Exposure apparatus and exposure method

• US 20090161082A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Hideaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,064,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/18
• 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 7/70775 Position control, e.g. interferometers or encoders for determining the stage position
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70833 Mounting of optical systems, e.g. mounting of illumination system, projection system or stage systems on base-plate or ground
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/709 Vibration, e.g. vibration detection, compensation, suppression or isolation

Abstract

Disclosed is an exposing apparatus which projects an image of a pattern by a projection optical system, comprising a measuring unit having a sensor which measures a positional relationship between the projection optical system and a member which is positioned in relation to the projection optical system, and a first support device which has a first soft structure and which supports the measuring unit in a hanging manner separately from the projection optical system.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. An exposure apparatus which projects an image of a pattern by an optical member, the exposure apparatus comprising:

a first support device which supports an object in a hanging manner;

a second support device which supports the optical member in a hanging manner separately from the object; and

a moving device which moves the object relative to the optical member along an optical axis of the optical member.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a number of supporting points at which the first support device supports the object and a number of supporting points at which the second support device supports the optical member are the same, and

the first and second support devices are disposed on a side face of the optical member at substantially the same angle positions.

4. An exposure apparatus which projects an image of a pattern by an optical member, the exposure apparatus comprising:

a measuring device having a sensor which measures a positional relationship between the optical member and a member which is positioned in relation to the optical member; and

a first support device which supports the measuring device in a hanging manner separately from the optical member.