Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and method for producing device

• US 7,907,253 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2007
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Owa, Soichi, Nishii, Yasugumi, Nagasaka, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/826,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20070258065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 355/30, 355/53, 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 7/70733 Handling masks and workpieces, e.g. exchange of workpiece or mask, transport of workpiece or mask
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/708 Construction of apparatus, e.g. environment aspects, hygiene aspects or materials
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7095 Materials, e.g. materials for housing, stage or other support having particular properties, e.g. weight, strength, conductivity, thermal expansion coefficient

Abstract

An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting an image of a predetermined pattern through a liquid onto the substrate. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system which projects the image of the pattern onto the substrate, a liquid supply mechanism which supplies the liquid onto the substrate to form a liquid immersion area on a part of the substrate including a projection area of the projection optical system, and a liquid recovery mechanism which recovers the liquid on the substrate simultaneously at a plurality of positions. The liquid recovery mechanism recovers the liquid with a recovery force which differs depending on the position for recovering the liquid.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by projecting an image of a predetermined 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;

a liquid supply system which supplies the liquid onto the substrate to form a liquid immersion area on a part of the substrate including a projection area of the projection optical system; and

a liquid recovery system which recovers the liquid on the substrate simultaneously at a plurality of positions, wherein;

the liquid recovery system simultaneously recovers the liquid from a first position of the plurality of positions and from a second position of the plurality of positions, with a first non-zero recovery force at the first position and with a second non-zero recovery force, which is different from the first non-zero recovery force, at the second position.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein shot areas on the substrate are respectively exposed while being moved in a predetermined scanning direction, and the liquid recovery system is operated such that a liquid recovery force, which is exerted at a predetermined position apart from the projection area in the scanning direction, is larger than a liquid recovery force which is exerted at a position different from the predetermined position.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a trap member which is arranged outside the positions for recovering the liquid by the liquid recovery system with respect to the projection area and which is formed with a liquid trap surface having a predetermined length to capture a liquid unsuccessfully recovered by the liquid recovery system.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a treatment is applied to the trap surface to enhance an affinity for the liquid.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the affinity of the trap surface for the liquid is higher than an affinity of a substrate surface for the liquid.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the trap surface is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the trap surface is arranged to surround the projection area, and the trap surface has different lengths depending on positions in the trap surface.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the liquid, which is captured by the trap surface, is recovered by the liquid recovery system.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid supply system supplies the liquid between the projection area and the position for recovering the liquid by the liquid recovery system.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the liquid supply system changes a supply amount of the liquid depending on an operation to be executed.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 10, wherein shot areas on the substrate are respectively subjected to scanning exposure while moving the substrate, and the liquid supply system is operated such that the supply amount of the liquid is different between a period in which stepping movement is performed between two of the shot areas on the substrate and a period in which each of the shot areas is exposed.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid supply system supplies the liquid with which an affinity for a liquid contact surface disposed at an end of the projection optical system is higher than an affinity for a surface of the substrate.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the liquid is water, a water-attracting treatment is applied to the liquid contact surface disposed at the end of the projection optical system, and the surface of the substrate is coated with a water-repellent photosensitive material.

14. A method for producing a device, comprising:

transferring an image of a pattern onto a substrate with the exposure apparatus as defined in claim 1; and

processing the exposed substrate.

57. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid supply system includes a member having an inlet opening from which the liquid is supplied to form the liquid immersion area, the member of the liquid supply system being vibrationally isolated from the projection optical system.

58. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid recovery system includes a member having an outlet opening from which the liquid on the substrate is recovered, the member of the liquid recovery system being vibrationally isolated from the projection optical system.

59. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid supply system has a supply flow passage through which the liquid is supplied and the liquid recovery system has a recovery flow passage through which the supplied liquid is recovered, and wherein at least one of the supply flow passage and the recovery flow passage is formed in a stacked member in which a plurality of members are stacked.

15. An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by projecting an image of a predetermined 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;

a liquid supply system which supplies the liquid onto the substrate to form a liquid immersion area on a part of the substrate including a projection area of the projection optical system; and

a liquid recovery system which recovers the liquid on the substrate simultaneously at a plurality of positions via a plurality of recovery ports, wherein;

the liquid recovery system simultaneously recovers the liquid from a first recovery port of the plurality of recovery ports and from a second recovery port of the plurality of recovery ports, with a first non-zero recovery force at the first recovery port and with a second non-zero recovery force, which is different from the first non-zero recovery force, at the second recovery port.

16. The exposure apparatus according to claim 15, wherein shot areas on the substrate are respectively exposed while being moved in a predetermined scanning direction, and the liquid recovery system is operated such that a liquid recovery force, which is exerted at a predetermined recovery port apart from the projection area in the scanning direction, is larger than a liquid recovery force which is exerted at a recovery port different from the predetermined position.

17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a trap member which is arranged outside the positions for recovering the liquid by the liquid recovery system with respect to the projection area and which is formed with a liquid trap surface having a predetermined length to capture a liquid unsuccessfully recovered by the liquid recovery system.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein a treatment is applied to the trap surface to enhance an affinity for the liquid.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the affinity of the trap surface for the liquid is higher than an affinity of a substrate surface for the liquid.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the trap surface is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane.

21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the trap surface is arranged to surround the projection area, and the trap surface has different lengths depending on positions in the trap surface.

22. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the liquid, which is captured by the trap surface, is recovered by the liquid recovery system.

23. The exposure apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the liquid supply system supplies the liquid between the projection area and the position for recovering the liquid by the liquid recovery system.

24. The exposure apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the liquid supply system changes a supply amount of the liquid depending on an operation to be executed.

25. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein shot areas on the substrate are respectively subjected to scanning exposure while moving the substrate, and the liquid supply system is operated such that the supply amount of the liquid is different between a period in which stepping movement is performed between two of the shot areas on the substrate and a period in which each of the shot areas is exposed.

26. The exposure apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the liquid supply system supplies the liquid with which an affinity for a liquid contact surface disposed at an end of the projection optical system is higher than an affinity for a surface of the substrate.

27. The exposure apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the liquid is water, a water-attracting treatment is applied to the liquid contact surface disposed at the end of the projection optical system, and the surface of the substrate is coated with a water-repellent photosensitive material.

28. A method for producing a device, comprising:

transferring an image of a pattern onto a substrate with the exposure apparatus as defined in claim 15; and

processing the exposed substrate.

29. An exposure method in which a substrate is exposed by projecting an image of a predetermined pattern through a liquid onto the substrate, the method comprising:

projecting the image of the pattern through a projection optical system and the liquid onto the substrate, the liquid being supplied onto the substrate to form a liquid immersion area on a part of the substrate including a projection area of the projection optical system; and

recovering the liquid on the substrate simultaneously at a plurality of positions, wherein;

the liquid is simultaneously recovered from a first position of the plurality of positions and from a second position of the plurality of positions, with a first non-zero recovery force at the first position and with a second non-zero recovery force, which is different from the first non-zero recovery force, at the second position.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein shot areas on the substrate are respectively exposed while being moved in a predetermined scanning direction, and a liquid recovery force, which is exerted at a predetermined position apart from the projection area in the scanning direction, is larger than a liquid recovery force which is exerted at a position different from the predetermined position.

31. The method according to claim 29, further comprising capturing a liquid unsuccessfully recovered with a trap member which is arranged outside the positions for recovering the liquid with respect to the projection area and which is formed with a liquid trap surface having a predetermined length.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein a treatment is applied to the trap surface to enhance an affinity for the liquid.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the affinity of the trap surface for the liquid is higher than an affinity of a substrate surface for the liquid.

34. The method according to claim 31, wherein the trap surface is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane.

35. The method according to claim 31, wherein the trap surface is arranged to surround the projection area, and the trap surface has different lengths depending on positions in the trap surface.

36. The method according to claim 31, further comprising recovering the liquid, which is captured by the trap surface.

37. The method according to claim 29, wherein the liquid is supplied between the projection area and the position for recovering the liquid.

38. The method according to claim 37, further comprising changing a supply amount of the liquid depending on an operation to be executed.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein shot areas on the substrate are respectively subjected to scanning exposure while moving the substrate, and the supply amount of the liquid is different between a period in which stepping movement is performed between two of the shot areas on the substrate and a period in which each of the shot areas is exposed.

40. The method according to claim 29, wherein an affinity of the liquid for a liquid contact surface disposed at an end of the projection optical system is higher than an affinity of the liquid for a surface of the substrate.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein the liquid is water, a water-attracting treatment is applied to the liquid contact surface disposed at the end of the projection optical system, and the surface of the substrate is coated with a water-repellent photosensitive material.

42. A method for producing a device, comprising:

transferring an image of a pattern onto a substrate with the exposure method as defined in claim 29; and

processing the exposed substrate.

43. An exposure method in which a substrate is exposed by projecting an image of a predetermined pattern through a liquid onto the substrate, the method comprising:

projecting the image of the pattern through a projection optical system and the liquid onto the substrate, the liquid being supplied onto the substrate to form a liquid immersion area on a part of the substrate including a projection area of the projection optical system; and

recovering the liquid on the substrate simultaneously at a plurality of positions via a plurality of recovery ports, wherein;

the liquid is simultaneously recovered from a first recovery port of the plurality of recovery ports and from a second recovery port of the plurality of recovery ports, with a first non-zero recovery force at the first recovery port and with a second non-zero recovery force, which is different from the first non-zero recovery force, at the second recovery port.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein shot areas on the substrate are respectively exposed while being moved in a predetermined scanning direction, and a liquid recovery force, which is exerted at a predetermined recovery port apart from the projection area in the scanning direction, is larger than a liquid recovery force which is exerted at a recovery port different from the predetermined position.

45. The method according to claim 43, further comprising capturing a liquid unsuccessfully recovered by the recovery ports with a trap member which is arranged outside the recovery ports for recovering the liquid with respect to the projection area and which is formed with a liquid trap surface having a predetermined length.

46. The method according to claim 45, wherein a treatment is applied to the trap surface to enhance an affinity for the liquid.

47. The method according to claim 46, wherein the affinity of the trap surface for the liquid is higher than an affinity of a substrate surface for the liquid.

48. The method according to claim 45, wherein the trap surface is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane.

49. The method according to claim 45, wherein the trap surface is arranged to surround the projection area, and the trap surface has different lengths depending on positions in the trap surface.

50. The method according to claim 45, further comprising recovering the liquid, which is captured by the trap surface.

51. The method according to claim 43, wherein the liquid is supplied between the projection area and the recovery ports.

52. The method according to claim 51, further comprising changing a supply amount of the liquid depending on an operation to be executed.

53. The method according to claim 52, wherein shot areas on the substrate are respectively subjected to scanning exposure while moving the substrate, and the supply amount of the liquid is different between a period in which stepping movement is performed between two of the shot areas on the substrate and a period in which each of the shot areas is exposed.

54. The method according to claim 43, wherein an affinity of the liquid for a liquid contact surface disposed at an end of the projection optical system is higher than an affinity of the liquid for a surface of the substrate.

55. The method according to claim 54, wherein the liquid is water, a water-attracting treatment is applied to the liquid contact surface disposed at the end of the projection optical system, and the surface of the substrate is coated with a water-repellent photosensitive material.

56. A method for producing a device, comprising:

transferring an image of a pattern onto a substrate with the exposure method as defined in claim 43; and

processing the exposed substrate.