Stage device with frame-shaped member movable in at least three degrees of freedom within a two-dimensional plane

• US 7,489,389 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2005
• Issued: 02/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Shibazaki, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hung Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIU, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/147,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20050248744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: 355/72, 355/75, 355/76, 355/53
• US Class Current: 355/75
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70058 Mask illumination systems
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70716 Stages
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70758 Drive means, e.g. actuators, motors for long- or short-stroke modules or fine or coarse driving
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70766 Reaction force control means, e.g. countermass
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68 for positioning, orientation or alignment

Abstract

A stage device includes a stage and a frame-shaped member that move in three degrees of freedom directions in a two-dimensional plane while floating above a surface plate. The stage also holds an object. First fixed elements and second fixed elements are fitted to the frame-shaped member, and cooperate with first movable elements and second movable elements to generate drive forces to drive the stage in the two-dimensional plane. A reaction force generated by the driving of the stage acts on the first and/or second fixed elements, and causes the frame-shaped member to move in the two-dimensional plane. Because the reaction force caused by the movement of the stage is substantially completely cancelled, and because the movement of a center of gravity of a system including the stage and the frame-shaped member does not occur, no unbalanced load acts on the surface plate.

Claims

1. A stage device comprising:

a supporting plate;

a slider that holds an object while floating above the supporting plate;

a frame-shaped member that is movable in at least three degrees-of-freedom directions within a two-dimensional plane including a first axis and a second axis perpendicular to the first axis while floating above the supporting plate, and that surrounds all sides of the slider so as to enclose the slider;

a first drive mechanism that includes a first stator disposed on the frame-shaped member, and a first movable element that in cooperation with the first stator generates a drive force that drives the slider in the first axis direction; and

a second drive mechanism that includes a second stator disposed on the frame-shaped member, and a second movable element that in cooperation with the second stator generates a drive force that drives the slider in the second axis direction,

wherein the first movable element and the second movable element are both located on the slider, and the slider is movable along the supporting plate within the frame-shaped member.

2. The stage device as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the first drive mechanism includes at least two linear motors;

and

the second drive mechanism includes at least one voice coil motor.

3. The stage device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

an interferometer system that measures a position of the slider;

wherein a surface of the slider on which the object is mounted extends in a neutral plane; and

a position in a third axis direction, perpendicular to the two-dimensional plane, of an optical path of a length measurement beam from the interferometer system matches a position of the neutral plane.

4. The stage device as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the slider includes extensions that extend in the first axis direction on end portions located on one side and on another side of the slider, and a gas hydrostatic pressure bearing is formed over an entire area in the first axis direction from the extension on the one side to the extension on the another side of the slider;

and

a pressurized gas is supplied to the gas hydrostatic pressure bearing from the supporting plate without passing through piping.

5. An exposure apparatus that synchronously moves a mask and a photosensitive object in a predetermined direction and transfers a pattern formed on the mask onto the photosensitive object, comprising:

an illumination unit that illuminates the mask with illumination light;

the stage device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the mask is mounted on the slider as the object; and

a projection optical system that projects the illumination light emitted from the mask onto the photosensitive object.

6. The exposure apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein

a space including an optical path of the illumination light between the illumination unit and the projection optical system is purged by a predetermined gas having a characteristic of absorbing the illumination light that is smaller than that of air;

and

the frame-shaped member also forms a partition wall that partially defines the purged space.

7. The exposure apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein a first gas hydrostatic pressure bearing that uses the predetermined gas as a pressurized gas is arranged over an entire periphery of a surface of a side of the frame-shaped member that faces the supporting plate.

8. The exposure apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein

a second hydrostatic pressure bearing that uses the predetermined gas as a pressurized gas is arranged over substantially an entire periphery of a surface of the frame-shaped member that faces the illumination unit, and further comprising:

a plate that is arranged opposite to substantially an entire surface of the side of the frame-shaped member that faces the illumination unit via a predetermined clearance, and to which a pressurized gas from the second gas hydrostatic pressure bearing is blown.

9. The exposure apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein a first differential exhaust gas hydrostatic pressure bearing that simultaneously performs vacuum suction and blowing of a pressurized gas is arranged over substantially an entire periphery of a surface of a side of the frame-shaped member that faces the supporting plate.

10. The exposure apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein

a second differential exhaust gas hydrostatic pressure bearing that simultaneously performs vacuum suction and blowing of a pressurized gas is arranged over substantially an entire periphery of a surface of the frame-shaped member that faces the illumination unit, and further comprising:

a plate that is arranged opposite to substantially an entire surface of the side of the frame-shaped member that faces the illumination unit via a predetermined clearance, and to which a pressurized gas from the second gas hydrostatic pressure bearing is blown.

11. The exposure apparatus as set forth in claim 6, further comprising:

an interferometer system that measures a position of the slider;

wherein an opening is formed in a surface of the frame-shaped member positioned on an optical path of a measurement beam of the interferometer system, which optical path extends to the slider within the purged space, and a cover glass covers the opening.

12. A method of manufacturing a device, the method comprising:

utilizing the exposure apparatus as set forth in claim 5 to transfer an image of the pattern of the mask onto a substrate as the photosensitive object; and

forming the device from the substrate.

13. An exposure apparatus that synchronously moves a mask and a photosensitive object in a predetermined direction and transfers a pattern formed on the mask onto the photosensitive object, comprising:

an illumination unit that illuminates the mask with illumination light;

a projection optical system that projects the illumination light emitted from the mask onto the photosensitive object; and

a stage device comprising;

a supporting plate;

a slider that holds the mask while floating above the supporting plate, and that is movable along the supporting plate in three degrees-of-freedom directions within a two-dimensional plane including a first axis and a second axis perpendicular to the first axis;

a frame-shaped member that is movable in the at least three degrees-of-freedom directions within the two-dimensional plane while floating above the supporting plate, and that surrounds the slider;

a first drive mechanism that includes a first stator disposed on the frame-shaped member, and a first movable element that in cooperation with the first stator generates a drive force that drives the slider in the first axis direction; and

a second drive mechanism that includes a second stator disposed on the frame-shaped member, and a second movable element that in cooperation with the second stator generates a drive force that drives the slider in the second axis direction, wherein

a space including an optical path of the illumination light between the illumination unit and the projection optical system is purged by a predetermined gas having a characteristic of absorbing the illumination light that is smaller than that of air,

the frame-shaped member also forms a partition wall that partially defines the purged space,

a first gas hydrostatic pressure bearing that uses the predetermined gas as a pressurized gas is arranged over an entire periphery of a surface of a side of the frame-shaped member that faces the supporting plate, and

a second hydrostatic pressure bearing that uses the predetermined gas as a pressurized gas is arranged over substantially an entire periphery of a surface of the frame-shaped member that faces the illumination unit, and further comprising;

a plate that is arranged opposite to substantially an entire surface of the side of the frame-shaped member that faces the illumination unit via a predetermined clearance, and to which a pressurized gas from the second gas hydrostatic pressure bearing is blown.

14. A method of manufacturing a device, the method comprising:

utilizing the exposure apparatus as set forth in claim 13 to transfer an image of the pattern of the mask onto a substrate as the photosensitive object; and

forming the device from the substrate.

15. An exposure apparatus that synchronously moves a mask and a photosensitive object in a predetermined direction and transfers a pattern formed on the mask onto the photosensitive object, comprising:

an illumination unit that illuminates the mask with illumination light;

a projection optical system that projects the illumination light emitted from the mask onto the photosensitive object; and

a stage device comprising;

a supporting plate;

a slider that holds the mask while floating above the supporting plate, and that is movable along the supporting plate in three degrees-of-freedom directions within a two-dimensional plane including a first axis and a second axis perpendicular to the first axis;

a frame-shaped member that is movable in the at least three degrees-of-freedom directions within the two-dimensional plane while floating above the supporting plate, and that surrounds the slider;

a first drive mechanism that includes a first stator disposed on the frame-shaped member, and a first movable element that in cooperation with the first stator generates a drive force that drives the slider in the first axis direction; and

a second drive mechanism that includes a second stator disposed on the frame-shaped member, and a second movable element that in cooperation with the second stator generates a drive force that drives the slider in the second axis direction, wherein

a space including an optical path of the illumination light between the illumination unit and the projection optical system is purged by a predetermined gas having a characteristic of absorbing the illumination light that is smaller than that of air,

the frame-shaped member also forms a partition wall that partially defines the purged space, and

a first differential exhaust gas hydrostatic pressure bearing that simultaneously performs vacuum suction and blowing of a pressurized gas is arranged over substantially an entire periphery of a surface of a side of the frame-shaped member that faces the supporting plate.

16. The exposure apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein

a second differential exhaust gas hydrostatic pressure bearing that simultaneously performs vacuum suction and blowing of a pressurized gas is arranged over substantially an entire periphery of a surface of the frame-shaped member that faces the illumination unit, and further comprising:

a plate that is arranged opposite to substantially an entire surface of the side of the frame-shaped member that faces the illumination unit via a predetermined clearance, and to which a pressurized gas from the second gas hydrostatic pressure bearing is blown.

17. A method of manufacturing a device, the method comprising:

utilizing the exposure apparatus as set forth in claim 15 to transfer an image of the pattern of the mask onto a substrate as the photosensitive object; and

forming the device from the substrate.