Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method

An exposure apparatus, comprising:

• a light source for providing pulse light;
• mask scanning means for scanning a mask having a pattern;
• wafer scanning means for scanning a wafer onto which the pattern is to be projected;
• wherein said mask scanning means and said wafer scanning means serve to scan the mask and the wafer in a timed relation so that the mask is illuminated while superposing portions of an illumination region defined by the pulse light and being narrower than the pattern such that the pattern is lithographically transferred onto the wafer;
• and
• light emission period determining means for determining the period of emission of the pulse light, the light emission period being variable on the basis of a tolerance ratio of exposure non-uniformness.

An exposure apparatus, comprising:

• a light source for providing pulse light;
• mask scanning means for scanning a mask having a pattern;
• wafer scanning means for scanning a wafer onto which the pattern is to be projected;
• wherein said mask scanning means and said wafer scanning means serve to scan the mask and the wafer in a timed relation so that the mask is illuminated while superposing portions of an illumination region defined by the pulse light and being narrower than the pattern such that the pattern is lithographically transferred onto the wafer;
• illumination range limiting means for limiting a range of illumination for the mask by the pulse light, said illumination range limiting means is adapted to change the range of illumination for the mask;
• and
• illumination range determining means for determining the range of illumination for the mask, wherein the width of the illumination range with respect to a scan direction is variable on the basis of a tolerance ratio of exposure non-uniformness.

An exposure apparatus, comprising:

• a light source for providing pulse light;
• mask scanning means for scanning a mask having a pattern;
• wafer scanning means for scanning a wafer onto which the pattern is to be projected;
• wherein said mask scanning means and said wafer scanning means serve to scan the mask and the wafer in a timed relation so that the mask is illuminated while superposing portions of an illumination region defined by the pulse light and being narrower than the pattern such that the pattern is lithographically transferred onto the wafer;
• illumination range limiting means for limiting a range of illumination for the mask by the pulse light, said illumination range limiting means is adapted to change the range of illumination for the mask;
• position changing means for changing a position of said illumination range limiting means with respect to a direction of an optical axis;
• and
• position determining means for determining the position of said illumination range limiting means, the position of said illumination range limiting means with respect to the optical axis direction being variable on the basis of a tolerance ratio of exposure non-uniformness.

A device manufacturing method including lithographically transferring a pattern of a mask onto a wafer, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing pulse light;
• scanning the mask and the wafer in a timed relation;
• illuminating the mask while superposing portions of an illumination region defined by the pulse light and being narrower than the pattern such that the pattern is lithographically transferred onto the wafer;
• and
• determining scan speed of the mask and the wafer, the scan speed being variable on the basis of a tolerance ratio of exposure non-uniformness.

A device manufacturing method including lithographically transferring a pattern of a mask onto a wafer, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing pulse light;
• scanning the mask and the wafer in a timed relation;
• illuminating the mask while superposing portions of an illumination region defined by the pulse light and being narrower than the pattern such that the pattern is lithographically transferred onto the wafer;
• and
• determining a period of emission of the pulse light, the light emission period being variable on the basis of a tolerance ratio of exposure non-uniformness.

A device manufacturing method including lithographically transferring a pattern of a mask onto a wafer, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing pulse light;
• scanning the mask and the wafer in a timed relation;
• illuminating the mask while superposing portions of an illumination region defined by the pulse light and being narrower than the pattern such that the pattern is lithographically transferred onto the wafer;
• and
• determining an illumination range for illumination of the mask by the pulse light, wherein the width of the illumination range with respect to a scan direction is variable on the basis of a tolerance ratio of exposure non-uniformness.

A device manufacturing method including lithographically transferring a pattern of a mask onto a wafer, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing pulse light;
• scanning the mask and the wafer in a timed relation;
• illuminating the mask while superposing portions of an illumination region defined by the pulse light and being narrower than the pattern such that the pattern is lithographically transferred onto the wafer;
• determining a position of illumination range limiting means, for limiting a range of illumination of the mask by the pulse light, with respect to a direction of an optical axis, the position of the illumination range limiting means with respect to the optical axis direction being variable on the basis of a tolerance ratio of exposure non-uniformness.