Abstract: A method and apparatus for inspecting a surface state are used to examine first and second surfaces, e.g., two surfaces of a glass substrate on which a device pattern is formed, or one surface of a glass substrate and a pellicle for preventing attachment of foreign particles. When the first surface is illuminated from the first surface side while the second surface is illuminated from the second surface side, the first and second surfaces are illuminated with polarized light beams polarized in directions orthogonal to each other, respectively, and reflectively scattered light from the first surface is detected through an analyzer which intercepts the same polarized light as the polarized light illuminating the second surface. The S/N ratio of examination of the first surface is thereby improved.

Abstract: An image reading device for detecting a foreign object on a substrate includes a lens array for forming an erect image of the object in response to the foreign object being illuminated by a light source, and a sensor array for reading the formed image of the object. The sensor array includes a plurality of pixels, with at least some of the pixels having a dead zone. The lens array and the sensor array are arranged such that the substrate and the photosensing surface of the sensor array are situated at positions separated by substantially the same distance from two conjugate points present when the lens array forms the erect image of the object. The arrangement results in the image being defocused on the sensor array such that a predetermined number of pixels sense the formed image of the object, thus assuring that the foreign object is detected even if the image is projected on a dead zone of a given pixel.

Abstract: An inspection system inspecting an original with a pellicle, which system includes a light source for providing a light beam, a first detecting device for receiving light produced as a result of passage of the light beam through the pellicle, a second detecting device for receiving light produced as a result of non-passage of the light beam through the pellicle, and a processing system for determining information related to transmissivity of the pellicle, on the basis of outputs of the first and second detecting devices.

Abstract: A surface inspection device and method wherein an illumination system is arranged so that light from a laser diode is transformed into parallel light which is then directed through a half waveplate to a surface of a reticle to be inspected. A detecting system is arranged so that scattered light from a particle on the surface, for example, is collected by a lens array onto a sensor array. The direction of polarization of the parallel light defined by the half waveplate is made substantially parallel to a plane containing optical axes of the illumination system and the detecting system. Thus, even if an error occurs in the angle of incidence of the parallel light upon the reticle, a change in scattered light intensity due to interference between scattered light is kept small to assure accurate discrimination of the particle.

Abstract: A surface state inspecting device includes an illumination system for illuminating a surface to be inspected, with a beam having non-uniform sectional intensity distribution, a uniforming system for substantially uniforming the sectional intensity distribution of the beam, and an inspecting portion for detecting scattered light from the surface to determine the state of the surface.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus is disclosed which includes an illumination system with a masking mechanism having an aperture of variable shape, a projection optical system, a photoreceptor disposed adjacent to an image plane of the projection optical system, and an adjuster for adjusting the masking mechanism, wherein the adjuster is contributable to reduce the size of the aperture and to shift the position of the aperture, such that, with the cooperation of the projection optical system, a relatively small light pattern is produced on the image plane and the produced light pattern is displaced along the image plane, and wherein the photoreceptor receives light from the produced light pattern.