Substrate holder, stage apparatus, and exposure apparatus with first support part provided in a suction space and second support part

• US 8,717,543 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2010
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Shibazaki, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Toan
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIU, CHIA HOW MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US12/656,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20100141924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• Field of Search: 355/73, 355/72, 355 74- 76, 355/53
• US Class Current: 355/73
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/707 Chucks, e.g. chucking or un-chucking operations or structural details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6838 with gripping and holding devices using a vacuum; Bernoulli devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6875 characterised by a plurality of individual support members, e.g. support posts or protrusions

Abstract

An object of the invention is to hold a substrate with satisfactory flatness, even at a circumferential edge part that surrounds a suction space. The invention is equipped with a circumferential edge part that surrounds a suction space, and a first support part that is provided in the suction space and that supports a substrate. Furthermore, the invention is equipped with a second support part that extends from the circumferential edge part to the first support part and that supports the substrate.

Claims

1. A substrate holder that constitutes a part of an exposure apparatus which exposes a pattern of a mask to a substrate while synchronously moving the mask and the substrate which is installed from external, the substrate holder comprising:

a circumferential edge part that surrounds a suction space;

first support parts that are provided at prescribed intervals in the suction space and that support the substrate; and

second support parts that each extend from the circumferential edge part toward the first support parts and that support the substrate,

wherein;

each of the second support parts extends in a direction substantially parallel to a direction in which the mask and the substrate are synchronously moved, and extending lengths of the second support parts from the circumferential edge part toward the first support parts are made varied so that tip parts of the second support parts adjacent to the first support parts are non-linearly arranged and non-arcuately arranged, and

a substrate contact area of each of the second support parts is greater than a substrate contact area of each of the first support parts.

2. The substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein a support surface area of the second support parts whereon the substrate is supported is larger than a support surface area of the first support parts whereon the substrate is supported.

3. The substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein each end part of the second support parts is integrally connected to the circumferential edge part.

4. The substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein the first support parts comprise a pin chuck.

5. The substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first support parts and the second support parts are made liquid-repellent.

6. The substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein the second support parts are made of a ceramic material.

7. The substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein the circumferential edge part and the second support parts are formed integrally.

8. The substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein the first support parts have a same height as a height of the second support parts.

9. The substrate holder according to claim 8, wherein the first support parts and the second support parts have a same height as that of the circumferential edge part.

10. The substrate holder according to claim 1, further comprising:

an end surface at which a reflecting part is provided.

11. A stage apparatus that constitutes a part of an exposure apparatus and that holds and moves a substrate, the stage apparatus comprising:

the substrate holder, which serves as a substrate holder that holds the substrate, according to claim 1.

12. The stage apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a flat surface disposed outside of the circumferential edge part of the substrate holder,

wherein the substrate is supported by the substrate holder such that a gap is provided between the flat surface and a surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder.

13. The stage apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder and the flat surface are substantially a same height.

14. The substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein none of the second support parts are positioned in a region of the suction space that is between the first support parts.

15. The substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein the first support parts are directly exposed to a vacuum in the suction space.

16. An exposure apparatus that comprises a stage apparatus which moves a substrate via a substrate holder supporting the substrate, and exposes a pattern of a mask to the substrate while synchronously moving the mask and the substrate,

wherein:

the substrate holder comprises, a circumferential edge part that surrounds a suction space, first support parts that are provided at prescribed intervals in the suction space and that support the substrate, and second support parts that each extend from the circumferential edge part toward the first support parts and that support the substrate,

each of the second support parts extends in a direction substantially parallel to a direction in which the mask and the substrate are synchronously moved, and extending lengths of the second support parts from the circumferential edge part toward the first support parts are made varied so that tip parts of the second support parts adjacent to the first support parts are non-linearly arranged and non-arcuately arranged, and

a substrate contact area of each of the second support parts is greater than a substrate contact area of each of the first support parts.

17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 16, wherein exposure is performed in a state wherein a liquid is filled between the substrate and a projection optical system, which projects the pattern onto the substrate.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 16, wherein none of the second support parts are positioned in a region of the suction space that is between the first support parts.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the first support parts are directly exposed to a vacuum in the suction space.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein the stage apparatus includes a flat surface disposed outside of the circumferential edge part, and the substrate is supported by the substrate holder such that a gap is provided between the flat surface and a surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder.

21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 20,

wherein a surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder and the flat surface are substantially a same height.