Exposure apparatus and microdevice manufacturing method using the same

Claim 2

An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with pulses of light supplied sequentially, said apparatus comprising: means for detecting the light quantity of a pulse; and means for controlling the timing of emission of a pulse to be emitted, on the basis of the light quantity provided by at least one pulse preceding the pulse to be emitted.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controlling means controls the timing of emission on the basis of information related to the light quantity provided by the preceding pulse, just preceding the pulse to be emitted.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controlling means controls the timing of emission on the basis of the light quantity provided by a plurality of pulses preceding the pulse to be emitted.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controlling means retards the timing of emission when the light quantity of a pulse preceding the pulse to be emitted is larger than a predetermined light quantity, and advances the timing of emission when the light quantity of a pulse preceding the pulse to be emitted is not larger than the predetermined light quantity.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an excimer laser for supplying the light pulses.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising scanning means for scanning a mask and the substrate with pulses of light.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said controlling means retards the timing of emission when the light quantity of a pulse preceding the pulse to be emitted is larger than a predetermined light quantity, and advances the timing of emission when the light quantity of a pulse preceding the pulse to be emitted is not larger than the predetermined light quantity.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said controlling means controls the timing of emission on the basis of information related to the light quantity provided by the preceding pulse, just preceding the pulse to be emitted.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said controlling means controls the the timing of emission on the basis of the light quantity provided by a plurality of pulses preceding the pulse to be emitted.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising an excimer laser for supplying the pulses of light.

Claim 12

An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each pulse has a sectional intensity distribution in a scanning direction, and wherein the intensity changes slowly in a marginal portion of the intensity distribution.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising light blocking means, including a plurality of light blocking plates, for restricting an illumination region to be irradiated with a pulse, and wherein at least one of said light blocking plates is movable in the direction of an optical axis of a pulse.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the sectional intensity distribution has an approximately trapezoidal shape, and wherein the length in the scanning direction of a region, corresponding to the bottom of the trapezoidal shape, is substantially equal to the product of multiplying a movement distance of the substrate per one pulse by a natural number.

Claim 17

A method according to claim 14, wherein, in said controlling step, the timing of emission is retarded when the detected light quantity of the at least one pulse is larger than a predetermined light quantity, and wherein the timing of emission is advanced when the detected light quantity of the at least one pulse is not larger than the predetermined light quantity.

Claim 18

A method according to claim 15, wherein, in said controlling step, the timing of emission of a pulse to be emitted is controlled on the basis of the light quantity of the preceding pulse.

Claim 19

A method according to claim 15, wherein, in said controlling step, the timing of emission of a pulse to be emitted is controlled on the basis of the light quantity of plural pulses preceding the pulse to be emitted.

Claim 20

A method according to claim 14, further comprising scanning the workpiece and a mask with pulses of light to expose the workpiece to the mask.

Claim 21

A method according to claim 18, wherein, in said controlling step, the timing of emission is retarded when the detected light quantity of the at least one pulse is larger than a predetermined light quantity, and the timing of emission is advanced when the detected light quantity of the at least one pulse is not larger than the predetermined light quantity.

Claim 22

A method according to claim 19, wherein, in said controlling step, the timing of emission of a pulse to be emitted is controlled on the basis of the light quantity of the preceding pulse.

Claim 23

A method according to claim 19, wherein, in said controlling step, the timing of emission of a pulse to be emitted is controlled on the basis of the light quantity of plural pulses preceding the pulse to be emitted.

Claim 24

A method according to claim 18, wherein each pulse has a sectional intensity distribution in a scanning direction, and wherein the intensity changes slowly in a marginal portion of the intensity distribution.

Claim 25

A method according to claim 22, wherein the sectional intensity distribution has an approximately trapezoidal shape, and wherein the length in the scanning direction of a region, corresponding to the bottom of the trapezoidal shape, is substantially equal to the product of multiplying a movement distance of the substrate per one pulse by a natural number.

Claim 26

A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with light pulses emitted sequentially, said apparatus comprising: scanning means for scanningly moving the substrate relative to light pulses; detecting means for detecting the light quantity of light pulses; and control means, operable on the basis of (i) the light quantity of at least one emitted light pulse, being emitted before emission of a subsequent light pulse, (ii) a reference light quantity preset for each light pulse and (iii) a reference period preset for each light pulse, for determining the period for the subsequent light pulse, and for controlling the timing of emission of the subsequent pulse light in accordance with the determination.

Claim 27

A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with light pulses emitted sequentially, said apparatus comprising: scanning means for scanningly moving the substrate relative to light pulses; detecting means for detecting the light quantity of light pulses; and control means, operable on the basis of (i) the light quantity of at least one emitted light pulse, being emitted before emission of a subsequent light pulse, (ii) a reference light quantity preset for each light pulse and (iii) a reference period preset for each light pulse, for determining the period for the subsequent light pulse, and for controlling the timing of emission of the subsequent pulse light in accordance with the determination.

Claim 28

An apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising an excimer laser for providing the light pulses.

Claim 29

An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said control means retards the timing of emission of the subsequent light pulse when the light quantity of the at least one light pulse is larger than a preset light quantity, and advances the timing of emission of the subsequent light pulse when the light quantity of the at least one light pulse is not larger than the preset light quantity.

Claim 30

An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein each light pulse has a sectional intensity distribution of approximately trapezoidal shape, and wherein the length in a scanning direction of a region, corresponding to the bottom of the trapezoidal shape, is substantially equal to the product of multiplying a movement distance of the substrate per one light pulse by a natural number.

Claim 31

A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with light pulses emitted sequentially, said apparatus comprising: scanning means for scanningly moving the substrate relative to light pulses; detecting means for detecting the light quantity of light pulses; and control means, operable on the basis of (i) the light quantity of at least one emitted light pulse, being emitted before emission of a subsequent light pulse, (ii) a reference light quantity being preset for each light pulse and (iii) a reference position of the substrate being preset in relation to each pulse to be emitted, for determining the position of the substrate to be taken in relation to the subsequent light pulse, and for controlling the timing of emission of the subsequent pulse light in accordance with the determination.

Claim 32

A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with light pulses emitted sequentially, said apparatus comprising: scanning means for scanningly moving the substrate relative to light pulses; detecting means for detecting the light quantity of light pulses; and control means, operable on the basis of (i) the light quantity of at least one emitted light pulse, being emitted before emission of a subsequent light pulse, (ii) a reference light quantity being preset for each light pulse and (iii) a reference position of the substrate being preset in relation to each pulse to be emitted, for determining the position of the substrate to be taken in relation to the subsequent light pulse, and for controlling the timing of emission of the subsequent pulse light in accordance with the determination.

Claim 33

An apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising an excimer laser for providing the light pulses.

Claim 34

An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said control means retards the timing of emission of the subsequent light pulse when the light quantity of the at least one light pulse is larger than a preset light quantity, and advances the timing of emission of the subsequent light pulse when the light quantity of the at least one light pulse is not larger than the preset light quantity.

Claim 35

An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein each light pulse has a sectional intensity distribution of approximately trapezoidal shape, and wherein the length in a scanning direction of a region, corresponding to the bottom of the trapezoidal shape, is substantially equal to the product of multiplying a movement distance of the substrate per one light pulse by a natural number.

Claim 36

A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with light pulses emitted sequentially, said apparatus comprising: scanning means for scanningly moving the substrate relative to light pulses; and light pulse supplying means for supplying light pulses each having a sectional intensity distribution, in a scanning direction, of approximately trapezoidal shape, and wherein the length in the scanning direction of a region, corresponding to the bottom of the trapezoidal shape, is substantially equal to the product of multiplying a movement distance of the substrate per one light pulse by a natural number.

Claim 37

A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with light pulses emitted sequentially, said apparatus comprising: scanning means for scanningly moving the substrate relative to light pulses; and light pulse supplying means for supplying light pulses each having a sectional intensity distribution, in a scanning direction, of approximately trapezoidal shape, and wherein the length in the scanning direction of a region, corresponding to the bottom of the trapezoidal shape, is substantially equal to the product of multiplying a movement distance of the substrate per one light pulse by a natural number.

Claim 38

An apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said light pulse supplying means comprises an excimer laser for providing light pulses.