Surface position detecting apparatus, exposure apparatus, surface position detecting method, and device manufacturing method

A surface position detecting apparatus comprising:

• a light-sending optical system which makes first light from a first pattern and second light from a second pattern incident to a predetermined surface to project an intermediate image of the first pattern and an intermediate image of the second pattern onto the predetermined surface;
• a light-receiving optical system which guides the first light and the second light reflected on the predetermined surface, to a first observation surface and to a second observation surface, respectively, to form an observation image of the first pattern on the first observation surface and an observation image of the second pattern on the second observation surface;
• and
• a detecting section which detects a position information piece of the observation image of the first pattern on the first observation surface and a position information piece of the observation image of the second pattern on the second observation surface and which calculates a surface position of the predetermined surface, based on the position information pieces,
• wherein the light-receiving optical system forms one observation image out of the observation image of the first pattern and the observation image of the second pattern, as an inverted image in a corresponding direction made optically corresponding to a predetermined direction by the light-receiving optical system, relative to the other observation image.

A surface position detecting apparatus comprising:

• a first detecting system which makes first light from a first pattern incident to a predetermined surface to project an intermediate image of the first pattern onto the predetermined surface, which leads the first light reflected on the predetermined surface to a first observation surface to form an observation image of the first pattern on the first observation surface, and which detects position information of the observation image of the first pattern on the first observation surface;
• a second detecting system which makes second light from a second pattern incident to the predetermined surface to project an intermediate image of the second pattern onto the predetermined surface, which leads the second light reflected on the predetermined surface to a second observation surface to form an observation image of the second pattern on the second observation surface, and which detects position information of the observation image of the second pattern on the second observation surface;
• and
• a processing section which calculates a surface position of the predetermined surface, based on the position information of the observation image of the first pattern and the position information of the observation image of the second pattern,
• wherein the first and second detecting systems include at least one common optical member, and
• wherein one intermediate image out of the intermediate image of the first pattern and the intermediate image of the second pattern is projected as an inverted image in a predetermined direction relative to the other intermediate image.

A surface position detecting method for detecting a surface position of a predetermined surface, comprising:

• making first light from a first pattern and second light from a second pattern incident to the predetermined surface to project an intermediate image of the first pattern and an intermediate image of the second pattern onto the predetermined surface;
• guiding the first light and the second light reflected on the predetermined surface, to a first observation surface and to a second observation surface, respectively, to form an observation image of the first pattern on the first observation surface and an observation image of the second pattern on the second observation surface;
• detecting a position information piece of the observation image of the first pattern on the first observation surface and a position information piece of the observation image of the second pattern on the second observation surface, and calculating a surface position of the predetermined surface, based on the position information pieces;
• and
• projecting one intermediate image out of the intermediate image of the first pattern and the intermediate image of the second pattern, as an inverted image in a predetermined direction relative to the other intermediate image.

A surface position detecting method for detecting a surface position of a predetermined surface, comprising:

• making first light from a first pattern incident to a predetermined surface to project an intermediate image of the first pattern onto the predetermined surface, leading the first light reflected on the predetermined surface to a first observation surface to form an observation image of the first pattern on the first observation surface, and detecting position information of the observation image of the first pattern on the first observation surface;
• making second light from a second pattern incident to the predetermined surface to project an intermediate image of the second pattern onto the predetermined surface, leading the second light reflected on the predetermined surface to a second observation surface to form an observation image of the second pattern on the second observation surface, and detecting position information of the observation image of the second pattern on the second observation surface;
• and
• calculating a surface position of the predetermined surface, based on the position information of the observation image of the first pattern and the position information of the observation image of the second pattern,
• wherein the first and second light travel through at least one common optical member provided mutually in common, and
• wherein one intermediate image out of the intermediate image of the first pattern and the intermediate image of the second pattern is projected as an inverted image in a predetermined direction relative to the other intermediate image.