Exposure apparatus and method

• US 20050213065A1
• Filed: 03/23/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kitaoka, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,180,574 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/42 for automatic sequential copying of the same original G03B27/34, G03B27/53 take precedence
• 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

Abstract

An exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system for projecting an image of a pattern of a reticle onto an object, via a fluid that is filled in a space between said projection optical system and the object, a vibrator part for vibrating at least one of the fluid, the object, and the projection optical system, and a controller for controlling the vibrator part so that the vibration of at least one of the fluid, the object, and the projection optical system becomes a tolerance during a processing of the object.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus comprising:

a projection optical system for projecting an image of a pattern of a reticle onto an object, via a fluid that is filled in a space between said projection optical system and the object;

a vibrator part for vibrating at least one of the fluid and the object, the object, and the projection optical system; and

a controller for controlling the vibrator part so that at least one of the vibration of the fluid, the object, and the projection optical system becomes a tolerance during a processing of the object.

2. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vibrator part irradiates the ultrasonic wave to the fluid.

3. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller controls at least one of an amplitude and frequency of the vibration.

4. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller sets a different operation mode of the vibrator part in during the processing of the object and a non-processing of the object.

5. An exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said controller sets a switching time of the operation mode to execute the switching of the operation mode during non-processing of the object.

6. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing is an exposure.

7. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing is an alignment of the object and the reticle.

8. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a detector part for detecting at least one of the vibration of the fluid, the object, and the projection optical system.

9. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fluid circulates.

10. An exposure method using an exposure apparatus that includes a projection optical system for projecting a pattern of a reticle onto an object, and exposes the object via the projection optical system and a fluid between the projection optical system and the object, said exposure method comprising the steps of:

a first step for acquiring a first information on a vibration allowed to the fluid, the object, and the project optical system during a processing of the object;

a second step for acquiring a second information on a vibration necessary to remove an air bubble for each mount of unit that exists in the fluid, the object, and/or the projection optical system;

a third step for acquiring a third information on an amount of the air bubble that can be generated in the fluid, the object, and/or the projection optical system; and

a fourth step for controlling an operation mode of vibrator part that vibrates at least one of the fluid, the object, and the projection optical system based on the first to third information.

11. An exposure method according to claim 10, wherein said the operation mode is different during the processing of the object and a non-processing of the object.

12. An exposure method according to claim 11, wherein said vibration of during the processing of the object is smaller than the vibration of the non-processing of the object.

13. An exposure method according to claim 11, wherein said the vibration is stopped during the processing of the object.

14. An exposure method according to claim 10, further comprising a fifth step for setting a switching time of the operation mode to execute the switching of the operation mode during non-processing of the object based on an attenuation time of the vibration of the fluid, the object, and the projection optical system.

15. An exposure method according to claim 10, wherein said processing is an exposure.

16. An exposure method according to claim 10, wherein said processing is an alignment of the object and the reticle.

17. A device fabrication method comprising the steps of:

exposing an object using an exposure apparatus; and

performing a development process for the object exposed,

wherein said exposure apparatus includes,

a projection optical system for projecting an image of a pattern of a reticle onto the object, via a fluid that is filled in a space between said projection optical system and the object;

a vibrator part for vibrating at least one of the fluid, the object, and the projection optical system; and

a controller for controlling the vibrator part so that at least one of the vibration of the fluid, the object, and the projection optical system becomes a tolerance during a processing of the object.