Exposure apparatus includes illumination optical system and projection optical system for forming projected image with light from the illumination optical system. The illumination optical system forms, on pupil plane of the illumination optical system, light emission region including first and second regions. The projected image is composited from images including first image formed by first light from the first region and second image formed by second light from the second region. The first light and/or the second light is broadband light. Increase/decrease change in line width in the second image caused by defocus has different sign with respect to increase/decrease change in line width in the first image caused by defocus, and increase/decrease change in line width in image obtained by compositing the first image and the second image, which is caused by defocus, is decreased.

An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate to light by using an original in which a pattern is formed includes an illumination optical system arranged to guide illumination light to the original, the illumination light including first illumination light with a first wavelength and second illumination light with a second wavelength different from the first wavelength, and a projection optical system arranged to form a pattern image of the original by using the illumination light at a plurality of positions in an optical axis direction. The illumination optical system is configured to adjust a position deviation in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction between a pattern image formed by the first illumination light and a pattern image formed by the second illumination light by changing an incident angle of the illumination light entering the original.

Disclosed is a method of metrology such as alignment metrology. The method comprises obtaining pupil plane measurement dataset at a pupil plane relating to scattered radiation resultant from a measurement of a structure. The method comprises determining a measurement value or correction therefor using the pupil plane measurement dataset and a sensor term relating to sensor optics used to perform said measurement.

The inventive concept provides an edge exposure apparatus for performing an edge exposing process by irradiating a light at an edge region of a substrate. The edge exposure apparatus includes a support unit configured to support the substrate; a light irradiation unit having a light source for irradiating the light on the substrate; and a control unit configured to control an output of the light source, and wherein the control unit comprises: a measurement unit configured to measure illuminance values according to the outputs of the light source; and an output control unit configured to set a reference illuminance value among the measured illuminance values by the measurement unit and to control the output of the light source based on the set reference illuminance value.

A system (500) includes an illumination system (502), a lens element (506), and a detector (504). The illumination system generates a beam of radiation (510) having a first spatial intensity distribution (800) at a pupil plane (528) and a second spatial intensity distribution (900) at a plane of a target (514). The first spatial intensity distribution comprises an annular intensity profile (802) or an intensity profile corresponding to three or more beams. The lens element focuses the beam onto the target. The second spatial intensity distribution is a conjugate of the first intensity distribution and has an intensity profile corresponding to a central beam (902) and one or more side lobes (904) that are substantially isolated from the central beam. The central beam has a beam diameter of approximately 20 microns or less at the target. The detector receives radiation scattered by the target and generates a measurement signal based on the received radiation.

An illumination apparatus configured to provide illumination while changing a spectrum of light from a light source includes a wavelength variable unit configured to change a spectrum of irradiating light, and an optical system configured to irradiate the wavelength variable unit with the light from the light source. The wavelength variable unit is disposed so that an incident surface of the wavelength variable unit on which the light emitted from the optical system is incident is tilted with respect to a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the optical system.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method of patterning a photoresist is provided. The method includes selectively illuminating an edge portion of a photoresist using an illumination system to form a patterned portion of the photoresist.

There is provided a reflective image-forming optical system which is applicable to an exposure apparatus using, for example, EUV light and which is capable of increasing numerical aperture while enabling optical path separation of light fluxes. In a reflective imaging optical system (6) forming an image of a first plane (4) onto a second plane (7), the numerical aperture on a side of the second plane with respect to a first direction (X direction) on the second plane is greater than 1.1 times a numerical aperture on the side of the second plane with respect to a second direction (Y direction) crossing the first direction on the second plane. The reflecting imaging optical system has an aperture stop (AS) defining the numerical aperture on the side of the second plane, and the aperture stop has an elliptic-shaped opening of which size in a major axis direction (X direction) is greater than 1.1 times that in a minor axis direction (Y direction).

An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, and a polarization member made of optical material with optical rotatory power, which is arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, and which changes a polarization state of the illumination light. The illumination light from the polarization member is irradiated onto the pattern through a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus.

A faceted reflector (32, 32″) for receiving an incident radiation beam (2) and directing a reflected radiation beam at a target. The faceted reflector comprises a plurality of facets, each of the plurality of facets comprising a reflective surface. The reflective surfaces of each of a first subset of the plurality of facets define respective parts of a first continuous surface and are arranged to reflect respective first portions of the incident radiation beam in a first direction to provide a first portion of the reflected radiation beam. The reflective surfaces of each of a second subset of the plurality of facets define respective parts of a second continuous surface and are arranged to reflect respective second portions of the incident radiation beam in a second direction to provide a second portion of the reflected radiation beam.