Exposure apparatus, maintenance method, exposure method, and method for producing device

• US 8,035,800 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2007
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Nishii, Yasufumi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/716,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20080013064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,674 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 7/7085 Detection arrangement, e.g. detectors of apparatus alignment possibly mounted on wafers, exposure dose, photo-cleaning flux, stray light, thermal load
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70975 Assembly, maintenance, transport or storage of apparatus

Abstract

An exposure apparatus EX includes a liquid immersion system and an exchange system which performs exchange of the liquid immersion member. The exchange system has a holding device which holds the liquid immersion member detachably and a transport device. By using the exchange system, it is possible to suppress the lowering in the working rate due to the cleaning or exchange of the liquid immersion member.

Claims

1. A maintenance method for an exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate with an exposure light beam through a liquid, the method comprising:

judging a state of a liquid immersion member based on an exposure defect of the exposed substrate;

detaching the liquid immersion member, based on a result of the judgement, from the exposure apparatus having an optical member via which the exposure light exits, the liquid immersion member being different from the optical member, the exposure apparatus exposing the substrate through a liquid, which is retained between the optical member and the substrate by the liquid immersion member, while moving the substrate relative to the optical member and the liquid immersion member; and

cleaning the detached liquid immersion member or exchanging the detached liquid immersion member with another liquid immersion member.

2. The maintenance method according to claim 1, further comprising detaching the liquid immersion member from the exposure apparatus at a predetermined time interval or every time after the exposure is performed for predetermined pieces of the substrate.

3. The maintenance method according to claim 1, comprising detecting a state of the liquid immersion member;

and detaching the liquid immersion member from the exposure apparatus based on a result of the detection.

4. The maintenance method according to claim 1, wherein the exposure apparatus has a holding device which detachably holds the liquid immersion member;

and

the liquid immersion member is detached from the exposure apparatus by releasing the liquid immersion member from the holding device.

5. The maintenance method according to claim 1, wherein the detached liquid immersion member is transported to a predetermined position in the exposure apparatus or to a position outside the exposure apparatus.

6. The maintenance method according to claim 1, further comprising attaching the liquid immersion member which has been cleaned to the exposure apparatus, or attaching the another liquid immersion member, with which the detached liquid immersion member has been exchanged, to the exposure apparatus.

7. The maintenance method according to claim 1, wherein

when the liquid immersion member is loaded and unloaded for the cleaning or the exchange, the liquid immersion member is moved relative to the optical member in a direction perpendicular to a plane in which the substrate is moved.

8. An exposure method comprising:

performing maintenance of an exposure apparatus having a liquid immersion member with the maintenance method as defined in claim 1; and

exposing a substrate through a liquid.

9. A method for producing a device, comprising:

exposing a substrate by the exposure method as defined in claim 8;

developing the exposed substrate; and

processing the developed substrate.

10. The maintenance method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid immersion member has at least one of a supply port supplying the liquid and a recovery port recovering the liquid.

11. The maintenance method according to claim 10, wherein a porous member is arranged in the recovery port.

12. The maintenance method according to claim 3, wherein the detection of the state of the liquid immersion member includes imaging a surface of the liquid immersion member.

13. The maintenance method according to claim 5, wherein the transporting of the liquid immersion member is performed by using a transporting system of the exposure apparatus.

14. The maintenance method according to claim 13, wherein the transporting system includes a substrate stage which is movable while holding the substrate thereto.

15. The maintenance method according to claim 1, wherein the detaching of the liquid immersion member includes adjusting a positional relationship between the liquid immersion member and the optical member to prevent the liquid immersion member from making contact with the optical member.

16. The maintenance method according to claim 15, wherein the detaching of the liquid immersion member includes moving the liquid immersion member along a guide portion.

17. The maintenance method according to claim 15, wherein the detaching of the liquid immersion member includes obtaining a position information about the liquid immersion member.

18. The maintenance method according to claim 6, wherein the attaching of the liquid immersion member includes adjusting a positional relationship between the liquid immersion member and the optical member to prevent the liquid immersion member from making contact with the optical member.

19. The maintenance method according to claim 18, wherein the attaching of the liquid immersion member includes moving the liquid immersion member along a guide portion.

20. The maintenance method according to claim 18, wherein the attaching of the liquid immersion member includes obtaining a position information about the liquid immersion member.

21. The maintenance method according to claim 6, further comprising cleaning the attached liquid immersion member.

22. The maintenance method according to claim 21, wherein the attached liquid immersion member is cleaned by bringing the attached liquid immersion member into contact with the liquid.

23. The maintenance method according to claim 21, wherein the attached liquid immersion member is cleaned by supplying the liquid between the attached liquid immersion member and a dummy substrate which is different from the substrate.

24. A maintenance method for an exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate with an exposure light beam through a liquid, the method comprising:

judging a state of a liquid immersion member based on a state of the liquid recovered via the liquid immersion member; and

detaching the liquid immersion member, based on a result of the judgment, from the exposure apparatus having an optical member via which the exposure light exits, the liquid immersion member being different from the optical member, the exposure apparatus exposing the substrate through a liquid, which is retained between the optical member and the substrate by the liquid immersion member, while moving the substrate relative to the optical member and the liquid immersion member; and

cleaning the detached liquid immersion member or exchanging the detached liquid immersion member with another liquid immersion member.

25. The maintenance method according to claim 24, wherein the liquid immersion member has at least one of a supply port supplying the liquid and a recovery port recovering the liquid.

26. The maintenance method according to claim 25, wherein a porous member is arranged in the recovery port.

27. The maintenance method according to claim 24, further comprising attaching the liquid immersion member which has been cleaned to the exposure apparatus, or attaching the another liquid immersion member, with which the detached liquid immersion member has been exchanged, to the exposure apparatus, and

cleaning the attached liquid immersion member.

28. The maintenance method according to claim 27, wherein the attached liquid immersion member is cleaned by bringing the attached liquid immersion member into contact with the liquid.

29. The maintenance method according to claim 28, wherein the attached liquid immersion member is cleaned by supplying the liquid between the attached liquid immersion member and a dummy substrate which is different from the substrate.

30. An exposure method comprising:

performing maintenance of an exposure apparatus having a liquid immersion member with the maintenance method as defined in claim 24; and

exposing a substrate through a liquid.

31. A method for producing a device, comprising:

exposing a substrate by the exposure method as defined in claim 30;

developing the exposed substrate; and

processing the developed substrate.

32. A maintenance method for an exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate with an exposure light beam through a liquid, the method comprising:

judging a state of a liquid immersion member based on a state of a liquid immersion area formed on a side of a light-exit surface of an optical member; and

detaching the liquid immersion member, based on a result of the judgment, from the exposure apparatus having the optical member via which the exposure light exits, the liquid immersion member being different from the optical member, the exposure apparatus exposing the substrate through a liquid, which is retained between the optical member and the substrate by the liquid immersion member, while moving the substrate relative to the optical member and the liquid immersion member; and

cleaning the detached liquid immersion member or exchanging the detaching liquid immersion member with another liquid immersion member.

33. The maintenance method according to claim 32, wherein the liquid immersion member has at least one of a supply port supplying the liquid and a recovery port recovering the liquid.

34. The maintenance method according to claim 33, wherein a porous member is arranged in the recovery port.

35. The maintenance method according to claim 32, further comprising attaching the liquid immersion member which has been cleaned to the exposure apparatus, or attaching the another liquid immersion member, with which the detached liquid immersion member has been exchanged, to the exposure apparatus;

and

cleaning the attached liquid immersion member.

36. The maintenance method according to claim 35, wherein the attached liquid immersion member is cleaned by bringing the attached liquid immersion member into contact with the liquid.

37. The maintenance method according to claim 36, wherein the attached liquid immersion member is cleaned by supplying the liquid between the attached liquid immersion member and a dummy substrate which is different from the substrate.

38. An exposure method comprising:

performing maintenance of an exposure apparatus having a liquid immersion member with the maintenance method as defined in claim 32; and

exposing a substrate through a liquid.

39. A method for producing a device, comprising:

exposing a substrate by the exposure method as defined in claim 38;

developing the exposed substrate; and

processing the developed substrate.