Surface position detecting system and exposure apparatus using the same

An exposure apparatus, comprising:

• a projection optical system for projecting a pattern formed on a surface of a first object, onto a surface of a second object disposed adjacent to an imaging plane of said projection optical system;
• irradiation means for projecting light to the surface of the object, obliquely with respect to the optical axis of said projection optical system;
• detecting means for projecting, with a light receiving optical system, light from the surface of the object irradiated with the light from said irradiation means, onto a surface of a photoreceptor and for detecting the same;
• operation means for detecting a position of the surface of the object with respect to the optical axis direction of said projection optical system, on the basis of a signal from said photoreceptor;
• and
• pupil plane detecting means for detecting a light intensity distribution on a pupil plane of said light receiving optical system,
• wherein said operation means selects a signal from signals obtainable at said photoreceptor, on the basis of the detection by said pupil plane detecting means.

A device manufacturing method, comprising the steps of:

• projecting a circuit pattern of a reticle onto a surface of a wafer disposed adjacent to an imaging plane of a projection optical system;
• projecting, with irradiation means, light to the surface of the wafer obliquely with respect to a direction of an optical axis of the projection optical system;
• projecting, with a light receiving optical system, light from the surface of the wafer irradiated with the light from the irradiation means, onto a surface of a photoreceptor and for detecting the same;
• detecting a position of the surface of the wafer with respect to a direction of an optical axis of the projection optical system, on the basis of a signal from the photoreceptor;
• controlling the position of the surface of the wafer with respect to the optical axis direction of the projection optical system, on the basis of the position detected by said detection;
• detecting a light intensity distribution on a pupil plane of the projection optical system;
• selecting a signal from signals obtainable at the photoreceptor, on the basis of the detected light intensity distribution on the pupil plane;
• and
• processing the wafer having been exposed to the circuit pattern with the projection optical system, to produce a device.