Optical element, liquid immersion exposure apparatus, liquid immersion exposure method, and method for producing microdevice

• US 20080100909A1
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Tsuda, Takeshi
• Application Number:
  US11/898,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20080100909A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/355
• 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 7/70958 Optical materials or coatings, e.g. with particular transmittance, reflectance or anti-reflection properties

Abstract

An optical element used such that at least one surface thereof is in contact with a liquid in a liquid immersion exposure apparatus in which a substrate is exposed by exposure light illuminated on the substrate via the liquid with a refraction index in a range between 1.60 and 1.66 to the light with a wavelength of 193 nm, comprising:

• • a base material with a refraction index in a range between 2.10 and 2.30 to the light with a wavelength of 193 nm; and
  • a first antireflection film formed on the contact surface between the base material and the liquid,
  • wherein the first antireflection film includes a first antireflection layer with a refraction index in a range between 1.80 and 2.02 to the light with a wavelength of 193 nm and an optical film thickness in a range between 0.25λ and 0.42λ to the wavelength λ of the exposure light,
  • a second antireflection layer with a refraction index in a range between 1.65 and 1.77 to the light with a wavelength of 193 nm and an optical film thickness in a range between 0.10λ and 0.45λ to the wavelength λ of the exposure light, and
  • the first antireflection layer and the second antireflection layer are sequentially laminated in an order from the base material side.

Claims

1. An optical element used such that at least one surface thereof is in contact with a liquid in a liquid immersion exposure apparatus in which a substrate is exposed by exposure light illuminated on the substrate via the liquid with a refraction index in a range between 1.60 and 1.66 to the light with a wavelength of 193 nm, comprising:

a base material with a refraction index in a range between 2.10 and 2.30 to the light with a wavelength of 193 nm; and

a first antireflection film formed on the contact surface between the base material and the liquid,

wherein the first antireflection film includes a first antireflection layer with a refraction index in a range between 1.80 and 2.02 to the light with a wavelength of 193 nm and an optical film thickness in a range between 0.25λ and

0.42λ

to the wavelength λ

of the exposure light,

a second antireflection layer with a refraction index in a range between 1.65 and 1.77 to the light with a wavelength of 193 nm and an optical film thickness in a range between 0.10λ and

0.45λ

to the wavelength λ

of the exposure light, and

the first antireflection layer and the second antireflection layer are sequentially laminated in an order from the base material side.

2. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein the first antireflection layer has the optical film thickness in a range between 0.30λ

and 0.35λ

, and the second antireflection layer has the optical film thickness in a range between 0.24λ and

0.375λ

.

3. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein the first antireflection layer has an physical film thickness in a range between 31 nm and 37 nm, and wherein the second antireflection layer has an physical film thickness in a range between 27 nm and 43 nm.

4. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein the optical element exhibits an average reflectance of 2.0% or less to the light with a wavelength of 193 nm within an incidence angle range of 0°

to 70°

at the interface between the liquid and the first antireflection film.

5. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein the optical element exhibits an average reflectance of 1.0% or less to the light with a wavelength of 193 nm within an incidence angle range of 0°

to 70°

at the interface between the liquid and the first antireflection film.

6. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein the first antireflection layer contains a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, gadolinium oxide, and scandium oxide.

7. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein the second antireflection layer contains a metal fluoride selected from the group consisting of lanthanum fluoride, gadolinium fluoride, neodymium fluoride, hafnium fluoride, lutetium fluoride, yttrium fluoride, ytterbium fluoride, and dysprosium fluoride.

8. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein the base material contains a material for the base material selected from the group consisting of garnet and spinel ceramics.

9. The optical element according to claim 1, further comprising a second antireflection film on the surface of the base material being in contact with the gas, in a case where the base material has a surface being in contact with gas.

10. The optical element according to claim 9, wherein the optical element has an average reflectance of 1.0% or less to the light with a wavelength of 193 nm within an incidence angle range of 0 to 40°

at the interface between the gas and the second antireflection film.

11. The optical element according to claim 9, wherein the optical element has an average reflectance of 0.5% or less to the light with a wavelength of 193 nm within an incidence angle range of 0°

to 40°

at the interface between the gas and the second antireflection film.

12. A liquid immersion exposure apparatus illuminating exposure light on a substrate via an optical element and a liquid which fills the region between at least one of the optical element and a substrate, which and has a refraction index in a range between 1.60 and 1.66 to the light with a wavelength of 193 nm, wherein an optical element used such as to have contact with the liquid is the optical element according to claim 1.

13. A liquid immersion exposure method which includes a process of exposing a substrate by exposure light illuminated on the substrate via a liquid by using the liquid immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 12.

14. A micro device production method which includes a process of exposing a substrate by exposure light illuminated on the substrate via a liquid by using the liquid immersion exposure apparatus according to claim 12.