Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging optical system configured to form an optical image of an object, a first imaging sensor device, a second imaging sensor device having an integration degree smaller than that of the first imaging sensor, and a controller configured to execute a first imaging mode in which the first imaging sensor device is used for image pickup of the object while the first imaging sensor device is located at an image plane of the imaging optical system, and a second imaging mode in which the second imaging sensor device is used for image pickup of the object while the second imaging sensor device is located at the image plane of the imaging optical system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of generating, by a computer, data on patterns of a plurality of originals for use in multiple exposure, in which a single-layer pattern is formed on a substrate by exposing the substrate a plurality of times, in an exposure apparatus including an illumination optical system which illuminates an original with light from a light source, and a projection optical system which projects a pattern of the original onto a substrate.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus comprises: an imaging unit having an imaging optical system and an imaging device; a measuring unit that measures, for each of a plurality of regions on a specimen, an optical aberration or a physical quantity causing the aberration before the imaging of the specimen is performed; a plurality of optical elements that are inserted in an optical path of the imaging optical system for correcting the aberration and that differ in correction amount; and a control unit that selects an optical element from among the optical elements on the basis of a measurement result of the measuring unit, and inserts the selected optical element into the optical path of the imaging optical system before the imaging of the specimen. The imaging optical system is configured to be capable of forming simultaneously images of the plurality of regions on the imaging device.

Abstract: An imaging system includes: an imaging unit that divides an imaging area of a subject into a plurality of blocks and captures images of the blocks; an image processing unit that merges the images of the respective blocks captured by the imaging unit to generate an entire image; a measuring unit that measures a plurality of points on the subject to acquire measured data before an image of the subject is captured by the imaging unit; and a dividing position adjusting unit that adjusts dividing positions of the subject based on the measured data of the measuring points acquired by the measuring unit so that boundaries of the blocks are arranged at positions having smaller spatial variations in values of the measured data. The imaging unit captures an image of each block according to the dividing positions adjusted by the dividing position adjusting unit.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus performs image capturing of an object from its surface side. The image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing optical system 304, a deformable mirror 3042 disposed in an intermediate imaging area of the image capturing optical system, a controller 400 configured to divide the object into a plurality of object areas, calculate an approximate surface approximating a surface shape of the object in each of the object areas using shape data indicating the surface shape, and deform the deformable mirror to a shape corresponding to the approximate surface.

Abstract: An image pickup method includes dividing a surface shape of an object into a plurality of areas, approximating a surface of each of the plurality of areas to a plane, and calculating a slope of the plane, grouping the plurality of areas into m groups so that slopes of planes corresponding to the areas belonging to the same group fall within a permissible range, tilting a stage configured to hold the object so that all slopes of planes belonging to a group k of the m groups can fall within a depth of focus where k is an integer selected from 1 to m, making image sensors corresponding to the areas belonging to the group k among the plurality of image sensors, capture images of the object, and repeating tilting and caputing from k=1 to k=m.

Abstract: A storage medium includes a program which causes a computer to execute a method of calculating a light intensity distribution on a pupil plane of an illumination optical system. The method includes: determining an impulse response function of a projection optical system by performing Fourier transform on a pupil function of the projection optical system; setting a length to a second zero point of the impulse response function as a response length, extracting, from elements forming a target pattern, only elements inside am area within radius which is response length, and determining a function indicating the extracted pattern as an image function; and obtaining the light intensity distribution based on the pupil function, the determined impulse response function, and the determined image function.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method including generating mask data to be used in an exposure apparatus including an illumination optical system and a projection optical system which projects a pattern of the mask onto a substrate, and fabricating a mask based on the generated mask data.

Abstract: The present invention provides a generation method that obtains a position at which an auxiliary pattern is to be placed and generates a mask pattern (its data), which achieves excellent imaging performance, even when a halftone mask is used as an original.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus comprises: an imaging unit having an imaging optical system and an imaging device; a measuring unit that measures, for each of a plurality of regions on a specimen, an optical aberration or a physical quantity causing the aberration before the imaging of the specimen is performed; a plurality of optical elements that are inserted in an optical path of the imaging optical system for correcting the aberration and that differ in correction amount; and a control unit that selects an optical element from among the optical elements on the basis of a measurement result of the measuring unit, and inserts the selected optical element into the optical path of the imaging optical system before the imaging of the specimen. The imaging optical system is configured to be capable of forming simultaneously images of the plurality of regions on the imaging device.

Abstract: An imaging system includes: an imaging unit that divides an imaging area of a subject into a plurality of blocks and captures images of the blocks; an image processing unit that merges the images of the respective blocks captured by the imaging unit to generate an entire image; a measuring unit that measures a plurality of points on the subject to acquire measured data before an image of the subject is captured by the imaging unit; and a dividing position adjusting unit that adjusts dividing positions of the subject based on the measured data of the measuring points acquired by the measuring unit so that boundaries of the blocks are arranged at positions having smaller spatial variations in values of the measured data. The imaging unit captures an image of each block according to the dividing positions adjusted by the dividing position adjusting unit.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging optical system configured to form an optical image of an object, a first imaging sensor device, a second imaging sensor device having an integration degree smaller than that of the first imaging sensor, and a controller configured to execute a first imaging mode in which the first imaging sensor device is used for image pickup of the object while the first imaging sensor device is located at an image plane of the imaging optical system, and a second imaging mode in which the second imaging sensor device is used for image pickup of the object while the second imaging sensor device is located at the image plane of the imaging optical system.

Abstract: A method of generating reticle data for producing a reticle, a pattern of the reticle including a main pattern, a first auxiliary pattern, and a second auxiliary pattern, the first auxiliary pattern and the second auxiliary pattern being patterns not to resolve, light having passed through the first auxiliary pattern and light having passed through the main pattern being in phase, and light having passed through the second auxiliary pattern and light having passed through the main pattern having a phase difference of 180° from each other, the method comprising the step of deleting either of the first auxiliary pattern and the second auxiliary pattern or deforming at least either of the first auxiliary pattern and the second auxiliary pattern when the first auxiliary pattern and the second auxiliary pattern overlap each other.

Abstract: A computer readable storage medium stores a program for generating reticle data for producing a reticle used in an exposure apparatus, the program including the steps of classifying target patterns to be formed on a substrate into a plurality of direction groups, extracting, for each of the plurality of direction groups, a region suited to resolution of a target pattern belonging to the direction group from an effective light source distribution formed on a pupil of a projection optical system by an illumination optical system, thereby determining the extracted region as a partial light source, executing, for each of a plurality of partial light sources determined in the step of extracting a region, processing of determining a pattern to be placed on a reticle when each partial light source is used as an illumination condition, and merging patterns determined in the step of executing processing.

Abstract: The invention provides a generation method of generating data of a mask, comprising a calculation step of calculating an aerial image formed on an image plane of a projection optical system, an extraction step of extracting a two-dimensional image from the aerial image, a determination step of determining a main pattern of the mask based on the two-dimensional image, an extraction step of extracting, from the aerial image, a peak portion at which a light intensity takes a peak value in a region other than a region in which the main pattern is projected, a determination step of determining an assist pattern based on the light intensity of the peak portion, and a generation step of inserting the assist pattern into a portion of the mask, which corresponds to the peak portion, thereby generating, as the data of the mask, pattern data including the assist pattern and the main pattern.

Abstract: The present invention provides a generation method that obtains a position at which an auxiliary pattern is to be placed and generates a mask pattern (its data), which achieves excellent imaging performance, even when a halftone mask is used as an original.

Abstract: A storage medium includes a program which causes a computer to execute a method of calculating a light intensity distribution on a pupil plane of an illumination optical system. The method includes: determining an impulse response function of a projection optical system by performing Fourier transform on a pupil function of the projection optical system; setting a length to a second zero point of the impulse response function as a response length, extracting, from elements forming a target pattern, only elements inside am area within radius which is response length, and determining a function indicating the extracted pattern as an image function; and obtaining the light intensity distribution based on the pupil function, the determined impulse response function, and the determined image function.

Abstract: An exposure method includes the steps of illuminating a mask that has a contact hole pattern using an illumination light, and projecting, via a projection optical system, the contact hole pattern onto a substrate to be exposed, wherein three lights among diffracted lights from the contact hole pattern interfere with each other, wherein said mask is an attenuated phase shift mask, and wherein said illumination light forms a radial polarization illumination.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of generating, by a computer, data on patterns of a plurality of originals for use in multiple exposure, in which a single-layer pattern is formed on a substrate by exposing the substrate a plurality of times, in an exposure apparatus including an illumination optical system which illuminates an original with light from a light source, and a projection optical system which projects a pattern of the original onto a substrate.

Abstract: A phase shift mask includes a substrate including first and second transmissive regions alternately disposed, and absorbers disposed on a surface of the substrate such that each absorber is sandwiched between the first and second transmissive regions. A phase shifter is defined by a difference between a surface height of the first transmissive region and a surface height of the second transmissive region. At least the first transmissive region among the first and second transmissive regions has a trench. An aperture portion formed between opposite side walls of respective adjacent absorbers has a width that increases along a depth direction of the substrate. Each trench has a width that increases along the depth direction of the substrate.