Exposure apparatus, immersion system, exposing method, and device fabricating method

• US 8,300,207 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2008
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Nishii, Yasufumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Toan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Asfaw, Mesfin T
• Application Number:
  US12/149,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20080284991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 355/30, 355/53
• US Class Current: 355/30
• 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 apparatus exposes a substrate with exposure light through a liquid. The exposure apparatus comprises: a liquid immersion member, which has a liquid contact surface that includes a liquid recovery area; and a porous member, which are disposed at a first side of the liquid contact surface; wherein, the liquid on an object, which is disposed at the first side of the liquid contact surface, is recovered from the liquid recovery area.

Claims

1. A liquid immersion exposure apparatus comprising:

a projection system having an optical element, a substrate positioned below the projection system being exposed with exposure light;

a liquid immersion member which has a liquid contact surface that opposes a front surface of an object and that includes a liquid recovery area, a liquid in a gap between the liquid contact surface of the liquid immersion member and the front surface of the object being recovered through the liquid recovery area; and

a porous member, which is disposed below the liquid contact surface, the object being moved below the projection system, the liquid immersion member, and the porous member;

wherein

the porous member and the liquid contact surface are configured to provide a space between the porous member and the liquid contact surface of the liquid immersion member, and

the porous member and the liquid contact surface are configured to provide an opening located below the liquid contact surface of the liquid immersion member and above the porous member, through which the liquid is allowed to flow into the space.

2. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid contact surface has:

a first surface, which is disposed around an optical path of the exposure light; and

a second surface, which is disposed at an outer side of the first surface with respect to the optical path of the exposure light.

3. An exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second surface is disposed around the first surface.

4. An exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the liquid contact surface includes a liquid non-recovery area;

and

the porous member is disposed at the first side of the liquid non-recovery area.

5. An exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the substrate is exposed while moving with respect to the optical path in a direction that intersects the optical path;

and

the liquid non-recovery area is disposed at opposite sides of the optical path in the direction.

6. An exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the liquid non-recovery area is disposed at a position at which the liquid non-recovery area is further from the front surface of the object than the first surface is.

7. An exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the liquid non-recovery area is inclined so that the liquid non-recovery area becomes gradually spaced apart from the front surface of the object along a direction that leads away from the optical path.

8. An exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second surface is disposed at a position at which the second surface is further from the front surface of the object than the first surface is.

9. An exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first surface is substantially parallel to the front surface of the object.

10. An exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least part of the porous member is disposed at a position at which the porous member is closer to the front surface of the object than the first surface is.

11. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid immersion member further comprises a liquid supply port for supplying the liquid.

12. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid can flow into the space without going through the porous member.

13. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the porous member opposes at least part of the liquid contact surface.

14. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the porous member comprises a fin shaped member.

15. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is exposed while moving with respect to an optical path in a direction that intersects the optical path;

and

the porous member is disposed at opposite sides of at least the optical path in the direction.

16. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the porous member comprises a plate shaped member.

17. An exposure apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the plate shaped member is elastically deformable.

18. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cushioning mechanism that absorbs a force that is applied to the porous member.

19. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a gas supply port that supplies a gas to the porous member.

20. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the porous member comprises a mesh.

21. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the porous member is lyophilic with respect to the liquid.

22. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object comprises the substrate.

23. A device fabricating method, comprising:

exposing a substrate using an exposure apparatus according to claim 1; and

developing the exposed substrate.

24. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with exposure light through a liquid, comprising:

a liquid supply port that supplies the liquid;

a liquid immersion member which has a liquid contact surface; and

a porous member, which opposes the liquid contact surface of the liquid immersion member and which is disposed between the liquid contact surface and an object being moved below the liquid immersion member;

wherein

the porous member and the liquid contact surface are configured to provide a space between the liquid contact surface of the liquid immersion member and the porous member, into which at least part of the liquid that is supplied from the liquid supply port can flow without going through the porous member.

25. An exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the liquid supply port is provided to the liquid immersion member.

26. An exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein

the substrate is exposed while moving with respect to an optical path in a prescribed direction that intersects the optical path;

and

the porous member is disposed at opposite sides of at least the optical path in the prescribed direction.

27. An exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the porous member comprises a plate shaped member.

28. An exposure apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the plate shaped member is elastically deformable.

29. An exposure apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising:

a cushioning mechanism that absorbs a force that is applied to the porous member.

30. An exposure apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising:

a gas supply port that supplies a gas to the porous member.

31. An exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the porous member comprises a mesh.

32. An exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein at least a part of the porous member is lyophilic with respect to the liquid.

33. A device fabricating method, comprising:

exposing a substrate using an exposure apparatus according to claim 24; and

developing the exposed substrate.

34. An immersion system that is used by an immersion exposure apparatus, which exposes a substrate with exposure light from an optical member, to fill an optical path of the exposure light between the optical member and the substrate with a liquid, comprising:

a liquid immersion member which has a liquid contact surface that opposes a front surface of an object and that includes a liquid recovery area, a liquid in a gap between the liquid contact surface of the liquid immersion member and the front surface of the object being recovered through the liquid recovery area; and

a porous member, which is disposed below the liquid contact surface, the object being moved below the liquid immersion member and the porous member;

wherein

the porous member and the liquid contact surface are configured to provide a space between the porous member and the liquid contact surface of the liquid immersion member, and

the porous member and the liquid contact surface are configured to provide an opening located below the liquid contact surface of the liquid immersion member and above the porous member, through which the liquid is allowed to flow into the space.

35. An immersion system according to claim 34, wherein the porous member opposes at least part of the liquid contact surface.

36. An immersion system that is used by an immersion exposure apparatus, which exposes a substrate with exposure light through an optical member, to fill an optical path of the exposure light between the optical member and the substrate with a liquid, comprising:

a liquid supply port that supplies the liquid;

a liquid immersion member which has a liquid contact surface; and

a porous member, which opposes the liquid contact surface of the liquid immersion member and which is disposed between the liquid contact surface and an object being moved below the liquid immersion member;

wherein

the porous member and the liquid contact surface are configured to provide a space between the liquid contact surface of the liquid immersion member and the porous member, into which at least part of the liquid that is supplied from the liquid supply port can flow without going through the porous member.

37. An immersion system that is used by an immersion exposure apparatus, which exposes a substrate with exposure light through an optical member, to fill an optical path of the exposure light between the optical member and the substrate with a liquid, comprising:

a liquid immersion member which has a liquid contact surface that opposes a front surface of an object and that includes a liquid recovery area; and

a film forming member, which is disposed between the liquid contact surface and the object, that forms a thin film of the liquid so that the film forming member opposes the object, wherein,

the liquid on the object, which is disposed adjacent to the liquid contact surface, is recovered from the liquid recovery area.

38. An exposing method that exposes a substrate with exposure light through a liquid, the method comprising:

disposing the substrate adjacent to a liquid immersion member which has a liquid contact surface that opposes a top surface of the substrate, the liquid contact surface including a liquid recovery area and a liquid non-recovery area;

holding part of the liquid that is supplied from a liquid supply port between the liquid contact surface and the substrate using a porous member, which is positioned between the liquid contact surface and the substrate; and

recovering the liquid on the substrate from the liquid recovery area.

39. An exposing method according to claim 38, wherein at least part of a space between the liquid contact surface and the porous member is filled with the liquid that is supplied via the liquid supply port.

40. An exposing method according to claim 38, wherein the liquid from the liquid supply port is brought to the porous member prior to the exposure of the substrate.

41. An exposing method according to claim 40, the method further comprising:

making the surface of the porous member lyophilic by bringing the liquid to the porous member prior to the exposure of the substrate.

42. An exposing method according to claim 38, the method further comprising:

drying the porous member at least when no substrate is being exposed.

43. A device fabricating method, comprising:

exposing the substrate using an exposing method according to claim 38; and

developing the exposed substrate.