Abstract: According to one embodiment, an exposure apparatus inspection mask includes a substrate and a first pattern portion. The substrate has a major surface reflective to exposure light. The first pattern portion is provided on the major surface. The first pattern portion includes a first lower layer and a plurality of first reflection layers. The first lower layer is provided on the major surface and includes a plurality of first absorption layers periodically arranged at a prescribed pitch along a first direction parallel to the major surface and is absorptive to the exposure light. The plurality of first reflection layers are provided on a side of the first lower layer opposite to the substrate, are periodically arranged at the pitch along the first direction, expose at least part of each of the plurality of first absorption layers, and have higher reflectance for the exposure light than the first absorption layers.

Abstract: In a photomask in which a device pattern, an alignment mark and a superimposition inspection mark are formed on a light transmitting base, each of the alignment mark and the superimposition inspection mark includes a main mark portion, and first and second auxiliary pattern portions. The main mark portion is constituted of one of a space pattern and a line pattern, the pattern having a linear width to be resolved on a photosensitive film formed on a semiconductor wafer, and each of the first and second auxiliary pattern portions includes an auxiliary pattern constituted of one of a repeated pattern of a space pattern and a repeated pattern of a line pattern, the repeated pattern having a linear width not to be resolved on the photosensitive film. The pitch of the repeated pattern is equal to the minimum pitch of the device pattern.

Abstract: An exposure processing system comprises an exposure apparatus to expose a resist on a wafer, a heating apparatus comprising heating apparatus units, the heating apparatus heating the exposed resist by a heating apparatus unit in the heating apparatus units, a developing apparatus comprising developing apparatus units, the developing apparatus developing the exposed and heated resist by a developing apparatus unit in the developing apparatus units, and a control apparatus to control the exposure apparatus by using correction data so that a wafer on process object being exposed, the correction data being data for correcting a dimensional dispersion of a resist pattern caused by a pair of heating apparatus unit and developing apparatus unit used for the wafer on the process object, the pair of heating and developing apparatus unit comprising a heating and developing apparatus unit in the heating and developing apparatus used for the wafer on the process object.

Abstract: In a photomask in which a device pattern, an alignment mark and a superimposition inspection mark are formed on a light transmitting base, each of the alignment mark and the superimposition inspection mark includes a main mark portion, and first and second auxiliary pattern portions. The main mark portion is constituted of one of a space pattern and a line pattern, the pattern having a linear width to be resolved on a photosensitive film formed on a semiconductor wafer, and each of the first and second auxiliary pattern portions includes an auxiliary pattern constituted of one of a repeated pattern of a space pattern and a repeated pattern of a line pattern, the repeated pattern having a linear width not to be resolved on the photosensitive film. The pitch of the repeated pattern is equal to the minimum pitch of the device pattern.

Abstract: An apparatus for correcting a plurality of exposure tools has an image memory configured to store images projected by the exposure tools, a contrast evaluator configured to rank the exposure tools based on contrasts of the images, an evenness evaluator configured to determine whether optical proximity effects of the exposure tools are equivalent or not based on the images, and an exposure tool controller configured to adjust each contrast of the images projected by the exposure tools so that all optical proximity effects of the exposure tools is equivalent to an optical proximity effect of the lowest ranked exposure tool having the lowest contrast.

Abstract: A reticle includes a first mask portion including a first opaque portion, first and second exposure monitor patterns provided within first and second window portions in the first opaque portion, increasing transmittances in a first direction and a direction reverse to the first direction, respectively; and a second mask potion including a second opaque portion, third and fourth exposure monitor patterns provided within third and fourth window portions in the second opaque portion in positions corresponding to the first opaque portion upon alignment with the first mask portion, increasing transmittances in the first direction and the reverse direction, respectively.

Abstract: An exposure processing system comprises an exposure apparatus to expose a resist on a wafer, a heating apparatus comprising heating apparatus units, the heating apparatus heating the exposed resist by a heating apparatus unit in the heating apparatus units, a developing apparatus comprising developing apparatus units, the developing apparatus developing the exposed and heated resist by a developing apparatus unit in the developing apparatus units, and a control apparatus to control the exposure apparatus by using correction data so that a wafer on process object being exposed, the correction data being data for correcting a dimensional dispersion of a resist pattern caused by a pair of heating apparatus unit and developing apparatus unit used for the wafer on the process object, the pair of heating and developing apparatus unit comprising a heating and developing apparatus unit in the heating and developing apparatus used for the wafer on the process object.

Abstract: An apparatus for correcting a plurality of exposure tools has an image memory configured to store images projected by the exposure tools, a contrast evaluator configured to rank the exposure tools based on contrasts of the images, an evenness evaluator configured to determine whether optical proximity effects of the exposure tools are equivalent or not based on the images, and an exposure tool controller configured to adjust each contrast of the images projected by the exposure tools so that all optical proximity effects of the exposure tools is equivalent to an optical proximity effect of the lowest ranked exposure tool having the lowest contrast.

Abstract: A reticle includes a first mask portion including a first opaque portion, first and second exposure monitor patterns provided within first and second window portions in the first opaque portion, increasing transmittances in a first direction and a direction reverse to the first direction, respectively; and a second mask potion including a second opaque portion, third and fourth exposure monitor patterns provided within third and fourth window portions in the second opaque portion in positions corresponding to the first opaque portion upon alignment with the first mask portion, increasing transmittances in the first direction and the reverse direction, respectively.

Abstract: Disclosed is an exposure method comprising preparing an exposure apparatus including an illumination system and a projection lens, setting, in the exposure apparatus, a photomask having a mask pattern including a plurality of unit circuit patterns arranged like a checkered flag pattern and a plurality of unit auxiliary patterns arranged between the unit circuit patterns, and projecting the mask pattern onto a substrate through the projection lens by irradiating the photomask with light from the illumination system, wherein the unit circuit patterns and the unit auxiliary patterns generate a plurality of diffraction light spots on a pupil plane of the projection lens, and the four diffraction light spots having higher light intensities than the remaining diffraction light spots are distributed on the pupil plane in a cycle of 90°.

Abstract: A monitoring method, includes: delineating a monitor resist pattern on an underlying film, the monitor resist pattern having a tilted sidewall slanted to a surface of the underlying film at least at one edge of the monitor resist pattern; measuring a width of the monitor resist pattern in an orthogonal direction to a cross line of the tilted sidewall intersecting with the underlying film; delineating a monitor underlying film pattern by selectively etching the underlying film using the monitor resist pattern as a mask; measuring a width of the monitor underlying film pattern in the orthogonal direction; and obtaining a shift width in the monitor underlying film pattern from a difference between the width of the monitor resist pattern and the width of the monitor underlying film pattern.

Abstract: A monitoring method, includes: delineating a monitor resist pattern on an underlying film, the monitor resist pattern having a tilted sidewall slanted to a surface of the underlying film at least at one edge of the monitor resist pattern; measuring a width of the monitor resist pattern in an orthogonal direction to a cross line of the tilted sidewall intersecting with the underlying film; delineating a monitor underlying film pattern by selectively etching the underlying film using the monitor resist pattern as a mask; measuring a width of the monitor underlying film pattern in the orthogonal direction; and obtaining a shift width in the monitor underlying film pattern from a difference between the width of the monitor resist pattern and the width of the monitor underlying film pattern.

Abstract: Disclosed is an exposure method comprising preparing an exposure apparatus including an illumination system and a projection lens, setting, in the exposure apparatus, a photomask having a mask pattern including a plurality of unit circuit patterns arranged like a checkered flag pattern and a plurality of unit auxiliary patterns arranged between the unit circuit patterns, and projecting the mask pattern onto a substrate through the projection lens by irradiating the photomask with light from the illumination system, wherein the unit circuit patterns and the unit auxiliary patterns generate a plurality of diffraction light spots on a pupil plane of the projection lens, and the four diffraction light spots having higher light intensities than the remaining diffraction light spots are distributed on the pupil plane in a cycle of 90°.