Stage device and exposure apparatus, and method of manufacturing a device

• US 6,654,100 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2001
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Yoda, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Font, Frank G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Khaled
• Application Number:
  US09/801,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20020015140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 355/53, 355/55, 355/72, 355/75, 355/77, 250/492.2, 250/492.22, 430/311
• US Class Current: 355/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/426 in enlargers
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/707 Chucks, e.g. chucking or un-chucking operations or structural details
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70708 being electrostatic; Electrostatically deformable vacuum chucks

Abstract

A stage device includes a switching device that switches between a first state in which a stage can move along a first movement reference surface, and a second state in which the stage can move along a second movement reference surface. The stage device can have first and second stages, and the switching device can switch both stages between the first and second states, such that the first stage is switched to the first movement reference surface while the second stage is switched to the second movement reference surface and vice-versa. Because of this, even if the first movement reference surface is formed on a first reference member (e.g., a holding plate) and the second reference surface is formed on a second reference member (e.g., guides), no problems are generated due to movement of the first and second stages. Compared to a case on which the first and second movement reference surfaces are formed on a single reference member, the first reference member can be made smaller. Therefore, difficulty of processing the reference surfaces can be overcome because it is easier to precisely process smaller surfaces.

Claims

1. A stage device comprising:

a movable stage to hold an object;

a first reference member having a first movement reference surface that movably supports the movable stage and is used as a reference when the movable stage moves;

a second reference member having a second movement reference surface, different from the first movement reference surface; and

a switching device that switches between a first state in which the stage can move along the first movement reference surface, and a second state in which the stage can move along the second movement reference surface.

2. The stage device of claim 1, wherein the first reference member is a holding plate and the second reference member is a pair of guides.

3. The stage device of claim 1, wherein the switching device includes an actuator that moves at least one of the first and second reference members in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the first and second movement reference surfaces extend.

4. The stage device of claim 1, wherein the switching device includes an actuator that moves at least one of the first and second reference members in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the first and second movement reference surfaces extend, and a driver that drives the movable stage along the first and second movement reference surfaces.

5. The stage device of claim 4, wherein the actuator includes at least one of a mechanical actuator, an electromagnetic actuator, an actuator that converts electrical power to mechanical power, and an actuator using a vacuum.

6. The stage device of claim 1, wherein the switching device switches between the first state in which the movable stage is supported over the first reference member due to a balance of a vacuum preload force and a hydrostatic pressure of pressurized gas between the movable stage and the first reference member, and the second state in which the movable stage is supported over the second reference member due to a balance of a vacuum preload force and a hydrostatic pressure of pressurized gas between the movable stage and the second reference member.

7. The stage device of claim 1, wherein a roughness of the second movement reference surface is greater than a roughness of the first movement reference surface.

8. The stage device of claim 1, wherein the first reference member is located in a first region, the second reference member is located in a second region that partially overlaps the first region, and the movable stage is movable within the first and second regions such that when the movable stage is in the first state and is located in one part of the first region, the movable stage is only supported with respect to the first movement reference surface, and when the movable stage is in the second state and is located in one part of the second region, the movable stage is only supported with respect to the second movement reference surface.

9. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with an energy beam to transfer a predetermined pattern onto the substrate, the exposure apparatus comprising:

the stage device of claim 1, the substrate is the object held by the movable stage;

wherein the first reference member is located in a region where the substrate moves during exposure of the substrate, and at least a part of the second reference member is located in a region where at least one of alignment of the substrate and substrate replacement is performed with respect to the movable stage.

10. A method of manufacturing a device including a lithography process that performs exposure using the exposure apparatus of claim 9.

11. The stage device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first driver that moves the movable stage along the first movement reference surface; and

a second driver that is different from the first driver to move the movable stage along the second movement reference surface.

12. A stage device comprising:

a first stage that moves within a first region that includes a specified region;

a second stage that moves within a second region that includes the specified region;

a first reference member having a first movement reference surface located in the specified region, the first movement reference surface used as a reference surface by the first and second stages when the first and second stages are located in the specified region;

at least one second reference member having a second movement reference surface located outside of the specified region, the second movement reference surface used as a reference surface by a specified stage, the specified stage being at least one stage of the first and second stages; and

a switching device that switches between a first state in which the specified stage can move along the first movement reference surface in the specified region, and a second state in which the specified stage can move along the second movement reference surface outside of the specified region.

13. The stage device of claim 12, wherein two of the second reference members are arranged, respectively corresponding to the first and second stages.

14. The stage device of claim 12, wherein the first reference member is a holding plate and the second reference member is a pair of guides.

15. The stage device of claim 12, wherein the switching device includes an actuator that moves at least one of the first and second reference members in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the first and second movement reference surfaces extend.

16. The stage device of claim 12, wherein the switching device includes an actuator that moves at least one of the first and second reference members in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the first and second movement reference surfaces extend, and a driver that drives the specified stage along the first and second movement reference surfaces.

17. The stage device of claim 16, wherein the actuator includes at least one of a mechanical actuator, an electromagnetic actuator, an actuator that converts electrical power to mechanical power, and an actuator using a vacuum.

18. The stage device of claim 16, wherein the driver includes a first actuator that drives the specified stage within the specified region and a second actuator that drives the specified stage outside of the specified region.

19. The stage device of claim 12, wherein the switching device switches between the first state in which the specified stage is supported over the first reference member due to a balance of a vacuum preload force and a hydrostatic pressure of pressurized gas between the specified stage and the first reference member, and the second state in which the specified stage is supported over the second reference member due to a balance of a vacuum preload force and a hydrostatic pressure of pressurized gas between the specified stage and the second reference member.

20. The stage device of claim 12, wherein a roughness of the second movement reference surface is greater than a roughness of the first movement reference surface.

21. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with an energy beam to transfer a predetermined pattern onto the substrate, the exposure apparatus comprising:

the stage device of claim 12, wherein the substrate is held by the first and second stages; and

wherein the specified region is a moving region of the first and second stages during exposure of the substrate, and at least part of a region outside the specified region is a moving region of the first and second stages when at least one of alignment of the substrate and substrate replacement is performed on the first and second stages.

22. The exposure apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first and second stages each have a moving table on which the substrate is mounted, and a moving guide that drives the moving table in a first direction and can move in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;

and further comprising;

a controller that causes one of the moving tables on which alignment of the substrate is completed to wait near a position at which exposure is performed while the substrate on the other moving table is being exposed.

23. A method of manufacturing a device including a lithography process that performs exposure using the exposure apparatus of claim 21.

24. A stage device comprising:

a first stage that moves within a first region that includes a specified region;

a second stage that moves within a second region that includes the specified region; and

a stage base having a first movement reference surface, a second movement reference surface and a third movement reference surface mounted thereon, the first movement reference surface is used as a reference when the first and second stages move within the specified region, and the second and third movement reference surfaces are positioned on opposite sides of the first movement reference surface, the second and third reference surfaces are used as references when the first and second stages move outside of the specified region;

wherein a surface accuracy of the second and third movement reference surfaces is rougher than a surface accuracy of the first movement reference surface.

25. The stage device of claim 24, further comprising:

a clearance changing device that changes a clearance between the first and second stages and the first movement reference surface when the first and second stages move within the specified region and a clearance between the first and second stages and the second and third movement reference surfaces when the first and second stages move outside of the specified region.

26. The stage device of claim 24, further comprising:

first and second actuators that respectively drive the first and second stages along the first movement reference surface; and

third and fourth actuators that are arranged independently from the first and second actuators and respectively drive the first and second stages along the second and third movement reference surfaces.

27. The stage device of claim 26, wherein:

the first and third actuators are linear motors that share a common movable part and have different stationary parts;

the second and fourth actuators are linear motors that share a common movable part and have different stationary parts; and

the first and second actuators use the same stationary part.

28. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with an energy beam to transfer a predetermined pattern onto the substrate, the exposure apparatus comprising:

the stage device of claim 24, wherein the substrate is held by the first and second stages; and

wherein the specified region is a moving region of the first and second stages during exposure of the substrate, and at least part of a region outside the specified region is a moving region of the first and second stages when at least one of alignment of the substrate and substrate replacement is performed on the first and second stages.

29. The exposure apparatus of claim 28, wherein the first and second stages each have a moving table on which the substrate is mounted, and a moving guide that drives the moving table in a first direction and can move in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;

and further comprising;

a controller that causes one of the moving tables on which alignment of the substrate is completed to wait near a position at which exposure is performed while the substrate on the other moving table is being exposed.

30. A method of manufacturing a device including a lithography process that performs exposure using the exposure apparatus of claim 28.

31. A method of moving an object held by a stage, the method comprising:

providing a first reference member having a first movement reference surface that movably supports the movable stage and is used as a reference when the stage moves the object in a specified region;

providing a second reference member having a second movement reference surface, different from the first movement reference surface; and

switching between a first state in which the stage can move along the first movement reference surface, and a second state in which the stage can move along the second movement reference surface.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

providing a first driver that moves the movable stage along the first movement reference surface; and

providing a second driver that is different from the first driver to move the movable stage along the second movement reference surface.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the first reference member is a holding plate and the second reference member is a pair of guides.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the switching step includes moving at least one of the first and second reference members in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the first and second movement reference surfaces extend when the stage is switched between the first and second states.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the switching step switches between the first state in which the stage is supported over the first reference member due to a balance of a vacuum preload force and a hydrostatic pressure of pressurized gas between the stage and the first reference member, and the second state in which the stage is supported over the second reference member due to a balance of a vacuum preload force and a hydrostatic pressure of pressurized gas between the stage and the second reference member.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein a roughness of the second movement reference surface is greater than a roughness of the first movement reference surface.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the first reference member is located in a first region that includes the specified region, the second reference member is located in a second region that partially overlaps the first region, and the stage is movable within the first and second regions such that when the stage is in the first state and is located in the specified region, the stage is only supported with respect to the first movement reference surface, and when the stage is in the second state and is located in one part of the second region, the stage is only supported with respect to the second movement reference surface.

38. The method of claim 31, further comprising exposing a substrate held as the object on the stage with an energy beam to transfer a predetermined pattern onto the substrate.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the first reference member is located in a region where the substrate moves during the exposure of the substrate, and at least a part of the second reference member is located in a region where at least one of alignment of the substrate and substrate replacement is performed with respect to the stage.

40. A stage device comprising:

a movable stage for holding an object;

first reference means for movably supporting the movable stage and acting as a reference when the movable stage moves;

second reference means, different from the first reference means, for movably supporting the movable stage and acting as a reference when the movable stage moves over the second reference means;

first moving means for moving the movable stage over the first reference means;

second moving means for moving the movable stage over the second reference means; and

switching means for switching between a first state in which the movable stage moves along the first reference means, and a second state in which the movable stage moves along the second reference means.

41. A stage device comprising:

a first stage that moves within a first region that includes a specified region;

a second stage that moves within a second region that includes the specified region;

first reference means located in the specified region, the first reference means for movably supporting the first and second stages and acting as a reference when the first and second stages are located in the specified region;

second reference means located outside of the specified region, the second reference means acting as a reference and for supporting a specified stage, the specified stage being at least one stage of the first and second stages;

first moving means for moving the specified stage over the first reference means;

second moving means for moving the specified stage over the second reference means; and

switching means for switching between a first state in which the specified stage moves along the first reference means in the specified region, and a second state in which the specified stage moves along the second reference means outside of the specified region.