Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and device manufacturing method

• US 8,089,608 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2006
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Nagasaka, Hiroyuki, Shiraishi, Kenichi, Fujiwara, Tomoharu, Owa, Soichi, Miwa, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): KREUTZER, COLIN WRIGHT
• Application Number:
  US11/887,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20090115977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,087 Days
• Field of Search: 355/30, 355/53, 355/77, 250/492.2
• US Class Current: 355/30
• 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 7/70858 Environment aspects, e.g. pressure of beam-path gas, temperature pollution aspects G03F7/70916
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70891 Temperature

Abstract

An exposure apparatus includes an immersion space forming member (70) which fills an optical path space (K1) for exposure light (EL) with a first liquid (LQ) to form an immersion space, and a temperature regulating mechanism (60) which suppresses a change in the temperature of the immersion space forming member (70) accompanying deactivation of formation of the immersion space.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate via a first liquid filled into an optical path space of exposure light, the apparatus comprising:

an immersion space forming member that forms an immersion space to fill the optical path space with the first liquid, the immersion space forming member having a recovery port which recovers the first liquid forming the immersion space and a recovery passage connected to the recovery port, and the first liquid recovered from the recovery port being moved into the recovery passage; and

a temperature regulating system that suppresses a change in the temperature of the immersion space forming member, the temperature regulating system having a supply passage connected to the recovery passage, a temperature regulating fluid from the supply passage being supplied to the recovery passage not through the recovery port.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the temperature regulating fluid is supplied to the recovery passage when the first liquid is removed from the optical path space.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the immersion space forming member has a supply port that supplies the first liquid.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first liquid is held in at least a portion between the immersion space forming member and the substrate when the substrate is irradiated with the exposure light.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the exposure light is radiated onto the substrate via an optical element on the light emission side of which the immersion space is to be formed.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the temperature of the optical element is regulated at least while formation of the immersion space is deactivated.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the temperature regulating system suppresses a drop in the temperature of the immersion space forming member caused by heat of evaporation of the first liquid.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature regulating system supplies the temperature regulating fluid in a state in which the optical path space is not filled with the first liquid.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the temperature regulating fluid is the same substance as the first liquid supplied to the optical path space.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the temperature regulating system has a temperature regulator that regulates the temperature of the temperature regulating fluid.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the temperature of the temperature regulating fluid is substantially equal to the temperature of the first liquid supplied to the optical path space.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the temperature of the temperature regulating fluid is higher than the temperature of the first liquid supplied to the optical path space.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the temperature regulating fluid includes a second liquid.

14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the second liquid is supplied to the recovery passage in a state in which the first liquid exists in the optical path space.

15. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a liquid recovery device that recovers the first and second liquids of the recovery passage.

16. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein a porous member is arranged in the recovery port.

17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein the aperture diameter on one side of each hole of the porous member is different from the aperture diameter on the other side of each hole.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein the pressure of the recovery passage is regulated so that the first liquid is recovered through the porous member without substantial passing of gas.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the first liquid is removed from the optical path space by supply stoppage of the first liquid and recovery of the first liquid from the recovery port, and the second liquid is supplied to the recovery passage after the first liquid is removed from the optical path space.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 19,

wherein an amount per unit time of the second liquid supplied to the recovery passage after the first liquid is removed from the optical path space is larger than an amount per unit time of the second liquid supplied to the recovery passage during exposure of the substrate.

21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 19,

wherein an amount per unit time of the second liquid supplied to the recovery passage after the first liquid is removed from the optical path space is substantially equal to a sum of an amount per unit time of the second liquid supplied to the recovery passage during exposure of the substrate and an amount per unit time of the first liquid supplied to the optical path space during exposure of the substrate.

22. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first liquid and the second liquid include purified water.

23. A device manufacturing method using the exposure apparatus according to claim 1.

24. An exposure method of exposing a substrate with exposure light via a liquid, the method comprising:

exposing the substrate using an immersion space forming member that forms an immersion space to fill an optical path space for the exposure light with the liquid to form an immersion space; and

suppressing a change in the temperature of the immersion space forming member by supplying a temperature regulating fluid to the recovery passage not through the recovery port.

25. The exposure method according to claim 24,

wherein the temperature regulating fluid is supplied to the recovery passage when the liquid is removed from the optical path space.

26. The exposure method according to claim 24,

wherein the exposure light is radiated onto the substrate via an optical element and the liquid.

27. The exposure method according to claim 26,

further comprising regulating a temperature of the optical element at least while the optical path space is not filled with the liquid.

28. The exposure method according to claim 24,

wherein a drop in the temperature of the immersion space forming member caused by heat of evaporation of the liquid is suppressed.

29. The exposure method according to claim 24,

wherein the temperature regulating fluid is the same substance as the liquid supplied to the optical path space.

30. The exposure method according to claim 24,

wherein the temperature of the temperature regulating fluid is substantially equal to or higher than the temperature of the liquid in the immersion space.

31. A device manufacturing method using the exposure method according to claim 24.