Abstract: In order to measure inclination of a leveling plane with respect to the best image forming plane rapidly at a high accuracy without using a special super-flat wafer, the images of five focus measuring marks are exposed on shot areas partially overlapping with each other, on one hand, in a first exposure area when a focal position is made to coincide with a first focal position by operating a leveling mechanism and, on the other hand, in each of exposure areas when the focal positions are changed gradually. The best focal position is obtained by using an average of the mark lengths of the images of the marks as the mark lengths of the images of marks of measuring points at the upper left corners of the focal positions.

Abstract: In a method for measuring a condition for exposing, at a predetermined energy quantity, a pattern formed on a mask onto a photosensitive substrate on which a resist image is formed on the surface thereof by using an exposing device, first patterns formed at a plurality of positions on the mask are successively exposed onto a plurality of partial regions on the photosensitive substrate while changing said exposure condition. Second patterns are, with overlapping, exposed onto at least a portion of the latent image of said first patterns formed in said partial regions due to said process while changing the exposure condition. A predetermined state where the resist image is formed on the resist layer after the development is detected so that the exposure condition is measured in accordance with the state.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of calculating the best focus position of a projection optical system by arranging a photosensitive substrate in the best focus position of a projection optical system, projecting measuring mark images in a plurality of focus positions on the photosensitive substrate in an optical-axis direction of the projection optical system to projection-expose mask patterns and thus obtaining the best focus position from a relationship between each of the focus positions and the measuring mark image corresponding thereto. The method comprises a first step of approximating a size of the measuring mark image with an nth-order or larger (n is an integer of 2 or larger) function relative to the focus position by a statistical operation.

Abstract: A method for inspecting distortion characteristics of a projection optical system to be inspected by arranging a mask formed with measurement patterns at a plurality of predetermined positions on the object surface side of the projection optical system, transferring projected images of the plurality of measurement patterns onto a photosensitive substrate arranged on the image surface side of the projection optical system, and detecting transfer images of the measurement-patterns, includes:the step of exposing a mask, on which pairs of first and second measurement patterns are arranged adjacent to each other to be separated by a predetermined interval .DELTA.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus is provided with an illuminating optical system for illuminating a reticle having a predetermined fine pattern, a projection optical system for projecting the pattern of the reticle onto a wafer, and diaphragm means so constructed as to vary the aperture of a diaphragm of the projection optical system, wherein means for receiving information on the pattern present on the reticle, and means for determining a diaphgram aperture capable of eliminating the high-order diffracted light generated by the pattern of the reticle according to information as stated above and controlling the aperture of variable diaphragm means of the projection optical system, are provided.

Abstract: An exposure method for use in an apparatus for projecting a pattern formed on a mask onto a photosensitive substrate through a projection optical system, comprises the steps of providing a mask bearing a pattern of which width gradually varies in a reference direction on the mask transferring the pattern onto the photosensitive substrate through the projection optical system measuring the length of pattern transferred onto the photosensitive substrate, in a reference direction on the substrate corresponding to the reference direction of the mask determining optimum exposure conditions for the projection exposure, from thus measured length of the pattern and controlling the exposure according to the conditions.