Exposure method and exposure apparatus

An exposure method for exposing a substrate with an exposure light beam by illuminating a mask with the exposure light beam and scanning the substrate with the exposure light beam via the mask, the exposure method comprising:

• measuring uneven illuminance on a substrate plane or at a position in the vicinity thereof;
• controlling an illuminance distribution of the exposure light beam in a non-scanning direction intersecting a scanning direction for the substrate on an optical path of the exposure light beam on a way to the substrate to correct the measured uneven illuminance;
• and
• synchronously moving the mask and the substrate with respect to the exposure light beam to scan the substrate with the exposure light beam in which the uneven illuminance is corrected.

An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with an exposure light beam via a pattern on a mask by illuminating the mask with the exposure light beam and synchronously scanning the mask and the substrate, the exposure apparatus comprising:

• an exposure light source which generates the exposure light beam;
• a transmittance distribution control member which is arranged in an area defocused by a predetermined spacing distance with respect to a pattern plane of the mask or a conjugate plane conjugate with the pattern plane and which partially shields the exposure light beam with a variable transmittance distribution in a non-scanning direction intersecting a scanning direction for the substrate;
• and
• a driving unit which drives the transmittance distribution control member in order to control the transmittance distribution in the non-scanning direction for the exposure light beam.

An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with an exposure light beam via a pattern on a mask by illuminating the mask with the exposure light beam and synchronously scanning the mask and the substrate, the exposure apparatus comprising:

• a measuring unit which measures uneven illuminance of the exposure light beam in a non-scanning direction intersecting a scanning direction for the substrate;
• a shield plate which has a shielding pattern for adjusting an illuminance distribution of the exposure light beam in the non-scanning direction;
• a driving unit which drives the shield plate;
• and
• a control unit which displaces the shield plate across a path for the exposure light beam by controlling the driving unit so that the uneven illuminance is corrected.

An exposure method for exposing a substrate with a pattern by transferring the pattern formed on a mask onto the substrate, the exposure method comprising:

• illuminating the mask with a pulse-shaped exposure light beam so that an illuminance distribution of the exposure light beam on the substrate is trapezoidal in a scanning direction for the substrate;
• and
• scanning the substrate with the exposure light beam while synchronously moving the mask and the substrate, wherein:
• a width of an inclined portion of the trapezoidal illuminance distribution is set to be substantially an integral multiple of a distance of movement of the substrate in the scanning direction during a period of one cycle of pulse light emission of the exposure light beam.