Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method

• US 7,508,490 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2006
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation, Nikon Engineering Co. Ltd. (Nikon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation, Nikon Engineering Co. Ltd. (Nikon Corporation)
• Inventors: Okuyama, Takeshi, Nagasaka, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hung Henry
• Application Number:
  US11/325,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20060176456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 355/30, 355/53, 355/72, 250/548
• 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 7/70883 of optical system

Abstract

An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by forming a liquid immersion region on the substrate, and projecting a pattern image onto the substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid that forms the liquid immersion region. The exposure apparatus includes: a liquid supply mechanism that has a supply port arranged to oppose a surface of the substrate; and a buffer space formed in a channel of the liquid supply mechanism; wherein the liquid is supplied to the supply port after reserving a prescribed amount or more of liquid in the buffer space.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate via a liquid, the exposure apparatus comprising:

a projection optical system that projects the pattern image onto the substrate via the liquid in a space, the projection optical system including an optical member that comes into contact with the liquid in the space;

an object disposed adjacent to the optical member of the projection optical system; and

a gap formed between a surface of the optical member of the projection optical system and a surface of the object, the gap being in fluidic communication with the space,

wherein at least a portion of at least one of the surface of the optical member and the surface of the object includes a liquid restricting portion that restricts the flow of liquid.

2. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the liquid restricting portion is liquid repellent.

3. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the liquid restricting nortion includes a liquid prevention material.

4. An exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the liquid prevention material includes a film material.

5. An exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the film material is liquid repellent.

6. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the optical member is arranged at a terminating end of the projection optical system.

7. An exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the surface of the optical member includes a side surface of the optical member, and the gap is formed between the side surface of the optical member and the surface of the object.

8. An exposure apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the gap extends away from the substrate.

9. An exposure apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the surface of the object surrounds the side surface of the optical member.

10. An exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the gap is in fluidic communication with the space through a lower end portion of the gap.

11. An exposure apparatus according to claim 10, wherein during the exposure, the substrate is moved to a position at which a surface of the substrate faces the lower end portion of the gap, and wherein the gap extends away from the substrate.

12. An exposure apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the liquid restricting portion prevents the liquid on the substrate from flowing into the gap.

13. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the object includes a member that is included in a liquid immersion system that forms a liquid immersion region on the substrate.

14. An exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the member has a buffer space and the liquid is supplied to a supply port via the buffer space.

15. A device manufacturing method comprising:

projecting an image of a pattern onto a substrate through the projection optical system of the exposure apparatus according to claim 1, and

processing the exposed substrate.

16. An exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the object includes a member that has a flow passage through which the liquid is supplied to the space.

17. An exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the object includes a member that has a flow passage through which the liquid is recovered from the space.

18. An exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the liquid restricting portion has liquid repelling properties.

19. An exposure apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the liquid restricting portion includes a liquid repellent film.

20. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the optical member includes a side surface of the optical member, and the gap is formed between the side surface of the optical member and the surface of the object.

21. An exposure apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the surface of the object surrounds the side surface of the optical member.

22. An exposure apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the gap is in fluidic communication with the space through a lower end portion of the gap.

23. An exposure apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the gap extends away from the substrate.

24. An exposure apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the object includes a member that has a flow passage through which the liquid is supplied to the space.

25. An exposure apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the object includes a member that has a flow passage through which the liquid is recovered from the space.

26. An exposure apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the liquid restricting portion has liquid repelling properties.

27. An exposure apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the liquid restricting portion includes a liquid repellent film.

28. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object includes a member that has a flow passage through which the liquid is supplied to the space.

29. An exposure apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the gap is in fluidic communication with the space through a lower end portion of the gap.

30. An exposure apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the gap extends away from the substrate.

31. An exposure apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the liquid restricting portion has liquid repelling properties.

32. An exposure apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the liquid restricting portion includes a liquid repellent film.

33. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object includes a member that has a flow passage through which the liquid is recovered from the space.

34. An exposure apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the gap is in fluidic communication with the space through a lower end portion of the gap.

35. An exposure apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the gap extends away from the substrate.

36. An exposure apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the liquid restricting portion has liquid repelling properties.

37. An exposure apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the liquid restricting portion includes a liquid repellent film.

38. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid restricting portion has liquid repelling properties.

39. An exposure apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the liquid restricting portion includes a liquid repellent film.

40. An exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the pattern image is projected onto the substrate not through the surface of the optical member which forms the gap with the surface of the object.

41. An exposure apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the pattern image is projected onto the substrate not through the surface of the optical member which forms the gap with the surface of the object.

42. An exposure apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the pattern image is projected onto the substrate not through the surface of the optical member which forms the gap with the surface of the object.

43. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pattern image is projected onto the substrate not through the surface of the optical member which forms the gap with the surface of the object.

44. An exposure apparatus according to claim 43, wherein the gap extends away from the substrate.

45. An exposure apparatus according to claim 43, wherein the surface of the optical member includes a side surface of the optical member, and wherein the gap is formed between the side surface of the optical member and the surface of the object.

46. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate via a liquid, the exposure apparatus comprising:

a projection optical system that projects the pattern image onto the substrate via the liquid in a space, the projection optical system including an optical member that comes into contact with the liquid in the space;

an object disposed adjacent to the optical member of the projection optical system; and

a gap formed between a surface of the optical member of the projection optical system and a surface of the object, the gap being in fluidic communication with the space,

wherein at least a portion of at least one of the surface of the optical member and the surface of the object includes a liquid repellent surface that restricts the flow of liquid.

47. An exposure apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the liquid repellent surface includes a surface of liquid repellent film.

48. An exposure apparatus according to claim 47, wherein the liquid repellent film includes a fluorine material.

49. An exposure apparatus according to claim 47, wherein the liquid repellent film includes a silicon material.

50. An exposure apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the optical member is arranged at a terminating end of the projection optical system.

51. An exposure apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the surface of the optical member includes a side surface of the optical member, and wherein the gap is formed between the side surface of the optical member and the surface of the object.

52. An exposure apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the pattern image is projected onto the substrate not through the surface of the optical member which forms the gap with the surface of the object.

53. An exposure apparatus according to claim 52, wherein the surface of the optical member includes a side surface of the optical member, and wherein the gap is formed between the side surface of the optical member and the surface of the object.

54. An exposure apparatus according to claim 52, wherein the object includes a member that has a flow passage through which the liquid is supplied to the space.

55. An exposure apparatus according to claim 52, wherein the object includes a member that has a flow passage through which the liquid is recovered from the space.

56. An exposure apparatus according to claim 52, wherein the gap extends away from the substrate.

57. An exposure apparatus according to claim 52, wherein the surface of the object surrounds the optical member.

58. An exposure apparatus according to claim 52, wherein the object includes a holding member by which the optical member is supported.

59. An exposure apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the gap extends away from the substrate.

60. An exposure apparatus according to claim 59, wherein the object includes a member that has a flow passage through which the liquid is supplied to the space.

61. An exposure apparatus according to claim 59, wherein the object includes a member that has a flow passage through which the liquid is recovered from the space.

62. An exposure apparatus according to claim 59, wherein the object includes a holding member by which the optical member is supported.

63. An exposure apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the object includes a member that has a flow passage through which the liquid is supplied to the space.

64. An exposure apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the object includes a member that has a flow passage through which the liquid is recovered from the space.

65. An exposure apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the object includes a member having a lower surface, a liquid immersion region being formed between the lower surface of the member and the substrate.

66. A device manufacturing method comprising:

projecting an image of a pattern onto a substrate through the projection optical system of the exposure apparatus according to claim 46; and

processing the exposed substrate.