Exposure apparatus and exposure method

An exposure apparatus for forming a pattern by exposure by irradiating a set master with laser light, comprising:

• a light source unit configured to emit the laser light and being capable of adjusting a focus of the laser light;
• a control computing unit configured to adjust the focus of the laser light emitted from light source unit;
• an auxiliary stage having the light source unit set thereon, a position of the auxiliary stage being adjustable in a direction toward the master;
• an auxiliary stage control unit configured to control the position of the auxiliary stage,
• an error computing unit configured to perform an output corresponding to a focus error of the laser light;
• and
• an adder configured to add an offset value based on a correction signal generated based on integrated surface profile data, to a target value corresponding to the output from the error computing unit when the laser light focuses on a surface of the master, the integrated surface profile data being indicative of a relative positional relationship between a surface of the master and the light source unit, and being associated with at least one of a roughness of the surface of the master, an inclination of the master, and decentering of the master,
• wherein the auxiliary stage control unit controls the position of the auxiliary stage based on integrated surface profile data, and
• the control computing unit controls the focus of the laser light based on a difference between a sum by the adder and the output from the error computing unit.

An exposure method of forming a pattern by exposure on a set master by irradiating the master with laser light using an exposure apparatus which comprises a light source unit configured to emit the laser light and being capable of adjusting a focus of the laser light,

• wherein the exposure apparatus comprises an auxiliary stage having the light source unit set thereon, a position of the auxiliary stage being adjustable in a direction toward the master,
• the light source unit comprises:
• an object lens configured to direct the laser light to the master;
• and
• an actuator configured to displace the object lens in accordance with a drive current, and
• the method comprises:
• performing an output corresponding to a focus error of the laser light;
• adding an offset value based on a correction signal generated based on integrated surface profile data, to a target value corresponding to the output when the laser light focuses on a surface of the master, the integrated surface profile data being indicative of a relative positional relationship between the surface of the master and the light source unit, and being associated with at least one of a roughness of the surface of the master, an inclination of the master, and decentering of the master;
• controlling the drive current for the actuator based on a difference between a sum of the offset value and the target value and the output;
• and
• controlling the position of the auxiliary stage in accordance with the drive current for the actuator.

An exposure method of forming a pattern by exposure on a set master by irradiating the master with laser light using an exposure apparatus which comprises a light source unit configured to emit the laser light and being capable of adjusting a focus of the laser light,

• wherein the exposure apparatus comprises an auxiliary stage having the light source unit set thereon, a position of the auxiliary stage being adjustable in a direction toward the master,
• the method comprises:
• controlling the position of the auxiliary stage based on integrated surface profile data, the integrated surface profile data being indicative of a relative positional relationship between a surface of the master and the light source unit, and being associated with at least one of a roughness of the surface of the master, an inclination of the master, and decentering of the master, which have been measured in advance;
• performing an output corresponding to a focus error of the laser light;
• adding an offset value based on a correction signal generated based on the integrated surface profile data to a target value corresponding to the output when the laser light focuses on a surface of the master;
• and
• controlling the focus of the laser light based on a difference between a sum of the offset value and the target value and the output.