MICROLITOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS AND IMMERSION LIQUID THEREFORE
An immersion liquid for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus is enriched with heavy isotopes. This reduces the chemical reactivity, which leads to an extension of the lifetime of optical elements which come in contact with the immersion liquid. For example, heavy water (D 2 O), deuterated sulfuric acid, (D 2 SO 4 ) or deuterated phosphoric acid D 3 P 16 O 4 may be used. Organic compounds such as perfluoro polyethers, which have been deuterated or enriched with heavy oxygen ( 18 O), are furthermore suitable.
1 - 37 . (canceled)
38 . An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate through an immersion region, comprising: an optical element that has a concave surface from which exposure light emerges; and a surface that is provided to surround an optical path of the exposure light, an interface of a liquid of the immersion region being held between the surface and an object, the object being disposed at a position where the object can be irradiated by the exposure light.
39 . An exposure apparatus according to claim 38 , wherein at least one of a liquid immersion condition, which is for forming the immersion region, and a surface condition is set so that the interface of the liquid is held between the object and the surface by a surface tension of the liquid.
40 . An exposure apparatus according to claim 39 , wherein at least one of the liquid immersion condition and the surface condition is set in accordance with an object front surface condition.
41 . An exposure apparatus according to claim 40 , wherein the front surface condition of the object includes a contact angle condition of the liquid at the front surface of the object.
42 . An exposure apparatus according to claim 39 , wherein the surface condition includes at least one of a distance condition between the object and the surface, and the contact angle condition of the liquid at the surface.
43 . An exposure apparatus according to claim 39 , wherein the liquid immersion condition includes a condition related to at least one of a density of the liquid and an amount of the liquid.
44 . An exposure apparatus according to claim 43 , wherein the condition related to the amount of the liquid includes at least one of a distance condition between the object and a position of the concave surface that is farthest from the object, and a condition related to the size of the immersion region in the radial direction.
45 . An exposure apparatus according to claim 38 , further comprising: an adjustment apparatus that adjusts a density of the liquid that is supplied between the concave surface and the object.
46 . An exposure apparatus according to claim 38 , wherein the object includes the substrate.
47 . An exposure apparatus according to claim 38 , wherein the surface is part of a holding member that holds the optical element.
48 . An exposure apparatus according to claim 38 , wherein the surface is part of the optical element.
49 . An exposure apparatus according to claim 38 , wherein a refractive index of the liquid with respect to the exposure light is higher than that of the optical element with respect to the exposure light.
50 . An exposure apparatus according to claim 38 , further comprising: a projection optical system that projects a pattern image onto the substrate; wherein, the optical element that has the concave surface is an element of a plurality of optical elements of the projection optical system that is closest to an image plane of the projection optical system.
51 . An exposure method, comprising: forming an immersion region so that a space between an object and a concave surface of an optical element is filled with a liquid, an interface of the liquid being positioned between the object and a surface, the surface being provided to surround the optical path of exposure light; and exposing a substrate through the immersion region.
52 . An exposure method according to claim 51 , wherein at least one of a object front surface condition, a surface condition, and a liquid immersion condition, which is for forming the immersion region, is set so that the interface of the liquid is positioned between the object and the surface by a surface tension of the liquid.
53 . An exposure method according to claim 51 , wherein the object includes the substrate.
54 . A device fabricating method, wherein an exposure method according to claim 51 is used.
55 . An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate by radiating exposure light onto the substrate, comprising: a projection optical system that projects a pattern image onto the substrate and that comprises a first optical element, the first optical element having a first surface that the exposure light impinges and a second surface from which the exposure light emerges; wherein, the first surface and the second surface are substantially concentric and are spherical surfaces; and the first optical element is an element of a plurality of optical elements of the projection optical system that is closest to an image plane of the projection optical system.
56 . An exposure apparatus according to claim 55 , wherein the space between the substrate and the second surface of the first optical element is filled with a liquid through which the exposure light passes.
57 . An exposure apparatus according to claim 56 , wherein a refractive index of the liquid with respect to the exposure light is higher than that of the first optical element with respect to the exposure light.
58 . An exposure apparatus according to claim 56 , wherein a numerical aperture of the projection optical system is greater than a refractive index of the first optical element with respect to the exposure light.
59 . An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate by radiating exposure light onto the substrate, comprising: an optical element that has a concave surface part from which the exposure light emerges; a lower surface that is provided to surround the concave surface part; and a side surface that is provided on the outer side of the lower surface with respect to the optical axis of the optical element and that faces the optical axis.
60 . An exposure apparatus according to claim 59 , wherein the concave surface part of the optical element is a curved surface that is concave in a direction away from the substrate; a liquid is filled between the concave surface part and the substrate; and the side surface is provided so that the pressure of the liquid that acts upon the concave surface part decreases in a direction that intersects the optical axis direction of the optical element.
61 . An exposure apparatus according to claim 59 , further comprising: a support member that supports the optical element; wherein, the lower surface is formed in the optical element or the support member.
62 . An exposure method that exposes a substrate by radiating exposure light onto the substrate, comprising: radiating the exposure light to an optical element, the optical element opposing a front surface of the substrate and having a concave surface part from which the exposure light emerges; and irradiating the substrate with the exposure light in a state in which a liquid is filled between the concave surface part of the optical element and a front surface of the substrate; wherein the liquid is contacted with a lower surface, which is provided to surround the concave surface part, and a side surface, which is provided on the outer side of the lower surface with respect to the optical axis of the optical element and that faces the optical axis.