Coupling apparatus, exposure apparatus, and device fabricating method

• US 8,120,751 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2009
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Ono, Kazuya, Shibazaki, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/585,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20100007865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 355/30, 355/52, 355/53, 355/77
• 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 7/70833 Mounting of optical systems, e.g. mounting of illumination system, projection system or stage systems on base-plate or ground

Abstract

An exposure apparatus fills a space between a projection optical system and a substrate with a liquid and projects a pattern image onto the substrate to expose the substrate. The projection optical system has a first group including an optical member that comes into contact with the liquid, and a second group that differs from the first group. The first group is supported by a first support member via a vibration isolating apparatus.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus comprising:

a projection optical system that has a first group including an optical member that contacts a liquid, and a second group that differs from the first group;

a substrate stage that is movable with respect to the optical member while the optical member contacts the liquid;

a support mechanism that supports the first group and the second group so that the first group and the second group are substantially isolated from each other; and

a drive mechanism that adjusts a position of the first group so that a predetermined relationship between the first group and the second group is maintained, the position of the first group being changed due to a pressure change in the liquid.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support mechanism has a first support member that supports the first group, and a second support member that supports the second group and that is different from the first support member.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a first base member that movably and noncontactually supports the substrate stage,

wherein the first support member is affixed to the first base member.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a first base member that movably and noncontactually supports the substrate stage; and

a second base member that supports the first base member,

wherein first support member is affixed to the second base member.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first base member and the second base member are isolated so that vibrations do not mutually transmit.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first support member noncontactually supports the first group.

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

a measuring apparatus that measures a positional relationship between the first group and the second group.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the drive mechanism drives the first group based on a measurement result of the measuring apparatus.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the measuring apparatus has an interferometer system that measures the position of the first group.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the support mechanism has a first support member that supports the first group, and

the interferometer system measures a position of the first support member.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the drive mechanism has a voice coil motor.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined relationship comprises a gap between the first group and the second group.

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

a first support member that supports the first group;

a second support member that supports the second group and that is different from the first support member;

a frame member that supports the second support member; and

a linking device that is disposed between the first support member and the frame member and links the first support member and the frame member.

14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the linking device comprises a parallel link mechanism.

15. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the linking device comprises a vibration isolating mechanism so that vibrations of one of the first support member and the frame member do not transmit to the other.

16. The exposure apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the vibration isolating mechanism functions dynamically.

17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the vibration isolating mechanism functions passively.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the vibration isolating mechanism detects at least one of a plurality of physical quantities and performs vibration isolation based on the detected at least one physical quantity.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the vibration isolating mechanism has a counter-mass that absorbs the vibrations of the one of the first support member and the frame member.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 19, wherein

the linking device has a first linking member linked to the first support member, and a second linking member linked to the frame member;

and

the first and second linking members and the counter-mass are movable relative to a common predetermined direction, and are mechanically guided in a direction that is different from the predetermined direction.

21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 20, wherein an air guide is used to guide in a direction that is different from the predetermined direction.

22. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the linking device is capable of expanding and contracting.

23. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an immersion area is formed at only a part on the substrate during exposure of the substrate.

24. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical member comprises a plane parallel plate.

25. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical member comprises a lens.

26. A device fabricating method that uses the exposure apparatus according to claim 1.

27. An exposure apparatus comprising:

an optical member that contacts a liquid;

a projection optical system body;

a first support member that supports the optical member;

a second support member that supports the projection optical system body;

a frame member that supports the second support member;

a linking device that is disposed between the first support member and the frame member and links the first support member and the frame member; and

a drive mechanism that adjusts a position of the optical member to maintain a predetermined state of a positional relationship between the projection optical system body and the optical member, the position of the optical member being changed due to a pressure change in the liquid.

28. The exposure apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising:

a substrate stage that is movable with respect to the optical member while the optical member contacts the liquid.

29. The exposure apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising:

a measuring apparatus that measures the positional relationship between the optical member and the projection optical system body.

30. The exposure apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the drive mechanism adjusts the position of the optical member based on a measurement result of the measuring apparatus.

31. The exposure apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the measuring apparatus has an interferometer system that measures the position of the optical system.

32. The exposure apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the interferometer system measures a position of the first support member with respect to the second support member.

33. The exposure apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the drive mechanism is provided at the linking device.

34. The exposure apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the drive mechanism has a voice coil motor.

35. The exposure apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the drive mechanism maintains a predetermined state of a gap between the projection optical system body and the optical system.

36. The exposure apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the linking device comprises a vibration isolating mechanism so that vibrations of one of the first support member and the frame member do not transmit to the other.

37. The exposure apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the linking device comprises a vibration isolating mechanism so that vibrations of one of the first support member and the frame member do not transmit to the other.

38. The exposure apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the vibration isolating mechanism functions dynamically.

39. The exposure apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the vibration isolating mechanism functions passively.

40. The exposure apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the vibration isolating mechanism detects at least one of a plurality of physical quantities and performs vibration isolation based on the at least one detected physical quantity.

41. The exposure apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the vibration isolating mechanism has a counter-mass that absorbs the vibrations of the one of the first support member and the frame member.

42. The exposure apparatus according to claim 41, wherein

the linking device has a first linking member linked to the first support member, and a second linking member linked to the frame member;

and

the first and second linking members and the counter-mass are movable in a common predetermined direction, and are mechanically guided in a direction that is different from the predetermined direction.

43. The exposure apparatus according to claim 42, wherein an air guide is used to guide in a direction that is different from the predetermined direction.

44. The exposure apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the vibration isolating mechanism is built in the linking device.

45. The exposure apparatus according to claim 44, wherein the linking device comprises a parallel link mechanism having the drive mechanism.

46. The exposure apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the parallel link mechanism is capable of expanding and contracting.

47. The exposure apparatus according to claim 27, wherein an immersion area is formed at only a part on a substrate during exposure of the substrate.

48. The exposure apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the optical member comprises a plane parallel plate.

49. The exposure apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the optical member comprises a lens.

50. A device fabricating method that uses the exposure apparatus according to claim 27.