EXPOSURE APPARATUS, EXPOSURE METHOD, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD

• US 20100157274A1
• Filed: 12/17/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: SHIBAZAKI, Yuichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,760,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/72
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00
• 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 7/70483 Information management; Active and passive control; Testing; Wafer monitoring, e.g. pattern monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70725 control
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70733 Handling masks and workpieces, e.g. exchange of workpiece or mask, transport of workpiece or mask
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70775 Position control, e.g. interferometers or encoders for determining the stage position
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7003 Alignment type or strategy, e.g. leveling, global alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7026 Focusing
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7046 Strategy, e.g. mark, sensor or wavelength selection
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7049 Technique, e.g. interferometric
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7088 Alignment mark detection, e.g. TTR, TTL, off-axis detection, array detector, video detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An exposure apparatus is equipped with a fine movement stage that can hold a liquid with a projection optical system when the stage is at a position facing an outgoing surface of the projection optical system, and a blade that comes into proximity within a predetermined distance of the fine movement stage when the fine movement stage is holding the liquid with the projection optical system, and moves along with the fine movement stage while maintaining the proximity state, and then holds the liquid with the projection optical system after the movement. Accordingly, a plurality of stages will not have to be placed right under the projection optical system interchangeably, which can suppress an increase in footprint of the exposure apparatus.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus that exposes an object with an energy beam via a liquid, the apparatus comprising:

a first movable body which is movable at least along a two-dimensional plane;

an optical member which has an outgoing plane that emits the energy beam;

a holding member which is movably supported by the first movable body and is movable at least within a plane parallel to the two-dimensional plane facing the outgoing plane, and also can hold the liquid with the optical member when located at a position facing the outgoing plane;

a position measurement system which has an arm member, extending in a first axis direction parallel to the two-dimensional plane, where at least a part of a head is provided that irradiates at least one measurement beam on a measurement plane placed on a surface substantially parallel to the two-dimensional plane of the holding member, measures positional information of the holding member within the two-dimensional plane, based on an output of the head; and

a movable member which becomes proximal to the holding member within a predetermined distance in the first axis direction parallel to the two-dimensional plane when the holding member holds a liquid with the optical member, and moves from one side of the first-axis direction to the other side along the arm member with the holding member while maintaining the proximal state, and holds the liquid with the optical member after the movement.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the movable member moves along the first axis direction with the holding member and the first movable body, in a state where the movable member is proximal to the holding member within a predetermined distance along the first axis direction.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the movable member is movable within a range including a first position facing the outgoing plane and a second position that is different from the first position.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

when the holding member faces the outgoing plane, the movable member is movable to a position besides facing the outgoing plane.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

at least one of the movable member and the holding member is placed at a position facing the outgoing plane so that the liquid is continued to be held between the optical member and at least one of the movable member and the holding member.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

by moving the movable member and the holding member in the first axis direction, the hold of the liquid with the optical member can be switched from one of the movable member and the holding member to the other.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, the apparatus further comprising:

a drive system which supports the movable member movably.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7 wherein

the drive system drives the movable member at least in the first axis direction.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7 wherein

the drive system drives the movable member within a plane parallel to the two-dimensional plane.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7 wherein

the drive system comprises a second movable body which can move along the two-dimensional plane, and supports the movable member at a height position the same as the holding member supported by the first movable body.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 10 wherein

the second movable body supports the movable member in a cantilevered manner on one side in a direction orthogonal to the first axis direction within the two-dimensional plane.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 11 wherein

the drive system drives the second movable body in a direction orthogonal to the first axis direction within the two-dimensional plane, and positions the movable member vertically above the arm member.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8 wherein

the object held by the holding member is exposed, in a state where the movable member is placed at a position besides facing the outgoing plane.

14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, the apparatus further comprising:

a liquid immersion member which forms a liquid immersion space by filling a space between the optical member and at least one of the movable member and the first movable body.

15. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

a surface of the movable member has liquid repellency to the liquid.

16. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the holding member holds the object so that a surface of the object and a surface of the holding member placed in a periphery of the object become substantially flush.

17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

a first surface of the movable member facing the outgoing surface is substantially parallel to the two-dimensional plane.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the movable member is a plate.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the movable member has at least a part of a measurement member which measures optical properties of the optical member.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 19 wherein

at least apart of the measurement member is placed, at a member whose positional relation with the optical member is constant.

21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

a grating is formed on the measurement plane, and

the head receives diffraction light from the grating of the measurement beam.

22. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the first movable body has a space where a part of the arm member can be placed inside.

23. The exposure apparatus according to claim 22 wherein

the arm member is a cantilevered member whose one side in the first axis direction is supported in a cantilevered state as a fixed end, and irradiates the measurement beam on the measurement plane from the vicinity of a free end of the member.

24. A device manufacturing method, the method including:

exposing an object using the exposure apparatus according to claim 1; and

developing the object which has been exposed.

25. An exposure apparatus that exposes an object with an energy beam via an optical member and a liquid, the apparatus comprising:

a first movable body which is movable at least along a two-dimensional plane;

a holding member which is movably supported by the first movable body while holding the object, and can hold the liquid with the optical member;

a position measurement system which has at least a part of the system provided in a measurement member placed below the holding member supported by the first movable body, and measures positional information of the holding member by irradiating a measurement beam on a measurement plane of the holding member; and

a movable member which has a holding plane placed above the measurement member, and is exchanged with the holding member while maintaining the liquid right under the optical member so as to hold the liquid between the holding plane and the optical member.

26. The exposure apparatus according to claim 25 wherein

a measurement plane is provided on a lower side of the holding member, and a grating is provided on the measurement plane, whereby

the position measurement system is an encoder system which receives a diffraction light generated at the grating by an irradiation of the measurement beam and measures positional information of the holding member.

27. The exposure apparatus according to claim 25 wherein

the movable member moves in a first direction within the two-dimensional plane with the holding member and the first movable body, in a state where the movable member is in proximity within a predetermined distance to the holding member in the first direction.

28. The exposure apparatus according to claim 25 wherein

the moveable member is movable within a range including a first position right under the optical member and a second position which is different from the first position.

29. The exposure apparatus according to claim 25 wherein

at least one of the movable member and the holding member is placed at a position facing the optical member, so as to continue holding a liquid between the optical member and at least one of the movable member and the holding member.

30. The exposure apparatus according to claim 25, the apparatus further comprising:

a liquid immersion member which forms a liquid immersion space by filling a space between the optical member and at least one of the movable member and the first movable body with a liquid.

31. The exposure apparatus according to claim 25 wherein

a surface of the moveable member has liquid repellency to liquid.

32. The exposure apparatus according to claim 25 wherein

the holding member holds the object so that a surface of the object and a surface of the holding member place in the periphery of the object becomes substantially flush.

33. The exposure apparatus according to claim 25 wherein

the movable member has at least a part of a measurement member which measures optical properties of the optical member.

34. An exposure method in which an object is exposed with an energy beam via an optical member and a liquid, the method comprising:

moving a first movable body which movably supports a holding member that holds an object and can also hold a liquid with the optical member, at least along a two-dimensional plane;

measuring positional information of the holding member by irradiating a measurement beam on a measurement plane of the holding member, using a position measurement system which has at least a part of the system provided in a measurement member placed below the holding member supported by the first movable body; and

maintaining the liquid right under the optical member, by placing a movable member which has a holding plane placed above the measurement member and can hold the liquid with the optical member at the holding plane, interchangeably with the holding member.

35. The exposure method according to claim 34 wherein

positional information of the holding member is measured, using the position measurement system which has at least a part of the system provided in the measurement member and irradiating a measurement beam on the measurement plane, having a grating, provided on the lower side of the holding member, and receiving a diffraction light generated at the grating by the irradiation of the measurement beam.

36. The exposure method according to claim 34 wherein

the movable member moves in a first direction with the holding member and the first movable body, in a state where the movable member is in proximity within a predetermined distance to the holding member in the first direction within the two-dimensional plane.

37. The exposure method according to claim 34 wherein

at least one of the movable member and the holding member is placed at a position facing the optical member, so as to continue holding a liquid between the optical member and at least one of the movable member and the holding member.

38. A device manufacturing method, the method including;

exposing an object using the exposure method according to claim 34; and

developing the object which has been exposed.