Abstract: An exposure apparatus is configured to project a pattern of an original onto a substrate using a projection optical system, thereby exposing the substrate, and comprises a substrate stage configured to hold the substrate, a first detector configured to detect positions of marks on the substrate in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to each other in a plane perpendicular to an optical-axis direction of the projection optical system, and a controller configured to control the first detector to detect the position of a mark on the substrate while moving the substrate stage substantially along the first direction, and control the first detector to detect the position of a mark on the substrate while moving the substrate stage substantially along the second direction, thereby controlling positioning and exposure of the substrate based on the detection results obtained by the first detector.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus comprises a first interface connected to a communication network to which a control apparatus for performing a control operation of the exposure apparatus is connected, a second interface connected, not via the communication network, to an information processing apparatus which updates a software installed on the exposure apparatus, and a controller configured to control the first interface and the second interface so that communication of the first interface with the communication network is disabled, and thereupon communication of the second interface with the information processing apparatus is enabled to enable the information processing apparatus to update the software.

Abstract: An apparatus performs an alignment measurement for a mark of each of at least two shots selected from a plurality of shots on a substrate, and positions the substrate based on the alignment measurements to transfer a pattern to each the plurality of shots. The apparatus comprises a detector configured to detect the mark and a controller configured to control the alignment measurements. The controller is configured to cause the detector to detect two of the mark, and decide whether the alignment measurements include an erroneous measurement based on whether a distance between the two of the mark detected by the detector is outside a tolerance.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus sequentially transfers a pattern of an original to a plurality of shot regions on a substrate, wherein each shot region includes a chip region and a scribe line region surrounding the chip region. The apparatus comprises a detector configured to detect light beams from a first mark and a second mark arranged in a first scribe line region and a second scribe line region, respectively, adjacent to each other on the substrate driven in a measurement scanning direction by substantially simultaneously observing the first scribe line region and the second scribe line region, and a processor configured to process detection signals output from the detector to determine positions of the first mark and the second mark, wherein the substrate is positioned based on the positions of the first mark and the second mark and is exposed.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus of the present invention is an exposure apparatus which exposes a pattern of an original plate 3 onto a substrate 5, and the exposure apparatus comprises an original plate alignment detection system 13 which moves the original plate 3 in an in-plane direction at an outside of an exposure region to measure positions of a plurality of alignment marks of the original plate 3, an interferometer 23 which measures a position of the original plate alignment detection system 13, a calculator which calculates a position and a shape of the original plate 3 from the positions of the plurality of alignment marks, and a correction unit which performs a correction in accordance with the position and the shape of the original plate 3 during exposure.

Abstract: A method includes measuring a line width of a pattern formed on a first substrate through forming a first edge and a second edge of the pattern on the first substrate, and determining, based on the measured line width, a correction value which corrects information for positioning the first substrate in the forming of the second edge so as to reduce variations in line width. The second edge is formed on a second substrate when positioning thereof in accordance with the information corrected by using the determined correction value.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes a controller configured to calculate a position of an alignment mark detected by a detector, to approximate a deformation of a substrate by using an approximation equation, to calculate a correction amount of each of the plurality of shots, and to control driving of a stage in exposing each shot based on a correction amount that is calculated. The approximation equation is defined as a sum of a first term representative of a deformation of the entire substrate, and at least one of a second term representative of a distortion of a shot arrangement and a third term representative of a shot shape.

Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a method of exposing a substrate to light, including a measurement step of measuring position of a mark arranged on one of a substrate and a stage configured to hold the substrate and to move; a detection step of detecting a foreign particle on the mark based on a process performed in the measurement step; a removing step of removing the foreign particle on the mark in accordance with detection of the foreign particle in the detection step; a moving step of moving the stage based on the position of the mark measured in the measurement step; and an exposure step of exposing the substrate moved in the moving step to light.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus is configured to project a pattern of an original onto a substrate using a projection optical system, thereby exposing the substrate, and comprises a substrate stage configured to hold the substrate, a first detector configured to detect positions of marks on the substrate in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to each other in a plane perpendicular to an optical-axis direction of the projection optical system, and a controller configured to control the first detector to detect the position of a mark on the substrate while moving the substrate stage substantially along the first direction, and control the first detector to detect the position of a mark on the substrate while moving the substrate stage substantially along the second direction, thereby controlling positioning and exposure of the substrate based on the detection results obtained by the first detector.

Abstract: An exposure method of exposing a substrate arranged on a stage, which holds the substrate and moves, to light through an original and a projection optical system. A first measurement is performed for measuring a first drive characteristic of the stage by detecting a position of a pattern on the stage using a first detection system, which detects a position of a pattern on the substrate through an optical system, which does not include the projection optical system, a second measurement is performed for measuring a second drive characteristic of the stage by detecting the position of the pattern on the stage using a second detection system, which detects the position of the pattern on the stage through the projection optical system, and the original and the substrate are aligned based on the first and second drive characteristics.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an original stage arranged to hold a reflective original having a pattern, a substrate stage arranged to hold a substrate, an illumination optical system arranged to emit exposure light along a first direction inclined from a direction of a reflection surface of the reflective original, a projection optical system arranged to project the pattern onto the substrate along a second direction using the exposure light reflected by the reflection surface of the reflective original, an original reference member arranged on the original stage or the reflective original, a substrate reference member, having a substrate mark, arranged on the substrate stage or the substrate, and a detector arranged to detect light from the substrate mark of the substrate reference number, which is illuminated with light.

Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a method of exposing a substrate to light, including a measurement step of measuring position of a mark arranged on one of a substrate and a stage configured to hold the substrate and to move; a detection step of detecting a foreign particle on the mark based on a process performed in the measurement step; a removing step of removing the foreign particle on the mark in accordance with detection of the foreign particle in the detection step; a moving step of moving the stage based on the position of the mark measured in the measurement step; and an exposure step of exposing the substrate moved in the moving step to light.

Abstract: An exposure method exposes a substrate arranged on a stage, which holds the substrate and moves, to light through an original and a projection optical system. The method includes steps of a first measurement of measuring a first drive characteristic of the stage by detecting a position of a pattern on the stage using a first detection system which detects a position of a pattern on the substrate through an optical system which does not include the projection optical system, a second measurement of measuring a second drive characteristic of the stage by detecting the position of the pattern on the stage using a second detection system which detects the position of the pattern on the stage through the projection optical system, and aligning the original and the substrate based on the first and second drive characteristics.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus having a movable original stage to hold a reflective original, a movable substrate stage to hold a substrate, an illumination optical system to illuminate a pattern of the reflective original, and a projection optical system to project the pattern onto the substrate is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an evaluating unit which detects and evaluates measuring light through a first reference member formed on the substrate stage or the substrate, the projection optical system and a second reference member formed on the original stage or the reflective original, and a processor which derives a focal point of the projection optical system based on an evaluation result of said evaluating unit.

Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus (method) including an input means (step) for inputting a continuous image signal, a detection means (step) for detecting a frame change in an image by comparing the image signal input by the input means (step) with a reference image signal, and a storage means (step) for updating/storing the image signal input by the input means (step) as the reference image signal in units of frames in accordance with an output from the detection means (step).

Abstract: In one aspect, an image processing apparatus inputs an input image signal and detecting whether or not there is a frame change in an image by comparing the input image signal with a reference image signal. A memory is used for updating the reference image signal by storing the input image signal as the reference image signal in units of frames when there is a frame change. In another aspect, the image processing apparatus extracts change components between images by comparing the input image signal with the reference image signal, the reference image signal being an earlier input signal when a most recent prior change component was extracted. The extracted change components are corrected by detecting and removing an erroneously extracted change component, and an image change is discriminated in the input image signal on the basis of the change components as corrected.

Abstract: A digital color image to be processed is inputted at a color image input step, image segments are extracted from the input color image at an image-segment extraction step, and the data of the extracted image segments is created. Next, image-segment components in each extracted image segment are discriminated at an image-segment discrimination step, and each extracted image segment is subjected to zoom processing, which conforms to the discriminated image-segment component, at an adaptive zoom step, thereby creating a zoomed image of the input image. The zoomed image that has been created is displayed, outputted as a hard copy or delivered to a transmission line at a color image output step. Accordingly, a color image in which image segments having different characteristics are mixed can be subjected to excellent processing.

Abstract: A position measuring method for measuring a position of a mark formed on an object, includes detecting a mark waveform obtainable from the mark, acquiring a difference between the detected mark waveform and a reference waveform, correcting at least one of the mark waveform and the reference waveform on the basis of the acquired difference, and determining the position of the mark on the basis of (i) the corrected mark waveform and the reference waveform, (ii) the mark waveform and the corrected reference waveform, or (iii) the corrected waveform and the corrected reference waveform.

Abstract: A digital color image to be processed is inputted at a color image input step, image segments are extracted from the input color image at an image-segment extraction step, and the data of the extracted image segments is created. Next, image-segment components in each extracted image segment are discriminated at an image-segment discrimination step, and each extracted image segment is subjected to zoom processing, which conforms to the discriminated image-segment component, at an adaptive zoom step, thereby creating a zoomed image of the input image. The zoomed image that has been created is displayed, outputted as a hard copy or delivered to a transmission line at a color image output step. Accordingly, a color image in which image segments having different characteristics are mixed can be subjected to excellent processing.

Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus (method) including an input means (step) for inputting a continuous image signal, a detection means (step) for detecting a frame change in an image by comparing the image signal input by the input means (step) with a reference image signal, and a storage means (step) for updating/storing the image signal input by the input means (step) as the reference image signal in units of frames in accordance with an output from the detection means (step).