Lithographic apparatus with cleaning of substrate table

• US 8,525,971 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2007
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Shiraishi, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Toan
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIU, CHIA HOW MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/767,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20070242247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,265 Days
• Field of Search: 355/30, 355/53, 355/72, 355/73, 359/509
• US Class Current: 355/30
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/42 for automatic sequential copying of the same original G03B27/34, G03B27/53 take precedence
• 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 7/70875 Temperature, e.g. temperature control of masks or workpieces via control of stage temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70916 Pollution mitigation, i.e. mitigating effect of contamination or debris, e.g. foil traps

Abstract

There is provided an exposure apparatus capable of accurately performing an exposure process and a measurement process based on a liquid immersion method. The exposure apparatus (EX), which forms a liquid immersion area (AR2) of a liquid (LQ) on an image surface side of a projection optical system (PL), and exposes a substrate (P) via the projection optical system (PL) and the liquid (LQ) of the immersion area (AR2), is provided with a measuring device (60) which measures at least one of a property and composition of the liquid (LQ) for forming the liquid immersion area (AR2).

Claims

1. A cleaning method used in a lithographic apparatus in which a substrate held on a holding portion of a substrate table is exposed by projecting a patterned beam of radiation from a projection system onto the substrate through an immersion liquid that is supplied by a supply unit and that covers a portion of a surface of the substrate during the exposure, the method comprising:

moving the substrate table in a state in which the substrate is not held on the holding portion of the substrate table and in which an object, that is not subjected to an exposure for device-manufacturing, is held on the holding portion in place of the substrate; and

cleaning a measurement portion of the substrate table using a cleaning liquid, that is different from the immersion liquid, supplied by the supply unit onto the substrate table when the substrate table is in the state in which the substrate is not held on the holding portion and in which the object is held on the holding portion in place of the substrate, the measurement portion being used for a measurement and the measurement portion being different from the holding portion,

wherein the cleaning liquid removes foreign matter from the measurement portion.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising cleaning an upper surface of the substrate table using the cleaning liquid.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measurement portion includes a measurement member of the substrate table.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measurement portion includes a light-measuring portion of the substrate table.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning of the measurement portion of the substrate table includes moving the substrate table.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising performing a further cleaning process by supplying the immersion liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate table, after cleaning the measurement portion of the substrate table using the cleaning liquid.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising cleaning the substrate table using the immersion liquid, after cleaning the measurement portion of the substrate table using the cleaning liquid.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning of the substrate table with the immersion liquid includes moving the substrate table.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning liquid comprises a dissolved gas.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the gas includes oxygen, ozone, hydrogen, or carbon dioxide.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning liquid includes hydrogen peroxide solution, a liquid including ozone, hydrogen water, or carbon dioxide water.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning liquid has a bactericidal action.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

unloading the exposed substrate from the holding portion of the substrate table; and

holding the object on the holding portion of the substrate table when the measurement portion of the substrate table is cleaned using the cleaning liquid, the object being shaped like the substrate and the object having liquid-repellancy for the cleaning liquid.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the object includes a dummy substrate.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning of the substrate table is performed at intervals of predetermined time.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning liquid is supplied to a space between a final optical element of the projection system and the substrate table.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning liquid is supplied from a supply opening that supplies the immersion liquid.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

unloading the exposed substrate from the holding portion of the substrate table; and

holding the object on the holding portion of the substrate table when the measurement portion of the substrate table is cleaned using the cleaning liquid,

wherein the measurement portion of the substrate table is not covered by the object held on the holding portion during the cleaning.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the immersion liquid and the cleaning liquid are supplied at different times.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the supply unit has a supply opening from which the immersion liquid and the cleaning liquid are supplied.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning liquid removes organisms.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein the supply unit includes a nozzle member having an aperture through which the patterned beam is projected during the exposure.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the nozzle member has a supply opening from which the cleaning liquid is supplied and which faces downwardly.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the cleaning liquid and the immersion liquid are supplied from the supply opening at different times.

25. A method for making a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising:

providing a substrate table having a holding portion on which a substrate is held;

providing a supply unit;

providing a projection system having a final optical element, a patterned beam of radiation being projected onto the substrate through an immersion liquid, the immersion liquid being supplied by the supply unit between the final optical element of the projection system and the substrate and covering a portion of a surface of the substrate; and

providing a cleaning device, which cleans a measurement portion of the substrate table using a cleaning liquid supplied by the supply unit, that is different from the immersion liquid, onto the substrate table in a state in which the substrate is not held on the holding portion of the substrate table and in which an object, that is not subjected to an exposure for device-manufacturing, is held on the holding portion in place of the substrate, the measurement portion of the substrate table being used for a measurement and the measurement portion being different from the holding portion,

wherein the cleaning liquid removes foreign matter from the measurement portion.