Exposure apparatus, movable body apparatus, flat-panel display manufacturing method, and device manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10409176-B2
Application number	US-201815887650-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2018
Priority date	Sep 7, 2010
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

In a substrate stage, when a Y coarse movement stage moves in the Y-axis direction, an X coarse movement stage, a weight cancellation device, and an X guide move integrally in the Y-axis direction with the Y coarse movement stage, and when the X coarse movement stage moves in the X-axis direction on the Y coarse movement stage, the weight cancellation device move on the X guide in the X-axis direction integrally with the X coarse movement stage. Because the X guide is provided extending in the X-axis direction while covering the movement range of the weight cancellation device in the X-axis direction, the weight cancellation device is constantly supported by the X guide, regardless of its position. Accordingly, a substrate can be guided along the XY plane with good accuracy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An exposure apparatus that exposes an object while moving the object with respect to an energy beam in a first direction, the exposure apparatus comprising:
a holding section that holds the object;
a first support section that supports the holding section;
a second support section that supports the first support section in a non-contact manner;
a first base that supports the second support section;
a drive section that moves the first support section relative to the second support section in the first direction and moves the second support section on the first base and the first support section on the second support section in a second direction intersecting the first direction, in a state where the first support section supports the holding section from below; and
a second base that is disposed spaced apart from the first base in the first direction, and supports the drive section.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a first coupling section that couples the first support section and the drive section, wherein
the drive section moves the first support section on the second support section relative to the second support section in the first direction, via the first coupling section.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a second coupling section that couples the second support section and the drive section, wherein
the drive section moves the second support section relative to the second base in the second direction, via the second coupling section.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the drive section is moved in the second direction by a first linear motor that includes a first stator provided at the second base and a first mover provided at the drive section.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the second support section is moved in the second direction by a second linear motor that includes the first stator and a second mover provided at the second support section.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the drive section has a first drive system and a second drive system, the first drive system moving the first support section relative to the second support section in the first direction, and the second drive system moving the second support section in the second direction, and
the second drive system supports the first drive system.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the first drive system moves the first support section in the first direction by a third liner motor that includes a second stator provided at the second drive system and a third mover provided at the first drive system.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the drive section is provided on both sides of the second support section in the second direction.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first base has a first support member and a second support member that support different parts of the second support section in the first direction, respectively.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the second base has a third support member that is provided between the first support member and the second support member in the first direction and supports the drive section.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a drive device that is provided at the drive section and the holding section, and drives the holding section relative to the first support section.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a limitation section that limits relative movement of the holding section with respect to the drive section when the holding section is moved in the first direction by the drive section.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the object is a substrate used for a flat-panel display.

14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein
at least a length of one side or a diagonal line of the substrate is 500 mm or more.

15. A flat-panel display manufacturing method comprising:
exposing the object using the exposure apparatus according to claim 13 ; and
developing the object that has been exposed.

16. A device manufacturing method comprising:
exposing the object using the exposure apparatus according to claim 1 ; and
developing the object that has been exposed.

17. An exposure method of exposing an object while moving the object with respect to an energy beam in a first direction, the method comprising:
supporting a holding section that holds the object, by a first support section;
supporting the first support section in a non-contact manner, by a second support section supported by a first base; and
by a drive section that is supported by a second base disposed spaced apart from the first base in the first direction, moving the first support section relative to the second support section in the first direction and moving the second support section on the first base and the first support section on the second support section in a second direction intersecting the first direction, in a state where the first support section supports the holding section from below.

18. The exposure method according to claim 17 , wherein
in the moving, the first support section on the second support section is moved relative to the second support section in the first direction, via a first coupling section that couples the first support section and the drive section.

19. The exposure method according to claim 17 , wherein
in the moving, the second support section is moved relative to the second base in the second direction, via a second coupling section that couples the second support section and the drive section.

20. The exposure method according to claim 17 , wherein
in the moving, the second support section is moved in the second direction by a first linear motor that includes a first stator provided at the second base and a first mover provided at the drive section.

21. The exposure method according to claim 20 , wherein
in the moving, the second support section is moved in the second direction by a second linear motor that includes the first stator and a second mover provided at the second support section.

22. The exposure method according to claim 17 , further comprising
supporting a first drive system by a second drive system, the first drive system moving the first support section relative to the second support section in the first direction, and the second drive system moving the second support section in the second direction.

23. The exposure method according to claim 22 , further comprising
disposing the second drive system on both sides of the second support section in the second direction.

24. The exposure method according to claim 17 , wherein
different parts of the second support section in the first direction are supported by a first support member and a second support member, respectively, the first base having the first support member and the second support member.

25. The exposure method according to claim 24 , further comprising
supporting the drive section by a third support member that is provided between the first support member and the second support member in the first direction, the second base having the third support member.

26. The exposure method according to c

Assignees

• Nikon Corp

Inventors

• Aoki Yasuo

Classifications

• F16C29/008

  Systems with a plurality of bearings, e.g. four carriages supporting a slide on two parallel rails · CPC title

• G03F7/70716 Primary

  Stages · CPC title

• G03F7/70816 Primary

  Bearings · CPC title

• F16C32/0421

  for both radial and axial load · CPC title

• F16C39/04

  using hydraulic or pneumatic means · CPC title