Exposure Apparatus, Exposure Method, and Method for Producing Device

• US 20070216889A1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Nishii, Yasufumi
• Application Number:
  US11/628,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20070216889A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/67
• 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 7/70916 Pollution mitigation, i.e. mitigating effect of contamination or debris, e.g. foil traps

Abstract

An exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system having a plurality of optical elements. A first space, which is disposed on a side of a lower surface of an optical element closest to an image plane of the projection optical system, is filled with a liquid. A second space, which is disposed on a side of an upper surface of the optical element and which is independent from the first space, is filled with a liquid. An exposure light beam is radiated onto a substrate through the liquid in the first space and the liquid in the second space to expose the substrate. An optical element, which is next closest to the image plane with respect to the optical element, is prevented from any pollution with the liquid.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by radiating an exposure light beam onto the substrate, the exposure apparatus comprising:

a projection optical system which is provided with a plurality of elements;

a support member which supports a first element closest to an image plane of the projection optical system among the plurality of elements, in a substantially stationary state with respect to an optical axis of the projection optical system;

a first space which is formed on a side of one surface of the first element and which is filled with a liquid; and

a second space which is formed on a side of the other surface of the first element independently from the first space and which is filled with a liquid, wherein;

a liquid immersion area, with which a part of a surface of the substrate is covered, is formed with the liquid in the first space, and the substrate is exposed by radiating the exposure light beam onto the substrate through the liquid in the first space and the liquid in the second space.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid in the first space is different from the liquid in the second space.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the projection optical system has a second element which is next closest to the image plane of the projection optical system with respect to the first element; and

a support member is provided, which supports the first element and the second element.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first element is supported separately from other elements which construct the projection optical system.

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

a first liquid supply mechanism which supplies the liquid to the first space; and

a first liquid recovery mechanism which recovers the liquid supplied to the first space.

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

a flow passage-forming member which is arranged around the first element to oppose to the substrate, which is capable of retaining the liquid between the substrate and the flow passage-forming member, and which is formed with a flow passage for the liquid to be recovered by the first liquid recovery mechanism, wherein;

a recovery port is formed at least at a part of a lower surface of the flow passage-forming member to recover the liquid.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the flow passage-forming member is also formed with a flow passage for the liquid to be supplied by the first liquid supply mechanism.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the flow passage-forming member has liquid supply ports of the first liquid supply mechanism which are formed on both sides of the first element respectively.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a distance between the first element and the substrate is longer than a distance between the lower surface of the flow passage-forming member and the substrate.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

the projection optical system has a second element which is next closest to the image plane of the projection optical system with respect to the first element; and

a distance between the first element and the second element is shorter than the distance between the first element and the substrate.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first element is held by a flow passage-forming member which is formed with at least one of a flow passage for the liquid to be supplied by the first liquid supply mechanism and a flow passage for the liquid to be recovered by the first liquid recovery mechanism.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the flow passage-forming member is also formed with a flow passage for supplying the liquid to the second space independently from the supply of the liquid to the first space.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second liquid supply mechanism which supplies the liquid to the second space.

14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a second liquid recovery mechanism which recovers the liquid supplied to the second space.

15. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the liquid in the second space is exchangeable.

16. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the supply of the liquid by the second liquid supply mechanism is stopped during the exposure for the substrate.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first element is a parallel flat plate.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid in the first space is pure water.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the liquid in the second space is pure water.

21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the projection optical system has a second element which is next closest to the image plane of the projection optical system with respect to the first element;

the first element has a first surface which is arranged to be opposed to a surface of the substrate and through which the exposure light beam passes, and a second surface which is arranged to be opposed to the second element and through which the exposure light beam passes;

the second element has a third surface which is arranged to be opposed to the second surface of the first element and through which the exposure light beam passes; and

the second surface has an areal size which is the same as an areal size of the third surface or which is smaller than the areal size of the third surface.

22. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first element has no refractive power.

23. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first element is detachable from the projection optical system while exerting no influence on an optical characteristic of the projection optical system.

24. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first space is a space which is open to surroundings, and the second space is a space which is closed from surroundings.

25. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second space is defined between the first element and the second element.

26. The exposure apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the liquid flows in parallel to the substrate from the flow passages formed in the flow passage-forming member to the first and second spaces respectively.

33. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first liquid recovery mechanism has a recovery port for recovering the liquid from the first space, and a porous member is arranged in the recovery port.

35. The exposure apparatus according to claim 33, wherein a condition of (4×

g×

cosq)/d³(Pa−

Pb) holds provided that Pa represents a pressure of a space between the porous member and the substrate, Pb represents a pressure of a flow passage space over the porous member, d represents a pore size of the porous member, q represents a contact angle of the porous member with respect to the liquid, and g represents a surface tension of the liquid.

36. A method for producing a device, comprising using the exposure apparatus as defined in claim 1.

17. An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by radiating an exposure light beam onto the substrate, the exposure apparatus comprising:

a projection optical system which is provided with a plurality of elements;

a first space which is formed on a side of one surface of a first element closest to an image plane of the projection optical system among the plurality of elements;

a second space which is formed on a side of the other surface of the first element;

a connecting hole which connects the first space and the second space; and

a liquid supply mechanism which supplies a liquid to one of the first space and the second space to fill the first space and the second space with the liquid via the connecting hole, wherein;

the substrate is exposed by radiating the exposure light beam onto the substrate through the liquid in the first space and the second space.

27. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a liquid recovery mechanism which recovers the liquid from the other of the first space and the second space.

28. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the liquid supply mechanism is provided with a nozzle plate which is formed with a nozzle for discharging the liquid to one of the first space and the second space, and the nozzle plate supports the first element.

29. The exposure apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the nozzle discharges the liquid in parallel to a surface of the substrate.

30. The exposure apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the projection optical system has a barrel which accommodates the plurality of elements, and the barrel is supported independently from the nozzle plate in the exposure apparatus.

31. The exposure apparatus according to claim 30, wherein a seal member, which avoids inflow of the liquid, is disposed between the barrel and the nozzle plate.

32. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein a porous material is provided in the connecting hole.

34. The exposure apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the liquid recovery mechanism has a recovery port for recovering the liquid from the first space, and a porous member is arranged in the recovery port.

49. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the liquid in the first element is a parallel flat plate.

50. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the liquid in the first space is pure water.

51. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the liquid in the second space is pure water.

52. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein:

the projection optical system has a second element which is next closest to the image plane of the projection optical system with respect to the first element;

the first element has a first surface which is arranged to be opposed to a surface of the substrate and through which the exposure light beam passes, and a second element and through which the exposure light beam passes;

the second element has a third surface which is arranged to be opposed to the second surface of the first element and through which the exposure light beam passes; and

the second surface has an areal size which is the same as an areal size of the third surface or which is smaller than the areal size of the third surface.

53. The exposure apparatus according to claim 52, wherein the second space is defined between the first element and the second element.

54. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the first element has no refractive power.

55. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the first element is detachable from the projection optical system while exerting no influence on an optical characteristic of the projection optical system.

56. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the first space is a space which is open to surroundings, and the second space is a space which is closed from surroundings.

57. The exposure apparatus according to claim 34, wherein a condition of (4×

g×

cosq)/d³(Pa−

Pb) holds provided that Pa represents a pressure of a space between the porous member and the substrate, Pb represents a pressure of a flow passage space over the porous member, d represents a pore size of the porous member, q represents a contact angle of the porous member with respect to the liquid, and g represents a surface tension of the liquid.

58. A method for producing a device, comprising using the exposure apparatus as defined in claim 17.

37. An exposure method for exposing a substrate by radiating an exposure light beam onto the substrate via a projection optical system provided with a plurality of elements, the exposure method comprising:

providing a liquid to a first space disposed on a light-exit side of a first element closest to an image plane of the projection optical system among the plurality of elements;

supplying a liquid to a second space disposed on a light-incident side of the first element and isolated from the first space;

exposing the substrate by radiating the exposure light beam onto the substrate trough the liquid in the first space and the liquid in the second space; and

stopping the supply of the liquid to the second space in a state in which the second space is filled with the liquid during a period in which the exposure light beam is radiated onto the substrate.

38. The exposure method according to claim 37, wherein the liquid is supplied to each of the first space and the second space independently when the liquid is provided to each of the first space and the second space.

39. The exposure method according to claim 38, further comprising recovering the liquid from each of the first space and the second space independently.

40. The exposure method according to claim 37, wherein the liquid flows to the first space in parallel to the substrate when the liquid is provided to the first space.

41. The exposure method according to claim 37, wherein a liquid immersion area is formed on a part of the substrate with the liquid in the first space.

42. The exposure method according to claim 41, wherein the liquid immersion area is formed on the part of the substrate by retaining the liquid among a flow passage-forming member arranged in the vicinity of the first element, the first element, and the substrate.

43. The exposure method according to claim 42, wherein the liquid is recovered from the first space from a recovery port formed at least at a part of a lower surface of the flow passage-forming member.

44. The exposure method according to claim 43, wherein a distance between the first element and the substrate is longer than a distance between the lower surface of the flow passage-forming member and the substrate.

45. The exposure method according to claim 44, wherein:

the projection optical system has a second element which is next closest to the image plane of the projection optical system with respect to the first element; and

a distance between the first element and the second element is shorter than the distance between the first element and the substrate.

46. An exposure method for exposing a substrate by radiating an exposure light beam onto the substrate via a projection optical system provided with a plurality of elements, the exposure method comprising:

filling a first space and a second space with a liquid by supplying the liquid to one of the first space and the second space, the first space being formed on a side of one surface of a first element closest to an image plane of the projection optical system among the plurality of elements and the second space being communicated with the first space and formed on a side of the other surface of the first element; and

forming a liquid immersion area to cover a part of a surface of the substrate with the liquid in the first space and radiating the exposure light beam onto the substrate through the liquid in the first space and the second space to expose the substrate.

47. The exposure method according to claim 46, wherein the first space is formed between the substrate and the surface of the first element on a light-exit side.

48. The exposure method according to claim 46, wherein the liquid is supplied to the second space, and the liquid is recovered from the first space.