Exposure technique

• US 20050052632A1
• Filed: 09/08/2004
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Miyajima, Yoshikazu
• Granted Patent: US 7,345,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/58 Baseboards, masking frames, or other holders for the sensitive material G03B27/53 takes precedence ; for electrophotographic copiers G03G15/65
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70341 Details of immersion lithography aspects, e.g. exposure media or control of immersion liquid supply chemical composition of immersion liquids G03F7/2041
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70733 Handling masks and workpieces, e.g. exchange of workpiece or mask, transport of workpiece or mask

Abstract

An exposure apparatus includes a first substrate stage which positions a substrate in a measurement area, a measurement unit which measures the positioned substrate, a second substrate stage which positions in an exposure area the substrate, measured by the measurement unit, based on the measurement result, while the substrate is immersed in a liquid, an exposure unit which exposes the substrate positioned by the second substrate stage to a pattern, and a control unit which controls parallel process of measurement by the first substrate stage and the measurement unit, and exposure by the second substrate stage and the exposure unit.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus comprising:

a first substrate stage which positions a substrate in a measurement area;

a measurement unit which measures the positioned substrate;

a second substrate stage which positions in an exposure area the substrate, measured by said measurement unit, based on the measurement result, while the substrate is immersed in a liquid;

an exposure unit which exposes the substrate positioned by said second substrate stage to a pattern; and

a control unit which controls parallel process of measurement by said first substrate stage and said measurement unit, and exposure by said second substrate stage and said exposure unit.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first conveyance unit which conveys a first holding unit, holding the substrate, to said first substrate stage;

a second conveyance unit which conveys a second holding unit, holding the measured substrate, from said first substrate stage to said second substrate stage; and

a third conveyance unit which conveys a third holding unit, holding an exposed substrate from said second substrate stage,

wherein said control unit controls said first to third conveyance units to convey said first to third holding units in parallel.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a supply unit which supplies a liquid to said second holding unit during conveyance by said second conveyance unit.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said control unit controls said second conveyance unit and said supply unit to adjust a time required for conveying said second holding unit.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said first substrate stage and said second substrate stage can respectively move to the measurement area and the exposure area, and

said apparatus further comprises a supply unit which supplies a liquid to one of said first and second substrate stages, which holds the substrate measured by said measurement unit, while the one moves from the measurement area to the exposure area.

6. An apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a first chamber which houses the measurement area and the exposure area;

a unit which recovers a liquid supplied to said second holding unit;

a unit which dries the substrate; and

a second chamber which houses said recovery unit and said drying unit,

wherein said third conveyance unit conveys said third holding unit from said first chamber to said second chamber.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a supply unit which supplies a liquid onto the substrate; and

a recovery unit which recovers the liquid from the substrate.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second substrate stage moves with a holding unit, holding the substrate, immersed in a liquid bath arranged in the exposure area.

9. A device manufacturing method comprising steps of:

exposing a substrate to a pattern using an exposure apparatus as recited in claim 1;

and

developing the exposed substrate.

10. An exposure method comprising:

a measurement step of positioning a substrate in a measurement area using a first substrate stage, and measuring the positioned substrate; and

an exposure step of positioning in an exposure area the substrate measured in said measurement step, based on the measurement result, using a second substrate stage, and exposing the positioned substrate to a pattern, while the substrate is immersed in a liquid,

wherein said measurement step and said exposure step are executed in parallel.

11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

a first conveyance step of conveying a first holding unit, holding the substrate, to the first substrate stage;

a second conveyance step of conveying a second holding unit, holding the measured substrate, from the first substrate stage to the second substrate stage; and

a third conveyance step of conveying a third holding unit, holding an exposed substrate from the second substrate stage,

wherein said first to third conveyance steps are executed in parallel.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising a supply step of supplying a liquid to the second holding unit during said second conveyance step.