Immersion lithography system and method having an immersion fluid containment plate for submerging the substrate to be imaged in immersion fluid
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a stage which supports a substrate having an imaging surface;
a projection optical system having a last optical element, which projects an image onto the imaging surface of the substrate through an immersion liquid filled in a gap between the imaging surface of the substrate and the last optical element; and
a fluid confinement plate positioned adjacent to the imaging surface of the substrate so that the imaging surface is submerged in the immersion liquid, the fluid confinement plate is sufficiently large to cover an area larger than an area of the imaging surface of the substrate so as to completely submerge the imaging surface of the substrate, substantially preventing an atmosphere-liquid meniscus from forming on the imaging surface of the substrate,the fluid confinement plate having a first surface opposing the imaging surface of the substrate, the first surface including a droplet control element to control the formation of droplets forming on the first surface.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A lithography apparatus includes a fluid confinement plate which can completely submerge the imaging surface of a substrate. A gap, filled with immersion fluid, is provided between the imaging surface of the substrate and the last optical element of a projection optical system. The fluid confinement plate, which is positioned within the gap between the last optical element and the substrate, is sufficiently sized so that the imaging surface is completely submerged in the immersion fluid. The fluid confinement plate includes a first surface facing the gap and opposing the imaging surface of the substrate. The first surface includes a droplet control element to control the formation of droplets forming on the first surface.
27 Citations
22 Claims
-
1. An apparatus, comprising:
-
a stage which supports a substrate having an imaging surface; a projection optical system having a last optical element, which projects an image onto the imaging surface of the substrate through an immersion liquid filled in a gap between the imaging surface of the substrate and the last optical element; and a fluid confinement plate positioned adjacent to the imaging surface of the substrate so that the imaging surface is submerged in the immersion liquid, the fluid confinement plate is sufficiently large to cover an area larger than an area of the imaging surface of the substrate so as to completely submerge the imaging surface of the substrate, substantially preventing an atmosphere-liquid meniscus from forming on the imaging surface of the substrate, the fluid confinement plate having a first surface opposing the imaging surface of the substrate, the first surface including a droplet control element to control the formation of droplets forming on the first surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A liquid immersion exposure apparatus in which an imaging surface of a substrate is exposed to an exposure beam, the apparatus comprising:
-
an optical element through which the exposure beam passes; a liquid confinement member having a surface; a holding member which holds the substrate and moves the substrate relative to the optical element and the liquid confinement member, the holding member being movable in a region so that the entire imaging surface of the substrate can be positioned into the path of the exposure beam; and a liquid recovery portion provided on the holding member, which recovers a liquid that comes out from a gap between the imaging surface of the substrate and the surface of the liquid confinement member; wherein the liquid confinement member is sufficiently large that the entire imaging surface of the substrate on the holding member is opposite to the surface of the liquid confinement member or the end surface of the optical element or both, an entire time while the holding member is moved within the entire region. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
Specification