Exposure apparatus and method for manufacturing device

• US 7,855,777 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2007
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Nagasaka, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Peter B
• Application Number:
  US11/826,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20070263193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 355/53, 355/30, 355/55, 355/72, 355/77, 359/665
• 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

Abstract

An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by projecting an image of a pattern, via an projection optical system and a liquid of a liquid immersion area formed on the substrate, onto the substrate, includes a liquid supply mechanism having supply ports for supplying the liquid on both sides of a projection area respectively and capable of simultaneously supplying the liquid from the supply ports, the image of the pattern being projected onto the projection area. The liquid supply mechanism supplies the liquid from only one of the supply ports disposed on the both sides when the mechanism starts to supply the liquid. The liquid may be supplied while moving an object such as a substrate placed to face the projection optical system. Accordingly, an optical path space on the image side of the projection optical system can be filled with the liquid quickly while suppressing formation of air bubbles.

Claims

1. An exposure method for exposing a substrate by projecting an image of a pattern through a liquid onto the substrate, the exposure method comprising:

starting supply of the liquid from one side of a projection area to the projection area onto which the image of the pattern is to be projected, before performing exposure operation;

supplying the liquid from both sides of the projection area during the exposure operation; and

exposing the substrate by projecting the image of the pattern onto the substrate through the supplied liquid,

wherein the liquid is supplied in different amounts continuously from both sides of the projection area during the exposure operation.

2. An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by projecting an image of a pattern through a liquid onto the substrate, the exposure apparatus comprising:

a projection optical system which projects the image of the pattern onto the substrate; and

a liquid supply mechanism which has supply ports for supply of the liquid on both sides of a projection area respectively and which supplies the liquid from the supply ports, the image of the pattern being projected onto the projection area by the projection optical system, wherein;

the liquid supply mechanism continuously supplies the liquid in different amounts respectively from the supply ports disposed on both sides when the liquid supply mechanism starts the supply of the liquid.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of a plurality of shot areas on the substrate is exposed while moving the substrate in a predetermined scanning direction, and the supply ports are arranged on both sides of the projection area in relation to the scanning direction.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the supply of the liquid by the liquid supply mechanism is started while moving the substrate.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a control unit which controls the liquid supply mechanism so that the liquid is supplied in different amounts from the supply ports of the liquid supply mechanism disposed on both sides of the projection area.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a substrate stage which is movable while holding the substrate, wherein a control unit controls movement of the substrate stage.

7. A method for producing a device, comprising using the exposure apparatus as defined in claim 2.

8. An exposure method for exposing a substrate by projecting an image of a pattern through a liquid onto the substrate, the exposure method comprising:

starting a supply of the liquid in different amounts, the amounts being greater than zero, respectively from both sides of a projection area onto which the image of the pattern is to be projected, before performing exposure operation; and

exposing the substrate by projecting the image of the pattern onto the substrate through the supplied liquid.

9. The exposure method according to claim 8, further comprising:

moving the substrate in a predetermined scanning direction during the exposure; and

starting the supply of the liquid in different amounts from both sides of the projection area in relation to the scanning direction.

10. The exposure method according to claim 8, further comprising moving the substrate in a predetermined direction when the supply of the liquid is started.

11. An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by projecting an image of a pattern through a liquid onto the substrate, the exposure apparatus comprising:

a projection optical system which projects the image of the pattern onto the substrate; and

a liquid supply mechanism which has supply ports for supply of the liquid on first and second sides of a projection area respectively and which supplies the liquid from the supply ports, the image of the pattern being projected onto the projection area by the projection optical system, wherein;

the liquid supply mechanism supplies the liquid in different amounts, the amounts being greater than zero, respectively from the supply port on the first side and the supply port on the second side when the liquid supply mechanism starts the supply of the liquid.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the first and second sides include both sides of the projection area.

13. A method for producing a device, comprising using the exposure apparatus as defined in claim 11.

14. An exposure method for exposing a substrate by projecting an image of a pattern through a liquid onto the substrate with a projection optical system, the exposure method comprising:

starting supply of the liquid to a projection area onto which the image of the pattern is to be projected, while moving an object arranged on an image plane side of the projection optical system before performing exposure operation; and

exposing the substrate by projecting the image of the pattern onto the substrate through the liquid between the projection optical system and the substrate;

wherein the supply of the liquid is started from both of first and second sides of the projection area in different amounts, the amounts being greater than zero.