Exposure apparatus, device manufacturing method, cleaning method, and cleaning member

• US 20080055575A1
• Filed: 08/28/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Tomoharu, Nagasaka, Hiroyuki, Yoda, Yasushi, Hamatani, Masato
• Granted Patent: US 8,570,484 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 7/7085 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 7/70866 of mask or workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70925 Cleaning, i.e. actively freeing apparatus from pollutants, e.g. using plasma cleaning

Abstract

An exposure apparatus is provided with a first member that can form liquid immersion with a first liquid so as to fill an optical path for exposure light with the first liquid, a second member that can form liquid immersion with a second liquid in a position distanced from the first member, and a vibration generator that imparts vibration to the second liquid between the predetermined member and the second member. The predetermined member is cleaned with the second liquid.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with exposure light, comprising:

a first member that can form liquid immersion with a first liquid so as to fill an optical path for the exposure light with the first liquid;

a second member that is disposed apart form the first member and between which and a predetermined member can be formed liquid immersion with a second liquid; and

a vibration generator that imparts vibration to the second liquid between the second member and the predetermined member.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second member has a supply port that can supply the second liquid.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined member can move relatively with respect to the first member and the second member, and

when the predetermined member opposes the first member, liquid immersion can be formed with the first liquid between the predetermined member and the first member.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second member and the predetermined member are relatively moved in a state in which liquid immersion is formed with the second liquid between the second member and the predetermined member.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a recovery port that recovers the second liquid.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the recovery port is formed in the second member.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a gas supply port from which gas is supplied towards the predetermined member to remove the second liquid.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a third member that is formed with the gas supply port and is separated from the second member, wherein

the predetermined member can be arranged in a position opposed to the third member.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the gas supply port is formed in the second member.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined member comprises at least one of;

a substrate stage that is movable while holding the substrate, and a movable measurement stage that does not hold the substrate and on which is mounted a measurement instrument used in exposure-related measurement.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vibration generator vibrates the second member to impart vibration to the second liquid between the second member and the predetermined member.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vibration generator vibrates the predetermined member to impart vibration to the second liquid between the second member and the predetermined member.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the vibration generator comprises a driving mechanism of the predetermined member.

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

a detection device that can detect a contamination status of the predetermined member; and

a control device that controls an operation of forming liquid immersion with the second member, based on a detection result of the detection device.

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

a detection device that can detect a contamination status of the predetermined member; and

a control device that controls an operation of cleaning with the second member, based on a detection result of the detection device.

16. The exposure apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the control device determines whether or not to execute the operation of cleaning with the second member, based on the detection result of the detection device.

17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the detection device comprises an imaging device that can acquire an optical image of the predetermined member.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the detection device comprises;

a projection device that projects detection light onto the predetermined member, and a light receiving device that is arranged in a predetermined position with respect to the detection light.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the detection device comprises;

a quality detection device that can detect a quality of the first liquid after contacting with the predetermined member.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the detection device comprises;

a flexible member;

a driving device that drives the flexible member; and

an observation device that is provided on one end side of the flexible member, and that enables observation of a contamination status of the predetermined member.

21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second liquid is for cleaning.

22. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second liquid includes alcohol.

23. The exposure apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the second liquid includes cleaning water in which a predetermined gas is dissolved in water.

24. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vibration is imparted to the second liquid between the second member and the predetermined member to clean the predetermined member.

25. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vibration generator imparts ultrasonic waves to the second liquid.

43. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

exposing a substrate by means of the exposure apparatus according to claim 1; and

developing the exposed substrate.

26. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with exposure light via a liquid, comprising:

a flexible member;

a driving device that moves the flexible member;

an observation device that is provided on a distal end side of the flexible member, and that enables observation of a contamination status of a predetermined member having been in contact with the liquid; and

an output device that is provided on a base end side of the flexible member, and that outputs an observation result from the observation device.

27. The exposure apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising a first operating device that is provided on the base end side of the flexible member, and that operates the driving device.

28. The exposure apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising a cleaning device that is provided on the distal end side of the flexible member, and that is able to clean the predetermined member.

29. The exposure apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising a second operating device that is provided on the base end side of the flexible member, and that operates the cleaning device.

30. The exposure apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the cleaning device comprises a grind stone used in grinding the predetermined member.

31. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with exposure light via a first liquid, comprising:

an optical element through which the exposure light transmits;

a predetermined member which is movable at a light emitting side of the optical element; and

a vibration generator that imparts vibration to a liquid on the predetermined member, by vibrating the predetermined member.

32. The exposure apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the vibration generator comprises a driving mechanism of the predetermined member.

33. The exposure apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the liquid on the predetermined member comprises a second liquid that is different from the first liquid, and the vibration generator imparts vibration to the second liquid.

34. The exposure apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the second liquid is for cleaning.

35. The exposure apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the second liquid includes cleaning water in which a predetermined gas is dissolved in water.

36. The exposure apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the vibration is imparted to the liquid on the predetermined member to clean the predetermined member.

37. The exposure apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the vibration generator imparts a vibration of 20 kHz or below to the liquid on the predetermined member.

38. The exposure apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the vibration generator imparts ultrasonic waves to the liquid on the predetermined member.

39. The exposure apparatus according to claim 31, further comprising a liquid immersion forming member, wherein

at least a part of liquid immersion of the liquid formed on the predetermined member is provided in at least a part of a space between the predetermined member and the liquid immersion forming member.

40. The exposure apparatus according to claim 39, wherein at least a part of the liquid immersion is provided in an optical path between the optical element and the predetermined member.

41. The exposure apparatus according to claim 40, wherein at least one of the predetermined member, the liquid immersion forming member, and the optical element are cleaned by imparting vibration to a liquid on the predetermined member.

42. The exposure apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the predetermined member comprises at least one of;

a substrate stage that is movable while holding the substrate, and a movable measuring stage that does not hold the substrate and on which is mounted a measurement instrument used in exposure-related measurement.

44. A method for cleaning a predetermined member of an exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with exposure light via a first liquid, the method comprising:

forming liquid immersion with a second liquid on the predetermined member in a position distanced from an optical path of the exposure light; and

imparting vibration to the second liquid on the predetermined member to clean the predetermined member.

47. The cleaning method according to claim 44, further comprising detecting a contamination status of the predetermined member, the cleaning being controlled based on the detection result.

48. The cleaning method according to claim 47, wherein the detecting comprises acquiring an optical image of the predetermined member.

49. The cleaning method according to claim 47, wherein the predetermined member comprises a substrate stage that has a holding section that holds the substrate, and

the detecting comprises holding a plate member by the holding section of the substrate stage, and detecting a shape of a surface of the held plate member.

50. The cleaning method according to claim 47, wherein the detecting comprises detecting a quality of the first liquid, after contacting with the predetermined member.

51. The cleaning method according to claim 47, wherein the detecting comprises detecting a shape of a pattern formed on the substrate, after exposing the substrate with an image of the pattern.

52. The cleaning method according to claim 47, wherein the predetermined member comprises a substrate stage that has a holding section that holds the substrate, and

the detecting comprises;

holding a plate member by the holding section of the substrate stage, forming liquid immersion on the held plate member, and detecting a contamination status of the plate member, after the plate member had been unloaded from the substrate stage.

45. A method for cleaning a predetermined member of an exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with exposure light via a first liquid, the method comprising:

observing the predetermined member using an observation device provided on a distal end side of a flexible member; and

cleaning the predetermined member by operating a cleaning device using an operating device based on the observation result, the cleaning device being provided on a distal end side of the flexible member, the operating device being provided on a base end side of the flexible member.

46. The cleaning method according to claim 45, wherein the predetermined member contacts the first liquid before the cleaning.

53. A cleaning method of a liquid immersion exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with exposure light, the method comprising:

holding a plate member by a holding section of a substrate stage that can hold the substrate, and forming liquid immersion of a liquid between a first member and the plate member;

moving an interface of the liquid between the first member and the plate member to remove a foreign substance attached to the first member from the first member; and

unloading the plate member from the substrate stage.

54. The cleaning method according to claim 53, wherein the plate member is able to hold the foreign substance that has been removed from the first member, with electrostatic force.

55. The cleaning method according to claim 54, wherein the plate member has a holding region that is able to hold the foreign substance with the electrostatic force, and a liquid repellent region formed so as to surround the holding region.

56. A cleaning method of a liquid immersion exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with exposure light, the method comprising:

forming liquid immersion on the predetermined member that is movable at a light emitting side of an optical element through which the exposure light transits; and

imparting vibration to a liquid on the predetermined member by vibrating the mined member.

57. A cleaning member that is detachably held by a holding section of a substrate stage that can hold a substrate onto which exposure light is irradiated and that is used for cleaning a first member, comprising:

a face between which and the predetermined member is formed liquid immersion of a liquid, wherein

the face can hold a foreign substance that has been removed from the first member by a cleaning operation using the liquid.

58. The cleaning member according to claim 57, wherein the face has a holding region that is able to hold the foreign substance that has been removed from the first member with an electrostatic force, and a liquid repellent region formed so as to surround the holding region.