Exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9025129-B2
Application number	US-201414305656-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2014
Priority date	Jun 19, 2003
Publication date	May 5, 2015
Grant date	May 5, 2015

Abstract

An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate with illumination light via a projection optical system and liquid, and includes a controller that controls movement of first and second movable members each of which can hold a substrate. The controller executes a relative movement between the first and second movable members such that, while one of the movable members is arranged opposed to the projection optical system, the other of the movable members comes close to the one of the movable members, and so as to move the close first and second movable members relative to the projection optical system such that the other of the movable members is arranged opposed to the projection optical system in place of the one of the movable members while substantially maintaining a liquid immersion region under the projection optical system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with illumination light via a projection optical system and via liquid, the exposure apparatus comprising:
a liquid immersion member arranged to form a liquid immersion region with liquid below the projection optical system, the liquid immersion member surrounding an optical member of the projection optical system and having a lower surface in which an opening portion, through which the illumination light passes, is formed;
first and second movable members each having (a) an upper surface arranged to be in contact with the liquid immersion region, (b) amount area, for the substrate, provided in a first opening formed on the upper surface, and (c) a reference provided on the upper surface, the first and second movable members each configured such that the upper surface thereof is arranged to maintain at least a part of the liquid immersion region, which is located outside the substrate mounted on the mount area in the first opening;
a measuring system configured to perform a measurement using the reference via the projection optical system;
a drive system having a motor, parts of which are provided at the first and second movable members respectively, and configured to move the first and second movable members by use of the motor; and
a controller configured to control movement of the first and second movable members by the drive system, wherein
the controller is configured to control the first and second movable members so as to execute a relative movement between the first and second movable members such that, while one of the first and second movable members is arranged opposed to the projection optical system, the other of the first and second movable members comes close to the one of the first and second movable members, and so as to move the close first and second movable members relative to the projection optical system in a predetermined direction perpendicular to an optical axis of the projection optical system such that the other of the first and second movable members is arranged opposed to the projection optical system in place of the one of the first and second movable members while substantially maintaining the liquid immersion region under the projection optical system and such that the measurement by the measuring system is executed using the reference of the other one of the first and second movable members, which is arranged opposed to the projection optical system after the movement of the close first and second movable members, and such that the one of the first and second movable members is moved from under the projection optical system to a substrate exchange position and then the substrate is exchanged,
when the liquid immersion region is maintained under the projection optical system by the one of the first and second movable members which is arranged opposed to the projection optical system, the other of the first and second movable members is away from under the projection optical system, and
the liquid immersion region is formed with the liquid which is supplied via the liquid immersion member, and the liquid of the liquid immersion region is collected via the liquid immersion member.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first and second movable members are each arranged such that, when the substrate is mounted on the mount area in the first opening, a gap is formed between the upper surface and a surface of the substrate.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first and second movable members are each arranged such that, when the substrate is mounted on the mount area in the first opening, the upper surface and the surface of the substrate are substantially coplanar.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the first and second movable members each have a reference member arranged in a second opening on the upper surface, which is different from the first opening, the reference being formed on a surface of the reference member.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein, in each of the first and second movable members, the reference member is provided such that the surface on which the reference is provided and the upper surface are substantially coplanar.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein, while the substrate is arranged opposed to the projection optical system by the first or second movable member, the liquid immersion region is formed on a part of the substrate and covers an irradiated area of the illumination light.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the liquid immersion member has a collection port provided at a lower surface side thereof and surrounding the opening portion, and has a collection flow path provided inside the liquid immersion member, an edge of the collection flow path is arranged to be connected to the collection port, and
the liquid of the liquid immersion region is collected via the collection port and the collection flow path.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
at the lower surface side of the liquid immersion member, a supply port is provided between the opening portion and the collection port and a supply flow path is provided inside the liquid immersion member, an end of the supply flow path being arranged to be connected to the supply port, and
the liquid is supplied to the liquid immersion region via the supply flow path and the supply port.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the liquid immersion region is provided movably with respect to the projection optical system.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the controller is configured to control the drive system to move the close first and second movable members relative to the liquid immersion member while substantially maintaining a state in which the first and second movable members are adjacent to each other in the predetermined direction in which the close first and second movable members are moved relative to the liquid immersion member.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the controller is configured to start exposure of the substrate mounted on the other of the first and second movable members after the movement of the close first and second movable members relative to the liquid immersion member.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the controller is configured to execute a scanning exposure of the substrate, in which the substrate is moved in the predetermined direction in which the close first and second movable members are moved relative to the liquid immersion member.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the controller is configured to control the drive system to move the other of the first and second movable members relative to the one of the first and second movable members opposed to the projection optical system so that the first and second movable members come close to each other in the predetermined direction in which the close first and second movable members are moved relative to the liquid immersion member.

14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the controller is configured to execute, prior to the movement of the close first and second movable members relative to the liquid immersion member, different operations in parallel with respect to the one of the first and second movable members and the other of the first and second movable members.

15. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the controller is configured

Assignees

• Nikon Corp

Inventors

• Ebihara Akimitsu

Classifications

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• G03F7/70816

  Bearings · CPC title

• G03F7/70341 Primary

  Details of immersion lithography aspects, e.g. exposure media or control of immersion liquid supply (chemical composition of immersion liquids G03F7/2041) · CPC title

• G03F7/70725

  control · CPC title

• G03F7/70716

  Stages · CPC title