Exposure apparatus and method for producing device

• US 7,242,455 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2005
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Hirukawa, Shigeru, Chiba, Hiroshi, Kobayashi, Naoyuki, Nei, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Henry Hung
• Application Number:
  US11/141,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20050219489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 355/30, 355/53, 355/55, 355 67- 72, 356399-401, 250/548, 430/22, 430/311, 359/649
• US Class Current: 355/53
• 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 9/7011 Pre-exposure scan; original with original holder alignment; Prealignment, i.e. workpiece with workpiece holder
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7015 Reference, i.e. alignment of original or workpiece with respect to a reference not on the original or workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7019 Calibration
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7034 Leveling
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7046 Strategy, e.g. mark, sensor or wavelength selection
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7088 Alignment mark detection, e.g. TTR, TTL, off-axis detection, array detector, video detection
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7096 Arrangement, mounting, housing, environment, cleaning or maintenance of apparatus

Abstract

An exposure apparatus performs exposure for a substrate by filling a space between a projection optical system and the substrate with a liquid and projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate through the liquid by using the projection optical system. The exposure apparatus includes a substrate stage for holding the substrate, a liquid supply unit for supplying the liquid to a side of an image plane of the projection optical system, and a focus/leveling-detecting system for detecting surface information about a surface of the substrate not through the liquid. The exposure apparatus performs liquid immersion exposure for the substrate while adjusting a positional relationship between the surface of the substrate and the image plane formed through the projection optical system and the liquid, on the basis of the surface information detected by the focus/leveling-detecting system. The liquid immersion exposure can be performed at a satisfactory pattern transfer accuracy.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate by transferring an image of a pattern through a liquid onto the substrate, comprising:

a projection optical system which projects the image of the pattern onto the substrate;

a first substrate stage which holds the substrate;

a liquid supply unit which supplies the liquid to a side of an image plane of the projection optical system; and

a surface-detecting system which detects surface information about a surface of the substrate by radiating a detecting beam onto the substrate not through the liquid, wherein;

the substrate is subjected to liquid immersion exposure while adjusting a positional relationship between the surface of the substrate and the image plane formed through the liquid by the projection optical system on the basis of the detected surface information.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reference member which has a reference surface for the surface-detecting system and which is provided on the first substrate stage, wherein the reference surface is used to determine the relationship between the surface information about the surface of the substrate detected not through the liquid and the image plane formed through the liquid by the projection optical system.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the surface-detecting system detects a relationship between the surface of the substrate and the reference surface as the surface information.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a relationship between the reference surface and the image plane formed through the liquid by the projection optical system is detected in a state in which the liquid is supplied to a space between the projection optical system and the reference surface, and the relationship between the surface of the substrate and the image plane is determined on the basis of the relationship between the image plane and the reference surface.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the relationship between the image plane and the reference surface, which is detected in the state in which the liquid is supplied to the space between the projection optical system and the reference surface, is determined by using another surface-detecting system which is different from the surface-detecting system.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the liquid supply unit starts the supply of the liquid in a state in which the projection optical system and the reference surface are opposed to each other, after the surface information about the surface of the substrate is detected by the surface-detecting system.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection of the surface information about the surface of the substrate, which is performed by the surface-detecting system not through the liquid, is executed in a state in which the liquid is retained on the side of the image plane of the projection optical system.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second substrate stage which is different from the first substrate stage, wherein a substrate, which is held on the second substrate stage, is subjected to the liquid immersion exposure in a state in which the liquid is supplied to a space between the projection optical system and the substrate held on the second substrate stage during the detection performed by the surface-detecting system to detect the surface information about the surface of the substrate held on the first substrate stage.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a first alignment system which detects an alignment mark on the substrate held on the first substrate stage not through the liquid, wherein the substrate is subjected to the liquid immersion exposure while performing alignment of the substrate and the pattern on the basis of a result of the detection performed by the first alignment system.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit which controls operation of the exposure apparatus, wherein the control unit adjusts the positional relationship between the surface of the substrate and the image plane formed through the projection optical system and the liquid on the basis of the detected surface information.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an alignment system which detects an alignment mark on the substrate not through the liquid, wherein the substrate is subjected to the liquid immersion exposure while performing alignment of the substrate and the pattern on the basis of a result of the detection performed by the alignment system.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a surface of the reference member is substantially flush with the surface of the substrate held by the first substrate stage, and the first substrate stage is movable from a state in which the projection optical system and the reference member are opposed to each other to a state in which the projection optical system and the substrate are opposed to each other, while locally retaining the liquid on the side of the image plane of the projection optical system.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is locally retained on the side of the image plane of the projection optical system, and the first substrate stage has a flat section which is substantially flush with the surface of the substrate around the substrate held by the first substrate stage.

14. A method for producing a device, comprising using the exposure apparatus as defined in claim 1.

15. An exposure apparatus for exposing a plurality of shot areas on a substrate by successively exposing the plurality of shot areas on the substrate with an image of a pattern through a liquid, comprising:

a projection optical system which projects the image of the pattern onto the substrate;

a first substrate stage which holds the substrate;

a liquid supply unit which supplies the liquid to a side of an image plane of the projection optical system; and

a first alignment system which detects an alignment mark on the substrate not through the liquid, wherein;

the substrate is subjected to liquid immersion exposure while performing alignment of the substrate and the pattern on the basis of a result of the detection performed by the first alignment system.

16. The exposure apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a reference member which is provided on the first substrate stage and which is formed with a reference mark, wherein the reference mark is used to determine a relationship between a result of the detection performed by the first alignment system and a projection position of the image of the pattern formed through the liquid by the projection optical system.

17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the first alignment system determines a positional relationship between the reference mark and each of the shot areas on the substrate by detecting the alignment mark.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a second alignment system which detects the reference mark through the projection optical system, wherein a relationship between each of the shot areas on the substrate and the projection position of the image of the pattern formed through the liquid by the projection optical system is determined on the basis of a result of the detection performed by the second alignment system.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the second alignment system detects the reference mark in a state in which the liquid is supplied to a space between the projection optical system and the reference member.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the second alignment system detects the reference mark through the projection optical system and a transparent member arranged between the projection optical system and the reference member.

21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a second alignment system which detects a positional relationship between the reference mark and the pattern through the projection optical system, wherein a relationship between each of the shot areas on the substrate and the projection position of the image of the pattern formed through the liquid by the projection optical system is determined on the basis of a result of the detection performed by the second alignment system.

22. The exposure apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the pattern is formed on a mask, and the second alignment system detects a positional relationship between the reference mark and a mark on the mask in a state in which the liquid is supplied to a space between the projection optical system and the reference member.

23. The exposure apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the liquid supply unit starts the supply of the liquid in a state in which the projection optical system and the reference member are opposed to each other, after the alignment mark on the substrate is detected by the first alignment system.

24. The exposure apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a surface of the reference member is substantially flush with a surface of the substrate held on the first substrate stage, the first substrate stage is movable from a state in which the projection optical system and the reference member are opposed to each other to a state in which the projection optical system and the substrate are opposed to each other, while retaining the liquid on the side of the image plane of the projection optical system.

25. The exposure apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the liquid is locally retained on the side of the image plane of the projection optical system, and the first substrate stage has a flat section which is substantially flush with a surface of the substrate around the substrate held by the first substrate stage.

26. The exposure apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a second substrate stage which is different from the first substrate stage, wherein a substrate, which is held on the second substrate stage, is subjected to the liquid immersion exposure in a state in which the liquid is supplied to a space between the projection optical system and the substrate held on the second substrate stage during the detection performed by the first alignment system to detect the alignment mark on the substrate held on the first substrate stage.

27. The exposure apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a control unit which controls operation of the exposure apparatus, wherein the control unit controls the substrate stage so that the alignment is performed for the substrate and the pattern in a state in which the liquid is supplied onto the substrate, on the basis of a result of the detection performed by the first alignment system in a state in which the liquid is not supplied onto the substrate.

28. A method for producing a device, comprising using the exposure apparatus as defined in claim 15.

29. An immersion exposure apparatus comprising:

an optical element through which a substrate is exposed with an exposure beam during liquid immersion exposure, while filling a space between the optical element and the substrate with an immersion liquid; and

a measuring system which has a light receiver to receive a light from the substrate not through the immersion liquid and which obtains positional information of the substrate using the light receiver,

wherein during the liquid immersion exposure, the substrate is moved on the basis of the positional information obtained by the measuring system.

30. The exposure apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the measuring system receives a light from an alignment mark of the substrate.

31. The exposure apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the positional information includes positional information about a surface of the substrate.

32. The exposure apparatus according to claim 30, further comprising:

a first holding member by which the substrate is retained; and

a reference member having a reference mark, which is arranged on the first holding member;

wherein the measuring system receives a light from the reference mark by using the light receiver not through the immersion liquid to determine a first positional relationship between a plurality of areas defined on the substrate retained by the first holding member and the reference mark.

33. The exposure apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising a detecting system configured to determine a second positional relationship between the reference mark and a beam position to which the exposure beam is brought through the optical element and the immersion liquid.

34. The exposure apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the reference member has a reference portion, and the reference mark and the reference portion are formed with a predetermined positional relationship, and wherein the detecting system determines the second positional relationship by receiving a light from the reference portion while filling a space between the reference member and the optical element with the immersion liquid.

35. The exposure apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the reference portion includes another reference mark.

36. The exposure apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the detecting system receives the light from the reference portion through the optical element and the immersion liquid filled in the space between the reference member and the optical element.

37. The exposure apparatus according to claim 33, wherein an image of a pattern on a mask is projected, as the exposure beam, onto the substrate, and wherein the detecting system determines the second positional relationship by using an alignment mark of the mask while filling a space between the reference member and the optical element with the immersion liquid.

38. The exposure apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the detecting system is used to determine the second positional relationship, after the measuring system receives the light from the alignment mark of the substrate and the reference mark of the reference member to determine the first positional relationship.

39. The exposure apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the positional relationship between the substrate and the exposure beam is adjusted, during the liquid immersion exposure, on the basis of the determined first and second positional relationships.

40. The exposure apparatus according to claim 39, further comprising a second holding member by which another substrate is retained, wherein the measuring system receives a light from the substrate retained by the second holding member during the liquid immersion exposure for the substrate retained by the first holding member.

41. The exposure apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the positional information includes positional information about a surface of the substrate.

42. The exposure apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the positional information about the surface of the substrate includes inclination information about the surface of the substrate.

43. The exposure apparatus according to claim 41, further comprising:

a first holding member by which the substrate is retained; and

a reference member having a reference surface, which is arranged on the first holding member;

wherein the measuring system receives a light from the reference surface by using the light receiver not through the immersion liquid to determine a positional relationship between a surface of the substrate retained by the first holding member and the reference surface.

44. The exposure apparatus according to claim 43, further comprising a detecting system configured to determine a second positional relationship between the reference surface and a beam position to which the exposure beam is brought through the optical element and the immersion liquid.

45. The exposure apparatus according to claim 44, wherein the detecting system determines the second positional relationship by using the reference surface while filling a space between the reference surface and the optical element with the immersion liquid.

46. The exposure apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the detecting system determines the second positional relationship by receiving a light from the reference surface through the immersion liquid filled in the space between the reference surface and the optical element.

47. The exposure apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the detecting system is used to determine the second positional relationship, after the measuring system receives the light from the surface of the substrate and the reference surface to determine the first positional relationship.

48. The exposure apparatus according to claim 47, wherein the positional relationship between the surface of the substrate and the exposure beam is adjusted, during the liquid immersion exposure, on the basis of the determined first and second positional relationships.

49. The exposure apparatus according to claim 48, wherein a pattern image as the exposure beam is projected onto the substrate through the optical element and the immersion liquid, and wherein the positional relationship between the surface of the substrate and an image plane is adjusted, during the liquid immersion exposure, on the basis of the determined first and second positional relationships.

50. The exposure apparatus according to claim 48, further comprising a second holding member by which another substrate is retained, wherein the measuring system receives a light from the substrate retained by the second holding member during the liquid immersion exposure for the substrate retained by the first holding member.

51. The exposure apparatus according to claim 29, further comprising a detecting system configured to obtain information about a beam position to which the exposure beam is brought through the optical element and the immersion liquid, wherein the substrate is moved during the liquid immersion exposure on the basis of the positional information obtained by using the measuring system and the detecting system.

52. The exposure apparatus according to claim 51, wherein the information about the beam position to which the exposure beam is brought includes information about a focus position of the exposure beam.

53. The exposure apparatus according to claim 51, further comprising a reference member, wherein the detecting system has a light receiver to receive a light through the immersion liquid filled in a space between a surface of the reference member and the optical element.

54. The exposure apparatus according to claim 53, wherein the detecting system receives the light from the reference member through the immersion liquid.

55. The exposure apparatus according to claim 53, wherein the detecting system receives the light through the optical element and the reference member.

56. The exposure apparatus according to claim 53, further comprising a first holding member by which the substrate is retained, wherein the reference member is provided on the first holding member.

57. The exposure apparatus according to claim 56, wherein the surface of the reference member is co-planer with a surface of the substrate retained by the first holding member.

58. The exposure apparatus according to claim 57, wherein the first holding member has a flat portion which surrounds the substrate retained by the first holding member, a surface of the flat portion being co-planer with the surface of the substrate retained by the first holding member.

59. The exposure apparatus according to claim 58, wherein a liquid immersion area of the immersion liquid is formed at a part of the surface of the substrate during the liquid immersion exposure.

60. The exposure apparatus according to claim 56, wherein the detecting system is used to obtain the information about the beam position to which the exposure beam is brought, after the measuring system is used to obtain the positional information of the substrate.

61. The exposure apparatus according to claim 60, further comprising a second holding member by which another substrate is retained, wherein the measuring system receives a light from the substrate retained by the second holding member during the liquid immersion exposure for the substrate retained by the first holding member.