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:
Sep. 28, 2004
Filed:
Nov. 07, 2001
Applicant:
Inventors:
Assignee:
Renesas Technology Corp., Tokyo, JP;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G03F 9/00 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G03F 9/00 ;
Abstract
Non-telecentric illuminating light obtained by controlling the shape of an opening of an illumination aperture is directed onto a photomask, and a characteristic such that an image of a pattern of the photomask formed by the non-telecentric illumination moves in the direction perpendicular to an optical axis when an image-forming plane is moved in the direction of the optical axis, to perform focus monitoring. This eliminates the need for a special photomask, so that inexpensive and highly precise focus monitoring method, focus monitoring apparatus, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device can be obtained.