Exposure apparatus and air-conditioning apparatus for use with exposure apparatus

• US 6,535,270 B1
• Filed: 03/12/1999
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Murayama, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/266,873
• Time in Patent Office: 1,467 Days
• Field of Search: 355/30, 355/18, 355/52, 355/53, 355/67, 355/77
• US Class Current: 355/30
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70858 Environment aspects, e.g. pressure of beam-path gas, temperature pollution aspects G03F7/70916
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70866 of mask or workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70933 Purge, e.g. exchanging fluid or gas to remove pollutants

Abstract

Air-conditioning is effected in a chamber of an exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern formed on a mask onto a photosensitized substrate by exposure. The chamber houses at least a part of the exposure apparatus. An impurity-removing filter is provided for removing gaseous impurities from a stream of ambient air being introduced into the chamber and/or from a gas stream recirculating in the chamber. A pair of impurity-concentration-measuring devices are disposed upstream and downstream, respectively, of the filter. End-of-life of the filter is determined based on measurements from the impurity-concentration-measuring devices. Introducing the ambient air into the chamber is stopped when the impurity-concentration-measuring device disposed upstream of the filter has indicated a gaseous impurity concentration above a predetermined level. The integrity of the airtightness of the chamber around a negative pressure area in the chamber is sensed. When a failure in airtightness is detected, the failure is indicated and/or the recirculation of a gas stream in the chamber is stopped to prevent the ambient air containing impurities from leaking into the chamber under the influence of the negative pressure. In the exposure apparatus, among others the photosensitized substrate and the illumination optical system are quite sensitive to impurities, so that dehumidified gas is supplied to the areas around them. An air-conditioning apparatus for effecting air-conditioning to the chamber is separated from the chamber, and an impurity-removing filter element is disposed in a gas supply duct in the air-conditioning apparatus.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern formed on a mask onto a photosensitized substrate by exposure, comprising:

a light source to emit a light beam having a wavelength falling in a range from ultraviolet to deep ultraviolet radiation;

an illumination optical system to direct said light beam from said light source into said mask;

an exposure unit to make exposure of a photosensitized substrate in order to transfer said pattern formed on said mask onto said photosensitized substrate;

a chamber to house at least one of said illumination optical system and said exposure unit;

an ambient air introducing unit to introduce ambient air into said chamber;

an impurity-removing filter to remove gaseous impurities from at least one of ambient air being introduced into said chamber and a gas recirculating in said chamber;

a pair of impurity-concentration-measuring devices disposed upstream and downstream, respectively, of said impurity-removing filter;

a filter end-of-life determination device to determine end-of-life of said impurity-removing filter based on measurements from said impurity-concentration-measuring device disposed upstream of said impurity-removing filter and measurements from said impurity-concentration-measuring device disposed downstream of said impurity-removing filter; and

a control device to control stopping operation of said ambient air introducing unit when said impurity-concentration-measuring device disposed upstream of said impurity-removing filter has indicated a gaseous impurity concentration above a predetermined level.

2. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said impurity-removing filter is arranged for removing gaseous impurities from said ambient air being introduced into said chamber.

3. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said impurity-concentration-measuring devices measures concentration of at least one of ammonium ion (NH₄⁺) and sulfate ion (SO₄²⁻

).

4. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said impurity-concentration-measuring devices measures concentration of organic compounds.

5. An exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern formed on a mask onto a photosensitized substrate, comprising:

a chamber;

an exposure unit disposed in said chamber to transfer said pattern formed on said mask onto said photosensitized substrate;

an ambient air introducing unit disposed to said chamber to introduce ambient air into said chamber;

an impurity-removing filter coupled to said ambient air introducing unit to remove gaseous impurities from ambient air being introduced into said chamber;

an impurity-concentration-measuring device disposed upstream of said ambient air introducing unit to measure an impurity concentration of gaseous impurities in ambient air being introduced into said chamber; and

a control device coupled to said ambient air introducing unit to control operation of said ambient air introducing unit when said impurity-concentration-measuring device has indicated a gaseous impurity concentration above a predetermined level.

6. An exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

said impurity-concentration-measuring device measures concentration of at least one of ammonium ion (NH₄⁺) and sulfate ion (SO₄²⁻

).

7. An exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

said impurity-concentration-measuring device measures concentration of organic compounds.

16. An exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

said impurity-concentration-measuring device measures concentration of impurities in an ambient in which said chamber is disposed.

17. An exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

said control device stops an operation of said ambient air ointroducing unit when said impurity-concentration-measuring device has indicated a gaseous impurity concentration above a predetermined level.

18. An exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

said control device provides an alarm indicating abnormality in an ambient in which said chamber is disposed when said impurity-concentration-measuring device has indicated a gaseous impurity concentration above a predetermined level.

19. An exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

said exposure apparatus further comprises an impurity-concentration-measuring devic disposed downstream of said ambient air introducing unit; and

a filter end of life determination device connected to the impurity-concentration-measuring device to determine end of life of said impurity-removing filter based on measurments from said impurity-concentration-measuring device disposed upstream of said impurity-removing filter and measurements from said impurity-concentration-measuring device disposed downstream of said impurity-removing filter.

20. An exposure apparatus according to claim 19, wherein:

said exposure apparatus further comprises a chemical filter which is disposed in said chamber and removes gaseous impurities from a gas recirculating insaid chamber.

8. An exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern formed on a mask onto a photosensitized substrate;

comprising;

a chamber having an air inlet;

an exposure unit disposed in said chamber to transfer said pattern formed on said mask onto said photosensitized substrate;

an ambient air introducing unit disposed to the air inlet to introduce ambient air into said chamber;

an impurity-removing filter disposed to the air inlet to remove gaseous impurities from ambient air being introduced into said chamber;

an impurity-concentration-measuring device disposed upstream of said impurity-removing filter;

a filter end-of-life determination device connected to said impurity-concentration-measuring device to determine end-of-life of said impurity-removing filter based on measurements from said impurity-concentration-measuring device; and

a control device connected to said impurity-concentration-measuring device to control said exposure apparatus when said impurity-concentration-measuring device has indicated a gaseous impurity concentration above a predetermined level.

9. An exposure apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:

said impurity-removing filter is arranged for removing gaseous impurities from said ambient air being introduced into said chamber, and wherein said exposure apparatus further comprises a control device connected to said ambient air introducing unit to stop operation of said ambient air introducing unit when said impurity-concentration-measuring device disposed upstream of said impurity-removing filter has indicated a gaseous impurity concentration above a predetermined level.

10. An exposure apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:

each of said impurity-concentration-measuring devices measures concentration of at least one of ammonium in (NH₄⁺) and sulfate ion (SO₄²⁻

).

11. An exposure apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:

each of said impurity-concentration-measuring devices measures concentration of organic compounds.

12. An exposure apparatus, comprising:

a chamber;

an exposure unit disposed in said chamber to form a pattern image on a substrate;

an introducing unit connected to said chamber to introduce an ambient air into said chamber;

an impurity-concentration-measuring device disposed in an ambience in which said chamber is disposed to measure an impurity-concentration of gaseous impurity in the ambience air being introduced into said chamber; and

a control device connected to said introducing unit to control said introducing unit on the basis of measurement results from said impurity concentration-measuring device.

13. An exposure apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

said control device stops an operation of said introducing unit when said impurity-concentration-measuring device has indicated the impurity concentration above a predetermined level.

21. An exposure apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

said impurity-concentration-measuring device is disposed upstream of said ambient air introducing unit.

22. An exposure apparatus according to claim 21, wherein:

said control device stops operation of said ambient air introducing unit on the basis of measurements from said impurity-concentration-measuring device.

23. An exposure apparatus according to claim 22, wherein:

said control device provides an alarm indicating abnormality in the ambient on the basis of measurements from said impurity-concentration-measuring device.

24. An exposure apparatus according to claim 23, wherein:

said ambient air introducing unit further comprises an impurity-removing filter for removing gaseous impurities from a gas in the ambient.

25. An exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein:

said exposure apparatus further comprises a chemical filter which is disposed in said chamber and removes gaseous impurities from a gas re-circulating in said chamber.

26. An exposure apapratus according to claim 12, wherein:

said exposure apparatus further comprises an illumination optical system which is disposed in said chamber and illuminates the mask.

27. An exposure apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

said introducing unit is disposed in an air inlet of said chamber.

14. An exposure apparatus;

comprising;

a chamber;

an exposure unit disposed in said chamber to form a pattern image on a photosensitive substrate mounted on a stage;

an impurity-removing filter disposed in said chamber to remove an impurity in said chamber;

an impurity-concentration-measuring device disposed in the vicinity of the stage to measure an impurity-concentration in vicinity of the stage;

a filter end-of-life determination device connected to said impurity-concentration-measuring device to determine end-of-life of said impurity-removing filter based on measurements from said impurity-concentration-measuring device; and

a control device connected to said impurity-concentration-measuring device to control said exposure apparatus when said impurity-concentration-measuring device has indicated a gaseous impurity concentration above a predetermined level.

15. An exposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein:

said impurity-removing filter is disposed in a gas circulating in said chamber.