Holding system, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

• US 20050128462A1
• Filed: 11/15/2004
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsui, Shin
• Granted Patent: US 7,187,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/72
• 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 7/70708 being electrostatic; Electrostatically deformable vacuum chucks
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70783 Handling stress or warp of chucks, masks or workpieces, e.g. to compensate for imaging errors or considerations related to warpage of masks or workpieces due to their own weight

Abstract

Disclosed is a holding system for holding an object from the above, against gravity, and it includes at least one holding portion adapted to be in contact with the object, to hold the object from the above, and at least one attracting portion for attracting a limited portion of the object upwardly, without contact thereto.

Claims

1. A holding system for holding an object from the above, against gravity, said holding system comprising:

at least one holding portion adapted to be in contact with the object, to hold the object from the above; and

at least one attracting portion for attracting a limited portion of the object upwardly, without contact thereto.

2. A holding system according to claim 1, wherein said holding portion is adapted to hold the object on the basis of one of electrostatic force, vacuum attraction, electromagnetic force and mechanical holding.

3. A holding system according to claim 1, wherein said attracting portion attracts the limited portion of the object on the basis of electrostatic force.

4. A holding system according to claim 1, further comprising a gap measuring unit for measuring a gap between the object and said attracting portion, wherein the attraction force of said attracting portion is controlled on the basis of the measurement made by said gap measuring unit.

5. A holding system according to claim 1, further comprising a surface measuring unit for measuring a shape of a bottom surface of the object, wherein the attraction force of said attracting portion is controlled in accordance with the measurement made by said surface measuring unit.

6. A holding system according to claim 1, wherein said holding system includes three holding portions each being as aforesaid.

7. A holding system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said holding portion and said attracting portion includes a flowpassage along which a temperature adjusted medium can pass.

8. In an exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern of an original onto a substrate, the improvements residing in the provision of a holding system as recited in claim 1.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a mirror, wherein said holding system holds the mirror.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the original is a reflection type original and wherein said holding system holds the reflection type original.

11. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said holding system holds the substrate.

12. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the holding portion holds a bottom surface portion of the reflection type original, while avoiding a region thereon corresponding to a pattern region.

13. An apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a base plate for holding at least one of the holding portion and the attracting portion, said base plate being held by an original stage.

14. An apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a surface measuring unit for measuring a shape of a bottom surface of the object held by said holding system, wherein the attraction force of said attracting portion is controlled in accordance with the measurement made by said surface measuring unit.

15. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein at least one of said holding portion and said attracting portion includes a flowpassage along which a temperature adjusted medium can pass.

16. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said base plate includes a flowpassage along which a temperature adjusted medium can pass.

17. A device manufacturing method, comprising the steps of:

transferring a pattern of an original onto a substrate by use of an exposure apparatus as recited in claim 8;

and

developing the substrate having the pattern transferred thereto.