Exposure apparatus, exposing method, and device fabricating method

• US 20080212047A1
• Filed: 12/26/2007
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Sugimoto, Ayako
• Application Number:
  US12/003,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20080212047A1
• 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 7/707 Chucks, e.g. chucking or un-chucking operations or structural details
• 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 9/7096 Arrangement, mounting, housing, environment, cleaning or maintenance of apparatus

Abstract

An exposure apparatus comprises: a first optical member for acquiring positional information about the substrate through a first liquid that is for measurement; a second optical member that emits the exposure beam; a first movable member that holds the substrate and is capable of moving within a prescribed area that includes a first position, which opposes the first optical member, and a second position, which opposes the second optical member; and a first liquid holding member that can be positioned at the first position; wherein, by disposing at least one of the first movable member and the first liquid holding member at the first position, a first space, which is capable of holding the first liquid, continues to be formed between the first optical member and at least one of the first movable member, the substrate, which is held by the first movable member, and the first liquid holding member.

Claims

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

a first optical member through which and a first liquid is acquired positional information about the substrate;

a second optical member that emits the exposure beam;

a first movable member that holds the substrate and is capable of moving within a prescribed area that includes a first position, which opposes the first optical member, and a second position, which opposes the second optical member; and

a first liquid holding member that can be positioned at the first position;

wherein,

by disposing at least one of the first movable member and the first liquid holding member at the first position, a first space, which is capable of holding the first liquid, continues to be formed between at least one of the first movable member, the substrate, which is held by the first movable member, and the first liquid holding member on one side and the first optical member on the other side.

2. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first liquid holding member is disposed at the first position at least during the exposure of the substrate, which is held by the first movable member.

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

a supply port that supplies the first liquid.

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

a first holding apparatus that holds the first liquid holding member at the first position.

5. An exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first holding apparatus chucks the first liquid holding member.

6. An exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the first holding apparatus comprises:

a holding surface that holds the first liquid holding member; and

a suction port that chucks the first liquid holding member.

7. An exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the suction port is capable of recovering the first liquid.

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

a second holding apparatus that releasably holds the first liquid holding member to the first movable member.

9. An exposure apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the second holding apparatus holds the first liquid holding member at least while acquiring positional information about the substrate through the first optical member.

10. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition of positional information about the substrate comprises detecting an alignment mark on the substrate.

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

a second movable member that holds the substrate and is capable of moving within a prescribed area that includes the first position and the second position;

wherein,

by disposing at least one of the first movable member, the second movable member, and the first liquid holding member at the first position, the first space continues to be formed between at least one of the first movable member, the substrate held by the first movable member, the second movable member, the substrate held by the second movable member, and the first liquid holding member on one side and the first optical member on the other side.

12. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exposure beam that is emitted from the second optical member is irradiated on the substrate through a second liquid.

13. An exposure apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

a second movable member that holds the substrate and is capable of moving within a prescribed area that includes the first position and the second position;

wherein,

by disposing at least one of the first movable member and the second movable member at the second position, the second space, which is capable of holding the second liquid, continues to be formed between at least one of the first movable member, the substrate held by the first movable member, the second movable member, and the substrate held by the second movable member on one side and the second optical member on the other side.

14. An exposure apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

a second liquid holding member that can be positioned at the second position;

wherein,

by disposing at least one of the first movable member and the second liquid holding member at the second position, the second space, which is capable of holding the second liquid, continues to be formed between at least one of the first movable member, the substrate held by the first movable member, and the second liquid holding member on one side and the second optical member on the other side.

15. An exposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the second liquid holding member comprises a measuring instrument that is capable of acquiring information related to exposure.

16. An exposure apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the second liquid holding member does not hold the substrate.

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

a third holding apparatus that holds the second liquid holding member at the second position.

18. An exposure apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

a fourth holding apparatus that detachably holds the second liquid holding member to the first movable member.

19. An exposure apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the fourth holding apparatus holds the second liquid holding member at least while an immersion exposure of the substrate is performed through the second optical member and the second liquid.

20. A device fabricating method comprising;

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

developing the exposed substrate.

21. An exposing method for exposing a substrate with an exposure beam, the method comprising:

holding the substrate to a movable member;

acquiring positional information about the substrate, which is held by the movable member, through a first liquid and a first optical member;

after the positional information about the substrate is acquired, irradiating the substrate, which is held by the movable member, with the exposure beam through a second optical member and a second liquid; and

after the positional information about the substrate is acquired and before an exposure of the substrate, which is held by the movable member, starts, disposing a liquid holding member at a position that opposes the first optical member so as to continue forming a space, which is capable of holding the first liquid, between the liquid holding member and the first optical member.

22. An exposing method according to claim 21, wherein the first liquid continues to be held between the liquid holding member and the first optical member during the exposure of the substrate, which is held by the movable member.

23. An exposing method according to claim 21, wherein the liquid holding member is held by the movable member during the acquisition of the positional information about the substrate.

24. An exposing method according to claim 23, wherein, before the acquisition of the positional information about the substrate, the movable member holds the liquid holding member held by the movable member, which has been released from a position opposing the first optical member.

25. An exposing method according to claim 23, wherein, after the acquisition of the positional information about the substrate and before the exposure of the substrate, the liquid holding member is released from the movable member.

26. An exposing method according to claim 21, further comprising:

executing an operation of exchanging the substrate after the exposure of the substrate held by the movable member,

wherein

the first liquid continues to be held between the liquid holding member and the first optical member during the operation of exchanging the substrate.

33. A device fabricating method, comprising:

exposing a substrate by use of the exposing method according to claim 21; and

developing the exposed substrate.

27. An exposing method for exposing a substrate with an exposure beam, the method comprising:

holding a substrate to a first movable member;

acquiring positional information about the substrate, which is held by the first movable member, in a state in which a first liquid is held between the substrate held by the first movable member and a first optical member;

exposing the substrate held by the first movable member through a second optical member and a second liquid after the acquisition of the positional information about the substrate held by the first movable member;

holding a substrate to a second movable member;

acquiring positional information about the substrate, which is held by the second movable member, in a state in which the first liquid is held between the substrate held by the second movable member and the first optical member; and

exposing the substrate held by the second movable member through the second optical member and the second liquid after the exposure of the substrate held by the first movable member and before the acquisition of the positional information about the substrate held by the second movable member,

wherein

the first liquid continues to be held below the first optical member during transition from a first state in which the first liquid is held between the substrate held by the first movable member and the first optical member to a second state in which the first liquid is held between the substrate held by the second movable member and the first optical member.

28. An exposing method according to claim 27, wherein, after the acquisition of the positional information about the substrate held by the first movable member, a liquid holding member is disposed at a position opposing the first optical member.

29. An exposing method according to claim 28, wherein the first liquid is held between the first optical member and the liquid holding member so that the first liquid continues to be held below the first optical member during the transition from the first state to the second state.

30. An exposing method according to claim 29, further comprising:

holding the liquid holding member, which has been released from the position opposing the first optical member, to the second movable member before the acquisition of the positional information of the substrate held by the second movable member.

31. An exposing method according to claim 28, wherein, when the positional information of the substrate held by the first movable member is acquired, the liquid holding member is held by the first movable member.

32. An exposing method according to claim 31, further comprising:

releasing the liquid holding member from the first movable member after the acquisition of the positional information of the substrate held by the first movable member.