Exposure method, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

• US 8,236,467 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Shiraishi, Kenichi, Fujiwara, Tomoharu
• Primary Examiner(s): YOUNG, CHRISTOPHER G
• Application Number:
  US11/919,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20090305150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,293 Days
• Field of Search: 430/30, 430/302, 430/322, 355/30, 355/67, 355/72, 355/77
• US Class Current: 430/30
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/2041 in the presence of a fluid, e.g. immersion; using fluid cooling means
• 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

Abstract

An exposure method comprises: forming an immersion region on a substrate; exposing the substrate by irradiating the substrate with an exposure light via a liquid of the immersion region; and preventing an integration value of a contact time during which the liquid of the immersion region and a first region on the substrate are in contact, from exceeding a predetermined tolerance value.

Claims

1. An exposure method, comprising:

forming an immersion region on a substrate by supplying a liquid;

measuring a contact time during which the liquid and the substrate are in contact;

discarding the substrate when the contact time exceeds a tolerance value; and

generating a notification that the contact time is about to exceed the tolerance value before the contact time exceeds the tolerance value.

2. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the contact time is integrated during an assisting process for recovering an error.

3. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the contact time includes a stationary time during which at least a portion of the immersion region is substantially stationary on the substrate.

4. An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate via an immersion region, comprising:

an immersion mechanism which forms the immersion region by supplying a liquid;

a control apparatus which integrates a contact time during which the liquid and the substrate are in contact and discards the substrate when the contact time exceeds a tolerance value, wherein

the control apparatus generates a notification that the contact time is about to exceed the tolerance value before the contact time exceeds the tolerance value.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control apparatus integrates the contact time during an assisting process for recovering an error.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the contact time includes a stationary time during which at least a portion of the immersion region is substantially stationary on the substrate.

7. An exposure method, comprising:

forming an immersion region on a substrate; and

exposing the substrate via a liquid of the immersion region while moving the substrate in a first direction;

wherein,

a contact area of the immersion region with a surface of the substrate comprises a shape having opposing corners facing each other along the first direction and having the other opposing corners facing each other along a second direction which intersects with the first direction.

8. The exposure method according to claim 7, wherein the outer shape of the contact area of the immersion region with a surface of the substrate has a substantially rhomboid shape.

9. The exposure method according to claim 7, further comprising:

measuring an integration value of a contact time during which the liquid of the immersion region and a first region on the substrate are in contact; and

discarding the substrate when the integration value exceeds a predetermined tolerance value.

10. The exposure method according to claim 7, wherein the substrate is held at a recess portion on a movable member which is enabled to move while holding the substrate, and a surface of the substrate which is held by the recess portion and an upper surface of the movable member are substantially at an equal height.

11. The exposure method according to claim 7, further comprising:

moving the immersion region from the substrate onto a second movable member by making the second movable member that differs from a movable member and the movable member be in contact or be close to each other, in which the substrate is held by a recess portion on the movable member which is enabled to move while holding the substrate.

12. An exposure method, comprising:

forming an immersion region on a substrate; and

exposing the substrate via a liquid of the immersion region while moving the substrate in a first direction;

wherein,

a contact area of the immersion region with a surface of the substrate comprises a substantially polygonal shape having a line element between adjacent vertexes, the line element intersecting obliquely with the first direction.

13. The exposure method according to claim 12, wherein the substantially polygonal shape has a substantially rhomboid shape.

14. The exposure method according to claim 12, further comprising:

measuring an integration value of a contact time during which the liquid of the immersion region and a first region on the substrate are in contact; and

discarding the substrate when the integration value exceeds a predetermined tolerance value.

15. The exposure method according to claim 12, wherein the substrate is held at a recess portion on a movable member which is enabled to move while holding the substrate, and a surface of the substrate which is held by the recess portion and an upper surface of the movable member are substantially at an equal height.

16. The exposure method according to claim 12, further comprising:

moving the immersion region from the substrate onto a second movable member by making the second movable member that differs from a movable member and the movable member be in contact or be close to each other, in which the substrate is held by a recess portion on the movable member which is enabled to move while holding the substrate.

17. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate via a projection optical system and an immersion region, comprising:

a movable member that is enabled to move in a first direction while holding the substrate; and

an immersion mechanism that forms the immersion region between the substrate and the projection optical system by supplying a liquid to an image plane side of the projection optical system;

wherein,

a contact area of the immersion region with a surface of the substrate comprises a shape having opposing corners facing each other along the first direction and having the other opposing corners facing each other along a second direction which intersects with the first direction.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the outer shape of the contact area of the immersion region with the surface of the substrate has a substantially rhomboid shape.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the immersion region is locally formed on the substrate.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

a control apparatus that measures an integration value of a contact time during which the liquid of the immersion region and a first region on the substrate are in contact.

21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 20, wherein a plurality of shot regions set on the substrate are exposed successively, and the first region comprises at least a partial region of at least one of the plurality of shot regions.

22. The exposure apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the control apparatus controls operations of the immersion mechanism such that the integration value does not exceed the tolerance value.

23. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the substrate is held inside of a recess portion of the movable member, and a surface of the substrate which is held inside of the recess portion and an upper surface of the movable member are substantially at an equal height.

24. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

a second movable member that differs from the movable member;

wherein,

moving the immersion region from the substrate onto the second movable member by making the second movable member and the movable member be in contact or be close to each other, in which the substrate is held by a recess portion on the movable member which is enabled to move while holding the substrate.

33. A device manufacturing method that employs the exposure apparatus according to claim 17.

25. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate via a projection optical system and an immersion region, comprising:

a movable member that is enabled to move in a first direction while holding the substrate; and

an immersion mechanism that forms the immersion region between the substrate and the projection optical system by supplying a liquid to an image plane side of the projection optical system;

wherein,

a contact area of the immersion region with a surface of the substrate comprises a substantially polygonal shape having a line element between adjacent vertexes, the line element intersecting obliquely with the first direction.

26. The exposure apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the substantially polygonal shape has a substantially rhomboid shape.

27. The exposure apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the immersion region is locally formed on the substrate.

28. The exposure apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising:

a control apparatus that measures an integration value of a contact time during which the liquid of the immersion region and a first region on the substrate are in contact.

29. The exposure apparatus according to claim 28, wherein a plurality of shot regions set on the substrate are exposed successively, and the first region comprises at least a partial region of at least one of the plurality of shot regions.

30. The exposure apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the control apparatus controls operations of the immersion mechanism such that the integration value does not exceed a tolerance value.

31. The exposure apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the substrate is held inside of a recess portion of the movable member, and a surface of the substrate which is held inside of the recess portion and an upper surface of the movable member are substantially at an equal height.

32. The exposure apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising:

a second movable member that differs from the movable member;

wherein,

moving the immersion region from the substrate onto the second movable member by making the second movable member and the movable member be in contact or be close to each other, in which the substrate is held by a recess portion on the movable member which is enabled to move while holding the substrate.

34. A device manufacturing method that employs the exposure apparatus according to claim 25.