Detection device, movable body apparatus, pattern formation apparatus and pattern formation method, exposure apparatus and exposure method, and device manufacturing method

• US 8,098,362 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2008
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Kanaya, Yuho
• Primary Examiner(s): Glick, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Asfaw, Mesfin T
• Application Number:
  US12/128,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20090004580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 355/30, 355/53, 355/72
• 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 7/70775 Position control, e.g. interferometers or encoders for determining the stage position
• 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 7/70916 Pollution mitigation, i.e. mitigating effect of contamination or debris, e.g. foil traps
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70925 Cleaning, i.e. actively freeing apparatus from pollutants, e.g. using plasma cleaning

Abstract

By irradiating a detection beam from an irradiation system of a detection device to a scale used for measuring the position of a wafer stage, and detecting the detection beam via the scale by a photodetection system, a surface state (an existence state of foreign substance) of the scale is detected. With this operation, detection of the surface state can be performed contactlessly with respect to the scale. Moreover, movement control of the wafer stage can be performed with high precision by taking the surface state into consideration.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus that exposes an object held by a movable body with an energy beam, the apparatus comprising:

an encoder system of which one of a measurement member and a head member is arranged on the movable body and the other of the members is arranged facing the movable body, and which measures positional information of the movable body using a plurality of heads of the head member that faces the measurement member;

a detection device that detects information on a surface state of the measurement member; and

a controller that controls a position of the movable body based on the measured positional information and also selects a plurality of heads to be used for the measurement based on a result of the detection.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controller switches at least one of the plurality of heads used for the measurement to another head during movement of the movable body.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a detection operation with respect to the measurement member by the detection device is at least partially carried out in parallel with another operation.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the another operation includes at least one of an exposure operation, an alignment operation and a movement operation of the object.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the result of the detection includes information on a foreign substance on the measurement member, and

the exposure apparatus further comprises

a foreign substance removal device that removes a foreign substance on the measurement member.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an optical member that emits the energy beam; and

a liquid immersion system that forms a liquid immersion area between the optical member and the object.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the measurement member is arranged on the movable body and a surface of the measurement member comes into contact with the liquid immersion area by movement of the movable body.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the measurement member is arranged above the movable body and the detection device is arranged capable of moving relative to the measurement member.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the encoder system irradiates a measurement beam to a grating surface of the measurement member and measures positional information of the movable body within a predetermined plane.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the measurement member has the grating surface that is different from the surface.

11. An exposure method of exposing an object held by a movable body with an energy beam, the method comprising:

a measurement process of measuring positional information of the movable body, using an encoder system of which one of a measurement member and a head member is arranged on the movable body and the other of the members is arranged facing the movable body, and which measures the positional information using a plurality of heads of the head member that faces the measurement member;

a detection process of detecting information on a surface state of the measurement member using a detection device; and

a control process of controlling a position of the movable body based on the measured positional information and also selecting a plurality of heads to be used for the measurement based on a result of the detection.

12. The exposure method according to claim 11, wherein

in the control process, at least one of the plurality of heads used for the measurement is switched to another head during movement of the movable body.

13. The exposure method according to claim 11, wherein

a detection operation with respect to the measurement member by the detection device is at least partially carried out in parallel with another operation.

14. The exposure method according to claim 13, wherein

the another operation includes at least one of an exposure operation, an alignment operation and a movement operation of the object.

15. The exposure method according to claim 11, wherein

the result of the detection includes information on a foreign substance on the measurement member, and

the exposure method further comprises

a foreign substance removal process of removing a foreign substance on the measurement member in accordance with the result of the detection.

16. The exposure method according to claim 11, wherein

exposure of the object is performed in a state where a liquid immersion area is formed between an optical member that emits the energy beam and the object.

17. The exposure method according to claim 16, wherein

the measurement member is arranged on the movable body and a surface of the measurement member comes into contact with the liquid immersion area by movement of the movable body.

18. The exposure method according to claim 11, wherein

the measurement member is arranged above the movable body and the detection device is arranged capable of moving relative to the measurement member.

19. The exposure method according to claim 11, wherein

the encoder system irradiates a measurement beam to a grating surface of the measurement member and measures positional information of the movable body within a predetermined plane.

20. The exposure method according to claim 19, wherein

the measurement member has the grating surface that is different from the surface.