Projection optical system adjustment method, prediction method, evaluation method, adjustment method, exposure method and exposure apparatus, program, and device manufacturing method

Abstract

When a pattern is transferred via a projection optical system, a size of an image of the pattern varies depending on a defocus amount of a transferring position from the best focus position, and a flucuation curve showing the variation (the so-called CD-focus curve) varies depending on wavefront aberration of the projection optical system. There is a close relation between a linear combination value of a plurality of terms that each have a coefficient (an aberration component) of a plurality of Zernike terms (aberration component terms) into which the wavefront aberration of the projection optical system is decomposed using a Zernike polynomial in series expansion, and the variation of the flucuation curve. Accordingly, by using the above relation, the CD-focus curve related to the pattern via a projection optical system whose aberration state is predetermined exposed under predetermined exposure conditions can be predicted within a short period of time by a simple calculation of obtaining the linear combination value of a plurality of terms that each have an aberration component.