Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A proximity X-ray exposure apparatus for irradiating a reticle with X-rays generated from an X-ray source and irradiating a substrate with X-rays that have passed through the reticle, said apparatus comprising: a plasma X-ray source for generating X-rays by producing plasma; and  control means for controlling X-ray intensity distribution by controlling production of the plasma so that the plasma is produced at a plurality of positions in one irradiating operation of the substrate with the X-rays, wherein said control means controls the X-ray intensity distribution in order to control the plurality of positions so that a required amount of defocusing, which is a size of a projection image corresponding to one point on the reticle formed by irradiating the reticle with X-rays generated at the plurality of positions, can be obtained. 2. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: claim 1 a target for functioning as the X-ray source by generating X-rays in response to being irradiated with laser light,  wherein said control means controls operation for irradiating with laser light a plurality of locations within a laser-light irradiation area on said target that has been decided based upon the amount of defocusing of X-rays, the defocusing amount representing a stage of X-ray intensity distribution and being decided based upon importance of critical resolution and linearity between the mask pattern and the resist pattern. 3. The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the irradiation area is decided based upon a value r obtained from claim 2 xcex4xc3x97L/g  where xcex4 represents the amount of defocusing which represents a standard deviation of the X-ray intensity distribution, L the distance between said target and the reticle, and g the distance between the reticle and the substrate. 4. The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the irradiation area is decided to be an area having a radius of 2r, and claim 3 1.5 nmxc3x97 L/g less than r less than  0.5xc3x97 Wrxc3x97L/g  where L represents the distance between the X-ray source and the reticle, g the distance between the reticle and the wafer, and Wr the least line width. said control means controls operation for irradiating the irradiation area on said target with laser light in such a manner that irradiation density becomes a normal distribution having a standard deviation r which satisfies the following inequality, 5. The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the irradiation area is decided to be an area having a radius of rxc3x97{square root over (3)}, and claim 3 6 nmxc3x97 L/g less than D less than  2xc3x97 Wrxc3x97L/g  where L represents the distance between the X-ray source and the reticle, g the distance between the reticle and the wafer, and Wr the least line width. said control means controls operation for irradiating the irradiation area on said target with laser light in such a manner that irradiation density becomes uniform, the irradiation area has a diameter D which satisfies the following inequality, 6. The apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising setting means for setting the amount of defocusing. claim 2 7. The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said target generates X-rays by producing plasma in response to being irradiated with laser light. claim 2 8. The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said X-ray source has a mirror for reflecting the laser light in order that the laser light will arrive at said target, and claim 2 said control means controls operation for irradiating with laser light a plurality of locations within the irradiation area on said target by changing the angle of said mirror during a single exposure operation. 9. The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the X-ray source has a plurality of laser light sources for generating a plurality of laser beams for irradiating respective ones of different positions on said target, and claim 2 said control means controls operation for irradiating with laser light a plurality of locations within the irradiation area on said target by using a plurality of laser beams from said plurality of laser light sources during a single exposure operation. 10. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said plasma X-ray source produces plasma by applying pulse voltages between electrodes. claim 1 11. The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the plasma is moved by a magnetic field. claim 10 12. The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the plasma is moved by an electric field. claim 10 13. The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the plasma is moved by moving the electrodes. claim 10 14. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a display, a network interface and a computer for running network software, claim 1 wherein maintenance information concerning said X-ray exposure apparatus is communicated by data communication via a computer network. 15. The apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the network software is connected to an external network of a plant at which said X-ray exposure apparatus has been installed, said display is provided with a user interface for accessing a maintenance database provided by a vendor or user of said X-ray exposure apparatus, and information is obtained from said database via said external network. claim 14 16. A method of manufacturing devices, comprising steps of: placing a plurality of items of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, inclusive of an X-ray exposure apparatus, in a plant; and  manufacturing a semiconductor device using the plurality of items of semiconductor manufacturing equipment,  wherein the X-ray exposure apparatus irradiates a reticle with X-rays generated from an X-ray source and irradiates a substrate with X-rays that have passed through the reticle to thereby transfer a pattern on the reticle to the substrate, the apparatus having:  (i) a plasma X-ray source for generating X-rays by producing plasma; and  (ii) control means for controlling production of the plasma so that the plasma is produced at a plurality of positions in one irradiating operation of the substrate with X-rays, wherein the control means controls the X-ray intensity distribution in order to control the plurality of positions so that a required amount of defocusing, which is a size of a projection image corresponding to one point on the reticle formed by irradiating the reticle with X-rays generated at the plurality of positions, can be obtained. 17. The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising the steps of: claim 16 connecting the plurality of items of semiconductor manufacturing equipment by a local-area network;  connecting the local-area network and an external network outside the plant;  acquiring information concerning the X-ray exposure apparatus from a database on the external network utilizing said local-area network and said external network; and  controlling the X-ray exposure apparatus based upon the information acquired. 18. The method according to  claim 17 , wherein maintenance information for the manufacturing equipment is obtained by accessing, by data communication via the external network, a database provided by a vendor of the manufacturing equipment or by a user, or production management is performed by data communication with a semiconductor manufacturing plant other than the first mentioned semiconductor manufacturing plant via the external network. claim 17 19. A method of maintaining an X-ray exposure apparatus, the method comprising the steps of: preparing a database, which stores information relating to maintenance of the X-ray exposure apparatus, on an external network outside a plant at which the X-ray exposure apparatus has been installed;  connecting the X-ray exposure apparatus to a local-area network inside the plant; and  maintaining the X-ray exposure apparatus, based upon information that has been stored in the database, utilizing the external network and the local-area network,  wherein the X-ray exposure apparatus irradiates a reticle with X-rays generated from an X-ray source and irradiates a substrate with X-rays that have passed through the reticle to thereby transfer a pattern on the reticle to the substrate, the apparatus having:  (i) a plasma X-ray source for generating X-rays by producing plasma;  (ii) control means for controlling of production of the plasma so that the plasma is produced at a plurality of positions in one irradiating operation at the substrate with X-rays, wherein the control means controls the X-ray intensity distribution in order to control the plurality of positions so that a required amount of defocusing, which is a size of a projection image corresponding to one point on the reticle formed by irradiating the reticle with X-rays generated at the plurality of positions, can be obtained. 20. A method of controlling a proximity X-ray exposure apparatus for irradiating a reticle with X-rays generated from an X-ray source and irradiating a substrate with X-rays that have passed through the reticle, the method comprising: a generating step of generating X-rays by producing plasma; and  a control step of controlling X-ray intensity distribution by controlling production of the plasma so that the plasma is produced at a plurality of positions in one irradiating operation of the substrate with the X-rays, wherein said control step controls the X-ray intensity distribution in order to control the plurality of positions so that a required amount of defocusing, which is a size of a projection image corresponding to one point on the reticle formed by irradiating the reticle with X-rays generated at the plurality of positions, can be obtained. 21. The method according to  claim 20 , further comprising a determining step of determining a laser-light irradiation area on a target which functions as the X-ray source by generating X-rays in response to being irradiated with laser light, based upon an amount of defocusing required for the X-rays, the amount of defocusing representing a shape of an X-ray intensity distribution and being determined based upon importance of critical resolution and linearity between the mask pattern and resist pattern, claim 20 wherein said control step controls the irradiation to irradiate with laser light a plurality of locations within the laser-light irradiation area on the target, which has been determined in said determining step. 22. The method according to  claim 21 , wherein said determining step determines the irradiation region based upon a value r obtained from claim 21 xcex4xc3x97L/g  where xcex4 represents the amount of defocusing which represents a standard deviation of X-ray intensity distribution, L the distance between the target and the reticle, and g the distance between the reticle and the substrate. 23. The method according to  claim 22 , wherein said determining step determines the irradiation area to be an area having a radius of 2r, and claim 22 1.5 nmxc3x97 L/g less than r less than  0.5xc3x97 Wrxc3x97L/g  where L represents the distance between the X-ray source and the reticle, g the distance between the reticle and the wafer, and Wr the least line width. said control step controls operation for irradiating laser light so that the irradiation area on the target is irradiated with laser light in such a manner that irradiation density becomes a normal distribution having a standard deviation r which satisfies the following inequality, 24. The method according to  claim 22 , wherein said determining step determines the irradiation area to be an area having a radius of rxc3x97{square root over (3)}, and claim 22 6 nmxc3x97 L/g less than D less than  2xc3x97 Wrxc3x97L/g  where L represents the distance between the X-ray source and the reticle, g the distance between the reticle and the wafer, and Wr the least line width. said control means controls operation for irradiating the irradiation area on said target with laser light in such a manner that irradiation density becomes uniform, the irradiation area has a diameter D which satisfies the following inequality, 25. The method according to  claim 21 , further comprising a setting step of setting the amount of defocusing. claim 21 26. The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the plasma is produced by irradiating the target with laser light, claim 21 the X-ray source has a mirror for reflecting the laser light in order that the laser light will arrive at the target, and  said control step controls operation for irradiating with laser light a plurality of locations within the irradiation area on the target by changing the angle of the mirror during a single exposure operation. 27. The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the plasma is produced by irradiating the target with laser light, claim 21 the X-ray source has a plurality of laser light sources for generating a plurality of laser beams for irradiating respective ones of different postitions on the target, and  said control step controls operation for irradiating with laser light a plurality of locations within the irradiation area on the target by using a plurality of laser beams from the plurality of laser light sources during a single exposure operation. 28. A semiconductor manufacturing plant, comprising: a plurality of items of semiconductor manufacturing equipment inclusive of an X-ray exposure apparatus;  a local-area network for interconnecting said plurality of items of manufacturing equipment; and  a gateway for connecting said local-area network and an external network outside said semiconductor manufacturing plant,  wherein said X-ray exposure apparatus irradiates a reticle with X-rays generated from an X-ray source and irradiates a substrate with X-rays that have passed through the reticle to thereby transfer a pattern on the reticle to the substrate, said apparatus having:  (i) a plasma X-ray source for generating X-rays by producing plasma; and  (ii) control means for controlling production of the plasma so that the plasma is produced at a plurality of positions in one irradiating operation of the substrate with X-rays, wherein said control means controls the X-ray intensity distribution in order to control the plurality of positions so that a required amount of defocusing, which is a size of a projection image corresponding to one point on the reticle formed by irradiating the reticle with X-rays generated at the plurality of positions, can be obtained.