Apparatus and method for maintaining immersion fluid in the gap under the protection lens during wafer exchange in an immersion lithography machine
First Claim
1. A liquid immersion exposure apparatus comprising:
- an optical member through which a substrate is exposed through an immersion liquid;
a stage assembly including a substrate table that retains the substrate; and
a cover member having a surface which is covered with a fluorinated material,wherein the cover member and the substrate table are relatively movable, andwherein the cover member is positioned under the optical member in place of the substrate table to substantially maintain the immersion liquid in a space under the optical member when performing a substrate exchange operation of the substrate on the substrate table.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method maintain immersion fluid in the gap adjacent to the projection lens during the exchange of a work piece in a lithography machine. The apparatus and method include an optical assembly that projects an image onto a work piece and a stage assembly including a work piece table that supports the work piece adjacent to the optical assembly. An environmental system is provided to supply and remove an immersion fluid from the gap between the optical assembly and the work piece on the stage assembly. After exposure of the work piece is complete, an exchange system removes the work piece and replaces it with a second work piece. An immersion fluid containment system maintains the immersion liquid in the gap during removal of the first work piece and replacement with the second work piece.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A liquid immersion exposure apparatus comprising:
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an optical member through which a substrate is exposed through an immersion liquid; a stage assembly including a substrate table that retains the substrate; and a cover member having a surface which is covered with a fluorinated material, wherein the cover member and the substrate table are relatively movable, and wherein the cover member is positioned under the optical member in place of the substrate table to substantially maintain the immersion liquid in a space under the optical member when performing a substrate exchange operation of the substrate on the substrate table. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A liquid immersion exposure method in which a substrate is exposed to an exposure beam through an immersion liquid, the method comprising:
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providing the substrate, retained on a substrate table, opposite to an optical member; moving the substrate table away from under the optical member; and performing a substrate exchange operation when a cover member is positioned under the optical member in place of the substrate table, wherein the surface of the cover member is covered with a fluorinated material. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A device manufacturing method comprising:
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providing a substrate, retained on a substrate table, opposite to an optical member; moving the substrate table away from under the optical member; and performing a substrate exchange operation when a cover member is positioned under the optical member in place of the substrate table, wherein a surface of the cover member is covered with a fluorinated material. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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Specification