Exposure apparatus and exposure method, maintenance method, and device manufacturing method

• US 20070085989A1
• Filed: 06/20/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Nagahashi, Yoshitomo, Nakano, Katsushi
• Application Number:
  US11/455,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20070085989A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/42 for automatic sequential copying of the same original G03B27/34, G03B27/53 take precedence
• 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 includes; a supply outlet that supplies a liquid to an optical path space of exposure light, and a liquid supply system that supplies an ionized ionic liquid to the supply outlet.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate, comprising:

a supply outlet that supplies a liquid to an optical path space of exposure light; and

a liquid supply apparatus that supplies an ionized ionic liquid to the supply outlet.

2. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid supply apparatus has an ionic liquid production apparatus that ionizes a liquid to produce the ionic liquid.

3. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid supply apparatus supplies both a positive ion liquid and a negative ion liquid.

4. An exposure apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a first passage in which the positive ion liquid flows to the supply outlet, and

a second passage in which the negative ion liquid flows to the supply outlet.

5. An exposure apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a mixing apparatus that mixes the positive ion liquid flowed from the first passage and the negative ion liquid flowed from the second passage, the mixing apparatus provided in a vicinity of the supply outlet; and

a third passage that connects the mixing apparatus and the supply outlet, wherein

a liquid produced in the mixing apparatus is supplied to the supply outlet via the third passage.

6. An exposure apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a fourth passage that supplies a non ionized non ionic liquid to the mixing apparatus, wherein

a liquid produced in the mixing apparatus is supplied to the supply outlet via the third passage.

7. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fifth passage in which the ionic liquid flows to the supply outlet; and

a sixth passage in which the non ionized non ionic liquid flows to the supply outlet.

8. An exposure apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a mixing apparatus that mixes the ionic liquid flowed from the fifth passage and the non ionic liquid flowed from the sixth passage, the mixing apparatus provided in a vicinity of the supply outlet; and

a seventh passage that connects the mixing apparatus and the supply outlet, wherein

a liquid produced in the mixing apparatus is supplied to the supply outlet via the seventh passage.

9. An exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein an amount of the non ionic liquid supplied to the mixing apparatus is greater than that of the ionic liquid.

10. An exposure apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a control apparatus that controls mixing in the mixing apparatus in response to a charge state of the non ionic liquid.

18. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid includes water.

19. A device manufacturing method that uses an exposure apparatus according to claim 1.

11. An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate, comprising:

a first supply outlet that supplies a positive ion liquid to an optical path space of exposure light, and

a second supply outlet that supplies a negative ion liquid to the optical path space.

20. A device manufacturing method that uses an exposure apparatus according to claim 11.

12. An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate, comprising:

a first supply outlet that supplies an ionized ionic liquid to an optical path space of exposure light, and

a second supply outlet that supplies a non ionized non ionic liquid to the optical path space.

21. A device manufacturing method that uses an exposure apparatus according to claim 12.

13. An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate, comprising:

an immersion mechanism that fills an optical path space of exposure light with a liquid, and

a cleaning mechanism that cleans a predetermined member being in contact with the liquid, with an ionized ionic liquid.

14. An exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the ionic liquid has a positive ion liquid.

15. An exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined member has a passage forming member that forms a passage in which the liquid flows, the passage being connected to the optical path space.

16. An exposure apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the cleaning mechanism supplies the ionic liquid to the passage.

17. An exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined member has an optical member through which the exposure light passes.

22. A device manufacturing method that uses an exposure apparatus according to claim 13.

23. An exposure method for exposing a substrate, comprising:

supplying an ionized ionic liquid to an optical path space of exposure light, and

irradiating the substrate with the exposure light via a liquid, the liquid being filled in the optical path space.

24. An exposure method according to claim 23, further comprising:

respectively supplying a positive ion liquid and a negative ion liquid to the optical path space, wherein

the positive ion liquid and the negative ion liquid are mixed immediately before being supplied to the optical path space.

25. An exposure method according to claim 23, further comprising:

respectively supplying a positive ion liquid and a negative ion liquid to the optical path space, wherein

the positive ion liquid and the negative ion liquid are mixed in the optical path space.

26. An exposure method according to claim 23, further comprising:

supplying a non ionized non ionic liquid to the optical path space.

27. An exposure method according to claim 23, further comprising:

supplying a non ionized non ionic liquid to the optical path space, wherein

the ionic liquid and the non ionic liquid are mixed immediately before being supplied to the optical path space.

28. An exposure method according to claim 23, further comprising:

supplying a non ionized non ionic liquid to the optical path space, wherein

the ionic liquid and the non ionic liquid are mixed in the optical path space.

29. An exposure method according to claim 23, wherein the liquid includes water.

30. A device manufacturing method that uses an exposure method according to claim 23.

31. A maintenance method for an exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate, the method comprising:

cleaning a predetermined member with an ionized ionic liquid, the member being in contact with a liquid filled in an optical path space of exposure light.

32. A maintenance method according to claim 31, wherein the ionic liquid includes a positive ion liquid.

33. A maintenance method according to claim 31, wherein the liquid includes water.

34. An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate, comprising:

an immersion mechanism that fills an optical path space of exposure light with a liquid, and

an antistatic device that prevents a charge of bubbles, the bubbles being generated in the liquid.

35. An exposure apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the antistatic device prevents the charge of bubbles by preventing a charge of the liquid, the bubbles being generated in the liquid.

44. An exposure apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the immersion mechanism supplies a degassed liquid to the optical path space of the exposure light.

45. An exposure apparatus according to claim 44, wherein the antistatic device suppresses a situation where bubbles remain in the degassed liquid.

49. A device manufacturing method that uses an exposure apparatus according to claim 34.

36. An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate, comprising:

an immersion mechanism that fills an optical path space of exposure light with a liquid, and

an antistatic device that prevents a charge of the liquid to thereby suppress defective exposure attributable to bubbles in the liquid.

37. An exposure apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the antistatic device prevents the charge of the liquid before being supplied to the optical path space by the immersion mechanism.

38. An exposure apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the antistatic device prevents the charge of the liquid after being supplied to the optical path space by the immersion mechanism.

39. An exposure apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the antistatic device comprises a charge removal device that removes the charge on the liquid.

40. An exposure apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the antistatic device comprises an earthed conductive member provided at a position where the conductive member is in contact with the liquid.

41. An exposure apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the antistatic device has a mixing device that mixes the liquid with a predetermined substance capable of adjusting resistivity of the liquid.

42. An exposure apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the predetermined substance includes carbon dioxide, and the mixing device dissolves the carbon dioxide in the liquid.

43. An exposure apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the predetermined substance includes an ionized ionic liquid.

50. A device manufacturing method that uses an exposure apparatus according to claim 36.

46. An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate, comprising:

an immersion mechanism that fills an optical path space of exposure light with a liquid, and

a prevention apparatus that prevents defective exposure due to charged bubbles in the liquid.

47. An exposure apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the prevention apparatus prevents the defective exposure by preventing a charge of bubbles generated in the liquid.

48. An exposure apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the prevention apparatus prevents the defective exposure by preventing the liquid being charged.

51. A device manufacturing method that uses an exposure apparatus according to claim 46.

52. An exposure method for exposing a substrate, comprising:

supplying a liquid to an optical path space of exposure light,

preventing bubbles in the liquid being charged to thereby suppress defective exposure due to bubbles in the liquid in the optical path space.

53. An exposure method according to claim 52, wherein the charging of bubbles in the liquid is prevented by preventing charging of the liquid.

55. An exposure method according to claim 52, further comprising:

degassing the liquid supplied to the optical path space to thereby suppress a situation where bubbles remain in the degassed liquid.

57. A device manufacturing method that uses the exposure method according to claim 52.

54. An exposure method for exposing a substrate, comprising:

supplying a liquid to an optical path space of exposure light, and

preventing charging of the liquid to thereby suppress defective exposure due to bubbles in the liquid in the optical path space.

58. A device manufacturing method that uses the exposure method according to claim 54.

56. An exposure method for exposing a substrate, comprising:

supplying a liquid to an optical path space of exposure light, and

preventing charging of the liquid or bubbles in the liquid to thereby suppress a situation where bubbles remain in the liquid in the optical path space.

59. A device manufacturing method that uses the exposure method according to claim 56.