MOVABLE BODY DRIVE METHOD AND MOVABLE BODY DRIVE SYSTEM, PATTERN FORMATION METHOD AND APPARATUS, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD

• US 20090051893A1
• Filed: 08/21/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: SHIBAZAKI, Yuichi, KANAYA, Yuho
• Granted Patent: US 8,867,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/72
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70775 Position control, e.g. interferometers or encoders for determining the stage position
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7085 Detection arrangement, e.g. detectors of apparatus alignment possibly mounted on wafers, exposure dose, photo-cleaning flux, stray light, thermal load
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7011 Pre-exposure scan; original with original holder alignment; Prealignment, i.e. workpiece with workpiece holder
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7019 Calibration
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7026 Focusing
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7034 Leveling

Abstract

A controller uses two Z heads, which are positioned above a reflection surface installed on the ±X ends of the upper surface of a wafer table, to measure the height and tilt of the wafer table. The Z head to be used is switched according to XY positions of the wafer table. On the switching of the heads, the controller applies a coordinate linkage method to set an initial value of the Z head which is to be newly used. Accordingly, although the Z head to be used is sequentially switched according the XY position of the wafer table, measurement results of the height and the tilt of the wafer table are stored before and after the switching, and it becomes possible to drive the wafer table with high precision.

Claims

1. A movable body drive method in which a movable body is driven substantially along a two-dimensional plane wherein

at least one of a position of the movable body in a direction orthogonal to the two-dimensional plane and tilt of the movable body with respect to the two-dimensional plane is controlled, using a detection device that has a plurality of detection positions placed within an operating area of the movable body and detects positional information of the movable body in a direction perpendicular to the two-dimensional plane when the movable body is located in at least one of the plurality of detection points, whereby

in the case a first state of the movable body where the movable body is positioned at a first detection position among the plurality of detection positions and is not positioned at a second detection position different from the first detection position and at least one of the position and attitude of the movable body is controlled using detection information at the first detection position, changes to a second state where the movable body is positioned at the second detection position and at least one of the position and attitude of the movable body is controlled using detection information at the second detection position, a starting process using the detection information at the first detection position is performed.

2. The movable body drive method according to claim 1 wherein

the second state is a state where the movable body is not positioned at the first detection position.

3. The movable body drive method according to claim 2 wherein

while the first state changes to the second state, there is a transition state where the movable body is positioned at both the first detection position and the second detection position, and

the starting process is performed in the transition state.

4. The movable body drive method according to claim 1 wherein

in the starting process,

detection information at the second detection position is adjusted so that at least one of the position and attitude of the movable body controlled using detection information at the second detection position substantially matches at least one of the position and attitude of the movable body controlled using detection information at the first detection position.

5. The movable body drive method according to claim 1 wherein

in each of a plurality of detection positions of the detection device, a sensor head is arranged including a moving section which moves when a plane of the movable body parallel to the two-dimensional plane passes the detection position so that a positional relation with the plane of the movable body in a direction perpendicular to the two-dimensional plane is maintained, and a detection section which detects positional information of the moving sections whereby

in the starting process,

a position of the moving section of a sensor head of the second detection position is adjusted using detection information at the first detection position.

6. The movable body drive method according to claim 1 wherein

in the first state, at least one of the position and attitude of the movable body is controlled, using detection information at a plurality of detection positions including the first detection position, and

the starting process includes specifying a plurality of detection positions including the second detection position based on positional information of the movable body within the two-dimensional plane.

7. The movable body drive method according to claim 6 wherein

at a plurality of detection positions of the detection device, sensors shifting to an active state and a waiting state are placed, and

the starting process determines whether or not a plurality of detection positions including the second detection position specified based on the positional information of the movable body within the two-dimensional plane coincide with a plurality of detection positions in the first state, the method including

a return process in which of the sensors of the plurality of detection positions which are specified, a sensor which is in a suspended state is shifted to an active state when the detection positions do not coincide.

8. The movable body drive method according to claim 7, the method including

a process in which of the plurality of detection positions in the first state, sensors that do not coincide with the plurality of detection positions which are specified are shifted to a waiting state.

9. A pattern formation method, comprising:

a mount process in which an object is mounted on a movable body that can move along a movement plane; and

a drive process in which the movable body is driven by the movable body drive method according to claim 1, to form a pattern on the object.

10. A device manufacturing method including a pattern forming process, wherein

in the pattern formation process, a pattern is formed on an object using the pattern formation method according to claim 9.

11. An exposure method in which a pattern is formed on an object by an irradiation of an energy beam wherein

for relative movement of the energy beam and the object, a movable body on which the object is mounted is driven, using the movable body drive method according to claim 1.

12. A movable body drive system in which a movable body is driven substantially along a two-dimensional plane, the system comprising:

a detection device that has a plurality of detection positions placed within an operating area of the movable body and detects positional information of the movable body in a direction perpendicular to the two-dimensional plane when the movable body is located in at least one of the plurality of detection points; and

a controller which controls at least one of a position of the movable body in a direction orthogonal to the two-dimensional plane and tilt of the movable body with respect to the two-dimensional plane using the detection device during the movement of the movable body, and also in the case a first state of the movable body where the movable body is positioned at a first detection position among the plurality of detection positions and is not positioned at a second detection position different from the first detection position and at least one of the position and attitude of the movable body is controlled using detection information at the first detection position, changes to a second state where the movable body is positioned at the second detection position and at least one of the position and attitude of the movable body is controlled using detection information at the second detection position, the controller performs a starting process using the detection information at the first detection position.

13. The movable body drive system according to claim 12 wherein

the second state is a state where the movable body is not positioned at the first detection position.

14. The movable body drive system according to claim 13 wherein

while the first state changes to the second state, there is a transition state where the movable body is positioned at both the first detection position and the second detection position, and

the controller performs the starting process in the transition state.

15. The movable body drive system according to claim 12 wherein

in the starting process, the controller

adjusts detection information at the second detection position so that at least one of the position and attitude of the movable body controlled using detection information at the second detection position substantially matches at least one of the position and attitude of the movable body controlled using detection information at the first detection position.

16. The movable body drive system according to claim 12 wherein

in each of a plurality of detection positions of the detection device, a sensor head is arranged including a moving section which moves when a plane of the movable body parallel to the two-dimensional plane passes the detection position so that a positional relation with the plane of the movable body in a direction perpendicular to the two-dimensional plane is maintained, and a detection section which detects positional information of the moving section, and

in the starting process the controller

adjusts a position of the moving section of a sensor head of the second detection position, using detection information at the first detection position.

17. The movable body drive system according to claim 12 wherein

the controller controls at least one of the position and attitude of the movable body using detection information at a plurality of detection positions including the first detection position in the first state, and

in the starting process, a plurality of detection positions including the second detection position based on positional information of the movable body within the two-dimensional plane is specified.

18. The movable body drive system according to claim 12 wherein

at a plurality of detection positions of the detection device, sensors shifting to an active state and a waiting state are placed, and

in the starting process, the controller determines whether or not a plurality of detection positions including the second detection position specified based on the positional information of the movable body within the two-dimensional plane coincide with a plurality of detection positions in the first state, and

performs a return process in which of the sensors of the plurality of detection positions which are specified, a sensor which is in a suspended state is shifted to an active state when the detection positions do not coincide.

19. The movable body drive system according to claim 18 wherein

of the plurality of detection positions in the first state, the controller shifts sensors that do not coincide with the plurality of detection positions which are specified to a waiting state.

20. A pattern formation apparatus, comprising

a movable body drive system according to claim 12 that drives the movable body on which an object is mounted, for pattern formation to the object;

and

a pattern generation device which generates a pattern on the object.

21. An exposure apparatus that forms a pattern on an object by an irradiation of an energy beam, the apparatus comprising:

a patterning device that irradiates the energy beam on the object; and

a movable body drive system according to claim 12 on which an object is mounted on the movable body, wherein

the movable body drive system drives the movable body for relative movement of the energy beam and the object.

22. A movable body drive system in which a movable body is driven substantially along a two-dimensional planer the system comprising:

a detection device that has a plurality of detection positions and a plurality of sensor heads, which detect positional information of a surface of the movable body substantially parallel to the two-dimensional plane at each detection point in a direction perpendicular to the two-dimensional plane with a reference plane parallel to the two-dimensional plane serving as a reference, wherein

each sensor head includes a first sensor including a movable member which moves to maintain an optical positional relation with a measurement subject according to a position change in a direction perpendicular to the two-dimensional plane of the movable body in a direction perpendicular to the two-dimensional plane and a second sensor which detects displacement of the movable member from a reference point, and a first servo control mode using the first sensor and a second servo control mode using the second sensor can be set.