Projection optical apparatus, exposure method and apparatus, photomask, and device and photomask manufacturing method

A projection optical apparatus for forming a magnified image of a first object on a second object, wherein the first object is arranged in a first plane, and the second object is arranged in a second plane spaced from the first plane, relatively movable to the magnified image in a predetermined first direction, the apparatus comprising:

• a first-row projection optical system including a plurality of projection optical systems, each including a viewing field on a first row extending along a second direction that intersects the scanning direction;
• and
• a second-row projection optical system including a plurality of projection optical systems, each including a viewing field on a second row extending along the second direction and differing from the first row;
• wherein the first-row projection optical system forms, on the second plane, a plurality of image fields conjugate to the plurality of viewing fields of the first-row projection optical system along a third row;
• wherein the second-row projection optical system forms, on the second plane, a plurality of image fields conjugate to the plurality of viewing fields of the second-row projection optical system along a fourth row;
• and
• wherein the first row is between the second row and the fourth row and the second row is between the first row and the third row when the first to fourth rows are viewed in a direction linking the first plane and the second plane.

A projection exposure apparatus for exposing a first object arranged in a first plane and a second object arranged in a second plane while relatively moving the first object and the second object in a predetermined scanning direction, wherein the first plane includes a first viewing field and a second viewing field, and the second plane includes a first projection field and a second projection field, the apparatus comprising:

• a first projection optical system which projects a magnified image of part of the first object in the first viewing field onto the first projection field of the second plane;
• a second projection optical system which projects a further magnified image of part of the first object in the second viewing field onto the second projection field of the second plane;
• and
• a stage mechanism which relatively moves the first object and the second object in the scanning direction using enlargement magnification related with the scanning direction as a velocity ratio;
• wherein the enlargement magnification of the first projection optical system and the second projection optical system related with the scanning direction is less than −1.

A photomask for transferring a pattern onto a predetermined substrate, the photomask comprising:

• a first-row pattern part and a second-row pattern part spaced from each other in a first direction on the photomask;
• wherein the first-row pattern part includes a first inverted pattern obtained by inverting a pattern in a first original pattern field, which is part of an original pattern corresponding to the pattern transferred onto the predetermined substrate, using the first direction as an axis of symmetry;
• the second-row pattern part includes a second inverted pattern obtained by inverting a pattern in a second original pattern field, which differs from the first original pattern field, using the first direction as an axis of symmetry;
• and
• the first-row pattern part and the second-row pattern part include a common inverted pattern obtained by inverting an original pattern in a common field between the first original pattern field and the second original pattern field using the first direction as an axis of symmetry.

A photomask for transferring a pattern onto a predetermined substrate with first and second projection optical systems including a predetermined projection magnitude, the photomask comprising:

• a first pattern part and a second pattern part spaced from each other in a first direction on the photomask;
• wherein a first transfer field in which the first pattern part is transferred onto the substrate by the first projection optical system and a second transfer field in which the second pattern part is transferred onto the substrate by the second projection optical system are partially overlapped with each other in a second direction of the substrate;
• and
• the distance between the center of the first transfer field and the center of the second transfer field in the second direction differs from the distance between the center of the first pattern part and the center of the second pattern part in the first direction.