EXPOSURE APPARATUS, EXPOSURE METHOD, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD

• US 20110001943A1
• Filed: 09/03/2010
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: SHIBAZAKI, Yuichi
• Application Number:
  US12/875,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20110001943A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/30
• 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 7/706 Aberration measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/707 Chucks, e.g. chucking or un-chucking operations or structural details
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70716 Stages
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7085 Detection arrangement, e.g. detectors of apparatus alignment possibly mounted on wafers, exposure dose, photo-cleaning flux, stray light, thermal load
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70975 Assembly, maintenance, transport or storage of apparatus

Abstract

Of a measurement stage that has a plate on which liquid is supplied, and performs measurement related to exposure via a projection optical system and a liquid, at least a part of the measurement stage including the plate can be exchanged. Therefore, by exchanging at least a part of the measurement stage including the plate before the surface of the plate deteriorates due to contact with the liquid, measurement related to exposure can be performed constantly with high precision, which makes it possible to maintain exposure with high precision. Further, in the case at least one edge surface of the plate is mirror-polished, when at least a part of the measurement section including the plate is exchanged to a new component, the position of the plate can be accurately measured, for instance, by an interferometer or the like via the edge surface of the plate that has been mirror-polished, even if the position of the component that has been exchanged is roughly set.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus that illuminates a pattern with an energy beam and transfers the pattern onto a wafer via a projection optical system and a liquid of a liquid immersion area, the apparatus comprising:

a first movable body that moves with respect to the projection optical system;

a second movable body on which the wafer is mounted and which moves with respect to the projection optical system independently from the first movable body;

a detachable member on at least a part of which a flat surface is formed and which is detachable with respect to at least one of the first movable body and the second movable body;

a detection device that detects an alignment mark arranged on the wafer; and

a controller that detects the alignment mark with the detection device, after a state is changed from a first state where the liquid immersion area is formed in a space between the first movable body and the projection optical system to a second state where the liquid immersion area is formed in a space between the second movable body or the wafer mounted on the second movable body and the projection optical system.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after the alignment mark formed on the wafer is detected, the pattern is transferred onto the wafer.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the energy beam is irradiated on the flat surface formed on the detachable member via the projection optical system and the liquid of the liquid immersion area.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein during a period when the state is changed from the first state to the second state, the liquid immersion area moves on the flat surface formed on the detachable member.

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

a first drive device that moves both the first movable body and the second movable body in a first direction with respect to the projection optical system in a state where a positional relation in the first direction between the first movable body and the second movable body is made to be closer, during a period when the state is changed from the first state to the second state.

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

a base member that has a movement surface, on which the first movable body and the second movable body move;

a second drive device that moves the first movable body in a second direction intersecting the movement surface; and

a support device that supports an empty weight of the first movable body in the second direction.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second movable body has a flat surface that is formed around the wafer mounted on the second movable body and is substantially at a same height as a surface of the wafer.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detachable member is exchangeable, and the controller detects a timing to exchange the detachable member.

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

a liquid supply device that forms the liquid immersion area by supplying a liquid and adjusts a flow of the liquid to supply.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the detachable member has liquid-repellency.

11. A device manufacturing method having a lithography process, the method comprising:

transferring a device pattern onto a wafer using the exposure apparatus according to claim 1.

12. An exposure method of illuminating a pattern with an energy beam and transferring the pattern onto a wafer via a projection optical system and a liquid of a liquid immersion area, the method comprising:

moving a first movable body with respect to the projection optical system;

mounting the wafer on a second movable body and moving the second movable body with respect to the projection optical system independently from the first movable body;

arranging a member detachable with respect to at least one of the first movable body and the second movable body, on at least a part of the member a flat surface being formed; and

detecting an alignment mark formed on the wafer after a state is changed from a first state where the liquid immersion area is formed in a space between the first movable body and the projection optical system to a second state where the liquid immersion area is formed in a space between the second movable body or the wafer mounted on the second movable body and the projection optical system.

13. The exposure method according to claim 12, further comprising:

transferring the pattern onto the wafer after the alignment mark formed on the wafer is detected.

14. The exposure method according to claim 12, further comprising:

irradiating the energy beam on the flat surface formed on the member detachable, via the projection optical system and the liquid of the liquid immersion area.

15. The exposure method according to claim 12, further comprising:

moving the liquid immersion area on the flat surface formed on the detachable member during a period when the state is changed from the first state to the second state.

16. The exposure method according to claim 12, further comprising:

moving both the first movable body and the second movable body in a first direction with respect to the projection optical system in a state where a positional relation in the first direction between the first movable body and the second movable body is made to be closer, during a period when the state is changed from the first state to the second state.

17. The exposure method according to claim 12, further comprising:

moving the first movable body and the second movable body on a movement surface;

moving the first movable body in a second direction intersecting the movement surface; and

supporting an empty weight of the first movable body in the second direction.

18. The exposure method according to claim 12, further comprising:

arranging a flat surface on the second movable body, the flat surface on the second movable body being formed around the wafer mounted on the second movable body and being substantially the same in height as a surface of the wafer.

19. The exposure method according to claim 12, further comprising:

making the detachable member exchangeable and detecting a timing to exchange the detachable member.

20. The exposure method according to claim 12, further comprising:

making at least a part of the detachable member have liquid-repellency.

21. A device manufacturing method having a lithography process, the method comprising:

transferring a device pattern onto a wafer using the exposure method according to claim 12.