Exposure apparatus and method for producing device

• US 20060152699A1
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Hirukawa, Shigeru, Chiba, Hiroshi, Kobayashi, Naoyuki, Nei, Masahiro
• Application Number:
  US11/372,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20060152699A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/53
• 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 9/7011 Pre-exposure scan; original with original holder alignment; Prealignment, i.e. workpiece with workpiece holder
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7015 Reference, i.e. alignment of original or workpiece with respect to a reference not on the original or workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7019 Calibration
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7034 Leveling
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7046 Strategy, e.g. mark, sensor or wavelength selection
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7088 Alignment mark detection, e.g. TTR, TTL, off-axis detection, array detector, video detection
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7096 Arrangement, mounting, housing, environment, cleaning or maintenance of apparatus

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.

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

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. A method according to claim 5, further comprising a supply step of supplying a liquid to the substrate on the second substrate stage during said exposure step.