Exposure apparatus and device fabricating method

• US 20080117393A1
• Filed: 01/09/2008
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Tomoharu, Shibazaki, Yuichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,922,754 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 comprises: a first stage that holds the substrate and is movable; a second stage that is movable independently of the first stage; 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 the upper surface of the second stage.

Claims

1. A lithographic apparatus comprising:

a support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting a radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam;

a measuring system configured to measure characteristics of substrates in a metrology station of the apparatus;

a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a substrate in an exposure station of the apparatus;

a liquid confinement system configured to at least partly confine liquid in a space between the projection system and the substrate;

a positioning system and at least two substrate stages, each stage constructed to hold a substrates, wherein the positioning system is constructed to move the stages between the metrology station and the exposure station, and wherein the positioning system is constructed to position one of the stages holding a substrate during exposure in the exposure station on the basis of at least one measured characteristic of that substrate;

wherein the stages are constructed and arranged for mutual cooperation in order to perform a joint scan movement to bring the lithographic apparatus from a first situation, wherein the liquid is confined between a first substrate held by a first stage of the two stages and the projection system, towards a second situation, wherein the liquid is confined between a second substrate held by a second stage of the two stages and the projection system, such that during the joint scan movement the liquid is essentially confined within the space with respect to the projection system.

2. The lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the first stage and second stage has an immersion cross edge at or near a side of the stage which is constructed and arranged to cooperate with an immersion cross edge of another stage during the joint scan movement.

3. The lithographic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the respective stages is provided with a channel system having an opening in a surface of the immersion cross edge of the stage, wherein the channel system is constructed and arranged to generate a flow of gas and/or liquid along the immersion cross edge during the joint scan movement.

4. The lithographic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the respective stages is provided with a liquid gutter under its immersion cross edge, wherein the liquid gutter is capable of catching liquid possibly dripped along the immersion cross edge.

5. The lithographic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the respective stages is provided with an interferometer-mirror near the immersion cross edge, wherein the interferometer-mirror is placed at a level below that of the liquid gutter in order to protect the interferometer-mirror.