Exposure apparatus and method, and device manufacturing method

• US 20070127002A1
• Filed: 11/02/2006
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Nagasaka, Hiroyuki
• Application Number:
  US11/591,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20070127002A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70275 Multiple projection paths, e.g. array of projection systems, microlens projection systems or tandem projection systems
• 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 an optical system having a plurality of optical members through which exposure light passes respectively and that are positioned so as to face a substrate, and a liquid immersion system that causes a space between each of the optical members and the substrate to be filled with the liquid. The substrate is exposed via the liquid and at least one of the optical members.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate via a liquid using exposure light, comprising:

an optical system having a plurality of optical members, the exposure light passing though each of the optical members, the substrate being positioned opposite the optical members; and

a liquid immersion system that causes a space between each of the optical members and the substrate to be filled with the liquid.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid immersion system has a supply port that supplies the liquid.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the liquid immersion system has a plurality of supply ports corresponding to the plurality of optical members.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the supply port is placed between the optical members.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the liquid immersion system has a collection port that recovers the liquid.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the liquid immersion system has a plurality of collection ports corresponding to the plurality of optical members.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the collection port is placed so as to surround the optical members.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid immersion system forms a single liquid immersion area on the substrate such that a space between each of the optical members and the substrate is filled with the liquid.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid immersion system forms a plurality of liquid immersion areas on the substrate such that spaces between each of the optical members and the substrate are filled with the liquid.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a liquid contact surface that is located between the optical members and between which and the substrate the liquid is held.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a refractive index of the optical member relative to the exposure light is greater than a refractive index of the liquid relative to the exposure light.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the refractive index of the liquid is approximately 1.5 or more.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the refractive index of the optical member is approximately 1.6 or more.

14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein irradiation areas of the exposure light from the optical members are located in different positions in at least a first direction on a predetermined plane, and, during the exposure, the plurality of irradiation areas and the substrate are moved relatively to each other in a direction that is parallel to the predetermined plane.

15. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the optical members are each placed in positions where end portions of the irradiation areas overlap in the first direction with irradiation areas of adjacent optical members.

16. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the optical members are placed such that the irradiation areas are separated in the first direction.

17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the optical members are each placed in positions where, in a second direction that intersects the first direction, the irradiation areas are different from irradiation areas of adjacent optical members.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein during the exposure, the plurality of irradiation areas and the substrate are moved relatively in a second direction that intersects the first direction.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the optical members is at least a portion of a projection optical system that projects a pattern image onto the substrate.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a semiconductor wafer.

21. A device manufacturing method that uses the exposure apparatus according to claim 1.

22. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate via a liquid using exposure light, comprising:

an optical system having a plurality of optical members, irradiation areas of the exposure light from the optical members being in different positions in at least a first direction on a predetermined plane;

a movement system that, during the exposure, moves the plurality of irradiation areas and the substrate relatively to each other in a second direction that intersects the first direction; and

a liquid immersion system that, during the exposure, fills a space between at least one of the optical members through which the exposure light passes and the substrate with the liquid so as to form a liquid immersion space.

23. The exposure apparatus according to claim 22, wherein a refractive index of the optical member is greater than that of synthetic quartz or fluorite.

24. The exposure apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the refractive index of the optical member is approximately 1.6 or more.

25. The exposure apparatus according to claim 22, wherein a light emission surface of the optical member has a concave surface facing time predetermined plane.

26. The exposure apparatus according to claim 22, wherein a refractive index of the liquid is greater than that of pure water.

27. The exposure apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the refractive index of the liquid is approximately 1.5 or more.

28. The exposure apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the refractive index of the optical member is greater than that of the liquid.

29. The exposure apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the liquid immersion system is capable of forming the liquid immersion space for each of the optical members.

30. The exposure apparatus according to claim 29, wherein, for each of the optical members, the liquid immersion system has a supply port that supplies the liquid and a collection port that recovers the liquid.

31. The exposure apparatus according to claim 22, wherein, during the exposure, the immersion system forms at least one liquid immersion area on at least some of the optical members through which the exposure light passes.

32. The exposure apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the liquid immersion system has a plurality of supply ports that supply the liquid and a collection port that recovers the liquid.

33. The exposure apparatus according to claim 22, wherein each of the optical members forms at least a portion of a projection optical system that projects a pattern i mage on the substrate.

34. The exposure apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the substrate includes a semiconductor wafer.

35. A device manufacturing method that uses the exposure apparatus according to claim 22.

36. An exposure method for exposing a substrate via a liquid using exposure light, the method comprising:

forming a liquid immersion space for the liquid between at least one of optical members through which the exposure light passes and the substrate; and

exposing the substrate by the exposure light via at least one of the optical members and the liquid in the liquid immersion space.

40. The exposure apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the refractive index of the optical member is approximately 1.6 or more.

42. The exposure apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the refractive index of the liquid is approximately 1.5 or more.

43. The exposure apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the refractive index of the optical member is greater than that of the liquid.

44. The exposure apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the substrate includes a semiconductor wafer.

45. A device manufacturing method that uses the exposure apparatus according to claim 36.

37. The exposure method according to clam 36, wherein positions of irradiation areas of the exposure light from the optical members are different in at least a first direction on a predetermined plane, and, during the exposure, the plurality of irradiation areas and the substrate are moved relatively to each other in a direction that is parallel to the predetermined plane.

38. The exposure method according to claim 37, wherein positions of at least some of the irradiation areas different in a second direction that intersects the first direction.

39. The exposure method according to claim 37, wherein, during the exposure, the plurality of irradiation areas and the substrate are moved relatively to each other in a second direction that intersects the first direction.

41. The exposure apparatus according to claim 37, wherein a light emission surface of the optical member has a concave surface facing the predetermined plane.