Scanning exposure apparatus and method

A scanning exposure apparatus comprising:

• an illumination optical system for illuminating a pattern on a mask using arc-shaped illumination light;
• a projection optical system for projecting the pattern on the mask illuminated by said illumination optical system onto a plate;
• a mask stage for scanning the mask;
• a plate stage for scanning the plate, said scanning exposure apparatus scanning said mask stage and plate stage synchronously relative to said projection optical system;
• a mask support mechanism for supporting a peripheral of the mask;
• and
• a plate stage tilt mechanism for arranging a surface of the plate in an object-surface-side focal plane of said projection optical system which plane images the pattern in an area illuminated by the arc-shaped illumination light, wherein the mask deforms due to its own weight from the peripheral supported.

A scanning exposure apparatus comprising:

• an illumination optical system for illuminating a pattern on a mask using arc-shaped illumination light;
• a projection optical system for projecting the pattern on the mask illuminated by said illumination optical system onto a plate;
• a mask stage for scanning the mask;
• a plate stage for scanning the plate, said scanning exposure apparatus scanning said mask stage and plate stage synchronously relative to said projection optical system;
• a mask support mechanism for supporting a peripheral of the mask;
• and
• a mechanism for tilting the mask stage and the plate stage for arranging a surface of the plate in an object-surface-side focal plane of said projection optical system which plane images the pattern in an area illuminated by the arc-shaped illumination light, wherein the mask deforms due to its own weight from the peripheral supported.

A scanning exposure method for illuminating a pattern on a mask using arc-shaped illumination light, and for projecting the pattern on the mask illuminated by said illumination optical system onto a plate, said scanning exposure apparatus scanning the mask and plate synchronously relative to a projection optical system, said method comprising the steps of:

• exposing a focus-measurement pattern mask;
• measuring a focus position of a specific area from light intensity or resolution performance of a focus measurement pattern image on the plate;
• interpolating a measurement result linearly and identifying an image plane position;
• calculating a tilt angle for tilting the mask and/or plate to arrange a surface of the plate on a focal plane at an image-surface position;
• correcting a tilt of a mask stage and/or plate stage based on calculated data;
• and
• exposing an actual mask.

A device fabrication method comprising the steps of:

• exposing a device pattern onto a plate using a scanning exposure method;
• and
• developing the plate that has been exposed,
• wherein said scanning exposure method illuminates a pattern on a mask using arc-shaped illumination light, and projects the pattern on the mask illuminated by said illumination optical system onto a plate, said scanning exposure apparatus scanning the mask and plate synchronously relative to a projection optical system, said method comprising the steps of:
• exposing a focus-measurement pattern mask;
• measuring a focus position of a specific area from light intensity or resolution performance of a focus measurement pattern image on the plate;
• interpolating a measurement result linearly and identifying an image plane position;
• calculating a tilt angle for tilting the mask and/or plate to arrange a surface of the plate on a focal plane at an image-surface position;
• correcting a tilt of a mask stage and/or plate stage based on calculated data;
• and
• exposing an actual mask.