Abstract: An X-ray exposure apparatus making use of a soft X-ray. An atmospheric chamber charged with a gas having a high permeability to X-ray is disposed between the X-ray source and the mask having the pattern to be replicated, such that the mask is supported by the atmospheric chamber. A part or the whole of an alignment optical system is disposed in the atmospheric chamber. According to this arrangement, it is possible to decrease the rate of attenuation of the X-ray between the source and the mask to attain higher ratio of utilization of the generated X-ray, thereby to shorten the replicating time and to improve the through put (amount of replication per unit time).

Abstract: A light exposure device and method for exposing and printing a predetermined pattern on an exposure surface of a substrate comprises measuring means for measuring curvature of the exposure surface of the substrate, a chuck including suck and hold means for sucking and holding a back surface of the substrate opposite to the exposure surface and deforming means for imparting a force to the back surface of the substrate to deform the substrate, and control means for controlling the deforming means of the chuck in accordance with the curvature of the exposure surface of the substrate measured by the measuring means such that the exposure surface of the substrate conforms to an image surface of the pattern over an entire exposure area within a predetermined allowable error.

Abstract: A mask alignment method of the projection type is disclosed which is based upon a fact that the exit pupil of a projection lens is actually positioned at a finite distance, and wherein a first wafer alignment pattern including a line segment and a second wafer alignment pattern including another line segment are formed on a wafer in those radial directions from the optical axis of a projection lens which intersect with each other approximately at a right angle. A first mask alignment pattern including a line segment and a second mask alignment pattern including another line segment are formed respectively at those positions on a mask which optically correspond to respective positions of the first and second wafer alignment patterns through the projection lens.

Abstract: A shape detecting apparatus comprises a slit projecting means for projecting a slit image on a three-dimensional object such as a soldered area, a positioning means for positioning the three-dimensional object relative to the slit projecting means, an image pickup means for two-dimensionally scanning the slit image projected by the slit projecting means to pickup the image, a light segment extracting circuit including a center position extracting means for extracting a mean position (Z.sub.1 +Z.sub.2)/2 of two position signals Z.sub.1 and Z.sub.2 at which a video signal derived by transversely scanning the slit image by the image pickup means corresponds, to a first higher reference V.sub.1 when the video signal exceeds the first higher reference V.sub.1, a maximum value position extracting circuit for extracting a position Z corresponding to a maximum value of the video signal when the maximum value of the video signal is no higher than the first higher reference V.sub.

Abstract: An apparatus for examining an object such as a contact welded on a leaf spring in respect of geometrical and qualitative factors comprises an image pick-up device such as TV camera for detecting an optical image of the contact and the leaf spring having a dark portion along the contour of the contact and converting the optical image into corresponding video signals which are then compared with a predetermined threshold level to be converted into a binary encoded signal having two logic levels corresponding, respectively, to bright and dark portions of the optical image. Frequency distributions of the binary signal representing the dark portion are determined along two orthogonal directions thereby to define a coordinate of a region in which the contact is located. A first checking device is provided to determine if the above coordinate is located in a preset allowable tolerance range.

Abstract: A mask alignment method of the reduction-projection type comprising the steps of illuminating only regions of alignment patterns formed on a mask and a wafer, before a circuit pattern formed on the mask is projected onto the chips of the wafer through a reduction-projection lens, and aligning the mask and the wafer with each other by detecting the reflected images of both the alignment patterns. The alignment pattern region is illuminated by the light having the same wavelength as the exposure light. In addition, a mask alignment apparatus of the reduction-projection type comprising an illumination device for illuminating the mask. The mask is disposed at a distance from the wafer. The illumination light includes g-line or h-line or a combination of g-line and h-line. The projection lens is interposed between the mask and the wafer so that the circuit pattern formed on the mask is projected on the chips of the wafer on a reduced scale thereby to give the optical printing of the circuit pattern to the wafer.

Abstract: An alignment pattern detecting apparatus comprises an image pick-up device for scanning and picking up an optical image of alignment pattern formed on a wafer to produce a time-base video signal, and means for sampling at predetermined intervals and converting from analog to digital form the video signal produced by the image pick-up device so that the video signal is returned symmetrically at a predetermined point to determine the degree of matching between the two signals thereby to obtain a point where the degree of matching is the best. This best matching degree point is detected as the center position of the alignment pattern.

Abstract: A surface-defect detecting device including: illuminating means for illuminating a minute peripheral or annular zone on the surface of a material to be inspected, such as the circumferential surface of a cylindrical body; at least a pair of reflecting mirrors having ellipsoidal or spheroidal surfaces and first focal points positioned at the minute annular zone so as to focus the light reflecting from the aforesaid minute annular zone on the circumferential surface of the body; and photoelectric elements positioned at second the other focal points of the reflecting mirrors, respectively; whereby when a defect is not present in the minute annular zone on the circumferential surface of the body, the light is regularly reflected on the surface of the body to be inspected, so as not to be received by the photoelectric elements, and on the other hand, when a defect is present on the minute annular zone on the circumferential surface of the body, the light is irregularly reflected on the minute annular zone to be re