Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Mitsugu Yamamura

Kazuo Takahashi

Naoki Ayata

Masao Kosugi

Mitsuaki Seki

Bunei Hamasaki

Minoru Yomoda

An alignment apparatus includes a first off-axis alignment optical system having a magnification, and a second off-axis alignment optical system having a magnification higher than that of the first off-axis alignment optical system, wherein the apparatus is operable in a global alignment mode using the second off-axis alignment optical system. In another aspect, an alignment apparatus which includes a first off-axis alignment optical system having a magnification, a second off-axis alignment optical system having a magnification higher than that of the first off-axis alignment optical system, and a TTL alignment optical system, wherein the alignment apparatus is operable in a global alignment mode using the second off-axis alignment optical system and is operable in another global alignment mode using the TTL optical alignment system.

Alignment and exposure apparatus and method for manufacture of

An alignment apparatus includes a first off-axis alignment optical system having a magnification, and a second off-axis alignment optical system having a magnification higher than that of the first off-axis alignment optical system, wherein the apparatus is operable in a global alignment mode using the second off-axis alignment optical system. In another aspect, an alignment apparatus includes a first off-axis alignment optical system having a magnification, a second off-axis alignment optical system having a magnification higher than that of the first off-axis alignment optical system, and a TTL alignment optical system, wherein the alignment apparatus is operable in a global alignment mode using the second off-axis alignment optical system and is operable in another global alignment mode using the TTL optical alignment system.

An alignment apparatus including a first off-axis alignment optical system having a magnification, and a second off-axis alignment optical system having a magnification higher than that of the first off-axis alignment optical system, wherein the apparatus is operable in a global alignment mode using the second off-axis alignment optical system. In another aspect, there is provided an alignment apparatus which includes a first off-axis alignment optical system having a magnification, a second off-axis alignment optical system having a magnification higher than that of the first off-axis alignment optical system, and a TTL alignment optical system, wherein the alignment apparatus is operable in a global alignment mode using the second off-axis alignment optical system and is operable in another global alignment mode using the TTL optical alignment system.

An optical device projects a pattern of a first object on a second object through an optical system. Changes in the temperature of the optical system or changes in the ambient temperature of the optical system are detected and, on the basis of the detected temperature, any focus deviation or displacement of the optical system due to the temperature change is corrected. The correction of the focus deviation is achieved by controlling the temperature of the optical system or the position of the second object.

Projection optical device

An alignment apparatus for positioning on a wafer an image of a mask formed by a projection optical system. The apparatus includes a first detecting system for detecting the distance between an imaging plane of the optical system and the wafer, a driving mechanism for moving the wafer in the direction of the optical axis of the optical system and a second detecting system for detecting the amount of movement of the wafer. The driving mechanism is controlled while the distance detected by the first detecting system is compared with the amount of movement detected by the second detecting system, whereby the wafer is correctly and accurately positioned on the imaging plane of the optical system.

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Mitsugu Yamamura