Abstract:
An exposure apparatus includes an illumination system for illuminating, with pulse light, a reticle having a pattern formed thereon, a reticle stage for scanning the reticle, a projection system for projecting the pattern onto a wafer, a wafer stage for scanning the wafer, an interface into which information related to the reticle is inputted and a controller for changing illumination conditions on the basis of the information inputted to the interface. The reticle is illuminated with the pulse light while the reticle and the wafer are scanned, by which the pattern of the reticle is transferred to the wafer sequentially.
Abstract:
An output control method for an excimer laser includes providing plural light pulses, and changing an emission interval for the light pulses, wherein the emission interval is controlled so that an average laser output of each light pulse becomes higher than that when the emission interval is unchanged.
Abstract:
An alignment method for use in an exposure apparatus for printing a pattern of an original (2) onto different surface areas of a substrate (3), the alignment method comprising the steps of: providing alignment marks around the pattern of the original and placing the original on an original supporting stage (4); providing a reference mark (14) on an X-Y stage (24) for supporting the substrate and being movable in X and Y directions, and moving the X-Y stage so as to place the reference mark at those positions, in sequence, which correspond to the alignment marks of the original, respectively, and which are preset in respect to a stage coordinate system; detecting, in sequence, positional errors of the alignment marks of the original with respect to the corresponding set positions, respectively, by using the reference mark and through the movement of the X-Y stage, wherein the positional errors are detected by use of positional error detectors (12) which are provided to be associated with the alignment marks of the original, respectively; calculating a rotational error of the original with respect to the stage coordinate system, in theta direction, by using the positional errors; and rotationally moving the original supporting table in the theta direction so as to correct the rotational error.
Abstract:
An illumination system includes a light source (1) for providing pulse light, and a scanning system for relatively and scanningly moving an article (11), to be illuminated, relative to an illumination region to be defined by the pulse light, wherein, in a light intensity distribution defined in the illumination region with respect to a scan direction, the light intensity changes non-linearly from at least one end portion to a highest light intensity point in the distribution, wherein the light intensity distribution includes a first point at the one end portion, a second point whereat light intensity increase changes, a third point whereat light intensity increase changes, and a fourth point whereat the light intensity is highest, and wherein at least one of the width Wa between the first and second points and the width Wb between the third and fourth points substantially corresponds to or is greater than the relative movement amount between the illumination region and the article per pulse.
Abstract:
A method of manufacture of semiconductor devices, includes exposing different portions of a semiconductor substrate (2) with a first exposure apparatus (100) having a first exposure range; placing and aligning the semiconductor substrate with respect to a second exposure range of a second exposure apparatus (200) which range is larger than the first exposure range of the first exposure apparatus; detecting an alignment error of each of the portions of the semiconductor substrate as covered by the second exposure range of the second exposure apparatus; calculating an overall alignment error of those portions of the semiconductor substrate with respect to the whole second exposure range of the second exposure apparatus, on the basis of the detected alignment errors; and controlling the exposure operation of the second exposure apparatus on the basis of the calculated overall alignment error.
Abstract:
A printing apparatus or system has CCDs for reading out image data from an original or originals, a memory for storing the image data, a plurality of recording sections with recording heads, a control for controlling the overall circuitry and mechanical parts. A desired number of copies in black or in color can be produced within a short period of time in accordance with the size of the original image and/or color. A red image which does not require high resolution as much as a black image is automatically reproduced with lower resolution while maintaining high resolution at black portion of the same image. A plurality of recording sections may be equally used for printing only a small number of copies.
Abstract:
An ink manufacturing system is provided with a dyestuff solution manufacturing section for manufacturing a dyestuff solution in which the concentration of inorganic salts is controlled, and an ink preparing section for preparing ink from the dyestuff solution supplied from the manufacturing section.