Cleanup method for optics in immersion lithography

• US 20070132975A1
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Watson, Douglas, Kawai, Hidemi, Novak, W., Hazelton, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,085,381 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/53
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/04 Cleaning involving contact with liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/12 by sonic or ultrasonic vibrations washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware using sonic or ultrasonic waves A47L15/13; of natural teeth, of prostheses using ultrasonic techniques similar to those used for natural teeth A61C17/20; application of ultrasonic vibrations to chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general B01J19/10
• 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 7/70891 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70916 Pollution mitigation, i.e. mitigating effect of contamination or debris, e.g. foil traps
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70925 Cleaning, i.e. actively freeing apparatus from pollutants, e.g. using plasma cleaning

Abstract

A megasonic immersion lithography exposure apparatus includes an optical transfer chamber for containing an exposure liquid, at least one megasonic plate operably engaging said optical transfer chamber for propagating sonic waves through the exposure liquid, and an optical system provided adjacent to said optical transfer chamber for projecting light through a mask and said exposure liquid and onto a wafer.

Claims

1. An immersion lithography exposure apparatus comprising:

an optical system that projects light through a mask and an exposure liquid onto a substrate; and

at least one sonic device that propagates sonic waves through the exposure liquid.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an inlet conduit provided in fluid communication with a space for distributing the exposure liquid into the space.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical system comprises a laser for emitting a laser beam through the mask and a lens for receiving an image from the mask and transmitting the image through the exposure liquid onto the substrate.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an inlet conduit provided in fluid communication with a space for distributing the exposure liquid into the space.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an outlet conduit provided in fluid communication with the space for distributing the exposure liquid from the space.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the optical system comprises a laser for emitting a laser beam through the mask and a lens for receiving an image from the mask and transmitting the image through the exposure liquid onto the substrate.

32. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a wafer.

33. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image includes a circuit pattern image.

34. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sonic device includes an ultrasonic transducer.

5-6. -6. (canceled)

9-31. -31. (canceled)