Exposure apparatus and device fabrication method

• US 20060285092A1
• Filed: 04/27/2006
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Ono, Kazuya
• Application Number:
  US11/412,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20060285092A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/30
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70266 Adaptive optics, e.g. deformable optical elements for wavefront control, e.g. for aberration adjustment or correction
• 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 7/70591 Testing optical components
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/706 Aberration measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/707 Chucks, e.g. chucking or un-chucking operations or structural details
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70716 Stages
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70825 Mounting of individual elements, e.g. mounts, holders or supports workpiece or mask holders G03F7/707
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7085 Detection arrangement, e.g. detectors of apparatus alignment possibly mounted on wafers, exposure dose, photo-cleaning flux, stray light, thermal load

Abstract

An exposure apparatus for forming a predetermined pattern on a substrate by using exposure light, includes a stage apparatus which is movable with respect to an optical axis of the exposure light; a light-transmissive member provided at the stage apparatus, wherein a liquid is supplied on an upper surface of the light-transmissive member; and a measurement device which is settable below the light-transmissive member when measurement using the measurement device is performed. Leakage or entrance of a liquid used for exposure into an optical measurement device such as a wavefront aberration measurement device can be prevented, thereby enabling preferable optical adjustment such as imaging performance or optical characteristics.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus in which a gap between a projection optical system and a substrate which is held by a stage apparatus is filled with a liquid, and a pattern image is projected via the projection optical system and the liquid onto the substrate, so as to expose the substrate, wherein the stage apparatus has:

a setting portion for setting a measurement device which is detachably attachable to the stage apparatus; and

a light-transmissive member which is arranged on an optical path of measurement light of the measurement device when the measurement device is set at the setting portion.

2. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the setting portion and the light-transmissive member are provided at a peripheral edge of the stage apparatus.

3. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the light-transmissive member has a recessed or protruding part formed on an upper surface thereof, so as to hold the liquid.

4. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the light-transmissive member is liquid-repellent.

5. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein positions of an upper surface of the stage apparatus and an upper surface of the light-transmissive member are substantially the same along an optical axis of the projection optical system.

6. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein the position of the upper surface of the light-transmissive member substantially coincides with a position of an upper surface of the substrate held by the stage apparatus, along the optical axis of the projection optical system.

7. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the light-transmissive member is one of optical elements as constituents of the measurement device.

8. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 7, wherein the light-transmissive member has a lens.

9. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the measurement device performs measurement while the upper surface of the light-transmissive member is covered with the liquid.

27. A device fabrication method for fabricating a device using an exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 1.

10. An exposure apparatus for forming a predetermined pattern on a substrate by using exposure light, comprising:

a stage apparatus which is movable with respect to an optical axis of the exposure light;

a light-transmissive member provided at the stage apparatus, wherein a liquid is supplied on an upper surface of the light-transmissive member; and

a measurement device which is settable below the light-transmissive member when measurement using the measurement device is performed.

11. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein the measurement device is detachably attachable to the stage apparatus.

12. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 10, further comprising a measurement mechanism for moving the measurement device to a position below the light-transmissive member.

13. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein the substrate is held by the stage apparatus.

14. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 10, further comprising:

a projection optical system, wherein exposure is performed while a gap between the projection optical system and the substrate is filled with the liquid.

15. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein the light-transmissive member is positioned on an optical path of measurement light of the measurement device.

16. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein the light-transmissive member is one of optical elements as constituents of the measurement device.

17. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 16, wherein the light-transmissive member has a lens.

18. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein the light-transmissive member is detachably attachable to the stage apparatus.

19. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein the measurement device performs measurement while the liquid is present on the upper surface of the light-transmissive member.

20. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein the light-transmissive member is provided at a peripheral edge of the stage apparatus.

21. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein a holding part for holding the liquid is provided on an upper surface of the light-transmissive member.

22. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein a recessed or protruding part for holding the liquid is provided on an upper surface of the light-transmissive member.

23. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein an upper surface of the light-transmissive member is liquid-repellent.

24. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein an upper surface of the light-transmissive member and an upper surface of the substrate disposed on the stage apparatus are substantially the same height.

25. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 19, wherein the upper surface of the light-transmissive member and an upper surface of the stage apparatus have substantially the same height.

26. The exposure apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein the stage apparatus has a first stage for holding the substrate and a second stage provided independently of the first stage, and the light-transmissive member is provided at the second stage.