Scanning type exposure apparatus with multiple field diaphragms for providing consistent exposure

A scanning type exposure apparatus comprising:

• an illumination optical system for illuminating a mask;
• a scanning system for synchronously scanning the mask and a photosensitive substrate with respect to an illumination area on the mask;
• a first field diaphragm for setting a width of the illumination area in a scanning direction;
• and
• a second diaphragm comprising first and second shielding plates for restricting the shapes of both ends of the illumination area in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction respectively, wherein at least one of the first and second shielding plates is movable along an optical axis of the illumination optical system with respect to a pattern plane on the mask or a plane conjugate to the pattern plane.

A scanning type exposure apparatus which transfers a pattern formed on a mask onto a substrate by synchronously moving the mask and the substrate comprising:

• an illumination optical system which is disposed between a light source and the mask to illuminate the mask;
• a field diaphragm which is disposed within the illumination optical system to define at least one end of an illumination area on the mask in a direction perpendicular to the synchronously moving direction;
• and
• a driving device which is connected with the field diaphragm to adjust a distribution of cumulative light amount of illumination light by varying a shape of the at least one end of the illumination area on the mask in the direction perpendicular to the synchronously moving direction;
• wherein the field diaphragm includes a component that defines the illumination area in the direction perpendicular to the synchronously moving direction, and the shape of the at least one end of the illumination area is varied by movement of the component.

A scanning exposure method for exposing a substrate with an illumination light that passes through a mask while moving the mask and the substrate relative to the illumination light in a scanning direction, comprising the steps of:

• exposing a first area on the substrate with the illumination light having an illumination distribution of the illumination light on the substrate, at least one end of the illumination distribution in a non-scanning direction being sloped;
• changing the slope of the illumination distribution of the illumination light at the at least one end of the illumination distribution in the non-scanning direction;
• and
• exposing a second area on the substrate, which is partially superimposed with the first area in the non-scanning direction, with the illumination light having the changed illumination distribution of the illumination light.