Stage unit and exposure apparatus

• US 20070103660A1
• Filed: 11/07/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Tanaka, Keiichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,557,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70716 Stages
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70766 Reaction force control means, e.g. countermass

Abstract

When a stage on which a wafer is mounted is driven in an X-axis direction by a liner motor, a reaction force of the drive force is generated at a stator and acts on a counterweight via the stator, and thereby the counterweight moves in a direction opposite to the stage in accordance with movement of the stage in the X-axis direction. Accordingly, the reaction force generated by the drive of the stage can substantially be canceled by the movement of the counterweight. Further, since the counterweight has a first section that is connected to the stator, and a second section that is separated from the first section in the X-axis direction and connected to the first section via a connection section, a partition wall of a chamber can be placed using the connected portion as a boundary, and the second section of the counterweight can be located outside the partition wall. Thus, a stage housing space can be set to smaller.

Claims

1. A stage unit, comprising:

a first stage that has a mount section on which an object is mounted;

a first drive mechanism that has a first mover that is connected to the first stage and a first stator that works with the first mover, and drives the first stage in a first axis direction; and

a first counterweight that has a first section that is connected to the first stator, a second section that is arranged along the first axis direction separately from the first section and a connection section that connects the first section and the second section, and moves in a direction opposite to the first stage in accordance with movement of the first stage in the first axis direction.

2. The stage unit according to claim 1 having

a chamber that houses the first stage, and wherein

the second section is placed outside the chamber.

3. The stage unit according to claim 1 wherein

the first counterweight comprises a power usage supply section that supplies power usage to the first drive mechanism.

4. The stage unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first position adjustment mechanism that adjusts a position of the first counterweight by driving the first counterweight in the first axis direction.

5. The stage unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second stage at least a part of which is connected to the first stage, and that moves integral with the first stage in the first axis direction and a second axis direction orthogonal to the first axis direction;

a second drive mechanism that has a second mover that is connected to the second stage and a second stator that works with the second mover, and drives the first and second stages in the second axis direction; and

a second counterweight that has a third section that is connected to the second stator, a fourth section that is arranged along the second axis direction separately from the third section and a connection section that connects the third section and the fourth section, and moves in a direction opposite to the second stage in accordance with movement of the first and second stages in the second axis direction.

6. The stage unit according to claim 5 having

a chamber that houses the first and second stages, and wherein

the second section and the fourth section are placed outside the chamber.

7. The stage unit according to claim 5 wherein

the first counterweight comprises a power usage supply section that supplies power usage to the first drive mechanism, and

the second counterweight comprises a power usage supply section that supplies power usage to the second drive mechanism.

8. The stage unit according to claim 5, further comprising:

a first position adjustment mechanism that adjusts a position of the first counterweight by driving the first counterweight in the first axis direction; and

a second position adjustment mechanism that adjusts a position of the second counterweight by driving the second counterweight in the second axis direction.

9. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with an energy beam in order to form a pattern on the substrate, the apparatus comprising:

the stage unit according to claim 1, on the mount section of which the substrate is mounted as the object.

10. A stage unit, comprising:

a stage that has a mount section on which an object is mounted;

a drive mechanism that has a coil and a magnet, and drives the stage in one axis direction; and

a counterweight where at least one of an electric current supply section that supplies electric current to the coil and a fluid supply section that supplies a fluid to the coil is formed, and that moves in a direction opposite to the stage in accordance with movement of the stage in the one axis direction.

11. The stage unit according to claim 10 wherein

at least one of the electric current supply section and the fluid supply section is formed inside the counterweight in a state of being isolated from the outside of the counterweight.

12. The stage unit according to claim 10 wherein

the counterweight has a first section that is connected to one of the coil and the magnet, a second section that is arranged along the one axis direction separately from the first section and a connection section that connects the first section and the second section.

13. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with an energy beam in order to form a pattern on the substrate, the apparatus comprising:

the stage unit according to claim 10, on the mount section of which the substrate is mounted as the object.

14. A stage unit, comprising:

a stage that has a mount section on which an object is mounted;

a drive mechanism that has a mover that is connected to the stage and a stator that works with the mover, and drives the stage in one axis direction; and

a counterweight that has a first section that is connected to the stator and a second section that is placed in a second space that is different from a first space in which the first section is placed, and moves in a direction opposite to the stage in accordance with movement of the stage in the one axis direction.

15. A stage unit, comprising:

a stage that has a mount section on which an object is mounted;

a drive mechanism that has a mover that is connected to the stage and a stator that works with the mover, and drives the stage in one axis direction; and

a counterweight that has a first section that is connected to the stator and moves in a direction opposite to the stage in accordance with movement of the stage in the one axis direction, a second section that is supported movable synchronously with the first section and a connection section that connects the first section and the second section.