Abstract: There is disclosed a focus-monitoring mask which is adapted to be employed on an occasion of transferring a pattern on a wafer by way of photolithography, the mask comprising a first pattern region having at least one first monitor pattern which is constituted by a first opening surrounded by a first film or constituted by the first film surrounded by the first opening, and a second pattern region having at least one second monitor pattern which is constituted by a second opening surrounded by a second film or constituted by the second film surrounded by the second opening, and is capable of giving a predetermined phase difference to an exposure light passing through the second film relative to an exposure light passing through the second opening, wherein the first and second monitor patterns have a configuration in which both ends thereof are tapered from a central portion thereof.

Abstract: According to a focus monitoring method, an exposure mask on which a focus monitor pattern comprising at least two types of pattern groups is formed is prepared. A pattern group A of the at least two pattern groups is illuminated with illumination light while a barycenter of an illumination light source of illumination optics is in an off-axis state. At least a pattern group B of the at least two pattern groups is illuminated with illumination light while the barycenter of the illumination light source is in an on-axis state. A positional deviation between the pattern groups A and B transferred onto a substrate is measured. An effective focus position can be monitored from this positional deviation.

Abstract: An exposure method is disclosed, which comprises exposing a light on a photomask having a mask pattern, in an exposing device, receiving in the exposing device the light which passed through the photomask to observe an optical image of the mask pattern based on the received light, deciding an optimum exposure condition based on the optical image of the mask pattern to form a predetermined resist pattern, and exposing a light on a photoresist film formed on a wafer via the photomask based on the optimum exposure condition.

Abstract: A control method for an exposure apparatus, in which an exposure amount and a focus value are set in transferring a circuit pattern on a mask onto a resist formed on a wafer by the exposure apparatus, includes the steps of arranging, on the mask, an exposure amount monitor mark and a focus monitor mark used to separately monitor the effective exposure amount and the focus value on the wafer, transferring the exposure amount monitor mark and the focus monitor mark onto the resist to form an exposure amount monitor pattern and a focus monitor pattern, measuring the states of the exposure amount monitor pattern and the focus monitor pattern at least at one of timings after exposure, after post exposure baking, during a cooling process after baking, during a process after cooling, during development, and after development, on the basis of the measurement results, calculating the difference between an optimum exposure amount value and an exposure amount set value set in the exposure apparatus and the difference be

Abstract: In a method of examining the shape of the light source of an exposure tool, the shape of the pupil of its projection optical system, and the alignment of the shape of the light source with the shape of the pupil, the exposure tool comprising a light source, an illumination optical system for directing the light emitted from the light source to a reticle, and a projection optical system for transferring the reduced image on the reticle onto a wafer, the light emitted from the light source is projected on a reticle including a grating pattern where a transmitting area and a shading area are repeated in a finite number, the diffracted light of the first order or higher passed through the reticle is caused to illuminate the outer edge of the pupil of the projection optical system, and the pattern image on the reticle is projected on the wafer in the defocus state.

Abstract: An exposure method includes the phase-shifting mask supply step, the phase-shifting mask being prepared by selectively forming a light-shielding portion and a phase shifter on a substrate, and the resist exposure step of performing both exposure of a resist by dark field illumination light and exposure of the resist by bright field illumination light by using the phase-shifting mask, thereby removing residual resist generated by the influence of the edge of the phase shifter.

Abstract: An exposure monitor mask used with an exposure system for manufacturing ICs includes an exposure detecting pattern having at least three patterns arranged in one direction, the exposure detecting pattern including a pair of relative position detecting patterns with at least one variable intensity pattern that allows the intensity of light transmitted therethrough to vary monotonously in the one direction disposed between the pair of relative position detecting patterns.

Abstract: An exposure method includes the phase-shifting mask supply step, the phase-shifting mask being prepared by selectively forming a light-shielding portion and a phase shifter on a substrate, and the resist exposure step of performing both exposure of a resist by dark field illumination light and exposure of the resist by bright field illumination light by using the phase-shifting mask, thereby removing residual resist generated by the influence of the edge of the phase shifter.

Abstract: When a pattern to be exposed onto a wafer is a periodic pattern, a periodic mask pattern substantially twice as large as the pattern to be exposed in the wafer is formed on a photomask by means of light transmission portions and halftone portions. The halftone portions are formed such that a phase difference between exposure light transmitted through the light transmission portions and exposure light transmitted through the halftone portions is set to be substantially 180.degree.. Moreover, in order to eliminate zeroth order diffraction light, amplitude transmittance t of the halftone portion is set to t.apprxeq.A1/A2 wherein A1 is an area of the halftone portion and A2 is an area of the light transmission portion. Further, amplitude transmittance t of the halftone portion is changed, and an amount of exposure light to the photomask is controlled, so that L&S patterns and isolated patterns are simultaneously transferred onto the wafer by one photomask.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus is constituted by a first focusing optical system for focusing light from a mercury-vapor lamp as a light source, a uniforming optical system for uniforming the focused light, a second focusing optical system for focusing the uniformed light and radiating the light onto a reticle mask, and a projection optical system for projecting the light, transmitted through the reticle, onto a wafer. The apparatus is designed to project/expose a predetermined mask pattern, formed on the mask, onto the wafer through the projection optical system. A special stop (i.e., a four-eye filter) is arranged as a secondary source for uniformly illuminating the mask. The special stop serves to set an intensity distribution within the exit plane of the secondary source such that intensities in four regions quadruple-symmetrical about the optical axis of the secondary source and decentered therefrom are higher than intensities in other regions.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for reducing/projecting a plurality of patterns of a photomask, which are elongated in at least two different directions, onto a substrate through the photomask includes a polarized light source for illuminating the photomask, a polarization control unit for changing the direction of polarization of polarized light from the polarized light source, a slit filter arranged at a position where the polarized light is focused and having a slit-like opening portion elongated in a direction perpendicular to the direction of polarization of the polarized light, the slit filter transmitting polarized light, of the polarized light passing through the photomask, which has the direction of polarization, a unit for changing the direction of the opening portion of the slit filter in synchronism with a change in direction of polarization of polarized light which is made by the polarization control unit, and a unit for illuminating the photomask with the polarized light at each position where the directi

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus is constituted by a first focusing optical system for focusing light from a mercury-vapor lamp as a light source, a uniforming optical system for uniforming the focused light, a second focusing optical system for focusing the uniformed light and radiating the light onto a reticle mask, and a projection optical system for projecting the light, transmitted through the reticle, onto a wafer. A special stop is arranged as a secondary source for uniformly illuminating the mask. The special stop serves to set an intensity distribution within the exit plane of the secondary source so that intensities of both peripheral and central portions are larger than an intensity of an intermediate portion. In addition, the apparatus includes a halftone mask which allows an amplitude transmittance T of the translucent film and an amplitude transmittance T0 of the light-transmitting substrate to satisfy 0.01.times.TO<or=T<or=0.30.times.TO.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus is constituted by a first focusing optical system for focusing light from a mercury-vapor lamp as a light source, a uniforming optical system for uniforming the focused light, a second focusing optical system for focusing the uniformed light and radiating the light onto a reticle mask, and a projection optical system for projecting the light, transmitted through the reticle, onto a wafer. The apparatus is designed to project/expose a predetermined mask pattern, formed on the mask, onto the wafer through the projection optical system. A special stop (i.e., a four-eye filter) is arranged as a secondary source for uniformly illuminating the mask. The special stop serves to set an intensity distribution within the exit plane of the secondary source such that intensities in four regions quadruple-symmetrical about the optical axis of the secondary source and decentered therefrom are higher than intensities in other regions.