Exposure apparatus and method for producing device

• US 8,169,592 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2008
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Naoyuki, Tanimoto, Akikazu, Mizuno, Yasushi, Shiraishi, Kenichi, Nakano, Katsushi, Owa, Soichi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/153,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20080225249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 355/30, 355/52, 355/53, 355/55, 355 67- 71, 250/548
• US Class Current: 355/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/52 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/00 Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor using photoresist structures for special production processes, see the relevant places, e.g. B44C, H01L, e.g. H01L21/00, H05K
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/2041 in the presence of a fluid, e.g. immersion; using fluid cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70316 Details of optical elements, e.g. of Bragg reflectors, extreme ultraviolet [EUV] multilayer or bilayer mirrors or diffractive optical elements
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70958 Optical materials or coatings, e.g. with particular transmittance, reflectance or anti-reflection properties
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7015 Reference, i.e. alignment of original or workpiece with respect to a reference not on the original or workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7088 Alignment mark detection, e.g. TTR, TTL, off-axis detection, array detector, video detection
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7096 Arrangement, mounting, housing, environment, cleaning or maintenance of apparatus

Abstract

An exposure apparatus includes an optical element via which a patterned beam is projected onto a substrate through exposure liquid filled in a space between the optical element and the substrate. The apparatus also includes a member having a surface and movable to a position at which the surface of the member faces the optical element. The apparatus also includes a cleaning system which cleans the surface of the member.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus comprising:

an optical element via which a patterned beam is projected onto a substrate through exposure liquid filled in a space between the optical element and the substrate;

a member having a surface and is movable to a position at which the surface of the member faces the optical element, the member being different from the substrate; and

a cleaning system which cleans the surface of the member.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning system cleans the surface of the member by removing exposure liquid remaining on the surface of the member.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning system sucks the exposure liquid remaining on the surface of the member.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning system blows off the exposure liquid remaining on the surface of the member.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning system includes a suction port.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning system supplies a gas to the surface of the member.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning system cleans the surface of the member in a state in which the substrate is not opposite to the optical element.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is exposed in a first period and the cleaning system cleans the surface of the member in a second period which is different from the first period.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the member includes a measuring member which includes a light-transmitting portion capable of transmitting an exposure light beam from the optical element.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the member includes a reference member.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is held by a substrate holder, the surface of the member being around the substrate held by the substrate holder.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the surface of the member is coplanar with a surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning system has a supply inlet from which a cleaning fluid is provided.

14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the cleaning fluid includes a cleaning gas.

15. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a supply inlet from which the exposure liquid is provided.

16. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the supply inlet is movable.

17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the cleaning system cleans the surface of the member in a state in which the substrate is not opposite to the optical element.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the member is moved along with the substrate during the projection.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the substrate is exposed in a first period and the cleaning system cleans the surface of the member in a second period which is different from the first period.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the member is moved along with the substrate during the projection.

21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the member includes a measuring member.

22. The exposure apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the measuring member includes a light-transmitting portion capable of transmitting an exposure light beam from the optical element.

23. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the member includes a reference member.

24. The exposure apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the reference member includes a reference mark.

25. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the substrate is held by a substrate holder, the surface of the member being around the substrate held by the substrate holder.

26. The exposure apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the exposure liquid covers only a portion of a surface of the substrate during the projection.

27. The exposure apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the surface of the member is coplanar with a surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder.

28. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the member is movable relative to the supply inlet of the cleaning system.

29. The exposure apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the member is movable below the supply inlet of the cleaning system.

30. The exposure apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the cleaning system cleans the surface of the member while moving the member relative to the supply inlet of the cleaning system.

31. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the surface of the member comes into contact with exposure liquid.

32. The exposure apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the member is used in a state in which exposure liquid is retained between the optical element and the surface of the member.

33. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first suction outlet from which the exposure liquid is collected from the substrate, wherein the cleaning system has a second suction outlet which is different from the first suction outlet.

34. The exposure apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the second suction outlet is movable.

35. The exposure apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the cleaning system cleans the surface of the member in a state in which the substrate is not opposite to the optical element.

36. The exposure apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the member is moved along with the substrate during the projection.

37. The exposure apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the substrate is exposed in a first period and the cleaning system cleans the surface of the member in a second period which is different from the first period.

38. The exposure apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the member is moved along with the substrate during the projection.

39. The exposure apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the member includes a measuring member.

40. The exposure apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the measuring member includes a light-transmitting portion capable of transmitting an exposure light beam from the optical element.

41. The exposure apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the member includes a reference member.

42. The exposure apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the reference member includes a reference mark.

43. The exposure apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the substrate is held by a substrate holder, the surface of the member being around the substrate held by the substrate holder.

44. The exposure apparatus according to claim 43, wherein the exposure liquid covers only a portion of a surface of the substrate during the projection.

45. The exposure apparatus according to claim 44, wherein the surface of the member is coplanar with a surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder.

46. The exposure apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the member is movable relative to the second suction outlet of the cleaning system.

47. The exposure apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the member is movable below the second suction inlet of the cleaning system.

48. The exposure apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the cleaning system cleans the surface of the member while moving the member relative to the second suction inlet of the cleaning system.

49. The exposure apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the surface of the member comes into contact with exposure liquid.

50. The exposure apparatus according to claim 49, wherein the member is used in a state in which exposure liquid is retained between the optical element and the surface of the member.

51. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the member is movable relative to the cleaning system.

52. The exposure apparatus according to claim 51, wherein the member is movable below the cleaning system.

53. The exposure apparatus according to claim 51, wherein the cleaning system cleans the surface of the member while moving the member relative to the cleaning system.

54. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the member comes into contact with exposure liquid.

55. The exposure apparatus according to claim 54, wherein the member is used in a state in which exposure liquid is retained between the optical element and the surface of the member.

56. A device manufacturing method comprising:

exposing a substrate by projecting a patterned beam onto the substrate through the optical element of the exposure apparatus of claim 1; and

processing the exposed substrate.

57. A method for making an exposure apparatus comprising:

providing an optical element via which a patterned beam is projected onto a substrate through exposure liquid filled in a space between the optical element and the substrate;

providing a member having a surface, the member being movable to a position at which the surface of the member faces the optical element, the member being different from the substrate; and

providing a cleaning system which cleans the surface of the member.

58. A cleaning method comprising:

moving a member of an exposure apparatus which expose a substrate by projecting a patterned beam onto the substrate through exposure liquid filled in a space between an optical element of the exposure apparatus and the substrate, the member being different from the substrate and being movable to a position at which a surface of the member faces the optical element; and

cleaning the surface of the member in the exposure apparatus.

59. The cleaning method according to claim 58, wherein the cleaning is performed in a state in which the substrate is not opposite to the optical element.

60. The cleaning method according to claim 58, wherein in the exposure apparatus, the exposure of the substrate is performed in a first period and the cleaning of the surface of the member is performed in a second period which is different from the first period.

61. The cleaning method according to claim 58, wherein the cleaning includes supplying a cleaning fluid in order to clean the surface of the member.

62. The cleaning method according to claim 61, wherein the cleaning fluid includes a cleaning gas.

63. The cleaning method according to claim 61, wherein the exposure liquid is supplied from a first supply inlet of the exposure apparatus and the cleaning fluid is supplied from a second supply inlet of the exposure apparatus that is different from the first supply inlet.

64. The cleaning method according to claim 61, wherein the surface of the member comes into contact with exposure liquid.

65. The cleaning method according to claim 64, wherein in the exposure apparatus, the member is used in a state in which exposure liquid is retained between the optical element and the surface of the member.

66. The cleaning method according to claim 64, wherein the member includes a measuring member.

67. The cleaning method according to claim 64, wherein the member includes a reference member.

68. The cleaning method according to claim 64, wherein the substrate is held by a substrate holder, the surface of the member being around the substrate held by the substrate holder.

70. The cleaning method according to claim 61, wherein the cleaning is performed while moving the member relative to a supply inlet from which the cleaning fluid is supplied.

71. The cleaning method according to claim 58, wherein suction is performed to collect the exposure liquid from the substrate using a first suction outlet of the exposure apparatus and suction is performed to clean the surface of the member using a second suction outlet of the exposure apparatus that is different from the first suction outlet.

72. The cleaning method according to claim 71, wherein the surface of the member comes into contact with exposure liquid.

73. The cleaning method according to claim 72, wherein in the exposure apparatus, the member is used in a state in which exposure liquid is retained between the optical element and the surface of the member.

74. The cleaning method according to claim 72, wherein the member includes a measuring member.

75. The cleaning method according to claim 72, wherein the member includes a reference member.

76. The cleaning method according to claim 72, wherein the substrate is held by a substrate holder, the surface of the member being around the substrate held by the substrate holder.

77. The cleaning method according to claim 76, wherein the exposure liquid covers only a portion of a surface of the substrate during the projection in the exposure apparatus.

78. The cleaning method according to claim 71, wherein the cleaning is performed while moving the member relative to the second suction outlet.

79. The cleaning method according to claim 58, wherein the cleaning is performed while moving the member.

80. The cleaning method according to claim 58, wherein the surface of the member comes into contact with exposure liquid.

81. The cleaning method according to claim 80, wherein in the exposure apparatus, the member is used in a state in which exposure liquid is retained between the optical element and the surface of the member.

82. The cleaning method according to claim 58, wherein the cleaning includes removing exposure liquid remaining on the surface of the member.

83. An exposure method comprising:

performing a measurement using a member of an exposure apparatus, which has been cleaned using the cleaning method of claim 58; and

exposing a substrate using a result of the measurement.

69. The cleaning method according to clam 68, wherein the exposure liquid covers only a portion of a surface of the substrate during the projection in the exposure apparatus.