Abstract: An exposure method and apparatus for illuminating a pattern with an illumination system to expose a substrate through a projection system. The pattern is illuminated with illumination light with a light amount distribution in which an amount of light is larger in a pair of first areas and a pair of second areas than in an area other than the first and second areas on a pupil plane of the illumination system. The pair of the first areas being arranged outside an optical axis, the pair of the second areas being arranged on ten same straight line as the pair of the first areas are arranged on, and the pair of the second areas being arranged outside the pair of the first areas.

Abstract: An exposure method and apparatus for illuminating a pattern with an illumination system to expose a substrate through a projection system. The pattern is illuminated with illumination light with a light amount distribution in which an amount of light is larger in a pair of first areas and a pair of second areas than in an area other than the first and second areas on a pupil plane of the illumination system. The pair of the first areas being arranged outside an optical axis, the pair of the second areas being arranged on ten same straight line as the pair of the first areas are arranged on, and the pair of the second areas being arranged outside the pair of the first areas.

Abstract: A pattern forming method includes coating, on a wafer, a negative resist and a positive resist which has a higher sensitivity; exposing the positive resist and the negative resist on the wafer with an image of a line-and-space pattern; and developing the positive resist and the negative resist in a direction parallel to a normal line of a surface of the wafer. A fine pattern, which exceeds the resolution limit of an exposure apparatus, can be formed by using the lithography process without performing the overlay exposure.

Abstract: An exposure method forms an immersion area in at least a part of a substrate including a projection area of a projection optical system and projects an image of a mask pattern onto the substrate through liquid between the projection optical system and the substrate. Distribution of the mask pattern is measured and adjustment is made so that a desired image of the pattern is projected onto the substrate according to distribution of the exposure light incident into the liquid between the projection optical system and the substrate when exposing the substrate. It is possible to expose the substrate with the pattern accurately regardless of the distribution of the mask pattern.

Abstract: A drive system determines a combination of basic patterns (type of basic patterns to be generated and the number of pulses of each basic pattern) based on design data of patterns and pattern combination information stored in a memory. Then, based on the determined result, each micro mirror of a variable molding mask is individually controlled such that a plurality of basic patterns are sequentially generated according to each of the number of pulses, and each basic pattern generated by the variable molding mask is sequentially image-formed on a plate via a projection optical system. Thus, a pattern with a desired line width corresponding to the design data is formed at a desired position on the object with a good accuracy.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system by which the pattern image is projected onto the substrate, and a movable member which is movable relative to the projection optical system. A liquid-repellent member, at least a part of a surface of which is liquid-repellent, is provided detachably on the movable member, the liquid-repellent member being different from the substrate.

Abstract: A focus test reticle for measuring focus information includes an outer pattern. The outer pattern has a line pattern composed of a light shielding film extending in the Y direction, a phase shift portion provided on a side in the +X direction of the line pattern and formed to have a line width narrower than the line pattern, a transmitting portion provided on a side in the ?X direction of the line pattern and formed to have a line width narrower than the line pattern, a transmitting portion provided on a side in the +X direction of the phase shift portion, and a phase shift portion provided on a side in the ?X direction of the transmitting portion. Focus information of a projection optical system is measured at a high measuring reproducibility and a high measuring efficiency.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus illuminates a pattern with an energy beam and transfers the pattern onto a substrate via a projection optical system. The exposure apparatus includes a substrate stage on which the substrate is mounted that moves within a two-dimensional plane holding the substrate. The apparatus also includes a supply mechanism that supplies liquid to a predetermined spatial area which includes a space between the projection optical system and the substrate on the substrate stage, and an adjustment unit that adjusts exposure conditions based on temperature information on the liquid between the projection optical system and the substrate.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by irradiating exposure light on the substrate through liquid. The exposure apparatus has a substrate holder for holding the substrate, a substrate stage capable of moving the substrate held by the substrate holder, and a temperature adjusting system for adjusting the temperature of the substrate holder. The temperature of the substrate is controlled so that there is no difference in temperature between the substrate and the liquid, thereby preventing a reduction in exposure accuracy resulting from variation in temperature of the liquid.

Abstract: A liquid immersion photolithography system has an exposure system that exposes a substrate with electromagnetic radiation and includes a projection optical system that focuses the electromagnetic radiation on the substrate. A liquid supply system provides liquid flow between the projection optical system and the substrate. In addition, a plurality of nozzles are arranged so as to provide a substantially uniform velocity distribution of the liquid flow between the substrate and the projection optical system.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus (EX) exposes a substrate (P) by irradiating exposure light (EL) on the substrate (P) through liquid (LQ). The exposure apparatus (EX) has a substrate holder (PH) for holding the substrate (P), a substrate stage (PST) capable of moving the substrate (P) held by the substrate holder (PH), and a temperature adjusting system (60) for adjusting the temperature of the substrate holder (PH). The temperature of the substrate (P) is controlled so that there is no difference in temperature between the substrate (P) and the liquid (LQ), thereby preventing a reduction in exposure accuracy resulting from variation in temperature of the liquid (LQ).

Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system by which the pattern image is projected onto the substrate, and a movable member which is movable relative to the projection optical system. A liquid-repellent member, at least a part of a surface of which is liquid-repellent, is provided detachably on the movable member, the liquid-repellent member being different from the substrate.

Abstract: During a period after starting exposure to a plurality of shot areas subject to exposure on a wafer until completing the exposure, a light via a slit pair arranged on a stage that holds the wafer, of illumination light via a pattern generating device, is received, and information on a positional relation between an illumination light and the stage (and hence a positional relation between the illumination light and the wafer) is detected. With this operation, even if the information on the positional relation between the illumination light and the wafer varies due to some reason, information on the variation can be detected while performing the exposure to the plurality of shot areas. Accordingly, high-precision exposure can be achieved in an exposure operation, by considering this detection results.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus illuminates a pattern with an energy beam and transfers the pattern onto a substrate via a projection optical system. The exposure apparatus includes a substrate stage, a supply mechanism, a recovery mechanism and an auxiliary recovery mechanism. The substrate stage mounts the substrate and moves within a two-dimensional plane while holding the substrate. The supply mechanism supplies liquid to a space between the projection optical system and the substrate on the substrate stage. The recovery mechanism recovers the liquid, and the auxiliary recovery mechanism recovers the liquid which could not be recovered by the recovery mechanism.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus (EX) is an apparatus which exposes a substrate (P) by irradiating exposure light (EL) onto the substrate (P) via a projection optical system (PL) and a liquid (1). The exposure apparatus (EX) has a substrate table (PT) for holding the substrate (P), and a plate member (30) having a liquid repellent flat surface (30A) is replaceably provided to the substrate table (PT) to prevent the liquid from remaining, maintaining excellent exposure accuracy.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system by which the pattern image is projected onto the substrate, and a movable member which is movable relative to the projection optical system. A liquid-repellent member, at least a part of a surface of which is liquid-repellent, is provided detachably on the movable member, the liquid-repellent member being different from the substrate.

Abstract: An image of a pattern used for measurement formed on a reticle for testing is transferred onto a wafer for testing via a projection optical system, while gradually changing a position in an optical axis direction of the projection optical system. The image of the pattern used for measurement which has been transferred is detected, and an amount corresponding to an expanse of the image of the pattern in a measurement direction is obtained. In this case, four images included in the image of the pattern used for measurement are detected in detection areas, respectively, or in other words, remaining sections except for both ends in a non-measurement direction are detected, and for example, area of the remaining sections is to be obtained as the corresponding amount. Optical properties of the projection optical system are to be obtained, based on the area which has been obtained.

Abstract: A focus test reticle for measuring focus information includes an outer pattern. The outer pattern has a line pattern composed of a light shielding film extending in the Y direction, a phase shift portion provided on a side in the +X direction of the line pattern and formed to have a line width narrower than the line pattern, a transmitting portion provided on a side in the ?X direction of the line pattern and formed to have a line width narrower than the line pattern, a transmitting portion provided on a side in the +X direction of the phase shift portion, and a phase shift portion provided on a side in the ?X direction of the transmitting portion. Focus information of a projection optical system is measured at a high measuring reproducibility and a high measuring efficiency.

Abstract: Liquid is supplied by a supply mechanism to a space between a lens and a wafer via a supply nozzle on one side of the lens, and the liquid is recovered by a recovery mechanism via a recovery pipe on the other side of the lens. When the supply and the recovery of the liquid are performed in parallel, a predetermined amount of liquid (exchanged at all times) is held between the lens and the substrate on the stage. Accordingly, when exposure (pattern transfer on the substrate) is performed in this state, an immersion method is applied and a pattern is transferred with good precision onto the substrate. In addition, in the case the liquid leaks out from under the lower edge of a peripheral wall, the liquid that could not be recovered is recovered by an auxiliary recovery mechanism via a slit. And, by such operations, the substrate is freed from the residual liquid on the substrate.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus illuminates a pattern with an energy beam and transfers the pattern onto a substrate via a projection optical system. The exposure apparatus includes a substrate stage on which the substrate is mounted and that moves within a two-dimensional plane holding the substrate. A supply mechanism supplies liquid to a space between the projection optical system and the substrate on the substrate stage. A recovery mechanism recovers the liquid and an auxiliary recovery mechanism recovers the liquid which could not be recovered by the recovery mechanism.