EXPOSURE APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING DEVICE

• US 20070247600A1
• Filed: 06/22/2007
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Owa, Soichi, Mizuno, Yasushi, Tanimoto, Akikazu, Nakano, Katsushi, Kobayashi, Naoyuki, Shiraishi, Kenichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,174,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/30
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/52 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/00 Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor using photoresist structures for special production processes, see the relevant places, e.g. B44C, H01L, e.g. H01L21/00, H05K
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/2041 in the presence of a fluid, e.g. immersion; using fluid cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70316 Details of optical elements, e.g. of Bragg reflectors, extreme ultraviolet [EUV] multilayer or bilayer mirrors or diffractive optical elements
• 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 7/70775 Position control, e.g. interferometers or encoders for determining the stage position
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7085 Detection arrangement, e.g. detectors of apparatus alignment possibly mounted on wafers, exposure dose, photo-cleaning flux, stray light, thermal load
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70916 Pollution mitigation, i.e. mitigating effect of contamination or debris, e.g. foil traps
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70925 Cleaning, i.e. actively freeing apparatus from pollutants, e.g. using plasma cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70958 Optical materials or coatings, e.g. with particular transmittance, reflectance or anti-reflection properties
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7015 Reference, i.e. alignment of original or workpiece with respect to a reference not on the original or workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7088 Alignment mark detection, e.g. TTR, TTL, off-axis detection, array detector, video detection
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7096 Arrangement, mounting, housing, environment, cleaning or maintenance of apparatus

Abstract

There is provided an exposure apparatus capable of forming a desirable device pattern by removing unnecessary liquid when performing exposure by projecting a pattern onto the substrate via a projection optical system and the liquid. The exposure device projects an image of the pattern onto the substrate P via the projection optical system and the liquid so as to expose the substrate P. The exposure device includes a liquid removing mechanism 40 which removes the liquid remaining on a part 7 arranged in the vicinity of the image plane of the projection optical system.

Claims

1. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:

a substrate table configured to hold a substrate;

a projection system configured to project a patterned beam of radiation onto the substrate, the projection system comprising a final optical element adjacent the substrate;

a liquid supply system configured to provide a liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate table; and

a cleaning device configured to clean the final optical element, the substrate table, or both.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning device comprises a liquid confinement structure of the liquid supply system, the cleaning device configured to clean the final optical element in-line in the lithographic apparatus.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning device comprises an ultrasonic transmitter configured to turn liquid in the space into an ultrasonic cleaning liquid.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning device comprises an optical element configured to supply low wavelength ultraviolet radiation.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the liquid supply system comprises a surface that is transparent to the low wavelength ultraviolet radiation.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the low wavelength ultraviolet radiation has a wavelength of about 193 nm.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning device is configured to supply a cleaning fluid to the space.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning fluid comprises a solvent.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning fluid comprises a detergent.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning fluid comprises a dissolved gas.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the gas is selected from oxygen, ozone or nitrogen.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning device is in the substrate table.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the cleaning device comprises a spray unit.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the spray unit is configured to spray a cleaning fluid onto the optical element, the substrate table, or both.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the cleaning fluid comprises ozone.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the cleaning fluid comprises plasma.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the cleaning fluid comprises liquid carbon dioxide.

18. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the cleaning fluid comprises a non-polar organic solvent.

19. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the cleaning fluid comprises a polar organic solvent.

20. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the cleaning device is configured to clean only the final optical element or to clean only the substrate table.

21. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:

a substrate table configured to hold a substrate;

a projection system configured to project a patterned beam of radiation onto the substrate, the projection system comprising a final optical element adjacent the substrate;

a liquid supply system configured to provide a liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate table; and

a coater configured to coat the final optical element, the substrate table, or both.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the coater comprises a spray unit in the substrate table.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the coater comprises a liquid confinement structure of the liquid supply system, the coating device configured to coat the final optical element in-line in the lithographic apparatus.

24. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the coating device is configured to coat only the final optical element or to clean only the substrate table.

25. The use of a fluid supply system in a lithographic apparatus for the in-line application of (i) a cleaning fluid, (ii) a coating fluid, (iii) a coating remover, or (iv) any combination of (i)-(iii), to a space between a projection system and a substrate table of the lithographic apparatus.

26. A spray unit configured to spray a cleaning fluid onto a final optical element of a lithographic apparatus projection system.

27. An ultrasonic emitter configured to turn a liquid confined in a space between a projection system and a substrate table of lithographic apparatus into an ultrasonic cleaning liquid.

28. A method of cleaning a projection system optical element, a substrate table, or both, in a lithographic apparatus configured to have a liquid in a space between the optical element and the substrate table, the method comprising circulating a cleaning fluid through the space.

29. A method of coating a projection system optical element, a substrate table, or both, in a lithographic apparatus configured to have a liquid in a space between the optical element and the substrate table, the method comprising circulating a coating fluid through the space.