Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and device producing method

• US 8,064,044 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2004
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Nagasaka, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Peter B
• Application Number:
  US10/584,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20070146663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,521 Days
• Field of Search: 355/53, 355/30, 355/72
• US Class Current: 355/72
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/2041 in the presence of a fluid, e.g. immersion; using fluid cooling means
• 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 7/70725 control
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70866 of mask or workpiece

Abstract

An exposure apparatus (EX) exposes a substrate (P) by irradiating exposure light (EL) on the substrate (P) via a projection optical system (PL) and a liquid (LQ) supplied from a liquid supply mechanism (10). The exposure apparatus (EX) has a pressure adjustment mechanism (90) for adjusting pressure of the liquid (LQ) supplied from the liquid supply mechanism (10). A liquid immersion area is satisfactorily formed to obtain high exposure accuracy and measurement accuracy.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus comprising:

a projection optical system from which an exposure light is radiated onto a substrate through a liquid to expose the substrate;

a liquid supply system which supplies the liquid;

a liquid recovery system which recovers the liquid; and

a substrate stage which holds the substrate, wherein;

a magnitude of a velocity of movement of the substrate stage for moving the substrate stage substantially linearly from a first position to a second position in a state in which a liquid immersion area is locally formed on the substrate stage by using the liquid supply system and the liquid recovery system, is decreased when a distance between the first position and the second position is not less than a predetermined amount, as compared with when the distance between the first position and the second position is less than the predetermined amount.

2. A method for producing a device, comprising:

exposing a substrate with the exposure apparatus of claim 1; and

processing the substrate to form the device.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid immersion area formed on the substrate stage includes a liquid immersion area on the substrate held on the substrate stage.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the distance between the first position and the second position is not less than the predetermined amount, the magnitude of the velocity of movement of the substrate stage is decreased such that the liquid is prevented from leaking.

5. A method for producing a device, comprising:

exposing a substrate with the exposure apparatus of claim 4; and

processing the substrate to form the device.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magnitude of the velocity of movement of the substrate is decreased such that a liquid immersion area locally formed on the substrate is maintained.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magnitude of the velocity of movement of the substrate is decreased such that no gas portion is formed in a liquid immersion area locally formed on the substrate.

8. An exposure apparatus comprising:

a projection optical system from which an exposure light is radiated onto a substrate through a liquid to expose the substrate;

a liquid supply system which supplies the liquid;

a liquid recovery system which recovers the liquid; and

a substrate stage which holds the substrate, wherein;

a magnitude of a velocity of movement of the substrate stage for moving the substrate stage substantially linearly from a first position to a second position in a state in which a liquid immersion area is locally formed on the substrate stage by using the liquid supply system and the liquid recovery system, is decreased when the substrate stage is moved in a predetermined direction, as compared with when the substrate stage is moved in a direction different from the predetermined direction.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8, wherein no liquid recovery port of the liquid recovery system is arranged at a side of a space under the projection system in the predetermined direction.

10. A method for producing a device, comprising:

exposing a substrate with the exposure apparatus of claim 8; and

processing the substrate to form the device.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8, wherein when the substrate stage is moved in the predetermined direction, the magnitude of the velocity of movement of the substrate stage is decreased such that the liquid is prevented from leaking.

12. A method for producing a device, comprising:

exposing a substrate with the exposure apparatus of claim 11; and

processing the substrate to form the device.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the magnitude of the velocity of movement of the substrate is decreased such that a liquid immersion area locally formed on the substrate is maintained.

14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the magnitude of the velocity of movement of the substrate is decreased such that no gas portion is formed in a liquid immersion area locally formed on the substrate.

15. An exposure method comprising:

exposing a substrate by radiating an exposure light beam onto the substrate through a liquid; and

moving the substrate from a first position to a second position while retaining the liquid on the substrate;

wherein a magnitude of a velocity of movement of the substrate from the first position to the second position is decreased when a distance between the first position and the second position is not less than a predetermined distance, as compared with when the distance between the first position and the second position is less than the predetermined distance.

16. A method for producing a device, comprising:

exposing a substrate by the exposure method of claim 15; and

processing the substrate to form the device.

17. The exposure method according to claim 15, wherein the magnitude of the velocity of movement of the substrate is decreased such that the liquid is prevented from leaking.

18. A method for producing a device, comprising:

exposing a substrate by the exposure method of claim 17; and

processing the substrate to form the device.

19. The exposure method according to claim 15, wherein the magnitude of the velocity of movement of the substrate is decreased such that a liquid immersion area locally formed on the substrate is maintained.

20. The exposure method according to claim 15, wherein the magnitude of the velocity of movement of the substrate is decreased such that no gas portion is formed in a liquid immersion area locally formed on the substrate.

21. The exposure method according to claim 15, wherein the substrate is linearly moved from the first position to the second position.

22. The exposure method according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined amount is determined based on affinity of the substrate for the liquid.

23. An exposure method comprising:

exposing a substrate by radiating an exposure light beam onto the substrate through a liquid; and

moving the substrate from a first position to a second position while retaining the liquid on the substrate,

wherein a magnitude of a velocity of movement of the substrate from the first position to the second position is decreased when the substrate is moved in a predetermined direction as compared with when the substrate is moved in a direction different from the predetermined direction.

24. A method for producing a device, comprising:

exposing a substrate by the exposure method of claim 23; and

processing the substrate to form the device.

25. The exposure method according to claim 23, wherein the magnitude of the velocity of movement of the substrate is decreased such that the liquid is prevented from leaking.

26. The exposure method according to claim 23, wherein the magnitude of the velocity of movement of the substrate is decreased such that a liquid immersion area locally formed on the substrate is maintained.

27. The exposure method according to claim 23, wherein the magnitude of the velocity of movement of the substrate is decreased such that no gas portion is formed in a liquid immersion area locally formed on the substrate.

28. The exposure method according to claim 23, wherein the substrate is linearly moved from the first position to the second position.