Exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

• US 8,436,979 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2010
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Ebihara, Akimitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/923,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20110025997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 355/30, 355/53, 355/67, 355/72, 250/548
• US Class Current: 355/53
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70225 Optical aspects of catadioptric systems, i.e. comprising reflective and refractive elements
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70325 Resolution enhancement techniques not otherwise provided for, e.g. darkfield imaging, interfering beams, spatial frequency multiplication, nearfield lenses or solid immersion lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70333 Focus drilling, i.e. increase in depth of focus for exposure by modulating focus during exposure [FLEX]
• 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 7/70716 Stages
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70725 control
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70733 Handling masks and workpieces, e.g. exchange of workpiece or mask, transport of workpiece or mask
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70758 Drive means, e.g. actuators, motors for long- or short-stroke modules or fine or coarse driving
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70816 Bearings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An immersion liquid is supplied to a space between a projection system and a substrate, and a patterned beam of radiation is projected through the liquid onto a target portion of the substrate using the projection system. Substrates can be held on first and second tables. The first and second tables are moved together so as to transit from a first state to a second state, the first state in which the liquid immersion is maintained between the projection system and one of the first and second tables, the second state in which the liquid immersion is maintained between the projection system and the other one of the first and second tables. During the transition, the liquid immersion is maintained just below the projection system.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with an energy beam via a projection optical system and via liquid, the apparatus comprising:

a first table that is capable of moving while a substrate is mounted thereon;

a second table that is capable of moving independently from the first table while a substrate is mounted thereon;

a drive system that has a motor and moves the first and second tables relative to the projection optical system; and

a liquid immersion system that has a liquid immersion member and supplies the liquid via the liquid immersion member to locally form a liquid immersion area below the projection optical system, the liquid immersion member surrounding an optical member of the projection optical system, the optical member being in contact with the liquid,

wherein, during exposure of the substrate mounted on one of the first and second tables, the drive system moves the one of the first and second tables so that the mounted substrate is moved relative to the liquid immersion area, and

wherein the drive system moves the first and second tables relative to the liquid immersion member so as to transition from a first state to a second state, the first state in which the liquid immersion area is maintained between the projection optical system and the one of the first and second tables, the second state in which the liquid immersion area is maintained between the projection optical system and the other one of the first and second tables, and wherein, during the transition, the first and second tables are close to each other and the liquid immersion area is maintained below the projection optical system.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, during the transition, the liquid immersion area is maintained below the projection optical system with at least one of the first and second tables.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein, in an intermediate state between the first and second states, the liquid immersion area is maintained below the projection optical system with both the first and second tables.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a relative movement between the first and second tables is performed in which the drive system moves one of the first and second tables to approach toward the other one, which is located opposed to the projection optical system, so that the transition is performed in succession to the exposure.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein each of the first and second tables has a mount area of a substrate and a peripheral area around the mount area, the peripheral area having a surface that is substantially flush with a surface of the substrate mounted on the mount area.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein each of the first and second tables has a reference mark member that has a surface that is substantially flush with the surface of the peripheral area.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein, in the first state and in the second state, the liquid immersion area is maintained between the projection optical system and a surface of the peripheral area.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, during the transition, a substrate that has been exposed is mounted on one of the first and second tables, and a substrate that is to be exposed next is mounted on the other of the first and second tables.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein, in a sequence for the exposure of a plurality of substrates, an exposure operation of a first substrate mounted on the first table and an exposure operation of a second substrate mounted on the second table are alternately performed, and the transition is performed between the exposure operations.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein, in a sequence for the exposure of a plurality of substrates, the drive system moves each of the first and second tables from one to the other of first and second areas, the first area in which the projection optical system is located, the second area being different from the first area.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein, for each of the first and second tables, the exposure of the substrate is performed in the first area, then the transition-operation is performed, and then the substrate after exposure is exchanged in the second area.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein a course where each of the first and second tables passes when moving from the first area to the second area is different from a course where each of the first and second tables passes when moving from the second area to the first area.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 10,

further comprising a mark detecting system that is placed in the second area and detects a mark on a substrate,

wherein, during the transition, the substrate after exposure is mounted on one of the first and second tables, and the substrate after detection by the mark detecting system is mounted on the other of the first and second tables.

14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the drive system moves one of the first and second tables in the first area and moves the other of the first and second tables in the second area so that an exposure operation and a detection operation are performed in parallel with each other, the exposure operation being for a first substrate that is to be mounted on one of the first and second tables that is positioned in the first area, and the detection operation being for a mark on a second substrate that is to be mounted on the other of the first and second tables that is positioned in the second area.

15. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4,

further comprising:

a mark detecting system that detects a mark on a substrate,

wherein an exposure operation for a first substrate mounted on one of the first and second tables and a detection operation of a mark on a second substrate mounted on the other of the first and second tables are performed in parallel with each other,

and wherein, during the transition, the first substrate after exposure is mounted on the one of the first and second tables, and the second substrate after detection by the mark detecting system is mounted on the other of the first and second tables.

16. The exposure apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the first substrate mounted on the one of the first and second tables, which is located opposed to the projection optical system, is exposed via the liquid, and a mark on the second substrate mounted on the other of the first and second tables is detected by the mark detecting system via no liquid.

17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein, after the transition, an exchange operation at an exchange position and an exposure operation are performed in parallel with each other, the exchange operation being performed after one of the first and second tables is moved to the exchange position, the exposure operation being for a substrate mounted on the other of the first and second tables.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4,

further comprising a measuring system that detects a mark of a mask and a reference mark, the mask having a pattern that is to be formed on a substrate, the reference mark being of the first table or the second table, which is located opposed to the projection optical system,

wherein, prior to exposure of the substrate mounted on the other of the first and second tables, the measuring system detects the mark of the mask and the reference mark of the other of the first and second tables.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4,

further comprising a measurement apparatus that obtains positional information of the first and second tables,

wherein the measurement apparatus has an encoder that obtains positional information of one of the first and second tables, which is located opposed to the projection optical system, while a substrate mounted on the table is exposed,

and wherein the drive system moves the one of the first and second tables while the positional information thereof is obtained by the encoder.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 19,

wherein the encoder obtains the positional information by use of a scale that is provided on a back surface of the one of the first and second tables.

21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4,

further comprising a third table that is capable of moving independently from the first and second tables,

wherein an operation different from the exposure operation for the substrate is performed with the third table.

22. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the liquid immersion member has a supply path and a recovery path for the liquid therein,

and wherein a substrate is located adjacent to a lower surface of the liquid immersion member during the exposure.

23. A device manufacturing method including a lithography process, wherein

in the lithography process, a device pattern is transferred onto a substrate using the exposure apparatus according to claim 1.

24. An exposure method of exposing a substrate with an energy beam via a projection optical system and via liquid, the method comprising:

locating one table, of first and second tables, so as to be opposed to the projection optical system, the first and second tables being capable of moving independently from each other while a substrate is mounted thereon;

exposing a substrate mounted on the one table via the projection optical system and via the liquid of a liquid immersion area that is locally formed below the projection optical system, the liquid immersion area being formed by supplying the liquid via a liquid immersion member that is provided surrounding an optical member of the projection optical system, the optical member beimz in contact with the liquid; and

moving the first and second tables relative to the liquid immersion member so as to transition from a first state to a second state, the first state in which the liquid immersion area is maintained between the projection optical system and one of the first and second tables, the second state in which the liquid immersion area is maintained between the projection optical system and the other one of the first and second tables,

wherein, during exposure of the substrate mounted on the one of the first and second tables, the mounted substrate is moved relative to the liquid immersion area by the one of the first and second tables, and wherein, during the transition, the first and second tables are close to each other and the liquid immersion area is maintained below the projection optical system.

25. The exposure method according to claim 24,

wherein, during the transition, the liquid immersion area is maintained below the projection optical system with at least one of the first and second tables.

26. The exposure method according to claim 25,

wherein, in an intermediate state between the first and second states, the liquid immersion area is maintained below the projection optical system with both the first and second tables.

27. The exposure method according to claim 24,

wherein a relative movement between the first and second tables is performed in which one of the first and second tables approaches toward the other one, which is located opposed to the projection optical system, the transition is performed in succession to the exposure.

28. The exposure method according to claim 27,

wherein each of the first and second tables has a mount area of a substrate, and a peripheral area around the mount area, the peripheral area having a surface that is substantially flush with a surface of the substrate mounted on the mount area.

29. The exposure method according to claim 28,

wherein each of the first and second tables has a reference mark member that has a surface that is substantially flush with the surface of the peripheral area,

and wherein a measurement operation using the reference mark member is performed after start of the transition and prior to start of the exposure for the substrate.

30. The exposure method according to claim 28,

wherein, in the first state and in the second state, the liquid immersion area is maintained between the projection optical system and a surface of the peripheral area.

31. The exposure method according to claim 27,

wherein, during the transition, a first substrate that has been exposed is mounted on one of the first and second tables, and a second substrate that is to be exposed next is mounted on the other of the first and second tables.

32. The exposure method according to claim 27,

wherein, in a sequence for the exposure processing of a plurality of substrates, an exposure operation of a first substrate mounted on the first table and an exposure operation of a second substrate mounted on the second table are alternately performed, and the transition is performed between the exposure operations.

33. The exposure method according to claim 27,

wherein, in a sequence for exposure processing of a plurality of substrates, each of the first and second tables is moved from one to the other of first and second areas, the first area in which the projection optical system is located, the second area being different from the first area.

34. The exposure method according to claim 33,

wherein, for each of the first and second tables, the exposure of the substrate is performed in the first area, then the transition is performed, and then the substrate after exposure is exchanged in the second area.

35. The exposure method according to claim 34,

wherein a course where each of the first and second tables passes when moving from the first area to the second area is different from a course where each of the first and second tables passes when moving from the second area to the first area.

36. The exposure method according to claim 33,

wherein a mark detecting system that is located in the second area detects a mark on a substrate mounted on the other of the first and second tables,

and wherein, during the transition, the substrate after exposure is mounted on one of the first and second tables, and the substrate after the detection is mounted on the other of the first and second tables.

37. The exposure method according to claim 36,

wherein one of the first and second tables is moved in the first area and the other of the first and second tables is moved in the second area so that an exposure operation and a detection operation are performed in parallel with each other, the exposure operation being for a first substrate that is to be mounted on one of the first and second tables that is positioned in the first area, and the detection operation being for a mark on a second substrate that is to be mounted on the other of the first and second tables that is positioned in the second area.

38. The exposure method according to claim 27,

wherein an exposure operation for a first substrate mounted on one of the first and second tables and a detection operation by a mark detecting system of a mark on a second substrate mounted on the other of the first and second tables are performed in parallel with each other,

and wherein, during the transition, the first substrate after exposure is mounted on the one of the first and second tables, and the second substrate after detection by the mark detecting system is mounted on the other of the first and second tables.

39. The exposure method according to claim 38,

wherein a first substrate mounted on one of the first and second tables, which is located opposed to the projection optical system, is exposed via the liquid, and a mark on a second substrate mounted on the other of the first and second tables is detected by the mark detecting system via no liquid.

40. The exposure method according to claim 27,

wherein, after the transition, an exchange operation at an exchange position and an exposure operation are performed in parallel with each other, the exchange operation being performed after one of the first and second tables is moved to the exchange position, the exposure operation being for a substrate mounted on the other of the first and second tables.

41. The exposure method according to claim 27,

wherein, prior to start of the exposure for the substrate mounted on the other table of the first and the second tables, a measurement system detects a mark of a mask and a reference mark on the other table, the mask having a pattern that is to be formed on the substrate.

42. The exposure method according to claim 27,

wherein, while a substrate mounted on one of the first and second tables, which is located opposed to the projection optical system, is exposed and the table is moving, positional information of the table is obtained by an encoder.

43. The exposure method according to claim 42,

wherein the positional information of the one of the first and second tables is obtained by means of the encoder and a scale that is provided on a back surface of the table.

44. The exposure method according to claim 27,

further comprising performing an operation by using a third table, the operation being different from the exposure operation for the substrate, the third table being capable of moving independently from the first and second tables.

45. The exposure method according to claim 27,

wherein a substrate is located adjacent to a lower surface of the liquid immersion member, the liquid immersion member having a supply path and a recovery path for the liquid therein.

46. A device manufacturing method including a lithography process, wherein

in the lithography process, a device pattern is transferred onto a substrate using the exposure method according to claim 24.

47. A method of fabricating an exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with an energy beam via a projection optical system and via liquid, the method comprising:

providing first and second tables that are capable of moving independently from each other while a substrate is mounted thereon;

providing a drive system that has a motor and moves the first and second tables; and

providing a liquid immersion system that has a liquid immersion member and supplies the liquid via the liquid immersion member to locally form a liquid immersion area below the projection optical system, the liquid immersion member surrounding an optical member of the projection optical system, the optical member being in contact with the liquid,

wherein, during the exposure of the substrate mounted on one of the first and second tables, the drive system moves the one of the first and second tables so that the mounted substrate is moved relative to the liquid immersion area,

wherein the drive system moves the first and second tables relative to the liquid immersion member so as to transition from a first state to a second state, the first state in which the liquid immersion area is maintained between the projection optical system and the one of the first and second tables, the second state in which the liquid immersion area is maintained between the projection optical system and the other one of the first and second tables, and wherein, during the transition, the first and second tables are close to each other and the liquid immersion area is maintained below the projection optical system.

48. The method according to claim 47, further comprising:

providing a controller that controls movements of the first and second tables with the drive system,

wherein the controller performs a relative movement between the first and second tables with the drive system so that one of the first and second tables approaches toward the other one, which is located opposed to the projection optical system, in order to perform the transition operation in succession to the exposure operation, and performs a movement of the close first and second tables relative to the liquid immersion member with the drive system.