Apparatus for detecting a focussing position

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: position detecting means responsive to an output of said detecting means to move said stage means along the optical axis direction of said projection optical system; and first measuring means for measuring a position of said stage means relative to said projection optical system.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said stage means includes scanning means for moving a position of said transparent pattern relative to said first surface in a direction parallel to said reference surface, and second measuring means for measuring the position of said transparent pattern moved by said scanning means.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said projection object means includes a mask pattern containing pattern elements having a directivity within said first surface, and wherein said transparent pattern has a different directivity such that said transparent pattern is in an inclined relation with an image of said pattern elements within a composite image of said transparent pattern and said mask pattern.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said transparent pattern comprises a plurality of parallel line patterns.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said transparent pattern comprises a checkered pattern.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said illuminating means includes a plurality of first optical fiber strands for directing an illuminating light to said transparent pattern, wherein said means for receiving reflecting light includes a plurality of second optical fiber strands for directing said reflected light returning from said transparent pattern to a surface of said means for receiving reflected light, and wherein said first and second optical fiber strands are bundled to diverge randomly at a terminal end in said transparent pattern portion.

Claim 9

An exposure apparatus for projecting and exposing a pattern formed on a pattern surface of a mask on a surface of a substrate by a projection optical system, said apparatus comprising: first stage means for supporting said mask; second stage means for supporting said photosensitive substrate; first illuminating means for illuminating said mask with an exposure light; first measuring means for detecting a position of said substrate in the direction of an optical axis of said projection optical system; means responsive to a signal from said first measuring means to adjust a space between said projection optical system and said substrate and thereby to position said substrate at an image plane position of said projection optical system; reference surface means provided on said second stage means and adapted to be arranged on the basis of a position conjugate to said master pattern surface arranged on an object surface with respect to said projection optical system; a transparent pattern of a predetermined configuration formed on a surface of said reference surface means; second illuminating means for supplying an illuminating light through said transparent pattern so as to reach said mask pattern surface from said transparent pattern through said projection optical system; means for receiving a reflected light of said illuminating light from said mask pattern surface through said projection optical system and said transparent pattern; and detecting means for detecting a variation in the light quantity of said reflected light received by said for receiving a reflected light means.

Claim 10

An exposure apparatus for projecting and exposing a pattern formed on a pattern surface of a mask on a surface of a substrate by a projection optical system, said apparatus comprising: first stage means for supporting said mask; second stage means for supporting said photosensitive substrate; first illuminating means for illuminating said mask with an exposure light; first measuring means for detecting a position of said substrate in the direction of an optical axis of said projection optical system; means responsive to a signal from said first measuring means to adjust a space between said projection optical system and said substrate and thereby to position said substrate at an image plane position of said projection optical system; reference surface means provided on said second stage means and adapted to be arranged on the basis of a position conjugate to said master pattern surface arranged on an object surface with respect to said projection optical system; a transparent pattern of a predetermined configuration formed on a surface of said reference surface means; second illuminating means for supplying an illuminating light through said transparent pattern so as to reach said mask pattern surface from said transparent pattern through said projection optical system; means for receiving a reflected light of said illuminating light from said mask pattern surface through said projection optical system and said transparent pattern; and detecting means for detecting a variation in the light quantity of said reflected light received by said for receiving a reflected light means.

Claim 11

An exposure apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said second stage means includes scanning means for moving a position of said transparent pattern relative to said mask pattern surface in a direction parallel to said reference surface, and second measuring means for measuring the position of said transparent pattern moved by said scanning means.

Claim 12

An exposure apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said mask pattern means includes a mask pattern containing pattern elements having a directivity within said mask pattern surface, and wherein said transparent pattern has a different directivity such that said transparent pattern is in an oblique relation with an image of said pattern elements within a composite image of said transparent pattern and said mask pattern.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said second illuminating means includes a plurality of first optical fiber strands for directing an illuminating light to said transparent pattern, wherein said means for receiving a reflected light includes a plurality of second optical strands for directing said reflected light returning from said transparent pattern to a surface of said means for receiving a reflected light, and wherein said first and second optical fiber strands are fundled in a randomly divergent manner at a terminal end in said transparent pattern portion.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising an optical fiber cable for directing an illuminating light from said second illuminating means to said transparent pattern, wherein a terminal end of said optical fiber cable is arranged in a position conjugate to an exit pupil of said projection optical system in said transparent pattern portion, and wherein said terminal end is formed to be substantially equal to the size of a light source image of said projection optical system.