Abstract: An exposure apparatus forms an immersion area by supplying a liquid onto a part of a substrate, and forms a prescribed pattern on the substrate through the liquid. A spare immersion area, which is capable of holding part of the liquid on the substrate, is formed at the outer circumference of the immersion area. It is possible to prevent the separation of the liquid, which is disposed between a lower surface of a projection optical system and a substrate surface, from the lower surface of the projection optical system in accordance with the relative movement of the projection optical system and the substrate.

Abstract: A method for lithography patterning includes providing a mask for photolithography patterning; measuring a mask flatness of the mask; calculating focal deviation of imaging the mask to a substrate in a lithography apparatus; adjusting the lithography apparatus to have a compensated focal plane of the mask based on the focal deviation; and exposing the semiconductor substrate utilizing the mask and the lithography apparatus with adjusted focal plane.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a liquid supply device which supplies liquid onto the substrate from above the substrate through a first and second supply ports disposed in a vicinity of a projection area onto which the pattern image is projected, and a liquid recovery device which recovers liquid on the substrate from above the substrate through an inside recovery port disposed outside the first and second supply ports and an outside the second recovery port disposed outside the inside recovery port.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for compensating for forces applied by a system which measures a height of a photoresist-coated surface of a wafer are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method for measuring a height associated with a wafer includes utilizing a measurement of an air flow through an air gauge or air bearing to estimate the height, determining a first magnitude of a bearing load exerted on the wafer from the air flow measurement, and compensating for the bearing load. The bearing load is exerted by an arrangement configured to determine the height associated with the wafer a first direction. Compensating for the bearing load includes applying an opposing force to the wafer that includes at least a vacuum preload force. The vacuum preload force is applied in a second direction that is opposite from the first direction. The opposing force is calculated to have a second magnitude that is approximately equal to the first magnitude.

Abstract: Provided is a method and system for facilitating use of a plurality of individually controllable elements to modulate the intensity of radiation received at each focusing element of an array of focusing elements to control the intensity of the radiation in the areas on the substrate onto which the focusing elements direct the radiation.

Abstract: The method of determining a focus measure from an image includes detecting one or more edges in the image by processing the image with one or more first order edge detection kernels adapted to reject edge phasing effects. A first measure of the strength of each of the edges, and the contrast of each of the edges may be determined. The method may include normalizing the first measure of the strength of each of the edges by the contrast of each of the edges to obtain a second measure of the strength of each of the edges, and resealing the second measure of the strength of each of the edges. The method may also include selecting one or more of the edges from the image in accordance with the second measure of their strengths, and calculating the focus measure from the second measure of the strengths of the selected edges.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are used to form patterns on a substrate. The apparatus comprises a projection system, a patterning device, a low-pass filter, and a data manipulation device. The projection system projects a beam of radiation onto the substrate as an array of sub-beams. The patterning device modulates the sub-beams to substantially produce a requested dose pattern on the substrate. The low-pass filter operates on pattern data derived from the requested dose pattern in order to form a frequency-clipped target dose pattern that comprises only spatial frequency components below a selected threshold frequency. The data manipulation device produces a control signal comprising spot exposure intensities to be produced by the patterning device, based on a direct algebraic least-squares fit of the spot exposure intensities to the frequency-clipped target dose pattern. In various examples, filters can also be used.

Abstract: A character projection charged particle beam writer system is disclosed comprising a variable magnification reduction lens which will allow different shot magnifications on a shot by shot basis. A method for fracturing or mask data preparation or optical proximity correction is also disclosed comprising assigning a magnification to each calculated charged particle beam writer shot. A method for forming a pattern on a surface is also disclosed comprising using a charged particle beam writer system and varying the magnification from shot to shot. A method for manufacturing an integrated circuit using optical lithography is also disclosed, comprising using a charged particle beam writer system to form a pattern on a reticle, and varying the magnification of the charged particle beam writer system from shot to shot.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes acquiring focus values measured for regions having different reflectance respectively due to films formed at a lower location than a resist formed above a semiconductor substrate, the focus values including a first focus value acquired at a first region of the regions having a lower reflectance and a second focus value acquired at a second region of the regions having a higher reflectance than the first region and bringing the second focus value closer to the first focus value, and carrying out an exposure processing.

Abstract: A method includes determining relative positional relationships between applied fields on a substrate, one of the applied fields including a first field; in a lithographic apparatus, using an alignment apparatus to obtain at least one absolute positional relationship between the position of at least the first field of the substrate and a part of the lithographic apparatus; and determining an absolute positional relationship between at least one field, other than the first field, and a part of the lithographic apparatus using the relative positional relationships and the at least one obtained absolute relationship.

Abstract: A device manufacturing method includes exposing a substrate with a patterned beam of radiation formed by a reticle mounted on a displaceable reticle stage, determining a non-linear function for approximating a height and a tilt profile of a surface of the reticle with respect to the reticle stage, and controlling a displacement of the reticle stage during exposure of the substrate in accordance with the non-linear function.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to light. A substrate stage holds the substrate and is to be moved. A measuring device measures a positional deviation amount of a mark on the substrate held by the substrate stage. A computing device determines a coefficient of a linear expression that approximates the measured positional deviation amount of each mark and is linear with respect to a term including at least one of an X coordinate to the Nth power and a Y coordinate to the Nth power, where N is an integer not less than zero, and a control device controls a position of the substrate stage in accordance with a target position determined based on the linear expression to expose a shot to the light.

Abstract: Catadioptric projection objective (1) for microlithography for imaging an object field (3) in an object plane (5) onto an image field (7) in an image plane (9). The objective includes a first partial objective (11) imaging the object field onto a first real intermediate image (13), a second partial objective (15) imaging the first intermediate image onto a second real intermediate image (17), and a third partial objective (19) imaging the second intermediate image onto the image field. The second partial objective is a catadioptric objective having exactly one concave mirror and having at least one lens (L21, L22). A first folding mirror (23) deflects the radiation from the object plane toward the concave mirror and a second folding mirror (25) deflects the radiation from the concave mirror toward the image plane. At least one surface of a lens (L21, L22) of the second partial objective has an antireflection coating having a reflectivity of less than 0.

Abstract: A multiple-die mask pattern is arranged with dies having the same pattern in mutually opposite orientations. The method for arranging the dies includes analyzing the pattern of a single die to identify a pattern characteristic property which is non uniformly distributed over the area of the die. If the distribution is found to be asymmetric, a line separating the die area into two half-die areas is defined with respect to which the asymmetry is apparent. Half-die areas of different dies with the same pattern characteristic property are grouped together in the mask pattern. The resulting enhanced symmetry of the distribution of the pattern characteristic property over the mask area increases lithographic processability and thereby improves die yield.

Abstract: A calibration method to calibrate a substrate table position in a lithographic apparatus, the method including repeatedly irradiating a pattern onto a surface of the substrate so as to create a two dimensional arrangement of patterns on the surface of the substrate, the irradiating including displacing the substrate table between successive irradiations to irradiate the pattern onto different locations on the surface of the substrate, reading out the patterns in the two dimensions to obtain pattern read out results, deriving incremental position deviations from the read out results of neighboring patterns in dependency on the position of the substrate table in the two dimensions, deriving from the incremental position deviations a position error of the substrate table as a function of the two dimensional position of the substrate table and calibrating the position of the substrate table using the position dependent position error.

Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus, used in a projection exposure apparatus for projecting and exposing a pattern arranged in a first plane to a second plane, for supplying the first surface with illumination light from a light source comprises an optical path combiner arranged in an optical path between the light source and the first surface, for combining a plurality of light beams different from each other from the light source such that the first and second light beams illuminate the first surface closely to each other. The optical path combiner includes a discrete point positioned on or near a third surface optically conjugate with the first surface. The plurality of light beams travel by way of a plurality of regions sectioned by the discrete point, respectively.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus including a radiation beam monitoring apparatus, the radiation beam monitoring apparatus including an optical element configured to generate a diffraction pattern, and an imaging detector located after the optical element and not in a focal plane of the optical element such that the imaging detector is capable of detecting a mixture of spatial coherence and divergence of the radiation beam.

Abstract: This invention discloses a position detection method for detecting the focus position of an optical position detection apparatus including an image sensor and an optical system which forms an image of a target object on the image sensing surface of the image sensor. In this method, the relationship between the position of the target object in the optical-axis direction of the optical system and the evaluation value of the signal output from the image sensor is measured, and the position of a peak close to a reference focus position, which is selected if the evaluation value has a plurality of peaks in the measured relationship, is detected as the focus position.

Abstract: A system includes an illuminator, a mask, and a measurement device. The illuminator includes a light source. The mask includes at least one focus determination pattern having a first pattern portion and an adjacent second pattern portion. The first pattern portion and the second pattern portion have substantially the same width but produce a phase difference in light transmitted through the pattern portions. The measurement device measures a first critical dimension and a second critical dimension of a feature produced on a target by the at least one focus determination pattern. The difference between the first critical dimension and the second critical dimension relates to an amount of defocus and is sensitive to the focus change. The system may also include a feedback control loop where a determination regarding an amount of defocus is used to focus the position of a wafer or a mask or both of them onto the target. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus including a support structure configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device configured to impart a beam of radiation with a pattern in its cross-section; a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate; a projection system configured to expose the patterned beam of radiation on a target portion of the substrate; and a system configured to compensate one or more perturbation factors by providing an additional beam of radiation to be exposed on the target portion of the substrate, the additional beam of radiation being imparted in its cross-section with an additional pattern which is based on the pattern of the patterning device and on lithographic projection apparatus property data, the lithographic projection apparatus property data characterizing a level and nature of one or more systematic perturbation factors of different lithographic apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; and an exposure head including a light emitting element that emits a light having a first wavelength and a light having a second wavelength, and an optical system that focuses the light having the first wavelength at a first imaging position and focuses the light having the second wavelength at a second imaging position that is different from the first imaging position with respect to the first direction, the optical system having an optical axis extending in the first direction, wherein a surface of the image carrier is located between the first imaging position and the second imaging position.

Abstract: There is disclosed an exposure method is a method of projecting patterns (M1, M2) of a mask (M) onto a substrate to effect exposure thereof, through a plurality of projection optical units each having an enlargement magnification, and the exposure method comprises: placing the mask (M) having first pattern regions (M1) arranged discontinuously in a positional relation corresponding to the enlargement magnification, and second pattern regions (M2) provided at least in part between the first pattern regions (M1), on the object plane side of the projection optical units; projecting enlarged images of either of the first pattern regions (M1) and the second pattern regions (M2) onto the substrate disposed on the image plane side of the projection optical units to effect exposure thereof; and then projecting enlarged images of the other pattern regions onto the substrate to effect exposure thereof.

Abstract: A driving control apparatus for driving a controlled object. The apparatus includes first and second interferometers, each of which (i) detects a position of the controlled object in a predetermined direction and (ii) produces a respective detection value. A control unit obtains a rotation amount of the controlled object based on the detection values produced by the first and second interferometers, at a predetermined measurement timing, to calculate a controlled variable based on the rotation amount and a target value, and to output the controlled variable.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system for projecting light from a reticle onto a substrate, and exposes a shot region of the substrate to radiant energy via the reticle and the projection optical system. The exposure apparatus comprises a substrate stage configured to hold the substrate and to be moved, a console configured to set a valid area inside the shot region, a measuring device configured to measure a position of a surface of the substrate in a direction parallel to an optical axis of the projection optical system, and a controller configured to control a position of the substrate stage based on the position of the surface measured by the measuring device at a measurement point in the valid area set by the console, the measurement point being determined in accordance with a position of the substrate relative to the measuring device.

Abstract: A lithographic method includes exposing a first layer of material to a radiation beam to form a first pattern feature in the first layer, the first pattern feature having sidewalls, and a focal property of the radiation beam being controlled to control a sidewall angle of the sidewalls; providing a second layer of material over the first pattern feature to provide a coating on sidewalls of the first pattern; removing a portion of the second layer, leaving a coating of the second layer of material on sidewalls of the first pattern; removing the first pattern formed from the first layer, leaving on the substrate at least a part of the second layer that formed a coating on sidewalls of that first pattern, the part of the second layer left forming second pattern features in locations adjacent to the locations of sidewalls of the removed first pattern feature.

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

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to light. A substrate stage holds and moves the substrate, a scope measures a predetermined mark to align the substrate, and a controller controls the position of the substrate stage and the operation of the scope, thereby executing a first measurement and a second measurement necessary for a single calibration of the apparatus to align the substrate. The controller executes the first measurement and the second measurement at frequencies different from each other.

Abstract: A method for performing a tilted focus test includes the steps of providing a target object, providing a projection beam of radiation using a radiation source, providing a reflective device to introduce a projected projection beam of radiation onto the target portion, introducing a first projected projection beam of radiation onto the target object using the reflective device in a first orientation, using a tilting device for tilting the reflective device to a second orientation to provide a second projection beam with a tilt relative to said first projection beam, introducing a second projected projection beam of radiation onto the target object, and determining a lateral shift of the first and second projected projection beams on the target object and determining from said lateral shift a defocus of the target object with respect to the projected projection beam.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a lensless optical device for acquiring an image. The device can include a light attenuating layer having a plurality of elements, where transmittance of each of the plurality of elements is controllable, and an image detector disposed at a distance from the light attenuating layer, the image detector configured to acquire an image with light that passes through the light attenuating layer. The device also can include a light attenuating layer controller configured to simultaneously control transmittance of each of the plurality of elements independent of each other. Methods of detecting and tracking an object in a scene are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system is disclosed including an image sensor positioned at a first specified angle relative to a projected image plane. The system includes a projector that projects a test pattern onto the projected image plane. A controller is structured to iteratively adjust the projector focus until an image focus index is maximized, where the image focus index is a function of an amplitude of at least one harmonic frequency of a scan of the test pattern. The controller is further structured to determine a skew indicator value and adjust a projector skew adjustment. The controller is further structured to compare a current zoom level to a target zoom level and adjust a projector zoom. The projected image plane is a manufacturing surface, where the projected image is utilized in a manufacturing process.

Abstract: There is provided an optical imaging arrangement comprising: a mask unit comprising a pattern, a substrate unit comprising a substrate, an optical projection unit comprising a group of optical element units, the optical projection unit being adapted to transfer an image of the pattern onto the substrate, a first imaging arrangement component, the first imaging arrangement component being a component of one of the optical element units, a second imaging arrangement component, the second imaging arrangement component being different from the first imaging arrangement component and being a component of one of the mask unit, the optical projection unit and the substrate unit, and a metrology arrangement. The metrology arrangement captures a spatial relationship between the first imaging arrangement component and the second imaging arrangement component. The metrology arrangement comprises a reference element, the reference element being mechanically connected directly to the first imaging arrangement component.

Abstract: An optical apparatus is disclosed that has a convex mirror and a concave mirror with an aperture, wherein, in use, radiation from a radiation emitter passes through the aperture and is incident upon the convex mirror before being incident upon the concave mirror, the optical apparatus arranged to form the radiation into a radiation beam, wherein the concave mirror is translatable towards and away from the convex mirror or the convex mirror is translatable towards and away from the concave mirror, to adjust divergence of the radiation beam.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus performs exposure for a substrate by filling a space between a projection optical system and the substrate with a liquid and projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate through the liquid by using the projection optical system. The exposure apparatus includes a substrate stage for holding the substrate, a liquid supply unit for supplying the liquid to a side of an image plane of the projection optical system, and a focus/leveling-detecting system for detecting surface information about a surface of the substrate not through the liquid. The exposure apparatus performs liquid immersion exposure for the substrate while adjusting a positional relationship between the surface of the substrate and the image plane formed through the projection optical system and the liquid, on the basis of the surface information detected by the focus/leveling-detecting system. The liquid immersion exposure can be performed at a satisfactory pattern transfer accuracy.

Abstract: An optical lithography system that has extended depth of focus exposes a photoresist coating on a wafer, and includes an illumination sub-system, a reticle, and an imaging lens that has a pupil plane function to form an aerial image of the reticle proximate to the photoresist. The pupil plane function provides the extended depth of focus such that the system may be manufactured or used with relaxed tolerance, reduced cost and/or increased throughput. The system may be used to form precise vias within integrated circuits even in the presence of misfocus or misalignment.

Abstract: A scanning exposure apparatus for performing exposure of a substrate to light includes a projection optical system to project light from the original onto the substrate, a stage to hold the substrate and to move in a scanning direction, and a focus detector to detect a position of a surface region of the substrate in a direction of the optical axis. The apparatus (i) detects the position of the surface region with respect to each of a plurality of measurement points and with respect to each of a plurality of shot regions of the substrate, (ii) averages the detected positions, (iii) obtains a function which approximates the averaged positions, (iv) calculates a difference between each of the averaged positions and a value of the obtained function, (v) offsets a detected position with a corresponding one of the calculated differences, (vi) controls a position of the stage based on the offset positions, and (vii) logs the obtained function.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus that exposes an object to be exposed with light from an EUV light source. The light has an exposure wavelength component and a non-exposure wavelength component. The exposure apparatus has a detector that independently detects the quantity of light of the exposure wavelength component and the quantity of light of the non-exposure wavelength component of the light. Therefore, for example, even if the quantity of light of the exposure wavelength component and the quantity of light of the non-exposure wavelength component individually fluctuate, it is possible to accurately ascertain fluctuations in the characteristics of the optical system resulting from irradiation heat. As a result, it is also possible to achieve a high performance mirror adjustment system.

Abstract: A system that fabricates a semiconductor chip. The system places patterns for components which require fine line-widths within a high resolution region of a reticle, wherein the high resolution region provides sharp focus for a given wavelength of light used by the lithography system. At the same time, the system places patterns for components which do not require fine line-widths outside of the high-resolution region of the reticle, thereby utilizing the region outside of the high-resolution region of the reticle instead of avoiding the region. Note that the coarseness for components placed outside of the high resolution region of the reticle is increased to compensate for the loss of optical focus outside of the high resolution region.

Abstract: A light-emitting element includes a cathode, an anode, a luminescent layer disposed between the cathode and the anode, a first electron transport layer disposed between the luminescent layer and the cathode, and a second electron transport layer in contact with the luminescent layer and the first electron transport layer between the luminescent layer and the first electron transport layer. The luminescent layer contains a red luminescent material emitting red light. The first electron transport layer contains a first electron transport material. The second electron transport layer contains a second electron transport material different from the first electron transport material.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to light during an exposure period. A projection optical system projects light from a pattern of a reticle onto the substrate. The projection optical system includes at least one optical element driven to adjust aberration of the projection optical system. A first calculator calculates compensation data based on a temporal characteristic of heat influence, which represents a change in aberration due to heat influence of the exposure in the projection optical system in accordance with (i) an elapsed time of a non-exposure period from a time when the exposure period shifts to a non-exposure period, and (ii) exposure period data which represents the time when the exposure period shifts to the non-exposure period.

Abstract: A projection exposure method for the exposure of a radiation-sensitive substrate arranged in the region of an image surface of a projection objective with at least one image of a pattern of a mask arranged in the region of an object surface of the projection objective includes exposing the substrate with the image of the pattern in an effective image field of the projection objective during an exposure time interval and also altering a relative positioning between a surface of the substrate and a focus surface of the projection objective during the exposure time interval in such a way that image points in the effective image field are exposed with different focus positions of the image of the mask during the exposure time interval.

Abstract: An illumination apparatus for illuminating a surface (M) to be irradiated with illumination light emitted from a light source (2) comprises a reflection type fly-eye optical systems (12, 14) disposed between the light source (2) and the surface (M) to be irradiated and constituted by a plurality of reflection partial optical systems for wavefront-dividing a light beam from the light source (2) and superposing divided portions of the light beam onto each other on the surface (M) to be irradiated and a reflection type optical system (10) disposed between the light source (2) and the reflection type fly-eye optical systems (12, 14) for guiding the illumination light to the reflection type fly-eye optical systems (12, 14). The reflection type optical system (10) has a reflecting surface at least partly constructed by a diffusing surface.

Abstract: A projection optical system is configured to project an image of an object plane onto an image plane, and includes a first optical element having an aspheric shape that is rotationally asymmetric with respect to an optical axis, a moving unit configured to move the first optical element in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and a second optical element fixed on the optical axis, and configured to reduce an optical path length difference caused by an aspheric surface of the first optical element, the second optical element having no aspheric shape complement to the aspheric shape of the first optical element.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an illumination optical system configured to illuminate an original with exposure light from an exposure light source, a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of the original onto a substrate, and a measuring unit configured to measure a relative position between the original and the substrate via the projection optical system using the exposure light as measurement light. The exposure apparatus exposes the substrate using the exposure light with a plurality of wavelengths or a broadband wavelength upon aligning the original and the substrate based on the measurement result obtained by the measuring unit, and the measuring unit switches a wavelength of the exposure light as the measurement light to a specific wavelength or a narrow-band wavelength in measuring the relative position between the original and the substrate.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus 100 projects the pattern of an original 6 onto a substrate 7 via a projection optical system PL. The projection exposure apparatus 100 includes an original stage 5 which holds the original 6, a substrate stage 8 which holds the substrate 7, and a measurement unit. The measurement unit includes a Fizeau interferometer IF including an optical unit 17 and mirror 22. The optical unit 17 includes a Fizeau surface which splits a light beam into a reference light beam and a test light beam. The mirror 22 reflects the test light beam having passed through the projection optical system PL. The optical unit 17 is mounted on the original stage 5. The mirror 22 is mounted on the substrate stage 8.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an optical unit which defines a first exposure area and a second exposure area at different positions in a first direction and which radiates exposure light beams onto the first and second exposure areas respectively; and a first movement system which moves the first exposure area and the second exposure area relative to a substrate in the first direction. The exposure light beams are radiated by the optical unit onto the first and second exposure areas respectively while moving the first and second exposure areas relative to a predetermined area on the substrate. Accordingly, the predetermined area on the substrate is subjected to multiple exposure with an image of a first pattern formed by the exposure light beam radiated onto the first exposure area and an image of a second pattern formed by the exposure light beam radiated onto the second exposure area.

Abstract: The present invention provides a measurement apparatus which measures a surface shape of a measurement target surface, the apparatus including an optical system configured to split light from a light source into measurement light and reference light, guide the measurement light onto the measurement target surface, and guide the reference light onto a reference surface, a detection unit configured to detect an intensity of the measurement light reflected by the measurement target surface, an intensity of the reference light reflected by the reference surface, and an interference pattern formed between the measurement light reflected by the measurement target surface and the reference light reflected by the reference surface, and a processing unit configured to obtain a surface shape of the measurement target surface based on an interference signal of the interference pattern detected by the detection unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method -for improving the imaging properties of a micro lithography projection objective (50), wherein the projection objective has a plurality of lenses (L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, L7, L8) between an object plane and an image plane, a first lens of the plurality of lenses being assigned a first manipulator (ml, Mn) for actively deforming the lens, the first lens being deformed for at least partially correcting an aberration, at least one second lens of the plurality of lenses furthermore being assigned at least one second manipulator, and the second lens being deformed in addition to the first lens. Furthermore, a method is described for selecting at least one lens of a plurality of lenses of a projection objective as actively deformable element, and a projection objective.

Abstract: A projection exposure method is disclosed which includes exposing an exposure area of a radiation-sensitive substrate, arranged in an image surface of a projection objective, with at least one image of a pattern of a mask arranged in an object surface of the projection objective in a scanning operation. The scanning operation includes moving the mask relative to an effective object field of the projection objective and simultaneously moving the substrate relative to an effective image field of the projection objective in respective scanning directions. The projection exposure method also includes changing imaging properties of the projection objective actively during the scanning operation according to a given time profile to change dynamically at least one aberration of the projection objective between a beginning and an end of the scanning operation.

Abstract: The invention relates to an image for detection of an aerial pattern comprising spatial differences in radiation intensity in a cross section of a beam of radiation in a lithographic apparatus for exposing a substrate. The image sensor comprises a lens (5) arranged to form a detection image of the aerial pattern and an image detector (6) arranged to measure radiation intensities in a plurality, of positions in the detection image.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus, that exposes each shot according to shot arrangement on a substrate, includes a detector configured to detect a mark; and a processor configured to determine a coefficient of an expression that represents the shot arrangement by coordinate transformation of reference shot arrangement based on the positions of marks of a plurality of shots on the substrate detected by the detector, the processor being configured to calculate, from a relationship between a feature value of a signal of a mark detected by the detector and an offset value for the coefficient, and a feature value of a signal of a mark detected by the detector, an offset value for the coefficient, and to offset the coefficient with the calculated offset value, wherein the processor is further configured to learn the relationship based on a coefficient that represents an error of the offset coefficient obtained through an overlay inspection apparatus, the offset value, and the feature value.