Substrate Processing Method, Exposure Apparatus, and Method For Producing Device

• US 20080143980A1
• Filed: 10/25/2005
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Mizutani, Takeyuki, Fujiwara, Tomoharu, Okumura, Masahiko, Nakano, Katsushi, Sugihara, Tarou
• Granted Patent: US 8,040,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/27
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/2041 in the presence of a fluid, e.g. immersion; using fluid cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/38 Treatment before imagewise removal, e.g. prebaking G03F7/265 takes precedence
• 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 7/70925 Cleaning, i.e. actively freeing apparatus from pollutants, e.g. using plasma cleaning

Abstract

Disclosed is a substrate processing method which includes an exposure step wherein an immersion area of a first liquid is formed on a substrate and the substrate is exposed by being irradiated with an exposure light through the first liquid, and an immersion step wherein the substrate is immersed in a second liquid before the exposure step. By this method, occurrences of problems caused by adhesion marks, which are always involved in immersion exposure, can be reduced.

Claims

1. A substrate processing method comprising:

exposing a substrate by forming a liquid immersion area of a first liquid on the substrate and radiating an exposure light beam onto the substrate through the first liquid; and

immersing the substrate in a second liquid before exposing the substrate.

2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein:

the substrate includes a base material and a photosensitive material with which a surface of the base material is coated; and

a liquid immersion condition is set depending on information about the substrate.

3. The substrate processing method according to claim 2, wherein the information about the substrate includes information about the photosensitive material.

4. The substrate processing method according to claim 3, wherein the information about the substrate includes elution time for which a part of a substance contained in the photosensitive material is eluted into the second liquid.

5. The substrate processing method according to claim 2, wherein the information about the substrate includes information about a protective film which covers the photosensitive material therewith.

6. The substrate processing method according to claim 5, wherein the information about the substrate includes presence or absence of the protective film.

7. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid immersion area of the first liquid is formed on the substrate after removing the second liquid from the substrate.

8. The substrate processing method according to claim 7, wherein the liquid immersion condition includes a removal condition of the second liquid.

9. The substrate processing method according to claim 7, wherein a temperature of the substrate is adjusted to compensate a temperature change of the substrate caused by heat of vaporization generated when the second liquid is removed.

10. The substrate processing method according to claim 9, wherein the temperature of the substrate is adjusted after removing the second liquid from the substrate.

11. The substrate processing method according to claim 2, wherein the liquid immersion condition includes immersion time.

12. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein:

the exposure light beam is radiated in a state in which the substrate is held by a substrate holder; and

the substrate is immersed in the second liquid before the substrate is held by the substrate holder.

13. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein:

the exposure light beam is radiated in a state in which the substrate is held by a substrate holder; and

the substrate is immersed in the second liquid after the substrate is held by the substrate holder.

14. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the first liquid is same as the second liquid.

15. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the first liquid is different from the second liquid.

16. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is cleaned with a third liquid after radiating the exposure light beam onto the substrate through the first liquid.

17. The substrate processing method according to claim 2, further comprising forming a thin film on the photosensitive material with which the base material is coated.

18. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, further comprising preparing the substrate by coating a base material with a photosensitive material, and pre-baking the prepared substrate, wherein the substrate is immersed in the second liquid after pre-baking the substrate.

19. A method for producing a device, comprising:

the substrate processing method as defined in claim 18;

developing the substrate after exposing the substrate; and

processing the developed substrate.

20. A substrate processing method comprising:

exposing a substrate by radiating an exposure light beam onto the substrate through a first liquid; and

cleaning the substrate with a second liquid after the substrate has made contact with the first liquid to miniaturize or remove a foreign matter adhered onto the substrate due to an eluted matter eluted from the substrate into the first liquid.

21. The substrate processing method according to claim 20, wherein the substrate is cleaned with the second liquid after radiating the exposure light beam onto the substrate through the first liquid.

22. The substrate processing method according to claim 21, wherein a circumferential edge portion of the substrate is cleaned with the second liquid.

23. The substrate processing method according to claim 21, wherein:

the substrate includes a base material and a photosensitive material with which a surface of the base material is coated; and

the base material is exposed at the circumferential edge portion.

24. The substrate processing method according to claim 20, wherein a back surface of a base material is cleaned with the second liquid.

25. The substrate processing method according to claim 20, wherein:

the exposure light beam is radiated in a state in which the substrate is held by a substrate holder; and

the substrate is cleaned with the second liquid before unloading the substrate out of the substrate holder.

26. The substrate processing method according to claim 20, wherein:

the exposure light beam is radiated in a state in which the substrate is held by a substrate holder; and

the substrate is cleaned with the second liquid after unloading the substrate out of the substrate holder.

27. The substrate processing method according to claim 20, wherein:

the substrate includes a base material and a photosensitive material with which a surface of the base material is coated; and

the eluted matter includes an eluted matter eluted from the photosensitive material.

28. The substrate processing method according to claim 20, wherein the first liquid is same as the second liquid.

29. The substrate processing method according to claim 20, wherein the first liquid is different from the second liquid.

30. The substrate processing method according to claim 20, wherein the eluted matter is a component of the photosensitive material.

31. The substrate processing method according to claim 20, further comprising post-baking the exposed substrate, wherein cleaning performed before post-baking the exposed substrate.

33. A method for producing a device, comprising:

the substrate processing method as defined in claim 20;

developing the substrate; and

processing the developed substrate.

32. A substrate processing method comprising:

holding a substrate by a holder;

exposing the substrate by radiating an exposure light beam onto the substrate through a first liquid; and

cleaning the exposed substrate with a second liquid while holding the exposed substrate by the holder.

49. A method for producing a device, comprising:

the substrate processing method as defined in claim 32;

developing the substrate; and

processing the developed substrate.

34. An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by forming a liquid immersion area of a first liquid on the substrate and radiating an exposure light beam onto the substrate through the first liquid, the exposure apparatus comprising:

a substrate holder which holds the substrate; and

an immersion device which immerses the substrate in a second liquid before exposing the substrate through the first liquid.

35. The exposure apparatus according to claim 34, wherein:

the substrate includes a base material and a photosensitive material with which a surface of the base material is coated;

the exposure apparatus further comprises a transport system which transports the substrate; and

the immersion device is provided at an intermediate position of a transport passage of the transport system.

36. The exposure apparatus according to claim 34, further comprising:

a nozzle member which has a supply port for supplying the first liquid onto the substrate held by the substrate holder; and

the immersion device supplies the second liquid from the supply port of the nozzle member.

37. The exposure apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the immersion device sets an immersion condition on the basis of information about the substrate.

38. The exposure apparatus according to claim 34, further comprising:

a liquid removal mechanism which removes the second liquid; and

a temperature adjustment mechanism which adjusts a temperature of the substrate to compensate a temperature change of the substrate caused by heat of vaporization generated when the second liquid is removed.

39. The exposure apparatus according to claim 34, further comprising a cleaning device which cleans the substrate after the substrate has made contact with the first liquid.

48. A method for producing a device, comprising using the exposure apparatus as defined in claim 34.

40. An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by forming a liquid immersion area of a first liquid on the substrate and radiating an exposure light beam onto the substrate through the first liquid, the exposure apparatus comprising:

a cleaning device which cleans the substrate with a second liquid, after the substrate has made contact with the first liquid, to miniaturize or remove a foreign matter adhered onto the substrate due to an eluted matter eluted from the substrate into the first liquid.

41. The exposure apparatus according to claim 40, further comprising:

a substrate holder which holds the substrate onto which the exposure light beam is radiated; and

a transport system which transports the substrate, wherein;

the cleaning device is provided at an intermediate position of a transport passage of the transport system.

42. The exposure apparatus according to claim 40, further comprising:

a substrate holder which holds the substrate onto which the exposure light beam is radiated; and

a nozzle member which has a supply port for supplying the first liquid onto the substrate held on the substrate holder,

wherein the cleaning device supplies the second liquid from the supply port of the nozzle member.

43. The exposure apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the substrate is cleaned when the nozzle member and the substrate held by the substrate holder move relative to each other.

44. The exposure apparatus according to claim 43, wherein the cleaning device cleans a circumferential edge portion of the substrate held by the substrate holder.

45. The exposure apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the first liquid is same as the second liquid.

46. The exposure apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the first liquid is different from the second liquid.

47. The exposure apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the substrate includes a base material and a photosensitive material with which the base material is coated, and the eluted matter is a component of the photosensitive material.

50. A method for producing a device, comprising using the exposure apparatus as defined in claim 40.