PROTECTIVE APPARATUS, MASK, MASK FABRICATING METHOD AND CONVEYING APPARATUS, AND EXPOSURE APPARATUS

• US 20100323302A1
• Filed: 04/23/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Shirato, Akinori, HANAZAKI, Noritsugu
• Granted Patent: US 8,349,525 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 430/325
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/62 Pellicles, e.g. pellicle assemblies, e.g. having membrane on support frame; Preparation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/64 characterised by the frames, e.g. structure or material, including bonding means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/82 Auxiliary processes, e.g. cleaning or inspecting
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70783 Handling stress or warp of chucks, masks or workpieces, e.g. to compensate for imaging errors or considerations related to warpage of masks or workpieces due to their own weight
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70983 Optical system protection, e.g. pellicles or removable covers for protection of mask
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

A protective apparatus that protects a predetermined area of the front surface of a mask substrate, provided with a pellicle frame that is disposed on at least a portion of the circumference of the predetermined area and bonded to the front surface of the mask substrate, and a pellicle that is mounted on the pellicle frame so as to cover an opening portion that is formed by the pellicle frame in a manner facing the predetermined area; in which the pellicle frame includes a first side portion and a second side portion, and a third side portion and a fourth side portion that are disposed at different positions along the predetermined area, and in relation to the normal direction of the front surface of the mask substrate, the rigidity of the first side portion and the second side portion is lower than the rigidity of the third side portion and the fourth side portion.

Claims

1. A protective apparatus that protects a predetermined area of a front surface of a substrate, comprising:

a support mechanism that is disposed on at least a portion of a circumference of the predetermined area and bonded to the front surface of the substrate; and

a protective film that is mounted on the support mechanism so as to cover an opening portion that is formed by the support mechanism in a manner facing the predetermined area;

wherein the support mechanism includes a plurality of first portions and second portions that are disposed at different positions along the predetermined area, and in relation to a normal direction of the front surface of the substrate, rigidity of the first portions is lower than rigidity of the second portions.

2. The protective apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first portions include a resilient hinge mechanism that has flexibility in the normal direction.

3. The protective apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the resilient hinge mechanism includes a flat plate-shaped portion in which a depressed portion is provided substantially parallel to the front surface of the substrate.

4. The protective apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a cutaway portion is provided in a vicinity of the resilient hinge mechanism in the first portion.

5. The protective apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of second portions include a plurality of support columns that are disposed in a direction intersecting the front surface of the substrate;

the first portions include at least a portion of an area between the plurality of support columns; and

it is provided with a sealing member that seals the area between the plurality of support columns and in relation to the normal direction has lower rigidity than the second portions.

6. The protective apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the sealing member consists of the same material as the protective film and is integrally formed with the protective film.

7. The protective apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of second portions are disposed in a vicinity of supported portions where the substrate is supported among the front surface of the substrate.

8. The protective apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of second portions are disposed so as to sandwich the predetermined area in a first direction along the predetermined area, and

the plurality of first portions are disposed so as to sandwich the predetermined area in a second direction that intersects the first direction at least along the predetermined area.

9. The protective apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the plurality of second portions are respectively disposed along the second direction on both sides of the first direction sandwiching the predetermined area;

and

the plurality of first portions are respectively disposed along the second direction on both sides in the second direction sandwiching the predetermined area.

10. The protective apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of second portions are disposed in a vicinity of both end portions in the second direction of at least the predetermined area, at both sides in the first direction sandwiching the predetermined area.

11. A mask comprising:

a substrate in which a predetermined area is provided on a front surface; and

the protective apparatus according to claim 1 that is provided on the front surface of the substrate so as to cover the predetermined area.

12. The mask according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined area includes a pattern area in which a pattern is formed.

13. A mask fabricating method in which the protective apparatus of claim 1 is bonded to a front surface of a substrate so as to cover a predetermined area of the front surface of the substrate, the method comprising:

placing a adhesive agent between the support mechanism of the protective apparatus and the front surface of the substrate; and

pressing the support mechanism to the front surface of the substrate via the adhesive agent while supplementing rigidity of the first portions of the support mechanism.

14. The mask fabricating method according to claim 13, wherein:

the first portions of the support mechanism include a flat plate-shaped portion in which a depressed portion is provided substantially parallel to the front surface of the substrate; and

a spacer is disposed in the depressed portion in order to supplement the rigidity of the first portions.

15. The mask fabricating method according to claim 13, wherein a cutaway portion is provided in the first portion of the support mechanism, and

the process that presses the protective apparatus to the front surface of the substrate includes providing a ventilation portion between the first portions and the front surface of the substrate via the cutaway portion in a portion of the first portions of the support mechanism.

16. An exposure apparatus that exposes an object with exposure light via a mask and a projection optical system, using the mask according to claim 11 as the mask.

17. A device fabrication method that includes transferring to an object the pattern that is provided on the mask recited in claim 12 and processing the object to which the pattern has been transferred.

18. The device fabrication method according to claim 17, wherein the processing of the object includes treating the object based on the pattern.

19. The device fabrication method according to claim 17, wherein the transferring of the pattern to the object includes projecting the image of the pattern on the object.

20. A mask conveying apparatus comprising:

a support portion that supports a mask in which the protective apparatus according to claim 1 is provided; and

a drive apparatus that drives the support portion that supports the mask;

wherein the support portion supports a portion in a vicinity of the second portion among the front surface of the substrate.