Evaluation method, adjustment method, exposure apparatus, and memory medium

An exposure apparatus comprising:

• an illumination optical system configured to illuminate an original;
• a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of the original;
• and
• a control unit configured to adjust the projection optical system based on an aberration of said projection optical system,
• wherein said control unit executes a process including:
• setting an effective light source distribution and a polarization state in a pupil of said illumination optical system, the effective light source distribution including a plurality of poles each having a light intensity higher than a predetermined value,
• dividing the pupil of the illumination optical system into a plurality of first partial regions in accordance with an arrangement of the plurality of poles in the effective light source distribution, and dividing a pupil of the projection optical system into a plurality of second partial regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of first partial regions of the pupil of the illumination optical system,
• assuming polarization states for the plurality of second partial regions of the pupil of the projection optical system so that one polarization state that is determined based on a polarization state in the pole of a first partial region of the plurality of first partial regions is assumed for a whole of a corresponding second partial region of the plurality of second partial regions,
• determining a polarization state of light which emerges from the projection optical system, under a condition in which the plurality of second partial regions have the assumed polarization states, based on characteristics of a polarization change of the projection optical system that represents a relationship between a polarization state of light which enters the projection optical system and light that emerges from the projection optical system, and calculating the aberration of the projection optical system based on the determined polarization state, and
• adjusting the projection optical system based on the calculated aberration.

A non-transitory memory medium storing a computer program for making a computer execute a process for evaluating aberration of a projection optical system for an exposure apparatus which illuminates an original by an illumination optical system and projects a pattern of the original onto a substrate by the projection optical system, the process comprising:

• setting an effective light source distribution and a polarization state in a pupil of said illumination optical system, the effective light source distribution including a plurality of poles each having a light intensity higher than a predetermined value;
• dividing the pupil of the illumination optical system into a plurality of first partial regions in accordance with an arrangement of the plurality of poles in the effective light source distribution, and dividing a pupil of the projection optical system into a plurality of second partial regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of first partial regions of the pupil of the illumination optical system;
• assuming polarization states for the plurality of second partial regions of the pupil of the projection optical system so that one polarization state that is determined based on a polarization state in the pole of a first partial region of the plurality of first partial regions is assumed for a whole of a corresponding second partial region of the plurality of second partial regions;
• and
• determining a polarization state of light which emerges from the projection optical system, under a condition in which the plurality of second partial regions have the assumed polarization states, based on characteristics of a polarization change of the projection optical system that represents a relationship between a polarization state of light which enters the projection optical system and light that emerges from the projection optical system, and calculating the aberration of the projection optical system based on the determined polarization state.