Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and device manufacturing method

• US 8,493,547 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2010
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Shibazaki, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/859,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20110053061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 355/52, 355/53, 355/55, 355/77, 355/72, 356399-401
• US Class Current: 355/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70058 Mask illumination systems
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70108 Off-axis setting using a light-guiding element, e.g. diffractive optical elements [DOEs] or light guides
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70191 Optical correction elements, filters or phase plates for controlling intensity, wavelength, polarisation, phase or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70516 Calibration of components of the microlithographic apparatus, e.g. light sources, addressable masks or detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70725 control
• 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 7/70775 Position control, e.g. interferometers or encoders for determining the stage position
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70975 Assembly, maintenance, transport or storage of apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/70 for microlithography measuring printed patterns for monitoring overlay G03F7/70633 or focus G03F7/70641; projection system adjustment G03F7/70258; position control G03F7/70775
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7046 Strategy, e.g. mark, sensor or wavelength selection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part

Abstract

An exposure apparatus is equipped with an encoder system which measures positional information of a wafer stage by irradiating a measurement beam using four heads installed on the wafer stage on a scale plate which covers the movement range of the wafer stage except for the area right under a projection optical system. Placement distances of the heads here are each set to be larger than width of the opening of the scale plates, respectively. This allows the positional information of the wafer stage to be measured, by switching and using the three heads facing the scale plate out of the four heads according to the position of the wafer stage.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus which sequentially exposes an energy beam on a plurality of divided areas placed in a shape of a matrix on an object, and forms a pattern on each of the plurality of divided areas, the apparatus comprising:

a movable body which holds the object and moves along a predetermined plane;

a position measurement system which has a plurality of heads provided on the movable body, the position measurement system obtaining positional information of the movable body based on measurement results of a predetermined number of heads, each of the predetermined number of heads irradiating a measurement beam on a measurement plane, receiving a return beam from the measurement plane, and measuring a position of the movable body in each measurement direction, the measurement plane having a substantially rectangular opening and being placed facing the movable body roughly in parallel to the predetermined plane; and

a control system which drives the movable body based on the positional information obtained by the position measurement system, and also switches at least one of the predetermined number of heads used to compute the positional information of the movable body to a different head, according to a position of the movable body, wherein

of the plurality of heads, a separation distance of two heads set apart in a first direction within the predetermined plane is larger than a width of the opening in the first direction.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the separation distance of the two heads set apart in the first direction is larger than a sum of the width of the opening in the first direction and a width of each of the plurality of divided areas in the first direction.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

of the plurality of heads, a separation distance of two heads set apart in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction within the predetermined plane is larger than a width of the opening in the second direction.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3 wherein

the separation distance of the two heads set apart in the second direction is larger than a sum of the width of the opening in the second direction and a width of each of the plurality of divided areas in the second direction.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the measurement plane is configured of a plurality of sections where the plurality of heads respectively face.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

on the measurement plane, a two-dimensional grating whose periodic directions are in two axial directions that are perpendicular to each other within the predetermined plane is formed.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6 wherein

at least one of the two axial directions serves as a measurement direction for each of the plurality of heads.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

at least a direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane serves as a measurement direction for each of the plurality of heads.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the control system performs a drive at a constant speed of the movable body in the first direction to form the pattern in a divided area subject to formation of the plurality of divided areas based on the positional information obtained by the position measurement system, and after the drive at a constant speed, steps and drives the movable body toward a starting point of a constant speed drive to form the pattern with respect to a next divided area subject to formation of the plurality of divided areas.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 9 wherein

the control system switches a head used to compute the positional information of the movable body, after performing the drive at a constant speed.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 10 wherein

the control system makes an offset to reset a measurement result of a head to be used after the switching using measurement results of the plurality of heads during the drive at a constant speed, and resets the measurement result of the head using the offset.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the control system steps and drives the movable body toward a starting point of a constant speed drive to form the pattern in a divided area subject to formation of the plurality of divided areas, based on the positional information obtained by the position measurement system, and after the step and drive, performs a drive at a constant speed of the movable body in the first direction from the starting point to form the pattern in the divided area subject to formation.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 12 wherein

the control system switches a head used to compute the positional information of the movable body, before performing the drive at a constant speed.

14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13 wherein

the control system makes an offset to reset a measurement result of a head to be used after the switching using the measurement results of the plurality of heads prior to the switching of the heads, and resets the measurement result of the head using the offset.

15. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14 wherein

the control system corrects measurement errors of the plurality of heads that occur due to acceleration of the movable body.

16. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14 wherein

the control system sets a redundant section in a path of the step and drive, and makes the offset while the movable body moves at a constant speed in the redundant section.

17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14 wherein

the separation distance of the two heads set apart in the first direction is larger than a sum of the width of the opening in the first direction and two times the distance in the first direction of the step and drive.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 12, the apparatus further comprising:

a mask stage which holds a mask that is an original plate on which the pattern is formed, wherein

the control system drives the mask stage in the first direction synchronously, when performing the drive at a constant speed of the movable body in the first direction.

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

a mark detection system which detects a mark formed on the object; and

a separate position measurement system which obtains a positional information of the movable body based on measurement results of a predetermined number of heads that irradiate a measurement beam on a separate measurement plane, which is placed facing the movable body roughly in parallel to the predetermined plane and corresponding to the mark detection system and has an opening partially, and receive a return beam from the separate measurement plane, the predetermined number of heads being of the plurality of heads.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 19 wherein

the separate measurement plane is configured of a plurality of sections where the plurality of heads respectively face.

21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, the apparatus further comprising:

an optical system which emits the energy beam to the object.

22. A making method of an exposure apparatus which sequentially exposes an energy beam on a plurality of divided areas placed in a shape of a matrix on an object, and forms a pattern on each of the plurality of divided areas, the method comprising:

providing a movable body which holds the object and moves along a predetermined plane;

providing a position measurement system which has a plurality of heads provided on the movable body, the position measurement system obtaining positional information of the movable body based on measurement results of a predetermined number of heads, each of the predetermined number of heads irradiating a measurement beam on a measurement plane, receiving a return beam from the measurement plane, and measuring a position of the movable body in each measurement direction, the measurement plane having a substantially rectangular opening and being placed facing the movable body roughly in parallel to the predetermined plane; and

providing a control system which drives the movable body based on the positional information obtained by the position measurement system, and also switches at least one of the predetermined number of heads used to compute the positional information of the movable body to a different head, according to a position of the movable body, wherein

of the plurality of heads, a separation distance of two heads set apart in a first direction within the predetermined plane is larger than a width of the opening in the first direction.