EXPOSURE APPARATUS, EXPOSURE METHOD, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD

• US 20100296070A1
• Filed: 05/18/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: SHIBAZAKI, Yuichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,792,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70691 Handling of masks or workpieces
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/707 Chucks, e.g. chucking or un-chucking operations or structural details
• 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 7/7075 Handling workpieces outside exposure position, e.g. SMIF box
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7011 Pre-exposure scan; original with original holder alignment; Prealignment, i.e. workpiece with workpiece holder
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67748 horizontal transfer of a single workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68707 the wafers being placed on a robot blade, or gripped by a gripper for conveyance

Abstract

While an exposure processing is performed to a wafer held by a fine movement stage supported by a coarse movement stage in an exposure station, at least a part of a measurement processing to a wafer held by another fine movement stage supported by another coarse movement stage and an exchange of a wafer held by yet another fine movement stage on a center table is concurrently performed. Because of this, exposure with a higher throughput becomes possible, even when compared with a conventional exposure apparatus which concurrently performs an exposure processing to a wafer on a wafer stage, and processing such as wafer exchange and alignment on another stage.

Claims

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

an exposure station where an exposure processing to irradiate an energy beam on an object is performed;

a measurement station which is placed at a position a predetermined distance away on one side of a direction parallel to a first axis, and where a measurement processing with respect to the object is performed;

a first movable body which is movable within a first range including the exposure station within a two-dimensional plane including the first axis and a second axis orthogonal to the first axis;

a second movable body which is movable within a second range including the measurement station within the two-dimensional plane;

a plurality of holding members which hold the object, and are also supported relatively movable at least within a plane parallel to the two-dimensional plane by the first and second movable bodies, respectively; and

a support device which can support the holding members, whereby

while exposure processing with respect to an object held by the holding member supported by the first movable body in exposure station is performed, at least a part of a measurement processing with respect to an object held by the holding member supported by the second movable body in the measurement station and an exchange of an object held by the holding member supported on the support device is concurrently performed.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the support device supports the holding member at a position different from the first and second movable bodies.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the support device supports the holding member in an area outside a movable range of the first and second movable bodies in the exposure processing and the measurement processing.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3 wherein

the support device supports the holding member at a position besides the exposure and the measurement station.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the object held by the holding member is detached in a non-contact manner from the holding member.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5 wherein

detachment of the object from the holding member is assisted.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the support device is movable within the two-dimensional plane supporting the holding member.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7 wherein

the support device moves to a predetermined exchange position supporting the holding member to exchange the object.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the support device performs a delivery of the holding member with at least one of the first and second movable bodies at a predetermined height position.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the support device is placed between the exposure station and the measurement station, with a position within the two-dimensional plane fixed, and the apparatus further comprises:

a carrier member which carries a holding member supported by the support device to exchange the object, to an exchange position where exchange of the object is performed.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 10 wherein

the first movable body is separable into a first section and, a second section in a direction parallel to the second axis, and

when the first movable body is separated into the first section and the second section, the support device can receive the holding member from the first movable body.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 10 wherein

on a bottom surface of at least one of the first movable body and the second movable body, one of an aperture and a notch is provided, which allows proximity to each other without being disturbed by the support apparatus.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 12 wherein

the support device is configured including a support member which is vertically movable.

14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13 wherein

when the support member supports the holding member at a predetermined height position, the first movable body and the second movable body are in proximity to each other and can reciprocally deliver the holding member.

15. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

after exposure processing with respect to an object held by the holding member supported by the first movable body in the exposure station has been completed,

the holding member holding the object which has been exposed is delivered from the first movable body to the support device, and

just after this, the holding member holding the object on which measurement has been completed is moved and mounted from the second movable body to the first movable body, and the holding member after the exchange holding a new object is moved and mounted from the exchange position on the second movable body.

16. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

an exchange of the object is performed, integrally with the holding member.

17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

a measurement plane is provided on a plane substantially parallel to the two-dimensional plane of the holding member, and the apparatus further comprising:

a first measurement system which irradiates at least one first measurement beam from below on the measurement plane of the holding member and receives a return light of the first measurement beam so as to measure a positional information of the holding member within the two-dimensional plane, when the first movable body supporting the holding member is at the exposure station.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, the apparatus further comprising:

a second measurement system which irradiates at least one second measurement beam from below on the measurement plane of the holding member and receives a return light of the second measurement beam so as to measure a positional information of the holding member within the two-dimensional plane, when the second movable body supporting the holding member is at the measurement station.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 18 wherein

the first and second movable members each have a space inside,

the first measurement system has a first measurement member which consists of a member extending in a direction parallel to the first axis that can be inserted at least from one side into the space of the first movable body, and irradiates the first measurement beam on the measurement plane and receives a return light of the first measurement beam, and

the second measurement system has a second measurement member which consists of a member extending in a direction parallel to the first axis that can be inserted at least from one side into the space of the movable body, and irradiates the second measurement beam on the measurement plane and receives a return light of the second measurement beam.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 19 wherein

the first and second measurement members are each a cantilevered member whose one end in the direction parallel to the first axis is a fixed end, and the other end is a free end.

21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 19 wherein

on the measurement plane, a grating whose periodic direction is in a direction parallel to at least one of the first axis and the second axis is placed,

the first and second measurement members each have a head which irradiates the first measurement beam and the second measurement beam on the grating, respectively, and receives a diffraction light from the grating, and

the first and second measurement systems measure a positional information of the holding member in a periodic direction of the grating, based on an output of the head.

22. The exposure apparatus according to claim 21 wherein

the grating includes a first and second diffraction grating whose periodic direction is in a direction parallel to the first axis and a second axis, which is perpendicular to the first axis within the two dimensional plane, respectively, whereby

the head irradiates a first axis direction measurement beam and a second axis direction measurement beam corresponding to the first and second diffraction gratings, respectively, as the measurement beam, and receives a diffraction light from the gratings of the first axis direction measurement beam and the second axis direction measurement beam, respectively, and the first and second measurement systems measure positional information of the holding member in a direction parallel to the first axis and the second axis, based on an output of the head.

23. The exposure apparatus according to claim 22 wherein

the head irradiates at least two measurement beams whose irradiation point on the grating is different to each other in the direction parallel to the second axis, on the first diffraction grating as the first axis direction measurement beam.

24. The exposure apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

the at least two measurement beams and the second axis direction measurement beam are each irradiated on an irradiation point on an identical straight line parallel with the second axis on the grating.

25. The exposure apparatus according to claim 21 wherein

a measurement center of an irradiation point of the first axis direction measurement beam irradiated on the grating from the head of the first measurement member coincides with an exposure position which is a center of an irradiation area of the energy beam irradiated on the object.

26. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17 wherein

the holding member has at least a part of a solid section where a light can travel inside, and

the measurement plane is placed on a mounting surface side of the object of the holding member facing the solid section.

27. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the measurement station includes at least one mark detection system which detects a mark on the object.

28. The exposure apparatus according to claim 27 wherein

the measurement station has detection areas placed apart in a direction parallel to the second axis, and includes a plurality of mark detection systems which detects different marks, respectively, on the object.

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

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

a liquid immersion device which has a liquid immersion member that supplies liquid between the optical member and the holding member held by the first movable body.

30. The exposure apparatus according to claim 29, the apparatus further comprising:

a shutter which holds the liquid with the optical member.

31. A device manufacturing method, including

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

and

developing the object which has been exposed.

32. An exposure apparatus that exposes an object with an energy beam via an optical system, the apparatus comprising:

a first movable body which is movable within an area in a two-dimensional plane including a first position right under the optical system;

a second movable body which is movable independent from the first movable body in an area within the two-dimensional plane, including a second position spaced apart from the first position on one side of a direction parallel to the first axis within the two-dimensional plane and the first position; and

a plurality of holding members which hold the object and is supported relatively movable at least in a direction parallel to the first axis, by both of the first and second movable bodies, whereby

a first and second holding member supported by the first and second movable bodies, respectively, of the plurality of holding members move to the other side of the direction parallel to the first axis, and by the first and second movable bodies moving to the one side of the direction parallel to the first axis, transition from a first state in which an object on the first holding member is positioned at the first position to a second state in which an object on the second holding member is positioned at the first position is performed.

33. The exposure apparatus according to claim 32, the apparatus further comprising:

a support member which can relatively move and support each of the holding members in the direction parallel to the first axis, and

in the second state, the second holding member holding an object before exposure is supported by the first movable body, and the first holding member holding an object which has undergone exposure is supported by the support member.

34. The exposure apparatus according to claim 33 wherein

the support member is movable within a plane parallel to the two-dimensional plane, and

after the transition, the support member moves to an exchange position to exchange an object in a state supporting the first holding member.

35. The exposure apparatus according to claim 34 wherein

at the exposure position, the object which has undergone exposure held by the first holding member is exchanged to a new object.

36. The exposure apparatus according to claim 35 wherein

after the transition, concurrently with exposure of the object held by the second holding member, the first holding member holding the new object is carried by the support member and delivered to the second movable body.

37. The exposure apparatus according to claim 34 wherein

more than two holding members are provided, and

at the exchange position, to exchange an object, the first holding member supporting the support member is exchanged to another holding member holding a new object.

38. The exposure apparatus according to claim 33 wherein

more than two holding members are provided,

another support member having a configuration similar to the support member is prepared,

after the transition, the support member moves to an exchange position in a state supporting the first holding member, and

the another support member moves to the vicinity of the second movable body in a state supporting a third holding member which is different from the first and second holding members that hold an object before exposure.

39. The exposure apparatus according to claim 38 wherein

on the transition,

concurrently with at least a part of the first and second holding members moving to the other side in the direction parallel to the first axis, the third holding member moves to the other side in the direction parallel to the first axis and is delivered from the another support member to the second movable body.

40. The exposure apparatus according to claim 32, the apparatus further comprising:

a measurement system which is placed at the second position and performs a predetermined measurement with respect an object held by any one of the holding members on the second movable body, wherein

to the object before exposure, prior to the state transition, the predetermined measurement by the measurement system is performed in the first state, in a state where the object is held on the holding member.

41. The exposure apparatus according to claim 32, the apparatus further comprising:

a position measurement system which measures a positional information at least within the two-dimensional plane of the holding member held by the first movable body, wherein

the first and second movable bodies have a space inside penetrating in the direction parallel to the first axis,

a measurement plane is provided on a plane substantially parallel to the two-dimensional plane of the holding member, and

the position measurement system includes a measurement arm, which is partially placed within the space of the first movable body facing the measurement plane, has a head that irradiates at least one measurement beam on the measurement plane and receives light from the measurement plane of the measurement beam, and is cantilevered with a support structure of being supported with the other end and extending in a direction parallel to the first axis serving as a fixed end, and the system measures positional information at least within the two-dimensional plane of the holding member held by the first movable body, based on the output of the head.

42. The exposure apparatus according to claim 41 wherein

the holding member has at least a part of a solid section where a light can travel inside,

the measurement plane is placed on a mounting surface side of the object of the holding member facing the solid section, and

the head is placed on an opposite side of the mounting surface of the object facing the solid section.

43. The exposure apparatus according to claim 41 wherein

a grating is formed on the measurement plane, and

the head irradiates at least one measurement beam on the grating, and receives a diffraction light from the grating of the measurement beam.

44. The exposure apparatus according to claim 43 wherein

the grating includes a first and second diffraction grating whose periodic direction is in a direction parallel to the first axis and a second axis, which is perpendicular to the first axis within the two dimensional plane, respectively, and

the head irradiates a first axis direction measurement beam and a second axis direction measurement beam corresponding to the first and second diffraction gratings, respectively, as the measurement beam, and receives a diffraction light from the gratings of the first axis direction measurement beam and the second axis direction measurement beam, respectively, and the position measurement system measures a positional information of the holding member in a direction parallel to the first axis and the second axis, based on an output of the head.

45. The exposure apparatus according to claim 44 wherein

the head irradiates at least two measurement beams whose irradiation point on the grating is different to each other in the direction parallel to the second axis, on the first diffraction grating as the first axis direction measurement beam.

46. The exposure apparatus according to claim 45 wherein

the at least two measurement beams and the second axis direction measurement beam are each irradiated on an irradiation point on an identical straight line parallel with the second axis on the grating.

47. The exposure apparatus according to claim 44 wherein

a measurement center of an irradiation point of the first axis direction measurement beam irradiated on the grating from the head coincides with an exposure position which is a center of an irradiation area of the energy beam irradiated on the object.

48. The exposure apparatus according to claim 32 wherein

the positional relation in the direction parallel to the first axis of the first and second holding members maintained at the time of the state transition is a positional relation in which the first and second holding members is in one of a proximity and a contact state in the direction parallel to the first axis.

49. The exposure apparatus according to claim 32, the apparatus further comprising:

a liquid immersion device which has a liquid immersion member that supplies liquid between the optical member and the holding member held by the first movable body, wherein

in the first state, liquid is held between an object on the first holding member and the optical system, and

in the second state, liquid is held between an object on the second holding member and the optical system.

50. The exposure apparatus according to claim 49 wherein

at the time of the state transition, the first and second holding members are moved together in a direction parallel to the first axis in one of a state in proximity and in contact.

51. The exposure apparatus according to claim 50 wherein

at the time of the state transition, the first and second holding members are moved while maintaining a positional relation in a direction parallel to the first axis.

52. A device manufacturing method, including

exposing an object using the exposure apparatus according to claim 32;

and

developing the object which has been exposed.

53. An exposure method in which an object is exposed with an energy beam, the method comprising:

preparing at least three holding members which hold an object, respectively; and

concurrently performing at least a part of an exposure processing with respect to an object held by a first holding member of the at least three holding members in an exposure station, a measurement processing with respect to an object held by a second holding member of the at least three holding members in a measurement station placed away from the exposure station at a position a predetermined distance away on one side of a direction parallel to a first axis, and an object exchange using a third holding member of the at least three holding members.

54. The exposure method according to claim 53 wherein

the object exchange using the third holding member is performed at a position different from the first and second movable bodies.

55. The exposure method according to claim 53 wherein

the object exchange using the third holding member is performed in an area outside a movable range of the first and second movable bodies in the exposure processing and the measurement processing.

56. The exposure method according to claim 55 wherein

the object exchange using the third holding member is performed at a position besides the exposure station and the measurement station.

57. The exposure method according to claim 53 wherein

on the object exchange, the object held by the third holding member is detached in a now-contact manner from the third holding member.

58. The exposure method according to claim 57 wherein

detachment of the object from the third holding member is assisted.

59. The exposure method according to claim 53 wherein

the holding member holding the object on which the exposure processing is performed, is supported relatively movable with respect to a first movable body at the exposure station, and

the holding member holding the object on which measurement processing is performed, is supported relatively movable with respect to a second movable body at the measurement station.

60. The exposure method according to claim 59 wherein

after exposure processing with respect to the object held by the first holding member supported by the first movable body in the exposure station has been completed,

the first holding member holding the object which has been exposed is delivered from the first movable body to the support device positioned between the exposure station and the measurement station, and

immediately after the delivery, the second holding member holding the object which has been measured is moved and mounted from the second movable body to the first movable body.

61. The exposure method according to claim 60 wherein

after the second holding member is moved and mounted from the second movable body to the first movable body,

the first holding member holding the object which has been exposed is moved from the support device to an exchange position where object exchange is performed, and the third holding member holding a new object after an exchange is performed is moved and mounted on the second movable body via the support device.

62. The exposure method according to claim 60 wherein

the support device is movable within the two-dimensional plane, and

on an exchange of the object, the support device supporting the holding member is moved to a predetermined exchange position.

63. The exposure method according to claim 59, method further comprising:

concurrently with an exposure processing with respect to an object held by one of the holding members of the at least three holding members supported by the first movable body and a measurement processing with respect to an object held by another of the holding members of the at least three holding members supported by the second movable body, a temperature control of a new object which is subject to a processing which follows is performed.

64. A device manufacturing method, including

exposing an object using the exposure method according to claim 53;

and

developing the object which has been exposed.

65. An exposure method in which an object is exposed by an energy beam via an optical system, the method comprising:

preparing a plurality of holding members that each hold the object, and are relatively supportable at least in a direction parallel to a first axis within a two-dimensional plane, by both a first movable body which is movable in an area within the two-dimensional plane including a first position just under the optical system and a second movable body which is movable independently from the first movable body in an area within the two-dimensional plane including a second position distanced apart from the first position on one side in a direction parallel to the first axis within the two-dimensional plane; and

on performing a transition from a first state in which an object on a first holding member of the plurality of holding members is located at the first position to a second state in which an object on a second holding member of the plurality of holding members is located at the first position, the first and second holding members supported by the first and second movable bodies in the first state, respectively, are moved to the other side of a direction parallel to the first axis, and the first and second movable bodies are moved to one side of a direction parallel to the first axis.

66. The exposure apparatus according to claim 65 wherein

at the time of the state transition, the first and second holding members are moved together in a direction parallel to the first axis in one of a state in proximity and in contact.

67. The exposure apparatus according to claim 66 wherein

at the time of the state transition, the first and second holding members are moved while maintaining a positional relation in a direction parallel to the first axis.

68. The exposure method according to claim 65 wherein

in the second state, the second holding member holding an object before exposure is supported by the first movable body, and the first holding member holding an object which has undergone exposure is supported by a support member.

69. The exposure method according to claim 65 wherein

the positional relation in the direction parallel to the first axis of the first and second holding members maintained at the time of the state transition is a positional relation in which the first and second holding members is in one of a proximity and a contact state in the direction parallel to the first axis.

70. The exposure method according to claim 69 wherein

exposure of the object is performed in a state where liquid is supplied in between an object held by a holding member supported by the first movable body of the plurality of holding members and the optical member, whereby

in the first state, liquid is held between an object on the first holding member and the optical system, and

in the second state, liquid is held between an object on the second holding member and the optical system.

71. A device manufacturing method, including

exposing an object using the exposure method according to claim 65;

and

developing the object which has been exposed.