Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

The University of Arizona

Akinori Ohkubo

Kenji Yamazoe

Yasuyuki Unno

Hiroshi Osawa

Akiyoshi Suzuki

Hideki Morishima

Harrison H Barrett

Lars R Furenlid

Luca Caucci

Tokuyuki Honda

An apparatus for estimating a wavefront parameter includes a light source, a lenslet array, a detector for detecting light generated by the light source and passed through the lenslet array, a wavefront corrective element disposed between the lenslet array and the light source; and a data analyzer configured to estimate at least one wavefront parameter at a plane located on the light source side of the corrective element. The lenslet array and the sensor array are arranged to form a wavefront sensor, and the wavefront corrective element is configured to correct an aberration of the wavefront.

Apparatus and method for estimating wavefront parameters

An apparatus for measuring a wavefront of light traveling through test optics includes: a light source; a lenslet array where light from the light source travels through; a detector array configured to acquire a light intensity distribution through the lenslet array; and a processing unit, wherein the processing unit executes data processing with the acquired light intensity distribution, the data processing comprising an estimation process using a beamlet-based propagation model or a ray-based propagation model as a forward propagation model.

Wavefront optical measuring apparatus

A method for measuring a surface profile of an object, the method includes, acquiring information about a first direction where a step of a surface of the object extends relative to a scanning direction, setting phase distribution applied to the irradiation beam according to the information, and scanning the object in the scanning direction with the irradiation beam.

Method and apparatus for measuring surface profile of an object

A measurement apparatus which illuminates a pattern inserted on the object plane of an optical system, and measures a light intensity distribution corresponding to the pattern formed on the image plane of the optical system includes a sensor. The sensor includes a light-shielding member having a slit and a plurality of light-receiving units, wherein the light-shielding member is inserted on the image plane of the optical system and rotates and scans, and the plurality of light-receiving units receive light transmitted through the slit. The measurement apparatus controls rotation of the light-shielding member, on the basis of the positional relationship between the plurality of light-receiving units, and the phase differences between the signals detected by the plurality of light-receiving units arising from the scan of the light-shielding member.

Light intensity distribution measurement apparatus and measurement method, and exposure apparatus

In a measurement method for measuring polarization characteristics in which an image of a mask pattern is projected onto an image plane, a first and second slit having a width less than or equal to the wavelength of a light source are displaced on the image plane and light passing through the first and second slit is detected to obtain a first and second light intensity distribution with respect to the direction of displacement of the first and second slit. The positions at which the first light intensity distribution takes a maximum and a minimum value are determined. An index value is calculated using the respective light intensities in the second light intensity distribution at positions corresponding to the determined maximum and minimum positions. Polarization characteristics corresponding to the calculated index value are obtained by using information expressing the relationship between the index value and the polarization characteristics.

Method for measuring polarization characteristics and measurement apparatus

An exposure apparatus that exposes a pattern of an original onto a substrate includes a condenser optical system configured to split light from a light source into plural rays, to condense the plural rays at different positions on the original, and to make a central part of each of the plural rays that illuminate the original darker than a periphery at the Fourier transform plane with respect to the original, and a projection optical system configured to project the pattern of the original onto the substrate.

Exposure apparatus

An image measurement method is provided for measuring an image of a pattern of a mask projected with a projection optical system. The method includes the steps of detecting light transmitted through an aperture while a substrate is arranged at an image plane of the projection optical system, the substrate having a slit and the aperture having a width larger than a width of the slit; adjusting an alignment angle of the slit on the basis of a signal related to the light detected in the detecting; and measuring the image by detecting light transmitted through the slit while moving the slit, the alignment angle of which has been adjusted in the adjusting, in the image plane of the projection optical system.

Method and device for image measurement, exposure apparatus, substrate for image measurement, and device manufacturing method

A measurement apparatus which illuminates a pattern positioned on an object plane to form an aerial imageon an image plane and measures a light intensity distribution of the aerial imagevia a sliton the image plane, the measurement apparatus including a stagemoving the slit, a light receiving elementmounted on the stageand including at least two light receiving portions which receive the light transmitted through the slit, a storage unit which stores a relationship between an angle &#x3b5; and a distance between a center position of the slitand a position where a intensity of light that the light receiving elementreceives is maximum, a calculation unit which obtains the angle &#x3b5;, and a stage driving unitwhich rotates the stageso that the angle &#x3b5; is equal to zero.

Measurement apparatus, measurement method, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

A measurement apparatus configured to measure a light intensity distribution in a plane to be measured includes a mask including an opening having a dimension smaller than a wavelength of light for forming the light intensity distribution, and a light-shielding portion being configured to substantially shield the light; a first photoelectric conversion element configured to receive the light passing through the opening and output a light intensity signal; and a second photoelectric conversion element arranged at a position apart from the first photoelectric conversion element, and configured to receive the light transmitted through the light-shielding portion and output a light intensity signal. The mask, and the first and second photoelectric conversion elements are moved along the plane to be measured. The light intensity distribution in the plane to be measured is calculated on the basis of the light intensity signals respectively output from the first and second photoelectric conversion elements.

Measurement apparatus, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

A particle remover includes an irradiation unit for irradiating plural lights onto a target from different directions, and for scanning the lights on the target, and a collector for collecting particles carried as a result of scanning of the lights.

Particle remover, exposure apparatus having the same, and device manufacturing method

An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern of a mask onto a plate to be exposed, the exposure apparatus includes a cleaning apparatus for cleaning the mask. The cleaning apparatus includes an irradiating part for irradiating a laser beam to the mask, and a polarization controller for controlling a polarization characteristic of the laser beam according to a longitudinal direction of the pattern.

Exposure apparatus comprising cleaning apparatus for cleaning mask with laser beam

A point diffraction interferometer measures optical performance of a target optical system based on a light intensity distribution of an interference fringe through an interference between a wave front that passes the target optical system and a reference wave front generated from a pinhole, wherein the pinhole satisfies 1.05&#x2266;ellipticity&#x2266;1.16, where the ellipticity is defined as a diameter of a pinhole in a direction perpendicular to a linear polarization direction of light incident upon the pinhole, divided by a diameter of the pinhole in the linear polarization direction.

Point diffraction interferometer and exposure apparatus and method using the same

A measuring apparatus for measuring optical performance of a test optics by using light includes a first member for generating a first ideal wave front, a second member for generating a second ideal wave front and a test wave front that reflects the optical performance of the test optics, and a detector for detecting an interference fringe between the test wave front and the second ideal wave front that passes the second member, wherein the first member and/or the second member include a first membrane having a first aperture for diffracting the light, and a second membrane having a second aperture for diffracting the light that has passed the first aperture, the second membrane being spaced from the first membrane so that the first and second apertures overlap each other.

Measuring apparatus and exposure apparatus having the same

An immersion optical system that condenses light from a light source toward a first surface includes a lens having a concave lens surface closest to the first surface, a liquid being filled in a space between the concave lens surface and the first surface, wherein a conditional equation d&#x3e;L/[2&#xd7;tan {arcsin(NA/ni)}] is met, where d is a distance between a first point and a second point when the distance becomes maximum between the first point on the concave lens surface and the second point on the first surface in a direction substantially orthogonal to the first surface, L/2 is a maximum distance from the second point to an edge of an irradiation area of the light on a first surface, NA is a numerical aperture of the immersion optical system, and ni is a refractive index of the liquid.

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Utsunomiya, Japan

Akinori Ohkubo