Surface position detecting method and scanning exposure method using the

Abstract

A surface position detecting method, wherein, while an object having a region with a pattern structure is scanned relative to a surface position detecting system in a scan direction, different from a surface position detecting direction of the surface position detecting system, the surface position detecting system performs surface position detection sequentially at a plurality of detection points, which are disposed within the region and along the scan direction. The method includes steps of measuring beforehand errors to be produced with respect to the detection points due to a difference in pattern structure among the detection points disposed along the scan direction and correcting, when the surface position detection is sequentially performed by the surface position detecting system at the detection points along the scan direction while the object is scanned in the scan direction relative to the surface position detecting system, a result of the detection by the surface position detecting system at each detection point, on the basis of a measured error corresponding to that detection point, measured in the measuring step.