Exposing Method, Exposure Apparatus, Device Fabricating Method, and Film Evaluating Method

• US 20080246937A1
• Filed: 04/25/2006
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Nagasaka, Hiroyuki
• Application Number:
  US11/919,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20080246937A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/53
• 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 7/70725 control

Abstract

An exposing method has: a process that forms an immersion region of a liquid on a substrate; a process that determines exposure conditions in accordance with an adhesive force that acts between a surface of the substrate and the liquid; and a process that, based on the exposure conditions, exposes the substrate through the liquid of the immersion region.

Claims

1. An exposing method, comprising:

forming an immersion region of a liquid on a substrate;

determining exposure conditions in accordance with an adhesive force that acts between a surface of the substrate and the liquid; and

exposing the substrate through the liquid of the immersion region based on the exposure conditions.

2. An exposing method according to claim 1, wherein

the adhesive force is prescribed in accordance with a static contact angle of the liquid on the surface of the substrate and a sliding angle of the liquid on the surface of the substrate.

3. An exposing method according to claim 1, wherein

the adhesive force “

E”

is defined by E=(m×

g×

sin a)/(2×

π

×

R), where “

m”

is the mass of a droplet of the liquid on the substrate, “

g”

is gravitational acceleration, “

a”

is the sliding angle with respect to the horizontal plane, and “

R”

is the radius of the liquid droplet on the substrate.

6. An exposing method according to claim 2, wherein

the determination of the exposure conditions comprises:

measuring the static contact angle of the liquid on the surface of the substrate;

and measuring the sliding angle of the liquid on the surface of the substrate.

8. An exposing method according to claim 1, wherein

the exposure of the substrate comprises irradiating the substrate with exposure light through the liquid while the substrate is moved;

and

the exposure conditions include movement conditions to be used when the substrate is moved.

9. An exposing method according to claim 8, wherein

the movement conditions include at least one of movement speed and acceleration of the substrate.

10. An exposing method according to claim 1, wherein

the exposure conditions include liquid immersion conditions to be used when the immersion region is formed.

11. An exposing method according to claim 10, wherein

the liquid immersion conditions include supply conditions of the liquid to be supplied to the immersion region.

12. An exposing method according to claim 11, wherein

the supply conditions include a liquid supply quantity per unit of time.

13. A device fabricating method that uses an exposing method according to claim 1.

4. An exposing method, comprising:

forming an immersion region of a liquid on a substrate;

determining exposure conditions based on a static contact angle of the liquid on a surface of the substrate and a sliding angle of the liquid on the surface of the substrate; and

exposing the substrate through the liquid of the immersion region based on the exposure conditions.

5. An exposing method according to claim 4, wherein

the exposure conditions are determined based on an equation (θ

−

t×

a), where “

θ

”

is the static contact angle of the liquid on the surface of the substrate, “

a”

is the sliding angle of the liquid on the surface of the substrate, and “

t”

is a prescribed constant.

7. An exposing method, comprising:

forming an immersion region of a liquid on a substrate;

determining exposure conditions based on a receding contact angle of the liquid on a surface of the substrate when the substrate is inclined; and

exposing the substrate through the liquid of the immersion region based on the exposure conditions.

14. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate through a liquid of an immersion region that is formed on the substrate, the exposure apparatus comprising:

a measuring apparatus that measures an adhesive force that acts between a surface of the substrate and the liquid.

15. An exposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

the measuring apparatus comprises:

a first measuring instrument that measures a static contact angle of the liquid on the surface of the substrate; and

a second measuring instrument that measures a sliding angle of the liquid on the surface of the substrate.

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

a storage apparatus that stores information that corresponds to the adhesive force in advance; and

a control apparatus that determines exposure conditions based on a measurement result of the measuring apparatus and on the information that is stored in the storage apparatus.

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

a control apparatus that determines the exposure conditions based on the measurement result of the measuring apparatus.

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

a movable member that is capable of holding and moving the substrate;

wherein,

the control apparatus controls the operation of the movable member based on the exposure conditions.

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

a liquid immersion mechanism that is capable of forming the immersion region;

wherein,

the control apparatus controls the operation of the liquid immersion mechanism based on the exposure conditions.

29. A device fabricating method that uses an exposure apparatus according to claim 14.

16. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate through a liquid of an immersion region that is formed on the substrate, comprising:

a measuring apparatus that measures a receding contact angle of the liquid on a surface of the substrate when the substrate is inclined.

19. An exposure apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

a storage apparatus that stores information that corresponds to the receding contact angle in advance; and

a control apparatus that determines exposure conditions based on the measurement result of the measuring apparatus and on the information that is stored in the storage apparatus.

20. An exposure apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

a control apparatus that determines exposure conditions based on the measurement result of the measuring apparatus.

21. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate through a liquid of an immersion region that is formed on the substrate, comprising:

a first measuring apparatus that measures a static contact angle of the liquid on a surface of the substrate;

a second measuring apparatus that measures a sliding angle of the liquid on the surface of the substrate; and

a control apparatus that determines exposure conditions based on a measurement result of the first measuring apparatus and on a measurement result of the second measuring apparatus.

23. An exposure apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising:

a storage apparatus that stores information that corresponds to the static contact angle and the sliding angle;

wherein,

the control apparatus determines the exposure conditions based on the information regarding the static contact angle and the sliding angle, and on the information that is stored in the storage apparatus.

24. An exposure apparatus according to claim 21, wherein

the control apparatus determines the exposure conditions based on an equation (θ

−

t×

a), where “

θ

”

is the static contact angle of the liquid on the surface of the substrate, “

a”

is the sliding angle of the liquid on the surface of the substrate, and “

t”

is a prescribed constant.

22. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate through a liquid of an immersion region that is formed on the substrate, the exposure apparatus comprising:

an input apparatus that inputs information regarding a static contact angle of the liquid on a surface of the substrate, and information regarding a sliding angle of the liquid on the surface of the substrate; and

a control apparatus that determines exposure conditions based on the information regarding the contact angle and the information regarding the sliding angle that were input from the input apparatus.

25. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate through a liquid of an immersion region that is formed on the substrate, comprising:

an input apparatus that inputs information regarding a receding contact angle of the liquid on a surface of the substrate when the surface of the substrate is inclined; and

a control apparatus that determines exposure conditions based on the information regarding the receding contact angle that was input from the input apparatus.

26. An exposure apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising:

a storage apparatus that stores information that corresponds to the receding contact angle;

wherein,

the control apparatus determines the exposure conditions based on the information regarding the receding contact angle that was input from the input apparatus, and on the information that is stored in the storage apparatus.

30. A method of evaluating a film that is formed on a substrate that is exposed through a liquid, the method comprising:

measuring an adhesive force that acts between the film and the liquid; and

determining the applicability of the film for exposure conditions based on a comparison of the value of the adhesive force that was measured and a permissible range of the adhesive force, which is prescribed based on the exposure conditions.

31. An evaluating method according to claim 30, wherein

the adhesive force is prescribed in accordance with a static contact angle of the liquid on a surface of the film, and a sliding angle of the liquid on the surface of the film.

32. A method of evaluating a film that is formed on a substrate that is exposed through a liquid, the method comprising:

measuring a receding contact angle of the liquid on a surface of the film when the substrate is inclined; and

determining the applicability of the film for exposure conditions based on a comparison of the value of the receding contact angle that was measured and a permissible range of the receding contact angle, which is prescribed based on the exposure conditions.