EXPOSURE APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING DEVICE
First Claim
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1. A cleaning method used in a liquid immersion exposure apparatus, the method comprising:
- placing a stage under a liquid supply inlet during a cleaning operation, the cleaning operation being performed at a different time than an exposure operation in which an immersion liquid is supplied onto a substrate held on a holder of the stage; and
supplying the immersion liquid from the liquid supply inlet during the cleaning operation, wherein the supplying includes supplying the immersion liquid to a portion of the stage different from a portion at which the substrate is held by the holder of the stage.
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Abstract
There is provided an exposure apparatus capable of forming a desirable device pattern by removing unnecessary liquid when performing exposure by projecting a pattern onto the substrate via a projection optical system and the liquid. The exposure device projects an image of the pattern onto the substrate via the projection optical system and the liquid so as to expose the substrate. The exposure device includes a liquid removing mechanism which removes the liquid remaining on a part arranged in the vicinity of the image plane of the projection optical system.
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Citations
95 Claims
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1. A cleaning method used in a liquid immersion exposure apparatus, the method comprising:
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placing a stage under a liquid supply inlet during a cleaning operation, the cleaning operation being performed at a different time than an exposure operation in which an immersion liquid is supplied onto a substrate held on a holder of the stage; and supplying the immersion liquid from the liquid supply inlet during the cleaning operation, wherein the supplying includes supplying the immersion liquid to a portion of the stage different from a portion at which the substrate is held by the holder of the stage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A liquid immersion exposure apparatus comprising:
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a projection system having a final optical element; a stage having a holder on which a substrate to be exposed is held and which is movable below the projection system; a liquid supply inlet below which the stage is moved, and from which an immersion liquid is supplied; a liquid recovery outlet below which the stage is moved, and from which the supplied immersion liquid is collected; and a controller that controls the exposure apparatus to perform (i) an exposure operation in which the immersion liquid is supplied onto the substrate from the liquid supply inlet and (ii) a cleaning operation at a different time than the exposure operation, during the cleaning operation, the immersion liquid is supplied from the liquid supply inlet, the cleaning operation including supplying the immersion liquid to a portion of the stage different from a portion at which the substrate is held by the holder of the stage. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A cleaning method used in a liquid immersion exposure apparatus, the method comprising:
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placing a stage under a liquid supply inlet during a cleaning operation, the cleaning operation being performed at a different time than an exposure operation in which an immersion liquid is supplied onto a substrate having a resist and held on a holder of the stage; and supplying the immersion liquid from the liquid supply inlet from above the stage and during the cleaning operation, wherein the supplying includes supplying the immersion liquid to a surface different from an upper surface of the substrate having the resist. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A liquid immersion exposure apparatus comprising:
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a projection system having a final optical element; a stage having a holder on which a substrate having a resist to be exposed is held and which is movable below the projection system; a liquid supply inlet below which the stage is moved, and from which an immersion liquid is supplied; a liquid recovery outlet below which the stage is moved, and from which the supplied immersion liquid is collected; and a controller that controls the exposure apparatus to perform (i) an exposure operation in which the immersion liquid is supplied onto the substrate having the resist from the liquid supply inlet and (ii) a cleaning operation at a different time than the exposure operation, during the cleaning operation, the immersion liquid is supplied from the liquid supply inlet from above the stage, the cleaning operation including supplying the immersion liquid to a surface different from an upper surface of the substrate having the resist. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95)
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Specification