Abstract: A foreign substance inspection apparatus includes an irradiating unit and first and second detecting units. The irradiating unit is configured to emit irradiating light to be obliquely incident on a surface to be inspected to form a linear irradiation region on the surface to be inspected. The first and second detecting units are arranged on the same side as that provided with the irradiating unit with respect to the surface to be inspected, and they are configured to detect scattered light caused by a foreign substance on the surface to be inspected. The first and second detecting units are arranged at opposite positions with respect to a plane containing the linear irradiation region.

Abstract: A foreign substance inspection apparatus includes an irradiating unit and first and second detecting units. The irradiating unit is configured to emit irradiating light to be obliquely incident on a surface to be inspected to form a linear irradiation region on the surface to be inspected. The first and second detecting units are arranged on the same side as that provided with the irradiating unit with respect to the surface to be inspected, and they are configured to detect scattered light caused by a foreign substance on the surface to be inspected. The first and second detecting units are arranged at opposite positions with respect to a plane containing the linear irradiation region.

Abstract: A foreign substance inspection apparatus includes an irradiating unit and first and second detecting units. The irradiating unit is configured to emit irradiating light to be obliquely incident on a surface to be inspected to form a linear irradiation region on the surface to be inspected. The first and second detecting units are arranged on the same side as that provided with the irradiating unit with respect to the surface to be inspected, and they are configured to detect scattered light caused by a foreign substance on the surface to be inspected. The first and second detecting units are arranged at opposite positions with respect to a plane containing the linear irradiation region.

Abstract: A foreign substance inspection apparatus includes an irradiating unit and first and second detecting units. The irradiating unit is configured to emit irradiating light to be obliquely incident on a surface to be inspected to form a linear irradiation region on the surface to be inspected. The first and second detecting units are arranged on the same side as that provided with the irradiating unit with respect to the surface to be inspected, and they are configured to detect scattered light caused by a foreign substance on the surface to be inspected. The first and second detecting units are arranged at opposite positions with respect to a plane containing the linear irradiation region.

Abstract: A position detection device for detecting the position of an object includes a light source for generating light, an illumination device introducing the light from the light source to the object, and a detector for detecting the position of the object on the basis of a sensed optical image. The detection device further includes an image forming optical system for forming the image of the object on a detection surface of the detector at a first magnification. The device also includes an optical member insertable into and retractable from an optical path of the light travelling from the object to the detector. Insertion of the optical member into the optical path allows the light from the object which has been passed through at least part of the optical member and the image forming optical system to form the image of the object on the detection surface of the detector at a second magnification smaller than the first magnification.

Abstract: An alignment method or an exposure method in an exposure process in which a first stepper having a first reduction magnification and a second stepper having a second reduction magnification, higher than the first reduction magnification, are used in combination. For a global alignment through the first stepper on the basis of alignment marks having been defined through the second stepper in relation to shots thereof, in every shot of the first stepper the position of such alignment mark or marks to be measured is made variable with respect to the shot center.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes a stage for carrying thereon a wafer; an exposure system for projecting radiation energy to the wafer to print a pattern thereon; and a detection optical system having a sigma value defined as the ratio of the diameter of an image of an aperture of a stop to the diameter of the aperture of the stop for projecting a radiation beam to the wafer and for receiving a reflection beam reflected from the wafer to detect a mark of the wafer which is defined by a level difference on the wafer, the detection optical system including an adjuster for changing the sigma value in accordance with the level difference defining the mark.

Abstract: An alignment and exposure apparatus for aligning an original such as a reticle and a workpiece such as a wafer and for photolithographically transferring a pattern of the original onto the workpiece. The alignment of the original and the workpiece is achieved by detecting diffractively scattered light from alignment marks of the original and the workpiece. For this alignment, plural and different wavelengths are used. One of the wavelengths which is close to an exposure wavelength is used to detect both the original and the workpiece. Another wavelength is used to detect only the workpiece. By this, high-accuracy alignment of the original and the workpiece is ensured.