Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method

• US 20090213357A1
• Filed: 09/07/2005
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Arai, Dai
• Application Number:
  US11/664,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20090213357A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/72
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70666 Aerial image, i.e. measuring the image of the patterned exposure light at the image plane of the projection system
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70716 Stages
• 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: H01L 21/67259 Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection

Abstract

An exposure apparatus equipped with a measurement stage that is provided with various measuring instruments disposed in a relationship wherein measurement accuracy is not lowered, and a device manufacturing method using the exposure apparatus are provided. An exposure apparatus according to the present invention is equipped with a measurement stage provided independent of a wafer stage that holds a wafer, On a measurement table (MTB) held on the upper face of this measurement stage, a reference plate (53) on which a first reference mark (FM1) being used for an aerial image measuring instrument and a second reference mark (FM2) for measuring the positional relationship of the wafer stage with respect to the projection image of the pattern of a reticle are formed is provided. This reference plate (53) and the aerial image measuring instrument are disposed adjacent to a reflection surface (51X) to which the beam from an X-axis interferometer is projected and a reflection surface (50) to which the beam from a Y-axis interferometer is projected.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate mounted on a movable substrate stage with a pattern via a projection optical system, comprising:

a measurement stage being movable independent of the substrate stage; and

a position detector that directs a beam to a reflection member provided on the measurement stage and detects the position of the measurement stage, wherein

an aerial image measuring instrument that measures an aerial image projected using the projection optical system and a reference mark for measurement of the positional relationship of the substrate stage with respect to the projection image of the pattern are disposed adjacent to the reflection member of the measurement stage.

2. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a detector that detects information regarding exposure energy is disposed on the measurement stage farther from the reflection member than the aerial image measuring instrument.

3. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the measurement stage moves in a two-dimensional plane,

the reflection member comprises a first reflection member formed in a first direction and a second reflection member formed in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and

the aerial image measuring instrument is provided adjacent to the first reflection member and the second reflection member.

4. An exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the reflection member has a third reflection member provided in the first direction substantially parallel with the first reflection member.

7. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the measurement stage has a replaceable plate portion.

8. An exposure apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the aerial image measuring instrument has a replaceable measurement pattern portion at the plate portion.

9. An exposure apparatus according to claim 7, wherein at least a part of the plate portion is made of a low thermal expansion material.

10. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the aerial image measuring instrument measures the aerial image via a liquid.

11. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reference mark is formed on a circular member.

12. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an alignment system having a view center being away from the projection center of the projection optical system, wherein the alignment system detects the reference mark without using liquid.

13. An exposure apparatus according to claim 7, wherein at least a part of the plate portion is subjected to liquid repellency treatment.

14. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position detector detects the position of the substrate stage during the exposure.

15. A device manufacturing method including a process for transferring the pattern of a device onto a substrate using the exposure apparatus according to claim 1.

5. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate mounted on a movable substrate stage with a pattern via a projection optical system, comprising:

a measurement stage being movable independent of the substrate stage;

a detector that is provided on the measurement stage and detects information regarding exposure energy; and

a position detector that directs a beam to a reflection member provided on the measurement stage and detects the position of the measurement stage, wherein

an aerial image measuring instrument that measures an aerial image projected using the projection optical system is disposed on the measurement stage closer to the reflection member than the detector.

16. An exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein at least a part of the measurement stage has a replaceable plate portion.

18. An exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the aerial image measuring instrument measures the aerial image via a liquid.

20. An exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the reference mark is formed on a circular member.

22. An exposure apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an alignment system having a view center being away from the projection center of the projection optical system, wherein the alignment system detects the reference mark without using liquid.

24. An exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the position detector detects the position of the substrate stage during the exposure.

26. A device manufacturing method including a process for transferring the pattern of a device onto a substrate using the exposure apparatus according to claim 5.

6. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate mounted on a movable substrate stage with a pattern via a projection optical system, comprising:

a measurement stage being movable independent of the substrate stage;

an aberration detector that is provided on the measurement stage and detects the aberration information of the projection optical system; and

a position detector that directs a beam to the reflection member provided on the measurement stage and detects the position of the measurement stage, wherein

an aerial image measuring instrument that measures an aerial image projected using the projection optical system is disposed on the measurement stage closer to the reflection member than the aberration detector.

17. An exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein at least a part of the measurement stage has a replaceable plate portion.

19. An exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the aerial image measuring instrument measures the aerial image via a liquid.

21. An exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the reference mark is formed on a circular member.

23. An exposure apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising an alignment system having a view center being away from the projection center of the projection optical system, wherein the alignment system detects the reference mark without using liquid.

25. An exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the position detector detects the position of the substrate stage during the exposure.

27. A device manufacturing method including a process for transferring the pattern of a device onto a substrate using the exposure apparatus according to claim 6.