Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method

• US 20060231206A1
• Filed: 03/15/2006
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation, Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation, Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Taro, Nagasaka, Hiroyuki, Hirakawa, Osamu
• Granted Patent: US 7,924,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/345.310
• 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 exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a liquid supply device which supplies liquid onto the substrate from above the substrate through a first and second supply ports disposed in a vicinity of a projection area onto which the pattern image is projected, and a liquid recovery device which recovers liquid on the substrate from above the substrate through an inside recovery port disposed outside the first and second supply ports and an outside the second recovery port disposed outside the inside recovery port.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid, comprising:

a liquid supply device which has a supply port disposed in a vicinity of a projection area onto which the pattern image is projected, and which supplies liquid onto the substrate from above the substrate through the supply port; and

a liquid recovery device which has a first recovery port disposed further from the projection area than the supply port and a second recovery port disposed still further from the projection area than the first recovery port, and which recovers liquid on the substrate from above the substrate through the first recovery port and the second recovery port.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second recovery port is disposed outside the first recovery port relative to the projection area.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first recovery port is disposed so as to surround the projection area.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the supply ports are disposed on both sides of the projection area.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second recovery port is disposed so as to surround the projection area.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a porous member is disposed inside the first recovery port.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a capillary tube member is disposed inside the first recovery port.

22. A device manufacturing method using the exposure apparatus according to claim 1.

8. An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid, comprising a liquid recovery device which has a recovery port disposed above the substrate, and which recovers liquid on the substrate from above the substrate through the recovery port, wherein

a porous member is disposed inside the recovery port.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the porous member includes a spongy member.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the recovery port is disposed so as to surround a projection area onto which the pattern image is projected.

14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a liquid supply device which has a supply port for supplying a liquid onto the substrate from above the substrate, wherein

the supply port is disposed between a projection area onto which the pattern image is projected and the recovery port.

15. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

the supply ports are disposed on both sides of the projection area.

10. An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid, comprising a liquid recovery device which has a recovery port disposed above the substrate, and which recovers liquid on the substrate from above the substrate through the recovery port, wherein

a capillary tube member is disposed inside the recovery port.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

an assembly of capillary tubes is disposed inside the recovery port.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

a brushy member is disposed inside the recovery port.

16. An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid, comprising:

a liquid supply device which has a supply port disposed in a vicinity of a projection area onto which the pattern image is projected, and which supplies liquid onto the substrate from above the substrate through the supply port;

a liquid recovery device which has a recovery port disposed so as to surround the projection area and the supply port, and which recovers liquid on the substrate from above the substrate through the recovery port; and

a control system which controls at least one of a quantity of the liquid supplied through the supply port and a quantity of the liquid recovered through the recovery port, so that only the liquid is recovered through the recovery port.

17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

the liquid supply device has a first measuring device which measures the quantity of the liquid supplied, and

the control system controls at least one of the quantity of the liquid supplied through the supply port and the quantity of the liquid recovered through the recovery port, based on a measurement result of the first measuring device.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

the liquid recovery device has a second measuring device which measures the quantity of the liquid recovered, and

the control system controls at least one of the quantity of the liquid supplied through the supply port and the quantity of the liquid recovered through the recovery port, based on a measurement result of the second measuring device.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a detecting device which detects an edge of a liquid immersion area formed between the projection optical system and the substrate, wherein

the control system controls at least one of the quantity of the liquid supplied through the supply port and the quantity of the liquid recovered through the recovery port, based on a measurement result of the detecting device, so that the edge of the liquid immersion area is formed within a predetermined area including the projection area.

20. An exposure apparatus which forms a liquid immersion area at one part on the substrate, and which exposes a substrate by irradiating an exposure light to the substrate via a liquid which forms the liquid immersion area and a projection optical system, comprising a detecting device which detects an end portion of the liquid immersion area.

21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising:

a liquid supply device which supplies a liquid for forming the liquid immersion area; and

a liquid recovery device which recovers liquid on the substrate;

wherein

at least one of a quantity of the liquid supplied by the liquid supply device and a quantity of the liquid recovered by the liquid recovery device is controlled based on a measurement result of the detecting device.