IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,599,359
Granted Patent B2
US 8,599,359 · App. 12/640,617 · Granted Dec 3, 2013

Exposure apparatus, exposure method, device manufacturing method, and carrier method

Inventor: Yuichi Shibazaki (Kumagaya, JP)
Assignee: Nikon Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,599,359
App. No.
12/640,617
Granted
Dec 3, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

An exposure apparatus is equipped with a coarse movement stage which can move along an XY plane and includes a first section and a second section that can come close to and separate from each other, a fine movement stage which holds wafer W and is supported relatively movable at least within the XY plane by the coarse movement stage, and a drive system which drives the fine movement stage supported by the coarse movement stage independently or integrally with the coarse movement stage. Further, the exposure apparatus is equipped with a relay stage which can deliver the fine movement stage to/from the coarse movement stage.

Claims (71)

1. An exposure apparatus that exposes an object with an energy beam, the apparatus comprising:

a first movable body that is movable at least along a two-dimensional plane including a first axis and a second axis that are orthogonal to each other, the first movable body including a first section and a second section that are configured to come close to and separate from each other;

a first drive system that separates the first section and the second section;

a holding member that holds the object and that is supported by the first movable body, the holding member being relatively movable by the first movable body with respect to the first movable body, at least within a plane parallel to the two-dimensional plane; and

a delivery device that is configured to be used in a delivery of the holding member performed with the first movable body, a part of the delivery device being movable in at least one direction within a plane parallel to the two-dimensional plane or a direction parallel to a third axis orthogonal to the two-dimensional plane, or movable in the at least one direction within the plane parallel to the two-dimensional plane and the direction parallel to the third axis.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the holding member is detached from the first movable body in a state where the first section and the second section are separated.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2 wherein

the first movable body has a space inside, and

the part of the delivery device supports the holding member, which is detached from the first movable body, in the space.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3 wherein

the part of the delivery device is movable supporting the holding member, at least in a direction parallel to the third axis.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3 wherein

the part of the delivery device supports the holding member within the space before the holding member is detached from the first movable body, and also moves at least in a direction parallel to the first axis while supporting the holding member detached from the first movable body.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5 wherein

the delivery device has a space inside, and further has a second movable body which is movable within the two-dimensional plane independently from the first movable body, and

the part of the delivery device is provided in the second movable body.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising:

a position measurement system which measures positional information at least within the two-dimensional plane of the holding member held by the first movable member, and

the first drive system drives the holding member in one of an individual manner and an integral manner with the first movable body, based on the positional information measured by the position measurement system.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7 wherein

a measurement plane is provided in a plane substantially parallel to the two-dimensional plane of the holding member, and

the position measurement system includes a measurement member which has a head that is partially placed within the space of the first movable body facing the measurement plane, irradiates at least one measurement beam on the measurement plane, and receives light from the measurement plane of the measurement beam, and the position measurement system measures positional information at least within the two-dimensional plane of the holding member held by the first movable body, based on the output of the head.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8 wherein

the measurement member includes a measurement arm of a cantilevered structure, and

a separation of the first section and the second section of the first movable body and a detachment of the holding member from the first movable body are performed, after the first movable body has been moved in a direction from a fixed end to a free end of the measurement arm.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8 wherein

the holding member has a solid section where a light can travel inside, in at least a part of the holding member,

the measurement plane is placed on a mounting surface side of the object of the holding member, facing the solid section, and

the head is placed on an opposite side of the mounting surface of the object, facing the solid section.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8 wherein

a grating is formed on the measurement plane, and

the head irradiates at least one measurement beam on the grating, and receives a diffraction light from the grating of the measurement beam.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 11 wherein

the grating includes a first diffraction grating and a second diffraction grating whose periodic directions are in a direction parallel to the first axis and a direction parallel to the second axis, respectively, whereby

the head irradiates a first axis direction measurement beam and a second axis direction measurement beam corresponding to the first and the second diffraction gratings, respectively, as the measurement beam, and receives a diffraction light from the grating of each of the first axis direction measurement beam and the second axis direction measurement beam, and the position measurement system measures positional information of the holding member in the direction parallel to the first axis and the direction parallel to the second axis, based on an output of the head.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 12 wherein

the head irradiates at least two measurement beams whose irradiation points on the grating are different from each other in a direction parallel to the second axis, on the first diffraction grating as the first axis direction measurement beam.

14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13 wherein

the at least two measurement beams and the second axis direction measurement beam are irradiated on irradiation points, respectively, on a same straight line parallel to the second axis on the grating.

15. The exposure apparatus according to claim 12 wherein

a measurement center, which serves as a center of an irradiation point of the first axis direction measurement beam irradiated on the grating from the head, coincides with an exposure position, which serves as a center of an irradiation area of the energy beam irradiated on the object.

16. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising:

a second drive system which drives the holding member supported by the second movable body in one of an individual manner and an integral manner with the second movable body.

17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the delivery device further has a second movable body in which the part of the delivery device is provided, and

the part of the delivery device is movable at least in one direction, of two directions parallel to the second axis and the third axis, respectively.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17 , further comprising:

a second drive system which drives the holding member supported by the second movable body in one of an individual manner and an integral manner with the second movable body.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 18 wherein

the holding member is provided in plurals, and

the first and the second movable bodies are configured to support each of the plurality of the holding members, each of the plurality of the holding members being relatively movable with respect to the first and the second movable bodies, respectively, at least within a plane parallel to the two-dimensional plane.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 19 wherein

the second drive system includes a pair of drive devices which includes a pair of first movers provided on both ends of the holding member in a direction parallel to the second axis, and a pair of first stators provided in the second movable body corresponding to the pair of first movers, respectively, and which drives the holding member supported by the second movable body within a plane parallel to the two-dimensional plane by an electromagnetic interaction between each of the first movers and each of the corresponding first stators.

21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 19 further comprising:

a first drive system that drives the holding member supported by the first movable body in one of an individual manner and an integral manner with the first movable body.

22. The exposure apparatus according to claim 21 , further comprising:

a controller that makes the first movable body and the second movable body holding the holding member be one of in contact and in proximity in a direction parallel to the first axis, and moves the holding member held by the second movable body from the second movable body and mounts the holding member onto the first movable body.

23. The exposure apparatus according to claim 22 wherein

the first drive system includes a pair of first movers provided on both ends of the holding member in a direction parallel to the second axis, and a pair of second stators provided in the first movable body corresponding to the pair of first movers, respectively, and

when making the second movable body holding the holding member be one of in contact with and in proximity to the first movable body in a direction parallel to the first axis, the controller makes an electromagnetic interaction be performed in between each of the second stators and each of the first movers that are one of in contact with and in proximity to each other, and generates a drive force of the holding member when the holding member is moved from the second movable body and mounted onto the first movable body by the electromagnetic force.

24. The exposure apparatus according to claim 23 wherein

the first drive system includes a pair of drive devices that drives the holding member within a plane parallel to the two-dimensional plane, by an electromagnetic interaction between each of the pair of first movers and each of the corresponding second stators.

25. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an optical member which has an outgoing plane that emits the energy beam; and

a liquid immersion device which has a liquid immersion member that supplies liquid to a space between the optical member and the holding member held by the first movable body.

26. The exposure apparatus according to claim 25 , further comprising:

a shutter member which holds the liquid with the liquid immersion member.

27. A device manufacturing method, including

exposing an object with the exposure apparatus according to claim 1 ; and

developing the object which has been exposed.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 4, 2010
From: SHIBAZAKI, YUICHI
To: NIKON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 024032/0159 →
Priority Claims (3)
JP 2009-122314 · May 20, 2009 · national
JP 2009-122361 · May 20, 2009 · national
JP 2009-122433 · May 20, 2009 · national
Continuity (5)
Provisional Application 61139234 · Dec 19, 2008
Provisional Application 61213328 · May 29, 2009
Provisional Application 61213348 · Jun 1, 2009
Provisional Application 61213350 · Jun 1, 2009
Related Publication 20100157276A1 · Jun 24, 2010