X-ray exposure apparatus

A method of manufacturing devices, comprising steps of:

• placing a plurality of items of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, inclusive of an X-ray exposure apparatus, in a plant;
• and
• manufacturing a semiconductor device using the plurality of items of semiconductor manufacturing equipment,
• wherein the X-ray exposure apparatus irradiates a reticle with X-rays generated from an X-ray source and irradiates a substrate with X-rays that have passed through the reticle to thereby transfer a pattern on the reticle to the substrate, the apparatus having:
• (i) a plasma X-ray source for generating X-rays by producing plasma;
• and
• (ii) control means for controlling production of the plasma so that the plasma is produced at a plurality of positions in one irradiating operation of the substrate with X-rays, wherein the control means controls the X-ray intensity distribution in order to control the plurality of positions so that a required amount of defocusing, which is a size of a projection image corresponding to one point on the reticle formed by irradiating the reticle with X-rays generated at the plurality of positions, can be obtained.

A method of maintaining an X-ray exposure apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

• preparing a database, which stores information relating to maintenance of the X-ray exposure apparatus, on an external network outside a plant at which the X-ray exposure apparatus has been installed;
• connecting the X-ray exposure apparatus to a local-area network inside the plant;
• and
• maintaining the X-ray exposure apparatus, based upon information that has been stored in the database, utilizing the external network and the local-area network,
• wherein the X-ray exposure apparatus irradiates a reticle with X-rays generated from an X-ray source and irradiates a substrate with X-rays that have passed through the reticle to thereby transfer a pattern on the reticle to the substrate, the apparatus having:
• (i) a plasma X-ray source for generating X-rays by producing plasma;
• (ii) control means for controlling of production of the plasma so that the plasma is produced at a plurality of positions in one irradiating operation at the substrate with X-rays, wherein the control means controls the X-ray intensity distribution in order to control the plurality of positions so that a required amount of defocusing, which is a size of a projection image corresponding to one point on the reticle formed by irradiating the reticle with X-rays generated at the plurality of positions, can be obtained.

A semiconductor manufacturing plant, comprising:

• a plurality of items of semiconductor manufacturing equipment inclusive of an X-ray exposure apparatus;
• a local-area network for interconnecting said plurality of items of manufacturing equipment;
• and
• a gateway for connecting said local-area network and an external network outside said semiconductor manufacturing plant,
• wherein said X-ray exposure apparatus irradiates a reticle with X-rays generated from an X-ray source and irradiates a substrate with X-rays that have passed through the reticle to thereby transfer a pattern on the reticle to the substrate, said apparatus having:
• (i) a plasma X-ray source for generating X-rays by producing plasma;
• and
• (ii) control means for controlling production of the plasma so that the plasma is produced at a plurality of positions in one irradiating operation of the substrate with X-rays, wherein said control means controls the X-ray intensity distribution in order to control the plurality of positions so that a required amount of defocusing, which is a size of a projection image corresponding to one point on the reticle formed by irradiating the reticle with X-rays generated at the plurality of positions, can be obtained.