Inclination detecting apparatus and method

Claim 2

An inclination detecting apparatus for detecting an inclination of an object relative to a plane which a predetermined reference axis crosses, comprising: an illumination optical system having a first optical axis obliquely set to said reference axis, said illumination optical system supplying a collimated beam onto a front surface of the object along a direction oblique to said reference axis; a condenser optical system having a second optical axis arranged symmetric with said first optical axis of said illumination optical system with respect to said reference axis, said condenser optical system having a condensing member for condensing the collimated beam supplied from said illumination optical system and then reflected by the front surface of the object, and a light receiving member for receiving the beam condensed by said condensing member and generating a position signal corresponding to a light receiving position; inclination detecting system for detecting an inclination of the front surface of the object, base on the position signal generated from said light receiving member; first light limiting member having a light-transmitting portion and a light shield portion, said first light limiting member being disposed on the first optical axis of said illumination optical system such that a conjugate image thereof is formed on the front surface of the object arranged substantially perpendicular to said reference axis, and second light transmitting member having a light-transmitting portion and a light shield portion, said second light transmitting member being disposed on the second optical axis of said, condenser optical system such that a conjugate image thereof is formed on the front surface of the object arranged substantially perpendicular to said reference axis and that the conjugate image of said second light limiting member is substantially coincident with the conjugate image of said first light limiting member.

Claim 3

An inclination detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first light limiting member and said second light limiting member are located at respective positions based on the Scheimpflug principle with respect to the front surface of the object arranged substantially perpendicular to said reference axis.

Claim 4

An inclination detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object is transparent, and the light-transmitting portion and the light shield portion of said first light limiting member and the light-transmitting portion and the light shield portion of said second light limiting member are arranged such that said light shield portion of the second light limiting member can cut off light reflected by the back surface of the object arranged substantially perpendicular to said reference axis.

Claim 5

An inclination detecting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said first and second light limiting members are first and second slit plates, respectively, in which a plurality of slits are arranged as the light-transmitting portion in parallel with each other and at a predetermined pitch, said slit plates each being arranged such that a longitudinal axis of said slits in each slit plate crosses an incident plane including said first optical axis of said illumination optical system and said second optical axis of said condenser optical system.

Claim 6

An inclination detecting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein an opening rate, which is a ratio of a width of each slit to the pitch of the slits in each of the first and second slit plates, is in the range of from 10% to 50%.

Claim 7

An inclination detecting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said first and second slit plates each are rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the incident plane including said first optical axis of said illumination optical system and said second optical axis of said condenser optical system.

Claim 8

An inclination detecting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said first and second slit plates each are swingable about a rotation axis extending normal to the incident plane including said first optical axis of said illumination optical system and said second optical axis of said condenser optical system.

Claim 9

An inclination detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said first and second light limiting means is a plate of a checkered pattern in which light-transmitting portions and light shield portions are alternately arranged along a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to each other; wherein each of said plates is formed such that a pitch and a width of the light-transmitting portions in the first direction are different from those in the second direction; and wherein each of said plates is arranged as changeable in position such that said first direction or second direction becomes parallel to an axis normal to the incident plane including said first optical axis of said illumination optical system and said second optical axis of said condenser optical system.

Claim 10

An inclination detecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: first exchange system for exchanging the first light limiting member set on the first optical axis of said illumination optical system for a third light limiting member different in arrangement of the light-transmitting portion and the light shield portion therefrom; and second exchange member for exchanging the second light limiting member set on the second optical axis of said condenser optical system for a fourth light limiting member different in arrangment of the light-transmitting portion and the light shield portion therefrom, wherein said third and fourth light limiting member are so arranged as to remove undesirable reflected light from a object having characteristics different from those of the object to which said first and second light limiting member are applied.

Claim 11

An inclination detecting apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising means for selecting either said first and second light limiting member or said third and fourth light limiting member for an object, based on a change in signal output from said light receiving member upon change between the arrangement in which said first and second light limiting members are set on the first and second optical axes, respectively, and the arrangement in which said third and fourth light limiting members are set on the first and second optical axes, respectively.

Claim 12

An inclination detecting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said first exchange system is a first selection plate having the first light limiting member and the third light limiting member, said first selection plate being capable of selectively setting either one of said first and third light limiting members on the first optical axis of said illumination optical system; and wherein said second exchange system is a second selection plate having the second light limiting system and the fourth light limiting member, said second selection plate being capable of selectively setting either one of said second and fourth light limiting members on the second optical axis of said condenser optical system.

Claim 13

An inclination detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said first and second light limiting members is a display which can change the lighttransmitting portion and the light shield portion depending upon a voltage applied thereto and wherein said inclination detecting apparatus further comprises means a control system for controlling the voltage applied to said display.

Claim 14

An inclination detecting apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a system for determining the arrangement of the light-transmitting portion and the light shield portion for an object, based on a change in signal output from the light receiving member, said change in signal occurring upon a change of arrangement of the light-transmitting portion and the light shield portion.

Claim 15

An inclination detecting apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said display is a liquid crystal panel.

Claim 16

An inclination detecting apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said display is an electrochromic display.

Claim 17

An inclination detecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a support system for supporting the object, said support system being arranged to adjust a position of the object in a direction parallel to said reference axis, a position of the object in two directions normal to said reference axis and perpendicular to each other, and an inclination of the object relative to said plane which said reference axis crosses; and a control system for controlling said support system such that the front surface of the object supported by said support system becomes perpendicular to said reference axis, based on a result of detection by said inclination detecting system.

Claim 18

A projection type exposure apparatus comprising: a projection optical system for projecting a pattern formed on a mask, onto a photosensitive substrate; a support system for supporting the substrate, said support system being arranged to adjust a position of the substrate in a direction parallel to a first optical axis of said projection optical system, a position of the substrate in two directions normal to said first optical axis and perpendicular to each other, and an inclination of the substrate relative to a plane which said first optical axis crosses; an inclination detecting system for detecting an inclination of a front surface of the substrate supported by said support system; and a control system for controlling said support system such that the front surface of the substrate supported by said support system becomes substantially parallel to a focus plane of said projection optical system, based on a result of detection by said inclination detecting system; wherein said inclination detecting system includes: an illumination optical system having a second optical axis obliquely arranged to said first optical axis, said illumination optical system supplying a collimated beam onto the front surface of the substrate in a direction oblique to said first optical axis; a condenser optical system having a third optical axis arranged symmetric with said second optical axis of said illumination optical system with respect to said first optical axis, said condenser optical system having a condensing member for condensing the collimated beam supplied from said illumination optical system and then reflected by the front surface of the substrate, and a light receiving member for receiving the beam condensed by said condensing member and generating a position signal corresponding to a light receiving position; a system for detecting an inclination of the front surface of the substrate, based on the position signal generated from said light receiving member; a first light limiting member having a light-transmitting portion and a light shield portion, said first light limiting member being set on the second optical axis of said illumination optical system such that a conjugate image thereof is formed on the front surface of the substrate placed substantially perpendicular to said first optical axis; and a second light limiting member having a light-transmitting portion and a light shield portion, said second light limiting member being set on the third optical axis of said condenser optical system such that a conjugate image thereof is formed on the front surface of the substrate placed substantially perpendicular to said first optical axis and that the conjugate image of said second light limiting member is substantially coincident with the conjugate image of said first light limiting member.

Claim 19

A projection type exposure apparatus comprising: a projection optical system for projecting a pattern formed on a mask, onto a photosensitive substrate; a support system for supporting the substrate, said support system being arranged to adjust a position of the substrate in a direction parallel to a first optical axis of said projection optical system, a position of the substrate in two directions normal to said first optical axis and perpendicular to each other, and an inclination of the substrate relative to a plane which said first optical axis crosses; an inclination detecting system for detecting an inclination of a front surface of the substrate supported by said support system; and a control system for controlling said support system such that the front surface of the substrate supported by said support system becomes substantially parallel to a focus plane of said projection optical system, based on a result of detection by said inclination detecting system; wherein said inclination detecting system includes: an illumination optical system having a second optical axis obliquely arranged to said first optical axis, said illumination optical system supplying a collimated beam onto the front surface of the substrate in a direction oblique to said first optical axis; a condenser optical system having a third optical axis arranged symmetric with said second optical axis of said illumination optical system with respect to said first optical axis, said condenser optical system having a condensing member for condensing the collimated beam supplied from said illumination optical system and then reflected by the front surface of the substrate, and a light receiving member for receiving the beam condensed by said condensing member and generating a position signal corresponding to a light receiving position; a system for detecting an inclination of the front surface of the substrate, based on the position signal generated from said light receiving member; a first light limiting member having a light-transmitting portion and a light shield portion, said first light limiting member being set on the second optical axis of said illumination optical system such that a conjugate image thereof is formed on the front surface of the substrate placed substantially perpendicular to said first optical axis; and a second light limiting member having a light-transmitting portion and a light shield portion, said second light limiting member being set on the third optical axis of said condenser optical system such that a conjugate image thereof is formed on the front surface of the substrate placed substantially perpendicular to said first optical axis and that the conjugate image of said second light limiting member is substantially coincident with the conjugate image of said first light limiting member.

Claim 20

A projection exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the substrate is transparent, and said light-transmitting portion and light shield portion of said first light limiting member and said light-transmitting portion and light shield portion of said second light limiting member are arranged such that said light shield portion of said second light limiting member can cut off light reflected by the back surface of the substrate placed substantially perpendicular to said first optical axis.

Claim 21

A projection type exposure apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the substrate is a transparent wafer.

Claim 22

An inclination detecting method for detecting an inclination of a front surface of a transparent object comprising the steps of: providing an inclination detecting apparatus for detecting an inclination of a transparent object relative to a plane which a predetermined reference axis crosses, said inclination detecting apparatus comprising a first light limiting means having a light-transmitting portion and a light shield portion, said first light limiting means having a conjugate image formed on said front surface of said object; and a second light limiting means having a light-transmitting portion and a light shield portion, said second light limiting means having a conjugate image formed on said front surface of said object, said conjugate image of said second light limiting means being substantially coincident with said first light limiting means, wherein said light-transmitting portion and light shield portion of said first light limiting means and said light-transmitting portion and light shield portion of said second light limiting means are arranged such that said light shield portion of said second light limiting means can cut off light reflected by a back surface of said object arranged substantially perpendicular to said reference axis; providing an optical position detecting apparatus for detecting a position of said front surface of said object in a direction parallel to said reference axis; detecting a position of said front surface of said object in said direction, using said position detecting apparatus; moving said front surface of said object to a reference position in a first direction for measuring an inclination of said front surface of said object of said inclination detecting apparatus, based on a result of detection by said position detecting apparatus; and detecting an inclination of said front surface of said object, using said inclination detecting apparatus, in the state in which said front surface of said object is set at said reference position.

Claim 23

An inclination detecting method for detecting an inclination of a front surface of a transparent object comprising the steps of: providing an inclination detecting apparatus for detecting an inclination of a transparent object relative to a plane which a predetermined reference axis crosses, said inclination detecting apparatus comprising a first light limiting means having a light-transmitting portion and a light shield portion, said first light limiting means having a conjugate image formed on said front surface of said object; and a second light limiting means having a light-transmitting portion and a light shield portion, said second light limiting means having a conjugate image formed on said front surface of said object, said conjugate image of said second light limiting means being substantially coincident with said first light limiting means, wherein said light-transmitting portion and light shield portion of said first light limiting means and said light-transmitting portion and light shield portion of said second light limiting means are arranged such that said light shield portion of said second light limiting means can cut off light reflected by a back surface of said object arranged substantially perpendicular to said reference axis; providing an optical position detecting apparatus for detecting a position of said front surface of said object in a direction parallel to said reference axis; detecting a position of said front surface of said object in said direction, using said position detecting apparatus; moving said front surface of said object to a reference position in a first direction for measuring an inclination of said front surface of said object of said inclination detecting apparatus, based on a result of detection by said position detecting apparatus; and detecting an inclination of said front surface of said object, using said inclination detecting apparatus, in the state in which said front surface of said object is set at said reference position.

Claim 24

An inclination detecting method according to claim 20, wherein after said front surface of the object is substantially taken away from said reference position, the object is made gradually approaching said reference position.

Claim 27

An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said illumination system includes a light limiting member having a plurality of slits and disposed on a plane which is substantially conjugate with said substrate, and illumination system being adapted to form an image of said slits onto said substrate.

Claim 28

An apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising a system for changing a width of each dark portion of the image of said pattern on said substrate along an arrangement direction of the dark portions and changing a width of each light shield portion of laid light limiting member along an arrangement direction of the light shield portions.

Claim 29

An apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising an exposure system including a projection optical system for projecting a pattern formed on a mask, onto said substrate.

Claim 32

A method according to claim 26, further comprising: a step of slanting said substrate, based on the detected inclination, so that said substrate is substantially parallel to said image surface, and a step of exposing said substrate with an image of said first pattern by said projection optical system.