Nikon Corporation

Katsuaki Ishimaru

Nobuyuki Irie

Takashi Masuyuki

An exposure apparatus exposes, for example, a substrate for production of a working reticle through a master reticle on which a pattern is formed. The apparatus is provided with three support members for supporting the substrate substantially horizontally at three locations outside illuminated areas of the substrate, e.g., a pattern area, alignment mark areas, and information mark areas.

Exposure apparatus, microdevice, photomask, and exposure method

When a relatively thin substrate, such as a silicon wafer, is used in an exposure apparatus, a substrate adjuster is inserted between the thin substrate and the substrate holder in order to raise the position of the top surface of the thin wafer. The substrate adjuster is selected so that the sum of the thicknesses of the substrate adjuster and the thin substrate lies within the range of thicknesses of ordinarily used substrates. If a relatively thick substrate, for example, a ceramic substrate, is used, the substrate is directly held on the substrate holder without using the substrate adjuster. The substrate holder holds the substrate adjuster through vacuum adsorption, which also helps the substrate be adsorbed onto the substrate adjuster. In this manner, different substrates having different thicknesses can be used in the exposure apparatus without exchanging the substrate holder.

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Tokyo, Japan

Katsuaki Ishimaru