Projection exposure apparatus wherein focusing of the apparatus is changed by controlling the temperature of a lens element of the projection optical system

A projection exposure apparatus wherein a mask pattern is projected to a photosensitive substrate, comprising:

• a projection optical system having a plurality of optical members made of glass materials, at least a first optical member having an index of refraction responsive to temperature in a different manner from that of a second optical member;
• a temperature control device which is provided in the vicinity of at least one of said optical members and sets a temperature of said at least one of said optical members to a variable target temperature determined by a focusing feature of said projection optical system;
• and
• an exposure control device for starting an exposing operation regarding said photosensitive substrate after the temperature of said optical member to be controlled by said temperature control device falls in a predetermined allowable range for the target temperature.

A projection exposure apparatus wherein a mask pattern is projected to a photosensitive substrate, comprising:

• a projection optical system having a plurality of optical members made of glass materials;
• at least one temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of at least a first optical member;
• and
• a temperature control device which is provided in the vicinity of at least said first optical member and controls the temperature of at least said first optical member in response to said at least one temperature sensor;
• wherein,
• an imaging characteristic of said projection optical system is controlled by using said temperature control device.

A projection exposure apparatus wherein a mask pattern is projected to a photosensitive substrate, comprising:

• a projection optical system having a plurality of optical members made of glass materials, at least one of which has a temperature feature of index of refraction different from that of the other glass material;
• and
• a temperature control device which is provided in the vicinity of said at least one optical member and controls the temperature of at least one of said optical members;
• wherein,
• a focusing feature of said projection optical system is controlled by using said temperature control device;
• and
• the focusing feature to be controlled by said temperature control device is a non-linear magnification error.

A projection exposure apparatus wherein a mask pattern is projected to a photosensitive substrate, comprising:

• a projection optical system having a plurality of optical members made of glass materials, at least one of which has a temperature feature of index of refraction different from that of the other glass material;
• and
• a temperature control device which is provided in the vicinity of said at least one optical member and controls the temperature of at least one of said optical members;
• wherein,
• a focusing feature of said projection optical system is controlled by using said temperature control device;
• and
• a memory system for storing a change amount of the focusing feature of said projection optical system in accordance with the change in an applied condition of said projection optical system, and wherein the focusing feature of said projection optical system is controlled by said temperature control device so that the change amount of the focusing feature stored in said memory system is cancelled in accordance with the change in the applied condition of said projection optical system.

A projection exposure apparatus wherein a mask pattern is projected to a photosensitive substrate, comprising:

• projection optical system having a plurality of optical members made of glass materials, at least one of which has a temperature feature of index of refraction different from that of the other glass material;
• and
• a temperature control device which is provided in the vicinity of said at least one optical member and controls the temperature of at least one of said optical members;
• wherein,
• a focusing feature of said projection optical system is controlled by using said temperature control device;
• and
• the focusing feature is a position of a focusing plane of said projection optical system in the direction of an optical axis of said projection optical system.

A projection exposure apparatus wherein a mask pattern is projected to a photosensitive substrate, comprising:

• a projection optical system having a plurality of optical members made of glass materials, at least one of which has a temperature feature of index of refraction different from that of the other glass material;
• a temperature control device which is provided in the vicinity of said at least one optical member and sets a temperature of at least one of said optical members to a variable target temperature determined by a focusing feature of said projection optical system;
• an exposure control device for starting an exposing operation regarding said photosensitive substrate after the temperature of said optical member to be controlled by said temperature control device falls in a predetermined allowable range for the target temperature;
• and
• a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of said optical member to be controlled by said temperature control device, and wherein said exposure control device compares a measured value of said temperature sensor with the target temperature and judges whether the exposing operation is to be started.

A projection exposure apparatus wherein a mask pattern is projected to a photosensitive substrate, comprising:

• a projection optical system having a plurality of optical members made of glass materials at least one of which has a temperature feature of index of refraction different from that of the other glass material;
• a temperature control device which is provided in the vicinity of said at least one optical member and sets a temperature of at least one of said optical members to a variable target temperature determined by a focusing feature of said projection optical system;
• an exposure control device for starting an exposing operation regarding said photosensitive substrate after the temperature of said optical member to be controlled by said temperature control device falls in a predetermined allowable range for the target temperature;
• and
• a memory system for storing a time period during which the temperature of said optical member to be controlled by said temperature control device reaches a predetermined temperature, and wherein said exposure control device starts the exposing operation regarding said photosensitive substrate after a time period corresponding to the time period stored in said memory system has elapsed.

A projection exposure apparatus wherein a mask pattern is projected to a photosensitive substrate, comprising:

• a projection optical system having a plurality of optical members made of glass materials at least one of which has a temperature feature of index of refraction different from that of the other glass material;
• a temperature control device which is provided in the vicinity of said at least one optical member and sets a temperature of at least one of said optical members to a variable target temperature determined by a focusing feature of said projection optical system;
• and
• an exposure control device for starting an exposing operation regarding said photosensitive substrate after the temperature of said optical member to be controlled by said temperature control device falls in a predetermined allowable range for the target temperature;
• wherein, when the temperature of said optical member to be controlled by said temperature control device is changed to the target temperature, an intermediate temperature is set by said temperature control device so that it is over-shot or under-shot with respect to the target temperature.

A method of projecting a mask pattern to a substrate through a projection optical system so as to form a circuit element on the substrate comprising:

• correcting a first imaging characteristic of said projection optical system by controlling the temperature of at least one optical member of the projection optical system.
• correcting an error in a second imaging characteristic which is caused as a result of controlling the temperature of said at least one optical member;
• and
• projecting said mask pattern to said substrate.