Maintenance method, maintenance device, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

• US 7,804,576 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2005
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Tomoharu, Nishii, Yasufumi, Shiraishi, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Peter B
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIDDLE, CHRISTINA A
• Application Number:
  US11/662,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20080018867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,758 Days
• Field of Search: 355/30, 355/53, 355/77, 355/50, 355/52, 355/55, 355 72- 74, 250/492.1, 250/492.2, 250/492.22, 250/548, 430/5, 430/8, 430/30, 430/311
• US Class Current: 355/30
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/2041 in the presence of a fluid, e.g. immersion; using fluid cooling means
• 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 7/70925 Cleaning, i.e. actively freeing apparatus from pollutants, e.g. using plasma cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70975 Assembly, maintenance, transport or storage of apparatus

Abstract

An exposure apparatus is provided with a nozzle member that has at least one of a supply outlet which supplies the liquid and a collection inlet which recovers the liquid. By immersing the nozzle member in cleaning liquid LK stored in container, the nozzle member is cleaned.

Claims

1. A maintenance method comprising:

placing a container of a maintenance system under a nozzle member in an exposure apparatus in which a liquid immersion region of a first liquid is formed on a substrate to expose the substrate via the first liquid, the nozzle member being used for forming the liquid immersion region and having at least one of a first supply outlet that supplies the first liquid and a collection inlet that recovers the first liquid; and

immersing the nozzle member in a second liquid in the container, and in order to clean the nozzle member, the second liquid being supplied to the container via a supply outlet provided at the container.

2. A maintenance method according to claim 1, wherein

the exposure apparatus has a projection optical system, and

the substrate is irradiated with exposure light via the projection optical system and the first liquid.

3. A maintenance method according to claim 2, wherein

the nozzle member is disposed in the vicinity of a first optical element which, among a plurality of optical elements constituting the projection optical system, is located nearest to an image plane of the projection optical system, and

the first optical element is immersed together with the nozzle member.

4. A maintenance method according to claim 2, wherein

the exposure apparatus has a supporting system that supports the nozzle member in a predetermined positional relationship relative to the projection optical system, and

the nozzle member is immersed in a state such that the nozzle member is supported by the supporting system.

5. A maintenance method according to claim 2, wherein

the exposure apparatus irradiates the substrate with the exposure light, in a state such that an optical path space between the projection optical system and the substrate is filled with the first liquid, and

the nozzle member is in contact with the first liquid that is in contact with the substrate.

6. A maintenance method according to claim 2, wherein:

the projection optical system includes a first optical element which is located closest to an image plane of the projection optical system,

the nozzle member is an annular member which is provided around the first optical element in the exposure apparatus,

the nozzle member has a lower surface in which the recovery inlet is formed, and

the container is placed in the exposure apparatus such that the lower surface of the nozzle member is immersed in the second liquid in the container.

7. A maintenance method according to claim 6, wherein the supply outlet is formed in the lower surface of the nozzle member.

8. A maintenance method according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle member is immersed in a state such that the container is connected to the nozzle member.

9. A maintenance method according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle member is immersed while the second liquid is being circulated by a circulation system using the supply outlet provided at the container.

10. A maintenance method according to claim 1, wherein ultrasonic waves are applied to the second liquid in the container.

11. Maintenance method according to claim 10, wherein an ultrasonic generator is attached on the container.

12. A maintenance method according to claim 11, wherein the ultrasonic waves are applied to the second liquid by vibrating the container using the ultrasonic generator.

13. A maintenance method according to claim 11, wherein the container includes a first portion and a second portion, the container is placed in the exposure apparatus such that the first portion is opposite to a lower surface of the nozzle member and the second portion extends upwardly from the first portion toward the nozzle member, the second liquid is contained in a space defined by the first portion and the second portion, and the ultrasonic generator is attached on the second portion.

14. A maintenance method according to claim 11, wherein the second liquid includes oxygenated water.

15. A maintenance method according to claim 14, wherein the first liquid is purified water.

16. A maintenance method according to claim 1, wherein the first liquid and the second liquid differ from each other.

17. A maintenance method according to claim 16, wherein after immersing the nozzle member in the second liquid, the nozzle member is immersed in the first liquid in the container.

18. A maintenance method according to claim 17,

wherein the nozzle member is immersed in a state such that the container is connected to the nozzle member,

the method further comprising disconnecting the container from the nozzle member after immersing the nozzle member in the second liquid, and connecting the container to the nozzle member before immersing the nozzle member in the first liquid.

19. A maintenance method according to claim 17, wherein the second liquid includes oxygenated water.

20. A maintenance method according to claim 19, wherein the first liquid is purified water.

21. A maintenance method according to claim 16, further comprising removing the second liquid from the nozzle member by using the first liquid after immersing the nozzle member in the second liquid.

22. A maintenance method according to claim 21, wherein the second liquid includes oxygenated water.

23. A maintenance method according to claim 22, wherein the first liquid is purified water.

24. A maintenance method according to claim 1, wherein the second liquid comprises oxygenated water.

25. A maintenance method according to claim 24, wherein the first liquid is purified water.

26. A maintenance device comprising:

a container adapted to be placed under a nozzle member in an exposure apparatus in which a liquid immersion region of a first liquid is formed on a substrate to expose the substrate via the first liquid, the nozzle member being used for forming the liquid immersion region and having at least one of a supply outlet that supplies the first liquid and a collection inlet that recovers the first liquid,

the container being configured in order that the nozzle member can be cleaned by immersion of the nozzle member in a second liquid in the container; and

a supply outlet provided at the container and via which the second liquid is supplied to the container placed in the exposure apparatus.

27. A maintenance device according to claim 26, wherein

the exposure apparatus has a projection optical system, and

exposure light is irradiated onto the substrate via the projection optical system and the first liquid.

28. A maintenance device according to claim 26, further comprising a connecting portion that is connectable with an object in the exposure apparatus.

29. A maintenance device according to claim 28, wherein the nozzle member is immersed in a state such that the connecting portion and the object are connected with each other.

30. A maintenance device according to claim 28, wherein the connecting portion is connectable with the nozzle member.

31. A maintenance device according to claim 26, further comprising a supporting device that movably supports the container.

32. A maintenance device according to claim 26, further comprising a circulation system that circulates the second liquid in the container using the supply outlet provided at the container.

33. A maintenance device according to claim 26, further comprising an ultrasonic generator that applies ultrasonic waves to the second liquid in the container placed in the exposure apparatus.

34. A maintenance device according to claim 33, wherein the ultrasonic generator is attached on the container.

35. A maintenance device according to claim 34, wherein the ultrasonic waves are applied to the second liquid by vibrating the container using the ultrasonic generator.

36. A maintenance device according to claim 34, wherein the container includes a first portion and a second portion, the container is adapted to be placed in the exposure apparatus such that the first portion is opposite to a lower surface of the nozzle member and the second portion extends upwardly from the first portion toward the nozzle member, the second liquid is contained in a space defined by the first portion and the second portion, and wherein the ultrasonic generator is attached on the second portion.

37. A maintenance device according to claim 26, wherein the first liquid and the second liquid differ from each other.

38. A maintenance device according to claim 26, wherein

the exposure apparatus irradiates exposure light onto the substrate, in a state such that an optical path space between the projection optical system and the substrate is filled with the first liquid, and

the nozzle member is in contact with the first liquid that is in contact with the substrate.