Apparatus and method for maintaining immersion fluid in the gap under the projection lens during wafer exchange in an immersion lithography machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9946163-B2
Application number	US-201514734783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2015
Priority date	Apr 11, 2003
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

An immersion exposure apparatus and method involves (i) supporting a substrate with a stage, (ii) arranging the stage under an optical assembly to maintain immersion liquid in a gap between the optical assembly and the stage, (iii) projecting an image onto the substrate via the optical assembly and the immersion liquid, (iv) arranging a movable pad, which is movable separately from the stage, adjacent to the stage, and (v) moving the stage and the pad adjacent to each other relative to the optical assembly to arrange the pad under the optical assembly in place of the stage such that the immersion liquid is maintained below the optical assembly during the movement, thereby to arrange the movable pad under the optical assembly to maintain the immersion liquid in a gap between the optical assembly and the pad.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An immersion exposure apparatus comprising:
an optical assembly configured to project an image onto a substrate via an immersion liquid in a gap between the optical assembly and the substrate;
a movable stage configured to support the substrate and to be arrangeable under the optical assembly to maintain the immersion liquid in a gap between the optical assembly and the stage; and
a movable pad configured to be arrangeable under the optical assembly to maintain the immersion liquid in a gap between the optical assembly and the pad, wherein
the stage is movable separately from the pad while the immersion liquid is maintained in the gap between the optical assembly and the pad,
the pad is movable separately from the stage while the immersion liquid is maintained in the gap between the optical assembly and the stage,
when the stage is arranged under the optical assembly, the pad is positionable adjacent to the stage, and
when the pad is positioned adjacent to the stage, the stage and the pad adjacent to each other are movable relative to the optical assembly to arrange the pad under the optical assembly in place of the stage such that the immersion liquid is maintained below the optical assembly during the movement.

2. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured such that when the pad is positioned adjacent to the stage, a surface of the pad and a surface of the stage are substantially coplanar.

3. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured such that, when the pad is positioned adjacent to the stage, the pad and the stage adjacent to each other form a substantially continuous surface.

4. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured such that when the pad is arranged below the optical assembly, an operation is performable on the substrate mounted on the stage.

5. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the operation includes a substrate exchange operation.

6. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the operation includes an alignment operation.

7. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the apparatus is configured such that when the pad is arranged below the optical assembly, substrates are loadable and unloadable from the stage.

8. A device manufacturing method comprising:
exposing a substrate to an image of a pattern using the apparatus of claim 1 ; and
processing the exposed substrate.

9. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pad is movable separately from and relative to the stage at least in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the optical assembly while the immersion liquid is maintained in the gap between the optical assembly and the stage.

10. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the stage is movable separately from and relative to the pad at least in the direction orthogonal to the optical axis while the immersion liquid is maintained in the gap between the optical assembly and the pad.

11. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the stage is movable separately from and relative to the pad at least in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the optical assembly while the immersion liquid is maintained in the gap between the optical assembly and the pad.

12. An immersion exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate via a projection lens and an immersion liquid in a gap between the projection lens and the substrate, the apparatus comprising:
a movable stage having a top surface, which supports the substrate at a top surface side of the movable stage and is arrangeable under the projection lens to maintain the immersion liquid in a gap between the projection lens and the stage; and
a movable pad having a top surface, which is arrangeable under the projection lens to maintain the immersion liquid in a gap between the projection lens and the pad, wherein
the stage is movable separately from the pad while the immersion liquid is maintained in the gap between the projection lens and the pad,
the pad is movable separately from the stage while the immersion liquid is maintained in the gap between the projection lens and the stage,
when the stage is arranged under the projection lens, the pad is positionable adjacent to the stage, and
when the pad is positioned adjacent to the stage, the stage and the pad adjacent to each other are movable relative to the projection lens to arrange the pad under the projection lens in place of the stage such that the immersion liquid is maintained below the projection lens during the movement.

13. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein when the pad is positioned adjacent to the stage, the top surface of the pad and the top surface of the stage are substantially coplanar.

14. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein when the pad is positioned adjacent to the stage, the pad and the stage adjacent to each other form a substantially continuous surface.

15. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein when the pad is arranged below the projection lens, an operation is performable on the substrate mounted on the stage.

16. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the operation includes a substrate exchange operation.

17. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the operation includes an alignment operation.

18. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein when the pad is arranged below the projection lens, substrates are loadable and unloadable from the stage.

19. A device manufacturing method comprising:
exposing a substrate to an image of a pattern using the apparatus of claim 12 ; and
processing the exposed substrate.

20. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the pad is movable separately from and relative to the stage at least in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the projection lens while the immersion liquid is maintained in the gap between the projection lens and the stage.

21. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein the stage is movable separately from and relative to the pad at least in the direction orthogonal to the optical axis while the immersion liquid is maintained in the gap between the projection lens and the pad.

22. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the stage is movable separately from and relative to the pad at least in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the projection lens while the immersion liquid is maintained in the gap between the projection lens and the pad.

23. An immersion exposure method comprising:
supporting a substrate with a stage;
arranging the stage under an optical assembly to maintain immersion liquid in a gap between the optical assembly and the stage;
projecting an image onto the substrate via the optical assembly and the immersion liquid;
arranging a movable pad, which is movable separately from the stage, adjacent to the stage;
moving the stage and the pad adjacent to each other relative to the optical assembly to arrange the pad under the optical assembly in place of the stage such that the immersion liquid is maintained below the optical assembly during the movement, thereby to arrange the movable pad under th

Assignees

• Nikon Corp

Inventors

• Binnard Michael

Classifications

• 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

• G03F7/70716

  Stages · CPC title

• G03B27/52

  Details · CPC title

• G03F7/70725 Primary

  control · CPC title

• G03F7/70733

  Handling masks and workpieces, e.g. exchange of workpiece or mask, transport of workpiece or mask · CPC title