Exposure apparatus

Claim 2

An exposure apparatus, comprising: a light source for exposing a wafer through a mask; light blocking means being movable and effective to block light from said light source to limit an exposure zone; positional deviation detecting means for detecting positional deviation between the mask and the wafer; and drive control means for moving said light blocking means to execute position control therefor, on the basis of a detection signal from said positional deviation detecting means.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the wafer is divided into plural exposure zones and wherein the exposure of the wafer is executed in a step-and-­repeat manner in which the divided exposure zones are exposed in sequence.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said light blocking means comprises four light blocking members corresponding to four sides of each exposure zone of rectangular shape and wherein each light blocking member is movable reciprocatingly along a straight line.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said positional deviation detecting means comprises optically detecting means for optically detecting the relative position of the wafer and an alignment mark which is provided outside a circuit pattern forming area of the mask.

Claim 6

An exposure apparatus for exposing a mask and a wafer with X-rays to print a pattern of the mask on the wafer, said apparatus comprising: detecting means for detecting the relative position of the mask and the wafer, said detecting means supplying a light beam to alignment marks of the mask and the wafer for detection of the relative position therebetween; and aperture means for variably defining a zone for irradiation of the mask with the X-rays, said aperture means being disposed between the mask and said detecting means with respect to the direction of supply of the X-rays, and said aperture means having a plurality of blades and a plurality of independent blade driving means associated with the plurality of blades, respectively; wherein a clearance is defined between adjacent blades, in the direction of the supply of the X-rays; wherein each blade has a irradiation zone limiting side edge having an end face which is inclined so as not to be irradiated with the X-rays; and wherein each of the plurality of blade driving means is adapted to support associated one of said blades substantially at the middle thereof with respect to the zone limiting side of the blade.

Claim 7

An exposure apparatus for exposing a mask and a wafer with X-rays to print a pattern of the mask on the wafer, said apparatus comprising: detecting means for detecting the relative position of the mask and the wafer, said detecting means supplying a light beam to alignment marks of the mask and the wafer for detection of the relative position therebetween; and aperture means for variably defining a zone for irradiation of the mask with the X-rays, said aperture means being disposed between the mask and said detecting means with respect to the direction of supply of the X-rays, and said aperture means having a plurality of blades and a plurality of independent blade driving means associated with the plurality of blades, respectively; wherein a clearance is defined between adjacent blades, in the direction of the supply of the X-rays; wherein each blade has a irradiation zone limiting side edge having an end face which is inclined so as not to be irradiated with the X-rays; and wherein each of the plurality of blade driving means is adapted to support associated one of said blades substantially at the middle thereof with respect to the zone limiting side of the blade.