Exposure apparatus using excimer laser source

Claim 2

An exposure apparatus comprising: a projection optical system employing a light beam to project an image of an object on a first plane onto a second plane; laser means for outputting said light beam to said projection optical system; measuring means for detecting fluctuation of an optical characteristic of said projection optical system attributable to deviation of the wavelength of said light beam output from said laser means; and control means responsive to said measuring means for adjusting the wavelength of said light beam.

Claim 3

An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said laser means includes a wavelength selecting element for narrowing a wavelength bandwidth of said light beam output from said laser means.

Claim 4

An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said measuring means includes fiducial mark means provided on said first plane, means for detecting the position of an image of said fiducial mark means projected onto said second plane, and means for detecting the fluctuation of said optical characteristic from the detected position of said image of said fiducial mark means.

Claim 5

An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means determines an amount of deviation of the wavelength of said light beam from a standard wavelength on the basis of said detected fluctuation of the optical characteristic.

Claim 6

An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising stabilizing means operable to monitor the wavelength of a part of the output light beam and stabilize said wavelength to a predetermined condition, said stabilizing means becoming operative after the adjustment of said wavelength by said control means is completed.

Claim 7

An exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said stabilizing means includes spectral detecting means for detecting an interference fringe determined by the spectrum of said output light beam, means for determining the amount of deviation of the wavelength of said light beam on the basis of the position of the interference fringe detected by said spectral detecting means, and means for changing the wavelength of said light beam correspondingly to said determined amount of deviation.

Claim 8

An exposure apparatus comprising: a projection optical system employing a light beam to project an image of an object on a first plane onto a second plane; laser means for outputting said light beam to said projection optical system; measuring means for detecting fluctuation of an optical characteristic of said projection optical system attributable to deviation of the wavelength of said light beam output from said laser means; and rough adjusting means responsive to said measuring means to roughly adjust the wavelength of said light beam; fine adjusting means provided to finely adjust the wavelength of said light beam, discretely from said rough adjusting means; and control means for operating said fine adjusting means after the completion of the rough adjustment by said rough adjusting means.

Claim 9

An exposure apparatus comprising: a projection optical system employing a light beam to project an image of an object on a first plane onto a second plane; laser means for outputting said light beam to said projection optical system; measuring means for detecting fluctuation of an optical characteristic of said projection optical system attributable to deviation of the wavelength of said light beam output from said laser means; and rough adjusting means responsive to said measuring means to roughly adjust the wavelength of said light beam; fine adjusting means provided to finely adjust the wavelength of said light beam, discretely from said rough adjusting means; and control means for operating said fine adjusting means after the completion of the rough adjustment by said rough adjusting means.

Claim 12

An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said supplying means includes a laser source generating said laser beam and capable of selecting the wavelength of said laser beam, and said control means includes means for monitoring the wavelength of said laser beam from said laser source and for controlling said laser source to adjust the wavelength of said laser beam in response to said determining means and said monitoring means.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said laser source includes a wavelength selecting element constituted by a Fabry-Perot etalon, and wherein said monitoring means includes a Fabry-Perot etalon having a determined free spectral range.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said control means includes means for adjusting the angle of inclination of said Fabry-Perot etalon of said laser source.