Exposure Apparatus and Device Manufacturing Method

• US 20080111978A1
• Filed: 10/12/2005
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Shibuta, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 7,456,929 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 7/70525 Controlling normal operating mode, e.g. matching different apparatus, remote control or prediction of failure
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70716 Stages
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70733 Handling masks and workpieces, e.g. exchange of workpiece or mask, transport of workpiece or mask
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70991 Connection with other apparatus, e.g. multiple exposure stations, particular arrangement of exposure apparatus and pre-exposure and/or post-exposure apparatus; Shared apparatus, e.g. having shared radiation source, shared mask or workpiece stage, shared base-plate; Utilities, e.g. cable, pipe or wireless arrangements for data, power, fluids or vacuum

Abstract

An exposure apparatus which prevents damages due to leaked out liquid from expanding and can maintain exposure accuracy and measuring accuracy. The exposure apparatus includes first and second stages (ST1, ST2) which can independently move within an XY-plane on an image plane side of a projection optical system (PL); a drive mechanism (SD) which moves the first stage and the second stage together with the stage being close to or in contact with each other; a liquid immersion mechanism (1) which forms a liquid immersion area on an upper plane of at least one of the stages of the first stage and the second stage; and a detecting device (60) which detects liquid leaked out from between the first stage and the second stage.

Claims

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

a first stage and a second stage that are movable, on the image plane side of the projection optical system, independently of each other in a two-dimensional plane substantially parallel to the image plane,

a driving mechanism that moves the first stage and the second stage together within a predetermined region including the position directly beneath the projection optical system with the first stage and the second stage being close to or in contact with each other,

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

a controller that by moving the first stage and the second stage together, moves the liquid immersion region between the upper surface of the first stage and the upper surface of the second stage with the liquid being retained between the projection optical system and the upper surface of the at least one of the stages, and

a detecting device that detects the liquid having leaked from between the first stage and the second stage when the liquid immersion region is moved from the upper surface of one of the stages of the first stage and the second stage to the upper surface of the other stage.

2. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detecting device detects the liquid in a non-contact manner.

3. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detecting device includes a light projecting portion that emits a detecting light and a light receiving portion which is disposed in a predetermined position relative to the detecting light.

4. An exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the second stage has a second side surface that faces a first side surface of the first stage, and

the light projecting portion is provided on either one of the first side surface and the second side surface, and the light receiving portion is provided on the other side surface.

5. An exposure apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a base member that movably supports each of the first stage and the second stage, and wherein

the detecting light proceeds in the vicinity of the base member.

6. An exposure apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising gas bearings that are provided on the first stage and the second stage, respectively and are for supporting in a non-contact manner the first and second stages relative to the upper surface of the base member, and wherein

the light projecting portion and the light receiving portion are provided on the gas bearings.

7. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the stages of the first stage and the second stage moves while holding the substrate, and the other stage moves, with a measuring device that performs a measurement related to the exposure process being mounted thereon.

8. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the first stage and the second stage moves while holding a substrate.

9. An exposure apparatus according to any one of claim 1, wherein the liquid immersion mechanism stops supplying the liquid when leakage of the liquid is detected.

10. An exposure apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the liquid immersion mechanism recovers the liquid which forms the liquid immersion region when leakage of the liquid is detected by the detecting device.

11. A device manufacturing method that uses an exposure apparatus according to claim 1.