Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and method for producing device

• US 8,102,504 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2006
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Nagasaka, Hiroyuki, Owa, Soichi, Nishii, Yasugumi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/502,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20060274293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,992 Days
• Field of Search: 355/30, 355/53, 355/55, 355/67, 355/77, 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 7/70733 Handling masks and workpieces, e.g. exchange of workpiece or mask, transport of workpiece or mask
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/708 Construction of apparatus, e.g. environment aspects, hygiene aspects or materials
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7095 Materials, e.g. materials for housing, stage or other support having particular properties, e.g. weight, strength, conductivity, thermal expansion coefficient

Abstract

A lithographic apparatus includes an illuminator configured to condition a radiation beam; a support constructed to hold a patterning device, the patterning device configured to impart the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam; a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate; a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate; and a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a space between the projection system and the substrate with a liquid, wherein the liquid has a contact angle of (a) less than 60° with the projection system, or the liquid supply system, or both, or (b) less than 80° with a surface of the substrate, or (c) both (a) and (b).

Claims

1. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:

an illumination system that conditions a radiation beam;

a support structure that holds a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern;

a substrate table that holds a substrate;

a projection system that projects the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate;

a liquid supply system that provides a liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate, the liquid supply system comprising a liquid outlet and a member extending along at least part of the boundary of the space, wherein the member comprises a liquid inlet located on a surface of the member which faces the substrate, and wherein the liquid outlet is separate from the liquid inlet and adjacent each other on a same side of the projection system;

a first chamber formed upstream of an inlet of the member, the first chamber being wider than a flow passage formed upstream of the first chamber, and

a second chamber formed downstream of an outlet of the member, the second chamber being wider than a flow passage formed downstream of the second chamber.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first chamber formed upstream of the inlet is located within the member and the second chamber formed downstream of the outlet of the member is located within the member.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid inlet is located a first distance from an optical axis of the projection system, and the liquid outlet is located a second distance from the optical axis of the projection system, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the member completely encircles the space to which the liquid is supplied.

5. A device manufacturing method comprising:

exposing a substrate using the lithographic projection apparatus of claim 1; and

processing the exposed substrate.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first chamber formed upstream of the inlet of the member is located within the member.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second chamber formed downstream of the outlet of the member is located within the member.

6. An exposure method comprising:

providing a liquid to a space between a projection system and a substrate with a liquid supply system that includes a liquid outlet and a member extending along at least part of the boundary of the space, the member including a liquid inlet located on a surface of the member which faces the substrate, the liquid outlet being separate from the liquid inlet and adjacent each other on a same side of the projection system, wherein a first chamber is formed upstream of an inlet of the member, the first chamber is wider than a flow passage formed upstream of the first chamber, a second chamber is formed downstream of an outlet of the member and the second chamber is wider than a flow passage formed downstream of the second chamber; and

projecting the patterned radiation beam onto the substrate through the projection system and the liquid in the space so as to expose the substrate.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first chamber formed upstream of the inlet of the member is located within the member and the second chamber formed downstream of the outlet of the member is located within the member.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the liquid inlet is located a first distance from an optical axis of the projection system, and the liquid outlet is located a second distance from the optical axis of the projection system, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the member completely encircles the space to which the liquid is supplied.

10. A device manufacturing method comprising:

exposing a substrate using the exposure method of claim 6; and

processing the exposed substrate.

13. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:

an illumination system that conditions a radiation beam;

a support structure that holds a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern;

a substrate table that holds a substrate;

a projection system that projects the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate;

a liquid supply system that provides a liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate, the liquid supply system comprising a liquid outlet and a member extending along at least part of the boundary of the space, wherein the member comprises a liquid inlet located on a surface of the member which faces the substrate, and wherein the liquid outlet is separate from the liquid inlet and adjacent each other on a same side of the projection system; and

a chamber formed upstream of an inlet of the member, the chamber being wider than a flow passage formed upstream of the member.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the chamber formed upstream of the inlet of the member is located within the member.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the liquid inlet is located a first distance from an optical axis of the projection system, and the liquid outlet is located a second distance from the optical axis of the projection system, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the member completely encircles the space to which the liquid is supplied.

17. A device manufacturing method comprising:

exposing a substrate using the lithographic projection apparatus of claim 13; and

processing the exposed substrate.

18. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:

an illumination system that conditions a radiation beam;

a support structure that holds a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern;

a substrate table that holds a substrate;

a projection system that projects the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate;

a liquid supply system that provides a liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate, the liquid supply system comprising a liquid outlet and a member extending along at least part of the boundary of the space, wherein the member comprises a liquid inlet located on a surface of the member which faces the substrate, and wherein the liquid outlet is separate from the liquid inlet and adjacent each other on a same side of the projection system; and

a chamber formed downstream of an outlet of the member, the chamber being wider than a flow passage formed downstream of the chamber.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the chamber formed downstream of the outlet of the member is located within the member.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the liquid inlet is located a first distance from an optical axis of the projection system, and the liquid outlet is located a second distance from the optical axis of the projection system, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

21. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the member completely encircles the space to which the liquid is supplied.

22. A device manufacturing method comprising:

exposing a substrate using the lithographic projection apparatus of claim 18; and

processing the exposed substrate.

23. An exposure method comprising:

providing a liquid to a space between a projection system and a substrate with a liquid supply system that includes a liquid outlet and a member extending along at least part of the boundary of the space, the member including a liquid inlet located on a surface of the member which faces the substrate, the liquid outlet being separate from the liquid inlet and adjacent each other on a same side of the projection system, wherein a chamber is formed upstream of an inlet of the member and the chamber is wider than a flow passage formed upstream of the chamber; and

projecting the patterned radiation beam onto the substrate through the projection system and the liquid in the space so as to expose the substrate.

24. A device manufacturing method comprising:

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

processing the exposed substrate.

25. An exposure method comprising:

providing a liquid to a space between a projection system and a substrate with a liquid supply system that includes a liquid outlet and a member extending along at least part of the boundary of the space, the member including a liquid inlet located on a surface of the member which faces the substrate, the liquid outlet being separate from the liquid inlet and adjacent each other on a same side of the projection system, wherein a chamber is formed downstream of an outlet of the member and the chamber is wider than a flow passage formed downstream of the chamber; and

projecting the patterned radiation beam onto the substrate through the projection system and the liquid in the space so as to expose the substrate.

26. A device manufacturing method comprising:

exposing a substrate using the exposure method of claim 25; and

processing the exposed substrate.

27. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:

a projection system by which a patterned radiation beam is projected onto a target portion of a substrate;

a liquid supply system by which a liquid is provided to a space between the projection system and the substrate, the liquid supply system comprising a liquid outlet and a member extending along at least part of the boundary of the space, wherein the member comprises a liquid inlet located on a surface of the member which faces the substrate, and wherein the liquid outlet is separate from the liquid inlet and adjacent each other on a same side of the projection system;

a first chamber formed upstream of an inlet of the member, the first chamber being wider than a flow passage formed upstream of the first chamber; and

a second chamber formed downstream of an outlet of the member, the second chamber being wider than a flow passage formed downstream of the second chamber.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the first chamber formed upstream of the inlet is located within the member and the second chamber formed downstream of the outlet of the member is located within the member.

29. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the member completely encircles the space to which the liquid is supplied.

30. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the liquid is supplied from the inlet of the member through the first chamber formed upstream of the inlet.

31. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the liquid is recovered from the outlet of the member through the second chamber formed downstream of the outlet.

32. A device manufacturing method comprising:

exposing a substrate using the lithographic projection apparatus of claim 27; and

processing the exposed substrate.

33. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:

a projection system by which a patterned radiation beam is projected onto a target portion of a substrate;

a liquid supply system by which a liquid is provided to a space between the projection system and the substrate, the liquid supply system comprising a liquid outlet and a member extending along at least part of the boundary of the space, wherein the member comprises a liquid inlet located on a surface of the member which faces the substrate, and wherein the liquid outlet is separate from the liquid inlet and adjacent each other on a same side of the projection system; and

a chamber formed upstream of an inlet of the member, the chamber being wider than a flow passage formed upstream of the chamber.

34. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the chamber formed upstream of the inlet of the member is located within the member.

35. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the member completely encircles the space to which the liquid is supplied.

36. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the liquid is supplied from the inlet of the member through the chamber formed upstream of the inlet.

37. A device manufacturing method comprising:

exposing a substrate using the lithographic projection apparatus of claim 33; and

processing the exposed substrate.

38. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:

a projection system by which a patterned radiation beam is projected onto a target portion of a substrate;

a liquid supply system by which a liquid is provided to a space between the projection system and the substrate, the liquid supply system comprising a liquid outlet and a member extending along at least part of the boundary of the space, wherein the member comprises a liquid inlet located on a surface of the member which faces the substrate, and wherein the liquid outlet is separate from the liquid inlet and adjacent each other on a same side of the projection system; and

a chamber formed downstream of an outlet of the member, the chamber being wider than a flow passage formed downstream of the chamber.

39. The apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the chamber formed downstream of the outlet of the member is located within the member.

40. The apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the member completely encircles the space to which the liquid is supplied.

41. The apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the liquid is recovered from the outlet of the member through the chamber formed downstream of the outlet.

42. A device manufacturing method comprising:

exposing a substrate using the lithographic projection apparatus of claim 38; and

processing the exposed substrate.