Exposure apparatus, exposure method and device manufacturing method

• US 20110211186A1
• Filed: 05/04/2011
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Nagasaka, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 10,209,622 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/77
• 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 7/709 Vibration, e.g. vibration detection, compensation, suppression or isolation

Abstract

An exposure method sequentially exposes a plurality of shot areas of a substrate. The method includes: (i) holding the substrate on a substrate holder such that a gap is formed along an edge of the substrate; (ii) exposing one of the shot areas, located near a center of the substrate, through a liquid of a liquid immersion area which covers only a portion of a surface of the substrate, while moving the substrate at a first scanning speed; and (iii) exposing an other one of the shot areas through the liquid of the liquid immersion area, while moving the substrate at a second scanning speed lower than the first scanning speed. The other one of the shot areas is located near the edge of the substrate and the gap is included in the liquid immersion area during the exposure of the other one of the shot areas.

Claims

1. An exposure method in which a plurality of shot areas of a substrate are exposed, sequentially and respectively, the method comprising:

holding the substrate on a substrate holder such that a gap is formed along an edge of the substrate;

exposing one of the shot areas of the substrate through a liquid of a liquid immersion area, which covers only a portion of a surface of the substrate, while moving the substrate at a first scanning speed, the one of the shot areas being located near a center of the substrate; and

exposing an other one of the shot areas of the substrate through the liquid of the liquid immersion area, while moving the substrate at a second scanning speed that is lower than the first scanning speed, the other one of the shot areas being located near the edge of the substrate and the gap being included in the liquid immersion area during the exposure of the other one of the shot areas.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gap is formed between the surface of the substrate and an upper surface of a substrate stage, the substrate being held on the substrate holder of the substrate stage.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second scanning speed is determined such that an adverse affect is prevented when the liquid immersion area is formed over the gap between the surface of the substrate and the upper surface of the substrate stage.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the adverse affect is due to the pressure of the liquid of the liquid immersion area.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gap is formed between the surface of the substrate and an upper surface of a substrate stage, the substrate being held on the substrate holder of the substrate stage, and the second scanning speed is determined such that the liquid of the liquid immersion area is prevented from running off the upper surface of the substrate stage.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid immersion area is formed by supplying the liquid from a supply inlet and recovering the supplied liquid from a recovery outlet.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the recovery outlet recovers the liquid along with gas.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the recovery outlet faces downwardly toward the surface of the substrate.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the liquid supply inlet faces downwardly toward the surface of the substrate.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gap is from 0.1 mm to 1 mm.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the other one of the shot areas is lacking.

12. A device manufacturing method comprising:

exposing a substrate using the exposure method of claim 1; and

processing the exposed substrate.