Abstract: In projection exposure of isolated pattern such as a contact hole, in order to increase the depth of focus a coherence reducing member is disposed on a Fourier transform plane in an image-forming optical path between a mask and a sensitized base, so that coherence is reduced between image-forming beams respectively passing through a plurality of different, concentric regions around the optical axis of the projection optical system on the Fourier transform plane. The coherence reducing member may be a polarization state control member for making a difference in polarization state, a member for making a difference in optical path length, or space filters with different shapes.

Abstract: In a method of detecting a position of a position detection grating mark formed with a small step structure on a surface of a flat object, an illumination light beam is irradiated on the grating mark at a predetermined incident angle. The illumination light beam includes a plurality of coherent beams having n (n≧3) different wavelengths &lgr;1, &lgr;2, &lgr;3, . . . , &lgr;n.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus having an illuminating system for irradiating a mask, which has a pattern, with illuminating light for exposure and a projection optical system having a plurality of optical elements arranged along an optical axis to project an image of a pattern illuminated with light onto a substrate. One of a plurality of optical plates having different optical characteristics is interposed between the pattern and the substrate depending on the pattern. An adjusting system adjusts a characteristic of the projected image based on a calculation using one of a plurality of parameters corresponding to the optical plates, the one parameter being selected in accordance with the one optical plate to compensate for a change in an optical property of the projection optical system caused by the change of the optical plate.

Abstract: A photo mask for lithography process form a high contrast image. The photo mask includes a light transparent portion and a light shielding portion, at least a part of which has a multilayer construction, wherein an the edge portion of the shielding portion has a different light transmissivity than a central portion surrounded by the edge portion.

Abstract: A position detection method detects the position of a mark formed at the bottom of a film such as a polysilicon layer which transmits no visible light. A flattened alignment mark is formed on a wafer, onto which the pattern on a reticle is transferred. A polysilicon film is formed on the alignment mark. An alignment sensor includes a laser light source and a frequency shifter, which produce light beams having wavelengths between 800 and 1500 nm and differing slightly in frequency from each other. The beams are radiated through a projection optical system and transmitted by the polysilicon film to irradiate the alignment mark. The diffracted light from the alignment mark is received through the optical system by a photoelectric detector. On the basis of the signal detected by the photoelectric detector, the position of the alignment mark is detected.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus consists of: an illumination optical system, including a light source, for irradiating a mask; a projection optical system for projecting a hyperfine pattern image on a substrate; an optical integrator for illuminating the mask in a homogeneous illuminance distribution; and a luminous flux distributing member for distributing the luminous fluxes from the integrator into two luminous fluxes in two different directions for focusing intensity distributions over the Fourier transform plane or the plane in the vicinity thereof on two portions part from the optical axis of the illumination optical system.

Abstract: A projection-exposing apparatus has a mask which has a pattern formed with a pitch PR, an illuminating optical system for applying illuminating light from a light source to the mask, a projection optical system for projecting an image of the pattern onto a photosensitive substrate, and a deflecting grating member formed with a pitch PG disposed between the light source and the pattern of the mask for generating diffracted light. The pitch PG of the deflecting grating member is defined in the relation PG=2PR. The diffraction grating member is remote from the pattern on the mask by a distance &Dgr;t, where &Dgr;t≧PG/2NAIL, NAIL being the numerical aperture of the illumination optical system.

Abstract: A projection exposure method, in which alignment of an image of a mask pattern on a mask and a substrate to be exposed is performed prior to transferring the image of the mask pattern onto the substrate via a projection optical system, by detecting an alignment mark on the substrate using a mark detection system, is provided. The projection exposure method includes the steps of measuring a present baseline data, the baseline data indicating a positional relationship between a projection point of a mask pattern image and a detection point of the mark detection system, and performing a predetermined computation using the measured present baseline data and at least one previously measured baseline data to derive a new baseline data.

Abstract: In a method of detecting a position of a position detection grating mark formed with a small step structure on a surface of a flat object, an illumination light beam is irradiated on the grating mark at a predetermined incident angle. The illumination light beam includes a plurality of coherent beams having n (n≧3) different wavelengths &lgr;1, &lgr;2, &lgr;3, . . . , &lgr;n. The n wavelengths are set to approximately satisfy the following relation within a range of about ±10%: (1/&lgr;1−1/&lgr;2)=(1/&lgr;2−1/&lgr;3)= . . . =(1/&lgr;n−1−1/&lgr;n) where the wavelengths have a condition &lgr;1<&lgr;2<&lgr;3 . . . <&lgr;n. Photoelectric detection of a change in light amount of a diffracted light component generated from the grating mark in a specific direction is performed upon irradiation of the illumination light beam having the n wavelength components.

Abstract: A method for transferring a fine pattern (12) on a mask (11) onto a substrate (17) by a projection exposure apparatus including an illumination optical system (1-10) for irradiating an illuminating light on the mask (11), and a projection optical system (13) for projecting an image of the fine pattern (12) on the illuminated mask onto the substrate (17).

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus and method that includes an illumination system and a projection system. The illumination system may include a plurality of optical integrators that form different secondary light sources. The illumination system illuminates the pattern with light from a secondary light source selected based on the pattern. The projection system projects an image of the pattern on a predetermined plane. The projection exposure apparatus may also include a light shielding device having a cross-like portion extending in first and second directions defined by the components of the pattern. Even further, the projection exposure apparatus may include four off-axis secondary light sources where a ratio of a numerical aperture of a light beam from each of the four secondary light sources to a numerical aperture of the projection optical system is substantially 0.1 through 0.3.

Abstract: A photo mask for a lithography process enables the formation of high contrast image and facilitates manufacturing. The photo mask includes a transparent portion for an illumination light and a half-transparent part having a predetermined transmittance for the illumination light. These transparent and half-transparent portions are so constructed that a phase of a transmitted light beam from the half-transparent portion has a phase difference of 2 n.pi. or (2 n+1).pi. radian relative to a light beam passed through a transparent portion. Another type of photo mask includes transparent portion for the illumination light and a light shielding portion against the illumination light. At least a part of the shielding portion has a multilayer construction. An edge at least portion of the shielding portion has a different transmittance for the illumination light then a central portion surrounded by the edge portion.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus which can perform superior observation or projection of a selected mark when the mark is observed or projected through a projection optical system in which a pupil filter is set. The projection exposure apparatus which projects a pattern on a mask through a projection optical system onto a photosensitive substrate held on a substrate stage movable in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the projection optical system and which has a pupil filter (optical correction plate) placed on or near the pupil plane of the projection optical system, a reference mark formed on the substrate stage in a scale factor according to the shape of the pupil filter, illuminating means for illuminating the reference mark with illumination light, and light-receiving means for receiving the illumination light having emerged from the reference mark and thereafter having passed the projection optical system.

Abstract: By scanning a wafer mark to be detected in a measurement direction with respect to a sheet-shaped laser beam and by photoelectrically converting diffraction light generated from the wafer mark, a mark detection signal f(X) is obtained as a function of an X-coordinate value of the wafer mark. On the basis of an emphasized signal g(X) obtained by effecting convolution calculation of a numerical filter with respect to the mark detection signal f(X), slice level S1, Sr for both edge portions of the mark detection signal are determined, an average value of X-coordinate values of intersections between the slice levels S1, Sr and the mark detection signal f(X) or the emphasized signal g(X) is used as a detection position of the wafer mark.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus including an irradiation optical system including a light source and irradiating a mask with irradiation light beams, a projection optical system for projecting an image of a pattern of the mask on a substrate, a plurality of first fly-eye type optical integrators each having an emission side focal plane disposed on a Fourier transformed surface with respect to the pattern of the mask in the irradiation optical system or on a plane adjacent to the same and having a center located at a plurality of positions which are eccentric from the optical axis of the irradiation optical system, a plurality of second fly-eye type optical integrators each having an emission side focal plane disposed on a Fourier transformed plane with respect to the incidental end of each of a plurality of the first fly-eye type optical integrators or on a plane adjacent to the same and being disposed to correspond to a plurality of the first fly-eye type optical integrators, and a light divider for dividing

Abstract: A plurality of alignment marks disposed on a substrate is photoelectrically detected, and detected photoelectric signals are added to phase-shifted signals produced by shifting the phase of the detection signals to produce a sum signal. The phase is shifted by quantities corresponding to the intervals between the marks to superpose the peaks of the detection signals on the peaks of the phase-shifted signals. A correlation is determined between the sum signal and a reference signal corresponding to the narrow width of detection. A position where the coefficient of correlation is a maximum value is taken as the mark position. Thus, it is possible to use a reference signal having less peaks and a narrow width in the detecting direction, so that the number of times of product-sum calculation for calculation of the correlation can be small as compared with that when a reference signal having as many peaks as the marks and a same periodicity.

Abstract: In an exposure method of illuminating a pattern formed on a mask with illumination light from an illumination optical system, and projecting/exposing an image of the pattern on a photosensitive substrate through a projection optical system, the pattern includes a transmission portion having a transmittance of about 1 with respect to the illumination light and a phase shift transmission portion which provides a phase difference of about (2n+1) .pi. (n is an integer) with respect to the light transmitted through the transmission portion, and has a pattern width not more than a resolving limit of the projection optical system.

Abstract: In a projection exposure apparatus and method, the intensity distribution of illumination light for detecting an imaging characteristic of a projection optical system is set substantially equal to the intensity distribution of exposure illumination light. The intensity distribution of a secondary light source in an exposure illumination optical system is changed in accordance with a pattern of a mask. Magnification and aberration of the projection optical system are adjusted in accordance with the changed intensity distribution of the secondary light source. A substrate stage is moved along an optical axis of the projection optical system to compensate movement of the image plane of the projection optical system caused by a change in the intensity distribution of the secondary light source. An exposure operation is interrupted when a light amount distribution is changed. Exposure control is also responsive to thermal accumulation in the projection optical system.

Abstract: In a method of detecting a position of a position detection grating mark formed with a small step structure on a surface of a flat object, an illumination light beam is irradiated on the grating mark at a predetermined incident angle. The illumination light beam includes a plurality of coherent beams having n (n.gtoreq.3) different wavelengths .lambda..sub.1, .lambda..sub.2, .lambda..sub.3, . . . , .lambda..sub.n. The n wavelengths are set to approximately satisfy the following relation within a range of about .+-.10%:(1/.lambda..sub.1 -1/.lambda..sub.2)=(1/.lambda..sub.2 -1/.lambda..sub.3)= . . . =(1/.lambda..sub.n-1 -1/.lambda..sub.n)where the wavelengths have a condition .lambda..sub.1 <.lambda..sub.2 <.lambda..sub.3 . . . <.lambda..sub.n. Photoelectric detection of change in light amount of a diffracted light component generated from the grating mark in a specific direction is performed upon irradiation of the illumination light beam having the n wavelength components.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system which projects an image of a pattern formed on a mask on a substrate. The projection optical system has a first optical system for forming an intermediate image of the pattern, a first mirror disposed near the intermediate image for deflecting a light beam from the first optical system, and a second optical system for condensing the light beam from the first mirror and forming the image of the pattern on the substrate. The first optical system and the second optical system are subject to an aberration correction with respect to a first wavelength for exposure. A second mirror is disposed near the first mirror and corrects at least a portion of a chromatic aberration generated in the first optical system and the second optical system with respect to a second wavelength different from the first wavelength.