Nikon Corporation

Nippon Kogaku K.k.

Haruo Ozawa

Takashi Mori

Koichi Matsumoto

Hiroshi Shirasu

Masahiro Nakagawa

Tsuyoshi Naraki

Tetsuo Kikuchi

Masayuki Murayama

Jun Nagatsuka

Yuji Kudoh

A projection exposure apparatus for projecting a pattern image of an illuminated mask onto a substrate. The optical path can be divided into a plurality of hermetic blocks each having an inert gas sealed therein by a plurality of partition devices. According a one aspect of the invention, a hermetic sealing member is disposed in the space between the substrate-side of the projection optical system and the substrate for replacing the atmosphere existing in the optical path of the illuminating light in that space by a substance other than oxygen. According to another aspect of the invention, a plurality of independent chambers are formed in a frame. Lids, piping, and valves in the chambers are opened or closed in response to the value detected by oxygen density sensors.

Projection exposure apparatus

A light source device houses a lamp such as a mercury discharge tube for generating a high temperature heat, and a reflective optical member such as an elliptic, mirror surrounding the lamp, in a lamp case. When the lamp is forcibly cooled by air, a device for substantially uniformly heating or heat-insulating a reflection surface of the reflective optical member is provided to prevent overcooling of the reflective optical member.

Illumination light source device

An illumination optical apparatus includes secondary light source forming means for forming a plurality of light source images from collimated light beams emitted from a light source, tertiary light source forming means arranged midway along an optical path from the secondary light source forming means, and a condenser lens arranged midway along an optical path from the tertiary light source forming means. The secondary light source forming means includes an optical integrator having entrance and exit surface. A plurality lens surface having a larger focal length than a distance between the entrance and exit surfaces are formed on the entrance sarfaces. Thus, a plurality of secondary light source images are formed by the secondary light source forming means in a space behind the exit surface of the optical integrator.

Illumination optical apparatus

A method and apparatus for inspecting masks and reticles by simplifying rotational alignment thereof so as to shorten alignment time is proposed wherein a rotational angle representing a rotational error between a reference substrate and a substrate to be inspected is measured in advance, the substrate to be inspected being provided with the same circuit patterns as those of the reference substrate in one-to-one correspondence, a position of a stage having these substrates thereon is automatically measured, and a measurement error caused by the rotational error can be automatically corrected, thereby providing accurate measured values.

Method and apparatus for correcting rotational errors during inspection

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Tokyo, Japan

Haruo Ozawa