Exposure Apparatus and Device Fabricating Method

• US 20080002163A1
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Shibazaki, Yuichi, Fujiwara, Tomoharu
• Granted Patent: US 8,330,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/30
• 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 7/70733 Handling masks and workpieces, e.g. exchange of workpiece or mask, transport of workpiece or mask

Abstract

The present invention provides an exposure apparatus can suppress the occurrence of residual liquid. An exposure apparatus (EX) comprises: a first stage (ST1) that holds the substrate (P) and is movable; a second stage (ST2) that is movable independently of the first stage (ST1); and a liquid immersion mechanism (12, and the like) that forms a liquid immersion region (LR) of a liquid (LQ) on an upper surface of at least one stage of the first stage (ST1) and the second stage (ST2); wherein, a recovery port (51) that is capable of recovering the liquid (LQ) is provided to the upper surface of the second stage (ST2).

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate through a projection optical system, comprising:

a first stage that holds the substrate and is movable within a two dimensional plane on the image plane side of the projection optical system that is substantially parallel to the image plane;

a second stage that is movable independently of the first stage within a two dimensional plane on the image plane side of the projection optical system that is substantially parallel to the image plane; and

a liquid immersion mechanism that forms a liquid immersion region of a liquid on an upper surface of at least one stage of the first stage and the second stage;

wherein,

a recovery port that is capable of recovering the liquid is provided to or in the vicinity of the upper surface of the second stage.

2. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a drive mechanism that moves the first stage and the second stage together within a prescribed area that includes a position that is directly below the projection optical system while maintaining a prescribed state wherein the upper surface of the first stage and the upper surface of the second stage are proximate to or in contact with one another.

3. An exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the upper surface of the first stage and the upper surface of the second stage are substantially flush with one another in the prescribed state.

4. An exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the recovery port is provided in the vicinity of an area of the upper surface of the second stage that is proximate to or in contact with the upper surface of the first stage.

5. An exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first stage and the second stage is liquid repellent in the vicinity of the area wherein the upper surface of the first stage and the upper surface of the second stage are proximate to or in contact with one another in the prescribed state.

6. An exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the first stage comprises a protruding portion that projects toward the second stage;

the second stage comprises a recessed portion that corresponds to the protruding portion; and

the protruding portion is disposed in the recessed portion when the first stage and the second stage are in the prescribed state.

7. An exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the protruding portion forms the upper surface of the first stage.

8. An exposure apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the recovery port is provided on the inner side of the recessed portion.

9. An exposure apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the prescribed state includes a first state and a second state;

in the first state, the liquid immersion region is moved between the upper surface of the first stage and the upper surface of the second stage with the recovery port closed by the protruding portion; and

the recovery port recovers the liquid when the first stage and the second stage are in the second state.

10. An exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the prescribed state includes the first state and the second state;

in the first state, the liquid immersion region moves, in a state wherein the liquid is held between the projection optical system and the upper surface of at least one of the first stage and the second stage, between the upper surface of the first stage and the upper surface of the second stage by driving the first stage and the second stage together; and

in the second state, the liquid is recovered by the recovery port of the second stage.

11. An exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the liquid is recovered by the recovery port of the second stage while moving the first stage and the second stage together in the prescribed state.

12. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first stage comprises:

a first holding portion that holds the substrate; and

a second holding portion that detachably holds a plate member, which forms an upper surface that is substantially flush with the upper surface of the substrate, at the circumference of the substrate that is held by the first holding portion;

wherein,

the plate member forms the upper surface of the first stage.

13. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the recovery port is provided on the inner side of the groove portion, which is formed in the second stage.

14. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a vacuum system that is connected to the recovery port via a passageway.

15. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a liquid absorbing member is disposed in the recovery port.

16. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second stage mounts a measuring instrument that performs a measurement related to an exposure process.

17. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

at least part of the operation of recovering the liquid by the recovery port that is provided to the second stage and the operation of recovering the liquid by the recovery port of the liquid immersion mechanism are performed in parallel.

18. An exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

the recovery port of the liquid immersion mechanism recovers the liquid from above the second stage.

19. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the liquid immersion mechanism forms a liquid immersion region on one part of the substrate;

and

the substrate is exposed by radiating the exposure light upon the substrate through the projection optical system and the liquid that forms the liquid immersion region.

20. A device fabricating method, wherein

an exposure apparatus according to claim 1 is used.