Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and device fabrication method

• US 20110189613A1
• Filed: 03/21/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Makinouchi, Susumu, Imai, Motokatsu
• Granted Patent: US 8,272,544 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 430/311
• 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

Abstract

An exposure apparatus forms an immersion area by supplying a liquid onto a part of a substrate, and forms a prescribed pattern on the substrate through the liquid. A spare immersion area, which is capable of holding part of the liquid on the substrate, is formed at the outer circumference of the immersion area. It is possible to prevent the separation of the liquid, which is disposed between a lower surface of a projection optical system and a substrate surface, from the lower surface of the projection optical system in accordance with the relative movement of the projection optical system and the substrate.

Claims

1. An exposure method for exposing a substrate by forming an immersion area by supplying a liquid onto part of a substrate, which includes a projection area of a projection optical system, and projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through the projection optical system and the liquid positioned between the projection optical system and the substrate, the method comprising the step of disposing part of the liquid supplied onto the substrate in a spare immersion area that is formed at an outer circumference of the immersion area.

2. An exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the step of disposing part of the liquid in the spare immersion area is performed prior to exposure of the substrate.

3. An exposure method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of supplying and recovering the liquid to and from the immersion area and the spare immersion area, wherein the amount of the liquid supplied to the immersion area and the spare immersion area is greater than the amount of liquid recovered.

4. A device fabrication method that includes a lithographic process, wherein an exposure method according to claim 1 is used in the lithographic process.