Apparatus and method for maintaining immersion fluid in the gap under the projection lens during wafer exchange in an immersion lithography machine
First Claim
1. An immersion exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate with a light beam, the apparatus comprising:
- an optical member through which the light beam is irradiated onto the substrate;
a substrate table which holds the substrate and is movable relative to the optical member; and
a pad member which is movable relative to the substrate table and is positionable opposite to the optical member in place of the substrate table to substantially maintain an immersion liquid in a space under the optical member when the substrate table is moved away from under the optical member,wherein the substrate table and the pad member are relatively tilted and/or moved in a vertical direction before the substrate table is moved away from under the optical member.
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Abstract
An immersion exposure apparatus exposes a substrate with a light beam. The apparatus includes an optical member through which the light beam is irradiated onto the substrate, a substrate table which holds the substrate and is movable relative to the optical member, and a pad member which is movable relative to the substrate table and is positionable opposite to the optical member in place of the substrate table to substantially maintain an immersion liquid in a space under the optical member when the substrate table is moved away from under the optical member. The substrate table and the pad member are relatively tilted and/or moved in a vertical direction before the substrate table is moved away from under the optical member.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. An immersion exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate with a light beam, the apparatus comprising:
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an optical member through which the light beam is irradiated onto the substrate; a substrate table which holds the substrate and is movable relative to the optical member; and a pad member which is movable relative to the substrate table and is positionable opposite to the optical member in place of the substrate table to substantially maintain an immersion liquid in a space under the optical member when the substrate table is moved away from under the optical member, wherein the substrate table and the pad member are relatively tilted and/or moved in a vertical direction before the substrate table is moved away from under the optical member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An immersion exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate with a light beam, the apparatus comprising:
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an optical member through which the light beam is irradiated onto the substrate; a substrate table which holds the substrate and is movable relative to the optical member; and a pad member which is movable relative to the substrate table, wherein the substrate table and the pad member are relatively tilted and/or moved in a vertical direction prior to a replacement of the substrate table with the pad member, the substrate table and the pad member transiting from a first state to a second state in the replacement, the first state in which an immersion liquid is maintained in a space between the optical member and the substrate table, the second state in which the immersion liquid is maintained in a space between the optical member and the pad member, the immersion liquid being substantially maintained at a space that is positioned directly below the optical member during the replacement. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An immersion exposure method of exposing a substrate with a light beam, the method comprising:
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placing the substrate on a substrate table; irradiating the light beam onto the substrate placed on the substrate table through an optical member and an immersion liquid; and positioning a pad member, which is movable relative to the substrate table, opposite to the optical member in place of the substrate table to substantially maintain the immersion liquid in a space under the optical member when the substrate table is moved away from under the optical member, wherein the substrate table and the pad member are relatively tilted and/or moved in a vertical direction before the substrate table is moved away from under the optical member. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An immersion exposure method of exposing a substrate with a light beam, the method comprising:
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placing the substrate on a substrate table; irradiating the light beam onto the substrate placed on the substrate table through an optical member and an immersion liquid; and replacing the substrate table with a pad member, the replacement including a transition from a first state to a second state, the first state in which the immersion liquid is maintained in a space between the optical member and the substrate table, the second state in which the immersion liquid is maintained in a space between the optical member and the pad member, the immersion liquid being substantially maintained at a space that is positioned directly below the optical member during the replacement, wherein the substrate table and the pad member are relatively tilted and/or moved in a vertical direction prior to the replacement. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification