Movable body apparatus, pattern formation apparatus and exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

• US 9,013,681 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Kanaya, Yuho
• Primary Examiner(s): RIDDLE, CHRISTINA A
• Application Number:
  US12/262,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20090122285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,363 Days
• Field of Search: 355/52, 355/53, 355 72- 77, 356399-401, 318/648, 318/649, 250/442.11
• US Class Current: 355/72
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70775 Position control, e.g. interferometers or encoders for determining the stage position

Abstract

On the +X and −X sides of a projection unit, a plurality of Y heads are arranged in parallel to the X-axis by a predetermined distance half or less than half the effective width of the scale, so that two heads each constantly form a pair and face a pair of Y scales. Similarly, on the +Y and −Y sides of the projection unit, a plurality of X heads are arranged in parallel to the Y-axis by the predetermined distance described above, so that two heads each constantly form a pair and face a pair of X scales. Of the pair of heads consisting of two heads which simultaneously face the scale, measurement values of a priority head is used, and when abnormality occurs in the measurement values of the priority head due to malfunction of the head, measurement values of the other head is used. Then, by using the measurement values of the two pairs of Y heads and the pair of X heads, a position of a stage within a two-dimensional plane is measured in a stable manner and with high precision.

Claims

1. A movable body apparatus including a movable body which substantially moves along a predetermined plane and is movable to a predetermined position within the predetermined plane, the apparatus comprising:

a scale which is arranged at one of the movable body and an outside of the movable body, with a first direction within a plane parallel to the predetermined plane serving as a longitudinal direction, the scale having a predetermined width in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction within the plane parallel to the predetermined plane, the scale having a length extending in the first direction and having a width extending in the second direction, the length being substantially longer than the width;

a measurement device having a plurality of sensors each of which measures positional information of the movable body in a periodic direction of the scale at a plurality of measurement points placed on the scale within the width of the scale so that of the plurality of measurement points, n (wherein, n is an integer of two or more) or more points are positioned within the predetermined width of the scale, and when the movable body is at the predetermined position, n+1 or more of the plurality of measurement points are positioned within the predetermined width of the scale; and

a controller which performs position control of the movable body, using, as primary information, a first measurement information including measurement information at a first measurement point out of the n or more measurement points positioned within the predetermined width of the scale or the n+1 or more measurement points positioned within the predetermined width of the scale when the movable body is located at the predetermined position, wherein

the controller switches measurement information to use as the primary information in position control of the movable body to a second measurement information including measurement information at a second measurement point different from the first measurement point, when abnormality occurs, due to malfunction of one of the sensors, in the first measurement information at the first measurement point positioned within the predetermined width of the scale.

2. The movable body apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the scale is arranged on a surface substantially parallel to the predetermined plane of the movable body.

3. The movable body apparatus according to claim 2 wherein

on the movable body, the scale is arranged in a pair separated from each other in the second direction, and

the measurement points are placed so that n or more measurement points are constantly positioned in at least one of the pair of scales when the movable body is in a predetermined range within the predetermined plane.

4. The movable body apparatus according to claim 2 wherein

on the movable body, another pair of scales is further arranged with each of the longitudinal directions being the second direction, the another pair of scales being separated from each other in the first direction, wherein

the measurement points are placed so that n or more measurement points are constantly positioned in at least one of the another pair of scales when the movable body is in a predetermined range within the predetermined plane.

5. The movable body apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

each of the first measurement information and the second measurement information includes measurement information at a plurality of measurement points.

6. The movable body apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

each of the first measurement information and the second measurement information is measurement information at a single measurement point.

7. The movable body apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

each of the plurality of sensors has a head which irradiates a measurement beam on a measurement point, and

the controller performs the switching when the abnormality in measurement information occurs due to malfunction of one of the heads.

8. The movable body apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

each of the plurality of sensors has a head which irradiates a measurement beam on a measurement point, and a plurality of the heads irradiate the measurement beams on different measurement points, respectively.

9. The movable body apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the measurement points are substantially equally spaced from each other in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the scale by half or less than half of the predetermined width of the scale.

10. The movable body apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the measurement device has a first head and a second head which irradiate measurement beams on a same measurement point, and

an irradiation area of the measurement beam irradiated from the first head is in proximity with an irradiation area of the measurement beam irradiated by the second head, without overlapping.

11. A pattern formation apparatus that forms a pattern on an object, the apparatus comprising:

a patterning device which forms a pattern on the object, and

the movable body apparatus according to claim 1 in which the object is mounted on the movable body.

12. The pattern formation apparatus according to claim 11 wherein

the object has a sensitive layer, and the patterning device forms a pattern on the object by exposing the sensitive layer.

13. An exposure apparatus that forms a pattern on an object by irradiating an energy beam, the apparatus comprising:

a patterning device that irradiates the energy beam on the object;

the movable body apparatus according to claim 1 in which the object is mounted on the movable body, and

a drive device which drives the movable body to make the object relatively move with respect to the energy beam.

14. A device manufacturing method comprising:

exposing an object with the exposure apparatus according to claim 13; and

developing the exposed object.

15. A movable body apparatus including a movable body which substantially moves along a predetermined plane, the apparatus comprising:

a scale which is arranged at one of the movable body and an outside of the movable body, with a first direction within a plane parallel to the predetermined plane serving as a longitudinal direction, the scale having a predetermined width in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction within the plane parallel to the predetermined plane;

a measurement device which measures positional information of the movable body in a periodic direction of the scale at a plurality of measurement points placed on the scale, the measurement device having a plurality of head sets each of which includes a first head that receives a first positional information of a first measurement point and a second head that receives a second positional information of a second measurement point within a predetermined distance of the first measurement point, the predetermined distance being less than one-half the predetermined width of the scale; and

a controller which controls a position of the movable body using, as primary information, measurement information generated by the first head, and switches the measurement information used as the primary information from the measurement information generated by the first head to measurement information generated by the second head when abnormality occurs in the measurement information generated by the first head due to malfunction of the measurement device.

16. The movable body apparatus according to claim 15 wherein

the scale is arranged on a surface substantially parallel to the predetermined plane of the movable body.

17. The movable body apparatus according to claim 15 wherein

the first measurement points, or the first and second measurement points, on which the measurement beams are respectively irradiated by the first heads and the second heads included in the plurality of head sets, respectively, are substantially equally spaced by the predetermined width.

18. The movable body apparatus according to claim 15 wherein

in the measurement device, at least a part of a measurement area where the measurement beam of the first head irradiates overlaps a part of a measurement area where the measurement beam of the second head irradiates in parallel.

19. The movable body apparatus according to claim 15 wherein

the controller performs the switching when the abnormality in measurement information occurs due to malfunction of the first head.

20. A pattern formation apparatus that forms a pattern on an object, the apparatus comprising:

a patterning device which forms a pattern on the object, and

the movable body apparatus according to claim 15 in which the object is mounted on the movable body.

21. The pattern formation apparatus according to claim 20 wherein

the object has a sensitive layer, and the patterning device forms a pattern on the object by exposing the sensitive layer.

22. An exposure apparatus that forms a pattern on an object by irradiating an energy beam, the apparatus comprising:

a patterning device that irradiates the energy beam on the object;

the movable body apparatus according to claim 15 in which the object is mounted on the movable body, and

a drive device which drives the movable body to make the object relatively move with respect to the energy beam.

23. A device manufacturing method comprising:

exposing an object with the exposure apparatus according to claim 22; and

developing the exposed object.

24. A movable body apparatus including a movable body which substantially moves along a predetermined plane, the apparatus comprising:

a measurement device which measures positional information of the movable body in a direction of a single degree of freedom which is along the predetermined plane, at a plurality of measurement points of the movable body placed in a movement range of the movable body, wherein

the measurement device has a plurality of heads which simultaneously generate respective measurement information on at least a same single measurement point of the plurality of measurement points when the movable body is located at a predetermined position.

25. The movable body apparatus according to claim 24 wherein

the plurality of heads are placed at the movable body.

26. The movable body apparatus according to claim 24 wherein

the movable body has a scale which reflects the measurement beams irradiated from the plurality of heads.

27. The movable body apparatus according to claim 24 wherein

the plurality of heads include a first head and a second head which respectively irradiate measurement beams on the same single measurement point of the plurality of measurement points when the movable body is at the predetermined position, and

at the same single measurement point, at least a part of an irradiation area of the measurement beam irradiated from the first head overlaps at least a part of an irradiation area of the measurement beam simultaneously irradiated from the second head.

28. The movable body apparatus according to claim 24 wherein

the plurality of heads include a first head and a second head which respectively irradiate measurement beams on the same single measurement point of the plurality of measurement points when the movable body is at the predetermined position, and the apparatus further comprises:

a controller which controls a position of the movable body using, as primary information, measurement information generated by the first head of the plurality of heads irradiating measurement beams on the same single measurement point, and switches the measurement information used as the primary information from the measurement information generated by the first head to measurement information generated by the second head when abnormality occurs in the measurement information generated by the first head.

29. The movable body apparatus according to claim 28 wherein

the controller performs the switching when the abnormality in measurement information occurs due to malfunction of the first head.

30. A pattern formation apparatus that forms a pattern on an object, the apparatus comprising:

a patterning device which forms a pattern on the object, and

the movable body apparatus according to claim 24 in which the object is mounted on the movable body.

31. The pattern formation apparatus according to claim 30 wherein

the object has a sensitive layer, and the patterning device forms a pattern on the object by exposing the sensitive layer.

32. An exposure apparatus that forms a pattern on an object by irradiating an energy beam, the apparatus comprising:

a patterning device that irradiates the energy beam on the object;

the movable body apparatus according to claim 24 in which the object is mounted on the movable body, and

a drive device which drives the movable body to make the object relatively move with respect to the energy beam.

33. A device manufacturing method comprising:

exposing an object with the exposure apparatus according to claim 32; and

developing the exposed object.