Exposure apparatus

Claim 2

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

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 optical 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 an 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 an 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 an 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 an associated one of said blades substantially at the middle thereof with respect to the zone limiting side of the blade.

Claim 8

In a semiconductor device manufacturing exposure method for exposing a wafer to a mask with X-rays to print a pattern of the mask on the wafer, the improvement comprising the steps of: projecting, from a mark detecting means, a light beam to an alignment mark provided for mask-to-wafer alignment; moving a movable blade of an aperture means to variably define a range for X-ray irradiation of the mask, wherein the movable blade is disposed between the mark detecting means and the mask with respect to a direction of projection of the X-rays; detecting the position of the blade by using the light beam; controlling the movement of the blade on the basis of the detection; and projecting X-rays to the mask through the aperture means.

Claim 9

In a semiconductor device manufacturing exposure method for exposing a wafer to a mask with X-rays to print a pattern of the mask on the wafer, the improvement comprising the steps of: projecting, from a mark detecting means, a light beam to an alignment mark provided for mask-to-wafer alignment; moving a movable blade of an aperture means to variably define a range for X-ray irradiation of the mask, wherein the movable blade is disposed between the mark detecting means and the mask with respect to a direction of projection of the X-rays; detecting the position of the blade by using the light beam; controlling the movement of the blade on the basis of the detection; and projecting X-rays to the mask through the aperture means.

Claim 10

A method according to claim 6, wherein the movable blade blocks the X-rays but transmits the light beam.