Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and device fabrication method

• US 20070002299A1
• Filed: 04/20/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Makinouchi, Susumu, Imai, Motokatsu
• Granted Patent: US 7,932,996 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/55
• 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 forms an immersion area by supplying a liquid onto a part of a substrate, and forms a prescribed pattern on the substrate through the liquid. A spare immersion area, which is capable of holding part of the liquid on the substrate, is formed at the outer circumference of the immersion area. It is possible to prevent the separation of the liquid, which is disposed between a lower surface of a projection optical system and a substrate surface, from the lower surface of the projection optical system in accordance with the relative movement of the projection optical system and the substrate.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus that forms an immersion area by supplying a liquid onto a part of a substrate, and forms a prescribed pattern on the substrate through the liquid, wherein a spare immersion area, which is capable of holding part of the liquid on the substrate, is formed at an outer circumference of the immersion area.

2. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a projection optical system, wherein:

the prescribed pattern is formed by exposing the substrate through the projection optical system and the liquid positioned between the projection optical system and the substrate; and

when the projection optical system and the substrate move relatively to one another, part of the liquid of the immersion area moves to the spare immersion area, and part of the liquid of the spare immersion area also moves to the immersion area, in accordance with a direction of the relative movement.

3. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid of the spare immersion area is held by a liquid holding part provided in a manner such that the liquid holding part is spaced apart by a prescribed distance from the outer circumference of the immersion area.

4. An exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the liquid holding part is provided at an outer circumference of a substantially annular groove part formed in a lower surface of the projection optical system.

5. An exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the liquid holding part has a substantially annular wall part.

6. An exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the liquid holding part has a plurality of projection parts, which are disposed substantially annularly.

7. An exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the liquid holding part is made of an elastic material.

8. An exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of the liquid holding parts is provided.

9. An exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a lyophilic area is formed in the liquid holding part.

10. An exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a liquid recovery part, which recovers the liquid, is provided at an outer circumference of the liquid holding part.

11. An exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the liquid recovery part, which recovers the liquid, is provided to a bottom surface of the groove part.

28. A device fabrication method that includes a lithographic process, wherein an exposure apparatus according to Claim 1, is used in the lithographic process.

12. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate by filling a gap between the substrate and a projection optical system with a liquid, and projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through the projection optical system and the liquid, wherein:

an immersion area that includes a projection area of the projection optical system and that is continually filled with the liquid during an exposure operation, and a spare immersion area provided to an outer circumference of the immersion area are formed; and

a first area wherein the liquid exists and a second area wherein the liquid does not exist are formed in the spare immersion area during the exposure operation, and positions of the first area and the second area inside the spare immersion area change in accordance with the exposure operation.

13. An exposure method for exposing a substrate by forming an immersion area by supplying a liquid onto part of a substrate, which includes a projection area of a projection optical system, and projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through the projection optical system and the liquid positioned between the projection optical system and the substrate, the method comprising the step of disposing part of the liquid supplied onto the substrate in a spare immersion area that is formed at an outer circumference of the immersion area.

14. An exposure method according to claim 13, wherein the step of disposing part of the liquid in the spare immersion area is performed prior to exposure of the substrate.

15. An exposure method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of supplying and recovering the liquid to and from the immersion area and the spare immersion area, wherein the amount of the liquid supplied to the immersion area and the spare immersion area is greater than the amount of liquid recovered.

29. A device fabrication method that includes a lithographic process, wherein an exposure method according to claim 13 is used in the lithographic process.

16. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate by forming an immersion area by supplying a liquid onto part of the substrate, and projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through the liquid, wherein the immersion area has a first area that includes an area wherein the pattern image is projected;

and a second area, which is proximate to the first area, wherein the liquid is capable of moving to and from the first area.

17. An exposure apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the second area is formed around the first area;

and the amount of the liquid held by the second area changes in accordance with a direction in which the substrate moves during the exposure.

18. An exposure apparatus according to claim 16, comprising:

a first liquid holding part that specifies a boundary between the first area and the second area; and

a second liquid holding part that specifies the second area on a side where the second liquid holding part does not contact the first area.

19. An exposure apparatus according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the first liquid holding part and the second liquid holding part has a first surface that extends in a direction that intersects a surface of the substrate, and a second surface that contacts the first surface and opposes the substrate.

20. An exposure apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the first liquid holding part and the second liquid holding part are disposed so that the second area is formed around the first area, and so that the amount of the liquid held by the second area is specified in accordance with a direction in which the substrate moves during the exposure.

21. An exposure apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the liquid contacts a gas in the second liquid holding part.

22. An exposure apparatus according to claim 18, comprising a liquid holding member that is disposed so that it opposes the substrate, wherein the liquid holding member includes the first liquid holding part and the second liquid holding part, and has a groove part formed in a surface opposing the substrate and between the first liquid holding part and the second liquid holding part.

23. An exposure apparatus according to claim 22, wherein a distance between the first liquid holding part and the second liquid holding part is set to five times or more greater than a distance between the substrate and the liquid holding member.

24. An exposure apparatus according to claim 22, wherein at least one of a liquid supply port, which supplies the liquid to the immersion area, and a liquid recovery part, which recovers the liquid from the immersion area, is provided to the liquid holding member.

25. An exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein at least one of the liquid supply port and the liquid recovery part is provided to the groove part.

26. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate by forming an immersion area by supplying a liquid onto a part of the substrate, and projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through the liquid, the apparatus comprising:

a liquid holding member for forming the immersion area, wherein the immersion area includes a first area, wherein the liquid is continually held during exposure, and a second area, which is capable of moving with respect to the liquid holding member during the exposure.

27. An exposure apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the immersion area is specified by a contact part between the liquid holding member and the liquid, and the liquid of the second area contacts a gas at a circumference of the contact part.