Exposure apparatus and method, maintenance method for exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

• US 8,179,517 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Tomoharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Glick, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Asfaw, Mesfin T
• Application Number:
  US11/915,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20090323035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,146 Days
• Field of Search: 355/30, 355/53, 355/67
• US Class Current: 355/30
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70066 Size and form of the illuminated area in the mask plane, e.g. reticle masking blades or blinds
• 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 7/70925 Cleaning, i.e. actively freeing apparatus from pollutants, e.g. using plasma cleaning

Abstract

An exposure apparatus (EX) includes a setting apparatus (45) that sets an irradiation region (AR) of exposure light (EL) in a first state in which the irradiation light (EL) is irradiated onto a substrate (P) and irradiates, in a second state in which the exposure light (EL) is not irradiated onto the substrate (P), the exposure light (EL) onto a second region, which is different from a first region through which the exposure light (EL) passes in the first state, of a first surface of an optical member (FL) that is contacted with a liquid (LQ), to clean the second region by photochemical action.

Claims

1. A liquid immersion exposure apparatus, comprising:

an optical member;

a liquid immersion member which retains a liquid in a space between the optical member and an object which is movable relative to the optical member, the liquid immersion member having a first surface facing the optical member;

a light beam source which irradiates a light beam;

a light beam setting portion which controls the light beam such that the first surface of the liquid immersion member is irradiated with the light beam; and

a controller which performs removing a foreign matter attached to the first surface of the liquid immersion member by controlling the light beam setting portion to irradiate the first surface of the liquid immersion member with the light beam.

2. The liquid immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first surface of the liquid immersion member is irradiated with the light beam while the liquid immersion member retains the liquid exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the liquid immersion member also supplies a liquid to a second space between the first surface of the liquid immersion member and the optical member.

3. The liquid immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein a predetermined concentration of gas is dissolved in the liquid.

4. The liquid immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the gas includes oxygen.

5. The liquid immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the liquid immersion member includes a liquid supply member which supplies the liquid to the space.

6. The liquid immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the liquid immersion member further comprises a liquid recovery member which recovers the liquid supplied in the space.

7. The liquid immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the liquid immersion member includes a nozzle member which has a supplying port to supply the liquid to the space, and has a recovering port to recover a liquid from the space,

wherein the first surface includes a surface of the nozzle member facing to the optical member.

8. The liquid immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first surface of the liquid immersion member is irradiated with the light beam via a second region of the optical member, which is different from a first region through which the light beam passes when a substrate conveyed from the outside is exposed.

9. The liquid immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein an intensity of the light beam via the second region of the optical member is different from an intensity of the light beam via the first region of the optical member.

10. The liquid immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the object includes any one of a substrate, a dummy substrate and a substrate stage to hold the substrate or the dummy substrate.

11. The liquid immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the light beam passes through the second region of the optical member when the first surface of the liquid immersion member is irradiated.

12. The liquid immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first surface of the liquid immersion member is irradiated such that impurities attached to the first surface are decomposed and removed.

13. The liquid immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the light beam includes ultraviolet light.

14. The liquid immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the light beam setting portion changes an irradiation region of the light beam such that the first surface of the liquid immersion member is irradiated.

16. The liquid immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the liquid immersion member has a second surface that is different from the first surface and that faces the object,

wherein a part of the second surface is disposed between the optical member and the object.

17. The liquid immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first surface of the liquid immersion member surrounds the optical member.

15. The liquid immersion

wherein the liquid immersion member retains the liquid while the first surface of the liquid immersion member is irradiated with the light beam.

18. A method executed in a liquid immersion exposure apparatus which has an optical member and a liquid immersion member which has a first surface facing the optical member, comprising:

irradiating a substrate conveyed from the outside with a light beam via a liquid;

changing an irradiation region of the light beam such that the first surface of the liquid immersion member is irradiated; and

removing a foreign matter attached to the first surface of the liquid immersion member by irradiating the first surface of the liquid immersion member with the light beam.

19. The method according to claim 18,

in the space between the optical member and the object.

20. The method according to claim 19,

wherein a predetermined concentration of gas is dissolved in the liquid.

21. The method according to claim 20,

wherein the gas includes oxygen.

22. The method according to claim 18,

wherein the first surface of the liquid immersion member is irradiated with the light beam at a second region of the optical member, which is different from a first region through which the light beam passes when the substrate is exposed.

23. The method according to claim 22,

wherein the first surface of the liquid immersion member faces the second region of the optical member.

24. The method according to claim 22,

wherein an intensity of the light beam passing through the second region of the optical member is different from an intensity of the light beam passing through the first region of the optical member.

25. The method according to claim 18,

wherein the object includes any one of the substrate, a dummy substrate and a substrate stage which holds the substrate or the dummy substrate.

26. The method according to claim 18,

wherein the first surface of the liquid immersion member is irradiated such that impurities attached to the first surface are decomposed and removed.

27. The method according to claim 18,

wherein the light beam includes ultraviolet light.

28. The method according to claim 18,

wherein the liquid immersion member has a second surface that is different from the first surface and that faces the object.