Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and manufacturing method for electronic device

1 . An exposure apparatus comprising:

an exposure module system that includes a spatial light modulator forming a light intensity distribution and that irradiates a resist layer of a substrate with light emitted from the spatial light modulator

a stage that moves the substrate in a scanning direction with respect to the exposure module system; and

a controller that controls exposure of the resist layer,

wherein the controller controls the exposure of the resist layer so that a first step of performing a first exposure of the resist layer based on information of an arrangement or shape of an exposure pattern and a second step of performing a second exposure of the resist layer based on at least a portion of the information are executed, and

wherein each of the first step and the second step includes:

moving, with respect to the spatial light modulator, the stage on which the substrate is mounted from a first side to a second side in the scanning direction so that light from the exposure module system is projected onto a first region extending in the scanning direction in the resist layer, the second side being opposite to the first side;

after moving, with respect to the spatial light modulator, the stage on which the substrate is mounted from the first side to the second side, moving the stage on which the substrate is mounted in a direction intersecting the scanning direction; and

after moving the stage on which the substrate is mounted in the direction intersecting the scanning direction, moving, with respect to the spatial light modulator, the stage on which the substrate is mounted from the second side to the first side in the scanning direction so that the light from the exposure module system is projected onto a second region, which includes a region overlapping with the first region and a region other than the region overlapping with the first region.

2 . The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the second step, the second exposure is performed based on the same information as the information.

3 . The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first step and the second step have different exposure conditions, and

wherein the exposure conditions include at least one of an amount of exposure, a polarization direction, an exposure wavelength, a scanning speed, an inclination of a scanning direction, and illumination σ.

4 . The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a first exposure pattern formed by the first exposure and a second exposure pattern formed by the second exposure overlap each other partially and do not overlap each other partially.

5 . An exposure method of exposing an exposure target using an exposure apparatus,

wherein the exposure apparatus comprises:

an illumination optical system;

a first spatial light modulator which is illuminated by a first illumination light from the illumination optical system;

a first projection optical system that irradiates an exposure target with light emitted from the first spatial light modulator;

a second spatial light modulator into which a second illumination light enters;

a second projection optical system into which the second illumination light emitted from the second spatial light modulator enters;

a stage that moves the exposure target in a scanning direction with respect to the first projection optical system and the second projection optical system; and

a controller that controls exposure for the exposure target,

wherein the method comprises:

a first step of performing a first exposure based on information of an arrangement or shape of an exposure pattern; and

a second step of performing a second exposure based on at least a portion of the information, and

wherein, in each of the first step and the second step, the following are performed in order:

(1) moving the stage from one side to another side in the scanning direction so that (i) the first illumination light is projected onto a first region extending in the scanning direction in the exposure target and (ii) the second illumination light is projected onto a second region extending in the scanning direction in the exposure target;

(2) moving the stage in a direction intersecting the scanning direction; and

(3) moving the stage from the other side to the one side in the scanning direction so that (i) the first illumination light is projected onto a third region, which includes a region overlapping with the first region and a region other than the region overlapping with the first region, and (ii) the second illumination light is projected onto a fourth region, which includes a region overlapping with the second region and a region other than the region overlapping with the second region.

6 . The exposure method according to claim 5 , wherein, in the second step, the second exposure is performed based on the same information as the information.

7 . The exposure method according to claim 5 ,

wherein the first step and the second step have different exposure conditions, and

wherein the exposure conditions include at least one of a focus, an amount of exposure, telecentricity, a polarization direction, an exposure wavelength, a scanning speed, an inclination of a scanning direction, illumination σ, light intensity distribution at a pupil position of the illumination optical system, and an exposure position.

8 . The exposure method according to claim 5 , wherein a first exposure pattern formed by the first exposure and a second exposure pattern formed by the second exposure overlap each other partially and do not overlap each other partially.

9 . A method of manufacturing an electronic device, the method comprising exposing the exposure target using the exposure method according to claim 5 .

10 . A method of controlling an exposure apparatus,

wherein the exposure apparatus comprises:

an exposure module system that includes a spatial light modulator forming a light intensity distribution and that irradiates a resist layer of a substrate with light emitted from the spatial light modulator; and

a stage that moves the substrate in a scanning direction with respect to the exposure module system,

wherein the method comprises:

a first step of performing a first exposure of the resist layer based on information of an arrangement or shape of an exposure pattern; and

a second step of performing a second exposure of the resist layer based on at least part of the information, after the first step is executed, and

wherein each of the first step and the second step includes:

moving, with respect to the spatial light modulator, the stage on which the substrate is mounted from a first side to a second side in the scanning direction so that the light from the exposure module system is projected onto a first region extending in the scanning direction in the resist layer;

after moving, with respect to the first spatial light modulator, the stage on which the substrate is mounted from the first side to the second side, moving the stage on which the substrate is mounted in a direction intersecting the scanning direction; and

after moving the stage on which the substrate is mounted in the direction intersecting the scanning direction, moving the stage on which the substrate is mounted from the second side to the first side in the scanning direction so that the light from the exposure module system is projected onto a second region, which includes a region overlapping with the first region and a region other than the region overlapping with the first region.

11 . The method according to claim 10 ,

wherein the stage is moved before starting the second exposure so that a position on the first region where the projecting the light starts in the second step overlaps with a position on the first region where the projecting the light starts in the first step.

12 . The method according to claim 11 ,

wherein the position on the first region where the projecting the light starts in the second step and the position on the first region where the projecting the light starts in the first step are shifted in a direction intersecting the scanning direction.

13 . The method according to claim 10 ,

wherein the exposure module system includes an illumination optical system that illuminates the spatial light modulator with a first illumination light,

wherein the illumination optical system includes a light shielding member that blocks at least a part of the first illumination light entering into the spatial light modulator, and

wherein the light shielding member is moved so that the amount of the first illumination light entering into a fly-eye lens in the second step changes with respect to the amount of the first illumination light entering into the fly-eye lens in the first step.

14 . The method according to claim 10 ,

wherein a first exposure pattern formed by the first step and a second exposure pattern formed by the second step overlap each other partially and do not overlap each other partially.

15 . The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the exposure module system includes a filter capable of adjusting illuminance,

wherein the spatial light modulator is disposed so that light passed through the filter is irradiated on the spatial light modulator, and

wherein the illuminance of light passed through the filter is adjustable in each of the first step and the second step.

16 . The exposure apparatus according to claim 15 ,

wherein an exposure amount that cannot be achieved by the first step alone is achieved by performing the first step and the second step.

17 . The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the spatial light modulator of the exposure module system is a first spatial light modulator,

wherein the exposure module system further includes:

a first projection optical system that projects light from the first spatial light modulator onto the resist layer;

a second spatial light modulator; and

a second projection optical system that projects light from the second spatial light modulator onto the resist layer, and

wherein each of the first step and second step includes:

moving the stage on which the substrate is mounted from the first side to the second side in the scanning direction so that light from the first and second projection optical systems irradiates the first region;

after moving the stage on which the substrate is mounted from the first side to the second side in the scanning direction, moving the stage in a direction intersecting the scanning direction; and

after moving the stage on which the substrate is mounted in the direction intersecting the scanning direction, moving the stage from the second side to the first side in the scanning direction so that light from the first and second projection optical systems irradiates the second region.

18 . The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the spatial light modulator of the exposure module system is a first spatial light modulator,

wherein the exposure module system further includes a first projection optical system that projects light from the first spatial light modulator onto the resist layer, and

wherein each of the first and second steps includes:

moving the stage on which the substrate is mounted from the first side to the second side in the scanning direction so that light from the first projection optical system irradiates the first region;

after moving the stage on which the substrate is mounted from the first side to the second in the scanning direction, moving the stage in a direction intersecting the scanning direction; and

after moving the stage in the direction intersecting the scanning direction, moving the stage from the second side to the first side in the scanning direction so that light from the first projection optical system irradiates the second region.

19 . The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the exposure module system includes a projection optical system;

wherein the spatial light modulator includes a plurality of tiltable mirrors capable of taking a plurality of states;

wherein light from a first-state mirror among the plurality of tiltable mirrors enters the projection optical system; and

wherein light from a second-state mirror among the plurality of mirrors enters outside the projection optical system.

20 . The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:

a light source unit that supplies pulse light,

wherein the spatial light modulator is disposed so that the pulse light is irradiated on the spatial light modulator; and

wherein a timing of light emission of the pulse light is the same in each of the first and second steps.

21 . The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:

a storage that stores data of the arrangement or the shape of the exposure pattern,

wherein the controller uses the data to control the first step and uses the data to control the second step.

22 . The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the controller shifts an exposure position in the second step relative to an exposure position in the first step; and

wherein an amount of shift of the exposure position is at most half of a width corresponding a pixel pitch of the spatial light modulator.

23 . The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein a positional deviation between a movement trajectory of exposure in the first step and a movement trajectory of exposure in the second step is smaller than a designed linewidth of a pattern exposed on the resist layer.

24 . The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the controller controls exposure in at least one step of the first step and the second step in a manner that achieves the best focus.

25 . The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the controller varies telecentricity in the second step relative to that in the first step.

26 . The method according to claim 10 ,

wherein the exposure module system includes a filter capable of adjusting illuminance,

wherein the spatial light modulator is disposed so that light passed through the filter is irradiated on the spatial light modulator,

wherein the illuminance of light passed through the filter is adjustable in each of the first step and the second step, and

wherein an exposure amount that cannot be achieved by the first step alone is achieved by performing the first step and the second step.

27 . The method according to claim 10 ,

further comprising shifting an exposure position in the second step relative to an exposure position in the first step,

wherein an amount of shift of the exposure position is at most half of a width corresponding to a pixel pitch of the spatial light modulator.

28 . The method according to claim 10 ,

further comprising performing exposure in at least one step of the first step and the second step in a manner that achieves the best focus.