Exposure apparatus and method

An exposure apparatus comprising illuminating means for illuminating a mask with light, and imaging means for imaging light one of transmitted through and reflected from the illuminated mask onto a substrate, at least the imaging means including means for at least partially inhibiting transmission of light, wherein the illuminating means includes a spatial filter having a first portion for transmitting light, second portion for transmitting light and surrounding the first portion and at least one third portion disposed between the first and second portions for at least partially inhibiting transmission of light.

An exposure apparatus comprising illuminating means for illuminating a mask with light, and imaging means for imaging light one of transmitted through and reflected from the illuminated mask onto a substrate, at least the imaging means including means for at least partially inhibiting transmission of light, wherein the illuminating means includes an integrator and a spatial filter.

An exposure apparatus comprising illuminating means for illuminating a mask with light, and imaging means for imaging light one of transmitted through and reflected from the illuminated mask onto a substrate, at least the imaging means including means for at least partially inhibiting transmission of light, wherein the illuminating means substantially uniformly applies a ring-like diffused illumination light to the mask, the light transmission inhibiting means including a spatial filter for inhibiting transmission of at least a portion of O-order diffraction light one of transmitted through and reflected from the illuminated mask onto the substrate.

An exposure method comprising the steps of illuminating a mask with light, and for imaging light one of transmitted through and reflected from the illuminated mask onto a substrate, the step of imaging including at least partially inhibiting transmission of light one of transmitted and reflected from the illuminated mask onto the substrate, wherein the step of inhibiting light transmission includes mounting a spatial filter proximate to an optical eye of an imaging means, and wherein the step of illuminating includes substantially uniformly applying a ring-like diffused illumination light to the mask, the spatial filter inhibiting transmission of at least a portion of O-order diffraction light one of transmitted through and reflected from the illuminated mask onto the substrate.

An exposure apparatus comprising:

• illuminating means for illuminating a mask with light, said illuminating means including a secondary light source having a transmitting portion of light symmetrically disposed around a light axis on a ring-like area and at least a partially inhibiting transmission portion of light disposed inside of said ring-like area, said secondary light source being provided on a conjugate plane in relation to a spatial frequency region;
• and
• imaging means for imaging light one of transmitted through and reflected from the illuminated mask onto a substrate, at least the imaging means including means for at least partially inhibiting transmission of light.

An exposure method comprising the steps of:

• illuminating a mask with light, the step of illuminating including substantially uniformly applying an illumination light to the mask, the illumination light having a ring-like shape so that a directivity of illuminating light to the mask is formed as a ring-like shape;
• and
• imaging light one of transmitted through and reflected from the illuminated mask onto a substrate, the step of imaging including at least partially inhibiting transmission of light one of transmitted and reflected from the illuminated mask onto the substrate.