Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system for projecting a pattern on a reticle onto an object to be exposed, a reference mark that serves as a reference for an alignment between the reticle and the object, a first fluid that has a refractive index of 1 or greater, and fills a space between at least part of the projection optical system and the object and a space between at least part of the projection optical system and the reference mark, and an alignment mechanism for aligning the object by using the projection optical system and the first fluid.

Abstract: A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate (8) to a pattern with an original (1) through a projection optical system (5), while scanning the original and the substrate, includes a first detection system (14c) which detects a first substrate reference mark (18c1, 18c3) corresponding to the substrate through the projection optical system on/at at least one of an optical axis of the projection optical and an off-axis position shifted from the optical axis in a scanning direction, and an alignment system (2, 9) which aligns the original and the substrate on the basis of a detection result of the first detection system.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for projecting a pattern of a reticle onto an object to be exposed with first light having a wavelength of 20 nm or smaller, said exposure apparatus comprising a projection optical system for projecting the pattern onto the object, and a position detecting system for detecting a positional information of a mark by receiving a second light having a wavelength different from that of the first light via the projection optical system.

Abstract: Disclosed is an exposure method in which high precision focus calibration is realized by measuring a tilt of an image plane in a scanning direction, so that exposure with a high resolution can be performed. The exposure method includes: a measuring step of measuring a position of an image plane of a projection optical system at a plurality of measurement positions different from each other with respect to a scanning direction; and a correcting step of correcting a tilt of the image plane of the projection optical system based on measurements.

Abstract: Disclosed is an exposure method in which high precision focus calibration is realized by measuring a tilt of an image plane in a scanning direction, so that exposure with a high resolution can be performed. The exposure method includes: a measuring step of measuring a position of an image plane of a projection optical system at a plurality of measurement positions different from each other with respect to a scanning direction; and a correcting step of correcting a tilt of the image plane of the projection optical system based on measurements.

Abstract: Provided is an exposure apparatus including a projection optical system for projecting an exposure pattern onto an object to be exposed, a measurement device for measuring an optical performance of the projection optical system by guiding light to the projection optical system through a measurement pattern to detect interference fringes formed by the light emitted from the projection optical system, and an adjustment portion for adjusting a numerical aperture of the light that illuminates the measurement pattern, in which the adjustment portion adjusts the numerical aperture so that the visibility of the interference fringes V, which is defined as V=(Imax?Imin)/(Imax+Imin), is equal to or more than 0.3, where Imax represents the maximum amount of light of the interference fringes, and Imin represents the minimum amount of light of the interference fringes, when the measurement device measures an optical performance of the projection optical system.

Abstract: Provided is an exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern of a reticle mounted on a first stage onto a substrate which is mounted on a second stage through a projection optical system, in which focus calibration can be conducted with high precision and a throughput can be increased. The exposure apparatus includes at least three detection systems capable of simultaneously detecting three or more marks formed at different positions on at least one of the substrate and the second stage through the projection optical system.

Abstract: Disclosed is an exposure method in which high precision focus calibration is realized by measuring a tilt of an image plane in a scanning direction, so that exposure with a high resolution can be performed. The exposure method includes: a measuring step of measuring a position of an image plane of a projection optical system at a plurality of measurement positions different from each other with respect to a scanning direction; and a correcting step of correcting a tilt of the image plane of the projection optical system based on measurements.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system for projecting an exposure pattern, onto an object to be exposed, and a measuring apparatus for measuring, as an interference fringe, optical performance of the projection optical system, wherein the measuring apparatus includes an optical element having opposing first and second surfaces, wherein the first surface has a first measurement pattern, and the second surface has a second measurement pattern and is closer to the projection optical system than the first measurement pattern, and wherein the measuring apparatus introduces light into the projection optical system via first and second measurement patterns.

Abstract: A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate (8) to a pattern with an original (1) through a projection optical system (5), while scanning the original and the substrate, includes a first detection system (14c) which detects a first substrate reference mark (18c1, 18c3) corresponding to the substrate through the projection optical system on/at at least one of an optical axis of the projection optical and an off-axis position shifted from the optical axis in a scanning direction, and an alignment system (2, 9) which aligns the original and the substrate on the basis of a detection result of the first detection system.

Abstract: A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate (8) to a pattern with an original (1) through a projection optical system (5), while scanning the original and the substrate, includes a first detection system (14c) which detects a first substrate reference mark (18c1, 18c3) corresponding to the substrate through the projection optical system on/at at least one of an optical axis of the projection optical and an off-axis position shifted from the optical axis in a scanning direction, and an alignment system (2, 9) which aligns the original and the substrate on the basis of a detection result of the first detection system.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system for projecting a pattern on a reticle onto an object to be exposed, a reference mark that serves as a reference for an alignment between the reticle and the object, a first fluid that has a refractive index of 1 or greater, and fills a space between at least part of the projection optical system and the object and a space between at least part of the projection optical system and the reference mark, and an alignment mechanism for aligning the object by using the projection optical system and the first fluid.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern on an exposure original onto a substrate using exposure light, includes a projection optical system for projecting the pattern on the exposure original onto the substrate, a first detection system that provides an alignment between the exposure original and the substrate in a plane orthogonal to an optical axis of the projection optical system, and a focus detecting system for detecting focusing condition of the projection optical system, the focus detection system includes a light intensity sensor for detecting light intensity of light which passed the projection optical system, wherein the focus detection system is calibrated based on the detection result of the first detection system.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system for projecting a transfer pattern of a first object onto a second object, a first illumination system for performing illumination under a first illumination condition, wherein the transfer pattern of the first object illuminated under the first illumination condition is projected onto the second object through the projection optical system, a second illumination system for performing illumination under a second illumination condition, a light intensity detector, and an information processing system operable, as a particular pattern being illuminated by the second illumination system under the second illumination condition is imaged by the projection optical system, to measure a wavefront aberration of the projection optical system on the basis of detection of a light intensity distribution of an image of the particular pattern made through the light intensity detector.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for projecting a pattern of a reticle onto an object to be exposed with first light having a wavelength of 20 nm or smaller, said exposure apparatus comprising a projection optical system for projecting the pattern onto the object, and a position detecting system for detecting a positional information of a mark by receiving a second light having a wavelength different from that of the first light via the projection optical system.

Abstract: Provided is an exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern of a reticle mounted on a first stage onto a substrate which is mounted on a second stage through a projection optical system, in which focus calibration can be conducted with high precision and a throughput can be increased. The exposure apparatus includes at least three detection systems capable of simultaneously detecting three or more marks formed at different positions on at least one of the substrate and the second stage through the projection optical system.

Abstract: Disclosed is an exposure method in which high precision focus calibration is realized by measuring a tilt of an image plane in a scanning direction, so that exposure with a high resolution can be performed. The exposure method includes: a measuring step of measuring a position of an image plane of a projection optical system at a plurality of measurement positions different from each other with respect to a scanning direction; and a correcting step of correcting a tilt of the image plane of the projection optical system based on measurements.

Abstract: A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate (8) to a pattern with an original (1) through a projection optical system (5), while scanning the original and the substrate, includes a first detection system (14c) which detects a first substrate reference mark (18c1, 18c3) corresponding to the substrate through the projection optical system on/at at least one of an optical axis of the projection optical and an off-axis position shifted from the optical axis in a scanning direction, and an alignment system (2, 9) which aligns the original and the substrate on the basis of a detection result of the first detection system.

Abstract: A method of measuring a position of a mark in a measurement direction. The method includes a detecting step of detecting a change in information regarding the position of the mark in the measurement direction by moving the mark in another direction different from the measurement direction, a selecting step of selecting a measurement condition on the basis of the change in the information, and a measuring step of measuring the position of the mark with the measurement condition selected in the selecting step.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for projecting and exposing through a projection optical system a transfer pattern formed on a master onto a substrate placed on a movable stage. The apparatus includes a mark placed on the movable stage and imparting a phase difference to incident light, based on an incident position, and then outputting the light, an image reception section, wherein the mark is imaged on the image reception section, using light of an exposure wavelength through the projection optical system, and a data processing section for calculating an imaging performance of the projection optical system on the basis of image data obtained by the image reception section.