Stage apparatus, exposure apparatus, and device fabricating method

• US 20100066992A1
• Filed: 06/25/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: ONO, Kazuya
• Application Number:
  US12/457,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20100066992A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/72
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70691 Handling of masks or workpieces
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70716 Stages
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70758 Drive means, e.g. actuators, motors for long- or short-stroke modules or fine or coarse driving
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70775 Position control, e.g. interferometers or encoders for determining the stage position
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70808 Construction details, e.g. housing, load-lock, seals or windows for passing light in or out of apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/709 Vibration, e.g. vibration detection, compensation, suppression or isolation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/682 Mask-wafer alignment in general G03F7/70, G03F9/70

Abstract

The invention provides a stage apparatus that has a fixed part, which has a prescribed movement surface, and a first movable body, which is capable of moving along the movement surface in a plurality of directions that includes a first direction. The stage apparatus comprises: a substage that, in synchrony with the movement of the first movable body, moves in the first direction with respect to the movement surface; a first measuring apparatus, at least part of which is provided to the substage, that detects information related to the relative position between the substage and the movement surface in the first direction; and a second measuring apparatus at least part of which is provided to the substage, that detects information related to the relative position between the substage and the first movable body in a second direction, which are substantially orthogonal to the first direction and follow along the movement surface.

Claims

1. A stage apparatus, comprising:

a planar motor apparatus that comprises a fixed part, which has a prescribed movement surface, and a first movable body, which is capable of moving along the movement surface in a plurality of directions that includes a first direction;

a substage that, in synchrony with the movement of the first movable body, moves in the first direction with respect to the movement surface;

a first measuring apparatus, at least part of which is provided to the substage, that detects information related to the relative position between the substage and the movement surface in the first direction; and

a second measuring apparatus, at least part of which is provided to the substage, that detects information related to the relative position between the substage and the first movable body in a second direction, which intersects the first direction and follows along the movement surface.

2. A stage apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein

a first member to be detected, which extends in the first direction, is provided to the fixed part;

a second member to be detected, which extends in the second direction, is provided to the first movable body;

the first measuring apparatus detects the information related to the relative position of the substage with respect to the fixed part in the first direction based on the result of reading the first member to be detected; and

the second measuring apparatus detects, based on the result of reading the second member to be detected, information related to the relative position of the substage with respect to the first movable body in the second direction.

3. A stage apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the second measuring apparatus also detects information related to the relative position between the substage and the first movable body in the first direction.

4. A stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the information related to the relative position between the substage and the movement surface in the second direction is detected at a plurality of positions of the first movable body.

5. A stage apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the second measuring apparatus is provided on both sides of the first movable body with respect to the first direction.

6. A stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the substage and the first movable body are configured such that they are capable of relative motion in the second direction within a range larger than the range of relative motion in the first direction.

7. A stage apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second movable body, which is provided to the first movable body such that it is capable of relative motion with respect to the first movable body; and

a third measuring apparatus that measures the position of the second movable body in the first direction and the second direction.

8. A stage apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the substage supports a service utility supply member, which supplies a service utility to the first movable body or the second movable body, or both.

9. A stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of the first movable bodies and a plurality of the substages are provided and are capable of moving independently.

10. A stage apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the plurality of the first movable bodies share the fixed part in common, and each of the first movable bodies together with the stator constitute a planar motor apparatus;

and

the plurality of substages move in the first direction via drive apparatuses, which are individually provided to each of the substages.

11. An exposure apparatus, comprising:

a stage apparatus according to claim 1.

12. An exposure apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the stage apparatus is the substrate stage, which holds and moves the substrate exposed with the pattern, or the measurement stage, wherein information related to the exposure is measured, or both.

13. A device fabricating method, wherein

the exposure apparatus according to claim 11 is used.