Exposure apparatus, producing method of exposure apparatus, and producing method of microdevice

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9280069-B2
Application number	US-66129606-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2006
Priority date	Mar 29, 2005
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern formed on a mask (M) onto a photosensitive substrate (P) through a projection optical system (PL), comprising an upper pedestal ( 26 ) on which at least one of the projection optical system (PL) and a mask stage (MST) which is to hold the mask (M) is mounted, and a plurality of lower pedestals ( 6 a ) which supports the upper pedestal ( 26 ) and which has a longitudinal direction in a predetermined direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An exposure apparatus having an illumination optical system that irradiates light from a light source onto a mask, a mask stage that holds the mask, a projection optical system that projects a pattern of the mask onto a substrate, and a substrate stage that holds the substrate, to project the pattern of the mask onto the substrate while relatively moving the mask stage and the substrate stage along a first direction that is perpendicular to a projection direction in which the pattern of the mask is projected onto the substrate, the exposure apparatus further comprising:
an upper pedestal that supports the mask stage; and
first and second intermediate pedestals that support the upper pedestal, wherein:
the projection optical system (i) includes a plurality of projection optical modules that are arranged at different positions in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and perpendicular to the projection direction, (ii) transmits light, which has passed through different portions of the mask, to respective ones of the plurality of projection optical modules, and (iii) projects the pattern of the mask onto the substrate,
the first intermediate pedestal is arranged at a first side, in the second direction, of the plurality of projection optical modules, and
the second intermediate pedestal is arranged at a second side opposite to the first side, in the second direction, of the plurality of projection optical modules.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the upper pedestal includes a rectangular member that has a length elongated in the second direction.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein:
the first intermediate pedestal includes a first rectangular member that has a length elongated in the first direction, and
the second intermediate pedestal includes a second rectangular member that has a length elongated in the first direction.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:
first and second lower pedestals that support the first and second intermediate pedestals and support the substrate stage, wherein:
the first lower pedestal includes a first lower rectangular member that has a length elongated in the second direction, and
the second lower pedestal includes a second lower rectangular member that has a length elongated in the second direction.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
the first and second lower pedestals are arranged at different positions in the first direction, and
lengths of the first and second intermediate pedestals in the first direction are shorter than a movable range of the substrate stage in the first direction.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a guide member of the substrate stage, the guide member having a length including the movable range, wherein:
the lengths of the first and second intermediate pedestals in the first direction are shorter than a length of the guide member in the first direction.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
the first and second intermediate pedestals are connected to the first and second lower pedestals.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:
position-adjusting correcting members at connections between the upper pedestal and the first and second intermediate pedestals, or at connections between the first and second intermediate pedestals and the first and second lower pedestals.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
connections between the upper pedestal and the first and second intermediate pedestals, or connections between the first and second intermediate pedestals and the first and second lower pedestals each have pressing reference surfaces.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
the first and second lower pedestals are supported by at least four support members.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:
at least one shim disposed between the first and second intermediate pedestals and the first and second lower pedestals.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first intermediate pedestal includes a first rectangular member that has a length elongated in the first direction, and
the second intermediate pedestal includes a second rectangular member that has a length elongated in the first direction.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising:
an interferometer that is arranged on at least one of the first and second intermediate pedestals and irradiates measurement light in the second direction.

14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a fixing plate that supports the substrate stage, wherein:
lengths of the first and second intermediate pedestals in the first direction are shorter than a length of the fixing plate in the first direction.

15. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein:
the fixing plate is a rectangular member that has a length elongated in the first direction, and
the lengths of the first and second intermediate pedestals in the first direction are shorter than a length of the fixing plate in the first direction.

16. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the upper pedestal is connected to the first and second intermediate pedestals.

17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the upper pedestal supports the projection optical system.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first and second intermediate pedestals define a space at which the projection optical system is disposed.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
an outer diameter of the substrate exceeds 500 mm.

20. A method of manufacturing a microdevice, the method comprising:
exposing a pattern of a mask onto a substrate, using the exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , and
developing the exposed substrate.

21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein:
a plurality of flat panel display devices are formed on the substrate.

22. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the mask stage supports an electronic mask that can change the pattern of the mask.

23. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one shim disposed between the upper pedestal and the first and second intermediate pedestals.

24. An exposure apparatus having an illumination optical system that irradiates light from a light source onto a mask, a mask stage that holds the mask, and a substrate stage that holds a substrate, to project a pattern of the mask onto the substrate while relatively moving the mask stage and the substrate stage along a first direction that is a scanning direction in a state in which the light is irradiated onto the mask, the exposure apparatus further comprising:
a projection optical system that (i) includes a plurality of projection optical modules that are arranged at different positions in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and perpendicular to a projection direction in which the pattern of the mask is projected onto the substrate, (ii) transmits light, which has passed through the mask, to respective ones of the plurality of projection optical modules, and (iii) projects the pattern of the mask onto the substrate;
an upper pedestal tha

Assignees

• Kawamura Shuji
• Nikon Corp

Inventors

• Kawamura Shuji

Classifications

• G03F7/70975 Primary

  Assembly, maintenance, transport or storage of apparatus · CPC title

• G03F7/70791

  Large workpieces, e.g. glass substrates for flat panel displays or solar panels · CPC title

• G03F7/70833 Primary

  Mounting of optical systems, e.g. mounting of illumination system, projection system or stage systems on base-plate or ground · CPC title

• G03F7/70716

  Stages · CPC title