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. In addition, a supply mechanism supplies liquid to a space between the projection optical system and the substrate on the substrate stage. In addition, at least one bubble recovery mechanism recovers bubbles in the liquid in an upstream side of the liquid flow with respect to the projection optical system.

Abstract: A lateral shift ?XAM of an image of an alignment mark projected on a wafer is obtained for a plurality of linewidth (a to d) which are different to one another and defocus amount (?Z), taking into consideration an illumination condition and optical properties of a projection optical system, and the linewidth of the alignment mark is optimized, so that an average (a lateral shift when ?Z=0) and variation (variation of the lateral shift within a range of the degree of focus error) of lateral shift ?XAM is minimized. This allows the alignment mark to be designed with a small deformation, even if the mark is transferred in a defocused state.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus performs exposure for a substrate by filling a space between a projection optical system and the substrate with a liquid and projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate through the liquid by using the projection optical system. The exposure apparatus includes a substrate stage for holding the substrate, a liquid supply unit for supplying the liquid to a side of an image plane of the projection optical system, and a focus/leveling-detecting system for detecting surface information about a surface of the substrate not through the liquid. The exposure apparatus performs liquid immersion exposure for the substrate while adjusting a positional relationship between the surface of the substrate and the image plane formed through the projection optical system and the liquid, on the basis of the surface information detected by the focus/leveling-detecting system. The liquid immersion exposure can be performed at a satisfactory pattern transfer accuracy.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus forms an immersion area of a liquid on the side of the image plane of a projection optical system and performs exposure of a substrate via the projection optical system and the liquid of the immersion region. The exposure apparatus has an optical cleaning unit which irradiates a predetermined irradiation light, having an optical cleaning effect, onto, for example, the upper surface of the substrate stage which makes contact with the liquid for forming the immersion area. Thus, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the exposure accuracy and measurement accuracy due to pollution of the member in contact with the liquid in the immersion region.

Abstract: A device linewidth characteristic is predicted based on a sharp-edged feature of a projected image of a predetermined pattern (steps 104 to 110), and an exposure condition of the pattern is adjusted based on the device linewidth characteristic that has been predicted (step 112). Then, exposure is performed under the adjusted exposure condition. That is, patterning of a resist on a substrate is performed with the projected image of the pattern (step 114). And, by developing the substrate after patterning, a resist pattern that satisfies a desired device linewidth characteristic is formed on the substrate. Accordingly, by performing etching of the substrate with the resist pattern serving as a mask, a pattern after etching can be formed with a desired linewidth.

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: 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 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. In addition, a supply mechanism supplies liquid to locally fill a space between the projection optical system and the substrate on the substrate stage with the liquid, and a recovery mechanism recovers the liquid. A plate is provided in at least a part of the periphery of a mounted area of the substrate on the substrate stage. The plate has a surface arranged at substantially the same height as a surface of the substrate mounted on the substrate stage.

Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus is arranged to project a pattern from a patterning device onto a substrate through a liquid confined to a space adjacent to the substrate. The apparatus includes a liquid diverter in the space to promote liquid flow across the space.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus forms an immersion area of a liquid on the side of the image plane of a projection optical system and performs exposure of a substrate via the projection optical system and the liquid of the immersion region. The exposure apparatus has an optical cleaning unit which irradiates a predetermined irradiation light, having an optical cleaning effect, onto, for example, the upper surface of the substrate stage which makes contact with the liquid for forming the immersion area. Thus, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the exposure accuracy and measurement accuracy due to pollution of the member in contact with the liquid in the immersion region.

Abstract: A lithography apparatus includes a part having a photocatalytic coating. The lithography apparatus can be an extreme ultraviolet lithography apparatus or an immersion lithography apparatus.

Abstract: An exposure method and apparatus simultaneously transfer patterns with various pitches with high-resolution. On the pupil surface of an illumination system, at least first and second pairs of areas are set. The distribution of intensity of light over the pupil surface is set so that the intensities of light of the second pair of areas is smaller than that of the first pair of areas.

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 method exposes a substrate by projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate through a liquid by using a projection optical system while moving the substrate in a predetermined direction. A temperature distribution of the liquid in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction is measured. A projection state of the image of the pattern is adjusted on the basis of information about the measured temperature distribution. The substrate is exposed to the image of the pattern in the projection state.

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: In exposing substrate by projecting an image of a pattern onto substrate via projection optical system and liquid, side surface and underside surface of substrate are applied with liquid-repellent treatment. By such a configuration, an exposure method by which when exposing edge areas of the substrate, the exposure can be performed in a condition that a liquid immersion region is formed well and that flowing out of the liquid to the outside of the substrate stage are prevented is provided.

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 (S1) 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 (S4 to S6). It is possible to expose the substrate with the pattern accurately regardless of the distribution of the mask pattern.

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 immersion lithographic system for patterning a work piece arranged at an image plane and covered at least partly with a layer sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, includes: a source emitting electromagnetic radiation onto an object plane; a mask arranged at the object plane to relay the electromagnetic radiation toward the work piece; and an immersion medium contacting at least a portion of an immersion optics of the lithographic system and a portion of the work piece. The immersion medium is supplied through at least one orifice arranged in the immersion optics.

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.