Abstract: A substrate cover 40 includes a conductive portion 41 having a shape corresponding to a peripheral edge region of a substrate. Since at least part of the conductive portion includes transmissive portions 47 each formed of a light transmissive member, it is configured so as to allow desired light to penetrate through. The position of each edge portion of the substrate is detected in such a manner that the substrate is disposed with the substrate cover 40 placed thereon between light irradiation means and a light detecting unit, irradiation light directed from the light irradiation means located above the substrate to the edge portion of the substrate is made to penetrate through at least part of the substrate cover 40, the edge portion of the substrate is then irradiated with light from the irradiation means.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an imprint lithography apparatus includes an arithmetic unit calculating a mixing ratio of a demolding agent and a resist to be contained in a pattern forming agent on a basis of a pattern size formed on a template, a mixer mixing the resist and the demolding agent, a nozzle dropping the pattern forming agent on a substrate from the mixer, and an irradiation apparatus irradiating the pattern forming agent dropped on the substrate with light after pressing the template onto the pattern forming agent.

Abstract: A substrate cover 40 includes a conductive portion 41 having a shape corresponding to a peripheral edge region of a substrate. Since at least part of the conductive portion includes transmissive portions 47 each formed of a light transmissive member, it is configured so as to allow desired light to penetrate through. The position of each edge portion of the substrate is detected in such a manner that the substrate is disposed with the substrate cover 40 placed thereon between light irradiation means and a light detecting unit, irradiation light directed from the light irradiation means located above the substrate to the edge portion of the substrate is made to penetrate through at least part of the substrate cover 40, the edge portion of the substrate is then irradiated with light from the irradiation means.

Abstract: A method of generating writing pattern data of a reflective mask for use in a non-telecentric exposure tool comprises obtaining a vertical position profile by measuring vertical positions of a plurality of X, Y coordinates arbitrarily set on the surface of a blank mask substrate when mounted on a mask stage, or by measuring and calculating a flatness profile, calculating unevenness of the blank mask substrate surface from the vertical position profile, calculating a shift amount of an image position, generated in a wafer mounted on a wafer stage of the exposure tool, in accordance with the unevenness of the blank mask substrate and parameters of a non-telecentric optics of the exposure tool, and obtaining corrected writing pattern data by correcting design pattern data of the reflective mask based on the shift amount of the image position and a reduction ratio of a projection optics of the exposure tool.

Abstract: A position detecting apparatus includes a first illuminating unit that radiates light onto a substrate in a direction substantially parallel to the front and the rear surfaces of the substrate from the direction of a lateral face of the substrate; a second illuminating unit that radiates light onto the front surface of the substrate, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front surface of the substrate; an image pickup unit that takes an image of the substrate from a rear surface side thereof; and an edge-position detecting unit that detects an edge position of the substrate, based on a first image that is taken while the light is being radiated from the first illuminating unit and a second image that is taken while the light is being radiated from the second illuminating unit, respectively.

Abstract: A defect inspection apparatus includes an illumination optical system which sets a transmission illumination region and a reflection illumination region on an inspection target surface of a mask, first and second imaging units having first and second visual fields which are set on the inspection target surface, an imaging optical system that provides images, which are present on the first and second visual fields, on the first and second imaging units, a defect detection unit which detects a defect of the mask on the basis of the images provided on the first and second imaging units, and a control unit which controls a positional relationship between setting positions of the transmission illumination region and the reflection illumination region and setting positions of the first and second visual fields.

Abstract: A position detecting apparatus includes a first illuminating unit that radiates light onto a substrate in a direction substantially parallel to the front and the rear surfaces of the substrate from the direction of a lateral face of the substrate; a second illuminating unit that radiates light onto the front surface of the substrate, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front surface of the substrate; an image pickup unit that takes an image of the substrate from a rear surface side thereof; and an edge-position detecting unit that detects an edge position of the substrate, based on a first image that is taken while the light is being radiated from the first illuminating unit and a second image that is taken while the light is being radiated from the second illuminating unit, respectively.

Abstract: A defect inspection apparatus includes an illumination optical system which sets a transmission illumination region and a reflection illumination region on an inspection target surface of a mask, first and second imaging units having first and second visual fields which are set on the inspection target surface, an imaging optical system that provides images, which are present on the first and second visual fields, on the first and second imaging units, a defect detection unit which detects a defect of the mask on the basis of the images provided on the first and second imaging units, and a control unit which controls a positional relationship between setting positions of the transmission illumination region and the reflection illumination region and setting positions of the first and second visual fields.

Abstract: By applying a transparent electroconductive film to a mask blank or by forming an electroconductive layer by doping metallic ions thereto, such a mask blank can be provided that an electrostatic chuck having a sufficient retaining force can be applied, the front and back surfaces of the mask blank can be measured simultaneously with ultimate accuracy, generation of dusts is extremely reduced, and charge prevention and prevention of particle adhesion are enabled, and a process for producing the mask blank, a process for using the mask blank, a mask using the mask blank, a process for producing the mask, and a process for using the mask can be also provided.

Abstract: An alignment method for substrates includes preparing an alignment apparatus having a movement mechanism to move a target substrate in horizontal and vertical directions, a rotation mechanism to rotate the substrate in a horizontal plane, an illumination tool to irradiate the substrate, an image sensor to pick up an substrate image, an edge position sensor to sense the substrate edge positions, and a control computer, transferring the substrate from a previous stage using the moving mechanism, measuring the substrate position using the image sensor which picks up the image on a back surface of the substrate, while irradiating the substrate with the illumination tool from a sidewise direction, calculating positional shifts regarding X, Y, and ? of the mask, using the edge position sensor and control computer, correcting the positional shifts of the mask by the moving and rotation mechanisms, and transferring the substrate to a next stage.

Abstract: A method of generating writing pattern data of a reflective mask for use in a non-telecentric exposure tool comprises obtaining a vertical position profile by measuring vertical positions of a plurality of X, Y coordinates arbitrarily set on the surface of a blank mask substrate when mounted on a mask stage, or by measuring and calculating a flatness profile, calculating unevenness of the blank mask substrate surface from the vertical position profile, calculating a shift amount of an image position, generated in a wafer mounted on a wafer stage of the exposure tool, in accordance with the unevenness of the blank mask substrate and parameters of a non-telecentric optics of the exposure tool, and obtaining corrected writing pattern data by correcting design pattern data of the reflective mask based on the shift amount of the image position and a reduction ratio of a projection optics of the exposure tool.

Abstract: An alignment apparatus for substrates comprises a first movement mechanism moving a substrate to be treated in a horizontal direction, a second movement mechanism moving the substrate in a vertical direction, a rotation mechanism rotating the substrate in a substrate plane, an illumination tool irradiating the substrate from a sidewise direction in a state where the substrate is held in a desired height position by the second movement mechanism, an image sensor picking up an image on a back surface of the substrate in an irradiated state, an edge position sensor sensing plural edge positions of the substrate from an image obtained by the image sensor, and a control computer obtaining a positional shift of the substrate based on the edge positions sensed by the edge position sensor and correcting a positional shift of the horizontal and rotation directions by the first movement and rotation mechanisms.

Abstract: An alignment apparatus for substrates comprises a first movement mechanism moving a substrate to be treated in a horizontal direction, a second movement mechanism moving the substrate in a vertical direction, a rotation mechanism rotating the substrate in a substrate plane, an illumination tool irradiating the substrate from a sidewise direction in a state where the substrate is held in a desired height position by the second movement mechanism, an image sensor picking up an image on a back surface of the substrate in an irradiated state, an edge position sensor sensing plural edge positions of the substrate from an image obtained by the image sensor, and a control computer obtaining a positional shift of the substrate based on the edge positions sensed by the edge position sensor and correcting a positional shift of the horizontal and rotation directions by the first movement and rotation mechanisms.

Abstract: An alignment apparatus for substrates comprises a first movement mechanism moving a substrate to be treated in a horizontal direction, a second movement mechanism moving the substrate in a vertical direction, a rotation mechanism rotating the substrate in a substrate plane, an illumination tool irradiating the substrate from a sidewise direction in a state where the substrate is held in a desired height position by the second movement mechanism, an image sensor picking up an image on a back surface of the substrate in an irradiated state, an edge position sensor sensing plural edge positions of the substrate from an image obtained by the image sensor, and a control computer obtaining a positional shift of the substrate based on the edge positions sensed by the edge position sensor and correcting a positional shift of the horizontal and rotation directions by the first movement and rotation mechanisms.

Abstract: An X-ray lithography system and an X-ray exposure method are provided which is able to perform distortion correction and magnification correction in pattern projection, by using an X-ray reflection mirror whose radius of curvature is changed so as to differentiate its reflection characteristic according to an in-plane incident position of an X-ray beam.