Exposure apparatus and method for producing device

• US 7,817,244 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2006
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Chiba, Hiroshi, Hirukawa, Shigeru, Kobayashi, Naoyuki, Nei, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/585,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20070035711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 355/30, 355/52, 355/53, 355/55, 355/67, 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 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. A liquid immersion exposure method for exposing a substrate by projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate through a projection optical system and a liquid, comprising:

determining a surface information about a surface of the substrate by receiving a detecting beam from the surface of the substrate without passing the detecting beam through the liquid so as to perform a measurement;

determining a relationship between the surface information about the surface of the substrate and an information of an image plane of the projection optical system formed through the liquid;

supplying the liquid onto the substrate; and

performing liquid immersion exposure for the substrate while adjusting a positional relationship between the surface of the substrate and the image plane formed through the liquid on the basis of the determined relationship between the surface information about the surface of the substrate and the information of the image plane of the projection optical system formed through the liquid without detecting the surface information about the surface of the substrate while the substrate is exposed.

2. The liquid immersion exposure method according to claim 1, wherein receiving of the detecting beam and the liquid immersion exposure are carried out in different stations, respectively.

6. The liquid immersion exposure method according to claim 1, the method further comprising using a reference member, which has a reference surface provided on a substrate stage that holds the substrate, to determine the relationship between the surface information about the surface of the substrate detected without passing the detecting beam through the liquid and the image plane formed through the liquid by the projection optical system.

7. The liquid immersion exposure method according to claim 6, wherein the surface information includes a relationship between the surface of the substrate and the reference surface.

8. The liquid immersion exposure method according to claim 7, 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.

9. The liquid immersion exposure method according to claim 8, 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 a first surface-detecting system which is different from a second surface-detecting system that receives the detecting beam to determine the relationship between the surface information about the surface of the substrate and the image plane.

10. The liquid immersion exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the image is projected onto the substrate through the projection optical system and the liquid, and wherein the receiving of the detecting beam, which is performed without passing the detecting beam 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.

3. A liquid immersion exposure method for exposing a substrate by projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate through a projection optical system and a liquid, comprising:

detecting an alignment mark on the substrate by receiving a detecting beam from the substrate without passing the detecting beam through the liquid;

supplying the liquid onto the substrate;

detecting a projection position of the image of the pattern formed through the liquid by the projection optical system;

determining a positional relationship between the alignment mark detected not through the liquid and the image of the pattern formed through the liquid; and

performing liquid immersion exposure for the substrate while performing alignment of the pattern and the substrate onto which the liquid has been supplied, on the basis of the determined positional relationship between the alignment mark and the image of the pattern.

4. The liquid immersion exposure method according to claim 3, wherein the detection of the alignment mark and performing the liquid immersion exposure are carried out in different stations, respectively.

5. The liquid immersion exposure method according to claim 3, wherein the detection of the alignment mark is performed when the liquid is not supplied onto the substrate.

11. The liquid immersion exposure method according to claim 3, the method further comprising using a reference mark, which is provided on a reference member provided on a substrate stage that holds the substrate, to determine the positional relationship between the result of the detection of the alignment mark and the projection position of the image of the pattern formed through the liquid by the projection optical system.

12. The liquid immersion exposure method according to claim 11, wherein by detecting the alignment mark, a positional relationship between the reference mark and each of the shot areas on the substrate is determined.

13. The liquid immersion exposure method according to claim 12, further comprising detecting the reference mark through, the projection optical system and the liquid, 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 of the reference mark.

14. The liquid immersion exposure method according to claim 13, wherein the reference mark is detected in a state in which the liquid is supplied to a space between the projection optical system and the reference member.

15. The liquid immersion exposure method according to claim 12, further comprising detecting 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 of the reference mark.

16. The liquid immersion exposure method according to claim 13, wherein the pattern is formed on a mask, and the detection of the reference mark includes detecting 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.

17. The liquid immersion exposure method according to claim 13, wherein the reference mark is detected through the projection optical system and a transparent member arranged between the projection optical system and the reference member.