Nikon Corporation

Kinya Kats

Hiroshi Shirasu

Tomohide Hamada

Yukio Kakizaki

A projection exposure apparatus is provided. The projection exposure apparatus includes an illumination optical system for illuminating a portion of a mask pattern on a mask with an exposing radiation flux of a predetermined shape, a fixed support, a projection optical system fixed to the fixed support for projecting the image of the illuminated portion of the mask pattern onto a substrate, and a carriage for integrally holding the mask and the substrate, the carriage being movable in a predetermined direction with respect to the projection optical system to successively exposing the substrate with the image of the mask pattern formed by the exposing radiation flux. The projection exposure apparatus further includes a long mirror elongated in the predetermined direction and fixed to the fixed support, the length of the long mirror being at least equal to the stroke of the carriage movement in the predetermined direction, and a measurement system for measuring the position of the mask and the position of the substrate with respect to the long mirror to determine the position of the mask relative to the substrate in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Kinya Kats