Exposure apparatus and method for producing device
First Claim
1. An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate by transferring an image of a pattern through a liquid onto the substrate, comprising:
- a projection optical system which projects the image of the pattern onto the substrate;
a first substrate stage which holds the substrate;
a liquid supply unit which supplies the liquid to a side of an image plane of the projection optical system; and
a surface-detecting system which detects surface information about a surface of the substrate not through the liquid, wherein;
the substrate is subjected to liquid immersion exposure while adjusting a positional relationship between the surface of the substrate and the image plane formed through the liquid by the projection optical system on the basis of the detected surface information.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An exposure apparatus performs exposure for a substrate by filling a space between a projection optical system and the substrate with a liquid and projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate through the liquid by using the projection optical system. The exposure apparatus includes a substrate stage for holding the substrate, a liquid supply unit for supplying the liquid to a side of an image plane of the projection optical system, and a focus/leveling-detecting system for detecting surface information about a surface of the substrate not through the liquid. The exposure apparatus performs liquid immersion exposure for the substrate while adjusting a positional relationship between the surface of the substrate and the image plane formed through the projection optical system and the liquid, on the basis of the surface information detected by the focus/leveling-detecting system. The liquid immersion exposure can be performed at a satisfactory pattern transfer accuracy.
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Citations
66 Claims
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1. An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate by transferring an image of a pattern through a liquid onto the substrate, comprising:
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a projection optical system which projects the image of the pattern onto the substrate;
a first substrate stage which holds the substrate;
a liquid supply unit which supplies the liquid to a side of an image plane of the projection optical system; and
a surface-detecting system which detects surface information about a surface of the substrate not through the liquid, wherein;
the substrate is subjected to liquid immersion exposure while adjusting a positional relationship between the surface of the substrate and the image plane formed through the liquid by the projection optical system on the basis of the detected surface information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 27)
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14. An exposure apparatus for exposing a plurality of shot areas on a substrate by successively exposing the plurality of shot areas on the substrate with an image of a pattern through a liquid, comprising:
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a projection optical system which projects the image of the pattern onto the substrate;
a first substrate stage which holds the substrate;
a liquid supply unit which supplies the liquid to a side of an image plane of the projection optical system; and
a first alignment system which detects an alignment mark on the substrate not through the liquid, wherein;
the substrate is subjected to liquid immersion exposure while performing alignment of the substrate and the pattern on the basis of a result of the detection performed by the first alignment system. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28)
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29. A liquid immersion exposure method for exposing a substrate by transferring an image of a pattern onto the substrate through a liquid, comprising the steps of:
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determining a surface information about a surface of the substrate by performing measurement not through the liquid supplied onto the substrate;
supplying the liquid onto the substrate; and
performing liquid immersion exposure for the substrate while adjusting a positional relationship between the substrate surface and an image plane formed through the liquid on the basis of the determined surface information. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. A liquid immersion exposure method for exposing a substrate by transferring an image of a pattern onto the substrate through a liquid, comprising the steps of:
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detecting an alignment mark on the substrate when the liquid is not supplied onto the substrate;
supplying the liquid onto the substrate; and
performing liquid immersion exposure for the substrate while performing alignment of the pattern and the substrate onto which the liquid has been supplied, on the basis of a result of the detection of the alignment mark. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:
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a support structure configured to hold a patterning device, the patterning device configured to pattern a beam of radiation according to a desired pattern;
a substrate table configured to hold a substrate;
a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate;
a liquid supply system configured to provide a liquid in a space between the final element of said projection system and said substrate; and
a measurement system configured to measure, not through said liquid, the location of each of a plurality of points on said substrate. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A device manufacturing method comprising:
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providing a liquid in a space between a final element of a projection system and a substrate;
measuring the location of each of a plurality of points on a substrate using a measurement beam projected from a measurement system but not projected through said liquid; and
projecting a patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of the substrate using the projection system. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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Specification