The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 20, 2001
Filed:
Dec. 07, 1999
Hideo Mizutani, Yokohama, JP;
Nikon Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
The present invention relates to a detecting apparatus capable of detecting the position of a surface to be examined at higher accuracy and speed. Particularly, the detecting apparatus of the present invention allows a slit image, which is tilted relative to a base pattern on the surface of a substrate, to be applied to the surface of the substrate and its reflection on the surface to be re-imaged and recorded as a two-dimensional image on an image pick-up device. In particular, a row of imaging elements of the image pick-up device aligned in one dimension are arranged with its direction extending at an angle to the lengthwise direction of the two-dimensional image of the slit pattern reflection. Also, the two-dimensional image of the slit pattern reflection is defocused along the lengthwise direction by the action of a specific optics thus to average data of the optical characteristics on the surface of the substrate. An exposure apparatus according to the present invention is also provided capable of detecting the position of a surface to be examined along the normal to the surface from data of one dimensional image picked up by an image pick-up device and may also use two beams of light which interfere with each other for the purpose.