Abstract: The present invention provides an imprint apparatus which performs an imprint process of molding an imprint material on a substrate with a mold and forming a pattern on the substrate, the apparatus including a detector configured to detect a shearing force generated in at least one of the mold and the substrate in a case where a pattern of the mold and a region of the substrate are aligned with each other with the imprint material on the substrate and the mold being in contact with each other, and a controller configured to control the imprint process based on the detected shearing force.

Abstract: An apparatus for bringing a mold having a pattern region and a first mark into contact with an imprint material on a substrate having a second mark, includes a deforming mechanism configured to deform the mold such that a portion of the mold where the first mark is formed protrudes toward the substrate, a driving mechanism configured to adjust a distance between the mold and the substrate, and a detecting unit configured to detect, after the driving mechanism starts an operation of reducing the distance, the first mark and the second mark in a state in which the portion of the mold and the imprint material on the substrate are in contact with each other but a whole of the pattern region is not in contact with the imprint material.

Abstract: An imprint apparatus forms a pattern of a resin on a region to be processed of a substrate using a mold including a pattern region on which a pattern is formed and includes a correction unit configured to correct a shape of a target region that is either the pattern region on the mold or the region to be processed on the substrate, wherein the correction unit further includes: a heating unit configured to heat an object corresponding to the target region of either the mold or the substrate in a heating region having an area smaller than that of the pattern region on the mold; a scanning unit configured to scan the heating region with respect to the target region by changing the relative position of the target region and the heating region; and a control unit configured to acquire information regarding a correction deformation amount of the target region and control the heating unit and the scanning unit based on the information.

Abstract: An imprint apparatus cures an imprint material, while a pattern formed on a mold is kept in contact with the imprint material, thereby transferring the pattern onto the imprint material. The apparatus includes a measurement unit which performs, in parallel, alignment measurement in which a relative position between the mold and a shot region on the substrate, to which the pattern is to be transferred, is measured so as to align the mold and the shot region, and overlay measurement in which a relative position between a first pattern already formed in another shot region on the substrate using the mold, and a second pattern underlying the first patter is measured.

Abstract: An apparatus for bringing a mold having a pattern region and a first mark into contact with an imprint material on a substrate having a second mark, includes a deforming mechanism configured to deform the mold such that a portion of the mold where the first mark is formed protrudes toward the substrate, a driving mechanism configured to adjust a distance between the mold and the substrate, and a detecting unit configured to detect, after the driving mechanism starts an operation of reducing the distance, the first mark and the second mark in a state in which the portion of the mold and the imprint material on the substrate are in contact with each other but a whole of the pattern region is not in contact with the imprint material.

Abstract: An apparatus for bringing a mold having a pattern region and a first mark into contact with an imprint material on a substrate having a second mark, includes a deforming mechanism configured to deform the mold such that a portion of the mold where the first mark is formed protrudes toward the substrate, a driving mechanism configured to adjust a distance between the mold and the substrate, and a detecting unit configured to detect, after the driving mechanism starts an operation of reducing the distance, the first mark and the second mark in a state in which the portion of the mold and the imprint material on the substrate are in contact with each other but a whole of the pattern region is not in contact with the imprint material.

Abstract: An imprinting method of this disclosure includes supplying an imprint material on a substrate having a pattern including a mark on the substrate formed thereon; bringing a mold having a pattern including a mark on the mold into contact with the imprint material; curing the imprint material in a state in which the mold is in contact therewith; and forming a pattern including the mark on the imprint material, and characterized in that an optical system configured to form an image of the mark on the imprint material and an image of the mark on the substrate are used to detect the mark on the imprint material and the mark on the substrate after the space between the substrate and the mold has been increased until the mark on the mold is positioned out of a focal depth of the optical system, thereby obtaining a relative positional deviation between the pattern on the substrate and the pattern on the imprint material.

Abstract: The present invention provides an imprint apparatus which performs an imprint process of molding an imprint material on a substrate with a mold and forming a pattern on the substrate, the apparatus including a detector configured to detect a shearing force generated in at least one of the mold and the substrate in a case where a pattern of the mold and a region of the substrate are aligned with each other with the imprint material on the substrate and the mold being in contact with each other, and a controller configured to control the imprint process based on the detected shearing force.

Abstract: An imprint apparatus forms a pattern of a resin on a region to be processed of a substrate using a mold including a pattern region on which a pattern is formed and includes a correction unit configured to correct a shape of a target region that is either the pattern region on the mold or the region to be processed on the substrate, wherein the correction unit further includes: a heating unit configured to heat an object corresponding to the target region of either the mold or the substrate in a heating region having an area smaller than that of the pattern region on the mold; a scanning unit configured to scan the heating region with respect to the target region by changing the relative position of the target region and the heating region; and a control unit configured to acquire information regarding a correction deformation amount of the target region and control the heating unit and the scanning unit based on the information.

Abstract: An imprinting method of this disclosure includes supplying an imprint material on a substrate having a pattern including a mark on the substrate formed thereon; bringing a mold having a pattern including a mark on the mold into contact with the imprint material; curing the imprint material in a state in which the mold is in contact therewith; and forming a pattern including the mark on the imprint material, and characterized in that an optical system configured to form an image of the mark on the imprint material and an image of the mark on the substrate are used to detect the mark on the imprint material and the mark on the substrate after the space between the substrate and the mold has been increased until the mark on the mold is positioned out of a focal depth of the optical system, thereby obtaining a relative positional deviation between the pattern on the substrate and the pattern on the imprint material.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus which exposes a pattern of an original onto a substrate. The apparatus includes an optical system, including a reflective optical element, configured to conduct exposure light, a cooling mechanism configured to cool the reflective optical element included in the optical system, a detection unit configured to detect cooling information of the cooling mechanism and to produce a detection result, and a determination unit configured to determine optical characteristics of the reflective optical element, based on the detection result of the detection unit and a previously stored correlation between optical characteristics of the reflective optical element and the cooling information of the cooling mechanism.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus that irradiates excitation laser onto a target, and generates from generated plasma a light source for generating illumination light of an extreme ultraviolet region or an X-ray region includes an illumination optical system that uses the illumination light to illuminate a catoptric reticle that forms a pattern to be transferred, the illumination optical system including a first mirror closest to the light source, an ellipsoidal mirror for condensing the illumination light in front of the first mirror in the illumination optical system, and a projection optical system that reduces and projects the pattern reflected on the reticle onto an object to be exposed, wherein light where an optical-axis direction of the excitation laser proceeds beyond a position that generates the plasma by the excitation laser does not interfere with components in the exposure apparatus including the illumination and projection optical systems, and the ellipsoidal mirror.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to light via a reticle includes a reflective optical system including a plurality of reflective optical elements and configured to conduct the light, a cooling mechanism configured to cool a first optical element included in the reflective optical system and arranged on an optical path of the reflective optical system, and a controller configured to detect a load of the cooling mechanism and determine a decrease in reflectance of at least one of the plurality of reflective optical elements based on the detected load.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus that irradiates excitation laser onto a target, and generates from generated plasma a light source for generating illumination light of an extreme ultraviolet region or an X-ray region includes an illumination optical system that uses the illumination light to illuminate a catoptric reticle that forms a pattern to be transferred, the illumination optical system including a first mirror closest to the light source, an ellipsoidal mirror for condensing the illumination light in front of the first mirror in the illumination optical system, and a projection optical system that reduces and projects the pattern reflected on the reticle onto an object to be exposed, wherein light where an optical-axis direction of the excitation laser proceeds beyond a position that generates the plasma by the excitation laser does not interfere with components in the exposure apparatus including the illumination and projection optical systems, and the ellipsoidal mirror.

Abstract: A scanning exposure apparatus includes a master stage for scanning a master, a substrate stage for scanning a substrate, a transfer device for supplying/recovering the substrate to/from the substrate stage, a positioning device for relatively positioning the substrate and the master, and a scanning velocity determination device for determining a scanning velocity so as to maximize the number of substrates that can be exposed per unit time.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes a mask on which a transfer pattern is formed and a mask scanning unit for scanning the mask, a wafer coated with a photosensitive material and a wafer stage scanning unit for scanning a wafer stage on which the wafer is mounted, a transfer unit for supplying/recovering the wafer to/from the wafer stage, and a positioning unit for positioning the wafer and the mask, sequentially exposes the transfer pattern on the wafer by illuminating part of the transfer pattern with a light beam emitted from a light source through an illumination optical system and synchronously scanning the mask and the wafer, and includes a scanning velocity determination unit for determining a scanning velocity so as to maximize the number of wafer that can be exposed per unit time.

Abstract: A sample in a sample chamber is irradiated for scanning with an electron beam emitted through a pressure limiting aperture. Secondary electrons reflected from the sample are gas amplified by gas in the sample chamber. A member defining limiting aperture serves also as an electrode, and another electrode is provided around the member. The member can move along a passage for the electron beam emitted from an electron gun by means of, for example a motor, a pinion spindle, a pinion, a rack, and a connecting member. The pressure limiting aperture is positioned close to the sample when a contact hole is observed and is positioned away from the specimen when the surface of the sample is observed.