Movable body drive method and movable body drive system, pattern formation method and apparatus, exposure method and apparatus, device manufacturing method, and calibration method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9971253-B2
Application number	US-201715812592-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2017
Priority date	Sep 1, 2006
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A first stage system having a first stage and a first drive system that moves the first stage is configured to hold a mask illuminated with illumination light. A second stage system having a second stage and a second drive system that moves the second stage is configured to hold a substrate. A measurement system having a first encoder system and a second encoder system measures positional information of the first and second stages, respectively. The second encoder system measures the positional information of the second stage with a plurality of heads that face a grating section. The first and second drive systems are controlled based on correction information for compensating for a measurement error of the second encoder system that occurs due to the heads and measurement information of the first and the second encoder systems.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with an illumination light via a projection optical system, the apparatus comprising:
a frame member that supports the projection optical system;
a first stage system having a first stage and a first drive system, that moves the first stage at least in a first direction within a predetermined plane orthogonal to an optical axis of the projection optical system, the first stage being disposed above the projection optical system and configured to hold a mask illuminated with the illumination light, and the first drive system including a first motor to drive the first stage;
a second stage system having a second stage and a second drive system, that moves the second stage at least in the first direction and a second direction orthogonal to each other within the predetermined plane, the second stage being disposed below the projection optical system and configured to hold the substrate, and the second drive system including a second motor to drive the second stage;
a measurement system having a first encoder system and a second encoder system that measure positional information of the first stage and positional information of the second stage, respectively, in the second encoder system one of a grating section and heads being provided at the second stage and the other of the grating section and the heads being provided at the frame member to face the second stage, the second encoder system measuring the positional information of the second stage with a plurality of the heads that face the grating section, and the grating section having a reflective grating that is periodic in a direction parallel to the predetermined plane; and
a controller coupled to the first and the second stage systems and the first and the second encoder systems, the controller controlling the first and the second drive systems based on correction information for compensating for a measurement error of the second encoder system that occurs due to the heads and measurement information of the first and the second encoder systems so that, in an exposure operation of the substrate, scanning exposure is performed and the measurement error is compensated for, in the scanning exposure the mask and the substrate being each moved relative to the illumination light with the first direction serving as a scanning direction.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the grating section has four scale members each of which is disposed substantially parallel to the predetermined plane and has the reflective grating, and
in the exposure operation, the positional information of the second stage is measured with at least three of the heads that face at least three of the four scale members, respectively.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
one head of the at least three heads is switched to another head as the second stage is moved, and
after the switching, the positional information of the second stage is measured with at least three heads that include remaining heads and the another head, the remaining heads excluding the one head of the at least three heads used before the switching.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
before the switching, the positional information of the second stage is measured with three of the heads that face three of the four scale members, respectively,
one head of the three heads is switched to the another head that is different from the three heads, and
after the switching, the positional information of the second stage is measured with three heads that include two heads and the another head, the two heads excluding the one head of the three heads used before the switching.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
for the switching, four heads face the four scale members, respectively, the four heads including the three heads used before the switching and the another head.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the controller acquires correction information for the positional information measured with the another head, based on the positional information measured with the three heads used before the switching.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the correction information is acquired while four heads face the four scale members, respectively, the four heads including the three heads used before the switching and the another head.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the positional information of the second stage is measured with four or three of the heads that face four or three of the four scale members, respectively, and
a change from one of a state and another state to the other of the state and the another state occurs, as the second stage is moved, wherein
in the state, the four heads face the four scale members, respectively, and
in the another state, the three heads face the three scale members, respectively.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the second stage has the plurality of heads, and is moved below the grating section.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the controller compensates for a measurement error of the encoder system that occurs due to at least one of a displacement and an optical property of the head, using the correction information.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a nozzle member provided to surround a lens that is disposed closest to an image plane side, of a plurality of optical elements of the projection optical system, the nozzle member having a lower surface to which the substrate is placed facing, and locally forming a liquid immersion area with the liquid under the lens, wherein
in the exposure operation, the substrate is placed to face the lower surface of the nozzle member by the second stage, and the substrate is exposed with the illumination light via the projection optical system and the liquid of the liquid immersion area.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein
the other of the grating section and the heads is supported in a suspended manner by the frame member so that the other of the grating section and the heads is disposed on an outer side of the nozzle member with respect to the projection optical system.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein
the second stage has a holder to hold the substrate, and holds the substrate in a recessed portion on an upper surface of the second stage so that a surface of the substrate and the upper surface of the second stage are substantially flush, the holder being disposed in the recessed portion, and
the second stage maintains, with the upper surface, at least a part of the liquid immersion area that moves off from the substrate held in the recessed portion.

14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising:
a base member on which the second stage is disposed below the nozzle member, wherein
the second stage system has a third stage that is disposed on the base member,
positional information of the third stage is measured with the second encoder system, and the third stage is moved by the second drive system, and
the controller controls the second drive system so that the third stage is moved from one side to an other side in the first direction in order to cause the third stage to move close, from the one side in the first direction, to the second stage that is placed facing the projection optical system, and also the second and the third stages that have come close together are moved from the one si

Assignees

• Nikon Corp

Inventors

• Shibazaki Yuichi

Classifications

• H10P72/53

  using optical controlling means · CPC title

• H10P72/50

  for positioning, orientation or alignment · CPC title

• G03F7/70341

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

• G03F7/70483

  Information management; Active and passive control; Testing; Wafer monitoring, e.g. pattern monitoring · CPC title

• G03F7/70775 Primary

  Position control, e.g. interferometers or encoders for determining the stage position · CPC title