Stage apparatus and exposure apparatus

1. An exposure apparatus that exposes a photoresist coated substrate with illumination light via a projection optical system, the apparatus comprising:

a first stage arranged on a base member and having a holder which holds the photoresist coated substrate;

a movable member arranged on the base member and movable relative to the first stage;

a driving system having a motor that moves the first stage and the movable member on the base member such that the first stage and the movable member come close to each other;

a power supply member having a first portion that is provided on the first stage and a second portion that is provided on the movable member and to be electrically in contact with the first portion; and

a controller configured to control the driving system and the power supply member,

wherein the controller configured to control the driving system and the power supply member such that the first and second portions are electrically connected to each other to allow at least one of an electric power supply for the first stage and an electrical ground of the first stage when an exposing photoresist coated substrate with the illumination light is not performed.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the at least one of the electrical power supply and the electric ground is performed in a different process when the exposing the photoresist coated substrate with the illumination light is not performed, different from an exposure process for the photoresist coated substrate with the illumination light.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the different process includes an exchange process of the photoresist coated substrate that is held by the holder on the first stage with another photoresist substrate.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the first stage has a battery,

the first portion has a power supply electrical contact that is connected to the battery, and

the power supply electrical contact of the first portion and a power supply electrical contact of the second portion are arranged to be in contact with each other in order to supply electric power to the battery.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the first stage has a support member that is arranged to support the photoresist coated substrate and to be driven with electric power from the battery such that the support member is moved relative to the holder.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein

the first portion has a grounding contact that is electrically connected to the holder, and

the grounding contact of the first portion and a grounding contact of the second portion are arranged to be in contact with each other in order to ground the holder.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the grounding contact of the second portion is arranged to be connected, via a line connected to the movable member, to an external ground portion.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising:

a gas supply member, different from the power supply member, and a part of which is provided on the first stage, wherein

the gas supply member is arranged to supply at least one of negative pressure and positive pressure to the first stage while the first stage is not physically in contact with the movable member.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the negative pressure is utilized for absorbing the photoresist coated substrate by at least one of the holder and the support member.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the movable member is further arranged to be connected to another line for an electric supply, and a tube for the negative pressure.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein

the projection optical system has a plurality of lenses including a lens that is arranged at a closest position to an image plane,

the apparatus further comprising:

a nozzle member arranged adjacent to the lens to supply liquid between the lens and a portion of a surface of the photoresist coated substrate held by the holder on the first stage; and

a second stage arranged on the base member, that is movable relative to the first stage, wherein

the controller is configured to control the driving system, to execute a relative movement between the first stage and the second stage, while the first stage is arranged opposite to the lens, such that the first and second stages come close to each other, and to move the first and second stages while the first and second stages are positioned adjacent to each other relative to the lens in a predetermined direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the lens so that the second stage is arranged opposite to the lens in place of the first stage while the liquid is substantially maintained between the lens and the portion of the surface of the photoresist coated substrate.

12. A device fabricating method comprising:

exposing a photoresist coated substrate with illumination light via a projection optical system using the exposure apparatus according to claim 1 ; and

developing the exposed substrate.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the power supply member includes an actuator that is configured to move the second portion, and

the controller is configured to control the actuator so that the second portion is electrically in contact with the first portion when the exposing the photoresist coated substrate with the illumination light is not performed.

14. A method of exposing a photoresist coated substrate with illumination light via a projection optical system, the method comprising:

moving a first stage having a holder which holds the photoresist coated substrate and a movable member movable relative to the first stage by a motor on a base member arranged below the projection optical system such that the first stage and the movable member come close to each other; and

electrically connecting first and second portions of a power supply member to each other to allow at least one of an electric power supply for the first stage and an electrical ground of the first stage when an exposing the photoresist coated substrate with the illumination light is not performed,

wherein the first portion is provided on the first stage, the second portion is provided on the movable member and to be electrically in contact with the first portion.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one of the electrical power supply and the electric ground is performed in a different process when an exposing the photoresist coated substrate with the illumination light is not performed, different from an exposure process for the photoresist coated substrate with the illumination light.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the different process includes an exchange process of the photoresist coated substrate that is held by the holder on the first stage with another photoresist coated substrate.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein a power supply electrical contact, which is connected to a battery of the first stage, of the first portion and a power supply electrical contact of the second portion are to be in contact with each other in order to supply electric power to the battery.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein a support member, which is provided at the first stage and is arranged to support the photoresist coated substrate, is driven with electric power from the battery such that the support member is moved relative to the holder.

19. The method according to claim 18 , a grounding contact, which is electrically connected to the holder, of the first portion and a grounding contact of the second portion are to be in contact with each other in order to ground the holder.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the grounding contact of the second portion is arranged to be connected, via a line connected to the movable member, to an external ground portion.

21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein at least one of negative pressure and positive pressure is supplied to the first stage, while the first stage is not physically in contact with the movable member, by a gas supply member, different from the power supply member, and a part of which is provided on the first stage.

22. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the negative pressure is utilized for absorbing the photoresist coated substrate by at least one of the holder and the support member.

23. The method according to claim 22 , wherein the movable member is further arranged to be connected to another line for an electric supply, and a tube for the negative pressure.

24. The method according to claim 23 , further comprising:

supplying liquid, by a nozzle member, between a lens and a portion of a surface of the photoresist coated substrate held by the holder on the first stage, the lens being of a plurality of lenses of the projection optical system and arranged at a closest position to an image plane, the nozzle member being arranged adjacent to the lens;

executing a relative movement between the first stage, which is arranged opposite to the lens, and a second stage, which is arranged on the base member and movable relative to the first stage, such that the first and second stages come close to each other; and

moving the first and second stages while the first and second stages are positioned adjacent to each other relative to the lens in a predetermined direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the lens so that the second stage is arranged opposite to the lens in place of the first stage while the liquid is substantially maintained between the lens and the portion of the surface of the photoresist coated substrate.

25. A device fabricating method comprising:

exposing a photoresist coated substrate with illumination light via a projection optical system using the exposure method according to claim 14 ; and

developing the exposed substrate.

26. The method according to claim 14 , wherein

the power supply member includes an actuator that is configured to move the second portion, and

controlling the actuator so that the second portion is electrically in contact with the first portion when the exposing the photoresist coated substrate with the illumination light is not performed.