterns passes through the corresponding pinhole. After transferring the scale patterns onto a wafer surface, the effective coherent factors are read from the maximum scale marks for respective scale patterns on the wafer surface. The dispersion of the coherent factors can be calculated therefrom.

Abstract: A scanning exposure system to expose an objective wafer has a light source; a slit-shaped window having a length in a first direction greater than a width in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a photomask having an exposure opening therein, the exposure opening having a length along a longer direction greater than a width along a narrower direction perpendicular to the longer direction, the longer direction being aligned parallel to a projection of the first direction on the photomask, the objective wafer being exposed to the light source through the slit-shaped window and the exposure opening during a scanning operation by a relative motion of the photomask with respect to the slit-shaped window in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

Abstract: A method of forming a photoresist pattern by a photolithography technique is composed of:

Abstract: An adjustment method for photolithography. First, a semiconductor wafer is successively set in one of cell positions. In each of the cell positions, a laser beam is directed to the surface of the wafer and light reflecting off the wafer surface is detected and analyzed to determine a vertical offset position of the wafer at each cell position. Data representing the vertical offset position is stored in a memory and the process is repeated until the offset position data are derived from all cell positions. Thereafter, tilt angles of the wafer at all cell positions are determined from the stored offset position data, and angle data representing the determined tilt angles are stored in a memory. The wafer is then set in one of the cell positions, and the angle data is read from the memory corresponding to the set cell position and the wafer surface is horizontally aligned.

Abstract: In a mask including an optical shield layer formed on a transparent substrate, the light transmittance of the shield layer is changed in accordance with the density of patterns of the shield layer or the thickness of a photoresist layer on a semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus for filtering a liquid, includes supplying a starting liquid from a container to a passage of a pipe-like filter set in a filter casing, passing the starting liquid through the passage of the filter thereby to produce the filtrate, sending back the unfiltered liquid to the container, and back washing the filter by means of a hydraulic pressure device having a piston movable in a cylinder in such a manner that the filtrate is moved by the piston of the hydraulic device.

Abstract: A process for gas dissolution which uses a vessel, a portion wall made of ceramic material for dividing the vessel into a first chamber and a second chamber, a first inlet of the vessel for introducing a liquid into the first chamber, a second inlet of the vessel for introducing a pressurized gas into the second chamber, and a discharge port of the vessel for discharging the liquid from the first chamber.

Abstract: A tool for firing ceramics such as a setter and crucible comprises a ceramic foam body which has a three-dimensionally reticulated structure comprising plural interconnected ceramic strands, and a ceramic setting layer formed on at least one part of the surface of the ceramic foam body.

Abstract: A wire chain connector for an anchor line has a swivel coupled to a rope socket via a link, and a ball adapter mounted on the outer periphery of the link. A wire rope groove is formed in the inner surface of a peripheral groove in a sheave to allow a wire rope to pass along it. A chain pocket is formed in the central portion of the peripheral groove in the sheave to allow a chain to pass along it. A connector groove is formed in the outer surface of the peripheral groove in the sheave to allow the anchor line to pass along it. The body of the swivel and the ball adapter are so sized that they can be seated in the connector groove.