Holding system, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

• US 7,187,432 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2004
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsui, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Rutledge; D.
• Application Number:
  US10/987,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20050128462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 355/72
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/58 Baseboards, masking frames, or other holders for the sensitive material G03B27/53 takes precedence ; for electrophotographic copiers G03G15/65
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70708 being electrostatic; Electrostatically deformable vacuum chucks
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70783 Handling stress or warp of chucks, masks or workpieces, e.g. to compensate for imaging errors or considerations related to warpage of masks or workpieces due to their own weight

Abstract

A holding system for holding an object from above, against gravity. The holding system includes at least one holding portion adapted to be in contact with the object, to hold the object from above, at least one attracting portion for attracting a limited portion of the object upwardly, without contact thereto, and a gap measuring unit for measuring a gap between the object and the at least one attracting portion. The attraction force of the attracting portion is controlled on the basis of the measurement made by the gap measuring unit.

Claims

1. A holding system for holding an object from above, against gravity, said holding system comprising:

at least one holding portion adapted to be in contact with the object, to hold the object from above;

at least one attracting portion for attracting a limited portion of the object upwardly, without contact thereto; and

a gap measuring unit for measuring a gap between the object and said at least one attracting portion, wherein an attraction force of said attracting portion is controlled on the basis of the measurement made by said gap measuring unit.

2. A holding system for holding an object from above, against gravity, said holding system comprising:

at least one holding portion adapted to be in contact with the object, to hold the object from above;

at least one attracting portion for attracting a limited portion of the object upwardly, without contact thereto; and

a surface measuring unit for measuring a shape of a bottom surface of the object,

wherein an attraction force of said attracting portion is controlled in accordance with the measurement made by said surface measuring unit.

3. An exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern of an original onto a substrate, said apparatus comprising:

a holding system for holding an object from above, against gravity, said holding system comprising;

(i) at least one holding portion adapted to be in contact with the object, to hold the object from above; and

(ii) at least one attracting portion for attracting a limited portion of the object upwardly, without contact thereto; and

(iii) a surface measuring unit for measuring a shape of a bottom surface of the object held by said holding system,

wherein an attraction force of said attracting portion is controlled in accordance with the measurement made by said surface measuring unit.

4. A device manufacturing method, comprising the steps of:

transferring a pattern of an original onto a substrate by use of an exposure apparatus as recited in claim 3; and

developing the substrate having the pattern transferred thereto.