Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Yuichi Osakabe

Yoshinori Ohsaki

Nobuhiro Kodachi

Tetsuya Mori

Tadayasu Nishikawa

An exposure apparatus includes an original-form stage for holding an original form, a projection optical system for introducing light from the original form into an object to be exposed, and a detection optical system for detecting positions at plural points on the original form, in an optical-axis direction of the projection optical system, wherein a space for enclosing the original-form stage is different from a space for enclosing at least part of the detection optical system.

Exposure apparatus and device fabrication method using the same

A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate () to a pattern with an original () through a projection optical system (), while scanning the original and the substrate, includes a first detection system () which detects a first substrate reference mark () corresponding to the substrate through the projection optical system on/at at least one of an optical axis of the projection optical and an off-axis position shifted from the optical axis in a scanning direction, and an alignment system () which aligns the original and the substrate on the basis of a detection result of the first detection system.

Scanning exposure apparatus and method

Provided is an exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern of a reticle mounted on a first stage onto a substrate which is mounted on a second stage through a projection optical system, in which focus calibration can be conducted with high precision and a throughput can be increased. The exposure apparatus includes at least three detection systems capable of simultaneously detecting three or more marks formed at different positions on at least one of the substrate and the second stage through the projection optical system.

Exposure apparatus

An alignment system for aligning a reticle having a pattern and an alignment mark with a photosensitive substrate to which the pattern of the reticle is to be transferred, is disclosed. The alignment system includes a movable substrate stage for holding the substrate, and a light-transparent plate having a mark for relative positioning with respect to at least one of the reticle and the substrate stage, wherein positioning of at least one of the reticle and the substrate stage is performed on the basis of the mark provided on the light-transparent plate.

Alignment system and projection exposure apparatus

An exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern of an original, having an original mark, onto a substrate having a substrate mark, through a projection optical system. The apparatus includes a movable stage, having a stage mark, for holding the substrate, an optical member having first and second marks and being held fixed with respect to the projection optical system, a first position detecting system having a detection center and for detecting (i) a relative position between the detection center and the stage mark, and (ii) a relative position between the detection center and the substrate mark, and a second position detecting system for detecting (i) a relative position between the stage mark and the first mark of the optical member, and (ii) a relative position between the original mark and the second mark of the optical member. The original can be aligned with respect to the projection optical system on the basis of the relative position of the original mark and the second mark as detected by the second position detecting system. A base line offset can be determined on the basis of the relative position of the detection center and the stage mark as detected by the first position detecting system, and the relative position of the stage mark and the first mark as detected by the second position detecting system. The substrate can be aligned with respect to the projection optical system on the basis of the thus determined base line offset and the relative position of the detection center and the substrate mark as detected by the first position detecting system.

An alignment system for aligning a reticle, having a pattern to be transferred and a mark for alignment, with a photosensitive substrate to which the pattern of the reticle is to be transferred by exposure. The alignment system includes a substrate stage being movable while holding the photosensitive substrate thereon, the substrate stage having at least one mark for relative position detection, and a light transmissive flat plate-like member separate from the reticle and disposed between positions of the reticle and the substrate when the reticle and the substrate are placed to be aligned with each other. The plate-like member has a mark for relative position detection with respect to the reticle and another mark for relative position detection with respect to the substrate stage, which marks are provided separately.

An optical apparatus includes an optical system having optical elements, an enclosure, enclosing the optical system, for keeping a gas-tight environment inside the enclosure, and a pressure absorber which absorbs variations in differential pressure between the inside and the outside of the enclosure, while maintaining the gas-tight environment in the enclosure during at least one of transportation and storage of the optical apparatus. The optical system is one of a projection optical system and an illumination optical system of an exposure apparatus, and the inside of the enclosure is filled with one of an inert gas and a low-oxygen content gas.

Growing community of inventors

Tochigi, Japan

Yuichi Osakabe