Exposure method, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

• US 20070139632A1
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Tomoharu, Hoshika, Ryuichi, Shiraishi, Kenichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,064,039 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/55
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/2041 in the presence of a fluid, e.g. immersion; using fluid cooling means
• 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 7/70608 Monitoring the unpatterned workpiece, e.g. measuring thickness, reflectivity or effects of immersion liquid on resist
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70858 Environment aspects, e.g. pressure of beam-path gas, temperature pollution aspects G03F7/70916

Abstract

A liquid immersion device that has an mixing mechanism that mixes and dissolves a predetermined substance for adjusting specific resistance of the liquid, which is supplied onto a liquid repellent film on the surface of an object (member) of a projection optical system placed on the light emitting side of projection optical system, and an liquid immersion area is formed by supplying the liquid in which the predetermined liquid is dissolved onto the liquid repellent film.

Claims

1. An exposure method in which an object is exposed via a liquid, the method comprising:

a process in which a predetermined substance that adjusts specific resistance of the liquid is dissolved in the liquid and an liquid immersion area is formed by supplying the liquid in which the predetermined substance is dissolved on a film formed on the object; and

a process in which exposure is performed by irradiating an exposure light on the object via the liquid and a predetermined pattern is formed.

2. The exposure method of claim 1 wherein

the film on the object is made of a sensitive material used to form the pattern.

3. The exposure method of claim 2 wherein

the film on the object is liquid repellent to the liquid that forms the liquid immersion area.

4. The exposure method of claim 1 wherein

the film on the object is formed so as to cover a sensitive material used to form the pattern.

5. The exposure method of claim 4 wherein

the film on the object is liquid repellent to the liquid that forms the liquid immersion area.

6. The exposure method of claim 1 wherein

by adjusting the specific resistance of the liquid, deterioration of the film on the object due to charge of the liquid is prevented.

7. The exposure method of claim 1 wherein

the predetermined substance includes carbon dioxide.

8. A device manufacturing method including a lithographic process, wherein

in said lithographic process, a device pattern is formed on an object by exposing the object using an exposure method in claim 1.

9. An exposure apparatus that exposes an object by irradiating an exposure beam on the object via an optical member and a liquid and forms a predetermined pattern on the object, the apparatus comprising:

a sensor that receives a light that has the same wavelength as the exposure beam via a liquid repellent film on the surface of a member placed on the light emitting side of the optical member and a liquid on the liquid repellent film; and

a liquid immersion device that has a mixing mechanism in which a predetermined substance that adjusts specific resistance of the liquid supplied onto the liquid repellent film is mixed and dissolved in the liquid, and supplies the liquid in which the predetermined substance is dissolved onto the liquid repellent film so as to form an liquid immersion area.

10. The exposure apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

an object stage on which the object is mounted, wherein

the member is arranged on the object stage.

11. The exposure apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

an object stage on which the object is mounted; and

a measurement stage on which the member is arranged, the measurement stage being different from the object stage.

12. The exposure apparatus of claim 10 wherein

at least one of the object on the object stage and the member in contact with the liquid on the object stage is grounded.

13. The exposure apparatus of claim 10 wherein

a part of the object stage in contact with the object is made of a conductive material.

14. The exposure apparatus of claim 9 wherein

by adjusting the specific resistance of the liquid, deterioration of the liquid repellent film due to charge of the liquid is prevented.

15. The exposure apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

an adjustment device that adjusts at least a part of an optical system, taking into consideration a refractive index change of the liquid due to dissolution of the predetermined substance.

16. The exposure apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a control device that performs dose control with respect to the object, taking into consideration transmittance change of the liquid due to dissolution of the predetermined substance to a light having the same wavelength as the exposure beam.

17. The exposure apparatus of claim 9 wherein

the predetermined substance includes carbon dioxide.

18. A device manufacturing method including a lithographic process, wherein

in said lithographic process, a device pattern is formed on an object by using an exposure apparatus in claim 9.

19. An exposure apparatus that exposes an object by irradiating an exposure beam on the object via a liquid and forms a predetermined pattern on the object, the apparatus comprising:

an object stage on which the object is mounted; and

a liquid immersion device that has a mixing mechanism in which a predetermined substance that adjusts specific resistance of the liquid supplied onto a predetermined film formed on the object mounted on the object stage is mixed and dissolved in the liquid, and supplies the liquid in which the predetermined substance is dissolved onto the film so as to form an liquid immersion area.

20. The exposure apparatus of claim 19 wherein

the liquid immersion device further has a supply member that supplies the liquid onto the film and a liquid adjustment mechanism that performs at least one of temperature control and flow amount control of the liquid sent to the supply member, whereby

the mixing mechanism mixes and dissolves the predetermined substance into the liquid at one of a place between the liquid adjustment mechanism and the supply member and a place on the upstream side of the liquid adjustment mechanism.

21. The exposure apparatus of claim 20 wherein

at least one of the object and the supply member is grounded.

22. The exposure apparatus of claim 19 wherein

a part of the object stage in contact with the object is made of a conductive material.

23. The exposure apparatus of claim 19 wherein

by adjusting the specific resistance of the liquid, deterioration of the film on the object due to charge of the liquid is prevented.

24. The exposure apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

an adjustment device that adjusts at least a part of an optical system, taking into consideration a refractive index change of the liquid due to dissolution of the predetermined substance.

25. The exposure apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a control device that performs dose control with respect to the object, taking into consideration transmittance change of the liquid due to dissolution of the predetermined substance to a light having the same wavelength as the exposure beam.

26. The exposure apparatus of claim 19 wherein

the predetermined substance includes carbon dioxide.

27. A device manufacturing method including a lithographic process, wherein

in said lithographic process, a device pattern is formed on an object by using an exposure apparatus in claim 19.

28. A device manufacturing method including a lithographic process in which an object is exposed via a liquid within an exposure apparatus connecting to a substrate processing apparatus and a device pattern is formed on the object, wherein

electrical charge of the object is removed by soaking the object with a conductive liquid before the object is carried into the exposure apparatus.

29. The device manufacturing method of claim 28 wherein

the soaking of the object with the conductive liquid is performed within the substrate processing apparatus.

30. The device manufacturing method of claim 28, wherein

a resist film is formed on the object within the substrate processing apparatus.