EXPOSURE APPARATUS, EXPOSURE METHOD, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD

• US 20110053061A1
• Filed: 08/20/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: SHIBAZAKI, Yuichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,493,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 430/30
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70058 Mask illumination systems
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70108 Off-axis setting using a light-guiding element, e.g. diffractive optical elements [DOEs] or light guides
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70191 Optical correction elements, filters or phase plates for controlling intensity, wavelength, polarisation, phase or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70516 Calibration of components of the microlithographic apparatus, e.g. light sources, addressable masks or detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70725 control
• 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 7/70975 Assembly, maintenance, transport or storage of apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/70 for microlithography measuring printed patterns for monitoring overlay G03F7/70633 or focus G03F7/70641; projection system adjustment G03F7/70258; position control G03F7/70775
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7046 Strategy, e.g. mark, sensor or wavelength selection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part

Abstract

An exposure apparatus is equipped with an encoder system which measures positional information of a wafer stage by irradiating a measurement beam using four heads installed on the wafer stage on a scale plate which covers the movement range of the wafer stage except for the area right under a projection optical system. Placement distances of the heads here are each set to be larger than width of the opening of the scale plates, respectively. This allows the positional information of the wafer stage to be measured, by switching and using the three heads facing the scale plate out of the four heads according to the position of the wafer stage.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus which sequentially exposes an energy beam on a plurality of divided areas placed in a shape of a matrix on an object, and forms a pattern on each of the plurality of divided areas, the apparatus comprising:

a movable body which holds the object and moves along a predetermined plane;

a position measurement system which has a plurality of heads provided on the movable body, and of the plurality of heads, obtains a positional information of the movable body, based on measurement results of a predetermined number of heads which irradiate a measurement beam on a measurement plane that has an opening partially and is placed facing the movable body and roughly parallel to the predetermined plane, receive a return beam from the measurement plane, and measure a position of the movable body in each measurement direction; and

a control system which drives the movable body based on the positional information obtained by the position measurement system, and also switches at least one of the predetermined number of heads used to compute a positional information of the movable body according to a position of the movable body to a different head, wherein

of the plurality of heads, a separation distance of two heads set apart in a first direction within the predetermined plane is larger than a width of the opening in the first direction.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the separation distance of the two heads set apart in the first direction is larger than a sum of the width of the opening in the first direction and a width of each of the plurality of divided areas in the first direction.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

of the plurality of heads, a separation distance of two heads set apart in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction within the predetermined plane is larger than a width of the opening in the second direction.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3 wherein

the separation distance of the two heads set apart in the second direction is larger than a sum of the width of the opening in the second direction and a width of each of the plurality of divided areas in the second direction.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein,

the measurement plane is configured of a plurality of sections where each of the plurality of heads faces.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

on the measurement plane, a two-dimensional grating whose periodic direction is in two axial directions that are perpendicular to each other within the predetermined plane is formed.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6 wherein

at least one of the two axial directions serves as a measurement direction for each of the plurality of heads.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

at least a direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane serves as a measurement direction for each of the plurality of heads.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the control system performs a drive at a constant speed of the movable body in the first direction to form the pattern in a divided area subject to formation of the plurality of divided areas based on the positional information obtained by the position measurement system, and after the drive at a constant speed, steps and drives the movable body toward a starting point of a constant speed drive to form the pattern with respect to a next divided area subject to formation of the plurality of divided areas.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 9 wherein

the control system switches a head used to compute a positional information of the movable body, after performing the drive at a constant speed.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 10 wherein

the control system makes an offset to reset a measurement result of a head to be used after the switching using the measurement results of the plurality of heads during the drive at a constant speed, and resets the measurement results of the heads using the offset.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the control system steps and drives the movable body toward a starting point of a constant speed drive to form the pattern in a divided area subject to formation of the plurality of divided areas, based on the positional information obtained by the position measurement system, and after the step and drive, performs a drive at a constant speed of the movable body in the first direction from the starting point to form the pattern in the divided area subject to formation.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 12 wherein

the control system switches a head used to compute a positional information of the movable body, before performing the drive at a constant speed.

14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13 wherein

the control system makes an offset to reset a measurement result of a head to be used after the switching using the measurement results of the plurality of heads prior to the switching of the heads, and resets the measurement results of the heads using the offset.

15. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14 wherein

the control system corrects measurement errors of the plurality of heads that occur due to acceleration of the movable body.

16. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14 wherein

the control system sets a redundant section in a path of the step and drive, and makes the offset while the movable body moves at a constant speed in the redundant section.

17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14 wherein

the separation distance of the two heads set apart in the first direction is larger than a sum of the width of the opening in the first direction and two times the distance in the first direction of the step and drive.

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

a mask stage which holds a mask that is an original plate on which the pattern is formed, wherein

the control system drives the mask stage in the first direction synchronously, when performing the drive at a constant speed of the movable body in the first direction.

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

a mark detection system which detects a mark formed on the object; and

a separate position measurement system which obtains a positional information of the movable body based on measurement results of a predetermined number of heads that irradiate a measurement beam on a separate measurement plane, which is placed facing the movable body roughly in parallel with the predetermined plane and corresponding to the mark detection system and has an opening partially, receive a return beam from the measurement plane, of the plurality of heads.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 19 wherein

the separate measurement plane is configured of a plurality of sections where each of the plurality of heads faces.

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

an optical system which emits the energy beam to the object.

22. An exposure apparatus which sequentially exposes an energy beam on a plurality of divided areas on an object, and forms a pattern on each of the plurality of divided areas on the object, the apparatus comprising:

a movable body which holds the object and moves along a predetermined plane;

a position measurement system which has a plurality of heads provided on the movable body, and of the plurality of heads, irradiates a measurement beam on a measurement plane having a measurement non-effective area in part of the measurement plane which is placed facing the movable body and roughly parallel to the predetermined plane, receives a return beam from the measurement plane, and obtains a positional information of the movable body based on measurement results of a predetermined number of heads which measure a position of the movable body in each measurement direction; and

a control system which drives the movable body based on the positional information obtained by the position measurement system, while switching a head to be used to compute the positional information of the movable body, wherein

of the plurality of heads, a separation distance of two heads set apart in a predetermined direction within the predetermined plane is decided, taking into consideration a size of the measurement non-effective area in the predetermined direction.

23. The exposure apparatus according to claim 22 wherein

the separation distance of the two heads set apart in the predetermined direction is larger than the size of the measurement non-effective area in the predetermined direction.

24. The exposure apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

the separation distance of the two heads set apart in the predetermined direction is larger than a sum of the size in the predetermined direction of the measurement non-effective area and each of the plurality of divided areas.

25. The exposure apparatus according to claim 22, the apparatus further comprising:

an optical system which emits the energy beam to the object.

26. An exposure apparatus which sequentially exposes an energy beam on a plurality of divided areas placed in a shape of a matrix on an object, and forms a pattern on each of the plurality of divided areas, the apparatus comprising:

a movable body which holds the object and moves along a predetermined plane;

a position measurement system which has a plurality of heads provided on the movable body, and of the plurality of heads, irradiates a measurement beam on a measurement plane having an opening in part of the measurement plane which is placed facing the movable body and roughly parallel to the predetermined plane, receives a return beam from the measurement plane, and obtains a positional information of the movable body based on measurement results of a predetermined number of heads which measure a position of the movable body in each measurement direction; and

a control system which drives the movable body based on positional information obtained by the position measurement system, and also switches at least one of the predetermined number of heads used to compute a positional information of the movable body according to a position of the movable body to a different head, wherein

after a constant speed movement on the movable body is performed in a first area where heads included in a first head group and a second head group which has at least one different head of the plurality of heads face the measurement plane, in a first direction of the predetermined plane to form the pattern in a divided area subject to formation of the plurality of divided areas based on the positional information of the movable body which is obtained based on measurement results of the first head group, heads used to compute positional information of the movable body are switched to the second head group before the movable body moves from the first area to a second area where only the heads included in the second head group face the measurement plane.

27. The exposure apparatus according to claim 26 wherein

during the constant speed movement, an offset to reset measurement results of a different head is made using measurement results of the first head group, and the measurement results of the different head is reset, using the offset.

28. The exposure apparatus according to claim 26 wherein

after the switching, the movable body is stepped and driven to a starting point of a constant speed movement to form the pattern in the next divided area subject to formation of the plurality of divided areas, based on the positional information of the movable body obtained from measurement results of the second head group.

29. The exposure apparatus according to claim 26 wherein

after the movable body is stepped and driven in the first area to a starting point of a constant speed movement to form the pattern in a divided area subject to formation of the plurality of divided areas, based on measurement results of the positional information of the movable body obtained based on measurement results of the first head group, the movable body is moved at a constant speed in the first direction from the starting point to form the pattern in the divided area subject to formation, and before the movable body moves from the first area to the second area, heads to be used to compute a positional information of the movable body are switched to the second head group.

30. The exposure apparatus according to claim 29 wherein

during the step and drive, an offset to reset measurement results of the different head is made using measurement results of the first head group, and the measurement results of the different head is reset, using the offset.

31. The exposure apparatus according to claim 30 wherein

when the offset is made, measurement errors of the plurality of heads that occur due to acceleration of the movable body are corrected.

32. The exposure apparatus according to claim 30 wherein

the offset is made while the movable body moves at a constant speed in a redundant section in a path of the step and drive.

33. The exposure apparatus according to claim 29 wherein

after the switching, the movable body is moved at a constant speed in the first direction from the starting point to form the pattern in the divided area subject to formation, using measurement results of the positional information of the movable body measured using the second head group.

34. The exposure apparatus according to claim 26, the apparatus further comprising:

a mask stage which holds a mask that is an original plate on which the pattern is formed, wherein

the mask stage moves to in the first direction synchronously with the movement at a constant speed of the movable body in the first direction.

35. The exposure apparatus according to claim 26, the apparatus further comprising:

an optical system which emits the energy beam to the object.

36. An exposure method in which a plurality of divided areas placed in a shape of a matrix on an object is sequentially exposed an energy beam, and a pattern is formed on each of the plurality of divided areas, the method comprising:

obtaining a positional information of the movable body, based on measurement results of a predetermined number of heads of the plurality of heads provided on the movable body which moves along a predetermined plane holding the object, by irradiating a measurement beam on a measurement plane having an opening in part of the measurement plane which is placed facing the movable body and roughly parallel to the predetermined plane, receiving a return beam from the measurement plane, and measuring a position of the movable body in each measurement direction;

moving the movable body at a constant speed in the first direction in the predetermined plane to form the pattern in a divided area subject to formation of the plurality of divided areas, based on the positional information; and

after the movable body is moved at a constant speed, switching at least one of the predetermined number of heads used to compute a positional information of the movable body according to a position of the movable body to a different head.

37. The exposure method according to claim 36 wherein

after the switching, the movable body is stepped and driven to a starting point of a constant speed movement to form the pattern in the next divided area subject to formation of the plurality of divided areas.

38. The exposure method according to claim 36 wherein

during the constant speed movement, an offset is made to reset a measurement result of a head to be used after the switching using the measurement results of the plurality of heads, and the measurement results of the heads are reset using the offset.

39. The exposure method according to claim 36 wherein

the constant speed movement in the first direction of the movable body is performed synchronously with a movement in the first direction of a different movable body holding a mask that is an original plate of the pattern.

40. The exposure method according to claim 36 wherein

irradiation of the energy beam on the object is performed via an optical system.

41. A device manufacturing method, including

forming a pattern on an object by the exposure method according to claim 36;

and

developing the object on which the pattern is formed.

47. The exposure method according to claim 38 wherein

the offset is made using a first positional information of the movable body which is obtained from measurement results of a first head group of the plurality of heads excluding heads that are used after the switching, and a second positional information of the movable body which is obtained from measurement results of a second head group of the plurality of heads including heads that are used after the switching.

48. The exposure method according to claim 47 wherein

the offset is made by time averaging a difference of the first and second positional information.

49. The exposure method according to claim 47 wherein

the offset is made by collecting a difference of the first and second positional information for each predetermined time, and moving averaging the difference which has been collected.

50. The exposure method according to claim 47 wherein

measurement results of the heads used after the switching are reset using the offset after the offset is converged.

51. The exposure method according to claim 50 wherein

the measurement results of the heads used after the switching are reset when a difference of the first and the second positional information coincides with the offset which has been converged.

52. The exposure method according to claim 47 wherein

measurement results of the heads used after the switching are reset so that each time average of the first and the second positional information coincides with each other.

53. The exposure method according to claim 47 wherein

measurement results of the heads used after the switching are reset so that the first and second positional information of each predetermined time is collected, and a moving average of each of the first and second positional information which has been collected coincides with each other.

54. The exposure method according to claim 47 wherein

measurement results of the heads used after the switching are reset while the movable body is moving at a constant speed.

42. An exposure method in which a plurality of divided areas placed in a shape of a matrix on an object is sequentially exposed by an energy beam, and a pattern is formed on each of the plurality of divided areas, the method comprising:

obtaining a positional information of the movable body, based on measurement results of a predetermined number of heads of the plurality of heads provided on the movable body which moves along a predetermined plane holding the object, by irradiating a measurement beam on a measurement plane having an opening in part of the measurement plane which is placed facing the movable body and roughly parallel to the predetermined plane, receiving a return beam from the measurement plane, and measuring a position of the movable body in each measurement direction;

stepping and driving the movable body toward a starting point of a constant speed drive to form the pattern in a divided area subject to formation of the plurality of divided areas, based on positional information obtained; and

switching at least one of the predetermined number of heads used to compute a positional information of the movable body according to a position of the movable body to a different head before the movable body is moved at a constant speed in the first direction to form the pattern in the divided area subject to formation, after the stepping and driving.

43. The exposure method according to claim 42 wherein

after the switching, the movable body is moved at a constant speed in the first direction from the starting point to form the pattern in the divided area subject to formation.

44. The exposure method according to claim 42 wherein

an offset is made to reset a measurement result of a head to be used after the switching using the measurement results of the plurality of heads prior to the switching of the heads, and the measurement results of the heads are reset using the offset.

45. The exposure method according to claim 44 wherein

when making the offset, measurement errors of the plurality of heads that occur due to acceleration of the movable body are corrected.

46. The exposure method according to claim 44 wherein

a redundant section is set in a path of the step and drive, and the offset is made while the movable body moves at a constant speed in the redundant section.

55. The exposure method according to claim 42 wherein

the constant speed movement in the first direction of the movable body is performed synchronously with a movement in the first direction of a different movable body holding a mask that is an original plate of the pattern.

56. The exposure method according to claim 42 wherein

irradiation of the energy beam on the object is performed via an optical system.

57. A device manufacturing method, including

forming a pattern on an object using the exposure method according to claim 42;

and

developing the object on which the pattern is formed.

58. An exposure method in which a plurality of divided areas placed in a shape of a matrix on an object is sequentially exposed by an energy beam, and a pattern is formed on each of the plurality of divided areas, the method comprising:

obtaining positional information of the movable body within a first area where of a plurality of heads provided on a movable body which moves along a predetermined plane holding the object, heads included in a first head group and a second head group which has at least one head different from the first head group face a measurement plane which is provided roughly parallel to the predetermined plane, based on measurement results of the first head group, and performing a constant speed drive of the movable body in a first direction of the predetermined plane to form the pattern on a divided area subject to formation of the plurality of divided areas, based on the positional information; and

switching heads to be used to compute the positional information to the second heads group after the constant speed movement, before the movable body moves from the first area to a second area where heads included only in the second group face the measurement plane.

59. The exposure method according to claim 58, the method further comprising:

making an offset to reset measurement results of the different head using measurement results of the first head group, and resetting the measurement results of the different head using the offset during the constant speed movement.

60. The exposure method according to claim 58, the method further comprising:

obtaining positional information of the movable body based on measurement results of the second head group after the switching, and based on the positional information which has been obtained, stepping and driving the movable body to a starting point of the constant speed movement to form the pattern in the next divided area subject to formation of the plurality of divided areas.

61. The exposure method according to claim 58 wherein

the constant speed movement in the first direction of the movable body is performed synchronously with a movement in the first direction of another movable body holding a mask that is an original plate of the pattern.

62. The exposure method according to claim 58 wherein

irradiation of the energy beam on the object is performed via an optical system.

63. A device manufacturing method, including

forming a pattern on an object using the exposure method according to claim 58;

and

developing the object on which the pattern is formed.

64. An exposure method in which a plurality of divided areas placed in a shape of a matrix on an object is sequentially exposed by an energy beam, and a pattern is formed on each of the plurality of divided areas, the method comprising:

obtaining positional information of the movable body within a first area where of a plurality of heads provided on a movable body which moves along a predetermined plane holding the object, heads included in a first head group and a second head group which has at least one head different from the first head group face a measurement plane which is provided roughly parallel to the predetermined plane, based on measurement results of the first head group, and performing a step drive of the movable body toward a starting position of the constant speed movement to form the pattern on a divided area subject to formation of the plurality of divided areas, based on the positional information; and

switching heads to be used to measure the positional information to the second heads group after the step drive, before the movable body moves from the first area to the second area by being moved from the starting position in the first direction by the constant speed movement to form the pattern on a divided area subject to formation.

65. The exposure method according to claim 64, the method further comprising:

making an offset to reset measurement results of the different head using measurement results of the first head group, and resetting the measurement results of the different head using the offset during the step drive.

66. The exposure method according to claim 65 wherein

when making the offset, measurement errors of the plurality of heads that occur due to acceleration of the movable body are corrected.

67. The exposure method according to claim 65 wherein

a redundant section is set in a path of the step and drive, and

the offset is made while the movable body moves at a constant speed in the redundant section.

68. The exposure method according to claim 65 wherein

the offset is made using a first positional information of the movable body obtained from measurement results of the first head group and a second positional information of the movable body obtained from measurement results of the second head group.

69. The exposure method according to claim 68 wherein

the offset is made by time averaging a difference of the first and second positional information.

70. The exposure method according to claim 68 wherein

the offset is made by collecting a difference of the first and second positional information for each predetermined time, and moving averaging the difference which has been collected.

71. The exposure method according to claim 68 wherein

measurement results of the different head are reset using the offset after the offset is converged.

72. The exposure method according to claim 71 wherein

the measurement results of the different head are reset when a difference of the first and the second positional information coincides with the offset which has been converged.

73. The exposure method according to claim 68 wherein

measurement results of the different head are reset so that each time average of the first and the second positional information coincides with each other.

74. The exposure method according to claim 68 wherein

measurement results of the different head is reset so that the first and second positional information of each predetermined time is collected, and a moving average of each of the first and second positional information which has been collected coincides with each other.

75. The exposure method according to claim 68 wherein

measurement results of the different head are reset while the movable body is moving at a constant speed.

76. The exposure method according to claim 64, the method further comprising:

obtaining positional information of the movable body based on measurement results of the second head group after the switching, and moving the movable body at a constant speed in the first direction from the starting point to form the pattern in the divided area subject to formation based on the positional information.

77. The exposure method according to claim 64, the method further comprising:

the constant speed movement in the first direction of the movable body is performed synchronously with a movement in the first direction of a different movable body holding a mask that is an original plate of the pattern.

78. The exposure method according to claim 64 wherein

irradiation of the energy beam on the object is performed via an optical system.

79. A device manufacturing method, including

forming a pattern on an object using the exposure method according to claim 64;

and

developing the object on which the pattern is formed.

80. An exposure apparatus which sequentially exposes an energy beam on a plurality of divided areas placed in a shape of a matrix on an object, and forms a pattern on each of the plurality of divided areas, the apparatus comprising:

a movable body which holds the object and moves along a predetermined plane;

a position measurement system which has a plurality of heads provided on the movable body, and obtains positional information of the movable body based on measurement results of a predetermined number of heads of the plurality of heads which is obtained by irradiating a measurement beam on a measurement plane placed roughly parallel to the predetermined plane facing the movable body, receiving a return beam from the measurement plane, and measuring a position of the movable body in each measurement direction; and

a control system which drives the movable body based on positional information obtained from the position measurement system, as well as switch at least one head of the predetermined number of heads used to compute the positional information of the body at the time besides when a constant speed movement of the movable body is performed in a first direction within the predetermined plane to form the pattern in the divided area subject to formation of the plurality of divided areas to another head.

81. The exposure apparatus according to claim 80 wherein

during the constant speed movement, an offset is made to reset measurement results of the another head using measurement results of the predetermined number of heads used to compute the positional information of the movable body before the switching, and the offset is used to reset the measurement results of the another head.

82. The exposure apparatus according to claim 80 wherein

based on the positional information of the movable body obtained from the measurement results of the predetermined number of heads after the switching, the movable body is stepped and driven to a starting point of the constant speed movement to form the pattern in the next divided area subject to formation of the plurality of divided areas.

83. The exposure apparatus according to claim 80, the apparatus further comprising:

a mask stage which holds a mask that is an original plate on which the pattern is formed, wherein

the mask stage moves in the first direction synchronously with the constant speed movement of the movable body in the first direction.

84. The exposure apparatus according to claim 80, the apparatus further comprising:

an optical system which emits the energy beam to the object.

85. An exposure method in which a plurality of divided areas placed in a shape of a matrix on an object is sequentially exposed by an energy beam, and a pattern is formed on each of the plurality of divided areas, the method comprising:

obtaining a positional information of the movable body, based on measurement results of a predetermined number of heads of the plurality of heads provided on the movable body which moves along a predetermined plane holding the object, by irradiating a measurement beam on a measurement plane having an opening in part of the measurement plane which is placed facing the movable body and roughly parallel to the predetermined plane, receiving a return beam from the measurement plane, and measuring a position of the movable body in each measurement direction;

switching at least one of the predetermined number of heads used to compute a positional information of the movable body according to a position of the movable body to a different head at a time besides when the movable body performs the constant speed movement in the first direction to form the pattern in the divided area subject to formation.

86. The exposure method according to claim 85 wherein

an offset is made to reset a measurement result of a head to be used after the switching using the measurement results of the predetermined number of heads prior to the switching of the heads, and the measurement results of the heads are reset using the offset.

87. The exposure method according to claim 85 wherein

the constant speed movement in the first direction of the movable body is performed synchronously with a movement in the first direction of a different movable body holding a mask that is an original plate of the pattern.

88. The exposure method according to claim 85 wherein

irradiation of the energy beam on the object is performed via an optical system.

89. A device manufacturing method, including

forming a pattern on an object using the exposure method according to claim 85;

and

developing the object on which the pattern is formed.

90. A making method of an exposure apparatus which sequentially exposes an energy beam on a plurality of divided areas placed in a shape of a matrix on an object, and forms a pattern on each of the plurality of divided areas, the apparatus comprising:

providing a movable body which holds the object and moves along a predetermined plane;

providing a position measurement system which has a plurality of heads provided on the movable body, and of the plurality of heads, obtains a positional information of the movable body, based on measurement results of a predetermined number of heads which irradiate a measurement beam on a measurement plane that has an opening partially and is placed facing the movable body and roughly parallel to the predetermined plane, receive a return beam from the measurement plane, and measure a position of the movable body in each measurement direction; and

providing a control system which drives the movable body based on the positional information obtained by the position measurement system, and also switches at least one of the predetermined number of heads used to compute a positional information of the movable body according to a position of the movable body to a different head, wherein

of the plurality of heads, a separation distance of two heads set apart in a first direction within the predetermined plane is larger than a width of the opening in the first direction.

91. A making method of an exposure apparatus which sequentially exposes an energy beam on a plurality of divided areas on an object, and forms a pattern on each of the plurality of divided areas on the object, the apparatus comprising:

providing a movable body which holds the object and moves along a predetermined plane;

providing a position measurement system which has a plurality of heads provided on the movable body, and of the plurality of heads, irradiates a measurement beam on a measurement plane having a measurement non-effective area in part of the measurement plane which is placed facing the movable body and roughly parallel to the predetermined plane, receives a return beam from the measurement plane, and obtains a positional information of the movable body based on measurement results of a predetermined number of heads which measure a position of the movable body in each measurement direction; and

providing a control system which drives the movable body based on the positional information obtained by the position measurement system, while switching a head to be used to compute the positional information of the movable body, wherein

of the plurality of heads, a separation distance of two heads set apart in a predetermined direction within the predetermined plane is decided, taking into consideration a size of the measurement non-effective area in the predetermined direction.

92. A making method of an exposure apparatus which sequentially exposes an energy beam on a plurality of divided areas placed in a shape of a matrix on an object, and forms a pattern on each of the plurality of divided areas, the apparatus comprising:

providing a movable body which holds the object and moves along a predetermined plane;

providing a position measurement system which has a plurality of heads provided on the movable body, and of the plurality of heads, irradiates a measurement beam on a measurement plane having an opening in part of the measurement plane which is placed facing the movable body and roughly parallel to the predetermined plane, receives a return beam from the measurement plane, and obtains a positional information of the movable body based on measurement results of a predetermined number of heads which measure a position of the movable body in each measurement direction; and

providing a control system which drives the movable body based on positional information obtained by the position measurement system, and also switches at least one of the predetermined number of heads used to compute a positional information of the movable body according to a position of the movable body to a different head, wherein

after a constant speed movement on the movable body is performed in a first area where heads included in a first head group and a second head group which has at least one different head of the plurality of heads face the measurement plane, in a first direction of the predetermined plane to form the pattern in a divided area subject to formation of the plurality of divided areas based on the positional information of the movable body which is obtained based on measurement results of the first head group, heads used to compute positional information of the movable body are switched to the second head group before the movable body moves from the first area to a second area where only the heads included in the second head group face the measurement plane.

93. A making method of an exposure apparatus which sequentially exposes an energy beam on a plurality of divided areas placed in a shape of a matrix on an object, and forms a pattern on each of the plurality of divided areas, the apparatus comprising:

providing a movable body which holds the object and moves along a predetermined plane;

providing a position measurement system which has a plurality of heads provided on the movable body, and obtains positional information of the movable body based on measurement results of a predetermined number of heads of the plurality of heads which is obtained by irradiating a measurement beam on a measurement plane placed roughly parallel to the predetermined plane facing the movable body, receiving a return beam from the measurement plane, and measuring a position of the movable body in each measurement direction; and

providing a control system which drives the movable body based on positional information obtained from the position measurement system, as well as switch at least one head of the predetermined number of heads used to compute the positional information of the body at the time besides when a constant speed movement of the movable body is performed it a first direction within the predetermined plane to form the pattern in the divided area subject to formation of the plurality of divided areas to another head.