Liquid holding apparatus, liquid holding method, exposure apparatus, exposing method, and device fabricating method

• US 20090297990A1
• Filed: 04/30/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: ONO, Kazuya, ARAI, Dai
• Application Number:
  US12/453,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20090297990A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 430/325
• 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

Abstract

Liquid is held in a prescribed region between a first object and a second object. An electrostatic holder holds the liquid by electrostatic force.

Claims

1. A liquid holding apparatus which holds a liquid in a prescribed region between a first object and a second object, comprising:

an electrostatic holder which holds the liquid by electrostatic force.

2. The liquid holding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrostatic holder includes electrodes that have mutually different polarities.

3. The liquid holding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrodes are disposed on the first object, and are positioned at ends of the prescribed region.

4. The liquid holding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is charged to a prescribed polarity, and the electrostatic holder includes electrodes of a polarity that differs from the prescribed polarity.

5. The liquid holding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the electrostatic holder further includes a charging apparatus that charges the liquid to the prescribed polarity.

6. An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate with an image of a pattern via a liquid immersion region, and which uses the liquid holding apparatus according to claim 1 in order to farm the liquid immersion region.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the liquid immersion region is formed between the substrate and an optical member that emits an exposure light beam toward the substrate.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the liquid immersion region is formed between the optical member and a portion of the substrate.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a channel is provided in the first object through which a fluid flows.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the fluid is a liquid which is supplied to the liquid immersion region.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a liquid supply apparatus which supplies a liquid to the liquid immersion region, wherein

at least a portion of what constitutes the electrostatic holder is disposed in a portion of the liquid supply apparatus.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second object is the substrate.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a substrate holder which holds the substrate, wherein

the second object is the substrate holder.

14. A device fabricating method which uses the exposure apparatus according to claim 6.

15. A liquid holding method for holding liquid in a prescribed region between a first object and a second object, the method comprising:

holding liquid with electrostatic force.

16. An immersion exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate with exposure light via a liquid in an immersion space, comprising:

an immersion member that has a predetermined face and between which and a surface of an object the immersion space can be formed, the object facing the predetermined face; and

a supply port that supplies a liquid to the immersion space, wherein

the immersion space is formed with the liquid which is charged to a prescribed polarity in order to set an interface of the liquid of the immersion space to a prescribed state.

17. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the supply port is disposed at the liquid immersion member.

18. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

a flow path in which the liquid flows, the flow path being in fluid communication with the supply port,

wherein the liquid is charged before supply from the supply port.

19. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the state of the interface comprises a position of the interface between the predetermined face and the surface of the object.

20. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the state of the interface comprises a shape of the interface.

21. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the state of the interface comprises a contact angle between the surface of the object and the liquid.

22. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

a charged member that is disposed so as to surround an optical path of the exposure light at a position where the charged member does not contact the immersion space, and that is charged to the same polarity as the liquid, in order to establish a prescribed state of the interface.

23. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the object is charged to the same polarity as the liquid in order to establish a prescribed state of the interface.

24. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

a charged member that is disposed so as to surround an optical path of the exposure light at a position where the charged member contacts the immersion space, and that is charged to a different polarity from that of the liquid, in order to establish a prescribed state of the interface.

25. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising:

a first charging apparatus that charges the object.

26. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the object comprises the substrate.

27. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising:

a substrate holding member that holds the substrate onto which the exposure light is irradiated,

wherein the object comprises the substrate holding member.

28. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 25, wherein

the first charging apparatus comprises an electrode member by which a surface of the object is charged, and

the electrode member is disposed at a position facing the surface of the object.

29. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 25, wherein

the first charging apparatus comprises an electrode member by which a surface of the object is charged, and

the electrode member is disposed on the object.

30. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising:

a charge neutralization apparatus that neutralizes the electricity with which the object is charged.

31. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising:

a substrate holding member that holds the substrate onto which the exposure light is irradiated,

wherein the first charging apparatus charges the substrate before the substrate holding member holds the substrate.

32. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising:

a substrate holding member that holds the substrate onto which the exposure light is irradiated,

wherein the first charging apparatus charges the substrate which has been held by the substrate holding member.

33. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 31, wherein

the first charging apparatus comprises an electrode member by which the substrate is charged, and

the electrode member is disposed at a position facing the surface of the substrate.

34. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 31, wherein

the first charging apparatus comprises an electrode member by which the substrate is charged, and

the electrode member is disposed on the substrate holding member.

35. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 31, wherein

an immersion exposure is executed while the substrate is charged, and

the immersion exposure apparatus further comprises a charge neutralization apparatus that neutralizes the electricity with which the substrate after the immersion exposure is charged.

36. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

a second charging apparatus that charges the liquid.

37. The immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the second charging apparatus charges the liquid before supply from the supply port.

38. A device fabricating method comprising:

exposing a substrate using an immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 16; and

developing the exposed substrate.

39. An exposure method which exposes a substrate with exposure light via a liquid in an immersion space, the method comprising:

forming the immersion space with a liquid which is charged to a prescribed polarity in order to set an interface of the liquid of the immersion space to a prescribed state.

40. A device fabricating method comprising:

exposing a substrate with the exposure method according to claim 39; and

developing the exposed substrate.