Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9523926-B2
Application number	US-201213548362-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2012
Priority date	Jul 22, 2011
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

The exposure apparatus of the present invention has an original holding unit including a holding frame that holds an original M by attracting the outer peripheral portion thereof and a drive unit that is capable of moving the holding frame while changing an irradiation area of the light to be irradiated on a pattern. Here, the holding frame has a penetrating portion, which is capable of flowing gas which is present in a space defined by the original and the holding frame into and out from the space, provided at both front and back lateral sides of the holding frame in the direction of movement thereof, and the penetrating portion has a shape or a configuration such that the pressure loss in the flow of the gas in a first direction is less than the pressure loss in the flow of the gas in a second direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An exposure apparatus that irradiates a pattern formed on an original with light emitted from an illumination system, projects an image of the pattern on a substrate via a projection optical system, and exposes the substrate, the exposure apparatus comprising:
an original holding unit including a holding frame and configured to move in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction; and
a measuring device configured to measure a position of the original holding unit,
wherein the holding frame has a first penetrating portion provided at a front lateral side of the holding frame and a second penetrating portion provided at a back lateral side of the holding frame, each of the first and second penetrating portions being configured to allow gas present in a space defined by the original and the holding frame to flow into and out from the space while the original holding unit is being moved in the first and second directions,
wherein both the first and second penetrating portions are configured to allow a pressure loss in the flow of the gas in the first direction caused by moving the original holding unit in the second direction to be less than the pressure loss in the flow of the gas in the second direction caused by moving the original holding unit in the first direction, and
wherein the measuring device is arranged at a side toward the second direction of the original holding unit.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second penetrating portions is a hole or a slit extending through the lateral sides.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first penetrating portion allows gas passage from the periphery of the original holding unit to the space in accordance with the movement of the holding frame in the second direction and the second penetrating portion allows gas passage, which is present in the space, from the space to the periphery of the original holding unit in accordance with the movement of the holding frame in the second direction.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a substrate holding unit configured to movably hold the substrate,
wherein, when exposure processing is performed during synchronous scanning of the original holding unit and the substrate holding unit, the second direction is a scanning direction along which the original holding unit is scanned.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
each of the first and second penetrating portions have a tapered shape having a wide opening and a narrow opening, and
tapering from the wide opening to the narrow opening in both the first and second penetration portions being in the same direction along the flow of the gas in the first direction.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second penetrating portions have a check valve that defines the direction of the flow of the gas in the first direction.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a light transmissive member that is supported by the holding frame and is arranged between the original and the projection optical system while transmitting the light emitted from the illumination system.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the light transmissive member is relatively movable with respect to the holding frame.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the light transmissive member is supported via an elastic member.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the light transmissive member is supported via a shape correction mechanism.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the light transmissive member has a temperature adjusting unit, which adjusts the temperature of the light transmissive member, provided on the surface thereof.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an air conditioner that is provided around the original holding unit and adjusts the temperature of the surrounding environment of the original holding unit,
wherein the air conditioner supplies gas in a predetermined direction while passing through the periphery of the original.

13. An exposure apparatus that irradiates a pattern formed on an original with light emitted from an illumination system, projects an image of the pattern on a substrate via a projection optical system, and exposes the substrate, the exposure apparatus comprising:
an original holding unit including a holding frame and configured to move in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction; and
a measuring device configured to measure a position of the original holding unit,
wherein the holding frame has a first penetrating portion provided at a front lateral side of the holding frame and a second penetrating portion provided at a back lateral side of the holding frame, each of the first and second penetrating portions being configured to allow gas present in a space defined by the original and the holding frame to flow into and out from the space while the holding frame is being moved in the first and second directions,
wherein both the first and second penetrating portions are configured to allow an amount of the gas flowing therethrough in the first direction caused by moving the original holding unit in the second direction to be larger than the amount of the gas flowing therethrough in the second direction caused by moving the original holding unit in the first direction, and
wherein the measuring device is arranged at a side toward the second direction of the original holding unit.

14. A device manufacturing method comprising the steps of:
exposing a substrate using an exposure apparatus; and
developing the exposed substrate,
wherein the exposure apparatus irradiates a pattern formed on an original with light emitted from an illumination system, projects an image of the pattern on the substrate via a projection optical system, and exposes the substrate,
wherein the exposure apparatus comprises:
an original holding unit including a holding frame and configured to move in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction,
a measuring device configured to measure a position of the original holding unit,
wherein the holding frame has a first penetrating portion provided at a front lateral side of the holding frame and a second penetrating portion provided at a back lateral side of the holding frame, each of the first and second penetrating portions being configured to allow gas present in a space defined by the original and the holding frame to flow into and out from the space while the original holding unit is being moved in the first and second directions,
wherein both the first and second penetrating portions are configured to allow a pressure loss in the flow of the gas in the first direction caused by moving the original holding unit in the second direction to be less than the pressure loss in the flow of the gas in the second direction caused by moving the original holding unit in the first direction, and
wherein the measuring device is arranged at a side toward the second direction of the original holding unit.

15. A device manufacturing method comprising the steps of:
exposing a substrate using an exposure apparatus; and
developing the exposed substrate,
wherein the exposure apparatus irradiates a pattern formed on an original with light emitted from an illumination system, projects an image of the pattern on a substrate via a projection optical system, and expos

Assignees

• Umemura Atsushi
• Hasegawa Noriyasu
• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Umemura Atsushi
• Hasegawa Noriyasu

Classifications

• G03F7/707 Primary

  Chucks, e.g. chucking or un-chucking operations or structural details · CPC title

• G03F7/70875

  Temperature, e.g. temperature control of masks or workpieces via control of stage temperature · CPC title