Pattern decision method and system, mask manufacturing method, image-forming performance adjusting method, exposure method and apparatus, program, and information recording medium

A pattern decision system in which information on a pattern that is to be formed on a mask is decided, said mask being a mask used in a plurality of exposure apparatus that form a projected image of said pattern formed on said mask onto an object via a projection optical system, said system comprising:

• a plurality of exposure apparatus that each have a projection optical system and an adjustment unit used to adjust an image-forming state of a projected image of said pattern on said object;
• and
• a computer connecting to said plurality of exposure apparatus via a communication channel, wherein
• for exposure apparatus subject to optimization selected from said plurality of exposure apparatus, said computer executes
• an optimization processing step in which a first step and a second step are repeatedly performed until an image-forming performance of said projection optical system in all the exposure apparatus subject to optimization is judged to be within a permissible range, according to a judgment made in said second step, wherein
• in said first step, an appropriate adjustment amount of an adjustment unit so as to adjust a forming state of said projected image of said pattern on said object is calculated for each exposure apparatus under target exposure conditions, which take into consideration correction information on said pattern, based on a plurality of types of information that includes said adjustment information of said adjustment unit including said pattern information and information related to said image-forming performance of said projection optical system corresponding to said adjustment information under predetermined exposure conditions, correction information on said pattern, and information on said permissible range of said image-forming performance, and
• in said second step, said judgment is made whether or not said predetermined image-forming performance of said projection optical system in at least one exposure apparatus subject to optimization is outside said permissible range under said target exposure conditions after said adjustment unit has been adjusted according to said appropriate adjustment amount for each exposure apparatus calculated in said first step, and by said judgment, based on said image-forming performance resulting to be outside said permissible range, said correction information is set according to a predetermined criterion;
• and
• a decision making step in which when said image-forming performance of said projection optical system in all the exposure apparatus subject to optimization falls within said permissible range, said correction information set in said optimization processing step is decided as correction information on said pattern.

A program that makes a computer execute a predetermined processing in order to design a mask used in a plurality of exposure apparatus that form a projected image of said pattern formed on said mask onto an object via a projection optical system, said program making said computer execute:

• an optimization processing procedure in which a first procedure and a second procedure are repeatedly performed until an image-forming performance of said projection optical system in all the exposure apparatus is judged to be within a permissible range, according to a judgment made in said second procedure, wherein
• in said first procedure, an appropriate adjustment amount of an adjustment unit so as to adjust a forming state of said projected image of said pattern on said object is calculated for each exposure apparatus under target exposure conditions, which take into consideration correction information on said pattern, based on a plurality of types of information that include said adjustment information of said adjustment unit including said pattern information, and information related to said image-forming performance of said projection optical system corresponding to said adjustment information under predetermined exposure conditions, correction information on said pattern, and information on said permissible range of said image-forming performance, and
• in said second procedure, said judgment is made whether or not said predetermined image-forming performance of said projection optical system in at least one exposure apparatus is outside said permissible range under said target exposure conditions after said adjustment unit has been adjusted according to said appropriate adjustment amount for each exposure apparatus calculated in said first procedure, and by said judgment, based on said image-forming performance resulting to be outside said permissible range, said correction information is set according to a predetermined criterion;
• and
• a decision making procedure in which when said image-forming performance of said projection optical system in all the exposure apparatus falls within said permissible range, said correction information set in said optimization processing procedure is decided as correction information on said pattern.