Exposure apparatus

An exposure method for exposing an object to be exposed with a pattern formed on a mask by relatively moving a mask stage holding the mask thereon and an object stage holding the object thereon, comprising:

• measuring a position of the mask stage;
• measuring a position of the object stage;
• obtaining information on a time lag in position measurement of the mask stage;
• obtaining information on a time lag in position measurement of the object stage;
• and
• controlling a relative position between the mask stage and the object stage based on results of position measurements of the mask stage and the object stage and the information on time lags in the position measurement of the mask stage and the object stage.

A method for manufacturing an exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern formed on a mask onto an object, the method comprising:

• providing a mask stage that positions the mask;
• providing an object stage that positions the object with respect to the mask pattern;
• providing a mask stage position-measuring unit, connected to the mask stage, that measures a two-dimensional position of the mask stage;
• providing an object stage position-measuring unit, connected to the object stage, that measures a two-dimensional position of the object stage;
• providing a processor, connected to at least one of the mask stage position-measuring unit and the object stage position-measuring unit, that determines an error vector quantity, wherein the processor:
• (a) determines a first vector quantity from the measuring performed by one of the mask stage position-measuring unit and the object stage position-measuring unit,
• (b) determines from the first vector quantity, a target position vector quantity of the stage corresponding to the other of the mask stage position-measuring unit and the object stage position-measuring unit,
• (c) determines a second vector quantity from the measuring performed by the other of the mask stage position-measuring unit and the object stage position-measuring unit, and
• (d) determines the error vector quantity by subtracting the second vector quantity from the target position vector quantity;
• and
• providing a controller that controls a position or a velocity of the stage corresponding to the other of the mask stage position-measuring unit and the object stage position-measuring unit in conformity with the error vector determined by the processor.

A method for manufacturing an exposure apparatus for transferring an image of a pattern formed on a mask onto an object by illuminating the mask and synchronously scanning the mask and the object with respect to an illumination area on the mask, comprising:

• providing a mask stage that positions the mask;
• providing a substrate stage that positions the object with respect to the mask pattern;
• providing a mask stage position-measuring unit, connected to the mask stage, that measures a two-dimensional position of the mask stage;
• providing an object stage position-measuring unit, connected to the object stage, that measures a two-dimensional position of the substrate stage;
• providing a projection optical system, disposed between the mask and the object, that projects the pattern on the mask onto the object at a predetermined magnification;
• providing a processor, connected to at least one of the mask stage position-measuring unit and the object stage position-measuring unit, that determines an error vector quantity, wherein the processor:
• (a) determines a first vector quantity from the measuring performed by one of the mask stage position-measuring unit and the object stage position-measuring unit,
• (b) determines from the first vector quantity, a target vector quantity of the stage corresponding to the other of the mask stage position-measuring unit and the object stage position-measuring unit,
• (c) determines a second vector quantity from the measuring performed by the other of the mask stage position-measuring unit and the object stage position-measuring unit, and
• (d) determines the error vector quantity by subtracting the second vector quantity from the target vector quantity;
• and
• providing a controller that controls a position or a velocity of the stage corresponding to the other of the mask stage position-measuring unit and the object stage position-measuring unit in conformity with the error vector determined by the processor.

A method for manufacturing an exposure apparatus for transferring an image of a pattern formed on a mask onto an object to be exposed by illuminating the mask and synchronously scanning the mask and the object with respect to an illumination area on the mask, the method comprising:

• providing a mask stage that positions the mask;
• providing an object stage that positions the object with respect to the mask pattern;
• providing a mask stage position-measuring unit, connected to the mask stage, that measures a two-dimensional position of the mask stage;
• providing an object stage position-measuring unit, connected to the object stage, that measures a two-dimensional position of the object stage;
• providing a first time lag-correcting system, connected to the mask stage position-measuring unit, that corrects a time lag in measurement by the mask stage position-measuring unit;
• providing a second time lag-correcting system, connected to the object stage position-measuring unit, that corrects a time lag in measurement by the object stage position-measuring unit;
• and
• providing a stage controller, connected to at least one stage of the object stage and the mask stage, that controls movement of the one stage on the basis of positional information on the mask stage of which the time lag has been corrected and positional information on the object stage of which the time lag has been corrected so that the mask stage and the object stage are in a predetermined positional relationship.

An exposure method for exposing an object with a pattern formed on a mask while relatively moving the mask and the object, comprising:

• measuring a position of the mask, which has degrees of freedom of not less than three axes, while relatively moving the mask and the object during exposure of the object;
• measuring a position of the object, which has degrees of freedom of not less than three axes, while relatively moving the mask and the object during exposure of the object;
• and
• controlling the relative movement of the mask and the object during exposure of the object based on a vector-calculation with a vector quantity of the mask obtained from the measured position of the mask having degrees of freedom of not less than three axes and a vector quantity of the object obtained from the measured position of the object having degrees of freedom of not less than three axes, so that relative position and rotation between the mask and the object are optimized.